Stadium in Abuja where the 8th All African Games is to be held.
JVC qualifies for 8th All Africa Games
Abuja, Nigeria
After many months of negotiations, JVC has been awarded a multi-million pound contract by the Federal Government of Nigeria to provide a full broadcast turnkey system for the 8th All Africa Games. These games will take place in and around Abuja Nigeria from 4th – 18th October this year.
JVC is already one of the leading providers of broadcast television equipment in the region, where many broadcasters are using both D-9 and Professional DV equipment for local production work.
For the All Africa Games project JVC has entered into partnership with a number of other international suppliers, to ensure that the best possible broadcast solution is provided for, what has become, the most important event in the pan African sporting calendar. While the JVC D-9 digital production format will be used as the core of the broadcast systems, other companies that will be the main providers of equipment include Continental Microwave, EVS Broadcast Equipment, Fujinon, Ianiro Lighting & Equipment, Hitachi Denshi, Pinnacle Systems, Quartz, Snell & Wilcox and Vinten Broadcast.
Local support and training will be provided by both JVC and its main agent in Nigeria, International Broadcast Services & Training of Lagos.
The Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) is the organisation that took the decision to adopt the JVC solution. Of their decision to select JVC, NTA’s Director General, Ben Murray-Bruce said, “over the last few years JVC has been one of the few distributors to appoint local dealers and provide access to training and technology appropriate to our needs. The All Africa Games is the most ambitious, comprehensive broadcast project that we have ever embarked upon, so it is vital that the company that we have selected can do justice to the Games, which will be the focal point for a worldwide viewing audience during October.”
Hajime Yamasaki, Deputy Managing Director of JVC Professional UK, who was awarded the contract, had this to say about JVC’s appointment.
“We are absolutely delighted to have been selected to supply and manage the All Africa Games project. Over the years JVC has contributed a considerable amount to the general broadcast infrastructure in many parts of Africa. Our appointment for this most prestigious of events in Africa demonstrates the Government’s and NTA’s confidence in JVC. This territory is an important region for our continued business development. We have proven the capabilities of the company, its products and its local agents. Certainly we and our partners will make every effort to play our part in ensuring the success of the games as a major broadcast event.”
About the Broadcast Facilities
The facilities that are being provided for these Games are the most comprehensive ever developed for an international event of this kind on the African Continent. While most of the action will be centred on the main stadium in Abuja, some of the OB services will be used to cover those events (eg. soccer) that will be staged in regional locations. They will be used to provide 4 hours of live broadcast transmissions as well as “off air” peak time viewing for millions of people around the world.
The majority of these facilities will be centred in Abuja, the federal capital of Nigeria and will incorporate several 10-camera and 4-camera OB trucks as well as a number of digital satellite news gathering trucks. Added to this will be satellite and V-SAT uplinks to ensure that the infrastructure is in place to service the huge international viewing audience that is expected to switch on to watch the activities from Nigeria.
Commentary facilities include an extensive gallery of commentator booths and a “hele-tele”, helicopter-mounted microwave commentary system. A transfer duplication bay will add to serve the distribution needs of the Games and this will all be “topped off” with an International Broadcast Centre that will provide a comprehensive “home” for the international community of broadcasters that will be in Abuja to cover the Games.
About the All Africa Games
The All Africa Games were first held in Brazzaville, Congo in 1965 and were in fact hosted by Nigeria before in Lagos in 1973. Now, thirty years on, the 8th All Africa Games is being hosted once again by Nigeria – this time in the federal capital of Abuja.
The Games have grown out of all recognition from their beginnings in ’65. This year 53 nations will participate in several stadia that will accommodate an audience of 80,000. A total of 22 events will be completed for over the 15 days – 4th to 18th October.
For the athletes the importance of these Games cannot be overstated, because they will be used as the qualifying games for the 2004 Olympic Games. This means that all participants will be trying to bring their performances to a peak in October this year in Abuja.
The main stadium in Abuja will accommodate an audience of 60,000 and an International Broadcast Centre and commentator booths to serve a worldwide gathering of journalists and commentators. A specially constructed Athletes Village will house the 6,000 contestants that are expected to compete across all disciplines.
