The 68-year-old, who has been at the helm of the Federation of International Bandy (FIB) since 2005, was the sole candidate running for the position he has held for seven years.

Bandy, a winter sport played on ice in which skaters use sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal, was officially recognised by the International Olympic Committee in 2001.

It featured as a demonstration sport at the 1952 Winter Olympic Games in Norway’s capital Oslo.

Three years later, the FIB was officially registered by four founding countries; Norway, Finland, Sweden and the Soviet Union.

Bandy was one of the disciplines not currently on the Olympic programme to have been showcased at "Try the Sport" events at the 2016 Winter Youth Olympics in the Norwegian town of Lillehammer.  

This year’s men's Bandy World Championship was held in Russia’s central city of Ulyanovsk in February.

The hosts successfully defended the crown they have held since 2013 after beating Finland 6-1 in the final.

Victory secured Russia their 10th world title since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Before that, the Soviet Union won 14 of the 17 editions staged since the inaugural event in 1957.

Sweden won the other three having triumphed in 1981, 1983 and 1987 and the country has claimed a further eight titles since 1993. 

The only other winner was Finland in 2004.