Bernard O’Byrne to launch bid for OCI top job

Bernard O’Byrne was last night poised to enter the race to succeed Pat Hickey as president of the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) and the Basketball Ireland chief has his eyes set on a potential clearout of the troubled organisation.

O’Byrne was publicly critical of Hickey and aspects of the OCI as a body in the aftermath of the Olympic ticketing controversy in Brazil last year and, having talked the talk then, he is now contemplating walking the walk by contesting the elections due on February 9.

Hickey, who denies any wrongdoing, was arrested in Rio de Janeiro during the Olympic Games last year as part of an investigation into alleged illegal ticket sales and he duly stepped down temporarily from his role as OCI president and all other other roles in the Olympic movement.