The International Powerlifting Federation is attempting to block its former president from standing for re-election based on their claim that he admitted to paying a prostitute for sex “three times” during an event in Sun City, South Africa, last year.
Gaston Parage resigned from his position on March 11 citing “professional and personal reasons”. Parage was thanked for “all his years of service to the sport”, with the IPF executive committee wishing him “success in his future professional endeavours”.
But Parage, 65, has now put himself forward for re-election at an emergency general meeting (EGM) scheduled for next month to select his replacement, prompting the IPF to publish a release on its website detailing “behaviour incompatible with the responsibilities and ethical standards expected of an IPF president”.
Written by the IPF secretary-general, Robert Keller, and published on May 10, the release states that the extraordinary intervention made by the IPF executive committee is based on Parage’s “admission — both oral and written — on 10 and 11 March 2025, including his response to the question, ‘Did you pay for sex?’ to which he stated, ‘Yes, three times.’ ”
Parage told The Times on Monday that he made no such admission and is now consulting a lawyer. “I just met a woman,” he said. “Nothing more, nothing less. It was not a prostitute.”
Parage also says he was being extorted for “€5,000” [£4,209] by someone claiming to be a representative of the woman. The federation, which is pushing for membership of the International Olympic Committee, is due to appoint a new president at an EGM in Chemnitz, Germany, on June 11. The release written by Keller provides the previously undisclosed detail about why the IPF does not consider it appropriate for Parage to be among the candidates.
“On May 9, 2025, the Law and Legislation Commission met and confirmed the following candidates, except for Gaston Parage, are in good standing to stand for election on June 11, 2025,” the release by Keller states.
Parage, right, has put himself forward for re-election as president at an emergency general meeting next month
“The IPF executive committee (EC) is of the opinion that Mr Gaston Parage’s admission — both oral and written — on 10 and 11 March 2025, including his response to the questions, ‘Did you pay for sex?’ to which he stated, ‘Yes, three times’, constitutes behaviour incompatible with the responsibilities and ethical standards expected of an IPF president.
“These events took place at the 2024 IPF Masters World and Commonwealth Championships in Sun City, South Africa. The conduct in question — engaging in prostitution, which is illegal under South African law — constitutes an offence involving moral turpitude.
“This behaviour is considered to have caused serious harm to the reputation of the IPF and to be contrary to its best interests. Moreover, the matter was further publicised in two emails circulated to all members of the IPF EC and others, thereby amplifying the reputational damage to the IPF.”
The release continues: “As president of an international sports federation, Mr Parage was obligated to conduct himself in a manner that upheld public morals, conventions, and decency as well as the ethical and integrity standards of the IOC.
“His actions have brought the IPF into public disrepute and will reflect negatively on the federation, its sponsors, and the broader international sports community. Accordingly, the IPF EC, after consulting with the Law and Legislation Commission, has determined that it cannot accept Mr Gaston Parage’s nomination for the office of president and does not permit him to stand as a candidate for election at the IPF Extraordinary General Assembly to be held in Chemnitz, Germany, on 11 June 2025.”
The IPF Masters World and Commonwealth Championships took place in Sun City, South Africa
The IPF has declined to make a public comment, but on Monday their claims were contested by Parage. “My side is that I have tomorrow an appointment with a lawyer and will do what the lawyer recommends me to do,” he said. “But I can just tell you on my side, I have not met a prostitute and they don’t have any proof that the woman is a prostitute. That’s all I can tell you.”
When asked if he did meet a woman in South Africa, he said: “That’s my private thing and nobody else’s. But I didn’t meet a prostitute. The woman has an official job and we have made investigations in South Africa. All these proofs we have will be just given forward to the court of justice or to whatever court it goes.”
A senior IPF source has said it has both an email in which Parage admits paying for sex and an affidavit. Again, Parage challenges this, explaining how the IPF was first alerted to a situation in South Africa by an email sent to the federation.
“No, I haven’t done any email that I have paid for sex,” he said. “What I explained… there was an email going on from an unknown person who said that I have paid for sex, that I have violated the woman, that I have kept the woman, that I have this extortion and then they wanted €5,000 from me.
“I did not jump on this because it is extortion and that is what is going on in South Africa. The lady [he met in Sun City] admitted that she don’t know that person [who sent the email to the IPF].
“I have three times told them [the IPF] that the woman is not a prostitute. I never said I have paid for sex. That came never out of my mouth. That’s what they say. There is no record. There is no meeting on this. So they put now something officially without there being any judgment.
“There is no claim in South Africa against me that I have violated African law or whatever. It is just five members of the EC who make these statements. And I assume that all people should be innocent until it is proven. So they interfere, in my opinion, prior to a court. So all this is, in my opinion, manipulation. I have never wrote in any email that I have had three times sex or paid for sex.”
The Times asked Parage why he had resigned in March. “The IPF stands over me and not for me personally,” he said. “I have 26 years worked for this sport, giving all. My family was always behind. I have never made any mistake in the IPF. So to be treated like that is a big shame because all the people said, ‘Gaston, you are the best president ever.’ ”
