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ANOCA ELECTION OFFERS AFRICA CHANCE FOR ‘A FRESH START’
BY AIPS AFRICA TEAM.
A fresh start! That is what the four contenders for presidency of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa are promising the 54-member nations.
After all it’s been 13 years of no change with Lt. Lassana Palenfo at the helm.
The Ivorian, the longest serving ANOCA president, opted not to seek re-election after turbulent recent times for the Abuja based association.
The 77-year-old barely served a year into his fourth term, when the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that ANOCA must hold fresh elections.
This was after the ANOCA executive committee, controversially blocked Cameroon’s Hamad Kalkaba Malboum his only challenger at the elections in May 2017 in Djibouti, from contesting the elections over alleged bribery and inappropriate campaign.
But CAS upheld the appeal by Kalkaba and directed that fresh polls must be held.
The four players
Kalkaba is one of the four vying to replace Palenfo at the elections in Tokyo, being held on the sidelines of a tensed ANOC general assembly in Tokyo.
Hamad Kalkaba Malboum of Cameroon
The others are Algeria’s Mustapha Berraf, Botswana’s Negroes Malealea Kgosietsile and Burundi’s Lydia Nsekera.
Respect, rebuild, united, vibrant are some of the words that have pepper the campaigns of the quartet.
But the first task for the new president will be to oversee and revamp the All Africa Games that will be held in Morocco, a step-in host.
Zambia had been earmarked as organisers of the 2019 event but claimed they were not ready due to lack of facilities.
Here is a look at the four players in their countries ascending order:
Algeria’s Mustapha Berraf
He wants a more efficient and respected ANOCA. He has been the ‘acting president’ since last November in Prague, when Palenfo was relieved of his operational duties.
Mustapha Berraf
The Algerian was elected vice president of ANOCA in 2005 in Accra. It is this experience that the Berraf, who is also serving his fourth term as president of the Algerian Olympic Committee, hopes he can bank on to succeed his former boss.
If he is elected he will be the first North African to lead ANOCA.
All the five previous presidents have been from central, east and west Africa.
He led and hosted the Africa Youth Games in Algiers this year, a platform he used to endear himself to the members.
His biggest selling point has been marketing the association, its activities and providing resources for its members.
“We intend to perpetuate the initiatives we have undertaken by providing our organization with the necessary financial and material resources for the African Youth Games in Lesotho, Beach Games in
Cape Verde and the African Games in Morocco,” underlined the 63-year-old basketball star who has had a fair share of controversy back home.
His stint as NOC president was tainted by a corruption scandal as a director of a publicly managed shopping centre in the 90s.
He hopes to use his management experience to transform ANOCA.
“We will also focus on professionalizing the management of ANOCA’s products and assets, as well as the introduction of new marketable products and programs.”
Botswana’s Negroes Malealea Kgosietsile
Negroes the ‘competent, selfless and tested’ leader ANOCA needs The Botswana was the last one to formally declare his intention to contest.
The former NOC president considers himself as the change candidate ANOCA needs after a rather dull five years. In his 16-year terms as the NOC president he oversaw the 2014
Africa Youth Games, an event that boosted the Southern African country’s profile.
This influenced his country’s decision to bid for the 2022 Youth
Olympic Games that were last month awarded to Senegal.
Negroes ventured into sport after a career in finance, skills he is banking on to professionalize the operations of ANOCA.
“It is of critical importance for the ANOCA Electorate to assign a competent, selfless and tested leader to catapult the organization to its rightful place,” said Negroes who serves on the ANOCA Executive committee.
Despite not having any continental know-how feels there is need to fix the association’s operations and review the constitution.
“The conduct of our meetings has in the past tended to deprive the
General Assembly of its powers to debate matters and make informed decisions.
“ANOCA Solidarity funds are still managed by Olympic Solidarity, an indication that ANOCA is not in a position to manage its share of
Solidarity funds,” added the head of the Confederation of Southern African National Olympic Committee.
Burundi’s Lydia Nsekera
Governance and inclusion are at the heart of Nsekera’s campaign. The ascendance of the former basket baller and high jumper will make her the woman to head an Olympic continental section.
The 51-year-old is no stranger to firsts. She was the first woman to hold a seat on FIFA’s Executive Committee, and the first woman to head the Burundian football association and the NOC.
Nsekera who began her professional career as an auditor is one of the 13 African IOC members, a position she hopes to leverage on and make history.
The renowned female sports administrator has put youth and women’s issues on the front burner of her campaign.
“Africa is undeniably the continent with the largest number of young people. It is our responsibility as sports leaders to support our girls and boys and help them grow up healthy,” said the Burundian, who
hopes to take back the presidency to the zone five.
The late Francis Nyangweso from neighbouring Ugandan headed the association between 1999-2001.
