Abdoun Nassir

Abdoun Nassir is a Manager of Sports Organizations. He works for the Cameroon National Olympic and Sports Committee. Among his missions and activities, he was the “Chef de Mission” for Cameroon at the 1st edition of the World Beach Games organized in Doha (Qatar) in 2019. He also took part in the “Tokyo 2020” Olympic Games as proxy Chef de Mission. In the Academic field, he graduated from the University of Tsukuba (Japan) in Sports and Olympic studies as well as from the University of Ngaoundéré (Cameroon) in Political History and Political Science where he is currently enrolled in a PhD Program in Political Science.  He has publications on football and the Olympic movement in Cameroon.

ABSTRACT:

“Context Analysis and Prospects of Olympic Education in Cameroon”

ABDOUN NASSIR, Ngaoundéré University (doctoral candidate)

Across the history of Olympic Games, the significance of sport has been emphasized with its educational feature linking body and mind to achieve a better quality of life. In this perspective, Olympic education, as provided by the Olympic Charter, is one of the key objectives of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) which focuses on the promotion of Olympic values. Many researchers had narrowly focused on former Olympic Games hosting countries, little has been done in the developing countries especially in Asia and Africa. This research aims to understand current Olympic education practices addressing to youth in the Cameroon National Olympic Academy (CNOA). To reach this goal, different methods were designed including secondary data collection and analysis of available education materials, field observation, semi-structured and structured interviews targeting relevant stakeholders in Cameroon and more specifically young athletes. Results show that Olympic education programs operated by the CNOA occurred mostly during the National Schools Games, with educational materials produced by the IOC and/or CNOA. Yet, very little has been done in schools especially inside the school curriculums. In such a condition, most of the young Cameroonian athletes (31 out of 49) explain the values of Olympism in their own way, outside the framework of official designed Olympic values. According to CNOA staff (n= 3) and volunteers (n= 6), limitations of the current Olympic education programs include the lack of assessment, appropriate materials that fit local needs and financial support.