The Dakar Arena complex runs the risk of being an infrastructure for two disciplines at the same time. At the time when the International Judo Open called “Open Dakar 2024” will be held, from November 21 to 24, the men’s Afrobasket qualifiers window is scheduled for the same period, in the same stadium.
Invited to talk about this affair, the judo leaders were keen to shed some light. “We have already rented the room for 13 million CFA following a contract with Sogip,” explained the president of the Judo Federation, Ababacar Ngom, during a press conference on Thursday.
“Sogip has not spoken to us about basketball and once a week, we go to Dakar Arena for preparations,” he said, indicating that the budget for the organization is around 100 million CFA.
Another member of the body, Souleymane Boun Daouda Diop, defends the same position: “We cannot imagine changing things two weeks before the competition. This is unthinkable, otherwise it would not be good for the image of Senegal. Even if for a week, we have heard about a basketball competition which is scheduled at the same time at Dakar Arena.
For the teams, they are not supported by the Ministry of Sports, explains the head of the Federation. “With regard to the National Team, budgetary constraints have led the ministry not to respond favorably to the request for support for junior cadets,” he said, while hoping to see supervision come in aid of judo.
The Dakar 2024 Open is a prelude to the 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG). This competition will also be used to organize a seminar and an exam for referees with a view to obtaining a continental license which will be delivered to them and which will allow them to become world arbiters.
More than thirty referees and more than 200 participants are expected at this competition, according to the president of the Federation who is pleased to have succeeded, with his team, in resolving the problem of accommodation, catering and logistics.
By Amadou MBODJI – [email protected]