Governing Bodies
WRESTLER’S EXECUTION: WORLD PLAYERS ASSOCIATION DEMANDS IRAN’S EXPULSION FROM OLYMPICS
BY NANCY GILLEN
World Players Association executive director Brendan Schwab has outlined five commitments the pressure group wants the sporting world to make following the execution of wrestler Navid Afkari in Iran.
Iranian state media reported that Afkari was executed on Saturday (September 12).
The 27-year-old had been given two death sentences for allegedly stabbing a security guard to death and his involvement in demonstrations against the country’s regime in 2018.
Afkari had claimed he was tortured into making a false confession and human-rights groups and activists believe he was unjustly targeted by the Iranian authorities to intimidate others who might choose to participate in peaceful protests.
His execution caused fury among athlete representation groups such as Global Athlete, which demanded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and United World Wrestling (UWW) expel Iran from world sport.
This demand is also included in the document detailing the World Players Association’s “five essential commitments”, signed by Schwab.
Iran’s immediate exclusion from the international sports community and from events such as next year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo and international wrestling contests is the first commitment.
Schwab also argues that Iran be excluded from any consideration to host sporting events such as the 2027 Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup, which the country has bid for.
“To the extent possible, sporting sanctions should be tailored to avoid impacting the right of Iranian athletes to compete,” he said.
“However, it also needs to be recognised that the right of any athlete to compete can only be enjoyed if the internationally recognised human rights of all athletes – including the rights to life and freedom of association and expression – are respected, protected and guaranteed.”
Schwab then demands that the IOC and International Federations condemn the use of the death penalty and torture on athletes, and also show support for athlete activism.
The fourth requested commitment is a “joint acceleration of a collective effort to embed human and athlete rights in international sport.”
Schwab asks that the “long-awaited IOC’s human rights responsibility, commitment and strategy” be embedded within the governance of international sport, in place in time for Tokyo 2020, and developed in partnership with civil society including the Sport and Rights Alliance.
Finally, Schwab requests an investigation into the targeting of athlete activists for political purposes.
Both the IOC and UWW have suggested that an expulsion for Iran was unlikely, with IOC vice-president John Coates hinting an Olympic ban was doubtful as “this execution didn’t relate to a sporting event” and numerous other nations competing at the Olympics also still have the death penalty.
Schwab seemed to respond to this claim in the World Players Association’s document.
“Some within the international sports community have already claimed Navid’s execution is unrelated to sport,” he said.
“Athletes sit at the heart of sport and are, first and foremost, human beings.
“They are entitled to due process and a fair trial free of any threat of torture or execution.”
Afkari’s case had attracted global attention and led to the likes of United States President Donald Trump pleading for clemency.
The IOC called his execution “very sad news”.
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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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