IAAF President Diack inducted into Africa Sport Hall of Fame
27 December 2008 - IAAF President Lamine Diack was honoured during the 2008 Africa Sport Hall of Fame and Awards induction ceremony which took place on Saturday 20th December within the sumptuous premises of Bamako’s (Mali) Hotel Radisson.
Many African Sport leaders including the Chief of Staff of the President of Mali, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Youth and Sports as well as the ANOCA President, General Lassana Palenfo, the Secretary General of CONFEJES and other African sport authorities attended this initiative of the company Jappo. The event was particularly marked by the participation of famous Grammy Award winner and Malian artist Toumani Diabate.
Hall of Fame
“I am honored to take over from late Keba Mbaye who was my teammate at Foyer France Senegal”, thus spoke Lamine Diack, President of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) in a voice full of emotion when receiving the trophy magnifying his action within the framework of sport administration and at the same time marking his entry to the Africa Sport Hall of Fame in the ‘sports leader’ category.
This Africa Sport Hall of Fame induction ceremony on 20th December 2008, according to President Diack, falls in line with the innovative dynamic of Jappo which, “since its creation, has been contributing to the promotion of African sport”. While acclaiming all the wonderful initiatives of Jappo such as the Africa International Sport Convention (CISA) and the induction to the Africa Sport Hall of Fame, the IAAF President said that “it is high time for sport professionalization in Africa, and to that regard Jappo has already marked out the way”.
It was quite unfortunate that this 2008 edition of the Hall of Fame was marked by the absence of Maria Mutola and Roger Milla who were unable to travel as planned. The latter has firmly promised organizers that he will come to Dakar to collect his trophy, before 31st December.
JAPPO Awards
The public in Bamako was able to discover the video showing the trophy presentation of the category ‘best sport installations development policy’ awarded to the President of the Republic of Tunisia Mr. Ben Ali. The presentation took place in Tunis in July 2008. The Jappo Award trophy for Sport Promotion in Africa went to South African and member of the International Olympic Committee Sam Ramsamy.
The Fair Play trophy was presented to the President of the National Olympic Committee of the Gambia A. B. Dandeh Ndiaye. The last trophy in this category rewarding Humanitarian Actions in sport will be presented to Dikembe Mutombo in the USA in early 2009.
Special Trophies
In terms of recognition, National Committees of Senegal and Mali, have also received trophies; the first one for hosting the first edition of CISA in 2007, and the second one for organizing the second edition of the Hall of Fame.
Finally a special trophy was awarded to the President of the Republic of Mali H.E. Mr Amadou Toumani Touré. This trophy said to be for recognition of merit, represents according to Diamil Faye, President of Jappo and organizer of the Gala Night, ‘a testimonial of his outstanding contribution to the development of sport in Mali’.
The 2008 evening’s event was opened on a note of remembrance in memory of an African sports great leader Abdul Wahab Ba who died last August and whom Diamil Faye remembers as one who “never failed to give support and advice to towards actions initiated by Jappo”.
2008 List of Award Winners
HALL OF FAME
Female athlete: Maria Mutola, Athletics, Mozambique
Male athlete: H.E. Mr Roger Milla, Football, Cameroon
Best leader: Lamine Diack, IAAF President, Senegal
JAPPO AWARDS
Fair-play: A.B. Dandeh Njie, Pdt Gambian NOC Gambia
Humanitarian actions in sport: Dikembe Mutombo, Basket Ball player D. R Congo
Sport Promotion: Sam Ramsamy, IOC Member South Africa
Achievement of Sport installations: H.E. Mr Ben Ali, Pdt of the Republic Tunisia
