Governing Bodies
Drug cheat takes Olympic oath at Tokyo 2020
Belarus has appointed convicted drugs cheat Ivan Tsikhan as its team captain for the delayed Olympic Games here, where the country’s controversial President Aleksandr Lukashenko warned its athletes would be the target of political pressure.
The 44-year-old hammer thrower has been appointed to the honorary role following a vote by the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Belarus (NOCRB) Athletes’ Commission.
Tsikhan was stripped of the Olympic silver medal he had won at Athens 2004 after a re-test of his sample in 2012 from those Games showed traces of banned anabolic steroids.
As a result of his 2012 re-test, Tsikhan was also stripped of the gold medals he had won at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki and the 2006 European Championships in Gothenburg.
Despite this, Tsikhan read out on oath on behalf of Belarus’ athletes in front of Lukashenko where he said: “I promise that during the Olympic Games in Tokyo we will compete fairly and without doping.”
There had been doubts that Belarus would even be able to compete under their own flag at Tokyo 2020 following allegations that the NOCRB had politically discriminated against athletes for taking part in protests aimed at Lukashenko following his controversial re-election last August, which has sparked widespread protests in the country.
Lukashenko and his son Viktor, who succeeded him as NOCRB President in February, are both banned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) from attending Tokyo 2020 as a result, although the threat of Belarus being suspended appears to have receded.
Aleksandr Lukashenko took the opportunity at a farewell before the team left for Japan to attack the IOC and other International Federations who have stripped Belarus of hosting rights for major events.
“I want to tell you that your sporting achievements are not only a personal triumph,” he said.
“Today they are akin to other kinds of victories, up to political ones.
“However, sport became a bargaining chip in politics a long time ago, unfortunately.
“Your successes should become a response to those people who first took everything they could from the country, and now wish it and you defeat.
“A response to those states that are strangling or trying to strangle us with sanctions.
“Expectations are very high.
“Of course, you understand it.
“But this burden is no heavier than the challenges you have already overcome.
“I know in detail what you have had to go through.
“But you stood your ground.
“The main and decisive step remains.
“You have faced it all.
“You took these attacks like true athletes, showing patience, will and courage.
“You still need these qualities now in order to defend the honour of our Belarus in sporting arenas in Tokyo.
“You know that your rivals will be incredibly strong.
“Restrictions related to public health and increased control by various structures will also create certain difficulties.
“Pressure with political overtones is not excluded either.”
Belarus is set to be represented by 109 athletes in 20 sports at Tokyo 2020.
Since making its debut in the Summer Olympics at Atlanta in 1996 following the breakup of the Soviet Union, Belarus has won at least one gold at every Games.
Its best performance came at Beijing 2008 when the team won a total of 14 medals, including three gold.
The medallists included Tsikhan, winner of a bronze which he was initially stripped of following a positive test for testosterone, before having it restored following a successful appeal because of an error made by the laboratory in China.
His team mate Vadim Devyatovskiy, winner of the silver in the hammer, also tested positive for testosterone but was allowed to keep the medal because the same error was made by the laboratory.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport took the highly unusual step of warning this did not mean they were cleared of suspicion, insisting the verdict “should not be interpreted as an exoneration”.
Tsikhan, who controversially replaced Devyatovskiy as President of the Belarus Athletic Federation last September, promised that the athletes would make proud their country proud.
“We know that during the Olympic Games the entire country, the entire nation will support us and root for us,” he said.
“We also understand the responsibility and hopes the country pins on every athlete and coach on the team.”
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World football governing body, FIFA, today clocks its 122nd anniversary, celebrating more than a century of overseeing and expanding the global game.
Founded on May 21, 1904, in Paris, France, FIFA began with just seven member associations — France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
From that modest beginning, the organisation has grown into the most influential sports governing body in the world, with 211 member associations spread across all continents.
Over the decades, FIFA has transformed football into a truly global phenomenon through competitions such as the FIFA World Cup, Women’s World Cup, Club World Cup, youth tournaments, and developmental programmes aimed at growing the game worldwide.
