Siteny Thierry Randrianasolo-Niaiko is one of Madagascar’s most accomplished public figures. The businessman, politician and sports administrator was elected in May this year as president of the African Judo Union, the highest governing body for the combat sport in Africa.
A successful businessman, Randrianasolo-Niaiko’s interests have spanned telecom distribution and the media. He is the founder of Siteny Distribution – one of the largest wholesale distributors of Airtel products in Madagascar. He is also the founder of TV Plus of Toliara, a Free-To-Air (FTA) television station in the island nation.
As a sports administrator, Randrianasolo-Niaiko has served as president of the Malagasy Olympic Committee, president of the Malagasy Judo Federation and chairman of the African Judo Union.
Finally, as a politician and technocrat, he is a member of parliament in the National Assembly of Madagascar.
Randrianasolo-Niaiko recently spoke with Billionaires.Africa Editor-In-Chief Mfonobong Nsehe about his ambitions for the African Judo Union and his hope to attract more corporate sponsors to its activities. Seeding the historical values of judo into the hearts and minds of African youths, he believes, is a means for ensuring peace and economic and social prosperity on the continent.
— What ignited your interest in judo? What makes the combat sport so exiting and why should more Africans practice judo?
— I joined my first judo club when I was 13 years old. At the time, martial arts were just starting to make their way, and were becoming quite popular in Madagascar. Managing school and training was the first real challenge I felt in life. I learned to organize myself and reconcile between school and judo. My parents’ encouragements were instrumental all throughout my judo career. They considered judo to be an excellent way to instill important values such as a love for one’s family, oneself, and one’s country. My father used to say that judo is much, much more than a sport – it helps to develop self-confidence and respect.
Judo has played a formative role in my professional life and was a core driver of my success in business and politics. The competitive nature of judo is one of the most characteristic features of the sport. The objective of judo is to either throw or take your opponent to the ground. It teaches you about human-to-human interaction, how to engage, brotherhood… I strongly encourage my fellow Africans to practice judo. It is a tool for social development.
The International Judo Federation has contributed significantly to the development of the sport in Africa. It has donated many tatamis and judogi to national judo federations on the continent, as well as provided robust assistance in building dojos in numerous countries.
In geographic zones marked by conflict, judo has also served as an excellent instrument for bringing peace to local communities. I will say that, on a personal level, judo has guided my actions and helped me to overcome day-to-day challenges. It is a tool that not everyone has.
Dr. Jigoro Kano, the much-loved founder of judo, said: “Judo is the way to the most effective use of both physical and spiritual strength; by training you in attacks and defenses it refines your body and your soul and helps you make the spiritual essence of judo a part of your very being. In this way you are able to perfect yourself and contribute something of value to the world. This is final goal of judo discipline.”
If we could ensure that the values and discipline of judo were instilled in everyone in the world, it would be a more peaceful, prosperous and stabler place. Alas, this is, of course, not possible to achieve in reality. However, this does not stop us from doing the best we can.
The African Judo Union and the International Judo Federation are working hard to bring the best messages of judo to the African continent and the greater international community.
— Who is the “typical” judo practitioner in Africa?
— Today, judo is developing rapidly all over the world. This revered sport is gaining more media coverage and social media traction with every passing year. To me, this is really astounding, especially when we consider its long history. Judo is well over 100 years old.
The International Judo Federation is investing much effort into helping judo reach the largest number of youths possible worldwide to get them interested in practicing the sport.
Judo is also becoming more popular in Africa. If you look at the statistics, you will find that there is no such thing as a “typical” practitioner in Africa. Our judokas are of all ages and social categories. Today, more and more parents are encouraging their kids to take up judo.
This is because they see how the sport positively impacts their children. I am not speaking about the very clear physical benefits of judo, but rather how its values shape their minds.
— You have been involved with judo globally and within Africa for years, having served as the vice president of the International Judo Federation and president of the Malagasy Judo Federation. In your opinion, what are some of the biggest challenges facing the sport in Africa today, and what ideas do you propose for developing judo on the continent?
— My positions as the International Judo Federation as vice president and chairman of the Malagasy Judo Federation have helped me to have a broader vision for judo’s development.
