FIBA Secretary General elected President of SportAccord

LAUSANNE - Patrick Baumann, Secretary General of FIBA and an International Olympic Committee (IOC) Member, on Friday was elected the new President of SportAccord.

Baumann claimed victory by 55 votes to 25 against Anna Arzhanova, the head of the World Underwater Federation (CMAS), as 80 of 89 current SportAccord members took part in the voting process during the General Assembly that brought to a close the week-long SportAccord World Sport and Business Summit in Lausanne.

SportAccord is a not-for-profit association, composed of autonomous and independent international sports federations and other international organisations contributing to sport in various fields.

Baumann will serve a four-year office term. It will add to his duties with FIBA, the IOC and chairing of the Lausanne 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee.

The 48-year-old from Switzerland replaces interim head and fellow countryman Gian-Franco Kasper.

Following the election, Baumann said he will prioritise "building an atmosphere where people are not thinking only of division, but what can bring us all together", adding "SportAccord can still serve as the voice of sport."

He urged all sporting bodies to prioritise good governance in the aftermath of recent scandals.

"We have to be ready for change and we have to improve ourselves on a daily basis if we don't want somebody else to change us," he said. "It is a challenge for every single one of us. Every federation has to take this extremely seriously and take a hard look at how it does things."

FIBA