Cape Verde Olympic Committee President Filomena Fortes signed an MoU with the Cape Verdean Swimming Federation ©COC

The Cape Verde Olympic Committee (COC) has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) focused on funding and coaching with national bodies for swimming, gymnastics, baseball and weightlifting.

The MoU with the Cape Verdean Swimming Federation is worth approximately $3,500 (£2,650/€3,250) in funding.

This will go towards Olympic Solidarity Development of National Sports System initiatives, according to the COC.

It has been signed less than a year after two Cape Verdean swimmers became the first to represent the country at the Olympic Games.

Siblings Troy and Jayla Pina grew up in Massachusetts in the United States, but are Cape Verdean through their mother and both qualified for Tokyo 2020.

Together they carried Cape Verde's flag during the Opening Ceremony.

Baseball, weightlifting and gymnastics are also set to benefit from coaching courses the COC has committed to funding.

Troy and Jayla Pina were the first swimmers to represent Cape Verde at the Olympics at Tokyo 2020 ©Getty Images
Troy and Jayla Pina were the first swimmers to represent Cape Verde at the Olympics at Tokyo 2020 ©Getty Images

The National Olympic Committee is to facilitate Baseball5 caching courses in Mindelo, Boavista, Fogo and Santiago, while a gymnastics coaching clinic has been set for Praia.

Weightlifting coaching courses are also planned, but details are yet to be finalised.

Baseball5 is a pitcher-free discipline which requires only a rubber ball to play and no bat, so is designed to bring baseball to previously inaccessible areas.

It is on the programme for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.

Gynmastics and swimming are on both the Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028 programmes, with weightlifting due to be contested in Paris but left off the provisional sport programme for the 2028 Olympics.

"Federations can count on us in their ambitions, if they want to improve their structure we will help wherever possible through Olympic Solidarity funds, if they want to improve the coaches we will also be here," COC President Filomena Fortes said.