As a former decathlete, Maurice Séri Gnoléba became the first President of the Ivorian Athletics Federation and a prominent political figure in the country. Séri Gnoléba was also the first treasurer-paymaster of the Côte d’Ivoire, serving in the role from 1962 until 1974. During his long political career he was the Minister of Commerce, the Minister of Industry and Planning, and the Minister of State, before serving as the President of the Economic and Social Council in 1999. With his athletics background and promotion of Ivorian sport, Séri Gnoléba was awarded the Olympic Order in Bronze in 1990. After his death in May 2019, he was honoured with a street being named after him in Abidjan.
Côte d'Ivoire