(ATR) Krisztián Kulcsár says athletes will have better relationships with the Hungarian Olympic Committee (MOB) under his leadership.
"My program rests on partnership to be built primarily with athletes and their coaches," Kulcsár said according to Hungary Today.
The two-time Olympic silver medalist upset incumbent Zsolt Borkai at the MOB Congress on May 2. The 45-year old Kulcsár received 108 votes in the second round of voting to Borkai’s 51. MOB secretary general Bence Szabó also competed in the election but was eliminated in round one with only 27 votes.
The election marks the first change in leadership for the MOB since 2010 when Borkai replaced Pal Schmitt upon his election as the country’s President. Kulcsár thanked the delegates for their votes of support and pledged to repair the international image of the MOB following a failed bid for the 2024 Olympics.
The Budapest 2024 bid withdrew from the Olympic race in February after a citizen-started petition amassed more than 200,000 signatures to call for a referendum on the city’s Olympic project. Although no referendum was held, the widespread opposition to the bid led the MOB to withdraw its candidature.
It can be reasoned this failure on an international stage could have led to a loss of confidence by MOB members in Borkai’s leadership, providing the opportunity for Kulcsár to defeat the incumbent – a rare feat in NOC elections.
Borkai could not be reached for comment by Around the Rings and the MOB did not respond to requests for comment regarding the election.
Kulcsár’s first order of business will be overseeing the slate of world championships and international competitions being held in Hungary in 2017, including the FINA World Aquatics Championships in Budapest from July 14-30 and IJF Judo World Championships from Aug. 28 to Sep. 3.
Written by Kevin Nutley
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