Devoted to sports, A.S.O. and all its collaborators necessarily remain alert to events abroad and more precisely events in Africa, the land of sport par excellence. The spirit of the Dakar, born from the passion of a handful of men for a continent, is still alive through a few other events organized in Africa by A.S.O. Over the years, the relationship of exchange between A.S.O. and the different partnering countries in Africa has flourished. The conjunction of interests, which is the binding force of this modern day aid programme, guarantees the solidity of links that are still being forged.


The “6 heures de Dakar”
If the top motor sports event in Africa remains the Telefonica-Dakar, the Senegal capital also hosts an annual event popular on the African car racing scene, and which celebrated its 25th edition in 2004. On a circuit of approximately 4 km, thirty or so cars race around the track in a six hour competition, not a feat to be tried by those with a weak heart! A.S.O. has been providing technical aid for this event and financial support for a few years.


The Tour du Faso
As organiser of the Tour de France, A.S.O naturally supports sustaining and expanding the passion for cycling. The Tour du Faso, the biggest stage race in Africa, was created in 1987 in Burkina-Faso and in 2000 the Burkina Faso government appealed to the experience of A.S.O in order to further develop the competition. Since then, the Tour du Faso has continued to expand beyond the frontiers of Africa, at an international level, and cyclists in the region profit from the benefits. This year, 21 cycling schools have been created with the support of the French Embassy in Burkina-Faso. They are for the most part equipped with material collected in France during the “1000 bicycles for Faso” operation.