The management of the Bangui Sports Palace, the only gymnasium that houses sports activities in the country, is at the heart of an unprecedented crisis between the National Basketball League and the National Sports Infrastructure Management Office (Onasport). And while the two institutions stare at each other, the building continues to deteriorate.
2 mins
With our correspondent in Bangui, Rolf Stève Domia-leu
Considered the king sport in the Central African Republic, basketball is going badly because of a standoff between the National Basketball League and the National Sports Infrastructure Management Office (Onasport). The league accuses Onasport of favoring extra-sporting activities to the detriment of basketball, while it denounces a procedural flaw. In the meantime, the Bangui sports center is in an advanced phase of deterioration.
The parquet floor is almost impassable and some roofing sheets are missing. Locker rooms, dormitories and other compartments dedicated to athletes are available for rental. Sport is no longer a priority, according to Anselm Guenefeï, general secretary of the Basketball League: “ It is used for other purposes: funerals, religious concerts. It slows down sport in general and basketball in particular. »
More in line with international standards
Several official matches have been postponed or canceled due to extra-sporting activities. Marly Germain, lover of the orange balloon, is saddened. “ The parquet is damaged because of this type of activity because we come, we install podiums, and people walk on the parquet, which means that the parquet is not passable. »
Many Central Africans criticize the anarchic installation of shops, bars, nightclubs and offices within this gymnasium. While his service is singled out, Sévérin Lidamon, director of Onasport, reacts: “ The sports center is not dedicated to the Basketball Federation. Those who want to use the infrastructure, it is up to the organizers to contact the general management, to make a reservation, if they are sporting events, if they are cultural events or other ecclesiastical and other activities, therefore, it is how it happens. »
This gym has been sanctioned by Fiba for three years because it no longer meets international standards.