Webinar: Africa Talks-Sports

Covid19: Challenges, solutions and opportunities on the road to Tokyo 2020.

Date: Tuesday, 23 June 2020

Time: French session:11h00min -13h00min, English session: 14h00 -16h00min GMT Dakar Time/ Senegal

Where: On zoom and live on our Facebook page, Sirem Sports

These webinar sessions, which are conducted in both English and French, have been chosen to be held on June 23rd, in commemoration of Olympic Day worldwide. This day has grown since its early beginnings in 1948, and has evolved into a celebration of international athletics and global, historical sport achievements. Beginning in 1978, the Olympic Charter suggested that all NOCs coordinate their own Olympic Day to celebrate the Olympic Movement. Founded on the three pillars, “move”, “learn” and “discover”, National Olympic Committees have been engaging communities in sports, cultural and educational activities for all people - regardless of age, gender, social background or sporting ability. There are even countries that have developed school curriculum for the event, and, in recent years, many NOCs have also hosted concerts, exhibitions, and meetings where children and young people converse with top athletes. This diversity of events makes it easier for everybody to become part of Olympic Day.

In view of this, an event management company, S.I.R.E.M (Sports, international Relations and Event Management) believes that during the time of Covid-19, it is even more important to unify the NOCs and NPCs in Africa by celebrating our achievements and resilience in the face of a global pandemic. We therefore consider our host of this web-conference series on June 23rd as a way for us to commemorate and acknowledge this historical day while living through unprecedented times. By contributing to the story of the Olympic and Paralympic movement, we hope to bring you some of the communal feeling that the World Olympic Day provides annually. The support from ANOCA (Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa), IPC (International Paralympic Committee), APC (The African Paralympic Committee), African NOCs/NPCs and TOKYO2020 NOC /NPC Relations department is a reflection of how far we have come and where we are still able to go.

Mouhamadou Moustapha Sall President and Founder of SIREM (Sports, International Relations and Event Management), a Former Sport and Venue Manager at the first African Beach Games SAL2019 and 3X3 Basketball Venue Result Manage during the World Beach Games in DOHA2019 said,

‘’I have created Africa Talks-Sports, which is an online Global Sports web-conference that focuses on African sport development and is intended to continue the dialogue with all stakeholders in sport in Africa during this period of COVID-19 through web conferences.

Africa Talks- Sports will allow us to take a leap forward and look at how we can tackle the major challenges that our sport movement are facing, not only during COVID-19, but on an on-going basis.’

Sharing his thoughts, the moderator for the upcoming session, Yann Craven Former CEO of the Sal 2019 1st African Beach Games, in Cabo Verde said “The COVID-19 pandemic and the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games has created an unprecedented crisis for the global sports community. With the pandemic reaching Africa later than other regions, and many full lock-down procedures in place across the continent, It is crucial at this time that African sports leaders promote dialogue to find local solutions to common challenges and take opportunities if, and where they can be found."

Summing up, Mouhamadou Moustapha Sall added “we hope the international sport community will join us on the Zoom link while we engage the NOCs and NPCs' in a collective deliberation and discussion on the futures of sport throughout the continent of Africa’’.

The web-conference is scheduled for 23 June, 2020 on Zoom and on SIREM Facebook page.