Alpha Diallo

Alpha Diallo studied journalism and civil administration and played basketball and football as a youth. He later had a diplomatic career, being posted to Algiers, Rabat, Tunis, Cairo, and the Middle East. He was also an Ambassador and representative to the United Nations in New York from 1983-85. Within the Guinean government he served as Director of the Cabinet for the Prime Minister from 1975-82, Secretary-General of the Communications Ministry from 1992-94, and Minister of Communications and Culture from 1997 until his death. Diallo was the founding President of the African National Broadcasting and Television Union (URTNA) and Chairman of the first Pan-African Cultural Festival held in Algiers in 1969.

In sports administration Diallo was head of the Guinean NOC for 15 years and was a member of the ANOCA Executive Committee from 1986-90, before becoming President from 2001-05. He also served as a member of the ANOC Executive Committee before becoming its Vice-President in 2001. He was co-opted onto the IOC in 1994, and served on the following commissions – Sport for All (1995), Radio and Television (1996-2012), IOC 2000 (1999), Olympic Solidarity (2002-06) and International Relations (2002-12). In 2012 Diallo became an Honorary Member of the IOC.