Hockey India chief Narinder Batra was on Saturday elected as the president of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) here.
He is the first Indian to be elected president of an Olympic Sport's international governing body. His four-year term begins immediately, replacing predecessor Leandro Negre from Spain, who was last night awarded the title of president of honour by the FIH.
Batra, who became the 12th president of the FIH, was voted to the top post by an overwhelming margin during the penultimate day of the 45th FIH Congress.
Batra, who was until earlier an ordinary member of the FIH Executive Board, received 68 votes to defeat fellow presidential candidates David Balbrinie from Ireland (29 votes) and Australia's Ken Read (13 votes). Eight National Associations abstained from voting.
He has also worked closely with the Indian Olympic Association and was instrumental in the Indian Olympic Association being reinstated by the International Olympic Committee in 2013-14.
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