Fifth episode of our series dedicated to the leading countries of the Paralympic Games. Today, we focus on Côte d’Ivoire, which is an exception in French-speaking sub-Saharan Africa. While most countries in the region have never won a medal at the Paralympics, the Ivorians have won five, including three gold medals… But none since Rio in 2016. This year in Paris, Côte d’Ivoire lined up four athletes and was banking heavily on its para-taekwondo athlete Michel Boli Bi. Like his idol Cheick Cissé, who won a bronze medal at the Olympic Games last month, the young athlete dreamed of a medal at the Grand Palais. Martin Guez followed the Ivorian hopeful, who is a bit like the tree that hides the forest.
5 min
This article is the fifth in a series on the leading countries of Paralympic Games.
Michel Boli Bi is welcomed like a prince at the Grand Palais by his support committee. Despite a one-point defeat in the 8th finals, this accounting student, born in Oumé near the capital Yamoussoukro, is savouring the moment. This is a first for me. I lost in the first round. But hey, I’m proud of my work. I’m very happy for the flag I represented. “.
” I don’t consider myself disabled. I see it as a blessing. »
Standard bearer of the Ivory Coasthe will not have shone under the glass roof of the Parisian enclosure like his icon Cheick Cisse… Born with an atrophied forearm, he took part in his very first international competition at the age of 21. I don’t consider myself disabled. I see it as a blessing. If I didn’t have the disability, what proof do I have that I would have achieved? I live with it rather well since I grew up and I was always supported by my parents, my entourage. And then at the taekwondo level, I have all the equipment I need to work ” he says.
A taekwondo practice turned upside down by an encounter a few years ago. I started taekwondo two years ago. At that very moment, I didn’t even know about para taekwondo, I was fighting against able-bodied people. That’s what made me learn about para taekwondo thanks to my coach. The coach takes very very good care of me. But it’s also thanks to him, with his finances and all his encouragement, that we qualified ” he said.
The crucial role of infrastructure and financial support
Jack of all trades, Franck Latté Lawson, the Ivorian master welcomed Michel Boli Bi into his training room in Cocody. He has a future. I spotted him at a competition in Ivory Coast where he was doing a demonstration fight with other able-bodied athletes. The para program is not really developed yet in Ivory Coast. We are working on it. Look at all these athletes who are here today, most of them have already crossed paths in other international competitions. So we need the means so that athletes, especially athletes from sub-Saharan Africa, can go abroad to do more international competitions. If he had already crossed paths with this athlete before, maybe he would have known how to manage better. The ministries and everything must provide the means so that we can give them more experience. I think that will come, I hope ” he said.
To survive as a top athlete, you have to make do as best you can. Well Michel, already, there is the federation which supports by paying for transport, travel, to come to training. He does not pay for training with me, it is free. An athlete like Michel still has some advantages. Maybe others do not have ” he says.
Towards better recognition of Ivorian para-athletes
And Michel Boli Bi remains a rather privileged case in a sport that requires neither prosthesis nor wheelchair. For the others, it is often a struggle… ” Detecting athletes is not complicated, there are many of them. What is often complicated afterwards is to make them understand that there is a future in this. How to explain to them that they must come to train several times a day rather than go and get something to eat. Athletes are not salaried in sub-Saharan Africa “.
An observation shared by the technical director of the Ivorian Paralympic Federation. We came here with our leaders. I hope they saw the fight, so that they give us enough resources so that we can do all the courses and we will fight so that they can have at least a scholarship from the federation and then a scholarship also at the ministry level to accompany him. It takes a lot of resources to mobilize all that. So Côte d’Ivoire is really committed to supporting all these Paralympic athletes. In four years, he will be a champion “.
Untapped potential in sub-Saharan Africa
And for Michel Boli Bi to be champion in 2028, Brou Kouadio hopes for a scholarship from the taekwondo federation and the Ministry of Sports, represented at the Grand Palais by Yao N’Guessan, chief of staff of Minister Silas Metch. The new vision is to ensure that there are suitable infrastructures. And moreover, in the delegation of Côte d’Ivoire, they brought the general director of the National Sports Office to see what is best here in France, so that, in response, we can have these infrastructures for our athletes in Côte d’Ivoire. “.
This year, Ivory Coast only presented five para-athletes. It is difficult in these conditions to hope to bring back medals. An example among many others in sub-Saharan Africa where many talents remain untapped.
► All our articles on the Paralympic Games can be found here.
► The Paralympic Games programme and calendar can be found here.
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