A new wave of African sporting talent has just arrived in Manama. An omen for the future of sport on the continent. During the 2024 Gymnasiades, Morocco, Algeria and Nigeria shone, while Uganda created a surprise.
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The 11th edition of the Gymnasiades, these real school Olympic Games reserved for high school students under 18 years old and organized by the International School Sports Federation (ISF) every two years, took place from October 23 to 31, 2024 in Manama, the capital of the Kingdom of Bahrain. With the participation of 5,515 athletes from 71 countries spread across 5 continents, this major sporting event once again confirmed the growing importance of sport in schools around the world.
The Algerian team at the 2024 Gymnasiades. It ranks 2nd African nation, taking 12th place in the world with 50 medals, including 14 gold. DR.
Based on the general ranking at the end of these Games, Morocco confirms its status as the leading African school sports nation by finishing in 10th place in the world with a total of 44 medals, including 16 gold. As highlighted in the press release from the Moroccan Ministry of National Education, this result is “theThe fruit of the efforts made alongside the Royal Moroccan School Sports Federation and the sports federations concerned.»
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Algeria, the 2nd African nation, also achieved a stellar performance by taking 12th place in the world with 50 medals, including 14 gold. “ The Algerian selection won medals in karate and judo events, boxing, athletics, swimming, weightlifting, wrestling, and even taekwondo.», We can read in the Algerian media.
Completing this African podium, Nigeria climbs to 3rd continental place and 29th in the world with 3 medals, including 1 gold. A weak harvest which nevertheless rewards the efforts made by this most populous nation in Africa to develop school sport.
Surprises and disappointments
It is undoubtedly Uganda which constitutes the pleasant surprise of this African ranking. The country finished 4th African nation and 35th in the world with 3 medals (2 silver and 1 bronze). Uganda is ahead of countries like Egypt (5th in Africa and 38th in the world) or Ivory Coast (6th in Africa and 39th in the world), despite a small delegation. Uganda shone particularly in athletics and tennis.
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The other surprise comes from Benin, which finished tied for 7th continental and tied for 43rd in the world with medal. But curiously, an official press release from the Beninese government claims 4th continental place. The Beninese teams have “amazed the organizers and the public» according to the government press release.
«This encouraging assessment confirms the efforts of the Government through the Ministry of Sports to make Benin a great sporting nation.», We can read in the press release published by the Beninese authorities. Individual exploits like that of Akim Alokpri, semi-finalist and 18th out of 62 in the 100m, beating his personal best, or Godness Ayi, 18th out of 48 in the 200m, illustrate the dazzling progress made by school sport in this country. West Africa.
The other disappointing rankings are those of Cameroon, Mali and South Africa, all ranked tied for 43rd in the world, having won no medals. It must be said that the list of 43rd world ties includes around ten African countries including the Comoros, Libya, Mali, Togo and Sierra Leone. For all these countries, in particular Cameroon, Mali and South Africa, this can be considered as a poor performance given the sporting potential of these nations.
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Finally, if the places of Morocco, Algeria and Nigeria in the African top 3 were expected, the gap between the first two and the other nations of the continent, in terms of number of medals won, is striking, to not not to say abysmal.
In total, 16 African countries participated in this 11th edition of the Gymnasiades, confirming the continent’s enthusiasm for this type of multi-sport competition dedicated to young athletes. The African Top 5 reflects an unbalanced geographical distribution to the advantage of North Africa, with 3 countries from the North zone (Morocco, Algeria, Egypt), 1 country from the West zone (Nigeria), 1 country from the East (Uganda).
High-level performances in several disciplines
If African athletes have particularly distinguished themselves in combat sports such as judo, karate or taekwondo, they have also shone in disciplines such as athletics, 3×3 basketball, beach volleyball and even tennis.
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The performances of the Moroccans in judo and karate, the Algerians in karate, and the Beninese in 3×3 basketball and athletics, symbolize this African versatility during these Games.
Thanks to these results, the African Top 5 (Morocco, Algeria, Nigeria, Uganda, Egypt) are included in the World Top 40 of these 2024 Gymnasiades, with Morocco even managing to climb into the Top 10. A remarkable performance which demonstrates the capacity of these nations to train very high-level young athletes.
Multiple factors behind African success
Several key factors explain African success: the growing investment of States in the development of school and university sport, the progressive structuring of national federations, the establishment of programs to detect young talents, or even the involvement of managers increasingly qualified technicians.
As the Beninese ministry points out, “a bonus to the Director General of the Beninese Office of School and University Sports for his leadership” rewards these profitable efforts.
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Even if the African Top 5 monopolize the top of the ranking based on the number of gold medals won, other nations stand out in certain specific disciplines, like Uganda, very successful in athletics and tennis. .
This diversity of sporting specialties within the continent suggests great prospects for the next editions of the Gymnasiades.
A springboard for school and university sport
Beyond purely sporting results, the Gymnasiades constitute a formidable springboard for the promotion of school and university sport in Africa.
The repercussions in terms of image, financing or even popular interest for these disciplines will not fail to have a very positive impact on the development of sports practice among young people in the African Top 10 countries.
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Nevertheless, areas for improvement exist to enable the African continent to continue to progress. The strengthening of training structures, the increase in dedicated budgets and the establishment of scholarship programs for young athletes appear to be priority projects.
The participation of 71 countries spread across 5 continents demonstrates the universality of these Games and their capital importance for the promotion of sport among young people around the world. Africa, which has benefited from this global showcase, must now capitalize on this positive dynamic.
The African Top 10 at the end of the 11th edition of the Gymnasiades:
| Pays | Rank in Africa | World Rank | Total number of medals won | Number of gold medals won |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morocco | 1er | 10th | 44 | 16 |
| Algeria | 2nd | 12th | 50 | 14 |
| Nigeria | 3rd | 29th | 3 | 1 |
| Uganda | 4th | 35th | 3 | 0 |
| Egypt | 5th | 38th | 3 | 0 |
| Ivory Coast | 6th | 39 hours | 2 | 0 |
| Benign | 7th out of a tie | 43rd out of a tie | 0 | 0 |
| Cameroon | 7th out of a tie | 43rd out of a tie | 0 | 0 |
| Comoros | 7th out of a tie | 43rd out of a tie | 0 | 0 |
| Libya | 7th out of a tie | 43rd out of a tie | 0 | 0 |
Source : International School Sports Federation (ISF)
