Africa-Press – Mauritius. The official launching ceremony of the 22nd African Senior Athletics Championships was held, this evening, at the Côte d’Or National Sports Complex. The President of the Republic of Mauritius, Mr Prithvirajsing Roopun; the Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth; the Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sports and Recreation, Mr Stephan Toussaint; the President of the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA), Mr Hamad Kalkaba Malboum; the President of the Organising Committee, Mr Giandev Moteea, and other personalities were present.
In his address, Prime Minister Jugnauth extended a warm welcome to Lord Sebastian Coe, one of the finest middle distance runners, the vice president of World Athletics, Prince Nawaf Bin Mohammed Al Saud, who was also present, and the delegation comprising of some 760 members from 44 countries, 561 athletes and 206 officials.
It is a great honour for Mauritius to host the African Senior Athletics Championships for the third time, he said. The extraordinary event at the continental level, he added, is graced by the presence of some of the best international athletes of the African continent who will have the opportunity to unfold their talents during the five-day competition.
According to the Prime Minister, the organisation of the event in Mauritius will provide an excellent opportunity to motivate the athletic community especially the elite athletes to return with even better spirits into high-level competitions following the cancellation and postponement of several sports events due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Government, he indicated, has contributed to meet the expenses related to the organisation of the 22nd African Senior Athletics Championships as well as hosting the electing congress of the CAA in Mauritius to make the event a success.
Government will continue to invest in sports as it will bring different people together and celebrate common ideal of hope, fairness and sacrifice, he added.
With a view to further develop sport and physical activities, Government is investing significantly in modern sports infrastructure across the island and the ranking of the Côte d’Or National Sports Complex among the top five sports hub in Africa is clear evidence, Mr Jugnauth said.
He pointed out that the complex is the only centralised sports hub in Africa to have several international facilities including a sports science laboratory, a training centre and a fully-equipped medical centre. The Prime Minister underlined that Government welcomes new avenues of cooperation with African countries regarding the use of the sports complex.
By harnessing the latest research and development tools, he added, Government is committed to enhancing all areas of sports science, sports medicines and rehabilitation and prepare athletes to compete on world stage competition thus bringing the African flagship to greater heights.
For his part, Mr Malboum expressed his deepest gratitude to the Republic of Mauritius for holding the 22nd African Senior Athletics Championships. He commended the Government for supporting athletics and nurturing a sports culture.
He further called upon the athletes to demonstrate ethical values and act responsibly throughout the sports event. Mr Moteea expressed gratitude to the sponsors for their engagement in the holding of the Championships adding that it was a big challenge to organise the competition amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
He also pointed out that the Reunion Island has for the first time participated in the event. The event, he said, will promote national and international athletes and the Côte d’Or Sports Complex as an international sports centre of choice.
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