Lamine Diack and Hamad Kalkaba (© Oumar Ba for the IAAF)
Dakar, SenegalAfter 30 years of leading the African Athletics Confederation, IAAF President Lamine Diack yesterday handed over the reigns to his successor, Cameroon’s Hamad Kalkaba Malboum.
Lamine Diack had led the African Confederation, representing 53 African nations, members of the IAAF, since the body’s creation in 1973. He has stood down so as to be able to concentrate his efforts on his leadership of the World governing body.
President Diack’s major contribution to the growth and development of the number one Olympic sport throughout the Continent was lauded by a number of leading personalities attending this handover, including the General Secretary of the CAA, Abdoul Wahab Ba, the President of the Senegalese National Olympic Committee Abdoulaye Seye, the president of the Senegalese Federation Momar Mbaye and Adama Thiam, representing the Minister of State for Sports.
During a short speech, Lamine Diack spoke of his motivation for supporting Colonel Kalkaba as his successor: “He has all of the qualities necessary to carry out this role successfully.”
Earlier in the day, a protocol was signed between the Minister of State, the Senegalese Foreign Affairs Ministry, the African Union and the new President of the CAA, conferring diplomatic status on the headquarters of the CAA in Dakar.