Following a testimony of an athlete broadcast on Facebook, the president of the Cameroonian Federation of Sports for the Physically Handicapped sees many voices raised against his methods. In an investigation published by journalist Romain Molina, several Cameroonian athletes have decided to come out of silence to denounce his actions.
The list of grievances against Hervé Guy Ngoyo Ngon includes rape, racketeering, blackmail, intimidation and revenge. The president of the Cameroon Federation of Sports for the Physically Handicapped, would reign a regime of terror on the athletes who are under the supervision of his body. In an investigation published by the journalist Romain Molina and published on Blast, several disabled athletes in Cameroon have decided to break the omerta and denounce actions that would have become common since the taking office of the leader in 2011.
The story of rape sets the web on fire
It all started with an audio testimony, shared by Nzui Manto, an exiled activist. In this testimony, a former Cameroonian Paralympic athlete describes the rape she suffered at the hands of Hervé Guy Ngoyo Ngon. "He throws me on the bed. I try to get out but he uses his strength until he penetrates me. I have tears in my eyes. No one is there to come and save me. When he finished doing his nonsense, all I did was sit up and hope that I wouldn't get sick when I took the test," she says.
A story that has prompted other athletes to speak out to try to put an end to this system that they say they have already denounced to the national authorities, without any change observed. "It's terrible, but it's a reality that we have suffered for a decade. Many of my comrades have been subjected to this kind of touching. If you refuse, like me, you are excluded from international competitions," says Mimozette Nghamsi, a powerlifter.
A system of racketeering on bonuses
Among the other grievances, the establishment of a real system of deduction on the premiums of the sportsmen. Questioned by Romain Molina, three disabled athletes confided that they had to give 10% of their bonuses to the manager to be able to participate in international competitions. A practice that they refused and that earned them a ban. "We refused, so he took revenge on us the following year at the All Africa Games in Brazzaville. Of the two disciplines he could enter, he chose to send only athletics, an area he controlled more. We had to go through the International Paralympic Committee and pressure from the Ministry of Sports to force him to send the powerlifting athletes as well. It was a revenge", says Francis Biwolé Nkodo.
[Enquête] Sport, ton univers impitoyable : Dans l’enfer du handisport camerounais par @Romain_Molina 🔥
Viol, sportifs rackettés, selon plusieurs témoignages, le prés. de la féd. camerounaise des sports pour déficients physiques ferait régner la terreur 🔽https://t.co/BlWmDkKHVb
— BLAST, Le souffle de l'info (@blast_france) December 7, 2022
These abuses were denounced in a letter dated June 28, 2021, addressed to the Minister of Sports of Cameroon, Narcisse Mouelle Kombi. A missive remained a dead letter for the time being, while the collective of para-athletes and disabled people of Cameroon and the Diaspora is asking for the dissolution of the executive board of the Cameroonian Paralympic Committee. Faced with this silence and the inaction of the authorities for the time being, Blast's investigation indicates that many Cameroonian athletes are faced with a dilemma: to put an end to their career, or to take the path of exile, like Mimozette Nghamsi. "I live in France now. I was four times champion of France but I am treated as a rebel in my federation, because I refuse this system," she laments.
