Expected in Turkey where the Islamic Solidarity Games officially start this Monday, August 8, 2022, many Cameroonian athletes are still stuck in Yaounde, the capital of the country.
The 2022 Islamic Solidarity Games have started The image of the country of Samuel Eto'o that will take a serious blow. Indeed, expected in Konya, the host city of the Games, for several days, a good part of the Cameroonian delegation remained stuck in Yaoundé as per the morning of Monday August 8th.
The Indomitable Lions U23 have however missed their appointment with Turkey this Monday, August 8, within the framework of the opening match of the tournament for football. The Cameroonian team even risk disqualification, especially since all their opponents are already on the site of the Games. It is in particular Algeria, Senegal and of course Turkey.
For these fifth Games of Islamic Solidarity, the Cameroonian delegation consists of 165 people including 120 athletes and 45 supervisors. Cameroon will compete in 13 disciplines. Like the players of the hopeful soccer team, other Cameroonian athletes could miss the games. In particular, the two senior volleyball selections should be declared forfeit. Indeed, the women's team missed its first match this Monday against Afghanistan, while the men's team is not sure to appear Tuesday against Morocco.
In handball, the women's team of Cameroon was declared forfeit on Sunday. The Lionesses of handball are indeed part of the athletes blocked in Yaoundé. They missed their first match of the competition. It was Sunday, against Azerbaijan. The karate and judo teams, for their part, are still holding out little hope. Their competitions begin respectively on August 15 and 17. However, they will have to be in Turkey a few days before, for the registration. Will they arrive then in time? No one knows for the moment.
The Olympic Committee in the dock
If there are some who can hope to participate in these Games, they are the Cameroonian athletes who have just taken part in the Commonwealth Games. They should leave directly from Birmingham in England for Konya in Turkey. This delegation has less worries. Meanwhile, in Yaoundé, voices are raised within the sports federations. Everyone points an accusing finger at the National Olympic Committee of Cameroon (CNOSC) which is responsible for leading athletes to these Games. "The problem is the hyper-centralization of the CNOSC where some officials, supposed to take care of the delegation that must go to Turkey, are in England. This management at the scheme is also the cause of the poor performance of our athletes, "says an executive of the Handball Federation. For now, the leaders of the CNOSC refuse to comment on the situation.
