Alisher Usmanov in the race for FIE leadership

One hundred countries have endorsed Alisher Usmanov’s candidacy for President of the International Fencing Federation (FIE). TASS reports that Usmanov has officially registered as a candidate, according to the FIE press service.

Delegates will elect the new head of the Federation at the congress scheduled for 30 November in Tashkent. The Russian-Uzbek billionaire faces one competitor: Swedish candidate Otto Drakenberg.

Fencing federations from China, Russia, Serbia, and other countries support Usmanov.

Usmanov previously led the FIE for 14 years, from 2008 to 2022, before stepping down voluntarily after the European Union imposed sanctions against him.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that the ARD television channel acknowledged inaccuracies in its information about Usmanov.