Paris 2024 Olympics: “We have a good chance of getting a medal with Hugues Fabrice Zango and Marthe Koala,” says journalist Gustave Taro

Lefaso.net: You have been retired for six months. How is your new retirement life going?

Gustave Taro: At the moment, I feel uneasy because there are a lot of sports-related events. I am asked to be the master of ceremonies at some events. Otherwise it is quite calm because I have my health.

How did you get into journalism?

It was an atypical situation because I am not a trained journalist. I am a trained sports teacher. When I came to Ouagadougou to play professionally, we were training and the Canal Arc-en-ciel radio station had just opened in the early 1990s. When this radio station opened, they needed volunteers to animate the broadcast of Sports Beach. A friend, now an inspector of secondary education in Ouachigoua, got me started in this venture. He was the titular presenter of the sports show, which aired every Monday from 12 noon to 1 pm and simultaneously on Fridays. One day, he asked me if I could support him.

In his time, it was not possible to prepare the newspaper through the Internet as it is today. We had to listen to Radio France Internationale (RFI) and record it to supplement the international information. When we finished school, I was assigned to the Lycée Vénégré school in Ouagadougou as a physical education teacher. School ended around 10 am, and I had time to prepare the newspaper for 12:45 pm. In 1998, I was assigned to the Ministry of Sports as Director of the Cooperative Sports Department.

It so happened that the late Minister of Sports, Kilimité Hien, was transferred to the Ministry of Transport. During a ministerial meeting, he asked Minister René-Émile Capore what my job was. He told him that he needed me to breathe new life into sports journalism. Having the advantage of being trained in the field of sports, it was still easy to understand and provide good coverage of sports events. He asked to remove me from the ministry in order to take me to the National Radio. That’s how I ended up working as a journalist on the radio.

Without an academic background in journalism, how did you adapt?

The difficulty was in the technical aspects of journalism. I had difficulty with journalism types such as reporting, as I had not been to journalism school. Of course, we had sports terms, but we had to know how to use them in a professional way. But we gained experience by working with predecessors such as Daba Kini, Victorien Marie Hien, Siriki Dramé, the late Issaka Ouédraogo, Yannick Laurent Bayala, Gabriel Barrois, etc. They supported us to bring out the best in ourselves. With the knowledge of the sports environment and the athletes, the task was not difficult.

So you’ve never considered becoming a journalist?

I never thought about being a journalist.

So can we say you came here by chance?

I don’t think it’s accidental. The fact that we only talk about sports makes our task more or less easier. A PE teacher who talks about sports and a sports journalist, I don’t see any difference. It’s easier for us to return. But the training issue can create problems between the two, because a PE teacher doesn’t have the technical knowledge of journalistic practice. There, I was lucky to have the training that enabled me to be there.

Do you have any regrets about leaving the profession of physical education teacher?

Never! I usually tell people that I didn’t change my profession, I just changed the way I do it. Sports journalism allows me to continue talking about sports in another format. In addition to the presentation of sports events, we have the opportunity to translate the regulations to the public and discuss the different regulations. I just changed the way I teach.

Who are your role models in the journalistic world?

Before entering the sports world, there was Daba Kini. He was an elder who was also a sports teacher. He also achieved good results despite not going to journalism school. This is an example that inspired me a lot. Another trigger was that RTB had a volleyball team at that time to increase its visibility. The team participated in national-level competitions. There were many seniors who made us love this profession just by listening to their speeches.

There is a perception that you still have a lot to learn in terms of match commentary compared to your international colleagues. Do you understand this criticism?

You have to know that there are no schools of sports journalism in Burkina Faso. All journalists who are there do it out of love. They are not trained specifically for the sport. You know very well that the way to collect information about sports is different from the way to collect information about politics. Sports require passion, that is the most important thing. Almost everyone works in sports journalism. This sport is very specific and you have to know the basics. For football it is even better. But this is not necessarily true for other sports. There are no journalists specializing in different disciplines in Burkina Faso. Everyone does everything. And in Europe, this question of specialization does not arise. They love boxing, volleyball, basketball, cycling, etc. In Europe, professional journalists are able to follow the developments of their discipline.

What are some of the biggest stories you had to cover that still make a lasting impression on you?

I have emotions of major events. I played CAN in Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Egypt and Morocco with clubs. We feel a sense of patriotism when we support our national team, especially when they do well in a tournament. I remember in Equatorial Guinea, the Stallions were beaten in the first game and as we were leaving the stadium, I met a taxi driver. He asked me if I was from Burkina Faso and I told him yes. I thought it was to encourage us. He told me was it you who killed Thomas Sankara? This situation had nothing to do with football but he let me know it anyway. What shocked me even more was that the Stallions finished second in the 2013 CAN tournament in South Africa. These are memories that stay with us for a lifetime.

There are many young people like you who dream of a career in sports journalism. How can they succeed in this profession?

I would tell them not to hesitate because it is a promising career. Today, young people are passionate about sports journalism. Sports need to develop constantly and we cannot do this without the support of journalists and communicators. We are happy that many young people choose a career in sports journalism. We need to think about training them in the field of sports in front of politicians, editors and media management. This can lead us to professionalization. In addition to reporting, you should know that we appreciate the quality of content that a sports journalist brings to the public through his commentary. If you do not have the same knowledge as those who follow you, listen or read, people may follow you in criticism. If we are on the same level as the supporter who comes to applaud and bear the same criticism that he can bear, then you are not well appreciated. Training is indeed undeniable.

this 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) qualifying draw It is known. Burkina Faso is in Group L with Senegal, Malawi and Burundi? How do you rate this group?

I would say that football is a difficult discipline to stretch. All teams have a chance to play in the CAN. We saw the behavior of Cape Verde, which is not known as a great team but causes problems for the team. In the Burkina Faso group, you should also know that Malawi has already caused us problems in the qualifiers of the CAN. We don’t know Burundi very well and have no chance to prove the quality of its services at the continental level. In any case, I only favor Burkina Faso’s qualification because we want two teams. The two teams in good form, judging by the performance on paper and the quality of the players, are Senegal and Burkina Faso. Whatever others say, Burkina Faso has players who play for some very interesting clubs and can get the job done. But we must stay united because our football has not improved in the last few years or months. Since we are about to have elections at the level of the Burkina Faso Football Federation (FBF), I guess the new leaders will take into account this desire for a holy alliance.

The Olympic Games (OG) will begin in a few days in Paris, France. Athletes from Burkina Faso will be present. What are the chances of Burkina Faso winning this competition, which starts on July 26?

For Burkina Faso, we have a good chance of getting a medal with Hugues Fabrice Zango. We may have a chance to get a medal with Marte Kaura and maybe in taekwondo. Burkina Faso will go with eight athletes and a fleet from the United States and other countries will also arrive. In terms of presence, we are not the best, but I think Burkina Faso will be happy.

It’s been six months since you retired, do you miss the microphone?

Not yet. I’m always on the microphone. I’m the MC for some major sporting events and other events. Now, I don’t miss the microphone.

Interview with Serge Ika Ki

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