The future challenge is not easy with the Olympic Games being the closest one."
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Erick Thohir was elected as the new general chairman of the Indonesia Olympic Committee (KOI) in a congress here early Sunday morning beating his rival, EF Hamidy.

The national businessman who is also president the Inter Milan Club was able to garner 59 votes which was higher than 46 collected by Hamidy to make him the new chief of KOI for the period of 2015-2019 replacing Rita Subowo who had completed her term.

The election was scheduled to be held at 5pm but it could only be started at 24.00 hours later due to strong debate.

However it had gone smoothly as only two competed for the post after the chairman of the South Sumatra chapter of the Indonesia National Sports Committee (KONI), Muddai Madang, withdrew ahead of the election.

Madang was later named as deputy general chairman of KOI while Dodi Iswandi had been named secretary general with Dasril Anwar as his deputy.

"The future challenge is not easy with the Olympic Games being the closest one. In the next one or two weeks coordination will be made. We ask for your support. I think today was special. We must not always clash but must be united," Erick Thohir said after his election.

(Reporting by Bayu Kuncahyo/Uu.H-YH)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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