Governing Bodies
NO NEED TO RUSH TOKYO 2020 DECISION, SAYS US, AS SPLITS EMERGE
US Olympic chiefs said on Friday (March 20) more time was needed to determine the fate of the Tokyo Olympics as a major US sports federation called for the Games to be postponed over the coronavirus pandemic.
In a conference call with reporters, United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) chairwoman Susanne Lyons said there was no need for the International Olympic Committee to make an immediate decision on Tokyo.
“I think we would concur with the IOC to say that we need more expert advice and information than we have today to make a decision,” Lyons said.
“And we don’t have to make a decision. Our games are not next week, or two weeks from now. They’re four months from now.
“So we are affording the IOC the opportunity to gather that information and expert advice.
“At this point in time, we do not feel that it’s necessary for us to insist that they make a decision.”
But just hours after Lyons’ comments, USA Swimming underscored the growing divisions within US sport on the issue by calling for USOPC to request a postponement.
In an open letter to the USOPC chief executive Sarah Hirshland, swimming federation boss Tim Hinchey said US Olympic leaders should “advocate for the postponement” of the Tokyo Games.
“We urge the USOPC, as a leader within the Olympic Movement, to use its voice and speak up for the athletes,” Hinchey wrote.
USA Swimming is the biggest US sports federation to call for a postponement.
Friday’s statement came against a backdrop of mounting unease amongst athletes over the impact the coronavirus pandemic is having on their preparations for Tokyo.
Several have called on the IOC to postpone the July 24-Aug 9 Games, noting that restrictions imposed to curb the spread of Covid have wreaked havoc with training and competition schedules.
LIVES ‘UPSIDE DOWN’
Hinchey said American swimmers’ lives had been “turned upside down” as they scrambled to find training facilities or reconfigure schedules.
“Everyone has experienced unimaginable disruptions, mere months before the Olympic Games, which calls into question the authenticity of a level playing field for all,” Hinchey said.
USA Swimming’s stance found support from Bow Bowman, the former coach of Olympic star Michael Phelps, who said athletes were being placed in danger as they sought out places to train.
“My concern is as they are trying to find places to train and work out, it goes against what we’re supposed to be doing to not get the coronavirus,” Bowman told USA Today.
“It’s forcing them to try to do things that are contrary to our national goal right now.”
Former US Olympic distance runner Kara Goucher meanwhile said Olympic chiefs of placing financial considerations above athlete safety.
“Athletes are humans, they get sick!” Goucher wrote on Twitter.
“Postpone so they can #ShelterAtHome w/o worrying about losing fitness to competitors!
“You are losing any credibility that you care about the wellness of athletes! Athletes over money please!”
USOPC chief Hirshland admitted that athletes had suffered “significant” disruption to qualifying for Tokyo, and warned they would “likely continue to be significant.”
Hirshland insisted, however, that athletes were not unanimously in favor of the Olympics being postponed.
“As diverse as our athletes are, so too are their perspectives, and that adds to the complication factor,” Hirshland said.
“There are athletes out there for whom this feels like their only opportunity, their last chance. I don’t think we’re in a position where all athletes have a unanimous point of view.”
Additional mental health resources were being made available to athletes as they grapple with “significant anxiety,” she said.
“We are all living with a high degree of uncertainty and a lack of clarity, and we absolutely hope that we can have clarity as soon as that’s practical,” Hirshland said.
-AFP
Governing Bodies
FIFA opens disciplinary proceedings against Congo officials over financial misconduct
FIFA’s ethics committee launched disciplinary proceedings against three senior Congolese Football Federation (FECOFOOT) officials on Wednesday, including president Jean-Guy Mayolas, over allegations of financial misconduct.
Mayolas, his wife and his son were sentenced to life in prison earlier this month after a criminal court in the Congolese capital, Brazzaville, convicted them of embezzling $1.1 million in FIFA funds. Media reports said their whereabouts were not known , and they were tried in absentia.
FECOFOOT general secretary Wantete Badji and treasurer Raoul Kanda are also subject to the disciplinary proceedings, FIFA said. Badji and Kanda were sentenced to five years each in prison by the court in Brazzaville for related charges.
“These proceedings follow the receipt of information and documents during an audit,” FIFA said in a statement.
