adminelections looming next month, challenger Stefano Bosi is locked in a wrangle with long-time leader Adham Sharara that could end up in the courts.
Last month, sparks flew when Bosi confronted Canada’s Sharara with claims of conflicts of interest over his close involvement with companies that have dealt with the Ottawa-based body during his 14-year presidency.
According to a letter from Bosi to executive committee members, obtained by Chinese web portal Tencent, Sharara became “very aggressive” and “started to threaten people, suggesting everybody was behind a conspiracy”. Sharara’s account of the meeting in Frankfurt is very different. This week, he said that Bosi threatened to go public with his claims unless the president resigned, and became “very angry” when he refused.
Italy’s Bosi, who is head of the European Table Tennis Union (ETTU), says Sharara is guilty of “several long-term, serious and persistent infringements of ITTF regulations and ethical principles”, and may have broken the law. He also suggests Sharara has breached the Olympic Charter by mixing personal and ITTF interests, and is calling for the International Olympic Committee to impeach the Egyptian-born Canadian.
Sharara, whose innovations include changes to the scoring system and equipment, says Bosi is trying to discredit him for political gain — although he admits an “error of judgement” over certain ITTF real estate deals. The backdrop to the dispute is a sport that commands a mass following in China, the world’s most populous country, and is undergoing a promising resurgence in Europe and the United States. — AFP.
Online Reporter