Governing Bodies
Only fully-vaccinated IOC members to present medals at Tokyo 2020
Only fully-vaccinated International Olympic Committee (IOC) members will be able to present medals to athletes at the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games as part of COVID-19 countermeasures in place at the event.
IOC President Thomas Bach made the revelation prior to a meeting with Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike today, before the organisation later confirmed the “significant change” in a statement.
Bach yesterday said athletes would put their own medals around their necks during the ceremonies at Tokyo 2020 to limit the risk of spreading the COVID-19 virus.
The medal presenters, typically members of the IOC or other guests, will be required to wear disinfected gloves.
One IOC member and one International Federation representative will be present at each event, while athletes will stay on their own podium module during the entire duration of the ceremony.
Bach said today that he had been fully vaccinated and was being tested daily, while claiming close to 100 per cent of the IOC membership and staff had also been double-jabbed.
His meeting with Koike came as Tokyo reported 1,308 new COVID-19 cases, the highest daily total in the Olympic and Paralympic host city for six months – eight days before the Games are due to open.
COVID-19 concerns have dominated the build-up to the event, and several teams have already been affected by positive cases upon their arrival here.
Bach claimed the rules outlined in the playbook – which the IOC and Tokyo 2020 hope will ensure the Games are “safe and secure” – were “working” and “are being enforced”.
“They [people in the Olympic Village] know it is in their own interest to be safe,” Bach told Koike.
Bach used much of his message to Koike as an attempt to win over a Japanese public which has been critical of him and the IOC following the decision to press ahead with staging the Games during a pandemic.
He claimed the Olympic Games would be the “most restrictive sports event ever” as the IOC and organisers “wanted to avoid any kind of risk for the people of Tokyo and the people of Japan”.
“These Olympics will be a historic for another reason, and they will be the most followed Olympic Games ever,” Bach said.
“The world is looking at Tokyo, at Japan, and the world is longing for these Olympic and Paralympics.
“The expectations are higher than ever before at an Olympic Games.
“This is a great moment for Tokyo and also for Japan, because billions of people worldwide will be glued to their screen and will greatly admire, and be grateful, to the people of Tokyo and people of Japan for what they have achieved under these very difficult circumstances.”
Koike, who had been critical of the IOC following the decision to move the Olympic marathon and race walk events from Tokyo to Sapporo because of concerns over high temperatures in the capital, said she “hopes everyone will abide by the rules” that are being implemented at the Games.
A fourth state of emergency came into force in Tokyo this week in response to a rising number of COVID-19 cases, leading to the decision to ban spectators from almost every Olympic venue.
The Tokyo 2020 Olympics, pushed back to this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, are due to open on July 23 and close on August 8.
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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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