#Paris2024 – A SEMINAL MOMENT FOR AFRICAN SPORTS

As Africans across the continent, the diaspora, and the world celebrate the 39 medals – comprising of 13 gold, 12 silver, and 14 bronze – won by athletes from just twelve African nations at the Paris Olympics, we witness a pivotal moment in African sports.

The significance of these achievements is profound and inspiring!

Athletes captivate millions through their perseverance, discipline, and resilience. Their stories of overcoming adversity resonate deeply, turning them into symbols of hope and role models for the youth.

CELEBRATING WOMEN’S MONTH

In celebration of Women’s Month, let’s highlight some of the outstanding recent achievements:

• Tatjana Smith, South Africa’s two-time Olympic Champion, added a gold and silver to her tally, becoming the most decorated Olympian from South Africa.

   Photo Credit: Getty Images/ Giorgio Scala

• Faith Kipyegon of Kenya made history as the first woman to win three consecutive Olympic gold medals in the 1500m and broke her own Olympic record, also securing a silver in the 5,000m.

Photo Credit: Reuters

• Beatrice Chebet winning gold in both the 5,000m and 10,000m events in her Olympic debut, she is the third woman in history to pull off the double feat.

Photo Credit: Michael Steele/Getty Images

• Algeria’s Kaylia Nemour, at just 17, became the first African gymnast to win an Olympic gold medal.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

• Imane Khalif from Algeria won gold in the 66kg boxing division. Her victory was marred by gender-based accusations, but she stood firm using the experience to advocate for fairness and understanding. Her ability to rise above these challenges not only earned her a medal but positioned her as a symbol of resilience and authenticity.

Photo Credit: Illustration photo

• Although the Nigerian Women’s Basketball team did not medal, their historic Olympic Quarter Final spot marked a fairy tale journey of overcoming immense odds.

Is there any other time in history when the most accomplished sportswomen on the planet convened in one place, fuelled by pure grit and determination, to show us exactly what they’re capable of?

These remarkable women have defied expectations, shattered records, and paved the way for future generations to pursue their athletic dreams.

RECOGNISING THE MEN’S REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENTS TOO

• Letsile Tebogo won Botswana’s first-ever gold in the men’s 200m, setting an African record with 19.46 seconds.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

• Joshua Cheptegei shattered the Olympic record in the men’s 10,000m, becoming Uganda’s most decorated Olympic medallist.

Photo Credit : AFP

• Soufiane El Bakkali from Morocco seized gold in the men’s 3 000m Steeplechase.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

• Tamirat Tola triumphed in the men’s marathon, earning Ethiopia’s only gold medal.

Photo Credit : AP Photo

• And, Ahmed Elgendy of Egypt claimed gold in Modern Pentathlon, setting a new world record.

Photo Credit: Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images

South Sudan made its mark in the basketball world qualifying for the Olympics, as the best-placed African basketball team, and winning their opening game.

And in the relay events:

• Botswana’s 4x400m team earned silver, enhancing Letsile Tebogo’s legacy further.

Photo Credit: Botswana National Olympic Committee

• After years of near-misses, our very own Akani Simbine anchored the 4x100m relay team to a historic silver and set a new African record along with team mates Bayanda Walaza, Shaun Maswanganyi and Bradley Nkoana. The quartet’s performance and especially Akani’s electrifying anchor leg, which was clocked at 8.78 seconds, marked the first-ever Olympic medal for South Africa in this event – a monumental achievement for South Africa!

Photo Credit: MensHealth

EMBRACING AFRICA’S DESTINY

These achievements underscore Africa’s potential and signal a new era for our continent showing the world that the time has come, for Africa to embrace its destiny!

While we won two more medals than in Tokyo, we fell short of the 45 medals won in Rio in 2016.

ATHLETES BORN IN AFRICA

But, it is important to note that athletes born in Africa from 10 African nations competed for other countries and won a further 12 medals – 4 Gold, 4 Silver, and 4 Bronze – bringing the total to 51 medals, for athletes born in or representing Africa.

Some noteworthy achievements from these athletes include:

• Sifan Hassan, Ethiopian-born, won bronze in both the 5,000m and 10,000m and gold in the marathon, becoming the only woman to win medals across middle-distance and long-distance races in a single Games.
• Bronte Campbell, Malawi-born, won gold as part of the 4x100m freestyle relay team for Australia.
• And while Cameroon did not feature on the Medal Tally this year, three Cameroon-born athletes represented USA, France and the Refugee Team achieving 1 Gold, 1 Silver and 1 Bronze.

