On Monday (4 Dec), World Athletics named Falilatou Tchanile-Salifou, the Togolese President of Athletics, as the Woman of the Year. This honor recognizes Tchanile-Salifou’s commitment to advancing women’s rights and promoting gender equality in sports.
Tchanile-Salifou has been instrumental in launching a series of initiatives across Togo, aiming to provide opportunities for women and girls from diverse socioeconomic and geographic backgrounds. These include the ‘Girls Together for Sport and for Life’ campaign, which offers athletic programs to young women in Togo’s remote areas; the ‘Programme for the Promotion of Women’s Sport in Togo’, a significant road race that united over 1500 women nationwide; and another program focusing on parental accountability, encouraging birth registration and school enrollment for female children.
Promoting Women in Sports: Falilatou Tchanile-Salifou’s Global Recognition
“It is a privilege and an honor for me to have been named World Athletics Woman of the Year for 2023,” Tchanile-Salifou stated. “It is an honor that I would like to share with all my team; together we have worked with young girls and young women to help them reach more autonomy, more leadership opportunities, more equity and more participation opportunities,” she added. ALSO READ: Jamaicans Shine at Clemson Opener with Standout Performances
In addition to honoring Tchanile-Salifou, World Athletics also recognized Swiss coach Laurent Meuwly with the Coaching Achievement Award. Meuwly guided Dutch athlete Femke Bol to a 400m Hurdles world title in 2023.
World Athletics will announce the World Athlete of the Year for both male and female competitors on December 11th.
