Olympics
IOC MAY SANCTION ITALY’S NOC (CONI) OVER CEDING POWERS TO GOVERNMENT AGENCY
BY PATRICK O’KANE
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has sent a letter to the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) raising serious concerns for its role in the future of Italian sport and issued a warning of suspension should the issues not be rectified promptly.
The letter,
which insidethegames has seen, served as a stark reminder of
the IOC’s power to a National Olympic Committee which, just six weeks ago,
celebrated a successful bid campaign to host the 2026 Winter Olympic and
Paralympic Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
At the end of 2018 the Italian Parliament approved a law, which would see a separate Government-controlled organisation set-up to distribute funds to the country’s national governing bodies.
This body, called “Sport e Salute” – or Sport and Health – would allegedly reduce CONI’s role to only handling preparation for the Olympic Games.
Sports Village Square however notes that the move in Italy is a common feature in Africa where the various national Olympic committees have no direct control over national sporting federations.
The Italian
Parliament plans could also see CONI’s annual budget reduced from €400 million
(£353 million/$453 million) to just €40 million (£35 million/$45 million).
In January, CONI President Giovanni Malagò warned it was important that CONI worked with the Italian Parliament to find a quick solution to the approved law changes but seven months on, nothing appears to have been resolved.
In the three-page letter, signed by James Macleod, the director of Olympic Solidarity and NOC Relations, the IOC raised issue with the impact of Italian Parliament approving plans to set up a Government-controlled organisation which would distribute funds to the country’s national governing bodies.
The preservation of CONI’s autonomy, a basic foundation of the Olympic Charter, is the key issue at stake for the IOC.
Addressed to Malagò, the letter expressly noted article 27.9 of the Olympic Charter: “The IOC Executive Committee can take the most appropriate decisions for the protection of the Olympic Movement in the country of a NOC, including the suspension or withdrawal of the recognition of such NOC if the constitution, the law or other rules in the nation in question.
“The IOC Executive Committee will offer this NOC the opportunity to be heard before making such a decision.”
The Italians were reminded that “belonging to the Olympic Movement requires respect for the Olympic Charter and recognition by the IOC” and the letter reiterated the role of National Olympic Committees (NOCs) to ensure compliance with the Olympic Charter in their own countries.
It served to reinforce CONI’s responsibilities with an additional warning that NOC’s could collaborate with Non-Governmental Organisations, provided they did not take an action contrary to the Olympic Charter.
The letter also reflected the NOC’s autonomous responsibility in the determination and control of the rules of sport, the definition of the structure and the governance of their organisations.
CONI were reminded that NOC’s should “resist pressures of any kind, including, but not limited to, political, legal, religious or economic pressures that could prevent them from fulfilling the Olympic Charter”.
The letter reflected on the fact that the autonomy of sport was formally established in a Resolution of the General Assembly of the United Nations, adopted in New York in 1994, referring to the development of sports in a country requiring positive collaboration in order to build relationships in fruitful terms and complementary actions with benefits for sports and athletes.
The IOC called on CONI to resolve its complaints with the Italian Government at its earliest opportunity and were open to hosting a joint meeting at Olympic House in Lausanne this week, offering to provide further clarification and assistance where necessary.
However, the Italian Parliament breaks for two weeks of holiday at the close of business tomorrow, so any immediate resolution looks unlikely.
CONI declined to comment on the letter.
-insidethegames
Nigeria’s Super Falcons will face a confident and free-scoring Comoros side in the next round of the women’s football qualifiers for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games after the island nation completed a staggering 30-0 aggregate demolition of Sudan.
Comoros sealed their passage to the next stage with a 13-0 victory in the second leg of their first-round tie, having already recorded a commanding win in the opening match. The result saw the Coelacanthes score an extraordinary 30 goals across the two legs without conceding a single goal.
The emphatic triumph has generated excitement around the rapidly improving Comoros women’s national team, but a much sterner examination now awaits against Africa’s most successful women’s football nation.
Nigeria, ten-time African champions and one of the continent’s traditional powerhouses, enter the next round as overwhelming favourites. However, Comoros’ remarkable scoring exploits against Sudan suggest they will arrive with growing confidence and belief.
