The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) is to investigate allegations that a candidate in its Presidential elections attempted to use his government position to influence voters. Officials representing Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al-Hornoud Al-Sabah, Kuwait’s Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs, have allegedly been contacting people urging them to support his campaign.

One of the letters, sent using a Kuwait Public Authority for Youth and Sport letterhead, was send to the South African Minister for Sport, Fikile Mbalula. The letter was republished by Inside The Games.

‘Such alleged governmental interference could violate the ISSF and the IOC Code of Ethics as well as the UN Resolution passed in October 2014, which explicitly grants autonomy to sport organizations in relation to national governments’, read a 6 December ISSF statement. ‘The ISSF is going to investigate these allegations and is going to decide about possible consequences in due course’.

The ISSF said that it would also investigate ‘further irregularities’ during the election campaign, reported by its members. The ISSF elections closed on 3 December and returned Olegario Vaquez Rana as President from 2015-18.