Xu Fei (front right), political counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Burkina Faso, presents the medal to the winner of men’s singles title in the second Chinese Ambassador Badminton Cup in Ouagadougou, capital of Burkina Faso, on 17 October 2021

Young athletes from Burkina Faso won accolades for their impressive performance at the 2023 U18 and U20 African Athletics Championships, which took place from 29 April to 3 May in Lusaka, Zambia. 

Soumaïla Sabo’s leap of 15.74 metres in the triple jump made her the new African U20 champion. Awa Zongo of the U18 team won the bronze medal in the women’s long jump with a leap of 5.68 metres, breaking the previous record of 5.5 metres, while also setting a new Burkinabe national record. Latifatou Millogo in the 100-metre hurdles, Sita Sibiri in the 400-metre hurdles, and Odile Kiendrebeogo and Anna Barro in the high jump all stood out for their outstanding performances. 

This is a continuation of the good results achieved by Burkinabe Athletics Federation at the second edition of the Five Nations Championships held on 14-15 April in Tamale, Ghana. With a total of 69 medals (25 gold, 22 silver, and 22 bronze), the 24 young athletes from Burkina Faso differentiated themselves from those from Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Benin, and Togo. The same was true in the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon, the US, where Burkinabe Hugues Fabrice Zango earned the silver medal in the triple jump.  

An undeniable contribution 

Missiri Théophile Sawadogo, technical director of the federation, attributed this success to two factors - first, the planning put in place over the past few years based on a strategy of prospecting, monitoring, and assisting young talents, and second, China’s assistance.  

China has assisted Burkina Faso, which previously had no success in athletics, to put these young athletes in good shape with the construction of the Quatre-Août Multifunctional Stadium equipped with cutting-edge infrastructure for the athletes, and provision of equipment and technical support. This cooperation model in sports is serving as an inspiration for other sectors in Burkina Faso, which voluntarily seek China’s assistance to improve their performance. 

In the case of sports, the Chinese Embassy in Burkina Faso funds the operations of the Burkinabe Federation of Kungfu Wushu. The third edition of the Chinese Ambassador Cup in 2022 saw male and female athletes compete in junior and senior categories. The competition was witnessed by Chinese athletes and collaborators at the martial arts arena that China constructed in Ouagadougou as part of its partnership with Burkina Faso. The ceremony was presided over by Chinese Ambassador to Burkina Faso Lu Shan, who called it a wonderful illustration of Sino-Burkinabè friendship. 

The ambassador said that the tournament has showcased the spirit of kungfu via high-level practitioners. “This demonstrates the success in making this discipline popular and capturing the essence of kungfu. This sport, which is rising in popularity throughout the country, has been adopted by both the general people and the athletes. We are also spreading goodwill and fostering closer relations between Burkina Faso and China via this tournament. In the next championship, I hope there will be even more athletes,” Lu said.

Young athletes compete in the second edition of the Chinese Ambassador Badminton Cup in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on 17 October 2021

Wider engagement  

China’s commitment to supporting the development of sports is not limited to Burkina Faso. Sports exchanges between China and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Burundi, Senegal, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, and other African countries are growing. The Beninese Kungfu Federation’s Atlantic League, for example, hosted Chinese trainers for a training session in March 2022.  

China is constantly supporting the training of martial arts to allow athletes of all age groups to prepare for various upcoming events, including the African Wushu Championships scheduled for July in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, the Ninth World Kungfu Championships scheduled for 23-28 August in Emeishan City of Sichuan Province, China, and the World Wushu Championships to be organised by the International Wushu Federation in November in Texas, the US. 

China is increasing its support for the development of sports venues that teach various martial arts variants in addition to kungfu. For instance, the Chinese and Senegalese presidents presided over the opening of a wrestling facility in Senegal in July 2018. Other facilities include the Academie Zhonghua Wushu in Côte d’Ivoire, and the gymnasium of the Yaoundé Multipurpose Sports Complex in Cameroon.  

These facilities enable the younger generations in these nations to begin training in sports like boxing, judo, karate, traditional wrestling, and many more at a young age. Chinese embassies, businesses, and other entities provide sports equipment to help young African athletes to participate in a variety of sporting activities.   

Badminton enthusiasm 

Badminton, which was a little-known sport in Cameroon, is gaining recognition in the country, thanks to Chinese support. Free badminton training sessions have been scheduled since March, and Odette Engoulou, head of the Cameroon Badminton Federation, is in charge of the programme. Coaching, training, and participation in exhibition matches are all beneficial to the learners. 

China is also supporting the training of athletes that takes place in the gymnasium of the Yaoundé 
Multipurpose Sports Complex. China Railway Construction Corp., which has completed numerous projects in Cameroon, has distinguished itself by actively taking part in the tournament for young athletes between the ages of nine and 20 on 19 April at the National Institute of Youth and Sports in Yaoundé.