The ninth edition of the Francophone Games is fast approaching. This great event will be held in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, from July 28 to August 6, 2023. More than 3,600 athletes and artists from more than 40 member states of the International Organization of La Francophonie are expected for this competition.
However, some concerns remain about the proper organization of the event. To date, certain essential infrastructures are not yet ready, such as the games village installed at the Unikin, the gymnasium for table tennis or even certain play areas for sports. Although the director of the Francophonie national games committee, Isidore Kwandja, says the work will be completed on time, the delays have led to reservations from some member states.
For example, Quebec, a French-speaking region of Canada, has expressed concern and has not yet confirmed its participation. Rwanda has not entered any athletes and has not confirmed their participation. These difficulties raised fears about the success of the event.
Despite these concerns, the director of the national committee of the Francophonie games is rather reassuring less than 40 days before the opening of the games. During the 123rd meeting of the Permanent Council of La Francophonie, the various delegations of the member countries reacted positively to the overall report of the organization made by Isidore Kwandja, and asked for certain guarantees from the DRC, the host country.
The Games of La Francophonie are an important competition for French-speaking youth, and that is why we are impatient to experience this event which will perhaps make it possible to discover hidden talents through the different member countries. So let’s remain optimistic about the success of these games.