Ogwumike leads U.S. delegation to AFCON

Chinenye Ogwumike

Chinenye Ogwumike, a member of the President’s Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement in the United States (PAC-ADE) and two-time Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) All-Star, has been appointed by U.S. President Joe Biden to lead the delegation of sports envoys and U.S. officials travelling to Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, for the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Africa’s largest sporting event.

The delegation, according to a statement by U.S. Department of State, will harness the strength of the African diaspora, showcase U.S. investments in Côte d’Ivoire and strengthen cultural and economic ties between African communities, the global African diaspora, and the United States.

The delegation includes Lisa Leslie, four-time Olympic Gold Medalist and Basketball Hall of Famer; Crystal Dunn, U.S. Women’s National Soccer team star; Daniel Kimmage, Principal Deputy Coordinator, Global Engagement Center (GEC); and Deniece Laurent-Mantey, Executive Director, PAC-ADE.

In Abidjan, the delegation will engage government officials, international partners, civil society, and Ivoirian youth, leveraging the unifying power of sports to strengthen ties between Americans and African partners.

Announced by President Biden in September 2023, PAC-ADE provides invaluable guidance to reinforce cultural, social, political, and economic ties between the United States and Africa, and also promotes trade, investment, and educational exchanges between the United States and Africa.

“The United States extends best wishes to the 24 teams competing for the Africa Cup of Nations’ championship,” the statement ended.

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