Swedish FEI presidential candidate Sven Holmberg has returned home to Sweden defeated by HRH Princess Haya in the race for FEI presidential election at the 2010 FEI General Assembly in Taipei the first week of November.
In a quick interview with Eurodressage, Holmberg did not cloak his disappointment about the proceedings of the election. Holmberg achieved 23 votes out of a total 124 valid ballots, whereas Haya grabbed the victory staright away with 90 votes in the first voting. When asked if Holmberg was surprised by the low number of votes he got, the Swede replied, "somewhat as many nations had promised to vote differently."
Princess Haya's seat as a member of the International Olympic Committee as well as her strong financial background were claimed to be her most influential assets for obtaining a second term as FEI president. Holmberg confirms this by telling Eurodressage that "apparently the combination of threats via IOC to the respective NOC and the promise for more money paid off well."
Holmberg believes that his strategy for FEI presidential election was the right one. "There is nothing I can point at now," Holmberg replied when asked what he would have done differently in his campaign for president if he were to have the ability to turn back time.
The most valuable lesson that Holmberg learnt from the election is "not to trust too much a given promise."
Will the slightly embittered former FEI vice-president run for presidential election again? "Not very likely," he replied to Eurodressage.
Text © Astrid Appels - No Reproduction allowed without permission
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