The National Olympic Committee of Zambia (NOCZ) recently held talks with a high-level French delegation to discuss potential collaborations extending beyond the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
NOCZ President Alfred Foloko and Secretary General Boniface Kambikambi met with representatives from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including Maxime Roth, Assistant Director for Southern Africa & the Indian Ocean, and Florian Despons, Desk Officer for Southern Africa. The meeting, also attended by French Ambassador to Zambia H.E. Thomas Rossignol, focused on creating a lasting partnership to benefit Zambian sports.
Key areas of discussion included technical cooperation between Zambian and French sports federations, with an emphasis on enhancing athlete and coach development.
The talks explored the possibility of bringing French expertise to assess and improve the OYDC Zambia – Sports Development Centre, aiming to elevate it to international high-performance standards.
A notable point of interest was France's program that supports athletes in balancing education with their sporting careers. The Zambian delegation expressed keen interest in adopting a similar model, potentially starting with OYDC Zambia as a pilot centre.
The French delegation also shared insights from a successful project implemented in Mauritius, which NOCZ hopes to study and possibly replicate.
Looking ahead to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, both parties agreed and discussed the potential appointment of a technical director to be based at OYDC Zambia and support sports federations. The OlympAfrica Centre was also highlighted as a key environment for talent identification that could benefit from French support.
These discussions are set to continue on the sidelines of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with key personnel in France where more concrete plans are expected to be formulated. This sports collaboration aims to build upon the existing cordial political and diplomatic ties between Zambia and France.
Foloko described this meeting as key to future cooperation with the French Government and will surely start a new chapter of sports development in the country.
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