Cambage: ‘I’m in, baby’
Opals star backflips on boycott threats and commits to play in Tokyo
A COMMITMENT to the Tokyo Olympics from outspoken Opals star Liz Cambage has reinforced Australian great Lauren Jackson’s opinion that it’s “their time” to take down the almighty USA.
Cambage confirmed she would join her teammates at the Tokyo Olympics despite boycott threats to “sit out” due to racial inequality concerns sparked by team advertisements she believed weren’t diverse enough. Never shy of voicing her opinion, Cambage also called on Australians to “wake up”, calling the current culture “whitewashed”, which attracted mixed reactions.
Opals officials had privately reached out to the centre to offer support amid fears she would commit to boycotting the Games, but Cambage ended the speculation on Tuesday via her personal Instagram account.
“For everyone so desperately wondering what my decision is for the Opals, I’m in baby,” Cambage said.
“I’m going to play with my sisters that I’ve been playing with since I was a wee little thing.
Liz Cambage.
“And I’m going to ball out for all those young brown kids watching me back in Australia. “I’m going to do it for you.” Cambage also hit out at her critics for questioning the Australian Olympic Committee’s lack of cultural diversity.
“There are two people in this world — there are the people that have the balls to stand up in this world and make change — that is me,” she said. “I was born for this. “I’m such a narcissist and psycho b---h that all the hate that you give me, I love it. It makes me go harder and it makes me push for more.
“The second type of people are the scared, intimidated and insecure and hide behind fake profiles because you are too scared to do anything.
“Too scared to take a stance for anything, but don’t worry I’m out here talking my s--t and making a change.”
Cambage’s commitment comes as Opals legend Jackson said the Australians were primed to end the US Olympic dominance in Tokyo this year.
The Americans have accumulated one of the most outstanding records in any Olympic sports, with a 66–3 win-loss record, with no Olympic losses since 1992, no losses in any tournament since 2006, and six consecutive titles.
“I think the Opals can do it this year — I really do,” Jackson said. “If they get all their ducks in a row, absolutely. You watch the Opals play, the desire … I really feel like it is their time.”