Governing Bodies
MAJOR ISSUES AS TOKYO MARKS 100 DAYS UNTIL SUMMER GAMES
The countdown to the Tokyo Olympics hit the 100-day mark on Wednesday (April 14) as the Games draw closer to reality after a one-year delay due to covid=19 pandemic.
But several questions remain unanswered amid uncertainties over the pandemic, including how many spectators will be allowed into venues and what revisions will be made to participants’ Covid-19 health protocols.
When are the Summer Olympics?
The Olympics are scheduled for July 23 to Aug 8 and the Paralympics from Aug 24 to Sept 5. About 11,000 Olympic athletes will compete in 33 sports, while more than 4,000 Paralympians will compete across 22 sports. Organisers say the Olympics will show there is light at the end of the pandemic tunnel.
Will spectators be in venues?
International spectators will not be allowed into Japan, organisers decided in March, amid fears over new variants of the coronavirus. Organisers plan to decide this month on the maximum number of local fans permitted in venues.
Are athletes required to be vaccinated?
No. Organisers say they are planning health protocols to carry out a safe Games with the assumption that participants will not be vaccinated. The International Olympic Committee, however, urges athletes to be vaccinated. Participants must follow the health guidelines in their “playbook” regardless of whether they have been vaccinated.
What are the ‘playbooks’?
The playbooks, first unveiled in February, outline the rules that all Games participants must follow to prevent the spread of the coronavirus during the Games. Rules include mandatory mask-wearing, keeping 2 metres’ distance from each other and clapping instead of singing or shouting to show support. Athletes will also be tested at least once every four days. Organisers plan to update the playbooks this month. They are available to the public on Tokyo 2020’s website: https: tokyo2020.org/en/games/tokyo-2020-playbooks.
How is the torch relay going?
The torch relay began on March 25 and is an early test of organisers’ ability to stage a large-scale event while implementing stringent Covid-19 countermeasures. About 10,000 runners will carry the torch across Japan’s 47 prefectures over a four-month period. There are no reports so far of infections stemming from the event. Osaka prefecture, however, decided to hold its leg of the relay this week in a park instead of on public roads after a surge in infections prompted it to declare a Covid-19 emergency.
What about the test events?
Tokyo still has several test events, which are important dress rehearsals to confirm the Games’ operational capabilities at venues, scheduled for this month and next. Early May will see four such events with athletes from abroad – volleyball friendlies between Japan and China, Olympic diving qualifiers, the Hokkaido Sapporo Marathon Festival and an athletics event – providing the best opportunity before the Games for organisers to test health protocols with arrivals from overseas.
How about the actual games?
Four sports will make their debuts at this year’s Olympics: karate, sport climbing, surfing and skateboarding. Several stars, from French judoka Teddy Riner to American swimmer Katie Ledecky, will be back in the quest for more gold, while newcomers will try to stake their claim. Japanese swimmer Rikako Ikee, competing after her recovery from leukaemia, will no doubt be among the most emotional moments.
-Reuters
The president of the Confédération of African Football, Dr. Patrice Motsepe, has announced five new CAF Vice Presidents. They are:
- CAF First Vice President: Mr Fouzi Lekjaa (Morocco)
- CAF Second Vice President: Mr Kurt Okraku (Ghana)
- CAF Third Vice President: Mr Pierre-Alain Mounguengui (Gabon)
- CAF Fourth Vice President: Ms Bestine Kazadi Ditabala (Democratic Republic of Congo)
- CAF Fifth Vice President: Mr Feizal Sidat (Mozambique)
In addition, the CAF President has co-opted Yacine Idriss Diallo, President of Fédération Ivoirienne de football, into the CAF Executive Committee.
The CAF Executive Committee also approved the names to fill vacant positions on several CAF Committees.
Organising Committee for the African Nations Championship (CHAN)
- President: Pierre-Alain Mounguengui (Gabon)
CAF Technical and Development Committee
- President: Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)
- Vice President: Malouche Belhassen (Tunisia)
CAF Medical Committee:
- President: Dr. Mohammed Bouya (Mauritania)
- Vice President: Dr. Thulani Ngwenya (South Africa)
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Governing Bodies
Nigeria becoming an epicentre of global badminton as Francis Orbih enters the Badminton World Federation Council
Laurels on the courts and now glory in the boardroom sums up the mark that badminton is making in Nigeria.
The President, Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), Francis Orbih, has been elected as a council member of the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
The election took place during the BWF Annual General Meeting on Saturday in Xiamen, China.
Orbih emerged victorious over top contenders from other African countries.
He will join Cameroon’s Odette Assembe Engoulou on the council, while Chipo Zumburani (Zimbabwe) and Hadia ElSaid (Egypt) missed out.
An elated Orbih expressed his gratitude to fellow badminton presidents across the globe for their trust and support.
He said, “I am deeply honoured by the trust placed in me by my peers across the badminton world.
“I look forward to quality representation, driving development initiatives, and strengthening badminton’s global reach over the next four years.”
Orbih also acknowledged the support of the Federal Government of Nigeria, particularly the National Sports Commission (NSC), which he said played a significant role in his successful bid.
“The Chairman and the Director General of the NSC monitored the entire process. I’m grateful for their involvement and confident Nigeria will benefit from this,” he stated.
He further appreciated the BFN board members and the Nigerian badminton community for their prayers and continued belief in his leadership.
“From the day I declared my intentions, the board members of BFN have been supportive, and I promise not to disappoint them,” Orbih concluded.
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A former member of the FIFA Council, Mamoutou Toure, has been released from jail in Mali after almost two years in detention for alleged corruption, Malian media reports said on Wednesday.
Toure, president of the Malian Football Federation since 2019, was released after 622 days in prison on Tuesday.
He served on the FIFA Council, world football’s all-powerful decision-making body, for four years until last month when he lost his seat after failing to contest new elections.
The 67-year-old was arrested in August 2023 on allegations of embezzling $28 million of public funds but was granted a provisional release order by the Malian courts, reports said.
He was accused of misconduct during his time as the National Assembly’s financial and administrative director from 2013-2019.
Toure denied all charges and, during his time in jail, was last August re-elected as Malian Football Federation president for a second consecutive term, with his supporters claiming he was a victim of a conspiracy fuelled by detractors.
While in jail, he received a letter of support from FIFA president Gianni Infantino. However, as of last month, Toure is no longer a member of the FIFA Council or the Confederation of African Football’s executive committee.
-Reuters
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