ATR First: COB Sends Non-President Representative to ANOC

(ATR) Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) President Paulo Wanderley will not be in Prague for the Association of National Olympic Committees General Assembly, Around the Rings learns.

Today the IOC Executive Board met and lifted one section of the provisional suspension against the COB. As a result of reforms taken by the committee, the COB can now participate in continental association meetings including this week’s ANOC General Assembly. The IOC provisionally suspended the COB after the arrest of previous President Carlos Nuzman on corruption charges.

"We thank the IOC for recognizing our actions taken until this moment," Wanderley said to ATR. "We keep working hard to be, in a short term, totally in compliance, through measures driven by austerity, transparency and merit".

A COB spokesperson told ATR that Sporting Director Agberto Guimaraes will serve as representative in Prague. Any COB representative would participate in both the general assembly as well as a PanamSports General Assembly this week. Wanderley would have travelled to Prague, ATR is told, but the trip would conflict with a series of meetings regarding the COB statues this week.

With Brazil’s attendance confirmed, only Kuwait is expected to be absent from the 2017 ANOC General Assembly.

The IOC says that an independent auditor will work to "make sure that the COB, as a legal entity, was not involved in any manner whatsoever in any of the allegations/charges against Mr Nuzman," according to a release. A complete review of all audits taken by the COB during the period of Nuzman’s presidency must also be completed.

The COB must also complete a series of institutional reforms started at its extraordinary session earlier this month. When both processes are complete "there will be no decision about the final lifting of the provisional suspension."

Wanderley told O Globo in his first major interview that his three guiding principles to lead the COB will be "transparency, austerity and merit." When pressed if that will be enough to restore the credibility of the organization Wanderley said no, but believed it would be "a start."

"These pillars have numerous variables such as optimizing management, governance, compliance, new distribution of [public funds]," Wanderley added.

Written and reported by Aaron Bauerin Prague

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