Nsekera, who also chairs the IOC women and sport commission has Tokyo 2020 Olympics high on her agenda.
“Top priority will be given to the preparation and planning of Africa’s participation (at Tokyo 2020) by creating small committees whose task will be to propose the most effective way to facilitate the smooth preparation and participation.”
Kalkaba, tried and tested
The IAAF vice president, who also heads the Confederation of African Athletics, was the trigger of change.
Kalkaba challenged Palenfo again, in what was expected to be a close election but missed on what would have been his second appearance on the ANOCA presidential ballot.
The former Cameroonian track and field athlete was lurking in Palenfo’s shadow at the 2005 elections.
Palenfo replaced Guinea’s Alpha Ibrahim Diallo as ANOCA president after polling 24 of the 51 votes against Alhaji Dandeh-Njie of Gambia, who garnered 16 votes but decided not to contest the run off.
During that election in Ghana, Kalkaba was one of the three contenders who withdrew from the race. The others were Zoumaro
Gnofame from Togo and Guinea’s Diallo.
The veteran sports administrator who is the president of the NOC has in the past headed handball and athletics federations, all-round proficiencies that he feels proves he is capable transforming ANOCA.
“I hope to urge the African Union and African countries to enact laws that will guarantee the status of high-level athletes and their future reconversion through an appropriate social reintegration,” outlined the former musician, who hopes the NOCs can dance to his tune as he looks to write the last chapter of his sports career.
Rebuilding trust and attracting partners are among the key pillars of his campaign, goals that remain slippery for CAA.
“Increase the financial resources of the Development Zones, to better coordinate the activities of the NOCs.”
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Ahead of Nigeria-Libya match: Some kidnapped journalists regain freedom
An unspecified number of Nigerian journalists travelling to Uyo for Friday’s Nigeria versus Libya’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match have been rescued.
This is contained in a press release by the Sports Writers’ Association of Nigeria (SWAN) on Thursday. The association commended the Nigerian security forces for their efforts in the rescue operation.
From the press release, it was gathered that the media men were abducted within the Anambra and Imo states axis.
”SWAN therefore commends the security operatives, particularly the Nigerian Army and Police for their prompt action which ensured that up to six of the held Sports Journalists regained their freedom with efforts to get the remaining person freed”, reads the SWAN statement.
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Klopp becomes Red Bull global soccer chief in first job after Liverpool
German coach Juergen Klopp has been appointed head of global soccer for Red Bull, owners of several clubs including RB Leipzig and New York Red Bulls, the company said on Wednesday, in his first job since leaving Liverpool earlier this year.
Klopp, who ended his successful nine-year stint with Liverpool at the end of last season, will be starting on January 1, 2025.
“After almost 25 years on the sideline, I could not be more excited to get involved in a project like this,” Klopp, who also coached Mainz 05 and Borussia Dortmund, said in a statement.
“The role may have changed but my passion for football and the people who make the game what it is has not.”
The 57-year-old joined Liverpool in October 2015 and won the Champions League, their first English League title since 1990, the Club World Cup, FA Cup, League Cup and Super Cup, as well as the Community Shield during his time in charge.
Klopp, who also led Dortmund to two Bundesliga titles, a German Cup and a Champions League final in 2013, had announced in January he would be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season.
Klopp will not be involved in the day-to-day operations of the Red Bull-owned clubs in Germany, United States, Brazil and Austria, the company said.
“He will provide strategic vision, supporting individual sporting directors in advancing the Red Bull philosophy,” Red Bull said.
Klopp will also support the organisation’s global scouting operation, and contribute to the training and development of coaches.
“I see my role primarily as a mentor for the coaches and management of the Red Bull clubs but ultimately I am one part of an organisation that is unique, innovative and forward looking. As I said, this could not excite me more,” Klopp said.
Some German media reported his Red Bull contract included an exit clause for the post of Germany national team coach.
Klopp has long been linked to that job, especially after his successful stint at Liverpool and with Germany struggling to make an impact on the international stage in the past decade.
-Reuters
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Cape Verdean, Delgado Rocha, to take charge of Libya, Nigeria battle in Benina
The Confederation of African Football has appointed Delgado Santos Rocha Lenine, from Cape Verde, as referee for Tuesday’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match between the Super Eagles and the Mediterranean Knights of Libya at the Martyrs of Benina Stadium in Benina, close to Benghazi.
He will be assisted by compatriots Djêry Gomes Lopes (assistant referee 1) and Jorge Santos Fonseca Aritson (assistant referee 2), with Hamidou Diero from Burkina Faso as fourth official.
Amir Abdi Hassan from Somalia will be in the role of commissioner, with Malian Dramane Dante as referee assessor and Rachid Medjiba from Algeria as security officer.
Tuesday’s encounter, which is at the back-end of a double header between both nations, will kick off at 9pm Libya time (8pm Nigeria time).
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