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The 9th Games of La Francophonie officially started this Friday in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. While Canada is present there, certain aspects of this participation raise questions.
For their ninth edition, the first post-COVID-19, the Games of La Francophonie are taking place in the largest French-speaking city in the world, Kinshasa and its 18 million inhabitants, until August 6.
As indicated by the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) on the website dedicated to the competition, this international competition which combines a cultural component and a sporting component highlights “self-transcendence, performance, excellence of French-speaking youth from the five continents”.
The French language and the French-speaking character of the athletes are logically at the center of these Games. This is reflected in the goals of the competition set out on the website, in particular that of contributing to the next generation of French-speaking athletes.
Despite the bilingualism or even the trilingualism of the participating countries, it therefore seems logical that the participants in the competitions who represent their respective countries are French-speaking. This is where Canada comes in! Indeed, the workforce reduced to 15 athletes who will participate in the judo and wrestling competitions includes several English-speaking athletes who have a limited or no understanding of the official language of the event centered around French.
“The selection process for artists and athletes is based on excellence, not on language or linguistic affiliation. Artists and athletes do not have to be French-speaking to participate in the Games of La Francophonie, their country or member government only has to be part of the OIF”, specifies Caroline Czajkowski, head of media relations for the Canadian team.
Only one Ontario representative… English-speaking
This deliberate choice of the Canadian team does not therefore go against the rules but has difficulty in making sense, even if it is assumed. English-speaking participants went through the same qualification process as French-speaking participants in their respective disciplines. They are not default choices to replace Francophones who have withdrawn.
The English-speaking wrestler Nyla Burgess is the only Ontario representative of the selection. She obtained her right to participate in the Jeux de la Francophonie last May. “Canada Lutte organized the U23 National Championships which determined who would qualify for the Games of La Francophonie, each in their weight category. As I won the national title, I was selected,” she says.
Ontario wrestler Nyla Burgess, here in 2021 at the Pan American Games in Mexico City. Image credit: United World Wrestling
The participation of English-speaking athletes is not the only inconsistency emanating from the Canadian selection. Usually, Canada is represented by three selections, with Quebec and New Brunswick joining the competition independently. But this year, the Quebec government has decided to withdraw from competition to “protect” its athletes against the risks of insecurity linked in particular to the conflict between Congo and Rwanda.
Quebecers not so absent as that
However, the Canadian selection accounts for more than half of its workforce of participants… from Quebec. Again, this is not against the rules, but the “rescue mission” of Quebec athletes seems to have taken a hit with 11 of them who are still present in Kinshasa.
To reassure everyone, Isidore Kwandja, director of the National Games Committee, during his introductory speech at the opening press conference, emphasized security, which is the organization’s priority.
Nyla Burgess, who arrived on site on Wednesday evening, confirmed to us both the very warm welcome she had received and the emphasis placed on safety.
“They were there as soon as we arrived at the airport to welcome us and take us to the village in safety. They briefly went over a few points with us then we had a long full safety briefing the next morning. They really insisted on following the protocol that they put in place. »
If a few details remained to be settled on Thursday, in particular in terms of ticket sales and how to obtain them, the organizers have done their utmost to have everything ready for D-Day.
And if we wonder about the interest of sending English-speaking athletes to these games, we cannot assume that they will make them want to learn the French language.
“It’s a reminder for me that I have to work on my French. That’s what I intend to do”, concludes Nyla who says she is proud to represent her country in an international competition. From a sporting point of view, his goal is to bring home a medal and use the competition as a preparation for the U23 World Championships which will take place in October.
The Assemblée de la francophonie de l’Ontario declined our interview request, while the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, in a joint response with the Ministry of Francophone Affairs, passed the buck to the Ministry of Canadian Heritage, organizer and coordinator of activities related to the participation and training of athletes and artists representing the Canadian team.
2023-07-28 19:37:00
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