By Levy Masiteng
The stage is set for the maiden African School Games, scheduled to take place in Annaba in Algeria in August 2025.
It follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), which South Africa is a member of, and the International School Sport Federation (ISF).
A recent virtual conference chaired by ANOCA president Mustapha Berraf brought together stakeholders to discuss the technical and organisational specifics of the event.
The games are expected to bring together between 2500 to 3000 high school athletes from across Africa, competing in a range of sports disciplines such as athletics, basketball, boxing and football.
“These Games reflect our shared ambition to promote school sports and offer young Africans a platform to flourish in a spirit of excellence and fraternity,” said Berraf.
He emphasised the importance of the event, stating that “sport is a powerful tool for identifying future champions”.
Following preparations for the event, ANOCA with the support of the Algerian Ministry of Youth and Sports, Education and the International Olympic Committee have committed to providing financial assistance to the 54 African National Olympic Committees to facilitate their participation.
Berraf expressed his gratitude to the participants for their dedication, emphasising that their collective effort was a crucial step towards achieving a successful outcome of the competition.
The African School Games is part of a broader initiative to support growing talent in the run-up to major competitions. They include the African Youth Games in Luanda, Angola, in December and the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar in Senegal next year.
Meanwhile, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has expressed his happiness at hosting the Games.
“Algeria is honoured to host such a prestigious event, which places African youth at the heart of our priorities and contributes to peace and sustainable development on the continent,” he said.
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