The sports president for the next four years is Zaineb Al-Samarai, a lawyer and communications expert from Oslo East. She who has repeatedly had to answer questions about whether she is too young for such a position. Al-Samarai is 35 years old. Which was an appropriate age, it would turn out. Opposing candidate and incumbent president Berit Kjøll from Asker has in no way managed to use the advantage of being in position to his advantage. To the extent that it is almost startling. Because you should be able to acquire a stronger power base in sport when you have had it as a well-paid full-time interest for four years, than Kjøll seems to have managed. In the hall at the airport hotel at Flesland outside Bergen, where the Sports Council has been held this weekend, nothing has yet indicated that Kjøll has been as massively doomed as she was. To the extent that it is almost startling. Because there is nothing about Kjøll’s radiance or mood that suggested she would lose outright. Kjøll after the victory in 2019 and after the loss in 2023. Sports’ own “comeback kid” This time, the open support for her was so low that several people must have thought that she should have retired at the forefront and with dignity. She didn’t. Such an attitude is obviously not in Kjøll’s nature. The sports democracy also benefits from the dynamic in that there is more than one candidate for the movement’s top office. But this Sunday was the end of the sailing trip anyway, even for the sport’s own “comeback kid”. When Kjøll was sensationally elected ahead of big favorite Sven Mollekleiv in Lillehammer in 2019, it was reportedly after a persistent charm offensive among those entitled to vote well into the night before the election. The election was decided by a margin of two poor votes. This time it was more. The verdict from Idretts-Norge was clear and crushing. Temperature on the pulpit But not without preceding drama. Because the pulpit was used for more than enthusiasm for the two presidential candidates. Berit Kjøll had only been sports president for just over six months when the pandemic changed all the prerequisites for managing sports in Norway as well. This has created challenges no one could have foreseen. But it was a virus from China that destroyed the long-standing director of Huawei in Norway. DONE: Berit Kjøll and vice-president Vibecke Sørensen are both finished on the sports board. Photo: Geir Olsen / NTB For Kjøll herself has put herself in a position where she made herself unelectable through a number of controversial cases, simply by creating large parts of her crises herself. whether it has been about anti-doping, Russian children or the treatment of the very special notification case in NIF over the winter. At times, Berit Kjøll has appeared as a pyromaniac who has run around putting out his own fires. This takes the focus away from what the sport should really be concentrating on. That is why it will include the one period as president of Kjøll. Much to the annoyance of several of the speakers on the Sports Council’s closing day. Kjøll’s loyal supporter, handball president Kåre Geir Lio, once again went the furthest in his rhetoric, with what he called “the world championship in talking badly about Berit Kjøll”. Lio himself talked himself out of the medal match this time. TAKEN THE FLOOR: Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen. Photo: Geir Olsen / NTB Krass was also criticized by someone who is actually a world champion, namely the former head of the Athlete Committee, Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen, who went out against what she believed to be unvarnished attacks on colleagues and lack of knowledge in the public discussion. Directed at what appeared to be sports board member Marco Elsafadi, her colleague in the athletes’ committee, the rower Kjetil Borch and actually the media in general. Those without knowledge, we now found out. The first modern president The new president is the youngest ever – and also the first with a refugee background. With this, Norway has got its first truly modern sports president. In public, Zaineb Al-Samarai has kept a noticeably low profile. Only in recent weeks has she staged a few debates with her opponent. Instead, she has built support internally within the sport, which has obviously been wise. But the debates between the two candidates have been so hotly debated because of their apparent lack of vision on behalf of the sport that several attempts have been made to launch a third candidate for the presidency. The probes have not been successful. Simply because the signals have been that Al-Samarai would win anyway. MODERN: Norway has had its first modern sports president. Photo: Geir Olsen / NTB Listen to experienced committee people The most important reason why Zaineb Al-Samarai won this election is not the dissatisfaction with Kjøll’s efforts. That is the selection committee’s recommendation. The selection committee in NIF has had a broad and obviously competent composition. And it has taken on its responsibility of preparing the electoral grounds for sports democracy in a very thorough manner. “Only the election committee knows all the processes”, as Frode Jacobsen from the Oslo sports district put it. The majority’s conclusion was particularly clear that Al-Samarai is the most suitable candidate to manage Idretts-Norge. This is a signal that Sports Norway knew to listen to. In addition, Al-Samarai campaigned around the country and gained the necessary support and more. Tabula rasa The possible uncertainty that still exists about what the new president will really stand for can easily be turned to her advantage. Because she appears as something of a sports “tabula rasa”, i.e. the unblemished person. This must of course be modified with a background in sports that includes being the manager of the eastern side club Holmlia in Oslo, as well as having board positions in both NIF, obviously, and Vålerenga. But the new president will be able to shape his presidential expression largely himself. Including how much space she herself wants to take as a leading figure in the Sports Board. And to the gigantic movement that has now given her confidence as its leader. A well-functioning sports president right now might be someone who doesn’t think so well. Because sport needs a focus on the challenges that may have received too little attention during Kjøll’s turbulent presidency. Not on the president’s excellence or lack thereof. “Zaineb is more than a child’s egg,” said basketball president Jan Hendrik Parmann during the presidential debate. Parmann went on to express a wish that Al-Samarai would become Norwegian sports’ answer to one of Norwegian football’s real greats. Not Lise Klaveness, if anyone should be led to believe such a thing, but Erling Braut Haaland. “On the sports field, we are all the same”, as the new sports president himself said from the podium. And it is exactly what happens on the pitch that many in Sports Norway now want the focus to return to. The Norwegian Sports Council has pointed out the course ahead, where the fight against increased costs in sport must be prioritized. The fight for re-election But this is mostly about politics. Zaineb Al-Samarai’s strategy in the run-up to the election has long been compared to the one believed to have been used by Erna Solberg, namely to remain calm and at a safe distance from the political controversies and let the opposing candidate bear the brunt of all the small and large crises. It was then a good thing that Berit Kjøll found out at the sports council that she should paraphrase another former prime minister, Thorbjørn Jagland. Jagland from Lier was never forgiven by his Strømsgodset hinterland when he donned a Rosenborg scarf. And received loads of mockery, even in a time without social media. Some believe it was the start to the end of his time as Prime Minister. “Hey Brann”, cheered Berit from Asker from the lectern in Bergen. Everyone smiled at the innocent joke. But suddenly this had symbolically become a duel between Jagland and Solberg. And everyone also knew what that symbolism meant. Only one of the aforementioned prime ministers was re-elected. Now Zaineb Al-Samarai has considerably more than 36.9 months to manage it herself.
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