ASOIF President Francesco Ricci Bitti will lead the election in April in which five candidates are vying for three places ©Getty Images

Patrick Baumann, Marisol Casado, José Perurena, Leandro Negre and Chungwon Choue have been announced as the five candidates who are standing for three places on the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) Council.

International Basketball Federation (FIBA) secretary general Baumann and International Triathlon Union (ITU) President Casado are widely expected to be re-elected when ASOIF make their decision at their General Assembly, due to take place as part of this year’s SportAccord Convention in the 2014 Winter Olympic host city of Sochi, Russia.

They have both served one of their two four-year terms and will therefore be able to stand this time around.

Baumann has carried a heavy influence in trying to get 3x3 basketball, a shorter format of the game, included on the Olympic programme and the sport could also be a part of the Commonwealth Games in the future. 

International Handball Federation (IHF) President Hassan Moustafa has served his full term as a member of the Council and has therefore had to stand down.

Current ASOIF Council member Patrick Baumann is expected to be re-elected when ASOIF make their decision in Sochi on April 22
Current ASOIF Council member Patrick Baumann is expected to be re-elected when ASOIF make their decision in Sochi on April 22 ©Getty Images

Current International Canoe Federation (ICF) President José Perurena of Spain, head of his sport's governing body since 2008 and an International Olympic Committee (IOC) member since 2011, has a wealth of experience in sporting administration.

He is also Pesident of the International World Games Association but he faces stiff competition from the other two candidates.

Fellow Spaniard Negre, meanwhile, has been the International Hockey Federation (FIH) President for seven years and has overseen the rapid growth of the sport, while Choue, head of the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF), will also be vying for a place on the Council.

Nominations for the positions officially closed on Monday (April 6), and the new structure of the Council will announced following the ASOIF General Assembly on April 22.

International Tennis Federation President Francesco Ricci Bitti of Italy is the current ASOIF President, and other members include International Association of Athletics Federation Presidential candidate Sergey Bubka, head of World Archery Ugur Erdener and International Boxing Association chief chief Wu Ching-kuo.

The day after their General Assembly, ASOIF are also set to hold a special meeting to discuss the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.


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