ASOIF Readies for New Leadership

(ATR) Director Andrew Ryan tells Around the Rings the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations is in "a totally different position" after more than 12 years with Denis Oswald at the helm.

"ASOIF now is more unified than ever," says Ryan.

"It also has a very very firm financial base – which it didn’t before – from which to go into a new era."

For the 28 members of ASOIF, that "new era" begins this week when Oswald, 65, chairs his last Council meeting as president, a position he took over from former IAAF boss Primo Nebiolo back in 2000.

According to Ryan, there will be "no very big fuss" Friday in Lausanne.

A more formal handover from Oswald, president of the International Rowing Federation since 1989, to his successor Francesco Ricci Bitti, president of the International Tennis Federation since 1999, is scheduled for May at the ASOIF General Assembly in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Still, the Swiss all but ends his duties Friday because the Italian’s age, 70, prevents him from also taking over ASOIF’s traditional seat on the IOC Executive Board.

C.K. Wu of the International Boxing Federation gets the spot instead following his election last May and will present on behalf of the summer Olympic sports at next week’s EB meeting in Lausanne.

Another change for ASOIF is in store following the recent retirement of Goran Petersson from the presidency of the International Sailing Federation.

"He’ll remain on the Council as a fully active and voting member until elections in May," confirms Ryan.

Down to Business

Tops on the agenda for Friday’s meeting are reports on upcoming Olympics as well as updates on multi-sport games, EB preparations, a new ASOIF structure, the WADA Code review, issues surrounding the autonomy of sport and a proposed shared data platform known as ISIS.

"In fact, they will take a very big decision on that," says Ryan.

"They will receive a detailed report and presentation on where we are with the status of the shared data platform, and if they approve, then it will get the green light and immediately go into full power."

Development would take 2013 and the first half of 2014, he explains, with testing to follow the second half of 2014 and a launch date for IFs to begin sharing their event calendars, results and other data via a single platform scheduled for 2015.

Another major internal initiative for ASOIF is a new structure unveiled by Oswald, then championed by Ricci Bitti as part of his campaign platform.

"Six specialist consultative groups are being put in place from within the federations to deal with areas like commercial, Olympic and multi-sport Games, information technology, medical, sports development and legal," Ryan tells ATR.

"The idea is that we have this new structure almost now complete, but the final stages will be approved at the meeting and the green light given to the final employment to back that up."

According to the ASOIF director, the summer Olympic sports are now cooperating "much more closely than ever before" with their winter counterparts.

"In each of these six groups," says Ryan, "there is representation from the winter sports too."

Better than Beijing

IFs won’t receive their final checks from London 2012 until the first quarter of next year, but Ryan says they are sure to like what they see.

"The increase is substantial over the revenues that were received from the Games of Beijing in 2008," he confirms, insisting the IOC is still collecting from different contracts and so cannot yet give an official figure.

No Room for European Games

Though the proposed European Games will be discussed at Friday’s meeting, Ryan says not to expect any change of heart from the ASOIF Council.

"Recently, a letter has been received, and we have to discuss the consequences of that," he tells ATR.

"But our position remains unchanged. We don’t believe it’s viable, particularly due to the calendar, the fact that it’s so crowded in Europe."

No Pointing Fingers

With regard to interventions in IF political affairs, Ryan says no specific cases are mentioned on the agenda – but admits India and Kuwait will likely come up.

IOC leaders ask ASOIF to act in concert with them, he explains, because the IOC acting alone only has jurisdiction over NOCs, whereas conflicts usually also affect IFs.

Both the Indian Olympic Association and Kuwait Olympic Committee are in danger of suspension at next week’s EB meeting following the passage of legislation that infringes upon the autonomy of sport.

Last but not Least

Rounding out Friday’s agenda is a look at the World Anti-Doping Agency’s ongoing review of its WADA Code.

"For example, do we need to, as we did last time there was a Code review, have a general meeting of all the members to finalize a position paper which will be submitted under the process?" asks Ryan.

"There’s nothing there which jumps out as being a problem. It’s just that we need to discuss our position as a group again on things like whether it’s necessary to have a B sample, the Osaka Rule and so on, the headline issues."

Written by Matthew Grayson.

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