Tradition, youth and unity: African Games 2019 kickstarts with a spark

RABAT: The Opening Ceremony of the 12th African Games 2019 was held at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Morocco.ac felis pellentesque scelerisque.

The ceremony was hosted by two journalists from different backgrounds. Élé Asu, a French journalist from Nigeria who used to work at Canal + and Canal + Africa, presented the ceremony in English. Co-hosting was the Moroccan sports journalist Jalal Bouzrara who presented in both Arabic and French. Jalal Bouzrara is the TV host for his own sports show on national television, he is the vice president of the Moroccan Sports Press Association and also a member of the executive committee of AIPS.

The Opening Ceremony began with the parade of delegations. The first nation to appear was the Republic of the Congo who was the host of the 11th edition of the African Games in 2015 which coincided with the 50 years anniversary of the games. The 53 other participating nations followed in the parade.

Some delegations paraded dynamically, waved vividly and danced in front of the crowds such as Cameroun, Nigéria and Democratic Republic of Congo. Tunisia, however, was hissed at by the Moroccan crowds due to the huge polemic following the African Champions League final which was disputed last May between ES Tunis of Tunisia and Wydad Casablanca of Morocco.

After disappearing from the African Games for 35 years due to political issues regarding the dispute of the Western Sahara territory, the Moroccan delegation was the final nation to parade as the host country. The delegation was intensely welcomed by the Moroccan public who celebrated their national teams. Hosting this competition is for Morocco a part of a political dimension, with also coincides with its return to the African Union and its adhesion to CEDEAO.

Attending Opening Ceremony was the President of the African Union Commission, Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Mohammed VI’s brother Prince Moulay Rachid, the Moroccan Minister of Youth and Sports Mr. Rachid Talbi El Alami and his adviser

The President of the African Union spoke to thank to the Moroccan Kingdom for hosting the African Games on such a short notice, only eight months before their launch. Indeed, Morocco stepped up as hosting country after the original host, the Equatorial Guinea, stepped down.