Houet: Twenty-five former athletes trained in entrepreneurship in Bobo-Dioulasso The Burkinabe Football Federation (FBF), in partnership with the National Office of Water and Sanitation (ONEA), organized, from August 11 to 13, 2025 in Bobo-Dioulasso, a training session on initiation to entrepreneurship for the benefit of twenty-five former football players.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the participants, which included former players, referees, and managers, were provided with modules covering the fundamentals of entrepreneurship, leadership development, project development, and access to financing. The initiative was designed to equip these former athletes with the necessary tools to transition into or retrain within the business sector.
The closing ceremony was chaired by Ousmane Coulibaly, President of the FBF Futsal and Beach Soccer Commission, who represented the Federation's President, Oumarou Sawadogo. Economic operator Baba Dayo addressed the audience, congratulating the participants on their dedication and urging them to maintain discipline and perseverance to avoid financial dependency.
During the event, Mr. Dayo shared insights from his personal journey, highlighting how his experience in football instilled the discipline needed to thrive as an economic operator. Trainers Jean Flaubert Ouoba and David Belemnaba expressed satisfaction with the commitment and interest shown by the attendees, which they felt facilitated a smooth training process.
Among the participants, Fatimata Oueremi, one of the five female attendees, shared that the training provided her with the skills to develop a business plan and approach investors for financing. Salia Sidib© also expressed optimism about applying his new knowledge, hoping that some participants might emerge as "great entrepreneurs in this country" in the future.
Adama Diabat©, speaking on behalf of the participants, conveyed gratitude to the FBF and ONEA for the opportunity, describing the session as a "catalyst" for their ambitions. He advocated for post-training support to maximize the impact of the skills acquired.
The event concluded with a symbolic presentation of certificates to the participants, marking the end of a session filled with optimism and potential for future entrepreneurial success.