The president of the local Olympic Committee (Rnoc) Ignace Beraho is vying for Africa’s top job in the Association of National Olympic Committee of Africa (Anoca).

Beraho, a renowned veteran sports administrator confirmed the development last week that he had lobbied enough in both Eastern and Central African regional blocks in order to land the post of a secretary general of the Anoca, Africa’s governing Olympic body.

"I have lobbied with every member state in Eastern Africa as well as Central Africa. I am looking forward to go to other zones soon to solicit for more votes,” Beraho said.

Beraho, who led Rwanda in various administrative portfolios in the region and beyond faces stiff competition from Zimbabwe’s Robert Mutsauki, who is also eyeing the same powerful post.

Mutsauki, the chief executive of the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee intensified his campaign to land the powerful post of secretary-general of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa when he attended a top forum designed for the development of sport in Africa in Alexandria, Egypt last month.

Both Beraho and Mutsauki will be standing for elections for the influential post at Anoca’s general assembly from July 5 -8 July at their headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria.

Beraho has taken his campaign to Nairobi, Kenya where he is attending Anoca organised two-day meeting, which started on Tuesday and ends today.

Beraho, who has served the local Olympic Committee for eight years said that it was still too early to predict his chances of landing the Anoca secretary general post but thinks that his campaign is very much on track.

"I feel optimistic by the positive feedback that I’m getting not only from the electorate but from other stakeholders, who work in partnership with Anoca in one way or another,” he noted.

The post of Anoca secretary-general has been vacant since the resignation of Angolan Gustavo Concecaio in November last year.

And Beraho if elected will become the first Rwandan to become the boss of this powerful African sport organisation.

Apart from the post of secretary general, the other posts that are up for grabs are those of president, four vice-presidents, treasurer and a female board member to address the issue of gender equity.

Prior to the Anoca elective general assembly, the seven Anoca zones, including Southern Africa’s Zone Six, will elect their own executive committees and the seven presidents of those zones will become ex-officios of the 15-strong Anoca executive board.

The Anoca meeting will be attended by, among other dignitaries, the IOC president Jacques Rogge and the committee’s members such as Sam Ramsamy of South Africa, former Namibian track star Frankie Fredericks, who is now the chairman of the IOC Athletes Commission, Mounir Sabet of Egypt and Uganda’s Francis Nyangweso.

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