2024-05-04 08:35:29
Candidates for positions, including the position of LOK president, must be nominated one month before the General Assembly, in this case – by June 7, and after the application deadline, LOK will announce the names of the candidates.
“Delfi.lv” reports that the battle for the position of president could take place between three or four candidates.
“Delfi.lv” mentions the former Minister of Finance Reira, who became the president of the Latvian Rowing Federation in March, among the candidates for the post of LOK president.
“Negotiations are still ongoing, but considering that I was approached by a large number of representatives of federations, I agree to run,” Reirs, who has headed the Latvian National Sports Council (LNSP) for four years and does not rule out the possibility of renouncing the mandate of a member of the Saeima, assures the portal.
“Delfi.lv” also mentions Latvian Hockey Federation (LHF) board member and International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) council member Viesturus Koziolas and Latvian Handball Federation (LHF) vice president Raimonds Lazdiņas among the candidates.
“I haven’t given my consent yet, there are still a few days, but the federations have approached me. In the last 5-6 days, remotely, because I am not in Latvia, I have met with some 20 sports organizations. I understood the “temperature” better, listened to the pain, learned what is important to the federations, and now I will analyze this information,” Koziol said in a conversation with the portal.
Lazdiņš has also confirmed to “Delfi.lv” that he plans to run for the position of LOK president, because he “sees how divided the sports community is and he is already working in the executive committee of the LOK, trying to unite everyone”. Lazdiņš has confirmed that he has been approached by the federations and has given his consent, but could not say whether the documents have already been officially submitted, as the candidates are nominated by the sports federations.
The portal reports that the current LOK Secretary General Kārlis Lejnieks, the former head of the Sports Department of the Ministry of Education and Science (IZM) Vladimirs Šteinbergs and Zane Gemze, who once managed the Riga Olympic Center, could run for the post of LOK Secretary General.
LOK will inform about the venue and time of the General Assembly later.
It has already been reported that the 21 federations that requested the General Assembly hold the opinion that the current LOK president Jānis Buks has not fought enough for sports funding and common interests. Buk would be ready to continue the work of LOK.
On the other hand, the federations that signed the letter, which in most cases are relatively small in terms of the number of athletes represented, remind the fact that Buk, who has been in office since last summer, has previously indicated that he will work only until the next LOK presidential election and will not run for a second term.
Traditionally, the LOK General Assembly with the election of officers is held after the Olympic Games, not before them.
The president chosen at the LOK General Assembly scheduled for June 4 will be the fifth after the restoration of Latvia’s independence. In 1988, Vilnis Baltiņš became the president of the LOK, in 2004 this position was held by Aldons Vrubljevskis, in 2020 – Žoržs Tikmers, and in 2023 – Jānis Buks.
2024-05-04 08:35:29