Mustapha Berraf, president of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), and Gao Zhidan, China’s minister of sports and president of the Chinese Olympic Committee, agreed in Algiers to strengthen African athletes’ preparations for Los Angeles 2028, support young talent through to Brisbane 2032 and expand coach education. The commitments form part of the renewal of the cooperation memorandum signed in Hangzhou in September 2023 and are intended to benefit the National Olympic Committees of all 54 African countries. “No talent should have its future limited by a lack of resources. Our responsibility is to translate international cooperation into tangible opportunities for our athletes and young people,” Berraf said.
The youth development programme will build on the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. Following the competition, African medallists and promising young athletes will be identified for sustained support, with Brisbane 2032 as their goal. Working alongside their coaches, the programme will provide regular monitoring and preparation tailored to each discipline, drawing on China’s training methods, expertise and sporting infrastructure.
Preparing for Los Angeles and developing coaches
A separate programme will support African athletes who qualify for Los Angeles 2028. Specialised training camps will give them access to high-level facilities, equipment and technical expertise in China, complementing the work undertaken within their national teams. The aim is to strengthen their preparations and provide resources that help them fulfil their potential at the Olympic Games.
Continuing professional development for coaches and technical personnel will be another pillar of the partnership. Specialised sessions and practical exchanges at Chinese sporting institutions will focus particularly on gymnastics, table tennis, athletics, football and swimming. Participants will then share their knowledge with national federations and other African sports organisations. For Berraf, the partnership’s success should be measured both by athletes’ performances and by the lasting development of expertise across the continent.
Sporting and technological cooperation
The visit, made at Berraf’s invitation, falls within the 2026 China–Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges, launched on 8 January at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa. “We will join forces to open a new chapter in sporting and technological cooperation between China and Africa, in the service of young people and the talents of tomorrow,” Gao said. He was accompanied by China’s ambassador to Algeria, Dong Guangli, and ministry directors-general Wu Jian, Xu Xianghong and Chang Yu, responsible respectively for international communication, the General Office and policy. The delegation was also received at the highest levels of Algeria’s institutions.
Discussions included a potential partnership around PADIC, the pan-African programme for digital infrastructure, data governance and cybersecurity capacity building conceived and led by ANOCA, which retains ownership. The initiative uses the network of 54 African National Olympic Committees as a platform for implementation across the continent. Its ambitions also encompass training, innovation and artificial intelligence, with the aim of benefiting young people, institutions and African economies.
Africa’s network and wider Olympic ambitions
Professor Thomas Grechenig, founder of RISE, ANOCA’s technology partner with operations in Austria and Germany, presented PADIC to the Chinese delegation. His presentation opened discussions on possible cooperation in delivering the programme. The technological partnership remains under discussion. Berraf, an International Olympic Committee (IOC) member and vice-president of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), stayed in Algiers to conclude the talks and, according to the press release, was due to travel to Dakar on 5 November. His stay in the Algerian capital prevented him from attending the Youth Olympic Games’ opening ceremony.
As a candidate for the ANOC presidency, Berraf intends to extend this cooperation to all 206 National Olympic Committees, strengthening their capabilities and access to sporting expertise and new technologies. “My career as an athlete laid the foundation for the path I have followed and shaped the experience I now place at the service of athletes and the Olympic family,” he said. “Every athlete must be able to pursue the highest ambitions, regardless of their country or the resources available to them. I want our Olympic family to give every talent the conditions they need to succeed. This is the commitment I bring to the service of all 206 National Olympic Committees.”
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