Sports Scandal.. Algerian Official Seeks to Overturn International Legitimacy
Abd Elmajid Ben Hammou
The President of the Union of African Sports Confederations (UASC), Egyptian Ahmed Nasser, has unveiled plans by Algerian President of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), Mustapha Berraf, to undermine international legitimacy and sow discord within the African sports movement.
Berraf’s Plan Aims to disperse non-Olympic sports that were previously united under a single African body, and undermine African unity and sow discord.
According to Ahmed Nasser :There is a “violation by ANOCA of the UASC’s legitimacy” , and Mustapha Berraf seeks to create a parallel union of African Olympic unions to organize games parallel to the African Games, excluding the UASC, which includes all African sports federations, whether Olympic or non-Olympic.
Nasser firmly addresses Berraf:
– The African Union Charter, which represents the kings and heads of state of the African continent and holds the rights to the African Games, recognizes only two legitimate bodies of African sport within the AU: the UASC and ANOCA.
– The African Games are the continent’s premier sporting event, bringing together the youth and peoples of African nations. It is an internationally registered and documented event, owned by the AU and organized with the collaboration of several partners, including the UASC and ANOCA. It also serves as a qualifier for the Olympic Games.
– Two editions of the African Games have been successfully organized, in 2019 in Morocco and 2023 in Ghana, in collaboration with the AU and the respective host countries.
Nasser questions Berraf : Why do you want to create a parallel African Olympic union now? This will lead to the dispersion and division of the African sports movement, both Olympic and non-Olympic, to the detriment of the African peoples for whom we all work.
Nasser highlights the consequences of Berraf’s actions, the exclusion of a group of African athletes, a blow to the values of sport, and the creation of an illegitimate institution parallel to the UASC or the organization by ANOCA of parallel games without the participation of African partners is an attack on African unity and a new ideology that sows discord and division.
Nasser concludes by stating that Africa does not need this, there are already enough bodies, such as the African National Olympic Committees, the Ministries of Youth and Sports, and the UASC, to unite the continent.
