The Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee(TTOC) has extended congratulations to Thomas Bach the new president of the International Olympic Committee(IOC).
Earlier today at the 125th IOC General Assembly in Buenos Aires the International Olympic Committee (IOC) members elected Thomas Bach to take over from Jacques Rogge.
A former IOC vice-president Bach was the favourite to win the presidential campaign ahead of his fellow IOC vice-president Ng Ser Miang, Puerto Rican banker Richard Carrion, Ukrainian pole vaulter Sergei Bubka, International Boxing Association president Ching-Kuo Wu and Swiss lawyer Denis Oswald.
The 59-year-old German is a former Olympic fencer, and became an IOC member in 1991 ahead of joining its executive board in 1996 and becoming vice-president in 2000.
Away from the IOC, Bach also served as a supervisory board member of the FIFA 2006 World Cup organising committee; chairman of the board of trustees of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011 organising committee; and is the founding president of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB).
CK Wu was knocked out in the first round of voting. Bach won 49 votes in the second round ahead of Carrion (29), Ng (6), Oswald (5) and Bubka (4).
Bach said following the announcement: "First of all, I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart all of my friends and colleagues who voted for me. I would also like to thank my fellow candidates who I greatly respect. I know about the great responsibility of an IOC president and this makes me feel humble.
“I want to lead the IOC through the motto ‘unity in diversity’. You should know that my door, my ears and my heart is always open to you. Dear Jacques, I want to personally thank you very much for the confidence you have placed in me during your 12 years of presidency.”