LAUSANNE: Lord Sebastian Coe and Gianni Infantino, the two new and most high-profile sports federation leaders, have been overlooked by the International Olympic Committee in its latest proposals for new members.

The status of presidents of the world athletics federation and international football generally guarantees them a place among the great and the good of the IOC.

However, with both sports embroiled in controversy, IOC president Thomas Bach was enabled to advise the executive board that they could be considered next year once both men have completed a year in post since their respective recent elections.

The IOC members election commission, chaired by the Princess Royal, came up with eight names of candidates representing what it described as “a cross-section of expertise from the worlds of sport, culture, medicine, sociology, business, law and management. Gender equality is guaranteed with four women and four men on the list.”

Candidates

The eight candidates are:

Sari Essayah: Finland, Olympian, racewalker, chair of the Finnish Christian Democratic Party;

Ivo Ferriani: Italy, Olympian, bobsleigher, president of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation;

Luis Moreno: Colombia, president of the Inter-American Development Bank;

Auvita Rapilla: Papua New Guinea, secretarygeneral of the Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee, ANOC and ONOC exco member;

Anant Singh: South Africa, film producer;

Tricia Smith: Canada, Olympian, rower, president of the Canadian Olympic Committee;

Karl Stoss: Austria, chairman of the managing board of Casinos Austria AG, president of the Austrian Olympic Committee;

Nita Ambani: India, founder and chair of the Reliance Foundation.

Bach said: “These eight candidates that we are proposing to the next IOC Session are a strong and varied group of individuals that are experts in their respective fields and will make great contributions.

“They have been vetted by new criteria in keeping with the recommendations of Olympic Agenda 2020. These candidates will add extra strength and diversity to our already universal orchestra of IOC Members.”

The addition of eight new Members would bring the total number of Members to 99. The 129th IOC Session is scheduled to take place from August 2 to 4 and on August 21.

More proposals are due for the IOC Session in Lima in 2017 after elections in certain International Summer Sports Federations and National Olympic Committees (NOCs) following the Olympic Games Rio 2016, in consultation with the respective stakeholders.

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