At the invitation of the Prime Minister and the President of the National Olympic and Sports Committee of Burkina Faso, the President of ANOCA, Mustapha Berraf, who was accompanied by the President of ANOCA Zone 3 and also President of NOC Benin (CNOS BEN) Julien V. MINAVOA, paid a visit to this country on 22 February 2020. The highpoint of the visit was the inauguration ceremony of NOC Burkina Faso’s Olympic and Administrative Centre.
Addressing dignitaries in attendance, including the Prime Minister, the Vice Speaker of the National Assembly and several members of the Government, President Berraf expressed deep appreciation for the construction of the facility, a guarantee for sustainability in the practice of sport in Burkina Faso. Turning to the Prime Minister, he said: “I am filled with a very strong sense of pride coupled with great emotion. What a demonstration of clear political will!!! Taking advantage of the gift from the people of Japan, you have not only enabled your country to effect this transfiguration, which many countries dream of, but you have also displayed the fruits that each nation would reap when there is genuine cooperation between the government and the sports movement.”
The President of ANOCA deplored the incursions by armed gangs on the territory of Burkina Faso, which disturb the peace of the people. One of the early victims of this state of affairs was the predecessor of the current CNOSB president, the late Kinda, after whom one of conference rooms has been named. Exalting the Olympic Truce, Mustapha Berraf said: “The President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the United Nations call on all mankind and all States to issue a declaration to silence the crackling of weapons wherever human beings live.”
The new CNOSB Olympic and Administrative Centre, a three-storey building, offers all member federations of this organisation competition arenas for all sports, as well as offices that could henceforth house the headquarters of all the national sports federations. There is provision for conference rooms and classrooms for sports and studies.
Costing a total two billion two hundred million CFA francs, Japan funded its construction to the tune of one billion eight hundred, while the government of Burkina Faso contributed four hundred million. This was quite touching to President Berraf, who said: “May this beautiful building, fruit of the wonderful cooperation with Japan, become the symbol, the temple and the arena where the concept of Sport for Peace and Development, for which the United Nations has proclaimed the celebration of the international day every 6 April, is demonstrated on a daily basis.”
