Dakar, Dec 8 (APS) – The National Association of the Sports Press of Senegal (ANPS) organized, Saturday, a gala evening to celebrate “the excellence and performances” of the best Senegalese athletes and reward the “ leadership” of sports authorities having significantly contributed to the influence of the country’s sport at the national and international level.
Trophies were awarded to the best athletes of the last two sporting seasons (2022-2023-2023-2024). Prizes were awarded in five categories.
This is the Abdourahmane Ndiaye Falang Prize to reward the best wrestlers (without striking and with striking). Modou Faye aka Computer from the Tay Shinger stable (2022-2023) and Mouhamed Bayo known as General Malika (2023-2024) are the winners in the non-strike wrestling category.
Zarco from the Grand Yoff Mbollo stable (2022-2023) and Modou Lô from Rock Energy (2023-2024) are the winners of the wrestling with striking category.
The Ibrahima Coulibaly Prize for the best local footballer went to Lamine Camara (2022-2023), during his time at Génération foot (Senegal) and Cheikh Lo Ndoye de Jaraaf (2023-2024).
The Jules François Bocandé Prize to recognize the best footballer playing abroad is won by Boulaye Dia (2022-2023, Salernitana, Italy) and Nicolas Jackson of Chelsea (2023-2024). Judoka Mbagnick Ndiaye won the Amadou Dia Bâ Prize for the title of best Senegalese athlete (2022-2023) and sprinter Louis François Mendy (2023-2024).
”We are here to celebrate the excellence, the XXL performances of our athletes. The particularity of this 18e edition is that it combines two sports seasons. The other particular thing is that certain trophies are dedicated to authorities to reward their leadership,” argued the president of the ANPS, Abdoulaye Thiam.
He cited the president of the Senegalese National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSS), Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye, the president of the African Basketball League, Amadou Gallo Fall, the president of Afrique Aquatics (formerly named African Amateur Swimming Confederation), Mohamed Diop, the president of the Senegalese Football Federation, Augustin Senghor, among others.
According to Mr. Thiam, also president of the International Sports Press Association, Africa zone, ”sport is a real means of social cohesion. It transmits many values and some social rules.
It is also, he continued, a set of exercises, most often physical, practiced in the form of an individual or collective game which can give rise to competitions.
The journalist Abdoulaye Thiam especially recalled that ”athletes need the media, especially the sports press to relay their performances and push them to transcend themselves”. Because, he added, ”it is good practice for the sports press to make it visible, hence the aim of this gala”.
SK/AB/ASB
