ANOCA Candidates Brimming With Confidence

(ATR) A short campaign period has not stopped some of the ANOCA Presidential candidates from embracing social media to broadcast their message.

Just over one week remains before the members of the Association of National Olympic Committees from Africa vote for a new president. It will be the second straight year of presidential elections for the body, after the Court of Arbitration for Sport invalidated the 2017 results.

At the 2017 ANOCA General Assembly in Djibouti challenger candidate Hamad Kalkaba Malboum was barred from running at the last minute against incumbent Lassana Palenfo. Malboum was alleged to have used government funds for his campaign violating ANOCA rules.

Malboum appealed the decision, alleging a cabal of forces acting against him. CAS ruled in his favor, and Palenfo was eventually asked to stand down as President.

ANOCA will hold an Extraordinary General Assembly on Nov. 29 following the Association of National Olympic Committees General Assembly in Tokyo.

Four candidates have emerged in the race to lead the organization. Malboum is running again, along with Burundi IOC Member Lydia Nsekera, ANOCA Vice President and Algerian NOC President Mustapha Berraf, and former Botswana NOC President Negroes Kgosietsile.

"I am using social media to reach NOC Presidents," Malboum said to Around the Ringsvia Whatsapp after sending a short campaign video. "My project for ANOCA is known since last year. I hope the African NOC Presidents vote for my ideas expressed clearly in my manifesto.

"The time is short for all the candidates."

Malboum said he was "confident" about his chances of winning the presidency, a sentiment echoed by Kgosietsile.

"I remain positive about the elections, gather feedback, and offer the African athletes and [Olympic] Family a practical ANOCA transformation to an entity that will deliver on its mandate and do so with everybody on board without exception," Kgosietsile said to ATRvia Whatsapp about his chances.

"I am solid, capable and above all, given I don't have much on my plate, able to give ANOCA full and undivided attention for the turnaround."

Meanwhile, both Nsekera and Berraf remained coy about their chances in the upcoming election when asked about the final weeks of the race, despite being viewed as the front runners in the race by African insiders.

Berraf has been dealing with a minor scandal in Algeria after claiming on a television program that athletes use performance enhancing drugs in local competition, then clean up for international competition and perform poorly.

"I am sincere, that it is the voters that will decide [the election]," Berraf said to ATR on Whatsapp.

When asked if the short campaign period has affected how he can communicate his message to the African NOCs, Berraf said "I have always been in contact with NOCs and I have organized the greatest number of events and events in my country" and commended all the confirmed candidates.

"The NOCs know each other and respect people who work," Berraf added. "I think visiting [NOCs] at the last minute is a lack of respect you have to be in touch with them all the time. They will know how to recognize sincere people."

Meanwhile, Nsekera told ATR that she is working on the final push to round up votes before the assembly in Tokyo.

"What is important is that the NOCs want new governance and a change of mentality," Nsekera said on Whatsapp.

"We'll see who's going to win!"

Written by Aaron Bauer

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