Often empty words like development, potential and progression were prominent during the hour we spent in surroundings remiss of many people's view of Africa, but with Kalkaba things seem different.

The reason for our chat is the Africa International Sports Convention (CISA), which gathered a large proportion of the leading figures in African sport to discuss what lies ahead for the continent in the future, and what challenges they face.

And, believe me, there are many.

Africa's sporting prowess has been vastly limited by in-fighting, political tension and a lack of funds across the majority of sport, with the most notable hurdle coming in the form of the shambolic All-Africa Games, due to take place in Brazzaville, Congo in September.

As has been well documented, arguably the leading sporting body in the continent, the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), strangely do not own the Games.

CAA President Hamad Kalkaba Malboum (third right) believes ANOCA should seize control of the All-African Games in order for sport in the continent to develop ©CISA/Facebook



To put that into perspective, it is like the International Olympic Committee (IOC) not having the final say over the Olympics.

The role fell instead to the African Union Sports Council (AUSC), a group made up largely of Government officials and politicians - much to the dissatisfaction of Kalkaba, who feels that particular aspect of African sport is holding them back, and then some.

"We need to make clear who is the owner of the Games," he said, a clear passion evident in his voice. "I think the Governments of Africa should realise that it is not their role to organise Games within the sports movement in Africa. We are losing a lot of opportunities in getting money from the IOC and also the sponsors.

"I'm sure in future ANOCA can organise the Games and this can be the catalyst to improve African sport."

Instead of being an event for the whole of Africa to look forward to, the 50th anniversary of the All-Africa Games are laced with a toxic undercurrent of greed and selfishness among those who are supposed to help the development of sport.

Yet it is clear as day that some of the sporting powers are in fact doing the opposite.

When Mustapha Berraf, vice-president of ANOCA and someone who will surely throw his hat into the ring to replace the long-serving Lassana Palenfo when he steps down as President, spoke at the CISA Convention, his lack of urgency and direction on the matter was both distressing and disturbing in equal measure.

Compare that to Ugandan Sports Minister Charles Bakkabulindi, whose fiery voice could have rocked the desk at which I was sat at.

But, some believe, that he is part of the problem and he is ruled by self-interest and not the desire to improve African sport.

Kalkaba, therefore, came across as the polar opposite, speaking with optimism despite the seemingly insurmountable problems that plague sport across the continent he loves.

"For me, Africa has so much potential," he said. "In the main cities in a lot of African countries they have good facilities and signs of development. The environment is growing and a lot of companies are now invested in us. We need to change the way that we present our sport to the general public to attract new sponsors."

Ugandan Sports Minister Charles Bakkabulindi spoke passionately about the All-African Games but many feel he is harming their chances of progression ©CISA/Facebook



With every fleeting moment of hope and aspiration comes a realisation that things are far from rosy in the garden of African sport.

A pivotal and recurrent topic was the potential that exists in African athletics - they, of course, have a proud heritage, particularly in the field of distance running - but even when they do discover a young, promising athlete, they are often tempted to move away in order to progress their careers.

Few can blame them for doing so, but that doesn't help athletics in Africa progresss in a way where they will be both feared and respected across the planet.

It is important to remember the sheer size of Africa - although some in the Western world still view it as a country rather than a continent - so surely there must be a plethora of raw youngsters keen to embark on a career in sport.

Under Kalkaba, they will certainly have a substantial platform on which to elevate themselves potentially to the greatness of African legends such as Haile Gebrselassie, whose rise from humble Ethiopian roots is more than well-documented.

Kalkaba is looking to get his continent on the Diamond League map as Africa has never played host to one of athletics' most prestigious events, and the Cameroonian also expressed his desire to stage the IAAF World Championships on the continent sometime in the near future.

While others may have simply mentioned the problem of switching nationalities, Kalkaba, himself a former athlete before he went down the military path, offered a solution as he called on Governments to intervene to help preserve Africa's pool of athletic talent, although he admitted it would be difficult in the current economic climate.

Africa does have a rich heritage in athletics, particularly in distance running, and Haile Gebrselassie is arguably the most biggest name to come from the continent ©Getty Images



"The way I think it would be possible is that if the Government took special measures to protect those athletes," Kalkaba, who is also President of the Cameroon National Olympic Committee, said.

"They're not protected at the moment so we need to find the right way to deal with this issue. If we can find a solution they can then remain in their country rather than going elsewhere to represent someone else.

"If the rich people come to take them it is not ethical for me to stop them going because they might get a better life and we must respect their human rights.

"Seven of our athletes left our delegation and remained in London [after the 2012 Olympics] and some others remained in Europe, mainly because they don't have the right facilities for good training.

"When an athlete comes from an Olympic Games with a gold medal the whole nation is proud and even the politicians come to meet them at the airport but they can't give us the facilities we need."

The issue of funding is one that the 64-year-old spoke in great detail about, offering an enlightening insight into the murky world of African sports politics.

It is here where he also raised the concern that football has too much of a monopoly over the money in African sport, a complication that reared its head during CISA.

Everywhere you look in Kigali, there is a reminder of the global reach of the beautiful game.

Manchester City's Yaya Toure is one of Africa's most famous sporting names but Hamad Kalkaba Kalkaba laments the way football monopolises the continent's funds ©Getty Images



People walking the street emblazoned in the football shirt of their favourite team - Manchester United, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea - and constant television coverage are just two examples of how it dominates African sporting culture.

