The IX Games of La Francophonie scheduled for this year in Kinshasa have just been postponed to 2023, but to an unknown date. DRC is not ready.
The Permanent Council of La Francophonie (CPF), meeting virtually on Tuesday, February 8, decided to postpone the IX Games of La Francophonie scheduled from 19 to 28 August 2022 in Kinshasa.
“This decision followed an exchange on the state of progress of the organization of the IX Games of La Francophonie,” says the website of the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF).
The next dates for these Games have not been set “in view of the international sports agenda.” From 14-30 July, the World Swimming Championships in Fukuoka (Japan) are scheduled. From 19-27 August, the World Athletics Championships in Budapest (Hungary). On 23 August, the World Cycling Championships in Glasgow (Great Britain).
According to an anonymous source, governance problems are also at the root of this indefinite postponement. The Congolese government has not allocated a budget for this international event. OIF’s responsibilities are limited to providing administrative patronage and technical support.
The OIF wants a large participation of young Francophone athletes and artists. The last Francophone Games were organized in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, in 2017.
In principle, every four years, this major sporting event of the Francophone family takes place in one of the member countries. They were scheduled to take place in Kinshasa from 19 to 28 August 2021, then postponed to 2022 due to the health situation caused by the covid-19 pandemic.
The Permanent Council of La Francophonie meeting in Paris on 02 July 2019 had designated the DRC to organize these IX Games of La Francophonie.
Gérard Rugambwa
