World Aquatics Appoints a Stabilization Committee to Run Tunisian Swimming Federation

World Aquatics has appointed a Stabilization Committee to manage the day-to-day operations of the Tunisian Swimming Federation in light of recent incidents that include the arrest of the head of the organization after he attempted to enact WADA sanctions.

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From World Aquatics:

The Stabilization Committee will run all day-to-day operations of the Tunisian Swimming Federation, conduct the proper and necessary amendments to the national federation’s Constitution, and organise and conduct a new election within six months.

Activated in the best interests of all Tunisian athletes, the Stabilization Committee will ensure that the Tunisian Swimming Federation adheres to the highest standards of good governance and transparency.

The committee will be chaired by Mohamed Zribi was appointed as the organization’s president last week by the Tunisian Ministry of Youth and Sports amid its dissolution of the prior organization. Maha Zaoui, Chaker Belhaj, and Said Ouenzerfi were also appointed as board members.

While World Aquatics did not announce the entire makeup of the stabilization committee, it confirmed Zribi as chair and Zaoui as the point of contact for the interim organization.

World Aquatics has used stabilization committees in the past, including in the Philippines, Mexico, and Kenya. In both the Philippines and Mexico, the heads of the stabilization committees were domestic appointments; in Kenya, Swimming South Africa president Jace Naidoo led the committee.

WADA reinstated the National Anti-Doping Organization of Tunisia this week and and expressed “deep concern” over the arrest of the Director General of that organization. The Director General of the anti-doping organization, the head of the swimming federation, and seven other individuals were all charged with crimes after the Tunisian flag was covered by a red cloth at the Tunisia Open Masters meet in compliance with a World Anti-Doping Association Suspension.

This all came a few days after the defending Olympic Champion in the 400 free Ahmed Hafnaoui said he was unsure if he would compete at the Paris Olympic Games.

Without Hafnaoui, 18-year-old Ahmed Jaouadi is the face of the federation: he turned heads with a 3:45.95 in the 400 free in France in March in Hafnaoui’s best event.