At the end of a 2025 season described as a “hinge”, the Ivorian Badminton Federation (FIBad) takes stock of its actions and sets the course for 2026. Between reconstruction, inclusion of para-badminton and Olympic ambitions, President Honoré Zolobé takes stock.
First of all, allow me to thank you for this opportunity to exchange around a discipline that is still little known in our latitudes, and more particularly in Côte d’Ivoire. I also take advantage of this start of the year to send my wishes for health and well-being. Basically, we must recognize that we have come a long way. The Federation made the courageous choice to work simultaneously on three axes: the return to the high level, the strengthening of the base and national structuring. At the high level, Côte d’Ivoire has reconnected with the continental scene through three major tables. In para-badminton, participation in the Egyptian International Open at the start of 2025 allowed our athletes with disabilities to accumulate essential points for their reintegration into the international rankings. Among seniors, the continental competitions held in Ghana in July 2025, qualifying for the Airbadminton World Championship, delivered encouraging results. As for the U15s, their presence at the African Championships opens up real prospects. Basically, the season was marked by the creation of new regional leagues, with the immediate objective of integrating badminton into the activities of Oissu. On a structural level, 2025 also allowed the Federation to benefit from the support of the world badminton body to finalize its 2026-2029 Strategic Development Plan.
You mention the identification of ambassadors to wear the national colors in 2026. How do the National Championships constitute a real tool for detecting the elite?
The organization of National Championships is not an option, but a statutory obligation. The champions from these competitions are, by definition, the legitimate representatives of Ivorian badminton. This mechanism guarantees selection based on sporting merit and helps avoid any form of complacency or unsporting practices. For this selection to be truly effective and not symbolic, it must be part of a dynamic of regular participation in international competitions, with all the requirements that this implies, particularly in terms of financial and logistical resources.
Para-badminton is now fully integrated into national competitions. Is it a choice of conviction or an institutional constraint?
It is both a choice of conviction and an institutional obligation. Badminton is, by nature, an inclusive discipline. The impacts are significant. When it comes to visibility, athletes, once hesitant, are now fully asserting themselves. Internationally, we benefit from support for the classification of new disabled sports athletes. However, the support of the National Paralympic Committee still remains insufficient to ensure a lasting positioning of our athletes on the international scene. In 2024, Côte d’Ivoire came very close to qualifying for the Paralympic Games in Paris, after an honorable performance. It is nevertheless appropriate to welcome the commitment of the Ivorian government which, for two seasons, has been granting scholarships to para-badminton athletes.
Since Côte d’Ivoire’s participation in the African U15 championships in 2023, what concrete progress has been recorded in the training of young people?
The 2023 episode unfortunately remains painful. Although the trip was announced as financed by Olympic Solidarity, the federation participated in these U15 championships without receiving any funding, although paid to the National Olympic Committee of Côte d’Ivoire (Cno-Civ). The debts contracted on this occasion led, after complaint, to my dismissal from my functions as secretary general of the National Olympic Committee of Côte d’Ivoire. Despite this, the federation continued its policy of developing the U15 and U17 categories, with its sights set on the African Games in Angola and the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. For Angola, the passports of athletes and supervisors were established, and the preparations entrusted to the Abengourou League, with an academy and recognized expertise, in connection with Odienné, Yamoussoukro and Abidjan. Unfortunately, on the eve of the Games, no official notification was sent to the Ivorian Badminton Federation to explain the exclusion from the discipline. This situation weakens our efforts and affects the morale of parents. However, Ivory Coast today has a promising nursery, ready to ensure the succession of emblematic figures such as the Zolobé brothers (Alex and Franck, based in Belgium), Ousmane Ouedraogo in Burkina Faso, Ahi Franck, as well as the champions Laurene N’Dia and Esmel Osseane.
It is January 2026. What are the main reforms undertaken by the Federation?
The year 2026 will mark a profound change for Ivorian badminton. Several structuring reforms are planned: the revision of the statutes with the limitation of mandates, the strengthening of the resources allocated to legally constituted clubs, the effective integration of badminton into school and university competitions, as well as the deployment of a national executive training policy. The objective is clear: to sustainably reposition Ivorian badminton and enable its participation in the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.
Comments collected and transcribed by
Jaurès Drohgba (intern)
