Ricci Bitti Unopposed in ASOIF Presidential Election

(ATR) International Tennis Federation president Francesco Ricci Bitti will stand unopposed in the election for the presidency of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations, Around the Rings is told.

As expected, Ricci Bitti was the only candidate to come forward to replace Denis Oswald by ASOIF's nominations deadline of midnight May 7. Last month, the Italian told ATR he had the backing of "more than enough" federations to be confident of being elected as new head of ASOIF.

It means he will be elected as president of the organization at its general assembly at SportAccord in Quebec City on May 22. Oswald steps down from the post at the end of the year.

Ricci Bitti will serve a four-year term from Jan. 1, 2013.

"He is a very, very good candidate. He has so much experience both in the IOC and ASOIF," ASOIF director Andrew Ryan told ATR, noting that Ricci Bitti had demonstrated his leadership credentials in his presidency of the ITF since 1999.

"It's fantastic for ASOIF to have someone of this quality. There is no question he is an excellent choice."

Still to be decided is who will replace Oswald as ASOIF's representative on the IOC Executive Board.

The Swiss finishes his term this summer, but the IOC's age limits prevent the 70-year-old Ricci Bitti from taking up the position.

The frontrunners for the post are drawn from the ASOIF Council – IAAF vice president Sergey Bubka, International Boxing Association president C.K. Wu, cycling federation chiefPat McQuaid and International Triathlon Union president Marisol Casado.

But more than a dozen IOC members within ASOIF's ranks are eligible to stand for the seat.

The ASOIF Council will make a proposal for its nomination to the IOC EB at its May 20 meeting in Quebec. A decision will made by the general assembly two days later.

The IOC Session meeting in London in July will be asked to approve the ASOIF representative to sit on the EB.

Reported by Mark Bisson

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