2020-04-01 Forbes Africa

90 | FORBES AFRICA APRIL 2020 FORBESAFRICA.COM

W

HENTHELISTOFEVENTSATTHE 2020
OlympicGamesinTokyowereannounced,one
caughttheeyeimmediately,notbecauseit is
debutinginthecompetition,butratherbecauseofits
obscurity.
SportclimbingwillbenewtomanyOlympicfans,buthasactually
beeninexistencesincethe1980sandhassomethingofa cultfollowing
aroundtheworld.
TheInternationalFederationofSportClimbing(IFSC)estimates
that 43 millionpeopleacrosstheglobeareactiveparticipants,evenif it
is strugglingtogeta footholdontheAfricancontinent.
“Africais ourweakness,”IFSCPresidentMarcoScolaristells
FORBESAFRICA.“Althoughthesportis developedandgrowingin
SouthAfrica,thereis verylittleactivityontherestofthecontinentand
thatis somethingwearetryinghardtochange.
“Wehaveanopportunityduringthe 2022 SummerYouthOlympics
inSenegal,whereit willbeoneofthesports,andofcoursethe
OlympicsinTokyogivesusa chancetoshowcasethesporttoa global
audienceofsometwobillion,manyinAfrica.
“AnumberofOlympiccommitteesinvariousAfricancountries have
started to show an interest now that we are an Olympic sport.”

Scolarisexplainstheattractionofthesportandhowit has

developedfromhumblebeginnings.

“Webelievethatclimbingis aninstinctforhumans,everyone

climbsatleasta fewtimesintheirlives,especiallywhenyouarea child,

toseetheworldfroma higherplace.It is oneofthebestpursuitsfor

motorskills.

“Sportclimbingstartedonrocksinnature,butlaterwehad

purpose-builtplasticorwoodenwallsinurbanareasthatopenedup

thesportinthecitiesandcreateda boomofinterest.

“Webelieveit is nowa powerfulsocialtoolthatcanpromotea

healthierlifestyleandincertaininstancesprovidea purposeforthe

youth.

AlthoughScolarissayssportclimbingis “foreveryone,fromthe

ageofsixto90”,athleteswhocompeteattheOlympicsarelikelyto

bearoundtheageof20,showingit tobea youngperson’sactivityona

professionallevel.

SportclimbinghadbeenpetitioningtheInternationalOlympic

Committee(IOC)forsometimetogetintotheGames,andScolaris

revealstheygottheirbreakwhencurrentIOCheadThomasBachwas

electedin2013.

“There was this willingness to rejuvenate the Olympic Games and

THE

ASCENT

OF A

NEW

SPORT

TheTokyo 2020 OlympicGamesis

onlythreemonthsaway,evenasthe

coronavirusthreatenstodisruptit.If it

goeshead,theGameswilldebuta new

eventcalledsportclimbing,whichis

slowly gainingground in Africa.

BY NICK SAID