Basketball, Floorball: Sports minister hails athletes for continental feats.

The event saw a mass gathering of parents and guidance of the athletes, top officials from the sports ministry, as well as officials from the sports federations concerned. 

The event celebrated the men and women U16 basketball teams and the national floorball selections, whose remarkable achievements brought home medals and continental titles. 

At the Under16 African Basketball Championships, the U16 Afrobasket, staged in Kigali, Rwanda, from September 8 to 14, Cameroon’s girls claimed bronze, while the boys reached the final for the first time in history, settling for silver after falling 62-49 to Côte d’Ivoire. 

“These young athletes have raised our flag high and written a new page in our sporting history,” the minister said.

The floorball squads were also in the spotlight following their sterling campaign at the African Floorball Championship in Abidjan last month. 

The women’s team emerged as champions of Africa, while their male counterparts finished runners-up.

Their triumph, officials noted, reflects the rapid rise of the little-known sport in Cameroon, where discipline, teamwork, and tactical awareness are already setting the pace across the continent.

Amid cheers from parents, coaches, and sports officials, the decorated athletes received awards and certificates of recognition. Some shared their emotions, with one U16 player remarking: “This medal is not just ours; it belongs to all Cameroonians who believe in us.”

The minister assured the gathering of the government’s continued support through expanded training programs, investment in sports infrastructure, and sustained preparation for upcoming international competitions, including junior world championships. 

“This is only the beginning,” Prof Mouelle Kombi stressed. “We must nurture these talents so they can become tomorrow’s global champions,” the official noted further. 

This latest celebration comes just days after cyclist Henri Alexandre Mayer’s triumph at the Chantal Biya International Cycling Tour, a feat that the minister described as a stellar sporting year for Cameroon. 

With the men’s volleyball team also battling for honours at the African Nations Championship in Cairo in Egypt, the minister expressed confidence that the nation’s sporting excellence will continue to shine.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3568 of Thursday September 18, 2025