-Reuters
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The World Anti-Doping Agency is considering rewriting its rules to try barring President Donald Trump and all U.S. government officials from attending the LA Olympics in 2028, in a move that could also have implications for the World Cup being hosted by the U.S. this summer.
The proposal, on the agenda for next Tuesday’s meeting of the global drug-fighting watchdog’s executive committee, is the latest manoeuvre to come out of a yearslong refusal of the U.S. government to pay its annual dues to WADA.
The refusal is part of the American government’s unanimous, bipartisan protest of the agency’s handling of a case involving Chinese swimmers and other issues.
The Associated Press learned of the agenda item through correspondence it obtained between WADA and European officials involved in the agency’s decision-making. Two others with knowledge of the agenda confirmed the existence of the rules proposal to AP; they were not authorised to speak publicly about the agenda, which has not been released publicly.
The proposal was, in fact, first brought up in 2024, when U.S. authorities successfully lobbied for its rejection. The U.S. has since lost its seat on the executive committee.
“In spite of WADA’s increasing threats, we continue to stand firm in our demand for accountability and transparency from WADA to ensure fair competition in sport,” said Sara Carter, the director of the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).
The rule, if passed, would figure to be mostly symbolic, given the limits an international sports federation could have on the president of a country attending an event inside his own borders.
“I have never heard of a $50-million-budget Swiss foundation being able to enforce a rule to, for example, prevent the United States president from going anywhere,” said Carter’s predecessor at ONDCP, Rahul Gupta, who was on the WADA executive committee two years ago and led the movement to reject the proposal. “And the next question you have to ask is: How are you going to enforce it? Are they going to post a red notice from Interpol? It’s ludicrous. It’s clear they have not thought this through.”
In a news release after this story published, WADA said the AP story was “entirely misleading,” focusing on Fitzgerald’s statement to the AP that if proposals being discussed were “introduced, given that the rules would not apply retroactively, the FIFA World Cup, LA and Salt Lake City Games (in 2034) would not be covered.”
Fitzgerald’s only answer to three emails from AP seeking clarification on his initial response — specifically about how a rule that had not yet been adopted could or couldn’t be applied retroactively on events that are scheduled for the future — was: “I’m trying to say that it would not apply retroactively so those events would not be covered. Given that and the next meeting of the Board being scheduled for November, I don’t see how it could come into play for this year’s World Cup.”
-AP
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The Confederation of African Football has dismissed Yasin Osman Robleh, the Djiboutian official who headed its judicial bodies for the past six years, in a move aimed at restoring confidence in the organisation’s disciplinary processes.
According to reports from convergence sources, the decision was confirmed on Saturday by CAF Secretary General Veron Mosengo-Omba, bringing an abrupt end to Robleh’s tenure overseeing the confederation’s disciplinary and investigative committees since 2019.
Robleh’s position reportedly came under increasing pressure following the controversy surrounding sanctions imposed after the Africa Cup of Nations Final between Morocco and Senegal. The disciplinary decisions that followed the match sparked criticism from several quarters and placed CAF’s legal framework under intense scrutiny.
In response to the situation, CAF’s Executive Committee has appointed Togolese lawyer Cedric Egai, currently the confederation’s Director of Legal Affairs, as interim head of the judicial bodies.
Egai is expected to stabilise the organisation’s legal arm while CAF works toward appointing a permanent successor to Robleh.
Disciplinary Decisions Delayed
The leadership change has already affected ongoing disciplinary processes within the confederation. CAF’s disciplinary committee reportedly held hearings last Thursday on several cases, including the high-profile encounter involving Egypt’s Al Ahly and Morocco’s AS FAR.
However, decisions on those matters have been temporarily put on hold pending the confirmation of new leadership within the judicial structure.
Sources indicate that once a permanent successor is appointed, CAF will move swiftly to conclude outstanding disciplinary rulings affecting both clubs and national teams.
Restoring Confidence
The move is widely seen as part of CAF’s effort to restore confidence in its judicial system following weeks of controversy surrounding disciplinary decisions at major competitions.
Robleh’s departure closes a significant chapter in CAF’s legal administration, while Egai’s interim appointment signals a potential shift in leadership and governance at a critical time for African football.
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