At an Extraordinary General Assembly, held virtually today, 81 member federations voted on the proposal, with 41 in favour and 36 against.

A two-thirds majority of 54 was required for it to be passed, and as this was not reached the term of the Executive Committee will end this year.

There were two abstentions.

The Extraordinary General Assembly was streamed in four different languages, and FISU secretary general Eric Saintrond told insidethegames he was very pleased with the turnout.

Saintrond said: "We are very happy to have had such a good level of participation in the meeting.

"We decided it was the best way to make this decision virtually.

"Personally, I am not surprised at the outcome.

"We now need to work quickly to book a venue for our General Assembly this year."

Under the terms of FISU's Constitution, the General Assembly must be held within four months of the conclusion of the Chengdu 2021 FISU Summer World University Games, scheduled to take place between July 28 and August 8.  

Leonz Eder of Switzerland is the current Acting President of FISU with Matytsin, who is also the Russian Sports Minister, forced to step aside from the Presidency in March 2021, in line with sanctions against Russia in response to the cover-up of a state-sponsored doping programme.

Under the sanctions, Russian Government officials were banned from holding positions at organisations which are signatories to the World Anti-Doping Code, which FISU is.

The World Anti-Doping Agency sanctions, reduced by the Court of Arbitration for Sport from four years to two, came to an end in December 2022.

Despite the lifting of the restrictions, Eder remains Acting President of FISU with Matytsin continuing to delegate his responsibilities.

Speaking last December, Matytsin claimed that he can "return at any time as soon as I deem it necessary to assume the duties of President".

Matytsin was elected as President of FISU in 2015 before being re-elected for a second term in 2019.