Pape Serigne Diène, National Technical Director (Dtn), for his part, expressed major concerns regarding the lack of resources from which athletes suffer. According to him, this situation hampers Senegal’s ability to produce a competitive elite on the international scene. The Dtn indicates that athletes often have to manage to obtain their equipment, such as competition shoes, which represents a challenge for those from less well-off clubs. He calls for increased state support to enable athletes to realize their potential and improve the country’s performance in international competitions.
“Senegalese athletes, most of them pupils and students without resources, often find themselves without the financial means to meet their needs and practice athletics in peaceful conditions. Coming mainly from disadvantaged backgrounds, these young talents face significant challenges, both on a personal and sporting level. In addition, clubs lack resources and struggle to offer them effective support. And, neither the State nor the Federation have put in place a structured policy to support athletes in general, and athletes in particular. “This absence of a support strategy is aggravated by the lack of regular competitions, in particular athletics meetings which could allow athletes to progress and live with dignity from their discipline,” notes Diène.
As for Fatou Diabaye, the regional technical director (Dtr) of Dakar, she also calls for a review of the bonuses and allowances paid to athletes to better reward their performances and their commitment. Sports infrastructures dedicated to athletics, often insufficient or poorly maintained, limit the training possibilities of practitioners. For Diack Thiaw, national coach, the lack of infrastructure is notorious in Dakar. “As the Iba Mar Diop and Léopold Sédar Senghor stadiums are being renovated, there is no training space at all for the clubs, the Dakar league, or the federation. We are in the process of occupying spaces so that we can at least train the athletes,” he laments.
For the regional technical director (Dtr) of Dakar, Fatou Diabaye, the opening, as soon as possible, of the Léopold Sédar Senghor stadium, has become an emergency to save the season. “We have the Olympic Games and the senior world championships in our sights, competitions which cannot be prepared in one year,” she recalls. In order to overcome these various problems, several solutions have been proposed. It is crucial, according to Dtn Pape Serigne Diène, to create a national support fund and to grant sports scholarships. Clubs must benefit from subsidies for their strengthening. The development of competitions, in particular through the organization of national meetings and the facilitation of international participation, are also desired. Social and educational support, including academic scholarships, is necessary. Finally, a national sports policy with tax incentives for companies must be put in place to support these initiatives.
The bounties of discord
At the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico, Amadou Gakou achieved a feat that allowed him to become a legend forever. With a time of 45s 01, he set a record (that of Senegal) in the 400m, in the final, at the Olympic University Stadium in Mexico. Ambassador of Senegal at this Olympic event, the sprinter only received 100,000 FCFA, or 25,000 FCFA for each of the four races he completed. Since then, a lot of water has flowed under the bridge and the situation has remained as it is. The bonuses awarded continue to sow discord and athletes continue to express their bitterness. African champion in the 110m hurdles last June, in Douala, Cameroon, Louis François Mendy did not hide his frustration after receiving the bonus to reward his performance. He had kicked the anthill. “Be an African champion to win a bonus of 50,000 FCFA from the Ministry of Sports; another sum of 30,000 FCfa added to the latter by the president of the Federation, it is better to go play football, because Sadio Mané or Gana Guèye would never have accepted this sum… It is time for this to stop,” he wrote on his Instagram account.
-A rant which created a controversy that went viral and which pushed the Ministry of Sports to react and promise to rectify the situation. For Louis François, bonuses remain a complex subject and the main thing for him is to remain focused on his performance and his objectives. “My energy is mostly focused on what I can control: my training, my preparation, and the impact I want to leave. That said, I have confidence in the efforts of those who work to promote our discipline and its athletes.” 2024 African triple jump champion last June in Douala, Saly Sarr does not hide her skepticism. “We don’t appreciate the bonuses we get paid. It is even a lack of respect to give an athlete who wins a medal at the world championships a bonus of 80,000 FCFA. It doesn’t even cover his travel expenses and he can’t even buy training shoes.”
For the jumper, Senegal must support its athletes more by rewarding them at their fair value. “The talent is there and young people want to prove it, but we don’t give them the opportunity,” she complains. Although he appreciates the bonuses coming from the Ministry of Sports as recognition of their efforts, Frédéric Mendy nevertheless maintains that “these cannot even support an athlete over a season”.
In the opinion of the 400m flat specialist, “the Senegalese Athletics Federation, beyond its unifying role, should also try to offer financial scholarships to encourage high-performance and high-level athletes and help them to get sponsors.” Athletes who express high expectations regarding bonuses, especially when they invest years of effort to reach the elite, condemn the discrimination and the enormous gap with other disciplines such as football, basketball. They appreciate the government’s efforts to increase these amounts, but also emphasize that this must be accompanied by regularity in payments. Bonuses should not only reward performance, but also support their continued development in the sport.
Sponsorship, a major challenge
The absence of sponsors is a major challenge for track and field athletes, especially those who are not yet established. Companies are often more attracted to sports with high media visibility such as football, basketball or wrestling. This limits opportunities for lesser-known athletes who often have to juggle full-time employment and training. Today, the question of sponsors remains a challenge for athletes. In the opinion of Louis François Mendy, it requires a lot of work, patience and communication for partners to understand the impact of our discipline. “Despite everything, I am grateful for the support I receive, whether institutional or private. Every help counts to continue to aim for excellence,” says the African 110m hurdles champion. Saly Sarr agrees. “Obtaining sponsors is a real challenge, which often makes it difficult to prepare athletes for international competitions. The lack of financial support limits opportunities for athletes who cannot fully concentrate on their training and performances,” says Saly Sarr. The current situation requires, according to her, “a collective awareness in order to improve the working conditions of athletes and to encourage further investment in sport in Senegal. For me, the absence of sponsors in Senegalese athletics is due to the lack of visibility, of international competition, because the Senegalese athlete is rarely present in major international events.
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