Sheikh Ahmad Resigns ANOC Under IOC Pressure

(ATR) Sheikh Ahmad, the much-loved president of the Association of National Olympic Committees, is relinquishing the post under pressure from the IOC.

Ahmad, who was to preside over the annual meeting of the 206 member group in Tokyo this week, will now stand down from the presidency on an interim basis.

The IOC Executive Board, meeting via teleconference late Monday afternoon Tokyo time, heard more about the situation from Ethics and Compliance Officer Paquerette Zappelli Girard. She reported the findings of the IOC Ethics Commission Nov. 22 which took serious note of the criminal charges facing the Sheikh in Switzerland.

"The IOC Ethics Commission notes that the fact that he is considered by a judicial authority as having violated a criminal law constitutes a very serious damage to the Olympic Movement and the IOC’s reputation. This damage is proportionate to the importance of his various responsibilities in the Olympic Movement: the higher the responsibilities the higher

the impact on the reputation," says the report.

The Sheikh, ANOC president since 2012 and an IOC member since 1992, faces charges that grew out of power struggles in Kuwait. Swiss prosecutors say Ahmad concocted evidence used in other legal proceedings in Switzerland, with the help of Swiss lawyers who are also facing charges.

Ahmad denies wrongdoing and faces trial next March.

The popular and affable Sheikh was to have been reelected without opposition Wednesdayat the ANOC General Assembly to a third term. That vote is now on hold until the status of Ahmad’s fitness to serve is cleared by the IOC Ethics Commission and the Swiss courts.

The IOC says that Ahmad deserves the full presumption of innocence.

Robin Mitchell of Fiji is taking over as interim president as the longest serving ANOC vice president. Mitchell will also lead themeeting Tuesday of the Olympic Solidarity Commission.

Ahmad renounced his chairmanship of the commission last week when he also self-suspended his IOC membership pending the legal challenges he faces.

He is now listed on the IOC website as suspended chair of Olympic Solidarity. Mitchell is now designated interim chair of the commission that oversees the distribution of $500 million in IOC revenue to the world’s NOCs every four years.

A week ago Ahmad said while giving up his IOC functions, he would retain his presidency over ANOC. But since then the IOC President has made clear to the Sheikh that is not an acceptable option. The emergency meeting of the EB, already due to meet at the end this week in Tokyo, confirms the serious degree the IOC regards the Ahmad situation.

Ahmad will have the chance to present his case to the IOC Ethics Commission in January.

He will begin the temporary leave of his ANOC post the morning of November 28.

Written and reported in Tokyo by Ed Hula and Karen Rosen.

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