Nuzman re-elected as Brazilian Olympic Committee President |
Back To Main |
08-Oct-2012
Inside the Games
October 7 - Carlos Nuzman will serve a fifth consecutive four-year term as Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) President after he was comfortably re-elected to the position as the sole candidate.
The 70-year-old, who is also the President of Rio 2016, was re-elected with 30 votes for and one against by Brazil's national governing bodies, with Eric Maleson of the Brazilian Ice Sports Federation responsible for the lone ballot against Nuzman.
Maleson, Brazil's first bobsled Olympian, has had a long feud with Nuzman and announced earlier this year that he would challenge him for the Presidency but the COB rejected his application, requiring that a candidate be backed by at least 10 national governing bodies, which he was not.
"I'm completely focused on delivering great Games and securing Brazil among the top-10 medal winners in 2016," said Nuzman, a professional lawyer and a former volleyball player who represented Brazil at the Tokyo 1964 Olympics where the sport made its debut at the Games.
"This is a mission for the country, which will be accomplished along with the federal, state and city Governments, as well as with the confederations and all of those who love sports."
Carlos Nuzman is also President of the Rio 2016
At the London 2012 Olympics, Nuzman led Brazil to their most successful appearance at the Games as they claimed 17 medals, three of which were gold, to finish 22nd on the overall medal table.
But Nuzman, who has been an International Olympic Committee (IOC) member since 2000, believes Brazil will improve on the performance at Rio 2016.
"With the increase in funding for Olympic sports in Brazil after winning the bid for the 2016 Olympics, we are certain that it's possible to make a major leap in quantity and quality in the medal count in the next edition of the Games," he said.
"Brazil's status changed after it organised the 2007 Pan American Games and won the bid to host the 2016 Games.
"This is Brazil's most important moment in sports and we have great challenges ahead.
"I couldn't be more motivated."
But despite Nuzman's comfortable victory, the COB President has a growing number of critics in Brazil, including politicians and members of the media, who have accused him of wrongdoing and say he has been in power for too long.
At the end of his latest four-year term in 2016, Nuzman will have completed 21 years at the head of the COB.
One of his most vocal critics in Brazil is former Brazilian striker Romario, who claims Nuzman is involved in corruption and must step down as President from both the COB and Rio 2016.
Former Brazilian football Romario is one of the most vocal critics of Carlos Nuzman
However, Nuzman has continually denied all allegations of corruption put to him by.
Contact the writer of this story at tom.degun@insidethegames.biz |
