The sporting Francophonie exists. She appeared on Sunday August 17, 2014, in Nanjing, on the 61st floor of a brand new hotel in the Chinese metropolis. The French-speaking Association of National Olympic Committees (AFCNO) invited its members to a reception on the second day of the Youth Olympic Games. The opportunity for a “friendly exchange”, according to the established formula. And, even more, to confirm the rebirth of a network that aims to be credible and influential.
Denis Masseglia, the president of the CNOSF, shared welcome speeches and words of unity with Ousmane Paye, the Special Advisor to the Secretary General of La Francophonie, Abdou Diouf. More than ten presidents of African Olympic committees responded to the invitation. Marcel Aubut, the president of the Canadian NOC, also opened the door of the Fairmont hotel in Nanjing. Unlike Tony Estanguet and Lassana Palenfo, both of whom attended an official IOC dinner which had the bad idea of placing itself in direct competition with the French-speaking evening.
What does the sporting Francophonie look like? Officially, to an association of national Olympic committees, the AFCNO, created in 2010. In reality, to a network in clear recovery. “An extension of the OIF,” suggested Ousmane Paye, referring to the AFCNO. Not only directed towards the preservation of the French language, but above all turned towards the future, with the ambition to establish cooperation between nations and institutions. »
It is generally agreed that the last General Assembly of the AFCNO, organized in September 2013 in Nice, on the sidelines of the Francophonie Games, was decisive. It was marked by the signing of a framework agreement with the OIF. Above all, she convinced everyone that it was high time to put words and ideas into action. An exchange program for French-speaking executives and experts has been set up. It will be reinforced. The AFCNO also pooled the proposals of its members, numbering 43, to contribute collectively to Agenda 2020 currently under construction at the IOC.
In Nanjing, a meeting brought together French-speaking leaders at the start of the Youth Games. “We need to get into the habit of getting together,” argues Denis Masseglia. The next General Assembly of the AFCNO will be held in Bangkok on November 8, 2014. A date and place that say a lot about the association's desire to make itself increasingly heard in the international sports movement. The AFCNO will indeed meet on the sidelines of the General Assembly of its “parent house”, the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), chaired by the essential Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah. A first. “We do not want to move forward on the fringes of the ANOC, but on the contrary to attach ourselves to it,” explains Michaël Aloisïo, in charge of international relations at the CNOSF. In short, establishing yourself like a wagon on the train, with the avowed ambition of quickly getting to the head of the convoy.