The Coelacanthes dominated both encounters from start to finish, displaying clinical finishing and defensive solidity that left Sudan with no answer. Their tally of 30 goals over two matches represents an astonishing average of 15 goals per game.
For Nigeria, the fixture will mark the beginning of another quest for Olympic qualification after missing out on the women’s football tournament at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The Super Falcons, who recently impressed in their international friendly victories over Senegal in Ikenne, boast vastly greater experience and pedigree than their upcoming opponents. The nine-time Women’s Africa Cup of Nations champions have consistently been among the continent’s strongest teams and remain Africa’s highest-ranked women’s national side.
Comoros coach Youssouf Abdallah has described his team’s performances against Sudan as evidence of the progress being made within the squad, but the encounter with Nigeria will provide a true measure of their development.
While Comoros’ record-breaking victory has captured attention across African football, the challenge of overcoming Nigeria represents a significant leap in quality. The Super Falcons have traditionally dominated lower-ranked African opponents and will be expected to continue their march towards a place at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
The dates for the second-round qualifiers are expected to be confirmed by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), with the winners advancing further in the race for a place at the Olympic Games in the United States.
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By Kunle Solaja.
Nigeria’s senior women’s national team, the Super Falcons, will begin their campaign for a place at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games from the second round of the African qualifiers after being granted a bye in the opening stage.
The draw, conducted on Wednesday in Cairo by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), placed Nigeria among 29 higher-ranked teams exempted from the first round of the series.
The Super Falcons will take on the winner of the first-round clash between South Sudan and Comoros in their opening fixture of the qualifiers.
A total of 35 nations are competing for just two available slots allocated to Africa for the women’s football tournament at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, underlining the intensity and high stakes of the qualification process.
The qualifiers will be contested over five knockout rounds on a home-and-away basis, leaving little room for error as teams battle for continental representation on the global stage.
The first round involves the six lowest-ranked teams—Sudan, Mauritius, Djibouti, South Sudan, Madagascar and Comoros—based on the latest FIFA Women’s World Rankings. Winners from this stage will advance to face each other again before the 29 seeded teams, including Nigeria, enter the fray.
Nigeria will be aiming to consolidate their status among Africa’s elite women’s football nations, having qualified for the most recent Olympic tournament alongside Zambia at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Although the Super Falcons boast a notable Olympic pedigree, having made their debut at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and subsequently appearing at Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and Paris 2024, qualification has not always been easy.
The 16-year gap between their last two participations in Beijing 2008 and Paris 2024 illustrates the tough time they have endured in the qualifying series.
With the women’s football event at Los Angeles 2028 set to feature 16 teams—including hosts the United States—Nigeria’s path to qualification is expected to be demanding.
Attention will now shift to the preliminary encounter between South Sudan and Comoros, as Nigeria’s technical crew intensify preparations ahead of their second-round entry point.
For the Super Falcons, the mission is clear: successfully navigate a rigorous qualifying campaign and secure a return to the Olympic stage in 2028.
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Nigeria’s senior women’s national team, the Super Falcons, will on Wednesday discover their route to the football event of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles when the Confederation of African Football conducts the official draw in Cairo.
The draw ceremony, scheduled for April 29 at CAF headquarters in Egypt, will set in motion Africa’s qualifying campaign for the women’s football tournament of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
A total of 35 countries, including Nigeria, will participate in the race for just two tickets allocated to Africa for the Olympic football event, which will take place from July 11 to 29, 2028.
Alongside Nigeria, other contenders include continental heavyweights such as South Africa, Cameroon, Ghana, Morocco and Zambia, as well as a wide range of emerging nations from across the continent.
The full list of participating teams also features Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Namibia, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
According to CAF, the qualification series will be played over five rounds, gradually narrowing the field to the two teams that will fly Africa’s flag at the Olympics in the United States.
For Nigeria, Africa’s most successful women’s national team, the qualifiers present another opportunity to reaffirm their continental dominance and secure a return to the Olympic stage after recent mixed fortunes in global competitions.
The Super Falcons, nine-time African champions, are expected to be among the top seeds when the draw is conducted, a factor that could influence their early-round opponents.
Wednesday’s ceremony in Cairo will therefore provide clarity on the fixtures, timelines and potential hurdles facing Nigeria and other contenders as the road to Los Angeles officially begins.
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