The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
Related Articles
French President Emmanuel Macron shared a playful football moment with William Ruto and Bassirou Diomaye Faye during the Africa Forward Summit held at the University of Nairobi on Monday.
The three Heads of State, accompanied by former French football coach Claude Le Roy, entertained guests with a brief football session as they exchanged passes on the pitch in a lively interaction that excited attendees.
Click here to join our WhatsApp Channel
The leaders appeared relaxed and cheerful as they casually kicked the ball around while engaging with participants at the summit venue.
The football display took place during discussions centred on sports commercialisation and opportunities for young people, with leaders highlighting the growing importance of sports in driving economic growth, employment and cultural exchange across Africa.
Macron, Ruto and Faye were among several African and international leaders taking part in high-level talks during the summit.
Ruto urged African nations to prioritise sports as a key pillar of economic transformation, saying the continent should invest in developing African-owned sports industries capable of generating jobs, wealth and opportunities for millions of young people.
He noted that Africa’s youthful population presents a unique chance to build one of the most vibrant sports economies globally.
The forum also brought together Botswana President Duma Boko, with leaders agreeing that Africa’s immense sporting talent remains largely untapped despite the continent’s dominance in athletics and football.
“Africa today is the youngest continent on Earth. More than one billion Africans are below the age of 35. That is not simply a statistic. It is a historic opportunity to turn talent into enterprise, passion into prosperity, and potential into power,” Ruto said.
The President added that sports should now be viewed beyond recreation and competition, describing it as a major economic sector linked to infrastructure, tourism, technology, diplomacy and investment.
Macron also emphasised the importance of investing in sports infrastructure to nurture talent and empower young people economically.
“Sports enable many people to use their talents to earn an income,” Macron said, adding that Africa has yet to fully benefit from the massive global sports industry.
