By: Keith Morrison| Contributing Writer
Paris, France |April 29, 2026| Minister of Youth and Sports, Atty. Cornelia Wonkerleh Kruah, facilitated by H. E. Ambassador Teeko Tozay Yorlay, Sr., PhD, is in Paris, France for a five-day working visit (27 April – 1 May 2026), in direct follow-through on the General Cooperation Agreement signed by Presidents Joseph Nyuma Boakai and Emmanuel Macron in October 2025. The agreement, which explicitly names sports development as a bilateral priority, forms the mandate for Atty. Kruah’s engagements with French government institutions, international sports federations, and development partners.
CNOSF Commits to Dakar 2026 Olympic Preparation Support
In a meeting held on Tuesday, 28 April at the Maison du Sport Français, Minister Kruah and her delegation were received by Mr. Edward Donnelly, Executive Director of the French National Olympic Committee (CNOSF). Mr. Donnelly confirmed a preliminary commitment for CNOSF to support Liberia’s preparations for the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, a critical outcome for the visit.
Moreover, both institutions will explore a broader support framework, including technical assistance for coaching and referee training, athlete preparation programmes, and direct connections between Liberian and French athletics federations in advance of the forthcoming and future Games. CNOSF also indicated willingness to establish a formal cooperation Memorandum of Understanding with the Liberia National Olympic Committee (LNOC), covering Olympic pathway development, federation governance, and long-term sports development.
Athletics – track and field, has been identified as Liberia’s primary qualification pathway for Dakar 2026. With the Games less than a year away, CNOSF’s engagement provides Liberia with an immediate and credible preparation resource that can be instantly tapped into for better preparation and anticipated quality result results.
The Broader Mission So Far
Over the two days, the delegation held a total of nine meetings spanning digital skills development, sports development, Olympic preparation, high-performance sport, and federation cooperation.
Day One convened at the Embassy of the Republic of Liberia in Paris and included discussions on a digital upskilling proposal for Liberian youth with Madam Anna Maria Perrin, CEO of the Digital Skills Factory; an introductory meeting with Ya’ats Sports on the establishment of a sports academy in Liberia; a recorded diaspora television interview with TELESUD; and a meeting with the legal representative of Mr. Ludovic Giuly, former Paris Saint-Germain and FC Barcelona champion and CEO of GoatSiders, on a proposed sports development and international visibility partnership.
Day Two took the delegation to the Maison du Sport Français and to INSEP—the Institut National du Sport, de l’Expertise et de la Performance—where, in addition to the Olympic Committee engagement detailed above, a four-hour working meeting was held with the French Basketball, Volleyball, Handball and Judo Federations. Discussions covered coaching certification, youth development, and women’s sport.
What Happens Next
The working visit continues through 1 May 2026. The delegation is scheduled to meet H.E. Madam Marina Ferrari, France’s Minister of Sports, Youth and Community Life, on Thursday, 30 April 30 – the highest-level bilateral engagement of the visit. Additional meetings are confirmed with the World Skills International, startups and other youth groups.
A high-level Roundtable and Cocktail Reception will be held at the Liberian Embassy on Wednesday evening, 29 April, under the theme, “Sport, Youth and Business on the International Stage: The Liberian Market Within Reach.” Atty. Kruah will deliver a Special Statement on Liberia’s Youth and Sports Strategy to develop sports as an industry.
Conclusion
With the array of multifaceted engagements covering nearly all aspects of sports cum youth education, it is ultimately clear that Atty. Cornelia W. Kruah and team are out for complete transformation the nation’s youth and sporting sector. One keen observer closed to sports development who happened to have been privy to these emerging emblematic development noted that if this latest momentum is held steadfast combined with the executive branch’s full backings as being exemplified by the Liberia’s France diplomatic all rounded support, then President Boakai seemed to have made one of the best appointment decisions ever in his halfway marked administration.
