International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) president Tamas Ajan has resigned from the position with an immediate effect after an alleged corruption case running against him as revealed by the governing body in a statement on Wednesday.
Tamas, 81-year-old Hungarian has been a pet of the IWF since 1976, served as the general secretary for 24 years, and also served as its President for 20 years.
“I offered the best of my life to our beloved sport. When health circumstances related to the pandemic allow, holding elections would enable a new generation to start work as soon as possible on ensuring a bright future for the sport we love.” Ajan said in a statement posted on the IWF website.
Ursula Papandrea would be his replacement as the new President of the Governing body. Papandrea is a former International lifter from the United States. In fact, she is the first woman to be leading the IWF.
Ajan has denied all the allegations against him in a German TV documentary, Lord of the Lifters, that was broadcast by ARD on January 5.
The allegations against him came when a report on the IWF website surfaced that stated the allegations were “primarily against Ajan” and the concern for “financial irregularities, corruption, doping control distribution, doping sample manipulation, doping payment irregularities, doping activities in specific nations and nepotism”.
Earlier, Ajan had stepped down as the president of the IWF on last week of January for the period of 90 days. However, he also stated that the allegations against him were “not supported by the relevant documentation or by people involved in the relevant decisions”.
Papandrea was chosen as the interim President at that time but his tenure was intended until mid-June on which he said, “The IWF thanks Tamas Ajan for more than four decades of service to weightlifting, and most notably for his work in recent years to ensure an anti-doping programme which meets the standards of the IOC (International Olympic Committee) and WADA is in place.”