President of United World Wrestling Nenad Lalović has been elected vice president of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (Photo by ASOIF)

Following last month’s 49th General Assembly of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF), the ASOIF Council gathered for the first time in its new composition yesterday on 10 July. The newly elected members were warmly welcomed by ASOIF President Ingmar De Vos.

During the meeting, Council member and President of United World Wrestling, Nenad Lalović, was elected ASOIF Vice President. A member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) since 2015, Lalović was re-elected as the Summer Olympic International Federation (IF) representative to the IOC Executive Board in 2022. He is also a member of the World Anti-Doping Agency Executive Committee.

The Council also discussed the next steps in the development of the association’s new strategic plan which aims to reflect members’ key priorities and needs. With most input now received, the detailed plan will be laid out in the coming months and validated by the Council later this year.

ASOIF President Ingmar De Vos said: “We had a very constructive meeting and I look forward to working closely with my Council colleagues to represent the interests of our member federations and help strengthen the Olympic Movement and sports at large. I’d also like to warmly congratulate Nenad Lalović on his election as ASOIF Vice President, following his re-election as Council member during our recent General Assembly.”

Council members were updated on the first official meeting between the new IOC President Kirsty Coventry, IOC Director General Christophe De Kepper, new IOC Sports Director Pierre Ducrey, ASOIF President Ingmar De Vos and ASOIF Executive Director James Carr, which took place earlier this week on 8 July in Lausanne, Switzerland. Following an update on ASOIF’s activities, discussions focused on establishing the future working relationship between the two organisations, on future Olympic Games editions and how to work best together for optimal Games delivery. The meeting also provided the opportunity to exchange on the Olympic revenue distribution model. Both sides agreed to continue discussions on this matter over the coming months. Finally, the IOC and ASOIF leadership teams discussed current geopolitical challenges and their impact on the Olympic Movement.

“ASOIF and its member IFs are strongly committed to contribute to the success of the Olympic Games, share their expertise and add value to the Olympic Movement,” said Ingmar De Vos reflecting on the meeting. He added: “I highly appreciate the friendly, open and productive exchange we had with the new IOC President Kirsty Coventry and her team so soon after she started and I am looking forward to a very close and constructive future collaboration.”

The next ASOIF Council meeting is scheduled for 27 October 2025.