March 2014

Celebrating the maiden International Sports Day!

Celebrating the maiden International Sports Day!

Dear readers, On 6 April 2014, the International Sports Day will be celebrated for the very first time across the world. It is a landmark event, for we shall, as sports administrators, play out an Act of a Play that will go down in sports annals. I thus deem it necessary to share with you my take on the importance of such a day and how sport impacts sustainable development and peace. The United Nations proclaimed the International Sports Day on 23 August 3013, at the initiative of the International Olympic Committee. It shall, as from 2014, be celebrated every 6 April. Dubbed “International Sports Day for Development and Peace,” it aims at recognising and fostering the invaluable work done on a daily basis, through sport, by stakeholders of development and peace. The UNO and the IOC sought, through this initiative, to recognise the singular role played by sport in our societies and thus celebrate its constructive and positive values. On a daily basis, athletes, sports technicians, administrators and volunteers do a most remarkable job in uniting communities, which are at times torn apart by conflict, usually under very harsh conditions. Such a day is thus worth celebrating! ANOCA Newsletter - March 2014

However, beyond the celebrations per se, it is also necessary to highlight the power of sport as a tool for development and peace. Sports solidarity is actually a powerful tool that brings peace and development wherever they are necessary, especially in Africa, which is at a crossroads, and where wars, hatred, natural disasters, you name them, wreak havoc, with poverty and hunger as main consequences. Today, sport has apparently developed to a stage that no other human activity has attained. Given its impact, there is no gainsaying that its rallying capacity and federative force are unequalled. Sport thus has the daunting task of serving peace and development. In Africa and the world at large, there is increasing awareness as to how the power of sport can be harnessed to foster development policies and peace keeping efforts. ANOCA’s action in several refugee settlements, where through diverse sports events, we reached out to both youths and adults, is part of these endeavours. It should be acknowledged that sport can be a uniting factor to counter the ravages of war. The International Sports Day will also help bring two worlds closer: peace stakeholders on one hand and the Sporting Movement on the other. On 6 April, while celebrating this maiden edition, and beyond the multiple activities that will be organised across the globe, we should, more than ever, bear in mind that sport must increasingly be used in post conflict management and above all, to create enabling conditions for lasting peace. Dear officials of the African Sporting and Olympic Movement, this should be our targeted goal!

Intendant General Lassana Palenfo, President of ANOCA,

Celebrating the maiden International Sports Day! ANOCA Newsletter - March 2014

ANOCA in Action plays host to 44th Ordinary Session of the ANOCA Executive Committee

L’ACNOA tient la 44ème session ordinaire de son Comité Exécutif à Alger

he 44th Ordinary session of the Executive Committee of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) met in Algiers on 20 March 2014. On that occasion ANOCA President, TIntendant General Lassana Palenfo, clearly outlined the points at issue: “We have many more challenges to rise to (…) Most certainly, our discussions shall, once again, centre on issues raised during the Kigali session.” The session’s agenda thus featured a number of items : scrutiny and adoption of the minutes of the 43rd Ordinary session of the Executive Committee, implementation of decisions taken during that same session, preparations for the All Africa Games in Brazzaville, preparations for the 2nd African Youth Games, bids for the hosting of the 3rd edition in 2018, the 4th World Conference on Doping in Sports, the maiden Afro-Asian Forum on Women and Sport, the special meeting of the women and sport Commission slated for in May 2014. Apart from speeches, reports were also presented by the Treasurer General, Zone representatives, the Athletes’ Commission and Olympafrica. The session further deliberated on the restructuring of ANOCA and the organisation of the 2016 African Village in Rio. Participants also discussed other important issues, such as the aftermath of elections in Zone 4, the ANOC Prize and the organisation of the 45th ordinary session of the ANOCA Executive Committee and an Extraordinary General Assembly on 6 November 2014 in Bangkok, Thailand. ANOCA Newsletter - March 2014

The session also chose to host the 2018 edition of the African Youth Games. Suffice it to note that ANOCA officials were, on the sidelines of this session, received in audience by the Minister of Youth and Sports and the Prime Minister on 19 and 20 March respectively.

Audience was that granted the delegation by Prime Minister Youcef Yousfi

The delegation was received in audience by the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mohamed Tahmi. ANOCA Newsletter - March 2014

African NOC News

NOC Gabon: Leon Louis Folquet re-elected President n elective General Assembly of NOC Gabon (CNOG) took place on 27 March A2014 in Libreville, with deliberations rounding off with the election of Leon Louis Folquet for another four-year term. The incumbent was unanimously voted by all the 15 presidents of national sports federations. All General Assembly members apparently approved his five-point programme, which includes streamlining the administrative setup of CNOG, as well as educating and training Gabonese youths in the area of sport. With his team of 9, drawn from various federations of the country, Leon Folquet is faced with the daunting task of training more youths and organizing more successful competitions.

