The Minister of Sports and Physical Education, Augustin Edjoa has announced the organisation of a national sports forum for 2007, that will propose solutions to Cameroon ‘s sports troubles.
This was his main statement in the press conference he granted in Pointe Noire Congo on Thursday January 25, following the elimination of the Under-20 national team from the ongoing African Youth Championship.
The minister was shocked by the performance of the team that has lost two of their games, thereby rendering their next game against Nigeria academic.
“We are all disappointed with the showing of the players. We could not recognise them on the field, though we thought we had offered them enough preparations”, the minister said.
“Though I am not a football technician, it was so evident that the management of the team was poor. The players just ran on their own and any how on the field.
“We will know the causes of this poor performance later because that will be one the issues to be discussed in a soon to be organised national forum.
“The forum will not only look into problems of football, but those of Cameroon sports in general”.
Augustin Adjoa acknowledged that there was no government sports policy and this was a big handicap in the management of national teams.
He also blamed Cameroon ‘s poor performance in Congo on the fact that there was no proper youth football league from where the surest talents could be recruited for the national teams.
“Football schools exist only with the sole aim of selling the best talents abroad, not developing them for the general interest”, the minister regretted.
These are all issues the forum will handle, the minister argued. “The evil is so deep rooted that the solutions have to reach the foundation too. We can’t continue to joke with football matters in Cameroon any longer”, he insisted.
“In the weeks ahead we’ll take our responsibility”, he promised.
M. Etonge in Pointe Noire Congo
