BUDAPEST: After 44 years under Tamas Ajan, weightlifting’s troubled governing body is getting an acting president to oversee an investigation of corruption allegations broadcast in Germany.
The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) said late on Wednesday its American vice-president Ursula Papandrea will take a range of operational responsibilities working alongside Ajan for up to 90 days.
Papandrea will lead an Oversight and Integrity Commission tasked with identifying, nominating and recommending independent experts in fields including anti-doping and financial reporting, the IWF said.
The allegations broadcast this month by German network ARD pose the biggest threat to 81-year-old Ajan’s control of the Budapest-based organization where he has been president for 20 years, and general secretary for the previous 24.
ARD broadcast evidence of alleged doping cover-ups and financial irregularities linked to weightlifting’s share of Olympic revenues from the IOC in Swiss bank accounts.
Published in Dawn, January 24th, 2020
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