CNOSS: IOC Vice President expected on 13 April 2014 awal Al Moutawakel, Vice President of the International Olympic Committee N(IOC), is expected in Dakar, Senegal, on 13 April 2014. This follows an invitation from the Women and Sports Commission of NOC Senegal (CNOSS). The former women’s 400 m world champion shall present a paper on the progress of and women’s contribution to sports development on the continent. According to the President of the Women and Sports Commission, Khady Fall Diop, Nawal Moutawakel “shall use her rich experience as former athlete, but also as an African sportswoman, to prepare African sports women to face numerous challenges...Besides, the visit will enable us assess the ground covered, or which is still to be covered, six years following the setting up of the Women’s and sports Commission within NOC Senegal,” she said. ANOCA Newsletter - March 2014

CNOSS: Steering Committee meets in Dakar embers of the NOC Senegal (CNOSS) Steering Committee met in Dakar on 28 February 2014 to evaluate activities of the past year Mand the prospects of the National Sports Movement in the months ahead. The Steering Committee was quite pleased with the review of various instruments and the adoption of the status of elite athletes. As concerns prospects, participants mapped out a preparation strategy aimed at making “Rio 2016” a landmark event in Senegalese sport. The Secretary- General of CNOSS, Seydina Diagne, had this to say: “For a year now, we have been in touch with the Organising Committee of the Rio Games. I have planned a ten-day visit there in April, during which I will meet and discuss with the Chairman of the Organising Committee, the Mayor of Rio and the Minister of Sports.” Plans are also underway to ensure that Senegalese athletes get to the training camps in Brazil well ahead of time, the aim being to maximise their medal chances. Another main feature was Senegal’s participation in the African Youth Games and the Youth . With respect to the billed for Nanjing, China, Senegal will be represented in equestrian sports. In Gaborone, capital city of , host of the 2nd edition of the African Youth Games, Senegal will compete in six disciplines. Pertaining to the construction of the CNOSS headquarters, CNOSS President, Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye, said that the procedural problems that had hitherto been a stumbling block to the project have been addressed: “We have all permits and work should begin by the end of March,” he said.

Malawi Olympic Committee: another term for Oscar Kanjala ollowing an elective General Assembly of the Malawi Olympic Committee (MOC) held on 22 March 2014, Oscar FKanjala was re-elected President. He shall be assisted by Flora Mwandira, who was re-elected as Vice President. The former Treasurer, Jappie Mhango, now becomes Secretary- General, to be assisted by John Kaputa, while the President of the Malawi Boxing Federation, Henry Sakala, is the new Treasurer. Following is the complete new Executive Bureau of the Malawi Olympic Committee. ANOCA Newsletter - March 2014

1 President Oscar Kanjala 2 Vice-president Flora Mwandira 3 Secretary-General Jappie Mhango 4 Assistant Secretary-General John Kaputa 5 Treasurer Henry Sakala 6 Member Jimmy Kadewere

7 Member Dennis Kumwenda 8 Athletes’ representative Kenneth Dzekedzeke

Japan Backs Youth Sport Development in Gambia he Gambia National Olympic Committee (GNOC) and the Japanese Government on 21 March 2014 signed a cooperation agreement Taimed at boosting sports practice in the West African country. Valued at some US $90,000, the Japanese assistance is expected to help provide sports equipment for disciplines like handball, athletics, volleyball and basketball. The document was signed on behalf of Japan by the country’s consul, Shigeru Kondo, while GNOC President, Alhaji Momodou Dibba, signed on behalf of his body. According to Alhaji Momodou Dibba, the agreement follows recent discussions held with the President of NOC Japan, Tsunekazu Takeda. He also thanked IOC member, Beatrice Allen, who has spared no efforts to negotiate fruitful partnerships for sports in Gambia.

ZOC distributes sports equipment he Zimbabwe Olympic Com- mittee (ZOC) recently distri- Tbuted consignments of sports equipment to seven national fede- rations. The equipment, which was donated by Olympic Solidarity, aims at boosting sports practice in the build-up to the billed for Rio in 2016. The equipment worth some US $30,000 is meant for the following ANOCA Newsletter - March 2014

disciplines : athletics, basketball, netball, rugby, tennis, triathlon and volleyball. On that occasion, Addison Chiware and Titus Zvomuya were also pre- sented as the country’s Chefs de Mission to the African Youth Games, Gaborone 2014, and the Youth Olympic Games, Nanjing 2014 res- pectively.

