Seoul, September 27 (NationPress) Andrew Parsons has been re-elected as President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) for a third and final four-year term during the 2025 IPC General Assembly held in Seoul, South Korea, this past Saturday. The Brazilian leader garnered 109 out of 177 valid votes, surpassing his opponent, Dong Hyun Bae from South Korea, who received 68 votes.

“I’m truly pleased; this reflects the confidence and trust of the IPC membership in the direction we’re heading with the Paralympic Movement,” stated IPC President Andrew Parsons. “On a personal level, concluding the initiatives I began in 2017 when I was first elected, while also having the chance to launch new projects and explore new avenues in my last four years, is incredibly exciting. I’m thankful to the Paralympic family for this fantastic opportunity.

Parsons, who previously held the position of President of the Brazilian Paralympic Committee and the Americas Paralympic Committee, first joined the IPC Governing Board in 2009. Before assuming the presidency in 2017, he served as Vice-President from 2013 to 2017.

Throughout his first eight years in office, Parsons established a long-term collaboration with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that extends to 2032 and shifted the strategic direction of the IPC. Currently, in addition to fortifying member organizations and delivering outstanding Paralympic Games, the IPC emphasizes the influence of the Paralympic Movement’s initiatives on promoting social inclusion.

During the 2025 IPC General Assembly, member organizations, which include National Paralympic Committees, International Federations, and International Organizations of Sport for the Disabled, elected Leila Marques Mota from Portugal as First Vice-President and John Petersson from Denmark as Second Vice-President. They take over from Duane Kale from New Zealand, who reached the maximum terms allowed and was ineligible for re-election.

Leila Marques Mota is the Vice-President of the Portuguese Paralympic Committee and is involved with the Executive and Directors Board of the Portuguese Sports Foundation. John Petersson, a five-time Paralympian in Para swimming, represented Denmark from 1984 to 2000 and won 15 medals.

Petersson began his governance career in 2000, becoming Vice-President of NPC Denmark in 2005 and later assuming the Presidency in 2018. He presided over the European Paralympic Committee from 2009 to 2017 and chaired the IPC Regions Council and the Supervisory Board of the Agitos Foundation.

The IPC General Assembly adjourned after the initial elections for Members-at-Large due to time limitations. The election process for these positions will resume at the earliest opportunity, with a remote Extraordinary General Assembly convened in accordance with the IPC Constitution.