ANOC President resigns dramatically, citing corruption and unethical ploys against him

The walls of the Olympic house are likely to keep quivering for some time ahead after one of the most experienced and powerful IOC members, the 79-year old ANOC President Mario Vázquez Raña, Thursday resigned from all his Olympic posts, slamming the door with all the power he wielded when leaving.

In an extensive press release Vázquez Raña launches harsh attacks on two of ANOC’s Vice-Presidents and their allies whom he accuses of corruption, incompetence and breaching the constitution of the Association of National Olympic Committees.

The root of the conflict is the fact that the Mexican Mario Vázquez Raña would have had to leave the IOC by the end of this year as he celebrates his 80th birthday in June.

That has given rise to a debate over who should succeed him as ANOC President and on the powerful post he had at the IOC’s Executive Committee.

According to Vázquez Raña, the candidate for taking over the ANOC Presidency from 2014, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah from Quwait, is said to have paid bribes to secure support from NOC representatives.

In the case of the hopeful substitute for the IOC Executive Committee, Patrick Hickey, the Irish President of the European Olympic Committees, Mario Vázquez Raña says he lacks ”the minimum ethical and moral qualities to fulfill that responsibility”.

”There will be consequences,” Alan Abrahamson from 3Wire Sports concludes dryly in his report at the APIS website.

Read Abrahamson’s report and the full press release from the outgoing ANOC President here.