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
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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