Anani Matthia

Anani Matthia earned degrees in pharmacy, serology and biochemistry in France and later became head pharmacist in Togo and inspector of Togo pharmacies in 1958-59. He served for many years as the director of the Pharmacie du Bénin in Lomé, beginning in 1959.

In sports administration Matthia was Vice-President of the Togolese Football Federation from 1960-71 and then President from 1972-74. He served on the Togolese Olympic Committee beginning in 1963 and was its President from 1976-95. He was a member of the technical commission of the African Football Confederation from 1978-88 and on its Executive Committee from 1983-88. Matthia was President of the Association of African NOCs from 1981-89.

Matthia was co-opted onto the IOC in 1983 and served on several commissions, as follows: Olympic Movement (1982-90), Olympic Solidarity (1982-89) and then its Honorary Chairman from 1989, Sport for All Commission (1989-2007), and the Cultural Commission (1995-2007). He served as an IOC Member until he turned 80 in 2007, when he was made an Honorary Member. During the investigations into the Olympic Bribery Scandal in 1999 he was given a serious warning by the IOC, but no other sanctions were taken.