"Proud and satisfied". This is how Mustapha Berraf, President of ANOCA and IOC member, described himself in an interview with Africa at Paris 2024. The head of state is eager for the start of the Olympic Games and to be a witness to the development and progress of African representatives in the greatest of competitions. He thanked "the attention given by the International Olympic Committee and its President, Thomas Bach" and expressed his full confidence in the National Committees, to which he attributed enormous importance in the development and progress of athletes.

He didn't want to forget to thank, on behalf of ANOCA, "the French authorities, the Organising Committee and especially the President of the French Republic, Mr Emmanuel Macron, for all the efforts they have made."

Berraf highlighted the work of some International Federations, which work closely with the structures of the Olympic Committees, in the whole process of bringing the Games and the Olympic event closer to the athletes. Federations such as Cycling, Wrestling, Volleyball, Basketball, Canoeing and Kayaking, or even ANOC itself, are essential in overcoming the barriers that arise. They are the ones who best understand the sport from the inside.

Paris 2024 is already here, but the next quadrennial Olympic Solidarity Plan includes "several events and activities to benefit the African continent". 

These events are:

 - African Games, Egypt, 2027

 - African Youth Games, Angola, December 2025

 - African Beach Games, Equatorial Guinea

 - African School Games, Algiers, July 2025

There is a special element, as Berraf rightly says, "The International School Sports Federation and the African School Games should enable our NOCs, in particular, to get involved in identifying young talents with their respective federations and thus look towards a more promising future."

This is one of the priority goals, the School Games, but the second is the arrival of "the first Olympic E-Sports Games in 2025 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia". They are already a fact. The IOC announced them a few years ago, and the impending progress of the e-sports games has been exponential, so it was only a matter of time before they became an alternative. Saudi Arabia has taken the step forward.

Japan also considered hosting the inaugural games, but it was Saudi Arabia that took the plunge, and Berraf confirms the relationship that exists. "There has been excellent cooperation between the IOC and the NOC of Saudi Arabia, and we are well aware of the exceptional capabilities of Saudi Arabia. Projects are piling up. Also on the table are "the African Athletes Forum, gender equality and many other issues, including fighting doping and preparing for the Dakar Games," said Berraf.

Paris 2024 will be followed by Los Angeles 2028, which may seem a long way off, but is in fact something that is being prepared four years in advance. There is no time to waste. That is why, on the African continent, things are clear. "We are determined to continue our support for our athletes in order to have even better results in Los Angeles and also to complete our support programme for some of our NOCs so that they can be equipped with headquarters that are commensurate with the missions entrusted to them. It is clear that the better the facilities and tools the NOCs have, the better the resources will reach the athletes, who are the real protagonists."

Turning to the Olympafrica Foundation, which he presides over, Berraf said: "I would like to stress the socio-educational importance of the Olympafrica Foundation, which brings together hundreds of thousands of needy children, and we ask everyone to give it their full support. You can't imagine how happy these underprivileged children are when they are in full action in the stadiums and at the Games. We will give them all our support and help."

For the head of state, the presence of African athletes at the Paris 2024 Games is a source of pride. It is a further step towards the goal of being as competitive as possible and of competing on an equal footing with other countries. Berraf's message is direct. "We have proposed fair play and brotherhood with all the peoples of the world. Our motto is for our athletes to live the great festival of sport with wisdom and brotherhood".

Berraf's last words before taking his leave were about the need and commitment to "promote the practice of sport through the development of athletes' skills and the organisation of high-level sporting competitions". He concluded by making it clear that the youth of Africa "must benefit as much as possible from this result-oriented management".