Regional games in West Africa in the early sixties paved the way for the first African continental games, the 1st All-Africa Games (1ers Jeux africains) played from 18 to 25 July 1965, in Brazzaville, Congo. 2500 athletes from 29 nations marched into the stadium. Men competed in ten sports, women just two; athletics and basketball.
Foreshadowing what was to become accepted protocol at major international games, and reflecting the continent’s relative political instability, the Congo-Brazzaville Army was on high alert throughout the games for “malcontents” and “counter-revolutionaries.” All highways in and out of Brazzaville were patrolled by armored vehicles and all cars within the city, except for games participants and journalists, were stopped and inspected at major checkpoints.
The games’ success was due in a large part to the emerging African stars, such as Wilson Kiprugut Chuma (silver medalist in the Tokyo 800 meters), Mohammed Gammoudi (silver medalist Tokyo, 10,000 meters), and Kip Keino, Naftali Temu and Mamo Wolde, who would all win medals three years later at the Mexico City Olympic Games.
