By Tony Ubani, Maputo
AMIDST pomp and pageantry, back-slapping, kisses, tears in many cases,  the curtains on the 10th All Africa Games came to a beautiful end yesterday with Congo Brazzaville handed the flag as the next host of the 11th All African Games in 2015.

What that means is that the Games would be returning to Congo from where the Games started in 1965 with 29 nations and 2, 500 athletes competing.

And so, to celebrate the 50 years of the existence of the All Africa Games, the Games would make a return to its natural home – Congo – where it all began.

Republic of Congo officials were all smiles as they received the flag which is the insignia of trust, hope and power conferred on it by all Africans as the next host. Interestingly, in the Games in Maputo, Republic of Congo finished in the 25th position with no gold medal, three gold and five bronze medals while Democratic Republic of Congo finished in the 29th position with no gold, no silver six bronze medals.

There were a lot of hisses and sighs with many fearing that the All African Games might still suffer like it did when Zambia pulled out two years to the event to give Mozambique a tough task of providing first class facilities for the Games.

The All Africa Games after its debut in Brazzaville in 1965 suffered a setback in 1969 in Bamako as the Games were disrupted due to a military coup.

Nigeria breathed life into the Games in 1973 when Egypt captured the top spot. Since the Lagos edition, the Games had been unstoppable with Algiers hosting in 1978, Nairobi in 1987, Cairo in 1991, and Harare in 1995 where South Africa snatched the top spot.

In 1999, Johannesburg hosted a beautiful Games and shone gloriously to win the Games. Nigeria joined the ranks of two-time hosts in 2003 and wrote its name in gold as they won while Algiers, a two-time host in 2007 hosted and Egypt won the top prize.

Maputo, Mozambique came into the limelight as host when Zambia pulled out as hosts. Given the circumstances under which they became hosts, Maputo did their best amidst grumblings but at the end, South Africa won the Games, thereby becoming the first Country to have won the Games three times. In 1995, 1999 and 2011.