COA honours sports dignitaries

he Algerian Olympic Committee (COA) recently awarded the “Olympic Order of Merit” to six dignitaries of the national sports Movement, amongst who was the Minister of TYouth and Sports, Mohamed Tahmi. The following five dignitaries, who left indelible footprints in their day, were also recognised during that ceremony : Salim Iles (swimming), Sid Ali Ferdjani (gymnastics), Ahmed ANOCA Newsletter - March 2014

Moussa (judo), Saleh Hamdane Belarbi (sports official working for the national security) and Mustapha Zitouni, who received the award posthumously. COA President, Mustapha Berraf, said he was “honoured” to give accolades to these dignitaries of Algerian sport who, in his opinion, “were worthy ambassadors of the country through their sports performance, and contributed to the overall development and growth of sport.” As for the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mohamed Tahmi, he used the opportunity to thank the entire Algerian sports family for the distinction.

COA: Mini-Olympics for Inmates

he association Ouled El-Houma is planning mini- Olympics for inmates of the Bouira penitentiary. TThe initiative will be backed by the Algeria Olympic Committee, the Directorate General of Penitentiary Institutions and the Youth and Sports Department of the Wilaya of Bouira. The competitions, which will take place within the penitentiary, shall feature a semi-marathon, a football tournament, basketball, handball and volleyball. The programme will of course be extended to all penitentiary institutions as part of the process aimed at integrating young inmates into active life. ANOCA Newsletter - March 2014

AFRICAN SPORT

UCI undertakes to support cycling in Algeria he President of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), Brian Cookson, recently undertook to lend support to the Algerian Cycling Federation (FAC) in a bid to develop Tthe discipline in the country. Speaking during a press conference in Blida, on the sidelines of the international cycling tour, he undertook, as ICU President, to assist and further support the Algerian Cycling Federation to promote the discipline, saying it will be done progressively. As concerns doping, which was on the rise last year, tarnishing the image of sports, Brian Cookson said that he was set to root out doping from cycling circles, insisting, however, that this ought to be done in association with national federations. He further pointed out that sponsors would not want to be associated with cheating. It is thus incumbent on all and sundry to join anti-doping associations to fight the scourge to render the sport clean. This is what he had to say: “My job is our sport, cycling, and my job is to make sure that we have a sport where parents can bring their child and that child can go all of the way to the very, very top, to the highest, elite level of the sport without having to lie, without having to cheat, without having to take substances that might damage their long-term health and without having to spend the rest of their lives looking over their shoulder to find someone making revelations or retesting their samples and accusing them of doping. The ethical and moral principles are very, very simple here. It’s a tragedy that we’ve lost our way as a sport as other sports have done, but we are actively trying to do something about it and I’m very proud and pleased about that.” The UCI President also reaffirmed his commitment to promote cycling in Africa as a whole through the new ICU-Africa tour programme. He observed that cycling has developed very much in Africa since 2005. He sounded quite optimistic that some African cyclists will, in the years ahead, be fit to compete in the major tours in Europe, like is the case with those from Eritrea. He noted that there were a lot of problems with team rankings, but said these will be addressed with national federations.

Junior ACN 2015: Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye to chair Organising Committee n the sidelines of deliberations of the Steering Committee of NOC Senegal (CNOSS) on 28 February 2014 in Dakar, Senegal, Sports Minister, OMbagnick Ndiaye, officially announced that CNOSS President, Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye, has been appointed to Chair the Organising Committee of the Junior Africa Cup of Nations from 8 to 22 March. Reacting to his appointment, Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye, said that all concerned stakeholders will be contacted, notably technical sports partners, to ensure a successful organisation. He also observed that this opens a new chapter in the association between the Ministry and CNOSS. ANOCA Newsletter - March 2014

FINA: Sam Ramsamy enters Executive Board he Executive Board of the International Swimming Federation (FINA) met on 1 and 2 March in Cancun, Mexico, and admitted Ttwo more members : Sam Ramsamy, from Africa and Dennis Miller from Oceania. South Africa’s Ramsamy is already an IOC member who has for over twenty years contributed enormously in showcasing the African Sporting and Olympic Movement. COMMUNICATION ACNOA