Ilic, who became an International Olympic Committee (IOC) member in 2017 and is currently involved in preparations for Chile's first hosting of the Pan American Games next October, spoke at last month's Panam Sports General Assembly in Santiago of ANOC having "lost its way" and "taken a different path".

The tenor of his comments was supported by Alfred Emmanuel, President of the St Lucia Olympic Committee, who criticised high-ranking ANOC officials for holding positions of power within the IOC, saying there were cases of "management and shop stewards sleeping in the same bed."

Asked about what was meant by these references, Ilic told insidethegames: "What Alfred was saying, what I was saying, was that ANOC is a very important organisation.

"It represents all the 206 National Olympic Committees (NOCs), which is very important.

"ANOC for me must receive all the comments coming from the National Olympic Committees and must do its best to be sure that the everyone is taking care of the Committees, to give them what they need, to give them what their athletes need.

"What we were talking about was - what is the role of ANOC for the future?

"And you have different opinions.

"Today you have ANOC with… Beach Games…ANOC with… I don’t know what.

"ANOC having some senior commissions with the IOC.

"What we said is nothing to be worried about, but we said that today it is important to be clear what is the role of ANOC.

"Does there need to be an [International] Olympic Committee, WADA role for ANOC?

"I have my opinion.

"We have to have people giving their opinions.

"I think it will work very well in the future, but today I think that we are not very clear.

"And in my personal opinion - why are we doing Beach Games?

"Some people can say, yes, because it is important.

"Other people can say, it is not our role to do Beach Games.

"The best way to be clear is to speak and decide, 'Okay, we take this role and we will follow this role.'

"Because ANOC is really important for the Olympic Movement."

Asked to confirm that his essential message is that ANOC needs to re-focus more on the NOCs, llic replied: “Probably, probably." 

"I am very clear that the first focus for ANOC is the NOCs," Ilic said.

"So the first mission for ANOC is to listen to the NOCs, to take care of the NOCs, to give them what they need, to be their voice in the IOC.

"After that we can decide what else ANOC can do."

The ANOC General Assembly is due to run from October 18 to 20.

Click here for the full interview with Ilic in this week's Big Read.