The defeat of Vladimir Lisin, left, in the election for ISSF President has been described as "good news for international sport governance" ©ASC

Luciano Rossi's election as President of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) has been hailed as "good news for sport governance".

The Italian defeated Russian oligarch Vladimir Lisin by 136 votes to 127 at the ISSF General Assembly in the Egyptian resort Sharm El-Sheikh yesterday.

It bought to an end Lisin's controversial four-year reign as head of the world governing body after he refused to step down, even temporarily, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Novolipetsk, the steel company owned by Lisin, which is reportedly worth $25.4 billion (£21.2 billion/€24.6 billion), had been linked with supplying materials for the Russian military and used in the war on Ukraine.

"This is good news for the ISSF and good news for international sport governance," Hans Natorp, President of the National Olympic Committee and Sports Confederation of Denmark, wrote on social media.

"Congratulations to the ISSF community and the new ISSF president Luciano Rossi."

Natorp, a former Olympic sailor, had clashed with International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach at the Association of National Olympic Committees General Assembly in Seoul in October over the organisation's position on Russia.

"Now is not the time to embrace Russian sport leaders," he said following Lisin's defeat.

The election of the 69-year-old Rossi increases the influence of Italian administrators in world sport.

He becomes the third Italian to lead an Olympic summer sport, joining Marco Scolaris, who is President of the International Federation of Sport Climbing, and Sabatino Aracu, head of World Skate, which oversees skateboarding.

In addition, Francesco Ricci Bitti is President of the umbrella body, Association of Summer Olympic International Federations, having previously led the International Tennis Federation.

Ivo Ferriani is also head of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation and is a member of the IOC Executive, as well as being President of the Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations and SportAccord.

Giovanni Malagò, President of the Italian National Olympic Committee and is also an IOC member, hailed Rossi’s election, which came four years after he had been beaten by Lisin at the last ISSF vote.

"An election that rewards the skills, history and passion of the number one…helping to increase the consideration of the Italian sport in the world," Malagò wrote on Twitter.

"A big round of applause."

To read Duncan Mackay’s blog on the ISSF election click here.