Budapest (Hungary): The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) President Adille Sumariwalla was on Thursday elected as one of the four vice-presidents of World Athletics, even as track and field’s global governing body re-elected Sebastian Coe as its president.
Sumariwalla made history by becoming the first Indian to be elected as vice-president in World Athletics’ 26-member Governing Council for the term 2023-2027 during the polls held at the World Athletics Congress in Budapest, ahead of the upcoming World Athletics Championships in the Hungarian capital.
Sumariwalla was elected as vice president along with Raul Chapado, Jackson Tuwei and Ximena Restrepo.
In the elections held on Thursday, Sumariwalla polled 115 votes as the Colombian sprinter Ximena bagged 154 votes, Spanish triple jumper Raul Chapado got 119 votes and Kenya’s Jackson Tuwei received 104 votes in the polls conducted on Thursday.
Sumariwalla, Chapado and Ximena Restrepo were part of the outgoing Governing Council with Ximena as one of the four vice presidents.
Their election means, pole vault legend Sergey Bubka will not be part of the Governing Council of the track and field’s governing body in two decades. Bubka was the senior vice president of the outgoing committee.
