The Ministry of Youth and Sports has reaffirmed its commitment to elite athletes and individual disciplines as part of the 2026 budget, highlighting the rigorous monitoring of federations and targeted support for high-level athletes.
Priority to individual sports and Paralympic disciplines
In the 2026 budget, the ministry allocated 29 million dinars to individual sports, compared to 6.63 million to team sports. This orientation has made it possible to maintain Tunisia among the performing nations during major international competitions.
Paralympic sport also benefits from increased support, with 11 target contracts concluded with high-level athletes for an amount of nearly 3 million dinars, and an expansion of disciplines from 5 to 10.
Support for elite athletes
The minister reaffirmed support for high-level athletes, citing Ahmed Jaouadi, Ayoub Hafnaoui and Rami Rahmouni. For Jaouadi, two support contracts were signed: 375,000 dinars in 2024 and 350,000 dinars in May 2025, including 185,000 dinars already paid.
At the same time, the ministry reiterated its intention to sanction any breach of disciplinary rules, citing the example of weightlifter Ghofrane Belkjir, whose departure deemed “illegal” from the national delegation in Norway is considered unacceptable.
Management and restructuring of federations
Several sports federations have been restructured, some dissolved and replaced by temporary offices for breaches of the rules, particularly in taekwondo and pétanque. In total, 11 federations have been reorganized, in addition to three more in 2024.
The ministry is closely monitoring vacancies in technical directorates, in particular the recruitment of the technical director of the Athletics Federation.
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