The report on the pilot phase of the project was presented to the minister in a ceremony in Yaounde on May 6.

The Ministry of Sports and Physical Education has launched an ambitious project aimed at detecting and training sports talents in the country. The project to span 12 years will comprise three phases.

The first phase will last four years, the second eight years and the third, 12 years. The first phase will be opened to children aged between 13 and 14 while the second phase will concern children aged between 10 and 12 and third phase considered the longest, will be for children aged six and above.

Ten sports disciplines have been retained for this pilot phase of the project namely; athletics, basketball, boxing, football, judo, weightlifting, handball, wrestling, table tennis and volleyball. If successful, the programme will be progressively extended to all the other sports disciplines.

Speaking during the ceremony to present the feasibility report at the Yaounde sports complex yesterday, the Minister of Sports and Physical Education said the launching of the projects, depicts the significance the government gives to the detection and training of sports talents in the country.

He said the objective was to make Cameroon a reference and leader in matters of sports performance on the continent. A committee was put in place charged with conceiving the teaching manuals, train staff and provide the equipment necessary for the implementation of the programme.

The overall objective is to improve on the high level performances of athletes from the major sports disciplines through a better structuring of the processes of detecting and training of sports talents.

Presenting the project, N’Hanack Tonye who worked with the firm that wrote the report; said the programme will be implemented in collaboration with the different sports federations as well as the national Olympic and sports committee.

To give the event the importance it deserves, the ceremony was attended by three government ministers including the Minister of Employment and Professional Training, Zacharie Perevet and the Minister of Basic Education, Ajidja Youssouf Alim. Also present was the governor of the Centre Region, Joseph Wilson Otto and Cameroon’s Roving Ambassador, Roger Milla.