On Wednesday came the news that the controversial oligarch Alisjer Usmanov wants to return as chairman of FIE and that the only opposing candidate is Otto Drakenberg.
Now the chairman of the Swedish Fencing Federation talks about the background to his challenging the Russian-Uzbek billionaire, who is suspended from the chairmanship after he was exposed to sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Usmanov claims he has already secured support from 103 out of 156 member states. Drakenberg realizes that the chance of winning is small, but says that if you are not satisfied with a candidate, you must be able to present an alternative. He was.
– This was not what I was looking forward to, but it’s just a matter of showing up. We cannot quietly give up, but must raise our hand, otherwise we have not done our job, he says.
Drakenberg and Swedish fencing has in recent years been a thorn in the side of Usmanov and FIE. He admits that he was surprised when he realized that Usmanov was a candidate, and he questions for several reasons whether the oligarch has the right to run for office. One of them is that he is still subject to sanctions by the EU, the US and other countries.
– This means that he cannot travel to certain parts of the world and take responsibility for the decisions that FIE makes. He has not appeared since March 2022 and we find that unacceptable. We also have the problem that the FIE is based in Switzerland and Switzerland does not approve of sanctioned persons representing Swiss-based organizations, says Drakenberg, claiming that there are reports that Usmanov, if elected chairman, plans to move FIE’s office to a country where he can reside.
Usmanov suspended himself in 2022, but according to several sources has continued to control the federation through his allies. Fencing is one of the sports approved by Russian and Belarusian athletes.
– We assume that he will allow himself to be re-elected and then suspend himself again to then ensure that an ally is elected as interim chairman, as has been the case for the past two years. It will mean that FIE will continue to be in limbo and that is completely unacceptable, says Drakenberg.
Because Usmanov could not participate in the last two congresses, he has had two of his own world meetings arranged, where 103 countries have been invited, but not Sweden. It is these 103 countries that FIE now claims on its website to have expressed their support for the 71-year-old. The action upsets Drakenberg.
– This is a way of trying to make it appear that the matter is already settled. That too is a democratic abuse, he says.
One of the countries that is said to support Usmanov is Iceland. Drakenberg sees it as deeply problematic and says that it is doubtful whether Sweden will be able to sit in the Nordic fencing union together with a country that has such a different view of what constitutes good governance.
Usmanov has helped many countries with a lot of money over the years. Is it then so strange that they support him?
– No, and if I were to be elected against the odds, of course there would be less money. But I’m not sure that’s the right thing, that we have a president who is pouring in money. It becomes unhealthy in the end. And FIE has been doing well before Usmanov started doing it.
According to Drakenberg, Sweden has again started working to get the IOC to act against Usmanov and FIE. In the past, complaints have fallen on deaf ears. One reason may be that Usmanov has long had a good relationship with IOC base Thomas Bach, who is a former Olympic fencing champion.
– Bach will leave soon and then hopefully a person will come in who is not as much of a friend to Usmanov. The IOC, which is also based in Switzerland, just cannot accept that the FIE has a suspended president, says Drakenberg.
In a month it is the chairman election at the FIE congress. It takes place in Uzbekistan’s capital, Tashkent – Alisher Usmanov‘s home ground.
Swedish fencing leaders have previously told about hidden threats from the opposing side. Will Drakenberg dare to go to Tashkent?
– I have spoken to my security adviser and I will go. It is not possible to bend down now, he says.
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