Golden 25 - #15 - SportAccord, Summer Feds Leader Ricci Bitti

(ATR) Francesco Ricci Bitti is president of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations, a role that puts him on the front line of negotiating the $400 million distributed to the federations from IOC revenues.

Ricci Bitti is now retired from the IOC and presidency of the International Tennis Federation, giving him a more independent status to administer the business of the association. Andrew Ryan, executive director, keeps things moving day to day.

Ricci Bitti is a member of the IOC Coordination Commission for Tokyo and the Olympic Channel Commission, two panels of great interest to the summertime sports.

Ricci Bitti complained about IOC rules excluding the 2024 Summer bid cities from the SportAccord convention in Denmark in April. Since then he’s made arrangements for Budapest, Los Angeles and Paris to at least present to the ASOIF members at the meeting.

As SportAccord president, Ricci Bitti directs the future of this annual convention of the international sports federations. Keeping finances in the black and presenting a compelling program of events are the ongoing challenge faced by these international gatherings. Aarhus, Denmark is the site of 2017 SportAccord, a new destination this for world sport convention.

Homepage photo: Getty Images

Written by Ed Hula.