New EOK President Teigamägi Seeks Peace in Sport

The Estonian Olympic Committee's general assembly elected Erich Teigamägi as president on 18 June, with 79 votes against rival Erven Tudeberg's 32. Sports journalist Tiit Karusk notes that Teigamägi's main goals are elite sport, medals, and stability, and highlights the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics' biggest achievements: Henry Sildaru's silver medal and Johanna Talihärm's election to the IOC.

The Estonian Olympic Committee's general assembly elected Erich Teigamägi as its new president on 18 June. Of the 113 EOK members present, two ballots were deemed invalid. Teigamägi's victory was decisive: he garnered 79 votes, while his rival Erven Tudeberg received 32. The new president will serve for 28 months initially, with the next elections to be held in the autumn of 2028 following the Los Angeles Summer Olympics.

A quarter-century in Estonian sport

Teigamägi has been active in the Estonian sports system for a quarter-century: 19 years as president of the athletics federation, as a member of the EOK executive committee from 2008 to 2016, and as EOK vice-president from 2020 to 2024. In the autumn of 2024, he already ran in EOK presidential elections, finishing behind Kersti Kaljulaid and Urmas Sõõrumaa in the first round.

The line of Teigamägi's predecessors is long: Friedrich Akel (1924-1931), Johan Laidoner (1931-1940), Arnold Green (1989-1997), Tiit Nuudi (1997-2001), Mart Siimann (2001-2012), Neinar Seli (2012-2016), Urmas Sõõrumaa (2016-2024) and Kersti Kaljulaid (2024-2026), whose removal in April preceded today's elections.

Peace and elite sport are key words

In his speech to the EOK general assembly, Erich Teigamägi named as his priorities the promotion of achievement and elite sport, clearly listening to the voice of member federations, and the restoration of peace and trust. Against the backdrop of Kaljulaid's removal in April, these emphases are particularly significant-the Estonian sports organisation has been through a turbulent period, which Teigamägi hopes to end through clear leadership.

Sports journalist Tiit Karusk asked Teigamägi to write on 15 June at the presentation of the Milan Cortina Olympics book what messages Estonian sport had received from this year's Winter Olympics. Teigamägi wrote: "This Olympics' great victories-Henry's silver and Johanna elected to the IOC!"

Johanna Talihärm, the third Estonian on the IOC

This reference carries great symbolic weight. Until February of this year, only two Estonians had been members of the International Olympic Committee: Friedrich Akel in 1928-1932 and Joakim Puhk in 1936-1942. In February, biathlete Johanna Talihärm was elected as the third Estonian to IOC membership, joining the Olympic organisation's athletes' commission for 2026-2034.

World Cup football offers hope to the small nations too

Karusk adds thoughts on the World Cup in his monthly column. Initially, he was sceptical of the final tournament with 48 teams, but two matches changed his mind: Spain finished 0-0 with Cape Verde, and Portugal drew 1-1 against Congo. With a population of half a million, Cape Verde managed to keep the European champions scoreless, offering hope to smaller nations.

The 39-year-old Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick against Algeria in the opening match, raising his World Cup final tournament goals to 16, equal with German Miroslav Klose, with whom he now shares the top spot in the all-time scorers' table. Just one goal behind them is the 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo, who failed to score in his opening match against Congo.