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14.02.2002
CAMEROON EXPLODED WITH JOY ON SUNDAY NIGHT
Half the city of Yaounde was out on the streets chanting songs of jubilation and patriotism. That scenario was all too familiar. Last Sunday’s victory was the latest in a long history of football triumph for Cameroon.
Cameroon are four times winners of the nations’ cup; winners of the 2000 Olympic football gold medal, and for the fifth time next June Cameroon will be participating in the world cup.
By all reckoning Cameroon has done remarkably well in football. But the question that comes to mind each time is what the government does with these repeated victories, or what it takes out of them?
This question comes easily to mind seeing the many problems of Cameroon’s development. Isn’t it tempting to imagine that these repeated football victories should in fact point to a new direction in public policies?
Is it enough merely to savour these often hard-earned victories over other nations just like a gourmet indulges his appetite with no other purpose in view than the pleasure he derives? This, sadly enough, is what seems to be the case.
Apart from the spontaneous feeling of triumph and national pride that seizes Cameroonians with each of these victories we are convinced that the enormous football power generated by this country is not harnessed to lift the country and give it a mighty boost in its development.
We take tourism. This is well-known to be the number one employer world-wide.Surprisingly very little of this flows to Cameroon in spite of the inestimable promotional value that its successful football constitutes.
In 1990, people around the world, marvelled at the brave performance of the Lions at the world cup, and eager to visit Cameroon, but were somehow unable to come. That remains the situation to this day with each successive victory.
Cameroonian authorities are traditionally suspicious of visitors other than those officially invited by the government. Restrictive visa practices, police harassment of private visitors, doubtful touristic infrastructure and expensive air fares combine to deny Cameroon a share of this massive world-wide industry.
Even with praise-worthy examples to learn from like Senegal, north and east African countries, and South Africa that have overcome these obstacles, Cameroon still sticks to its conservative policies.
In so doing public authorities deliberately reject some of the real long term benefits of football. How unwise! The reason of public security which is often given is sheer nonsense because Cameroon is by no means more secure than most other African countries that open their doors to tourists.
Paul Biya admits that the problem of unemployment is still intractable. He has launched a laudable campaign to encourage self-employment among youths, but that is far too insufficient to resolve the massive unemployment problem.
Such a problem would require a multi-pronged attack. Tourism offers such an inexhaustible potential for employment that no one aware of this would easily want to ignore it. To tap it would require a bold and radical sweeping aside
of the existing self-imposed restrictions. Other have done it. The risk is little; the gain is inestimable. Football has done the promotion even better than government’s official structures.
Another important way in which the potential of today’s football victories can be tapped for the lasting development of Cameroon is the development and spread of sports infrastructure across the country.
Happily Paul Biya has accepted this, going by his Youth Day address this week. He promised to develop a modern sports complex with the help of friendly countries.
On this important point we urge the government to conceive wider and bolder. Every provincial headquarters deserves a standard sports complex including an olympic size football stadium. All other towns also deserve standard facilities. The more of them everywhere the better.These facilities encourage the development and identification of talent, and there is plenty of it in Cameroon. What is more, much of the financing for
this will easily come from external sources.
Mali a much poorer country with far less football talent put up five stadiums in one fell swoop. Can’t Cameroon do better; much better?
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| Hits: 1 | Source:The Herald | |
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