Africa-Press – Senegal. Senegal will not take part in the next African Nations Championship (CAN) of women’s volleyball scheduled for August 14 to 25 in Yaoundé (Cameroon), announced on Friday to APS, the president of the Senegalese Volleyball Federation, Amadou Sèye, explaining that the Ministry of Sports had not retained the forms transmitted for this category.
« For this competition, our records were not retained by the Ministry of Sports. The project fell through. We are fighting so that the boys can participate from the 1st 14 in Cairo in the African volleyball championship, » he said.
According to Mr. Sèye, the national men’s volleyball team will begin groupings from Monday at Camp Leclerc for about ten days.
« There is an arbitration to be done at the level of the Ministry of Sports. Sometimes, the guardianship chooses disciplines according to the budget, » added Amadou Sèye.
He insisted that the federation had introduced ‘boys’ and girls’ sheets’. « When I approached the ministry, I was made to understand that there were 60% cuts in the budgets in all the ministries and that the July-August period coincides with the women’s Afrobasket and the Games of the Francophonie, » he said.
« For some years, we have been asked to choose between the two categories. We can’t take both teams. We are behind the ministry. We remain optimistic. We hope that the choice will fall on the boys since our girls were not selected, » he said.
The president of the Senegalese Volleyball Federation thinks there should be a little more « democratization in the choice of disciplines ».
However, he specified that each year, the federation takes part in an international tournament. « Three of our clubs were in Tunisia for the African Cup of Champions Clubs. They are ISEG (boys) and Saltigué and Sococim (girls). Most of these players make up Senegal’s national teams, » he said.
Seventeen countries will take part in this 21st edition of the African Women’s Volleyball Championship in Yaoundé. Cameroon, host country, winner of the last three editions (2017, 2019 and 2021) is the title holder. Kenya is the most successful nation with nine gold medals.
Senegal have never won the continental grail before, but settled for a bronze medal in 2019. The Senegal team has taken part in nine CAN finals since 2003. Five times (2009, 2011 , 2013, 2015 and 2017), she failed at the foot of the podium.
Pour plus d’informations et d’analyses sur la Senegal, suivez Africa-Press
