Row over African Games 'chronic', claims official

2017 World Youth Championships
IAAF President Lamine Diack, AK President, Isaiah Kiplagat and Cabinet Secretary for Sports Dr Hassan Wario sign the agreement for Kenya to host the 2017 World Youth Championships during the function in Monaco on Tuesday.

Political divisions surrounding organisation of the All-Africa Games is a “chronic disease” within sport in the continent, Ugandan Sports Minister Charles Bakkabulindi claimed at the African International Sports Convention (CISA) at the weekend.

The build-up to the event in Brazzaville, Congo has been overshadowed by a row over ownership of the 50th anniversary of the Games between the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) and the African Union Sports Council (UCSA).

Currently, UCSA are organising the event and the two parties are still at loggerheads, with a solution to the problems before the event begins in September appearing unlikely.

The dispute has cost the All-Africa Games the opportunity to serve as a qualification event for next year’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, meaning a lack of interest among athletes.

Bakkabulindi, a vice-president of UCSA, claims African sport leaders need to alter their way of thinking if the event, due to be held between September 4 and 19, is to have any chance of being a success.

“We need to change our attitude towards the way we look at things,” he said, adding that there are major problems at the moment and it is becoming a chronic disease.

“We need to get rid of the word ownership and look at forming partnerships for the future of the All-Africa Games.”

His views were met with an air of scepticism due to the position Bakkabulindi holds, and the feeling among the attendees at CISA are that the Games are set to be a disaster.

Outgoing International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) President Lamine Diack spoke passionately on the subject, and he admitted it would be “difficult” to produce a spectacle that could paint a positive picture of African sport.

“We are left with very few months with no real structure in place and we have to be clear on who is leading these Games,” he said.

“The All-Africa Games should be on our minds every day.

“We have the money to make this a success so let’s go out and do it.” ANOCA vice-president Mustapha Berraf, who is also at the heart of the row,said they know there are several problems and complications to overcome with less than six months to go before the event begins.

As of yet, the Games does not have a television deal, which is in stark contrast to various other continental events taking place this year. Organisers are thus struggling to market the event effectively.

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