Cameroonian Sports Federation for the Visually Impaired

Cameroonian Sports Federation for the Visually Impaired (FECASDEV) (French: Fédération camerounaise de sports pour déficients visuels (Fécasdev)) is the national sports federation for people with vision impairments. The organization is one of four member federations of the Cameroonian Paralympic Committee and is a member of the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA).

Cameroonian Sports Federation for the Visually Impaired
Founded1999
FounderNorbert Tsoungui
FocusSport, Disability
Location
  • Yaounde, Cameroon
Area served
Cameroon
Key people
President Norbert Tsoungui
Formerly called
Association Sportive des Aveugles et Malvoyants du Cameroun
Member of International Blind Sports Association
Member of Cameroonian Paralympic Committee

The organization's history dates back to 1999, when they were founded as the Sportive Association of Blind and Partially Sighted of Cameroon. During 2010 and 2011, their status changed as they were formally recognized by law, with their status inside Cameroon's sporting infrastructure changing. They have been involved with organizing goalball and blind football competitions in Cameroon.

Governance

FECASDEV is one of four member organizations of the Cameroonian Paralympic Committee.[1] Their President is Norbert Tsoungui.[1][2][3][4] In 2014, the Secretary General was Jean Dieudonné Ntouda Odi.[5] Gnete Irenaeus has served as the National Assistant Treasurer.[6] The organization is based in Yaoundé. They do not have a website.[2] FECASDEV is a member of the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA).[2][7]

Club for the Blind Youth of Cameroon (CJARC)[translations 1] has been heavily involved with blind sport in Cameroon, dating back to the days of Cameroon Federation of Sports for the Handicapped (FECASH).[translations 2] It is one of the reasons CJARC has space at the headquarters of FECASDEV for things like holding their general meetings.[8]

History

The organization was founded in 1999 as Sportive Association of Blind and Partially Sighted of Cameroon (ASAMC).[translations 3] The founder was Norbert Tsoungui, who was the first president of the organization.[9] In 2011, ASAMC changed its name to Cameroonian Sports Federation for the Visually Impaired and the Disabled. Tsoungui continued on as president of the rebranded FECASDEV.[9]

Articles 36 and 37 of Law Nº2010 / 002 of April 2010 protection and promotion of disabled persons[translations 4] saw the organization formally recognized by law in Cameroon. This was seen by the government as an important step in promoting physical activity for people with disabilities in the country.[10] This legislation was followed up by Law No. 2011-18 of 15 July 2011 related to the organization and promotion of Physical and Sporting Activities. The law resulted in the dissolution of FECASH in July 2011. FECASH was replaced by FECASDEV, the Cameroonian Sports Federation for the Physically Disabled (FECASDEP),[translations 5] the Cameroonian Federation of Sports the Intellectually Disabled (FECASDI)[translations 6] and the Cameroonian Sports Federation for the Deaf (FECASSO).[translations 7] These four organizations were then made members of the newly reformed Cameroonian Paralympic Committee.[1][11][12] The process that formally dissolved FECASH and saw the formal government recognition of this organization in that new context started in March 2011, building on the work from April 2010.[1][10][13]

One of the major sources of funding for FECASDEV had been Fakkel 2000. Starting in the second half of 2011, Fakkel 2000 decided to refocus their strategy from all sport for the blind to non-competitive sport for blind children. As part of this change in strategy, they went through all their financial documents related to the various organizations they supported including FECASDEV starting around 2013. After finding irregularities, Fakkel 2000 contacted three leagues who Fakkel 2000 funds from FECASDEV should have gone to. These leagues reported not being paid or being paid less than they were owed, with irregularities totaling 515,000 XOF (USD$878.97). Despite Fakkel 2000 bringing these issues and other alleged theft concerns to FECASDEV's attention, FECASDEV allegedly did not pay back the money to Fakkel 2000 to address the irregularies or change their budget to reflect less promised funding from Fakkel 2000. Fakkel 2000 concluded in 2013 that as FECASDEV had always been about competitive sport, they were under pressure to keep their funding from Fekkal even if they were no longer eligible because of their own financial issues.[9] In 2014, Fakkel 2000 suspended their financial support of FECASDEV. At the time of the suspension of funds, they had been providing the organization with an annual grant of 2,620,000 XOF (USD$4471.68).[9]

