(ATR) Around the Rings has learned that ASOIF president Denis Oswald has sent a letter to the 28 member federations to announce his resignation, paving the way for the election of his successor at the association's general assembly at SportAccord in May.
Oswald explained in his letter dated Jan. 26 that he was quitting to allow for a smooth succession at the Quebec meeting on May 22. His resignation, which comes into effect on Dec. 31, is aimed at ensuring ASOIF keeps a presence on the IOC Executive Board when the Swiss finishes his term this summer.
The IOC has apparently agreed to him staying on the EB until the end of the year when the new head of ASOIF will take over.
Under ASOIF rules, nominations from presidential candidates are due no later than May 7 - 15 days before the election.
ASOIF director Andrew Ryan told ATR he expects "significant interest" in the position.
Two potential candidates contacted by ATR - International Cycling Union president Pat McQuaid and International Handball Federation chief Hassan Moustafa - declined to express an immediate interest in taking over the ASOIF presidency. But they didn't rule themselves out of the running.
"It's far too early to say. The closing date [for nominations] is the first week in May. I haven't really thought about it. I would have to talk about it with my [ASOIF] colleagues," McQuaid said.
Moustafa told ATR: "We have to sit together... I don't like to destroy our community... and then we can choose one. I want to have a good cooperation between all of us."
Both federation leaders are on the eight-member ASOIF Council, which discussed Oswald's succession at a meeting on the sidelines of the Winter Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck two weeks ago.
An IOC member among the 28 members of ASOIF - of which McQuaid is one - appears to stand more chance of being elected as Oswald's replacement in May.
If an IOC member is not chosen to lead ASOIF, it will nominate another federation president to represent its affairs on the IOC Executive Board from the start of next January.
The IOC Session meeting in London in July will be asked to approve the ASOIF representative to sit on the EB. Oswald's successor would become only the third leader of ASOIF since it was formed in 1983.
Also in Oswald's letter, he writes that ASOIF will propose a change in its constitution to make sure it elects a new president in the year of the Games. This alteration aims to ensure the umbrella association for summer Olympic federations is not overlooked for a seat at the IOC's top table when the mandate of one of its members expires.
ASOIF chief Denis Oswald is also the president of the International Rowing Federation and chair of the IOC Coordination Commission for London 2012. He will lead the IOC's final inspection of Olympic preparations March 28 to 30.
Reported by Mark Bisson
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