May 26 - Marius Vizer has turned up the pressure in the race to become the new President of SportAccord by warning that the organisation risks remaining a weak body with no real financial or political power and which keeps being manipulated if they do not elect him here this week.
Vizer, President of the International Judo Federation, is one of two candidates to replace the controversial Hein Verbruggen, who is stepping down after nine years leading SportAccord, the umbrella organisation for all Olympic and non-Olympic international sports federations as well as organisers of multi-sports games and sport-related international associations.
His only rival, Bernard Lapasset, chairman of the International Rugby Board, is widely perceived to be the candidate of choice of both Verbruggen and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), who are opposed to Vizer's central manifesto pledge of staging a united World Championships for all the sports in the same country every four years.
But the Hungarian-based Vizer has a powerful ally in Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, President of the Association of National Olympic Committees and an increasingly influential figure in world sport.
"I consider that the representatives of the member international federations will vote with honour for the sport that they represent, making abstraction of all possible arbitrary interests or external influences that are not for the benefit of sport," said Vizer.
"They have the option to vote for maintaining a SportAccord like it used to be in the past, manipulated from behind, with no perspectives, with insignificant funds, generated through controversial events and without generating a profit for the member federations, a SportAccord with important members but who do not have the possibility to express themselves in the sense of real projects, a SportAccord that almost nobody heard of, besides itsmembers, unknown to the sports media and the media in general, with certain limited, expired and under-performing leaders, supported from the shadows...with leaders reconverted into positions where they would continue to parasite the values of sport.
"With decisions dictated from outside or imposed, with leaders who keep being manipulated and who do not serve the interests of our organisation.
"Or a SportAccord which is a well‐known world brand, even re-branded, a modern structure, with a clear and prosperous vision, a new and performing SportAccord, free and independent, that cannot be manipulated, which would strictly serve the interests of its members and their organisation."
Besides a SportAccord Festival, intended to help showcase the smaller non-Olympic sports, Lapasset's manifesto is mostly designed to keep the status-quo, with few radical ideas.
Verbruggen had been lining up Ireland's Pat McQuaid to succeed him, just as he had done as President of the International Cycling Union (UCI).
But the Lance Armstrong doping scandal, which Verbruggen and McQuaid are both at the centre of, scuppered that plan, leading to pressure for 65-year-old Lapasset to stand.
Verbruggen was elected in 2004 to replace South Korea's Un Yong Kim, who resigned from the IOC in 2005 to avoid being expelled after an Ethics Commission report claimed he had "seriously tarnished the reputation of the Olympic Movement" after he was found guilty of corruption and embezzlement.
It is widely assumed that if Lapasset beats Vizer in the election here on Friday (May 31) then he will be rewarded by IOC President Jacques Rogge by being made a member.
But early indications are that Vizer, who has promised SportAccord would be "managed in a professional, transparent and performing way", has more support for his ideas, which also includes an international bank of sport and international lottery to help generate income for the members.
"Man's most valuable assets are honour and conscience," said Vizer.
"The cause that we each represent at our level should always be guided by the spirit of freedom of expression and decision, the interests and benefits of the communities that we represent, honesty, justice and courage.
"Throughout history vision, knowledge and courage reformed humanity."