In 2016, Tsoungui and CNPC President Jean Jacques Ndoudoumou were accused by members of Cameroon's national blind football team of making commitments on their behalf without consulting the team. The accusations were made as part of broader issues with the squad over lack of payment for their silver medal finish at the 2015 IBSA African Blind Football Championships.[3][14][15]

Competitions

FECASDEV has regularly organized a goalball leagues in the country, and supported a national clubs championship at the conclusion of the season.[16][17] FECASDEV was involved with organizing the 2015 IBSA Blind Football African Championship in October of that year in Douala, assisted by the IBSA.[18]

Translations
  1. The name of the club in French is, Club des jeunes aveugles réhabilités du Cameroun.
  2. The name of the organization in French is, Fédération camerounaise des sports pour handicapés.
  3. The name of the organization in French is, Association Sportive des Aveugles et Malvoyants du Cameroun.
  4. The name of the law in French is, loi Nº2010/002 du avril 2010 portant protection et promotion des personnes handicapées.
  5. The name of the organization in French is, Fédération Camerounaise de Sports pour Déficients Physiques.
  6. The name of the organization in French is, Fédération Camerounaise de Sports pour Déficients Intellectuels.
  7. The name of the organization in French is, Fédération Camerounaise de Sports pour Sourds.

References
  1. "Notre Organisation - International Paralympic Committee". Comité National Paralympique Camerounais (CNPC) (in French). Comité National Paralympique Camerounais (CNPC). 2016. Archived from the original on November 19, 2016. Retrieved October 5, 2016.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  2. IBSA Sports. "Cameroon — National Federations — IBSA". International Blind Sports Association. International Blind Sports Association. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  3. cameroon-info.net. "Les lions du Cécifoot annoncent un grève de la faim". Cameroon Web (in French). cameroon-info.net. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  4. "Cameroun : quatre nouvelles fédérations de sport pour personnes handicapées-Le Quotidien du Peuple en ligne". People's Daily (in French). People's Daily. June 21, 2011. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
  5. AFP (April 22, 2014). "L'équipe camerounaise de cécifoot privée de visa pour une compétition en France". Le Parisien (in French). Retrieved October 10, 2016.
  6. "Présentation animateur diaconie". CAFRADCAFRAD. September 12, 2015. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
  7. Seoul 2015 IBSA World Games Organizing Committee (February 22, 2016). "Seoul 2015 - IBSA World Games — Accreditation Guide" (PDF). International Blind Sports Association. Seoul 2015 IBSA World Games Organizing Committee. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  8. "Bienvenue au CJARC". CJARC. Club des Jeunes Aveugles Rehabilités du Cameroun. Archived from the original on 2016-10-14. Retrieved October 9, 2016.
  9. Jonker, Truus (April 23, 2014). "Ministre des Sports et de l'Education physiqu". Fakkel2000 (in French). Fakkel2000. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
  10. Permanent Mission of the Republic of Cameroon to the United Nations (November 2011). "Response du Government sur la mis en ceuvre et l'application de la resolution 16/15 du conseil des droits de l'homme relative aux droits des peronnes handicapees" (PDF). Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) (in French). Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). Retrieved October 9, 2016.
  11. "Revue de presse internationale du handicap : Mars 2011". Yanous! (in French). Yanous!. March 2011. Retrieved October 6, 2016.
  12. "Quatre nouvelles fédérations sportives bientôt au Cameroun" (in French). 237online.com. March 18, 2011. Archived from the original on October 19, 2016. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
  13. "Cameroun : élection du président du comité national paralympique-Le Quotidien du Peuple en ligne". People's Daily (China) (in French). August 23, 2011. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
  14. camfoot.com (February 23, 2016). "Cécifoot 2015 : Ndoudoumou au banc des accusés". Cameroon Web (in French). camfoot.com. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  15. Wandji, Arthur (December 17, 2015). "Cécifoot : la sélection nationale annonce un mouvement d'humeur". camfoot.com (in French). camfoot.com. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  16. "Sports pour déficients visuels : la Fecasdev clôture sa saison sportive le 25 octobre 2014". Cameroun Guide GIE (in French). Cameroun Guide GIE. October 25, 2014. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  17. Kamga, Sylvestre (November 26, 2012). "Sport pour tous — La Fecasdev clôture ses activés". Mboa News (in French). Archived from the original on October 13, 2016. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  18. Zra, Dieudonné (October 20, 2015). "Douala abrite la Can pour aveugles et déficients visuels". CRTV (in French). CRTV. Archived from the original on May 10, 2017. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
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