Dubai: Francesco Ricci Bitti is set to be re-elected for a third and final term as Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) President after being confirmed as the sole candidate for the position.
The ASOIF General Assembly is scheduled to take place virtually on November 9 following the postponement of the event, which had been due to be held as part of the SportAccord World Sport and Business Summit. For the time-being, the election is the main item on the agenda for the meeting.
ASOIF has confirmed Ricci Bitti is the sole candidate for the position with no other nominations having been received prior to Tuesday’s (October 27) deadline. Bitti has been ASOIF President since 2012 and was re-elected for a second term in 2016.
“It has been an honour and pleasure alike to serve ASOIF and its member federations in the past years,” Ricci Bitti, ASOIF President and Honorary Life President of the International Tennis Federation (ITF), told media over zoom.
“I am ready and committed to provide continuity through what is proving to be very challenging times for sport and to prepare the future of ASOIF,” he added.
The General Assembly will decide on certain amendments to the ASOIF Statutes to ensure gender neutral language, as well as allowing the umbrella body to hold its General Assembly virtually and voting by electronic means in the future. ASOIF’s revised 2020 budget and draft for 2021 will be assessed at the meeting.
The agenda for the meeting will also include updates from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on matters related to International Federations (IFs) and the Olympic Games.
A report will be delivered by Tokyo 2020 on their preparations for the rescheduled Olympic Games, which have been pushed back to be held from July 23 to August 8, 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Reports will also be delivered by Paris 2024 and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) at the meeting, that is set to be livestreamed on YouTube.
