On Wednesday, the selection committee presented its recommendations. The presidential election was decided on the first weekend of June in Bergen.

The proposal came after a long period of fuss around the Norwegian Sports Confederation and its incumbent president, Kjøll. When asked by NTB whether the noise affected the work of the election committee, its chairman Terje Roel answered:

– You can’t be completely unaffected. But I dare say that we are not much affected by the noise around us. But of course we are also humans and we read in the media. We’ll see what happens.

Roel further said that the election committee submitted divided recommendations regarding the presidential election. Seven members voted for Al-Samarai.

– According to the majority of the selection committee, he will have a unifying effect on the board, added Roel.

Three people on the committee wanted Kjøll for a new term. The minority consists of Mona Adolfsen, Mads Stian Hansen and Astrid Waaler Kaas.

[ Kjøll under press fra Al-Samarai – utfordreren imponerte i nord ]

Holmlia Manager

Al-Samarai has been a member of the sports council since 2019 under the leadership of current president Kjøll.

Support for Zaineb Al-Samarai has increased in recent months from both specialized associations and sports circles.

Al-Samarai came to Norway as a refugee from Iraq when he was seven years old. He currently works as a communications advisor at Storm Samfunn AS, a company owned by Petter Stordalen.

Al-Samarai has a law degree from the University of Oslo and has a background as a politician. He sat on the city council in Oslo from 2011 to 2015. From 2017 to 2021 he was deputy Storting representative for the Labor Party.

The proposed sports president is, among other things, the leader of the Holmlia Sports Club.

[ Derfor kan Zaineb bli idrettspresident ]

Kjøll won in 2019

Kjøll decided the presidential election almost four years ago with 50.61 percent of the vote compared to big favorite Sven Mollekleiv’s 49.39.

164 people will elect the sports president. 75 people represented special associations, 75 people came from sports circles, and 14 people represented sports administrators and athlete representatives.

Therefore, a minimum of 83 votes is needed to win the election.

This is the second time in a row that the selection committee has not recommended the re-election of an incumbent sports president. Four years ago, the committee went to Mollekleiv. The president who served at that time was Tom Tvedt.

[ Norges idrettsforbund beklager skaden varslingssaken har påført norsk idrett ]

Dalhaug new vice president

If the election committee gets its way, Al-Samarai will bring Arne Dalhaug with him as the new vice president. He replaced Vibecke Sørensen on the board. 2nd vice president Sondre Sande Gullord is not up for election.

– For many sports fans, Arne is an unknown person, but the selection committee is confident that he is the right person. He is a sports enthusiast, with extensive experience in his own and his children’s sporting activities inside and outside Norway.

– He will add great organizational skills to the sports council, he added.

Dalhaug, among other things, has a background in defense.

The selection committee has unanimously nominated Dalhaug.

[ Valgkomiteen innstiller Marco Elsafadi til gjenvalg som NIF-styremedlem ]