During the plenary session of the budget of the Ministry of Air Transport and Airport Infrastructure Development, MPGuy Marius Sagna was quick to challenge Minister DoudouKâ, a politician who is also from the Casamance region, for having financially supported the Casa Sports football team during his tenure as Director General of AIBD.« It is not because you were appointed Director General of Aibd that you have the right to offer 50 million to Casa Sport.This is not normal.Every time you are appointed Minister or Director General, you divert taxpayers’ money to win over political bases.This must stop.You do not build a nation with this, but you destroy it, » said the « activist » deputy at the podium.Indicting a quest for a political base by a Southern politician in a popular sport, this tirade shows a lot of unpreparedness and the danger of wanting, head down like a mad bull, to hit everything that moves.If you see red in everything, you end up making a fool of yourself.Senegal would surely have liked to see all the leaders in high managerial positions support the sports clubs, schools, and cultural associations of their native land!Finding a way to return the favour is also a part of inclusion and implementation of equity in a country with glaring gaps between the Poles and the hinterland.I had the opportunity to participate in exchanges of the president of Casa Sports SeydouSané, with the editorial staff of the newspaper Le Quotidien.This occurred a few days after the flag club of the South achieved a historic double Cup and Championship of Senegal at the end of the season 2021.This sports manager, in a methodical way, had presented the keys to the success of a club he took over in 2014, with a clear vision of his role and a precise strategic plan.He built themanagement of a Senegalese club with an inclusive dynamic made of solidarity between the administrative team and supporters, a professionalising strategy with a financial responsibility to move from an amateur management to that of a real sports company with its logistical autonomy, a sports model made of investing in small categories with a full involvement of a local expertise with coaches and trainers of the area having proved themselves.He did not hesitate, like any businessman, to go and mobilise resources, because Casa Sports is running at an average of 250 million CFA francs per year and he would not deprive his club of a financial support of 75 million CFA francs (Deputy Sagna will have to review his figures upwards).This is even more justified as a spirit of professionalisation of football leagues in Senegal should encourage clubs to seek the most sponsors.What could be more normal than a company like AibdSa which operates airports in the southern regions, accompany a pennant club in one of their areas of activity?Such an act, even in the logic of positive discrimination, if it were the case, should be welcomed and encouraged.Will Sococim be reproached for sponsoring TeunguethFc of Rufisque or NsiaBanque for accompanying As Jaraaf?Are we going to prohibit the Defence and Security Forces from having their own clubs or public companies from owning sports teams in different disciplines?You don’t have to look far in this country to see examples of sponsorship of sports clubs by public companies.The Port of Dakar supported Us Gorée in addition to owning its club, US Rail was supported by the National Railway Company, AscTaïba was under the control of Phosphates de Taïba.That should tell you everything there is to know!The attitude to look for the slightest fault everywhere or to feed divisive narratives will be the undoing of this country, because it has come to the point where many do not lower their blinders and make their apprehensions of the facts into a « reality » far from anything that is true.The deputy Sagna, with a faithful supporter’s card of Casa Sports is a regular at the games, and keeps up with the activities of this beautiful club which ended up being a display of sport as a promoter of development in the region, would surely have had another reading of the partnership between Casa Sports and AibdSAand would surely not see any discriminatory logic.President Sané told the newspaper Le Quotidien about a mega project of his club with a Finnish partner to build in Ziguinchor a multifunctional training complex employing nearly 100 people with an enclosure for basketball, handball and volleyball that can accommodate 500 people, in addition to a soccer field to standards.All this with hotel facilities to welcome visitors to the southern area and to further capitalise on the tourist potential of the entire region through sports.Casa Sports is a club that, under the leadership of its current manager, has nothing to envy to the greatest of the continent.The organisation is there, the resources will come gradually and it will certainly be the reference model for the professionalisation of our local soccer.SeydouSané is needed in all the associations of this country.By Serigne Saliou DIAGNE / saliou.diagne@lequotidien.sn

  • Translation by Dema SANE