Wired868 Wired868 for smart sport news and opinion
On Tuesday, Rob Stevens, writing for BBC Sport Africa, presented a comprehensive look at the overall performances at the Paris Olympics by Africans, as he explored what could be done to improve them in 2028.
I was happy to see it because I had been looking unsuccessfully to find an interview I had stumbled upon where a Kenyan athlete had made some interesting observations about resources and funding and so on. This article highlighted things I had been curious about, so I’ll summarise.
“The continent won a total of 39 medals—13 gold, 12 silver and 14 bronze—spread across 12 nations, with Kenya the most successful with 11 podium finishes,” he wrote, adding that while it was two more than in Tokyo, it was lower than the 45 at Rio in 2016.
He described a funding gap as one of the reasons for the decline in performances. African athletes are at a disadvantage when it comes to facilities and support as compared with “the most developed nations”, he said.
He pointed out that the team representing Great Britain and Northern Ireland received £245 million just for the Paris Olympic cycle, while the United States “boasts world-class facilities, a college system providing a pipeline of top-level talent in individual and team sports and huge sponsorship deals”.
One Nigerian athlete said the government should release funds and should encourage the private sector to lend support. “If the government does not take us seriously, they [the private sector] will not take us seriously.”
Egypt has spent billions building sports complexes to host the African Games in 2027; Stevens speculates that it also hopes to bid to host the Olympics in 2036 or 2040.
He reports that the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (Anoca) says it will “commit to $2 million [I assume US dollars] to its athlete support programme before LA 2028 and a further $500,000 per year to fund centres of excellence”.
(In the Caribbean, we have Canoc—the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees.)
He also made a similar observation to what the Kenyan athlete had made. African athletes are turning out for other countries.
Annette Echikunwoke from Nigeria had been ruled ineligible in Tokyo because of an administrative error; she switched to the USA and brought them a silver medal in the hammer-throwing event in Paris.
He cited others: “Salwa Eid Naser and Winfred Yavi both won medals for Bahrain, having represented Nigeria and Kenya at youth level respectively… Ethiopia-born long distance runner Sifan Hassan has won six Olympic medals for the Netherlands since claiming asylum and boxer Cindy Ngamba, who was born in Cameroon, picked up a first ever medal for the Refugee Team.”
It was partly the point the Kenyan athlete had made when he said that if you look at the Olympians, you will see many Africans or those of African heritage representing countries all over the world.
The Anoca official confirmed it. “A lot of African blood has been injected to different countries outside of the continent… There is a huge business siphoning these talents to other countries which maybe have better financial [capabilities] or better lifestyles…
Photo: Steph Chambers/ Getty Images
“Maybe we need to improve the quality of preparation and quality of life [so] that these athletes may benefit.”
This had been resonating when I heard T&T’s Minister of Sport, Shamfa Cudjoe-Lewis, speaking about national Olympic preparation and support for athletes that same day.
According to Ian Prescott’s report in the Express, the country was told that “Government had supported the athletes going to the games to the tune of $1.5 million”. (I assume TT dollars.)
Photo: Ministry of Sport and Community Development
He wrote that between 2015 and 2024 she said: “We have contributed at least $400 million to national governing bodies, to sports clubs and to the athletes of Trinidad and Tobago.”
What struck me was this part of his report.
“She said athletic organisations and coaches have to be introspective and take into account what they are not doing right. ‘There is need also for national governing bodies to come to the table and discuss culture, accountability, long-term athlete development, and working hand in hand,’ she emphasised.
Photo: SporTT
“Cudjoe-Lewis said despite receiving government funding, national sporting bodies are independent, therefore, the government cannot directly intervene in how they are run, despite suggestions made by some persons.”
The minister spoke of regrouping, introspection, reviewing strategy and policies. Roneil Walcott, writing for Newsday, reported that in January, SporTT chair Douglas Camacho had warned that they would take a zero-tolerance approach to non-compliant NGBs (national governing bodies, the equivalent of the national Olympic committees).
With new chair Larry Romany at her side, the minister threw down the gauntlet.
Photo: Ministry of Sport and Community Development
“I have challenged SporTT. You cannot be afraid to say no to some people in the name of accountability… It makes good politics, but extremely bad economics… you have to be prepared to make some enemies over being serious about the development of sport.”
These statements suggest the ministry with oversight for sport (and community development) has been disbursing funds for years to local bodies without demanding accountability for the way monies are spent.
It isn’t that you want politicians to get their hands on sports, but there should be transparency in the way these bodies conduct public affairs.
Yes, rethink your policies, because this sounds like yet another free-for-all; Trini style.
Both of the semi-final matches in this T20 World Cup were demolitions. The match between Afghanistan and South Africa was Read more
We lost the first 2024 ICC T20 World Cup Super Eight match against England in a clinical encounter that brought Read more
The rains have come. The poui blossoms have gone. Burnt browns have given way to verdant green. What is the Read more
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will be aired on TTT and SportsMax, with the National Gas Company of Trinidad and Read more
A few days ago at Lord’s, Sir Viv Richards and Sir Curtly Ambrose had a conversation with Machel Hewitt of Read more
Writing is a solitary experience. It’s you and your thoughts—all the chatter is internal. I do not quiver at the Read more
Vaneisa Baksh is a columnist with the Trinidad Express, an editor and a cricket historian. She is the author of a biography of Sir Frank Worrell.
