The muscular exit of Louis François Mendy, after his gold medal at the African Athletics Championships, has the merit of (re)posing the debate on the rewards of our athletes in the event of performance. Decryption.
By Hyacinthe DIANDY – He drew again! Louis François Mendy never misses the opportunity to express his frustration with the financial conditions linked to his preparation. On Wednesday, after his gold medal in the 110m hurdles, won at the African Championships in Yaoundé, the Senegalese hurdler, qualified for “Paris 2024”, let out another rant.
“Being African champion in Senegal is only in name. Being African champion to win a bonus of 50,000 CFA francs from the Ministry of Sports. Another sum of 30,000 CFA francs added to the latter by the president of the Federation. Better to go play football because Sadio Mané or Gana would never have accepted this sum. I give you your bonus. Proud to be African champion. It is time for this to stop,” denounced the qualifier for the “Paris 2024” Olympic Games on his Instagram account.
Football and basketball Lions receive their bonuses as they get off the plane
If there is something to be said about the form of this muscular outing, far from being “diplomatic”, on the other hand it has the merit of once again raising the debate on the nature of the rewards for our athletes in the event of performance, especially in individual sport. Even if in team sports, football and basketball have resolved their bonus problems.
But before talking about the “performance bonus”, we should focus on the “daily allowances”. In fact, that is what Louis François Mendy is talking about when he talks about the 50,000 CFA received, plus the bonus of 30,000 CFA offered by his president. These 50,000 CFA represent the 5 days spent in Yaoundé, or 10,000 per day, as stipulated in a long-standing ministerial decree.
Revalue daily allowances and bonuses, the order for which dates back 20 years
Precisely, it is at this level that the “Jubanti” (dear to President Diomaye Faye) must begin. Indeed, we cannot understand why we continue to allocate 10,000 CFA per day (outside) and 5,000 CFA (at the national level) to each athlete based on a decree that dates back 20 years and of which we have a copy. It was indeed on September 27, 2004 that the then Minister of Sports, the late Youssoupha Ndiaye, signed the document.
20 years later, these allowances have never changed. Which is incomprehensible. And this explains why Louis François Mendy received 50,000 for his 5 days spent in Yaoundé. Hence the need for the State to review these allowances upwards.
What the Youssoupha Ndiaye decree of 2005 says about bonuses!
What about performance bonuses? Here too, it is governed by a decree. In the document of which we have a copy, and signed again by Minister Youssoupha Ndiaye, dated February 25, 2005 and bearing “Classification of sports disciplines and rewards to athletes”, it is mentioned, among other things, that for the medalists of the Olympic Games, it is 2 million CFA for gold, 1.5 million silver, 1 million bronze and 500,000 for 4th place. For the Senior World Championships: 1 million gold, 600,000 silver, 400,000 bronze and 200,000 for 4th place, mentions the document.
Finally, regarding other international competitions, such as the African Championships, the African Games, the Francophonie Games, etc., the bonuses for gold medalists vary between 700,000 and 500,000 CFA, for disciplines such as “football, athletics, basketball and karate,” specifies the Youssoupha Ndiaye order.
Matar Ba’s feat that wiped out the 2007 bonuses
Clearly, the three gold medalists in athletics from Yaoundé must each receive 700,000 CFA. But unlike the football and basketball Lions who receive their bonuses when they get off the plane, the three African record holders will have to wait, because payment is not automatic. What the beneficiaries have always deplored. Some athletes even stay for years before recouping their funds.
We can cite the unpaid premiums since 2007, finally settled… in 2021. And this thanks to the interpersonal skills of Matar Ba. The former Minister of Sports, with the insistence of Cnoss, had managed to convince the State to pay off, 14 years later, arrears of bonuses which amounted to nearly 600 million CFA and which concerned around 1000 athletes from 25 disciplines.
Moreover, while welcoming Macky Sall’s gesture, the former boss of Senegalese sport had promised: “We are thinking about no longer knowing this injustice and thus providing a consistent solution, by asking the federations which “commit in international competitions to include any bonuses in the support forms.”
Apparently since then, things have not evolved, for bonuses which logically should have been revised upwards. Moreover, in judo, we are told, no bonus has been paid since 2021.
And it is not Louis François Mendy and Co., relieved by the Cnoss Olympic Scholarship, who will say otherwise.
The breakup is now!
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