Out of Africa
Emmanuel Denguessi was a star on the Cameroon national men’s volleyball team (photo: John Van Putten)
The date was June 19, 2004. It was Emmanuel Denguessi’s 25th birthday.
As a member of the Cameroon army’s club volleyball team, he was in Kingston, Ontario that day, playing in an international tournament.
Following the final game of the event, Denguessi slipped away from the gym carrying only a small duffel bag. Inside was a T-shirt, shorts, and a track suit he’d obtained in trade from a member of the Cuban national team.
Denguessi jogged to a gas station, where he called a cab to take him to a bus depot. There, he purchased a ticket to Montreal.
The penalty for defecting from the Cameroon army was 10 years in jail.
He did not know a single person in Canada.
Get the full story from Dan Kinvig, Abbotsford News
