Construction of a French-speaking tennis academy in Benin: The project is entering its active phase

Everything is ready for the implementation of the construction project of the French-speaking Tennis Academy of reference in Avlékété in the commune of Ouidah. It is in essence, the main points to remember from a joint media release hosted by the Beninese authorities and the architects in charge of the project, Friday 5 November 2021, in the premises of the Ministry of Living Environment and Sustainable Development.

Thanks to this press conference, it was a question of informing the national and international opinion of the audience granted by the sports ministers, Oswald Homéky and the living environment and sustainable development, Didier José Tonato, to the President of the Beninese Tennis Federation (FBT), Jean-Claude Talon who introduced to the two authorities, the architectural firm, client of the Francophone Tennis Academy whose start of construction work is imminent.

On this occasion, the Director of the architecture firm A26 Sport, Mickael Barabé and his Beninese counterpart, Serge WALKHOFF of the Avant Projet architecture firm, went to present to their hosts, their offer as part of the realization of this project. Indeed, this follows the technical visit carried out, the 28 and 29 September 2021, by the team of the A26 architecture firm, partner of the Beninese architecture firm Avant Projet on the site in Avlékété. “It is a magnificent project which will be useful for the development of sport and in particular in Benin.. We had presented a team to the members of the government which is made up of experts in this project, who work regularly and for more than 25 years at Roland Garros », declared the Director General of the firm A26 Sport,  Mickael Barabe.

This new descent, according to the president of the Beninese Tennis Federation Jean-Claude Talon is reassuring as to the start of the actual work. " We are very happy. And we hope to register the start of the activities of our Tennis Academy and its hosting capacity in terms of competitions as soon as 2023. We will be very happy to be able to already organize a tournament, a very big event in Cotonou in the last quarter of 2023, in the trajectory of the Paris Olympic Games which are by definition, a French-speaking event », hammered Jean Claude Talon.

The Minister of Sports, Oswald Homéky on the other hand, will say that he did not fail to express his joy at seeing, this project which is gradually taking shape. “This day is for us a day of joy, because we are taking an important step in the context of this project to build a Francophone Tennis Academy in our country. This is a project that follows an offensive that we led, the president of the Benin Tennis Federation and myself, with the active support of the Association des Fédérations Francophones de Tennis (AFFT), the French Tennis Federation… », he rejoiced. Further away, he adds : “We had already presented our first intentions for this Academy which will be exemplary in its landscape integration, exemplary in its ability to support future champions… These elements caught the attention of the members of the government. So we go, on this project with great dynamics, great strength".

Edmond HOUESSIKINDE