Governing Bodies
THOMAS BACH TO BE RE-ELECTED PRESIDENT IN TODAY’S IOC VIRTUAL SESSION
Thomas Bach is set to be re-elected unopposed as International Olympic Committee (IOC) President at the organisation’s virtual Session today Wednesday 10 March.
The 137th IOC Session is set to begin tomorrow at 12 noon.
It was due to be held in Athens in Greece but will instead take place virtually as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Proceedings are set to start with a report from Bach, before the Session hears of the activities of the IOC Commissions and administration.
A discussion on Olympic Agenda 2020 will then precede the Presidential election.
Bach became IOC President in 2013 after he was elected to succeed Jacques Rogge at the Session in Buenos Aires.
The German triumphed in the second round of voting, receiving the most votes in the first round before defeating Puerto Rico’s Richard Carrión, Ng Ser Miang of Singapore, Switzerland’s Denis Oswald and Sergey Bubka of Ukraine in round two.
This time, Bach will stand for a second term unopposed.
In a blog post published today by insidethegames, IOC doyen Richard Pound described Bach’s initial election as “not surprising on either a personal or organisational basis” and claimed members were “relieved” to see the German stand again.
Following the election tomorrow, matters will move on to future Olympic Games and the 2025 IOC Session on Thursday (March 11).
Preparations are continuing for this year’s Olympics in Tokyo, which were initially postponed from last year due to the global health crisis.
Organisers have remained adamant the Games will take place despite the continued uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, with Tokyo 2020 Coordination Commission chair John Coates expected to relay the same message at the Session.
A report will then be heard from the Beijing 2022 Organising Committee and IOC Coordination Commission – with those Games facing calls for a boycott due to well-documented allegations of human rights abuses in China – before an update on Paris 2024 is given.
There is also set to be a presentation from the IOC’s Future Host Commission, which recently selected Brisbane as the preferred bidder for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Olympic Agenda 2020+5, an updated roadmap for the IOC, will headline discussions on Friday (March 12).
The new roadmap features 15 recommendations which will guide the IOC and Olympic Movement for the next five years, and has been put up for discussion and approval by the Session.
The recommendations are based on the key trends identified by the IOC as likely to be decisive in the post-pandemic world.
This includes a focus on digital trends and esports, a vague mention of the continuing debate surrounding Rule 50 and athletes’ right to protest at the Games, and the need for the Olympics to be sustainable.
The IOC Executive Board met this week to prepare for the upcoming Session.
During the meeting, the Executive Board decided not to recognise the election of Viktor Lukashenko as President of the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Belarus and Dmitry Baskov as a Board member.
-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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