Sports and Diplomacy: Four Francophone Leading Voices beyond the Field 

With sports in the spotlight as we approach the 2024 Paris Games, join Francophonie Atlanta, Alliance Française, Villa Albertine and the Consulates General of Belgium, Switzerland, and France for a panel on sports diplomacy between the US and the francophone world, as part of Atlanta Francophonie Festival. In this panel moderated by Trevor Williams, Managing Editor at Global Atlanta, Dr. Lindsay Krasnoff, sport diplomacy expert and author of Basketball Empire: France and the Making of a Global NBA and WNBA, will be in conversation with three Francophone athletes from three different stages in their respective careers: French-American goalkeeper in Atlanta, Quentin Westberg; Belgian football player Sylvain Yondjouen, currently a defensive end at Georgia Tech; and Osvaldo Jeanty, Canadian-Haitian basketball coach and former professional player. 

This event is free and open to the public; registration is required. The conversation will be in English. 

Dr. Lindsay Krasnoff is a globally-recognized sports diplomacy expert pioneering work within the basketball diplomacy framework and a leading expert on French sport, notably how France became one of the major basketball pipelines for NBA, WNBA, and NCAA talent. Author of Basketball Empire: France and the Making of a Global NBA and WNBA  (Bloomsbury, 2023) and The Making of Les Bleus: Sport in France, 1958-2010 (Lexington Books, 2013), she has deep knowledge of the Fifth Republic’s youth development programs and French-American diplomatic and sports ties. She is also historian, writer, speaker, and consultant who helps industry professionals be more effective communicators across the global sports arena by drawing on her deep expertise in global sports, communications, and diplomacy. 

Quentin Westberg is a professional goalkeeper who began his career with the youth academy at French club ES Troyes AC. He is a former youth international, having represented the United States at under-17, under-20 and under-23 levels, playing at the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship. Westberg played for 15 years in France before moving to North America in 2019. He is currently a professional soccer player in Atlanta. 

Sylvain Yondjouen is a talented football player who has made his mark as a defensive end for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Yondjouen’s journey to Georgia Tech was quite unique, spanning from Belgium to Philadelphia, Arizona, and finally Atlanta. His hard work, athletic gifts, and perseverance have positioned him as a likely high-round draft pick for the NFL. 

Osvaldo Jeanty was born in Haiti and immigrated to Canada at the age of 6. He played professional basketball for 7 years in several European and francophone countries such as Germany, Romania and Morocco. He was a member of the Canadian national basketball team in 2006 and 2007. His experience in playing at a high level in various countries has been instrumental in shaping his leadership and inter-personal skills, his understanding of people, as well as his cultural awareness. Ten years ago, Jeanty started his career in Wealth Management as Associate Advisor with RBC Dominion Securities. He is still actively involved with basketball through coaching and training.