The organisation has also witnessed remarkable milestones, including the expansion of the men’s World Cup from 13 teams in 1930 to 48 teams beginning from the 2026 edition to be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
FIFA’s journey has equally reflected football’s growing influence beyond sport, with the game becoming a major tool for diplomacy, social inclusion, youth empowerment, and economic development across the world.
As FIFA celebrates 122 years of existence, attention is now focused on the future of the game, technological innovations, expanded competitions, women’s football growth, and the continued globalisation of football.
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UEFA has issued a lifetime ban to Petr Vlachovsky, a Czech women’s soccer coach who secretly filmed his players, the governing body announced on Tuesday.
Czech media reported that the coach was convicted in May 2025 and initially received a suspended one-year prison sentence and a five-year domestic coaching ban for filming FC Slovacko’s players in changing rooms, the youngest of whom was 17.
In a statement, UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) said it had decided to ban Vlachovsky “from exercising any football-related activity for life” following the appointment of an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector to investigate allegations of potential misconduct.
“The CEDB further decided to request FIFA to extend the abovementioned ban on a worldwide level and to order the Football Association of the Czech Republic to revoke Mr Petr Vlachovsky’s coaching licence,” the statement added.
FC Slovacko did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Football players’ union FIFPRO welcomed the ban as well as UEFA’s request for world soccer governing body FIFA to impose an international ban on Vlachovsky.
“This outcome sends a strong and necessary message that abusive and inappropriate behaviour has no place in football and that safeguarding the well-being of players must remain a priority at every level of the game,” FIFPRO added in a statement.
Vlachovsky had also previously served as coach of the Czech women’s Under-19s team.
RELATED STORY: https://sportsvillagesquare.com/2026/04/08/outrage-as-male-coach-who-secretly-filmed-women-players-still-free-to-work-in-football/
-Reuters
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Southampton have been kicked out of the Championship playoff final after being found guilty of spying on semi-final opponents Middlesbrough, the English Football League said on Tuesday.
Middlesbrough, who lost 2-1 to Southampton on aggregate in the semi, have been reinstated and will face Hull City on Saturday in what is dubbed the world’s richest soccer match.
Promotion to the Premier League, even with an immediate relegation, is estimated to be worth in the region of 200 million pounds ($268.10 million) over three seasons.
Southampton, who admitted the charges, were also found guilty of filming training sessions involving Oxford United in December and Ipswich Town in April during the regular season.
They have also been deducted four points from the start of next season in England’s second tier.
“An Independent Disciplinary Commission has today expelled Southampton from the Championship play-offs after the club admitted multiple breaches of EFL regulations related to the unauthorised filming of other clubs’ training,” the EFL said.
“Southampton admitted breaches of Regulations requiring Clubs to act with the utmost good faith and prohibiting the observation of another Club’s training session within 72 hours of a scheduled match.
“The effect of today’s order is that Middlesbrough are reinstated into the 2026 play-offs and will proceed to the play-off final against Hull City. The final remains scheduled for Saturday 23 May, with the kick-off time to be confirmed.”
The EFL confirmed that Southampton could appeal against the decision and that “parties are working to try and resolve any appeal on Wednesday 20 May.
“Subject to the outcome, it could result in a further change to Saturday’s fixture,” the statement said.
‘BORO CALLED FOR SOUTHAMPTON EXPULSION
Middlesbrough had called for Southampton’s expulsion after having a training session at their Rockliffe Park site filmed 48 hours ahead of the first leg of their playoff semi-final with Southampton which ended 0-0.
The north-east club said they welcomed the decision.
“We believe this sends out a clear message for the future of our game regarding sporting integrity and conduct,” the north Middlesbrough said in a statement.
“As a club, we are now focused on our game against Hull City at Wembley on Saturday.”
Southampton were relegated from the Premier League last season and were struggling in the early part of this campaign until a storming finish in which they went unbeaten in 19 league games to finish fourth and enter the playoffs.
The south-coast club are the first to fall foul of the Football League’s regulation 127 — brought in after Leeds United were found guilty of spying on Derby County seven years ago, an offence for which they were fined 200,000 pounds.
-Reuters
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