Luanda - Angolan President João Lourenço has been awarded the "Medal of Merit" by the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ACNOA) for his commitment to the promotion and development of sports in the country for the period 2020-2024.
The announcement of the award was made on Wednesday by the President of ACNOA, Mustapha Berraf, following a review of his contribution to the successful hosting of numerous international competitions in recent times.
Speaking at the headquarters of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, after signing a memorandum that will allow Angola to organize the 4th African Youth Games in December 2025, the head of the ACNOA explained that his group welcomes the national authorities in the development of different sports in the country.
The president of the Angolan Olympic Committee (COA), Gustavo da Conceição, said that the awarding of this prestigious prize to the President of the Republic was the result of a survey conducted during the ACNOA meeting at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in France.
However, the investment in the rehabilitation of infrastructures and the organization of international competitions led the ACNOA, in addition to the award for the organization of this youth event, to recognize the Angolan leader with a high recognition award, which will be presented shortly.
This is the first time that an Angolan president has received this award from the ACNOA, which was founded on June 28, 1981 and is based in Abuja, Nigeria.
Angola, which finished 21st in 2018 with three silver and four bronze medals, will be the third country to host the African Youth Games. This is the fourth edition of the event, following the 2010 (Rabat, Morocco), 2014 (Gaberone, Botswana) and 2018 (Algiers, Algeria) editions.
This edition, to be held in the country, will be a qualifying event for the Youth Olympic Games to be held in Dakar, Senegal, in 2026. JAD/VAB/AMP
