'President's Cabinet' Big Winners at ANOCA Assembly

(ATR) Outgoing Association of African National Olympic Committees secretary general Tommy Sithole tells Around the Rings recent controversial elections were a "predictable" affair.

Sithole, from Zimbabwe, served as secretary general for four years after winning election in 2013. He was defeated by Ahmed Abou Elgasim Hashim from Sudan in yesterday’s election. Hashim garnered 38 votes to Sithole’s 16. Four years ago, Sitole won his position by one vote in a runoff.

The election for secretary general was the highest profile contest at the ANOCA General Assembly in Djibouti, after the presidential race was reduced to just one candidate, Lassana Palenfo. With his reelection, Palenfo will serve a fourth term as head of the African NOCs, after saying four years ago he would not seek another term. Palenfo has been in charge of ANOCA since 2005.

The ANOCA Executive Committee barred Hamad Kalkaba from running, saying he used the government of Cameroon to aid his campaign. Kalkaba told ATR he was barred from running by a "cabal" within ANOCA. He pledged to appeal the decision to the IOC Ethics Commission and the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

When asked if an appeal was lodged with the ethics commission the IOC referred ATR back to ANOCA. CAS did not respond to a request for comment. Neither Palenfo, nor Kalkaba responded to repeated requests for comment after the election.

Sithole did not comment directly about the presidential election, but said the entire affair was "pretty much predictable". Those who won election were "the ‘President’s Cabinet,' people [Palenfo] can work with."

"I would think that is normal," Sithole said. "I was a square peg in a round hole for four years and everybody knew that, even my most ardent supporters did. It was therefore natural that some changes had to happen."

With elections mostly decided before the General Assembly, Sithole says he contemplated withdrawing to allow Hashim to run unopposed. Doing so would have compromised his ideals, so Sithole ran to ensure his challenger did not receive the new post "on a gold platter".

Work for African sport will not stop for Sithole, even without an official ANOCA position. The administrator says he will do whatever is needed of him to continue the work ANOCA has done in recent years. Still, moving on from his position was a relief.

"It is a load off my shoulders," Sithole said. "I enjoyed myself all day yesterday and I intend to continue to. I am going to continue to contribute by other means, including, hopefully, documenting my wealth of experience."

Written by Aaron Bauer

25 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.