Franco-Beninese judoka Valentin Houinato hopes to qualify for the 2024 Olympics under the colors of Benin. The native of Melun, southeast of Paris, has stars in his eyes when talking about them.
“I want to take part in the greatest competition of all time. The Olympics are every four years… All the best athletes in the world are there. It’s an incomparable flavor,” explains the 1m78 tall man. Since 2022, he has been hunting for points to climb the African hierarchy: one of the twelve fighters on the continent.