FINA official elected after scandal denial

BUDAPEST: Swimming’s world governing body FINA elected Kuwait’s Husain al-Musallam as first vice-president in Budapest on Saturday, days after he denied links to an alleged financial scandal.

The 57-year-old was elected unopposed at a FINA congress in the Hungarian capital, which is currently hosting the world aquatics championships.

A report Wednesday alleged that he requested a cut of sponsorship deals in his role as general director of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).

Musallam rejected the claims, while both FINA and the OCA said no wrongdoing had taken place.

The Kuwaiti also accused the Iranian swimming federation of orchestrating a bid to discredit him before the election.

“It didn’t work,” he told AFP after the vote.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said that it had passed the allegations to its chief ethics investigator.

The Uruguayan Julio Maglione was reelected for a third term as FINA president, comfortably beating Italy’s Paolo Barelli, head of the European swimming federation LEN.

The 81-year-old, who won by 258 votes against 77, benefited from a 2015 rule change that abolished an age and term limit for top officials.

In the post since 2009, Maglione fended off speculation that he was planning to soon step down from the post.

“You must be crazy, I feel well, and was reelected for four years,” he told reporters. - AFP