Will Africa bid for the 2024 Summer Games? FrancsJeux asked the question, and a few others, to one of the most powerful and influential African sports leaders, the Ivorian Lassana Palenfo. Member of the IOC and president of the Association of African National Olympic Committees (ACNOA), he provides an expert view on the current events, and the future, of sport in Africa.
FrancsJeux: What is the preparation for the 2015 African Games in Brazzaville like?
Lassana Palenfo: A large ANOCA delegation, which I had the honor of leading, recently traveled to Brazzaville at the invitation of the Congolese Minister of Sports and the Organizing Committee of the 2015 African Games. Our primary objective aimed to inquire, with the greatest objectivity, about the progress of the preparations. I must admit that the Organizing Committee, with the assistance of the highest Congolese authorities, is driven by a deep desire to welcome the participating delegations in the best conditions. Significant resources on various levels are being mobilized for the success of these Games. Our field visit shows good progress in general, however some additional efforts must be made to be there on D-day. We recommend a strong communion of efforts from partners and operators for better support. responsible for the different operational compartments. We have no more time to waste. We believe that Congo can take up the challenge and make these continental games a tool for the development and influence of African sport. We are delighted with all the attention and listening that we have received from the various players involved in the preparation of these games. We have agreed with COJA on a collaboration charter to breathe real dynamism into the preparations for this event to which we are particularly attached.
What do you think of Agenda 2020 initiated by Thomas Bach and the resolutions advocated by the IOC Executive Board?
Agenda 2020 follows the campaign promises of Thomas Bach for the presidency of the IOC. The reflection that followed after his election testifies to his proven commitment to creating new development perspectives for the Olympic movement. The support and active participation of the various sporting stakeholders around the five themes which were decided by the executive commission and the debates which are planned in Monaco next December, will certainly serve as a long-term Olympic roadmap. Africa has not remained on the sidelines of this fertile and very enriching debate. Moreover, on the sidelines of the last African Youth Games in Gaborone, IOC members in Africa met in conclave to exchange and refine their contributions. The presence of the IOC President at the closing of this important meeting made it possible to better understand the contours and ambitions of the IOC in its quest to ensure the irreversible nature of the development of the Olympic movement.
Will Africa have a bid for the 2024 Games?
This is my most pious wish. Latin America had its first Olympic Games for the first time in its history. Thomas Bach's idea of having removable sports facilities and reducing the costs of organizing the Olympic Games could encourage several countries to submit their candidacy in the future. However, the success which will crown the next Rio Games will certainly have a positive impact on a possible future attribution of the Olympic Games to the African continent. When the Football World Cup was awarded to South Africa, many observers bet on a planned failure of this global event. The resounding success that characterized this competition surprised many people. For my part, I had great faith in South Africa because this country has great potential in different areas. I cannot comment immediately on whether Africa will be a candidate for the 2024 Olympic Games, but know that I will continue to push with all my strength so that we can organize the Olympic Games in Africa.
Lamine Diack will leave the presidency of the IAAF next year. Which African sports leaders are likely to occupy comparable positions in the years to come?
It was with a pang in my heart that I learned the news of my friend Lamine Diack's withdrawal from the IAAF in 2015. He is an activist for the sporting cause from the very beginning who is leaving. The IAAF will certainly miss him for his leadership which lived up to the ambitions that this International Federation had set for itself when it was established. He is an appointed spokesperson and a fervent defender of Africa which is withdrawing. We will regret it. Africa enjoys extraordinary human resource potential. In recent years, we have seen a deployment of sports leaders in international bodies. This is dictated by a deep ambition to establish new development prospects for African sport and its youth, which remain its strategic priorities given its desire to strengthen its increasingly eloquent and convincing sporting results. It is also about making your voice heard in defending your interests.
