Lassana Palenfo
Lassana Palenfo is an Ivorian military general. He has held various offices in several international sporting organisations. He was the director of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa, and a member of the International Olympic Committee, and has been the director of the National Olympic Committee of Ivory Coast since 1999, director of the African Judo Union since 1990 and vice-president of the International Judo Federation since 1990. He was awarded the Olympic Order in Silver in 2012. In his whole life, he practiced multiple sports like swimming, judo and football. In July 2013, during the elective General Assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa, he was reelected for a 3rd mandate in a row as the ANOCA president.
Biography
Born on January 25, 1941, in Ivory Coast, Lassana Palenfo left his country to study in France.He graduated from several schools in Paris, including the National College of Financial Administration, the Paris Institute of Administration and Management and the Paris School of Social Sciences. Then he followed a military course in the Inter-armes military schools of Coëtquidan and Saint Maixent.
After these studies, Lassana Palenfo started two different careers: a military one and a sportive administration one.
Military career
- Deputy Director of Military Legislative Affairs at the Ministry of Defence
- Deputy Director and Director of Administration
- Director of Financial Affairs and Defence Ministry Programmes
- Army inspector
- Director of Social Housing and Buildings
- Minister for Security
- State Minister responsible for security
Sports administration career
- Member of the Ivory coast Judo and Assimilated Disciplines Federation then President
- Member of the SOA
- Vice-President
- Treasurer then President of the African Judo Union
- Vice-President of the International Judo Federation
- Vice-President then President of the National Olympic Committee of Ivory Coast
- President of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa Development and Games Commission
- President of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa
International Olympic Committee cursus
- Member of the International Olympic Committee from 2000 to 2012
- Honorary Member of the International Olympic Committee since 2012
- President of the National Olympic Committee of Ivory coast in 1999
- Member of the following Commissions: Women and Sport, Olympic Solidarity and International Relations