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Governing Bodies

IOC election rules could affect prospects of presidential hopefuls

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2024 Olympics - Athletics - Women's Marathon Victory Ceremony - Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France - August 11, 2024. World Athletics President Sebastian Coe and International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach during the medal ceremony REUTERS/Phil Noble/File Photo

International Olympic Committee presidential hopefuls, including World Athletics chief Sebastian Coe, face a set of election rules that could influence next year’s vote for the new head of the world’s biggest multi-sports organisation.

Britain’s former Olympic champion Coe, 67, and Spanish IOC Vice President Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr, the 64-year-old son of the late former IOC chief, are two of the potential candidates eyeing the top job in the Olympic body.

A letter sent this week by IOC ethics commission chief Ban Ki-moon to all members said the elected IOC president would have to be an IOC member throughout their entire term, while the age limit for IOC membership is 70 even for the top job, with only one possibility of a four-year extension.

The first term for an IOC president is eight years, which means that under current rules Coe and Samaranch, if elected, would exceed the age limit during their first years in office.

IOC members are elected either through their positions as heads of international federations and National Olympic Committees or as individual members.

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Coe got onto the IOC in 2020 through his position as president of World Athletics.

“Pursuant the Olympic Charter the IOC President must be a member of the IOC at the time of the election and during the entire duration of their term as IOC President,” the letter said.

The rules do not pose any immediate problem for either Coe or Samaranch to run for the position.

They are both under the age limit and current IOC members. The rules could, however, be an obstacle during a potential presidency should Coe, for example, lose his World Athletics post that is linked to his IOC membership.

IOC presidents, however, are able to push through rule changes quite easily, either through executive board decisions or charter changes.

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Neither Coe nor Samaranch immediately responded to a request for comment.

The new president will be elected by IOC members in March 2025 at a session in ancient Olympia, Greece, and will take over in June that year, Bach said, to allow a smooth transition.

The IOC will announce the list of eligible candidates on Sept. 16.

-Reuters

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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Governing Bodies

CAF President Dr Motsepe Announces Five Vice Presidents

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The president of the Confédération of African Football, Dr. Patrice Motsepe, has announced five new CAF Vice Presidents. They are:

  • CAF First Vice President: Mr Fouzi Lekjaa (Morocco)  
  • CAF Second Vice President: Mr Kurt Okraku (Ghana)
  • CAF Third Vice President: Mr Pierre-Alain Mounguengui (Gabon)
  • CAF Fourth Vice President: Ms Bestine Kazadi Ditabala (Democratic Republic of Congo)
  • CAF Fifth Vice President: Mr Feizal Sidat (Mozambique)

In addition, the CAF President has co-opted Yacine Idriss Diallo, President of Fédération Ivoirienne de football, into the CAF Executive Committee.

The CAF Executive Committee also approved the names to fill vacant positions on several CAF Committees.

Organising Committee for the African Nations Championship (CHAN)

  • President:  Pierre-Alain Mounguengui (Gabon)

CAF Technical and Development Committee

  • President: Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)
  • Vice President:  Malouche Belhassen (Tunisia)

CAF Medical Committee:

  • President: Dr. Mohammed Bouya (Mauritania)
  • Vice President: Dr. Thulani Ngwenya (South Africa)

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Governing Bodies

Nigeria  becoming an epicentre of global badminton as Francis Orbih enters the Badminton World Federation Council

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Laurels on the courts and now glory in the boardroom sums up the mark that badminton is making in Nigeria.

The President, Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), Francis Orbih, has been elected as a council member of the Badminton World Federation (BWF).

The election took place during the BWF Annual General Meeting on Saturday in Xiamen, China.

 Orbih emerged victorious over top contenders from other African countries.

He will join Cameroon’s Odette Assembe Engoulou on the council, while Chipo Zumburani (Zimbabwe) and Hadia ElSaid (Egypt) missed out.

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An elated Orbih expressed his gratitude to fellow badminton presidents across the globe for their trust and support.

He said, “I am deeply honoured by the trust placed in me by my peers across the badminton world.

“I look forward to quality representation, driving development initiatives, and strengthening badminton’s global reach over the next four years.”

Orbih also acknowledged the support of the Federal Government of Nigeria, particularly the National Sports Commission (NSC), which he said played a significant role in his successful bid.

“The Chairman and the Director General of the NSC monitored the entire process. I’m grateful for their involvement and confident Nigeria will benefit from this,” he stated.

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He further appreciated the BFN board members and the Nigerian badminton community for their prayers and continued belief in his leadership.

“From the day I declared my intentions, the board members of BFN have been supportive, and I promise not to disappoint them,” Orbih concluded.

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Governing Bodies

Ex-FIFA Council member and Mali football chief released from jail

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A former member of the FIFA Council, Mamoutou Toure, has been released from jail in Mali after almost two years in detention for alleged corruption, Malian media reports said on Wednesday.

Toure, president of the Malian Football Federation since 2019, was released after 622 days in prison on Tuesday.

He served on the FIFA Council, world football’s all-powerful decision-making body, for four years until last month when he lost his seat after failing to contest new elections.

The 67-year-old was arrested in August 2023 on allegations of embezzling $28 million of public funds but was granted a provisional release order by the Malian courts, reports said.

He was accused of misconduct during his time as the National Assembly’s financial and administrative director from 2013-2019.

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Toure denied all charges and, during his time in jail, was last August re-elected as Malian Football Federation president for a second consecutive term, with his supporters claiming he was a victim of a conspiracy fuelled by detractors.

While in jail, he received a letter of support from FIFA president Gianni Infantino. However, as of last month, Toure is no longer a member of the FIFA Council or the Confederation of African Football’s executive committee.

-Reuters

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