Strengthening the bonds of friendship and cooperation between Africa and China in youth and sports was the focus of a major meeting on Saturday in Hammamet, Tunisia, between the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) (chaired by Mustapha Berraf, and a delegation from the Chinese Olympic Committee led by its president, Gao Zhidan, on the sidelines of the Hammamet 2023 African Beach Games.
This meeting was further marked by the presence of the President of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), Robin Mitchell, who took the opportunity to highlight the excellent work of ANOCA and emphasized that the report presented at the last meeting of the Executive Committee of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) notes that ANOCA ranks among the top two continental Olympic associations in promoting sport, Olympic values and governance, has made good use of Olympic Solidarity funds, and therefore deserves greater representation among IOC members.
President Berraf then stated that he was delighted and honored that the Chinese National Olympic Committee had responded favorably to ANOCA’s invitation, welcoming the already exemplary relations between China and Africa, describing them as “indivisible and bound by bonds of sincere and unfailing friendship” .
Mustafa Berraf thanked the President of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), the Secretary General of the Conference of Ministers of Youth and Sports of the Francophonie (CONFEJES), the President of the Ghana Organizing Committee for the All-Africa Games for their presence, the President of the Tunisian National Olympic Committee (CNOT) and the Organizing Committee for the African Beach Games (COJAP), as well as African members and leaders of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), recalling that the purpose of this meeting is to foundations of a sustainable partnership between China and Africa.
He then discussed the areas to be developed through this partnership:
1. Preparing athletes for upcoming international events, especially the Olympic Games,
2. Training coaches and managers to improve governance within African National Olympic Committees.
3. Mutual support coordination in elections,
4. The promotion of Olympic values, the joint strengthening of the fight against doping and the fight against global warming,
5. The maintenance and development of sports infrastructure,
6. A joint commitment, in coordination with the IOC, to strict adherence to the rules and principles of the Olympic Charter.
Mr Berraf stressed that these areas will be the subject of a cooperation agreement to be signed in China in September next year.
The Chairman of the Chinese Olympic Committee said he was delighted to be part of the African Olympic family and expressed his deep gratitude to ANOCA for this invitation.
He expressed his gratitude to the IOC for supporting China during the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Mr. ZHIDAN highlighted Africa’s role in the influence of the international Olympic and sports movement, underlining its rich pool of elite athletes and its capacity to host the biggest international events, including the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG). “This opens up the possibility of becoming the center of the international Olympic Movement,” he said.
The Chairman of the Chinese Olympic Committee also pointed out that the President of the People’s Republic of China attaches great importance to relations with Africa in all areas, and that “it is only logical that as the Chairman of the Olympic Committee and Minister of Sports in China, should be involved in this process”, pointing out that there is great potential for cooperation in disciplines such as athletics, swimming and football, which are top sports areas in Africa, and gymnastics and table tennis, which are the most successful sports in China .
Mr. ZHIDAN added that the ties of cooperation with Africa are characterized by the values of sincerity, friendship and progress, and should be strengthened.
Mr. James Maleod and Ms. Kristy Coventry, in turn, emphasized the value of partnerships between the various Olympic bodies, and welcomed the approach of the Chinese Olympic Committee and ANOCA.
Mr. Mehrez Boussayene, invited to take the floor, thanked ANOCA for the trust placed in Tunisia to host the African Beach Games, and underlined the honor it was for Tunisia to welcome the African and International Olympic family, including the President of the ANOC and the president of the Chinese Olympic Committee.
The meeting also provided an opportunity for fruitful exchanges between attendees with a view to strengthening the role of the Olympic movement for a better world.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA).
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