By Joe Dinga Pefok
Cameroonian-born football star, Jean Alain Boumsong, of Juventus Turin, Italy, has explained why he accepted an invitation to join the French national team Les Bleues.
Boumsong said he has been playing for the French team since 1999 because Cameroonian football authorities never showed any interest, or tried to establish any contact with him.
Speaking at a press conference in Douala on June 13, Boumsong stated that the decision to play for the French team was one of the most difficult decisions he has had to make in his life.
He said it was only when he accepted to join the French team that the Cameroonian football authorities seemed to discover him, or consider him a good striker to be called to join the Indomitable Lions. But it was too late.
Boumsong finds fault with Cameroon football authorities, especially the coaches of the national team, whom he said do not follow up the evolution of young Cameroonian footballers, like their colleagues in other countries.
The footballer noted that members of the technical squads of the national teams of many countries spend part of their time trying to identify budding talents in their nationals who are in different football training centres.
He said the coaches establish contacts with the young players and try to monitor their evolution in the game. Such contacts also help to spur the young players who then know they are being observed by the football authorities of their country, to not only work very hard, but to also remain patient and hopeful.
But Boumsong regretted that most times it is only when another country takes interest in a Cameroonian player somewhere in Europe that the Cameroonian football authorities begin to scramble for him.
Boumsong who grew up in Douala denied an allegation that he attended a
football training school there. He said he left Cameroon for France in
the early 90s, attended the football training centre of Le Havre and
later evolved to play for the senior team in the First Division League.
Resignation of Coach Of Juventus
Asked why Didier Deschamps (former striker of the French national team) who took Juventus back to the Italian First Division League as coach, has resigned from the club, Boumsong noted that Deschamps whom he described as a man of principle, seemed to have been angry at the criticisms made against him by some authorities of Juventus.
He said Deschamps believed that Juventus wanted to impose on him their own ideas or ways as to how he should operate as a coach.Asked about the issue of racism in French football, Boumsong said racism is a reality not only in France, but in other European countries as well.
PMUC Promotes Solidarity Tournament
Meanwhile, Boumsong who is presently on holidays, also came to Cameroon for the first edition of a solidarity football tournament organised by his young humanitarian association simply known as ADNA.The football tournament is dubbed, "Trophée Jean Alain Boumsong."
The four-day tournament which kicked off at the Douala Reunification Stadium on June 14 had Pari Mutuelle Urbain Camerounais, PMUC, as one of the main sponsors.Speaking at a press conference in Douala which held at the headquarters of PMUC, and was attended among other dignitaries by PMUC General Manager, Jean-Dominique Casamarta, and his Deputy, Mrs. Tatyana Eldin, Boumsong said the football tournament was his humble and symbolic action to promote unity and solidarity in his beloved country.
He said as a footballer, he naturally had to think of using the game to bring together many Cameroonians to play and amuse themselves without any discrimination. There was no gate fee for the football tournament.
Boumsong showered praises on PMUC whom he described as an enterprise with a heart for humanity.He noted that PMUC unlike many other companies uses part of its profits to offer humanitarian aid to the needy in the country.
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