Preparation conditions and equipment often remain out of sync with the demands of modern sports, acting as a barrier for athletes aiming for the elite level.
High-level sports no longer rely solely on talent, courage, and willpower. The quality of coaching, infrastructure, and training and competition equipment has become an essential element of performance. In this area, Madagascar is lagging behind. In many disciplines, athletes must train with aging, insufficient, or sometimes unsuitable equipment for international competition requirements.
In football, while balls are the foundation, modern preparation also requires mannequins, mini-hurdles, agility ladders, poles, mobile goals, and measurement equipment. Video analysis tools, GPS systems, or recovery devices, widely used in professional football, remain largely inaccessible in Madagascar.
In high-level disciplines, the quality of facilities and equipment (baskets, backboards, goals, stopwatches, or display systems) is also a determining factor in performance. However, this equipment remains unevenly distributed among sports structures and different regions of the country.
In athletics, the absence or insufficiency of certain equipment can directly limit preparation. Starting blocks, hurdles, relay batons, jumping mats, and throwing implements are basic necessities. Measurement and timing tools are also essential for accurately assessing progress. Combat sports are not spared either; the irregular renewal of equipment and its concentration in the capital complicate practice in many clubs.
“The quality of spikes for sprinting is important because it allows for gaining hundredths of a second,” explains Tsiry Manantena Rakotomalala, National Technical Director of the Malagasy Athletics Federation.
In cycling, the cost of equipment represents another obstacle: adapted bikes, certified helmets, shoes, spare parts, and maintenance tools already constitute a significant investment. Power meters and connected home trainers remain even harder to access, compounded by import costs.
A sports equipment seller at City Ivandry, who wished to remain anonymous, explains: “The equipment we sell is within everyone’s reach. Everyone can find what they need, from one discipline to another, and for every existing federation.” The seller requested that prices not be displayed in the article.
Malagasy talent has already demonstrated its ability to compete on the international stage. To reach a new milestone, athletes must be able to train with safe, adapted, and sufficiently available equipment. Without this investment, the gap with better-equipped nations risks continuing to widen.
Captured & Published at: 2026-07-22 06:11:39 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/07/sports-et-performances-le-manque-de.html