Indomitable Lions - Minsep Reassures Public

He says Denis Lavagne is capable of making a pleasant surprise for Cameroon.

In his first press conference since assuming office, the Minister of Sports and Physical Education, Adoum Garoua, on May 22, granted a press conference at the CRTV production centre in Mballa II-Yaounde, to clarify the public on the issues affecting the sports movement in Cameroon. The press conference which falls within the framework of governmental communication saw Adoum Garoua edify the public on the happenings in the national football team, relations between his ministry and Fecafoot, preparations for the upcoming Olympic Games, progress on the project to construct sports infrastructure in the country among a host of many other issues.

Concerning the fate of Denis Lavagne at the helm of the national football team, Adoum Garoua said the French man though without a contract, is working in all serenity as the recruitment of a new coach for the Indomitable Lions is not the order of the day arguing that it will not be wise to change the coach barely two weeks to important matches counting for the qualifying series for the Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup respectively. He said Denis Lavagne is capable of making a pleasant surprise for Cameroon as he has never lost a match since his recruitment.

On demands by club presidents for the disbursement of subventions promised them be the State, the minister said the government was going to honour its commitment saying a first instalment of 160 million has been disbursed already and the rest will be progressively paid out by the Minister of Finance. He disclosed that government will accompany the embryonic Professional League for three years before allowing them to fend for themselves.

As concerns relations with Fecafoot, the Minister said it is governed by the sports charter like every other sports federation but said they sit together with officials of Fecafoot to draw up new conventions. He avoided making any comments about the suspension of Eto'o Fils and the exclusion of Roger Milla from Fecafoot, saying he is waiting for the official notification from Fecafoot, to cogitate on his reaction.

As concerns the dwindling performances of the Indomitable Lions, Adoum Garoua said a lion remains a lions and need to be feared at all times. He said though the team was under reconstruction, it is capable of making good results and needs the total support of all Cameroonians.

Minister Adoum Garoua said the national programme for the construction of sports infrastructure in the country is on course with work on the Limbe stadium expected to be completed by January 2014 and the one on the Bafoussam to be delivered later. Meanwhile the construction of gymnasiums in Yaounde and Douala is in progress and will be completed by then end of the year. He equally disclosed that feasibility studies for the construction of a football academy have been completed. It will be built in Olembe near Yaounde.

The minister said he will reactivate the domain of physical education which has been neglected for long by his ministry by launching of a physical education day on May 26, 2012 in Garoua.

On preparations for the upcoming Olympic Games, the ministry has earmarked the sum of 400 million to enable athletes qualified in the nine sports disciplines to prepare well for the competition revealing that they shall camp in Scotland to acclimatise before moving over to London for the games proper