It has also consolidated my approach for new strategies to promote judo throughout Africa.
One of our newest and most interesting initiatives is a joint program titled, “Judo at School.” We are working to teach judo’s core values at schools in Africa: friendship, honor, respect, modesty, courage, self-control and sincerity. We are convinced that children who practiced judo at one time or another will have an advantage for the rest of their lives. We are also finalizing a strategic development plan for the continent’s top judokas. We hope to qualify a larger number of athletes for the 2024 and 2028 Olympic Games in Paris and Los Angeles.
This is no easy task. But we are determined to reach our final goal. I am confident we will.
Judo in Africa would also benefit from more engagement from companies operating on the continent. Businesses must support sport. It has the power to change the world. Although judo is relatively new to the continent, more African companies are reaching out to us to cooperate. It is my sincere hope that, as more international companies enter Africa from countries that boast a longstanding historical relationship with judo – such as Japan, Korea, Russia, Brazil, Germany and France, and numerous others – we will see more, and better, opportunities to collaborate closely with the foreign business community as well. We can all work together, hand-in-hand, to foster values in Africa’s youth that will secure for them the best possible future. The way to do this is to get them into sports while they are still young.
— You are now five months into the job as president. What have you achieved so far? And what are your short-, medium- and long-term plans for the union and for combat sports in Africa?
— After my election in May, I have been working hard with my team to develop a strategic plan for the next Olympic quadrennial. We are doing everything that we can to ensure that we not only meet but surpass the expectations of our national federations and partners.
The greatest challenge for us today is to keep up the momentum – to propel the African Judo Union forward so we remain at forefront of African and international sports.
Today, judo is undergoing profound changes. We need to launch new innovative projects that will help us consolidate our sport’s influence and attract the media and sponsors.
To do this, the African Judo Union will start to digitize its programs and processes. We are making plans to do this right now. The International Judo Federation offers us a well of knowledge and experience. We will build off this knowledge and experience while taking into account our own realities and peculiarities. Each geography is different in its own right.
Because we are part of the International Judo Federation, it is important for our continental events to adhere to its highest standards. We are working diligently in this regard. To further improve in this area, we plan to set up training and retraining programs for those coaches, who prepare our best athletes on the continent. We also plan to invite high-level experts to support our judokas, referees and coaches. We also want to consolidate the concept of judo at African schools in partnership with African governments and our national federations.
— Could you tell us a bit about your political background – you presently serve as an MP in Madagascar – and future goals? What role has judo played in your life in your development as a human being, a politician and a leader?
— Judo strengthened me mentally and physically and really contributed to my development as both a leader and a human being. It gave me self-confidence and for this I am grateful.
But judo needs broad political support to reach the level of global development that it really deserves. I have said this already and I will say it again. Returning to the innermost values of judo, I believe that the world would be a much better place if everyone practiced or, at least studied, the sport. My position as a member of parliament has helped me promote judo in Madagascar. I have developed strong relations with mayors nationwide and with the media. Thanks to their kind support, judo has made progress in Madagascar and come a long way.
I often quote one of Africa’s greatest political leaders, Nelson Mandela, who said: “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand.” Our goal is to inspire more African youths to practice judo, while imbuing them with its values. We are fighting as a union to root deep within the continent the sociological tenets of the sport.
— On the major challenges facing the development of sport in Africa is a lack of sponsorship funding. What can be done to help deal with this issue?
— Funding is extremely important for the Olympic sport movement. Here at the African Judo Union, we are well aware that we need to develop a new marketing strategy to help us sell our continental events. We are studying the International Judo Federation’s experience to find new ways of attracting sponsors to support competitions and activities. I think that it is important to increase the awareness of our organization and our events. I have appointed two strong individuals as special advisors to my office to help promote the union’s global reputation and exposure. They have significant international networks and a belief in what we are trying to achieve.
I think that this is a positive step forward for the African Judo Union. Previously, we invested most of our efforts into developing our training and professional capacity, while we placed less of an emphasis on strategic marketing and developing corporate relationships.
We are going to try an added approach to see how this affects the union’s future growth.
We remain deeply persuaded that the union is on the right track.
