While the FIFA World Cup is full of stories of teams and players fighting the odds and making it to the biggest stages, in DR Congo’s case, a fan has caught the limelight despite their draw against Cristiano Ronaldo-starrer Portugal. The tale of Michel Nkuka Boladinga is fascinating, as the ‘living statue’ stands still in the stands and appears as if there is an idol placed there and not a real human being.
Michel stands frozen in the stands for the entire duration of Congo’s matches during the tournament. He stands motionless with his right hand raised for 90 minutes and has become an internet sensation after first going viral during the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year as he appears dressed in colorful suits.
The Story Behind The Living Statue
Michel is nicknamed ‘Lumumba Vea’ by Congo fans, and his appearance is a tribute to late Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba. In fact, his standing posture is similar to his statue in Kinhasa.
Lumumba was the first-ever prime minister of independent Congo in 1960. Lumumba was among the most influential personalities in the country’s independent movement after earlier being a colony of Belgium. He was assassinated in 1961 by separatists in the Katanga region.
Over the years, his death has become a source of major controversy, with foreign players alleged to be involved. In 2002, the Belgian foreign ministry read an apology in the parliament claiming ‘moral responsibility.’ In 2022, the Belgian prime minister Alexander De Croo apologized to Lumumba’s family and returned his gold-capped tooth, which was the only part of his body that remained.
“I stand motionless because I believe it gives the team emotional stamina. Just as Lumumba sacrificed his life for our country, mine is a small price to pay because of how deeply I care about this team,” said Michel to the Wall Street Journal.
How Does He Stand Motionless For 90 Minutes?
Michel revealed that standing motionless with his arm raised for 90 minutes does not come easy, and he practices for it over 20 months a day. However, he also takes sufficient rest and claims the weather does not impact him.
“Believe it or not, but I do practice. I can actually practice 20 days out of a month, but I’ll also take a lot of rest. I am a living statue. The climate has no impact on me. My job is not just to stand there, but rather to communicate energy, strength and power to the players. That is what I am focusing on. I do not foresee a time when I’m actually going to let go and lower my hand – I will get my job done,” said. Michel to CNN Sports.
Forced To Miss Historic Portugal Clash
However, the living statue was missing from the stands as Congo created history and held Portugal to a 1-1 draw in their opening game of the World Cup due to quarantine restrictions forced by the Ebola outbreak in Congo. The players of the Congo squad played a key role in ensuring that Michel was able to reach North America for the mega event and even pleaded with the country’s president Félix Tshisekedi to include him in the official delegation.
Michel was also forced to miss Congo’s World Cup qualifier in Jamaica earlier this year, where the team sealed their place in the World Cup after 52 years due to visa issues.
However, he finally appeared in the World Cup during Congo’s second match against Colombia, which they lost 1–0. He is expected to be present when they face Uzbekistan on Saturday (June 27) in a game where a victory would seal a place in the knockouts for the first time in their history.
