A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the African Athletics Confederation (AAC) and the Mauritius Athletics Association (MAA) regarding the terms and conditions for the organisation of the 22nd African Athletics Championships, was signed, this morning, at Côte d’Or National Sports Complex.
The signature of the MoU was followed by a joint press conference by the Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sports and Recreation, Mr Jean Christophe Stephan Toussaint; the President of the AAC, Mr Hamad Kalkaba Malboum; the President of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), Mr Giandev Moteea; and, the Director of the AAC, Mr Lamine Faty.
At the outset, Minister Toussaint expressed hope that the President of the AAC and his delegation were satisfied with the progress of the preparations for these championships. He added that several Officers from his Ministry were working hard as part of the LOC to assist in case any obstacle would arise and reiterated that the Government was committed to make this event a very successful one so as to revive athletics on the African continent.
Mr Toussaint highlighted that the standard for this competition would be set very high as several high-level and world class athletes were going to participate in the event. He appealed to the press to share updates regularly as regards the championships so that the population would participate to make this event a successful one and also invited sponsors in Mauritius or elsewhere to be part of this great adventure.
For his part, the President of the AAC expressed satisfaction with the outcome of this ongoing project which started several months ago in a bid to establish the official and regulatory framework for the organisation of these championships to be held in June 2022. He underlined that the agreement that was signed united the two parties and would help the implementation of measures outlined in the documents.
According to him, there was no doubt that the forthcoming event would be a successful one as the highest authorities that he met during his short visit, namely the President of the Republic of Mauritius, Mr Prithvirajsing Roopun and the Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sports and Recreation, assured him formally of their commitment towards the hosting of this event. “Mauritius,” Mr Kalkaba Malboum stated, “has always been present whenever the need for assistance has arisen and will again, through these competitions, inspire the whole of Africa to revive their sporting culture.”
Mr Kalkaba Malboum also paid a supportive tribute to the Vice-President of the LOC, Mr Vivian Gungaram, who set up all the technical structures that were enabling the organisation of this event in a professional manner. Speaking of the Côte d’Or National Sports Complex, he emphasised that it was a state-of-the-art infrastructure, meeting all the requirements regarding athletics, namely, proper athletics track with a high quality warm up field. As for the hotel booked for accommodation, the President of the AAC indicated that it was well situated and well equipped and would ensure a pleasant stay for the athletes.
Mr Kalkaba Malboum highlighted that the youth of Africa represented more than 65% of the population and needed to be given the suitable environment and infrastructure to express themselves.
As for Mr Moteea, he thanked the President of the AAC and the Confederation for entrusting the organisation of these championships to Mauritius. “This expression of goodwill despite the fact that we are under the pressure of the COVID-19 pandemic is highly appreciated,” he added.
During the three-day visit of the AAC President and his delegation, several activities were held including courtesy visits to eminent personalities; signature of the agreement between AAC and the MAA regarding the terms and conditions for the organisation of the championships; unveiling of the logo of the championships; inspection of accommodation and competition sites; and working sessions with the chairperson and members of LOC.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of Mauritius.
