IX Games of La Francophonie, here we are! Well-paved roads, refurbished infrastructure for some and newly built for others, Kinshasa, a century-old city, has offered itself a youthful dress as it is rarely used to for the Francophone youth festival. In Kin, everything breathes Francophonie and this, until August 6th.
Never had the omnisport stadium of the martyrs justified its epithet so much. The complex that covers the intersection of boulevard Triomphal and avenue de la Démocratie (ex-Huileries) is the main site of the events of the 9th Francophonie Games. It is here that the opening ceremony will be held this Friday, July 28 at 3 p.m.
@ Francophonie Youth
For the event, the imposing “gaping pot” that houses the football field is no longer an orphan. Alongside it, several other buildings have come out of the ground. Two twin gymnasiums and a covered stadium for the practice of indoor sports. “For the first time, we are going to play on the parquet floor in Kinshasa,” rejoices a basketball player who attends exhibition matches as I pass. On the same site, an old building dedicated to the Police has also been refurbished and serves as offices for various services.
A few kilometers away, the mythical Stade Tata Raphaël has also undergone a makeover. The lair, almost as old as the city, saw, in its eras of glory, the fight of the century or even a match of the great “King Pelé”. Abandoned for almost 10 years, Tata Raphaël has been transformed. Here, the football pitch has been rehabilitated and several other buildings have sprouted, including a large multipurpose hall with 3,000 seats and gymnasiums.
In the fever of the Games!
At 24 hours from the opening ceremony, the final adjustments are made with a kick of the accelerator. Some sites are not completely ready but can accommodate competitors, who come from nearly 40 countries in the French-speaking world, divided into 11 sports disciplines and 9 cultural events.
On the streets of Kinshasa, the “Francophonie” mode has been activated. The Kinshasa people are impatient to live for the first time in their city an event of such magnitude. At the People’s Palace, another site chosen for this “decade of Francophonie”, a crazy world came to collect access bracelets to the opening ceremony, offered free of charge. “We no longer know if such an event will come back here. I have to attend to have a story to tell, ”explains a man, in his thirties, who has been there for 11 hours. “I’ve been waiting for my turn for 3 hours, I won’t go home without my bracelet”.
Victory Square @ Nadia Ntumba
La Francophonie is also the sweeping sweep observed in a city that is struggling to be healthy. On Avenue de l’Université, the road that connects the UNIKIN (where the Olympic Village is located) to the competition sites, the potholes still visible last weekend have mysteriously disappeared. On the other main arteries, the flags of political parties have given way to the banners of La Francophonie and its member states, while the population promises a warm welcome to its guests.
At Place Victoire, a strange scene took place on Thursday afternoon when sellers and transporters decided to use only French, whereas at this place, Lingala is master. The stage is thus set for memorable Games. To the delegations, a single sentence: “Mbote! Oyo eza masano na biso! as if to say: “these are our Games”. Welcome to Kin, the first and best city in La Francophonie.