Retiring Lamine Diack, 82, the President of the International Association of Athletics Federation, says he will be leaving a financially stable federation with financial reserves of between $65 million and $67 million.
“I think I would be proud of the financial situation of the federation because in every situation, we cannot achieve everything,” Diack, who would be leaving in August, after more than 15 years in the saddle, told a Special AIPS-Africa Publication, a copy of which was obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria.
He added: “During my tenure, the IAAF and its marketing partner Dentsu raised over a billion dollars of revenue from TV & sponsors.
“In 2015, the financial reserves will be 65-67 million dollars. I think it’s a big achievement and all the way I have been very successful. I tried to make athletics universal and now athletics is everywhere.
“I was interested in bringing the world championships to Africa and although it has never been a priority, we managed to boost the money that the continents and the federations receive as support.
“The IAAF used to have six European one-day meetings with few athletes participating every year. Now we have a league of 14 competition meetings that are spread over three continents.”
Diack also noted that under him, “the athletes are also now living and making money from athletics.
“We also have a robust anti-doping programme. The IAAF has for decades sanctioned athletes for up to four years for doping violations. In 1993 the IAAF suspended John Ngugi for refusing to undergo a doping test.
“That was 22 years ago! We had our own arbitration panel in place then. And now we have even gone further to create a biological passport programme, which tracks an athlete’s blood profile over years to look for signs of doping.
“This will take years and is also an expensive venture we are putting in place to establish enough evidence that would bar an athlete who is cheating from our sport.”
According to Diack, athletics federation was among the first that is conscious of having a clean sport soon after we introduced money into the sport.
He said: “We were the first federation to set up a comprehensive and well-funded Medical and Anti-doping programme, alongside clear rules, manuals on doping violations for both in and out of competition testing.”
Outgoing Diack, who would be stepping down after crossing the mandatory retirement age of 81 in international sports, said in 2014, they had 3,600 tests with 120 positive cases.
He said: “It’s a fight that the Olympic Committee, WADA and governments all have to play a role in. We have to continue the fight against cheating and it’s great that there are now establishments of National Anti-Doping organisations in key track and field countries.
“This is what is needed to help Kenya, Ethiopia set up centres like Jamaica and US did. I think it is totally ridiculous to say 99 per cent of athletes in Russia are doping.”
On his regrets, the Senegalese Diack, said: “Yes in Africa I was not able to make athletics the number one sport everywhere.
“Athletics in my country (Senegal) and where we are now… very far from what we used to be.
“We were good high and long jumpers, produced great sprinters, and organised great championships. But the reason for the decline is simply because athletics has disappeared from schools in Dakar, unlike for instance the Caribbean Islands, which have robust school athletics programmes.”
Diack was educated at the College Van Vollenhover, Dakar before proceeding to study Law and Economics at the University of Dakar.
He later studied at National School of Taxes, Paris, France.
He worked in various capacities, including as Inspector of Taxes (1961-1969), Commissioner General of Sports (1969-1970), as well as Secretary of State for Youth and Sports from 1970 to 1973.
Diack was also Secretary of State for Human Promotion (1973-1974); National Conservator of Land Ownership of Senegal (1974-1978).
He was Mayor of Dakar from 1978 to 1980, as well as Deputy of the National Assembly of Senegal, from 1978 to 1993.
Diack was also first Vice-President of the National Assembly of Senegal from 1988 to 1993.
He served as Chairman of the Administration Board of the National Water Company of Senegal between 1995 and 2001.
In sports, Diack during his youthful days participated in many sports including basketball, football, table tennis, volleyball and athletics; where his work shone and resonated around the continent and the world at large.
He was Dakar’s champion and winner of the Paris-Dakar Football Juniors Cup between 1950 and 1952.
Diack was the French West African Long Jump champion and record holder between 1957 and 1960 and the French Long Jump champion in 1958 (7.63m) and French University Long Jump champion in 1959, with a jump of 7.72m.
But it was in the administration of sports that the icon no doubt made the most outstanding contributions.
He served as Executive Committee Member of the defunct Supreme Council for Sports in Africa from 1973 to 1987 and IAAF Vice-President from 1979 to 1999.
He became the IAAF President since November 1999 and the President of the Senegal NOC from 1985 to 2002; President of the African Athletics Confederation between 1973 and 2003.
Here are career Highlights and positions held by Diack:
President of the International Association of Athletics Federations, IOC member.
President of the International Association of Athletics Federations, IOC member
Born on 7 June 1933 in Dakar, Senegal
Education:
College Van Vollenhover, Dakar
Economics and Law, Dakar University: Bachelor and Master Degree
National School of Taxes, Paris
Career:
1961-1969: Inspector of Taxes and State Owned Property
1969-1970: Commissioner General of Sport
1970-1973: Secretary of State for Youth and Sport
1973-1974: Secretary of State for Human Promotion
1974-1978: National Conservatory of Land Ownership, Senegal
1978-1980: Mayor of Dakar
1978-1993: Deputy of the National Assembly of Senegal
1988-1993: Senior Vice-President of the National Assembly of Senegal
1995-2001: Chairman of the Administration Board of the National Water Company of Senegal
Positions held in the IAAF:
1976-1991:Vice-President.
NAN.