Governing Bodies
The ABC of the ‘Olympics-like-no-other’, the weird Tokyo 2020
Your guide to Tokyo 2020 – from the 42 competition venues to medals that are made from recycled metal.
Competition venues within and outside Tokyo
There are 42 competition venues for this year’s Olympics, and the majority of them are located in Tokyo.
A number of them, such as the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium and Yoyogi National Stadium, also hosted events during the 1964 Tokyo Games.
To avoid possible high temperatures in the capital city, a handful of sports are conducted in venues farther away. Hokkaido, for instance, will host the marathon and race walking events.
The Olympic medals
Graphic designer Junichi Kawanishi won a nationwide competition in 2019 to design medals for the 2020 Games.
The medals, designed to symbolise an athlete’s journey from beginner to Olympic champion, are made from recycled metal.
Almost 79,000 tonnes of used electronic devices, such as mobile phones and laptops, were collected across Japan through a donation drive to provide raw materials for the 5,000 Olympic medals.
New national stadium
Completed at a cost of more than US$1.4 billion (S$1.9 billion), the stadium will host the athletics and football events during the Games, in addition to the opening and closing ceremonies.
Construction started in December 2016, about 14 months later than planned, after the original design was scrapped because of a public outcry over spiralling costs.
The centrepiece stadium is designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, who is known for blending traditional Japanese style with modern elements.
Hottest in recent history
This year’s Summer Olympics will be held during July and August, typically the annual peak for temperatures and humidity in Tokyo.
Historical data for the past 20 years shows that average maximum temperatures in the capital can be as high as 38.1 deg C during the dates of the Games, potentially making these the hottest Olympics in more than 40 years.
Daily maximum temperature
When Tokyo first hosted the Games in 1964, they were held during the cooler, drier month of October. Most Summer Olympics have been held in July and August since 1976, with some exceptions.
Torch relay across Japan
The nationwide torch relay began on March 25 at J-Village, a football training centre in Fukushima that served as an operations base for workers who battled the nuclear power plant crisis. The location was selected to emphasise Japan’s recovery from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
However, the relay has faced numerous problems, with nearly half of the legs on the route disrupted amid continuing fears over the spread of Covid-19.
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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