Abidjan has got its African Athletics Development Center (AADC) on Thursday, October 14, 2021, by signing the tripartite agreement between the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA), the Ivorian Athletics Federation (FIA) and the national institute of youth and sports (INJS).
The president of the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA), Hamad Kalkaba Malboum (Cameroon) and the CEO, Lamine FATY (Senegal) took part in the ceremony in presence of the Ivorian Athletics Federation’s president, the director General of the National Institute of Youth and Sports (INJS) and of the authorities in charge of Ivorian sport.
The Abidjan Athletics Development Center, housed within the National Institute of Youth and Sports (INJS) of Marcory, will be responsible for supervising training, organizing exams, detecting and training young talents and technical managers. “The fact of putting this Center in Abidjan is a new experience. In the sense that it will train technical executives and allow INJS Students to take an interest in athletics,” said President Hamad Kalkaba Malboum.
The CAA is committed to working towards the care of residents of the AADC and to provide them with experts who will supervise the training. As for the FIA, it will supervise training with the CAA, integrate the student teachers trained into the programs of the federation in all its components. The INJS will provide the Center with teachers, a room and sports facilities.
Ms. Kinimo, the representative of the Minister for the Promotion of Sports and the Development of the Sports Economy, Paulin Claude Danho, thanked the President of CAA for his choice of Côte d'Ivoire to host the prestigious center of African Athletics development. She reassured all parties that the State of Côte d'Ivoire will support this reference center.
The president of the Ivorian Athletics Federation, Jeannot Kouadio was very happy to have such an infrastructure on Ivorian land "Thanks to this center we will train athletes who will be able to take over after the retirement of Murielle Ahoure, Ta Lou ...", he said.
The Director General of the INJS, Habib Sanogo, meanwhile reassured that the center will be a plus in the training of student athletes.
Ms. Fofana Na Aminata, Secretary General of the National Olympic Committee assured the institution to support the African Athletics Development Center. This, each time by giving scholarships to the athletes. Coach Anthony Koffi, also attending the ceremony, reassured everyone to put his skills at the service of the African athletics development center in Abidjan.
Minister Paulin Claude DANHO granted an audience to Mr. Hamad KALKABA MALBOUM, President of CAA on Wednesday, October 13, 2021.