By Alpha Barrie 

The Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) has taken major decisions for African sports in Paris in an extraordinary session of its General Assembly held on 31 July, 2024, at the Hôtel Méridien Paris Etoile, on the sidelines of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Sierra Leone was represented by the President of the National Olympic Committee of Sierra Leone (NOC-SLE), Prince Vandy Sualley and Madam Augusta James-Teima, the Minister of Sports.

Chaired by President Mustapha Berraf with all 54 African NOCs in attendance, the agenda featured the award of the Youth Olympic Games, the African Beach Games and the Progress Report on preparations for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, all awarded based on bids submitted by the respective member states.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed on the sidelines of the deliberations between ANOCA and the International School Sports Federation (ISSF), aimed at creating an incubator for budding talents in the hope of reaching the highest level.

In his opening address, ANOCA President and host, Honourable Mustapha Berraf remarked that the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa is implementing its 2020-2024 Strategic Plan with insight and efficiency, noting that it’s a joint effort, as ANOCA is working hand in glove as a unit.

“Our goal remains the same: to bring happiness and joy to Africa’s youth, to develop the African continent through sports. As such, we support the 54 African States in their ongoing quest for prosperity. Sport is a driving force for development. Africa is resolutely committed to making this an important driver of its socio-economic progress. These initiatives are therefore ground-breaking in the pursuit of our common goals. Our common cause has always been our strength. We must protect this vision. The involvement of each and every one of us is essential for our actions to be a complete success. In all humility, we can safely say that we have implemented our projects and our strategic plan with rigour; which leads us to believe that our results are satisfactory. Nevertheless, more effort is required of us. The exceptional atmosphere that currently reigns within the Olympic Movement allows us to say that our National Olympic Committees are forging ahead with determination,” ANOCA President stated.

He highlighted that they are working in close collaboration with the IOC and that they’ve embarked on a programme to build and renovate headquarters in certain countries for the benefit of their NOCs, who need to work in the best possible conditions.

The President disclosed that for the next Olympic Solidarity Quadrennial Plan for the benefit of the African continent, ANOCA intends to organize multiple events and activities, notably: the African Games Egypt 2027, the Angola Youth Games in December 2025, and the African Beach Games in Equatorial Guinea and the African School Games in July 2025 in Algiers. This latest initiative according to President Berraf, is in close collaboration with the International School Sports Federation, aimed at enabling respective NOCs to work closely with their Federations to identify budding talents, thus opening up more promising prospects for the future. “We’ll also be getting down to work in the run-up to the first ever E-Sport Olympic Games in 2025 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” he noted.

For his part, the Secretary General of NOC-Senegal, Seydina Omar Diagne assured that preparations for the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026, “are going on smoothly, and it will be a big event.”

Speaking during the meeting, IOC President, Thomas Bach, commended the remarkable efforts of the Presidents of African NOCs and call for solidarity and unity to achieve significant progress in African sports.

“To support African National Olympic Committees, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has made a major financial effort. There will be a 10% increase from Olympic Solidarity.  You deserve this. Thanks to your efforts on behalf of the continent’s youth. Africa is the future,” Thomas Bach declared.

The IOC President further promised that, “there will also be changes in support to the TOP (The Olympic Partner) programme, with increased support for the least privileged NOCs. We want them to sustain the momentum after all the difficulties caused by geopolitical conflicts,” the IOC President further assured.

Other remarkable presence at the meeting included, the President of the Chinese Olympic Committee, Gao Zidhan, and the President of the International E-Sports Federation (leSF), Faissal Bin Bandar Sultan Al Saud, including IOC members in Africa.

The French Minister for Sport and the Olympic Games, Amélie Oudea-Castera, also took part in the deliberations.

Several dignitaries were decorated by the ANOCA President for their dedication to the Olympic Movement and African Sport.