Dakar, June 27 (APS) – The vice-president of the Senegalese Athletics Federation (FSA), El Hadj Bara Thiam, provided, on Thursday, his support for the new African champion in the 110-meter hurdles, Louis François Mendy, considering that he is within his right to denounce the ‘inequality’ of the amount of bonuses granted to Senegalese athletes.
“The athlete is within his rights. Today, he is launching a cry from the heart regarding an inequality linked to bonuses. An African champion remains an African champion whether one is a footballer, basketball player, karateka or athlete,” Mr. Thiam maintained in an interview with APS.
Senegalese sprinter Louis François Mendy, who won the first Senegalese gold medal in the 110-meter hurdles of the African Athletics Championships which ended Wednesday in Douala, Cameroon, reacted on social networks to denounce the amount of the bonus of 80,000 CFA francs given to each athlete by the Ministry of Sports and the federation.
”I will give you your bonus. Proud to be African champion. It’s time for this to stop,” he wrote.
El Hadj Bara Thiam believes that “there must be a certain fairness in the treatment of high-level athletes”. This has been a very old grievance that has not yet been resolved. All the regimes that have passed have failed on this issue,” he noted.
He thinks “that today, it is time, when we are talking about rupture, to change the situation”.
”And as soon as they return, we will try to meet the Minister of Sports so that he can listen attentively to us so that he can advise the President of the Republic to take the necessary measures. It is more than urgent to resolve this situation, otherwise it could create dysfunction within these sports federations,” he warned.
Senegal won three gold medals during this 23e edition of the African Athletics Championships.
Louis François Mendy, aged 25, won the first Senegalese gold medal in the 110 meter hurdles of the African Athletics Championships, with a time of 13 seconds 48.
Cheikh Tidiane Diouf, aged 28, won the 400 metres final in 45.23 seconds, in his second participation in this continental competition.
Saly Sarr, 21, won the triple jump final with a leap of 14.6 meters.
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