Habib Sissoko, a controversial election and a legal complaint

The disputes between the CNOSM and the Malian Cycling Federation, headed by Sidy Bagayoko, show no sign of ending. Bagayoko, who was not invited to the elective General Assembly, had filed a first complaint against Habib Sissoko's election, which was ultimately rejected by the Tribunal de Grande Instance of Commune III in Bamako.

Read more on the subject: Malian Olympic Committee: Habib Sissoko re-elected for a seventh time

On 23 July, a new complaint was lodged with the Tribunal de Grande Instance seeking to have the CNOSM's elective General Assembly declared invalid, the vote that returned Habib Sissoko for a seventh consecutive term without an opponent. The alleged grounds include breaches of the statutes and rules of the Olympic Charter, and the CNOSM's refusal to recognise a federation that is recognised by the sports ministry and by the UCI, the International Cycling Union.

Conflict of interest between Habib Sissoko and Jean-Claude Sidibé causes a stir

In an official letter dated 14 July, the African Cycling Confederation confirmed that Sidy Bagayoko was indeed the legitimate president of the Malian Cycling Federation, as the UCI had already noted in correspondence.

The problem is that this decision is not recognised by the CNOSM, which had interfered to back Amadou Togola, the self-proclaimed president of the federation, who was later placed under a committal order.

All these matters and potential conflicts of interest also came to light during the elective General Assembly held at the Hôtel Millenium, an establishment run by Jean-Claude Sidibé, the president of the basketball federation, who is named in a report on abuse of minors and whose law firm works for the CNOSM of his friend Habib Sissoko.

Romain MOLINA