AF2009: JJ appointed to IOC
Wednesday, 01 April 2009 06:02
The president of the Equestrian Federation of Malaysia has been appointed to the International Olympics Committee.Yb Dato’ Seri Dr. JJ will take his seat on the world’s most senior sporting body today when he attends his first meeting of the IOC in the Bahamas.
It is the highest honour ever bestowed upon a Malaysian in the sporting world and it recognizes the commitment to the highest standards of sports administration that Dato’ JJ has overseen at the Equestrian Federation of Malaysia.
The appointment has been welcomed by sports traditionalists as a return to the style championed by Juan Antonio Samaranch when he led the Olympic’s international governing body in its heyday. “We expect that the skill and character that Dato’ JJ has brought to equestrian sport in Malaysia will fit well with the IOC’s new direction” a spokesman said.
As Dato’ JJ’s first contribution to the IOC ethos, Equestrian Federation of Malaysia will host the next Committee meeting in Langkawi where it is hoped that his proposal to include SCUBA diving in the Games will be considered.
He is also proposing that polo be included in the 2016 Games. The Equestrian Federation of Malaysia will host tours to the Malaysian and Argentine Opens this year so that committee members can familiarize themselves with the sport. These will be followed with an information sharing meeting that will coincide with the Cartier Polo World Cup on Snow at St Moritz, Switzerland.
Dr JJ’s appointment also flags other significant changes to the way the Olympics are administered.
It is expected that in the future all committee positions will be made for life, an efficiency measure aimed at reducing the costs of familiarizing new members with the complexities of the IOC.
An IOC spokesman also said that Dr JJ’s record of reducing administration costs by eliminating nuisances such as annual meetings and reporting to members will be drawn upon to improve the functions of the governing body.