The population appears, to an outsider, to be bereft of support for their local club, but it is not that aspects which causes such an antipathy towards a sport that can testify to being truly global.

In Africa, the somewhat limited coffers of money find their way into the hands of those who rule football, leaving other sports such as swimming, boxing and athletics, languishing far adrift on a football-dominated horizon.

"Football has killed many sports in Africa," Kalkaba boldly stated. "We think the main sponsors should be the Governments but they focus their effort on football and they put a lot of money into that.

"In some African countries this problem has already been solved, such as in Ethiopia and Kenya, as they don't have any issues in finding funding from the Government."

In conditions hardly conducive to a growth in infrastructure, Kalkaba also told insidethegames that they are continuing to try and get the funds to build development and training facilities throughout the continent that could rival those in other parts of the world.

It is always refreshing to hear someone with the status of the Cameroonian talk with such verve and fervour about a subject that is clearly dear to his heart, yet he seemed at his most content when we got round to speaking on the effervescent outgoing International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) President Lamine Diack, a fellow African from Senegal. 

The 81-year old is due to retire from a role he has held since 1999 at the end of this year, and he will be replaced by either Britain's Sebastian Coe, a name that will forever be synonymous with the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, or Ukranian Sergey Bubka, who has carved out just as a successful career in sports administration as he did when he was a pole vaulter setting world records almost to order, it seemed. 

The race is set up to be one of the most important in the history of athletics, and it may be fair to say that rarely has there been a time where two candidates with the prowess of Coe and Bubka have both been gunning for the top job in the sport.

Of course, Kalkaba was always unlikely to pick a favourite but he, nonetheless, praised the qualities of both men, and while the pair are certainly worthy of such glowing testimony, he ensured the conversation always veered back in the direction of the hugely-experienced Senegalese, also offering his view on what should be the main priority of the new President.

"I think personally he did a good job and we must keep the legacy of Lamine Diack and if we do that we will protect the sport in future," he said. "He has helped us through some tough times and now the IAAF is financially stable and athletics has developed a lot.

"We have two good candidates who are both former Olympic champions and are famous athletes but for Africa it's the way that how the new President considers the need of our continent. The next President must work hard to keep athletics as the number one sport in the Olympic Games.

"We will make a choice to select the person who we think is the best for promoting athletics first of all worldwide but specifically how it would work with our strategic plan to develop athletics in the continent."

Current IAAF President Lamine Diack will retire from his role at the end of this year and he will be replaced by either Sebastian Coe or Sergey Bubka ©CISA/Facebook



Diack's tenure as IAAF President has been fraught with difficulty, sprinkled with the odd allegation of corruption and littered with the issue of doping.

He wouldn't be the President of an International Federation without all of that.

But, it will soon be time for the octogenarian to exit stage left and he will surely look on at the sporting show Africa intends to put on in the future with great pleasure, in the comfort of one of his many grandchildren as the continent moves on without its ever-present spearhead.

Although Durban has, in a sense, won the right to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games by default, following Edmonton's withdrawal, it is nonetheless a step in the right direction.

For the Commonwealth Games are no longer a secondary-tier event – they are perhaps now looked upon with as much excitement and enjoyment as their Olympic and Paralympic counterparts, and this is something that will greatly appeal to South Africa.

If Durban can get anywhere near the level presented by the Scottish capital of Glasgow last year, they will certainly announce themselves on the international stage once and for all.

"Durban are committed to make a very successful 2022 Commonwealth Games but their intention in the future is to host the Olympic Games," Kalkaba commented.

And there we have the elephant in the room, exposed in all its blatant glory.

Throughout the convention, held in Rwanda for the first time, the issue merely lingered under the surface.

Hamad Kalkaba Kalkaba was among the main delegates at the CISA Convention and he remains optimistic about the future of African sport ©CISA/Facebook

After all, if they can't organise an effective All-Africa Games, what chance do they have of doing it on the grandest stage of them all?

That being said, there is no doubt staging an event of the calibre of the Commonwealth Games alerts the attentions of the hierarchy at the International Olympic Committee, and Kalkaba may be right when he says they intend to enter the Olympic and Paralympic bidding race in future, although 2024 appears to be too soon.

Again the Cameroonian displayed his optimism here.

ANOCA President Lassana Palenfo said recently that it would be "almost impossible" for Africa to stage an Olympic and Paralympic Games - a view entirely different to that of the CAA chief.

Following fluttering rumours among the sporting arena, which claimed South Africa were indeed considering an historic countrywide bid for 2024, the country's Sports Minister was forced to admit it was "unrealistic".

Kalkaba is unlikely to be the type to worry about standing alone.

"What President Palenfo said is his opinion, but I'm convinced that Africa can host the Olympic Games," he said, unable to hide the evident smile on his face.

"We have many cities that are capable already, not just in South Africa but also in Egypt, Morocco and Nigeria for example. We want to be part of the world."

It was also encouraging to hear a man such as Kalkaba speak so openly about a range of topics as we chewed the fat over a cup of delicious Rwandan coffee.

The light may have been fading as day approached night, but don't bet on the light going out on Kalkaba's optimism just yet.

Liam Morgan is a Junior Reporter for insidethegames. To follow him on Twitter click here.