Mustapha Berraf enters the final stretch of the race for the presidency of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) with an agenda gaining visibility beyond Africa. Closer ties with the Asian Olympic Movement and expressions of support from the Caribbean are strengthening the international dimension of his candidacy. With less than three months until December’s election in Hong Kong, the African official is seeking to turn those relationships into backing to lead an organisation bringing together 206 National Olympic Committees.
His candidacy rests on an established African support base. ANOCA, the continental association he chairs, has already expressed its unanimous backing for his bid to lead ANOC. The next step is to broaden that support and demonstrate his ability to address the needs of committees with very different resources and circumstances.
Closer ties between Africa and Asia
The Nagoya gathering brought visibility to that work in international relations. On 19 September, Berraf attended a meeting bringing together the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), National Olympic Committees and ANOCA, where he was welcomed by the Asian body’s President, Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani. The African official described the gathering as a “historic moment” and expressed his pride in the relationship between the two continents.
The first activity under this cooperation has already been announced: an Afro-Asian cultural programme to be held in Doha on 26 January 2027. The initiative will take place annually and explore different themes, with the aim of extending cooperation across sport, culture and education. For Berraf, this agenda offers an opportunity to demonstrate the results of his work at the helm of ANOCA during the election campaign.
Coventry and the gathering’s institutional significance
The arrival of Kirsty Coventry gave the meeting greater institutional significance. The International Olympic Committee President expressed her interest in seeing how cooperation between Africa and Asia takes shape. Her participation places this relationship on the Olympic Movement’s agenda, although the remarks reported by the OCA concern continental cooperation and do not constitute an electoral endorsement of Berraf.
Alongside this presence in Asia, the information released about his candidacy points to expressions of support from the Caribbean and contacts with officials from other regions. This international progress will be relevant in assessing his prospects in Hong Kong, although the electoral significance of that support will depend on the commitments secured before the vote.
The presidential election will take place during the ANOC General Assembly on 7 and 8 December. Berraf faces the coming months with the challenge of translating his African experience into a proposal for all five continents. His ability to bring them together will be one of the central tests of his candidacy.
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