- The Cameroon Handball Federation (FECAHAND) has announced the unfortunate withdrawal of the national women’s handball team from the Olympic qualifiers due to visa complications
- Despite the support from the State of Cameroon and various handball federations, the team faced bureaucratic obstacles at the German consulate, leading to missed appointments and ultimately their non-participation
In a disheartening turn of events, the Cameroon Handball Federation (FECAHAND) has confirmed that Cameroon’s handball lionesses will not compete in the Olympic qualifiers in Debrecen, Hungary.
The president of the federation, ABBA OUMΑΤΕ, released a detailed statement this Wednesday, shedding light on the bureaucratic challenges that led to this outcome.
He explained that despite exhaustive efforts by FECAHAND and the State of Cameroon to facilitate the team’s participation, they encountered unresponsive behavior from the German consulate, which was responsible for processing their visa applications.
The federation sought assistance from the International Handball Federation (IHF) and the President of the African Handball Confederation (CAHB), which resulted in an appointment.
However, the team was denied entry to the consulate on the grounds of lacking an insurance certificate, a claim disputed by FECAHAND as the documents were readily available.
Further intervention by the Cameroonian government yielded another appointment, but the time lost in these proceedings made it impossible for the team to reach the competition venue timely. Consequently, the team had to withdraw, allowing Great Britain to take their place.
This setback occurred despite the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education’s proactive measures, including the validation of the team’s participation, budget approvals, and a letter of recommendation to the consulate.
FECAHAND has expressed its gratitude towards the government, IHF, and CAHB for their support and acknowledges the collective disappointment over the missed opportunity to compete in the qualifiers for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Cameroon qualified for the handball Olympic qualifiers by being the runner-up at the African Women’s Qualification tournament. The final tournament for handball at the Olympics will feature 12 teams.
As for other African countries, Angola has qualified for the women’s handball event at the Paris 2024 Olympics as the winner of the African Women’s Qualification tournament. In the men’s category, Egypt secured its place as the African Champion.
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