Page 125 - BOOK OF THE YEAR 23-24

MEET & GREET

PRESIDENT SANTONJA PARTICIPATES IN THE

INTERNATIONAL FEDERATIONS MEETING AT
THE OLYMPIC FACILITIES IN LAUSANNE

l The IFBB President, Dr. Rafael tPresident Santonja with Nicole
Santonja, attended the international Hoeverts, Vice President of the
sports federations meeting held at International Olympic Committee.
the Olympic facilities in Lausanne,
Switzerland, where he had the
opportunity to meet and strengthen
ties with prominent representatives
of the sports world during an
intensive three-day event.
During the gathering, President
Santonja engaged in meaningful talks
with various candidates for the
presidency of the International
Olympic Committee, including the
Spanish candidate Juan Antonio
Samaranch and H.R.H Prince Faisal
bin Al Hussein, President of the
Jordanian Olympic Committee and
member of the Executive Bureau of
the International Olympic
Committee, among others.. These
meetings reflect the IFBB’s
commitment to reinforcing
relationships with international sports
leaders and contributing to the
global development of sports.
President Santonja also met with
the former Secretary General of the
Jordan Olympic Committee, Nasser
Majali, who is currently the Secretary
General of the Islamic Solidarity
Sports Federation (ISSF), to explore pNasser Majali, Secretary General of the
the possibility of including the IFBB in Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation (ISSF)
this important initiative. with President Santonja
Additionally, President Santonja
spent time with Ms. Nicole Hoeverts,
Vice President of the International
Olympic Committee and a longtime
personal friend, exchanging ideas on
the progress of sports and fitness. He
also shared quality time with Mr. José
Quiñones, President of the Pan
American Weightlifting Federation,
with whom he has a longstanding
friendship.
During his visit to Lausanne,
President Santonja also took the
opportunity to meet with Laetitia
Zumbrunnen, Senior Manager of
Sport Movement Relations at the
European office of WADA, as well as
with the ITA director. Together, they
explored new action strategies and
implementation plans for the anti-
doping program, aiming for a swift
recovery of IFBB’s compliance status
with the WADA code.
President Santonja’s presence at
this meeting highlights the IFBB’s
active role in the international sports
community and its commitment to
the growth and integration of fitness pPresident Santonja with Mr. José
and bodybuilding within the Olympic Quiñones, President of the pJuan Antonio Samaranch, IOC Vicepresident,
President Santonja and Leonz Eder, President of
Panamerican Weightlifting
movement. Federation. FISU.

124 2023/202 4 BOOK OF THE YEAR