The 7ft 1in former Los Angeles Lakers, Charlotte Hornets and Sacramento Kings centre won the post after current president Ivan Curkovic withdrew his candidacy just before the election was due to take place.

 

Divac said he wants to help "create better conditions for our sportsmen."

 

He said: "Basketball has taught me not only how to compete, but also to be a team leader."

 

The 41-year-old Divac worked as an adviser on sports for the Serbian Government.

 

His candidacy for the Olympic committee was put forward by the Serbian Basketball Association.

 

Curkovic, a 64-year-old  former goalkeeper for Yugoslavia, and manager of the Serbia national team, had claimed in December he would pull out of the race because he had failed to gain the necessary support of five sports.

 

He, though, had continued to put his name forward, despite a court in Belgrade declaring him ineligible,

 

Divac won several World and European titles with Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro.

 

He also won the European club championship with Partizan Belgrade before playing in the NBA for 15 years. 

 

Divac is also a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations and is a prominent figure in many charitable campaigns.

 

In 2007 he started the biggest charitable action in the Balkans to collect money to buy deserted land in Serbia and give it to 7,850 refugees living in camps.