Emmanuel Bitanga (CMR) (© IAAF.org)
African athletics is in mourning following the death after a along illness of the renowned Cameroonian coach Emmanuel Bitanga who was for many years the Technical Director of the International Centre of Athletics of Dakar (CIAD), an IAAF High Performance Centre.
Along with Frenchman Hervé Stephan, who was the first technical director of the CIAD, Emmanuel Bitanga helped guide the successful international careers among others of Senegal’s Amy Mbacké Thiam, the 2001 World 400m champion, Cameroonian Françoise Mbango, the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Triple Jump champion, Mauritian Eric Milazar, the multiple African champion at 400m, and Egyptian Hatem Mersal, a winner at the long Jump at the African Games and Championships.
With Bitanga’s death in Douala, Cameroon on Tuesday 9 December, at the age of 55 (DOB 5 November 1953), Africa has lost one of its brightest coaches who nourished the continent’s hopes and ambitions in athletics.
Bitanga was also the former president of the "Association Africaine des Entraineurs d'Athlétisme" and contributed greatly to the development of the association.
He was also a remarkable sprinter in his own right, an Olympian with a personal best for 400m of 46.34 (1980), and a medallist over 200m at the 1979 African Championships, Dakar, Senegal.
IAAF
