Malaysia’s Prince Tunku Aiming for CGF Presidency

Prince Tunku Imran of Malaysia has announced that he is to stand for election to be President of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), claiming to already have the backing of Asia.

Prince Tunku is currently the vice-president and hopes to succeed the current incumbent of the position, Jamaica’s Mike Fennell.

Tunku, an International Olympic Committee (IOC) member, hopes to replace Fennell who has led the CGF since being elected at Victoria in 1994. The Jamaican is yet to declare publicly whether he plans to stand again at this year’s elections, due to be held at the CGF’s meeting at St Kitts and Nevis from November 11 to 13.

Datuk Sieh Kok Chi, the secretary of the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM), stated: “Fennell had voiced his intention to step down after the New Delhi Commonwealth Games last year, after holding the post for 17 years.

“If Tunku Imran wins, he will become the first International Olympic Committee (IOC) member elected as the CGF president, which will give a new height to the Federation.”

Prince Tunku, 63, is a former Malaysian squash champion and was President of the International Squash Rackets Federation from 1989 to 1996. A graduate of Nottingham University, he is a qualified barrister and he has been President of the OCM since 1998.

The launch of Prince Tunku’s candidature is due to be formally announced during the CGF’s Executive Board meeting in Kuala Lumpur next month and Chi added: “We hope that the federation, made up of 71 members of the former British empire, will unanimously support Tuanku Imran.”