Singapore’s Ng Ser Miang is set to become the second declared candidate in the race to succeed International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge.
Several officials with knowledge of the decision told reporters on Tuesday that 64-year-old Ng is to formally announce his candidacy in Paris today. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement has not been made yet.
Ng, an IOC vice president, chaired the organizing committee of the inaugural Youth Olympics in Singapore in 2010.
German IOC vice president Thomas Bach announced his candidacy on Thursday last week in Frankfurt, Germany.
Rogge, who succeeded Juan Antonio Samaranch in 2001, steps down on Sept. 10 after 12 years at the helm of the committee.
Wu Ching-kuo of Taiwan, Richard Carrion of Puerto Rico,and Sergei Bubka of Ukraine are among other likely contenders for the presidency.
Wu, president of the international amateur boxing federation (AIBA), and Bubka, the former pole vault champion who still holds the world record, are expected to declare their candidacy soon.
On Tuesday, AIBA executive director Ho Kim sent a letter to federation members saying that the association’s executive committee (EC) recommended Wu run for the IOC presidency.
“We believe [the] president will accept this invaluable support from all AIBA EC members and make his final announcement whether or not to run for next IOC President very shortly,” the letter said.
The officials said that Ng was in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Monday to notify Rogge of his decision.
Ng has been a committee member since 1998 and has served on the policymaking executive board since 2005 and as a vice president since 2009. He has been Singapore’s ambassador to Norway since 2001 and is a former vice president of the International Sailing Federation.
Ng will be seen as a candidate from Asia, a continent with growing economic, political and sporting influence on the world stage.
Bach, a 59-year-old German lawyer, has been considered the front-runner in the IOC presidency race. The former Olympic fencing gold medalist has served on the IOC executive board as a regular member or vice president since 1996.
The official deadline for candidacies is June 10, exactly three months before the election in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
An unofficial election campaign has been going on for months, with Bach, Ng and other prospective candidates traveling the world to attend various Olympic gatherings to talk to members.
An announcement is likely by the end of the month from Carrion, a former executive board member who heads the IOC’s finance and audit commissions.
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