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Samaranch's son elected to IOC
MOSCOW (AP) -- The son of outgoing IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch was elected as a member of the committee Monday despite concerns that the appointment might be seen as nepotism. Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. was elected on to the IOC by a majority of 71 votes in favor, with 27 against. There were 11 abstentions. The outcome was a relief to Samaranch and means that both father and son will now serve on the powerful sports body. Even after he officially hands over control to Jacques Rogge, who was elected President on Monday, Samaranch will stay on the IOC as honorary president for life. There have been several previous cases of children of IOC delegates becoming members, but this is the first time a president's son has been elected. "I think the president took a big risk," said IOC executive committee member Anita Defrantz. Marc Hodler, the Swiss member who first blew the whistle on the Salt Lake City bribery scandal which ushered in sweeping reforms in the Olympic movement, merely raised his eyebrows when asked about the message the election of Samaranch Jr. would send to the outside world. "I'm very, very fond of Juan Antonio Jr.," he said. "He's a wonderful man. But .." he said. Samaranch Jr., a 41-year-old Madrid-based businessman known as "Juanito" by friends, is a vice president of the international modern pentathlon federation. His father kissed him on both cheeks and briefly squeezed his arm during the formal swearing in ceremony for new members. Other nominations accepted were: Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates; Els Van Breda Vriesman of the Netherlands, president of the International Hockey Federation; Randhir Singh, secretary general of India's national Olympic committee; Timothy Fok, head of Hong Kong's Olympic committee; and Issa Hayatou of Cameroon, a top African soccer official. In a rebuff to Samaranch, former Swiss President Adolf Ogi was rejected by 59 to 46 votes. There were 4 abstentions. It is extremely rare for a nomination for membership to be rejected. The apparent reason seems to be because there is a feeling that Switzerland has too many members on the IOC (already 5). Ogi was put forward as an honorary member of the Swiss Olympic Committee. The chairman of the nominations committee, Senegalese judge Keba Mbaye, pointed out his concerns about the nomination before the vote. "I would like to draw your attention to an embarrassing matter," he told the IOC general assembly. "It's the imbalance ... with members of certain countries, particularly Italy and Switzerland," he said. Switzerland, a tiny country of 7 million, already has five members on the IOC, including FIFA President Sepp Blatter and other heads of international sporting federations based in Switzerland. There is resentment among rank and file IOC members that this is too much. There was also criticism of Ogi, because he was only honorary president of the Swiss Olympic Committee. Ogi, a former Swiss sports minister who was Swiss president last year under the country's annual rotating system, was recently named by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan as special U.N. ambassador on sports and peace. In statements issued in Switzerland, both Ogi and the Swiss government said they were disappointed. Samaranch's voice trembled as he read out the result of the no-vote. He had earlier pleaded with members to accept the nomination as it would help bond relations between the IOC and United Nations. Lambis Nikolaou of Greece and Toni Khouri of Lebanon were elected on to the IOC's powerful executive board.
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