Henrik Nilsson has resigned with immediate effect as president of the Federation of International Bandy -FIB- after losing the support of the Executive Committee in a crisis shaped by the possible reintegration of Russia and Belarus, but also by a series of disagreements over internal management, statutory powers and the relationship with the organisation’s secretary general, Attila Adamfi.
Nilsson’s departure comes after the Executive Committee unanimously approved a motion of no confidence against him following several online meetings. Although the FIB officially attributed the resignation to differences between the president and the rest of the Executive Committee over the integration of Russia and Belarus, the conflict had previously escalated over internal governance issues and Nilsson’s attempt to force the secretary general’s departure. The organisation therefore places the immediate break in the debate over the return of both countries, although the loss of confidence had also extended to internal management, statutory powers and the federation’s procedures.
FIB’s internal crisis leads to Henrik Nilsson’s departure
According to information shared by World Bandy, the conflict began after Nilsson asked Attila Adamfi to resign and stated his intention to remove him if he did not step down voluntarily. The Executive Committee considered the arguments presented by the president to be “invalid and unfounded” and expressed unanimous support for the secretary general.
The Executive Committee also questioned several attempts by Nilsson to introduce unilateral changes to the federation’s operational procedures, communication systems and reporting structures, as well as the appointment of a deputy secretary general without the prior approval of the relevant governing body. That loss of confidence left the president in a weakened institutional position before he formally submitted his resignation.
Russia and Belarus deepen the split within World Bandy
A second line of tension opened around the possible return of Russia and Belarus to international bandy competitions. As a recognised international federation, the FIB follows the recommendations of the International Olympic Committee -IOC-, which recently recommended that youth athletes from Russia and all athletes from Belarus should no longer be restricted from taking part in international competitions.
However, those recommendations were not implemented immediately or automatically. The Executive Committee established and approved an integration working group, including the chair of the Athletes’ Committee, Rebecca Draper, to coordinate with the relevant stakeholders, assess the situation and submit recommendations to the Executive Committee on the possible integration of Russian and Belarusian teams into FIB competitions. Nilsson supported the creation of that working group as a member of the Executive Committee, before his later comments in Swedish media deepened the internal divide.
Stein Pedersen assumes FIB presidential duties
The FIB also rejected some of the claims made by Nilsson in Sweden and stated that no federation representative had recently visited Russia. The organisation also clarified that Kazakhstan had never been part of those discussions, in parallel with the suspension of the bandy association registered in the country due to unpaid membership fees and inactivity, a decision that must be ratified by Congress.
In accordance with Article 28.4 of the FIB Statutes, first vice-president Stein Pedersen will assume the powers and duties of the president. The Executive Committee will meet to discuss the situation and determine the next steps, while national associations will be informed as soon as possible and the working group on Russia and Belarus has yet to submit its recommendations.
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