Tohver was voted in by a unanimous decision from the EOK board.

The EOK's new president, Kersti Kaljulaid, said Tohver brings unique experience to Estonia in all three key target groups the EOK works with

Kaljulaid said: "As a long-time football referee, he is familiar with the Estonian sports system and sports bureaucracy."

"As a sports entrepreneur, he is familiar with the private sector and speaks in the same language as our potential sponsors. He is also as a former PÖFF director no stranger to submitting funding requests, budgets, and reports. I believe we have found a strong successor for Siim Sukles."

Tohver himself said he ran for the post while keeping in mind a desire to contribute to sport and society at large. "Sport across all its broad spectrum has given me a lot in my life. I feel I want to give something back and I have the experience, skills and energy to do so," he said.

Tohver has refereed over 450 Estonian football league matches, and 150 UEFA and FIFA matches, even as recently as this week - when he officiated at the UEFA Conferences League semi-final in Vienna, between Rapid Vienna and FC Noah (Armenia).

He will take up his post as EOK secretary general on November 4.

Acting interim secretary general Martti Raju will remain as such until then

New sporting excellence committee composition confirmed

Meanwhile, the EOK's board has also approved the composition of the Committee for Excellence in Sport (Tippspordikomisjon), which is a newly formed body.

Beijing Olympic discus gold medalist and EOK Vice President Gerd Kanter is to be committee chair, and the committee itself will include winter Olympic cross-country skiing double gold medalist and Reform Party MP Kristina Šmigun-Vähi, and Olympic bronze medalist in sailing and former finance minister Tõnu Tõniste, among its members.

The EOK's committee of excellence is a decision-making body within the Team Estonia structure, whose main objective is to support peak-level Estonian athletes and to identify up-and-coming talent.

The committee will meet for the first time at the end of November.

Kaljulaid, Estonian president 2016-2021, had in her campaign for election as EOK president called for addressing ways to improve Estonia's profile and performance in sport, both internationally and at the grass-roots level. This would include seeking to get an Estonian representative on the international IOC, the Olympics' governing body.

She was voted head of the organization earlier this month, replacing Urmas Sõõrumaa, who also ran for re-election.

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