A CLARION CALL

While these triumphs are commendable, these victories are a clarion call for stakeholders to fully commit to developing and investing further into our athletes from Africa.

By investing we can maximise a powerful vehicle for socio-economic transformation and youth development for generations to come.

Africa’s youth population is burgeoning, with over 60% of its 1.4 billion people under the age of 25 – this demographic reality presents an enormous opportunity that simply cannot be ignored. This is no longer an option but an imperative!

To maximize this potential, we need to:

• Invest in infrastructure development and sporting facilities to improve performance and preparation.
• Enhance the opportunity of early talent development for nurturing young athletes and provide pathways to elite competition.
• Shift cultural attitudes to value sports more.
• Encourage more government and private sector collaboration to invest in athlete development.

And, we need to leverage digital technology and the blockchain for fan engagement and new revenues to further fund our athletes. This is the one we are most excited about!

Blockchain technology enhances independence and transparency and greater fan engagement by providing security and the opportunity of alternative revenue streams.

UNLOCKING THE POTENTIAL OF AFRICAN ATHLETES

At ProTouch Africa, we are dedicated to unlocking the potential of African athletes through our Podium Pursuit Collective – the World’s first Fan Engagement and Fan-Owned Impact Platform for Athletes from Africa.

We are reshaping the investment landscape by empowering athletes with a new way to build and monetize their brands and, connect with fans globally while unlocking value for brands and investors too!

For the past 18-months we have been focussed on our mission to assemble an ecosystem that brings together more than 4,500 Top Performing African Athletes, from 54 African Nations and 36 Sports Codes, their 30-Million Fans Globally and the Brands that support them.

We are now activating this ecosystem through our Podium Pursuit Fan App – already live in beta – this Digital Clubhouse features such as an aggregated newsfeed, match center, and results.

Fans can engage in prediction games, polls, and earn rewards through missions and collecting digital badges to show their support.

We track every event globally and recognize and celebrate the achievements of African athletes on the World stage by promoting participation and highlighting notable achievements.

We have curated Digital Athlete Profiles [think LinkedIn] for Africa’s top sporting talent, providing athletes from Africa the opportunity to unlock even more value from their brands while still competing, as well as beyond their sporting careers.

These are published in our African Athlete Exchange – an AI-powered Marketplace that connects brands with top-performing athletes who share their values.

Through our live blogging tools, we help athletes to build and take control of their personal brands and shape the narrative surrounding their careers, accomplishments and personal lives, so that they can increase influence and earning potential by attracting endorsement deals, collaborations, and sponsorship opportunities.

THE ATHELTE IMPACT FUND

We are currently raising $1,500,000 to launch our Athlete Impact Fund and further develop our platform. This includes International Donor contributions and tokenized debentures.

A limited number of these tokens can be obtained, representing unsecured debt instruments where returns are solely contingent on the profits generated by The Podium Pursuit Collective. Athlete Ambassadors will also receive tokens entitling them to profit share in the Podium Pursuit Collective, while helping us to onboard more fans.

With these efforts, we aim to support athletes both on and off the field, offering brand-building, crowdfunding, and more.

BREAKING BARRIERS

The Athletes from Africa have not only demonstrated their incredible athletic prowess but have also broken down barriers on some of the world’s biggest sports podiums.

Despite facing numerous hurdles, African athletes continue to rise to the occasion, they have defied expectations, smashed records and showcased their extraordinary talent, determination, and passion on the global stage.

WHEN WE WIN AT SPORT, WE WIN AS A NATION AND AS A CONTINENT!

DOWNLOAD OUR FAN APP and CLAIM YOUR #PARIS2024 FAN BADGE, to support African athletes as we strive for excellence and unlock their full potential in the lead-up to LA2028 and beyond!

In the true spirit of Ubuntu, let’s unlock the potential of our talent to be the best they can be!

 

Brought to you by

PROTOUCH AFRICA is a purpose-led and Sports Tech business founded in 2016 with a focus on enabling African Athletes to perform on the World Stage.

It is pioneering new ways for fans to interact and engage with their favourite teams, leagues, and athletes and enable alternative revenue streams.

ProTouch Africa’s Podium Pursuit Project is focused on creating a transparent and sustainable funding mechanism for the next generation of African Athletes. Its vision is to launch the World’s first fan-owned impact investment platform for African Athletes in 2024 by assembling an ecosystem of top-performing athletes, their fans, and the brands that support them.