French IOC member Guy Drut is concerned over the turmoil at the CNOSF ©Getty Images

International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Guy Drut has expressed his concerns over the "dramatic" infighting at the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF).

France's former Sports Minister said it was a "serious and unprecedented" issue as CNOSF President Brigitte Henriques attempts to oust secretary general Didier Seminet.

The future of Seminet is expected to be decided at an Extraordinary Board of Directors meeting on Monday (September 12).

Votes are set to be cast on whether the former French Baseball Federation President should remain as secretary general.

The Agence France-Presse (AFP) has obtained a letter where Henriques tells heads of National Federations and members of the CNOSF that the vote was a "necessary" procedure.

The reasons behind the move have yet to be made clear but Henriques said it was the result of "long and difficult reflections".

Drut said he was unaware of what Seminet was being accused of and added that fellow French IOC members Martin Fourcade, David Lappartient and Jean-Christophe Rolland were also none the wiser.

The 71-year-old insisted the turmoil inside CNOSF was a cause for concern as Paris prepares to stage the Olympics and Paralympics in two years’ time.

Didier Seminet faces being ousted as secretary general at the CNOSF ©Didier Seminet
Didier Seminet faces being ousted as secretary general at the CNOSF ©Didier Seminet

"I've been at the CNOSF for 25 years, I've never seen that," said Drut, an Olympic gold medallist in the men’s 110 metres hurdles at Montreal 1976 who was French Sports Minister from 1995 to 1997.

"There have always been difficulties between the Presidents and their general secretaries, but they have always managed to get along.

"There it is dramatic."

An unnamed President of a National Federation told AFP that the situation was "deplorable" and was "very bad for our image" in the build-up to Paris 2024.

However, a source said to be close to the management of the CNOSF insisted there was "nothing dramatic" about the vote to remove Seminet in the report by AFP.

Seminet is Honorary President of the French Baseball Federation and was a candidate for President of the World Baseball Softball Confederation, before being beaten by Italian Riccardo Fraccari in July, as he secured a second term in office.

Henriques was elected as the first female President in the CNOSF’s 49-year history in June 2021, after replacing Denis Masseglia, who stood down after 12 years leading the governing body.