Growing the WOA in Africa

4 | 2 | 2014

Recently, WOA Vice President and Olympic Silver Medallist, Amadou Dia Ba, travelled to Burundi and met with the Minister of Youth Sports and Culture, Adolphe Rukenkanya; President of the Burundi NOA, Venuste Gnionguabô; Burundian Olympians, Charles Nkazamyambi, Aloys Nizigama and Patrick Ndayisenda; and Vice President of the Burundi National Olympic Committee, Salvator Bigirimana.

While in Burundi, Amadou discussed with his colleagues how the WOA can support NOAs, Olympians and the communities that they live in through new programmes and initiatives such as the WOA Development Grant, the application forms for which were sent out to NOAs in October 2013.

Amadou also visited the OlympAfrica Centre in Kanyosha to discuss how the WOA can support young Olympians of the future. He also met with Burundian IOC Member Lydia Nsekera who was elected as the first female member of the FIFA Executive Committee in 2012.

Amadou then moved on to Rwanda where he attended the 30th Seminar of General Secretaries of the NOCs of Africa. Discussions were held on how new initiatives introduced by the WOA can support NOAs and their Olympian Members but also how the WOA can help set up new NOAs in countries where they don’t already exist. Encouraging conversations were also held on how athletes can cooperate and make a difference to their communities.