Governing Bodies
AFRICAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEES SUPPORT PROCEEDING WITH OLYMPICS IN 2020, SAYS NAMIBIA CHIEFTAIN
The President of the Namibia National Olympic Committee (NNOC), Abner Xoagub, has claimed that his counterparts from the other African Olympic Committees support the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stance of proceeding with the Tokyo 2020 Games this summer.
Speaking at a media conference on Thursday, Xoagub said that all the African Olympic Committees backed the International Olympic Committee’s stance to continue preparing for the Tokyo Olympics to go ahead as currently scheduled, reports The Namibian.
“All the African Olympic Committees had a conference call with
the IOC President for an update on the situation on Wednesday and all the
members supported the motion to proceed with the Games,” Xoagub said.
“The IOC encourages all athletes to continue preparing for the Olympic Games so
we need to support them and will consult with them, their coaches and their
federations as well as medical staff to make sure that they adhere to the
directives.
“To date, 57 per cent of the athletes are already qualified for the Games.
“For the remaining 43 per cent of places, the IOC will work
with the international federations, to make any necessary and practical
adaptations to their respective qualification systems for Tokyo 2020.
“The possibility remains to use existing and scheduled qualification events,
wherever these still have fair access for all athletes and teams.”
At the briefing, Xoagub also confirmed details of Namibia’s road
cyclists for this summer’s Games, should they proceed as planned.
“We had a meeting with the Namibian Cycling Federation, and after going through
their performances at the qualifying events, Vera Adrian and Dan Craven have
been selected to represent Namibia at the Olympics in road cycling, with Martin
Freyer selected as a reserve to Dan,” he said.
A total of five Namibian athletes have now qualified for Tokyo 2020, with Adrian and Craven joining rower Maike Diekmann, boxer Jonas Jonas and marathon athlete Helalia Johannes.
Other Namibian athletes well placed to qualify for this summer’s Games are marathon runner Reinhold Thomas, wrestler Romeo Goliath, swimmers Phillip Seidler and Alexander Skinner, mountain bike riders, Tristan de Lange and Alex Miller, karatekas Suxelle Pronk and Freddy Mwiya Junior and athlete Beatrice Masilingi.
Secretary general of the NNOC Joan Smit provided an update on how the above athletes were faring in the race to secure spots for this summer’s Olympics.
“Reinhold’s qualifying event was cancelled, so the International Association of Athletics Federations will now make a decision based on his performance at the World Championships last year,” Smit said.
“Romeo’s final qualifying event has also been cancelled, but he did very well at the African Championships in Algiers, so we are hopeful that he will qualify.
“The qualifying events for both Phillip and Alexander are due to take place in May, so hopefully that can still go ahead.
“Swimmers and athletes, in fact, can still qualify until June, so there is still time for them and our top athletes like Beatrice.
“Suzelle and Freddy’s karate qualifying event has been cancelled, but hopefully it can be rescheduled, while Michelle Vorster has a 99 per cent chance of qualifying – she has been competing in Spain recently to improve her world ranking.
“The qualifying races for the men’s mountain bike spot have been cancelled, but we will continue to monitor that situation.”
-insidethegames
FIFA’s independent Ethics Committee has banned former Guyana Football Federation (GFF) General Secretary Ian Alves from all football-related activities for five years after finding he sexually harassed female staff members.
FIFA also fined Alves 20,000 Swiss francs ($22,000) after determining that he had breached provisions of the FIFA Code of Ethics relating to the protection of physical and mental integrity, abuse of position and general duties.
“FIFA has a strict stance against all forms of abuse in football,” the organisation said on Monday.
The decision followed a review of written statements from the victims, documents provided by the GFF, submissions from Alves, and other evidence gathered during the investigation.
Alves stepped down from his position in 2024.
The ban came into force on Monday, when the terms of the decision were notified to Alves, and the full grounds for the ruling will be communicated within 60 days in accordance with the Code of Ethics, FIFA added.
The GFF did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Alves could not immediately be reached for comment.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that he planned to seek re-election for a fourth term in a bid to continue to lead the governing body of world soccer.
Infantino confirmed he would run for the 2027–2031 term in the closing moments of the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, which comes less than two months before the start of the World Cup.
The election will be held on March 18 in Morocco, which is set to co-host the 2030 World Cup.
Infantino said he was “honoured and humbled” to have the chance to run for a fourth term.
The Italian-Swiss took office in 2016, replacing Sepp Blatter, and was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023.
Infantino has pushed for the expansion of FIFA competitions during his tenure, with this year’s World Cup in North America the first to feature 48 teams, while the women’s tournament in 2023 has been expanded to 32 teams.
Infantino’s tenure has also drawn some criticism over issues such as high World Cup ticket prices and the decision to award the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize to U.S. President Donald Trump at the World Cup draw in December.
Earlier this month, the council of South American football’s governing body (CONMEBOL) said in a statement it would unanimously support the 56-year-old if he decided to seek another term.
-Reuters
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The supporters of Vancouver Whitecaps, a professional football (soccer) club in Canada, have staged a protest outside the FIFA Congress on Thursday, voicing fears that the Major League Soccer club could be relocated as uncertainty deepens over its ownership and long-term future.
The club is one of Canada’s most historic football institutions and has long been a central part of Vancouver’s sporting identity.
Around 100 fans gathered as delegates arrived for the annual FIFA meeting in Vancouver, chanting, singing and waving club flags in a show of solidarity. The demonstration comes just days after Vancouver Whitecaps FC revealed difficulties in securing a buyer willing to keep the club in the city.
The Whitecaps disclosed earlier this week that “stadium economics, venue access and revenue limitations” have complicated efforts to sell the club, despite a 16-month search for new ownership.
Season ticket holder Derek Hawksworth said supporters felt compelled to act amid growing fears of relocation.
“I wanted to come down given the threat of the team possibly moving,” he said. “It’s a rich history with the Whitecaps in North America… we want Vancouver to stay and not relocate. The history is here, and we want to continue with that history moving forward.”
The Vancouver Whitecaps are a professional football (soccer) club based in Vancouver, Canada. They currently compete in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top-tier league in the United States and Canada.
Concerns were heightened by reports that cities such as Las Vegas and Phoenix are leading contenders should the club relocate.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim has urged intervention, calling on the provincial government — which owns BC Place — to negotiate a “bridge deal” that would allow the team to remain while plans for a new stadium are explored. The club’s current lease at BC Place expires at the end of the year.
Despite the off-field uncertainty, the Whitecaps have been one of the standout teams this MLS season. They currently sit second in the Western Conference with 24 points from nine matches, just three points behind the San Jose Earthquakes.
For supporters, however, performances on the pitch offer little comfort as the future of their club hangs in the balance — a situation they hope global football leaders gathering in Vancouver will not ignore.
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