Biya in Paris for Olympics opening tomorrow.

The Head of State and the First Lady, Mrs Chantal Biya, took off from the Yaounde Nsimalen International Airport, yesterday afternoon. 

The presidential couple left the country on the double invitations of the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, and the President of the International Olympics Committee, Thomas Bach. 

Biya and wife are accompanied to Paris by an official delegation, comprising Minister of External Relations, Mbella Mbella; the Minister, Director of the Civil Cabinet of the Presidency of the Republic, Samuel Mvondo Ayolo; the Minister, Deputy Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic, Elung Paul Che.

Also in the delegation are the Minister of Youth Affairs and Civic Education, Mounouna Foutsou; the Minister of Sports and Physical Education, Prof Narcisse Mouelle Kombi; the Special Adviser to the President of the Republic, Rear Admiral Fouda Joseph; the Ambassador of Cameroon to France; Andre Magnus Ekoumou and the Chief of State Protocol, Simon Pierre Bikele. 

Before jetting off for the French capital, President Paul Biya had a brief chat with his close collaborators at the airport. 

He spoke briefly with the Prime Minister, Head of Government, Chief Dr Joseph Dion Ngute and the Minister, Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, during which he dished out instructions.

The official opening of the 2024 Paris Olympics is billed for Friday July 26. President Biya’s response to the double invitations to witness the opening of the Paris Olympics have been described and rightly so, as diplomatic reciprocity.

 The Olympics Committee, it should be recalled, has contributed enormously in writing some of the most beautiful pages in the history of Cameroon's Olympics, since 1964, with the performances of its athletes.   

Biya’s presence and participation at the opening ceremony, watchers of global sports say, is a perfect way of giving back to the Olympics Committee what it has given to Cameroon. 

Biya’s presence at the event also adds value to the Olympic values he holds close to his heart, such as peace, living together, the celebration of efforts and talents, dialogue and the spirit of sharing. 

The global event is also an opportunity for the Head of State to further share notes with his counterparts from other parts of the world in furthering Cameroon’s interest in the world of sports. 

Cameroon, it should be noted, is represented at the Olympics by only six athletes who will be participating in four disciplines, including swimming, table tennis, track and field and Judokate.

The athletes carrying the nation’s flag in Paris include sprinter, Emmanuel Esseme Alobwede; Linda Angounou to compete in women’s 400m hurdles, table tennis star, Sarah Hanffou, Judokate, Richelle Soppi and two swimmers, Giorgio Nguiche and Manuella Nguelo’o.

This story was first published in The Guardian Post issue N0:3179 of Thursday July 25, 2024