AdminShortly after his appointment as President of the Comoros Organizing Committee for the 2027 Indian Ocean Island Games (IOIG), Mohamed Issimaila spoke candidly about the challenges his country faces as a host nation.
“There is the time factor and there are many things to do,” said the former Minister of Youth and Sports.
“What we need to do now is bring all the teams together and set the objectives. And then you have the sports organization itself.”
The IOIG will be held in the Comoros for the first time in the 45-year history of a gala, which was created to improve regional cooperation through sport.
More than 2,000 athletes from seven countries competed in 17 disciplines at the IOIG 2023 in Madagascar.
After 10 days of competition, the hosts topped the medal table with 121 gold medals in their run of 272 awards.
It was a fitting reward for Madagascar, which stepped in after the Maldives withdrew from hosting the event.
The Comoros, who finished much lower on the medal table, were awarded hosting rights on August 31, 2023, a few days before the end of the Games.
Fifteen months later, President Azali Assoumani installed Issimaila as the man responsible for the preparation, coordination and supervision of the meeting.
It is understood that Chinese contractors will be brought in to build a 50-metre long pool for the 40 planned events at the pool. Accommodation for athletes and tourists will also be high on the agenda.
“We need more actions than words,” warned Assoumani, who won a fourth term as president last January. “We have no right to make mistakes.”
Read more about RFI English
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