Photo: ACNOA.
Let the campaign begin! The first candidate for the presidency of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) has entered the fray: Mustapha Berraf is launching his campaign. On Saturday, the president of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) officially announced his candidacy. Urged to run by the African NOCs, the Algerian leader now has five months to make his case before the ANOC General Assembly, which will take place in Hong Kong from December 7 to 10.
"There are no big or small National Olympic Committees"
Mustapha Berraf has a solid foundation: a former high-level basketball player, he became president of ANOCA in 2018 and was re-elected in March 2025, running unopposed. He has initiated transformations that have been widely praised across the African continent. The true wealth of our Movement lies neither in its structures nor in its resources. It lies in its 206 National Olympic Committees. I do not believe that there are large or small National Olympic Committees. I believe that there are 206 institutions, all essential to the Olympic Movement, each with its own history, identity, and responsibility. Our responsibility is not to standardize the National Olympic Committees. It is to create the conditions that allow each of them to fully express its potential, respecting its history, culture, priorities, and ambitions. " he wrote, wishing to allow each National Olympic Committee to fully express its potential ».
Ten fundamental principles guide his vision:
- Strengthen the 206 National Olympic Committees;
- Putting athletes at the heart of all decisions;
- Strengthening cooperation between continents (a subject he has already taken up at ANOCA with the signing of a strategic agreement with Hungary in 2025);
- Promote exemplary governance;
- Making innovation a driver of development (he specifically mentions artificial intelligence twice in his letter);
- Develop skills and share knowledge;
- Preparing the leaders of tomorrow;
- Making sport a driving force for peace and development;
- Develop strategic partnerships;
- Building the NOC of the next decade, "stronger, more innovative, more influential and more useful to its members".
« I want an ANOC that brings continents closer together. An ANOC that encourages the sharing of experiences, skills, and best practices. An ANOC that fosters innovation. An ANOC that develops talent. An ANOC that creates the conditions for lasting cooperation among the 206 National Olympic Committees. “, he insists. His program is called ANOC Vision 2036, a sign of his desire to think long-term. ANOC has had three presidents in its history: Mario Vázquez Raña, Ahmad Al-Fahad, and Robin Mitchell. None of them came from Africa… but the election of Kirsty Coventry as head of the IOC has opened up a world of possibilities.
The ANOC General Assembly will elect its president for a four-year term (2026-2030). In accordance with the statutes, nominations must be submitted to ANOC by one National Olympic Committee and approved by at least one other National Olympic Committee by September 9, 2026. Spyros Capralos, supported by the European Olympic Committees, could also launch his campaign in the coming weeks.
