Olympics: Ng Ser Miang, Mario Pescante elected as vice-presidents of IOC
By Patwant Singh, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 09 October 2009 1851 hrs

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SINGAPORE : Singapore's Ng Ser Miang has been elected to the post of Vice-President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Joining him is Italy's Mario Pescante.

Both men were elected to a four-year term at the 121st IOC Session and 13th Olympic Congress in Copenhagen on Friday.

They replace Greece's Lambis Nikolaou and Japan's Chiharu Igaya.

Meanwhile, 67-year-old Belgian, Jacques Rogge, was re-elected as president for a new four-year term.

No alternative candidate stood in the secret ballot with Mr Rogge - who got 88 votes in favour, one against and three abstentions.

New rules allowed Mr Rogge to stand for a final four-year mandate after he was first elected for eight years in 2001 in Moscow.

60-year-old Mr Ng, an IOC Board Member since 2005, was instrumental in bringing the Youth Olympics to Singapore.

Commenting on his new post, Mr Ng said: "I am really very grateful for all the support and confidence that my IOC colleagues have given me. I have been on the Executive Board for four years now, and that in a way prepared me to do my job as an IOC Vice-President.

"I will continue to serve in the Executive Board and also on the various IOC Commissions and Committees that the President will assign to me. To me, I think the immediate task ahead is the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore next year. I will give my all to make sure that it will become a great success for both IOC and for Singapore." - CNA/ms