Governing Bodies
IOC MAY ALLOW OPENING CEREMONY MINUTE’S SILENCE AS PROTEST SOLUTION FOR TOKYO 2020
BY MIKE ROWBOTTOM
A minute’s silence at the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics is one of the options being considered within International Olympic Committee (IOC) circles as the debate intensifies over Rule 50, which currently forbids political protests made at any Olympic sites.
Taking part in a Panam Sports discussion on the topic, five-time Olympian and American cross-country skier Kikkan Randall, a member of the IOC Athletes’ Commission, said a worldwide consultation process had thrown up numerous “creative” solutions to the question of how best to allow athletes to demonstrate support for issues such as racial and social equality at the Games.
Under Rule 50 guidelines developed by the Athletes’ Commission, announced in January, competitors who demonstrate at the Games were threatened with disciplinary action.
Protests were defined in the guidelines as “displaying any political messaging, including signs or armbands”, “gestures of a political nature, like a hand gesture or kneeling” and “refusal to follow the Ceremonies protocol”.
But following a backlash, the IOC direction of travel has altered and the Athletes’ Commission is in the process of a widespread collection of views which will eventually be presented to the IOC Executive Committee meeting in October.
Randall, a Pyeongchang 2018 team sprint gold medallist, said: “One of our IOC Athletes’ Commission members has said – ‘could we do something together at the Opening Ceremony?
“‘Could we have a minute of silence, where everybody stands together in unity?’
“That could be a really powerful statement to the world.
“Is it something we can agree upon?”
Randall also sits on the Board of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, whose Athletes’ Advisory Council is one of several organisations to have called on the IOC to relax or abolish Rule 50.
IOC President Thomas Bach has refused to rule out allowing podium protests – although it is thought unlikely these will be allowed during the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games – and warned of the need to differentiate between what he called “divisive demonstrations” and suitable forms of protest.
Aliann Pompey, a four-time Olympian and Commonwealth gold and silver medallist over 400 metres for Guyana, has been conducting a separate consultation within her region as President of the Panam Sports Athlete Commission.
“Rule 50 has come to the forefront as athletes have begun wondering how they can communicate about social injustices and what our rights are, and everyone should have a place in that conversation,” Pompey said.
“We are getting feedback from all the 41 member nations in the region.
“What we found from that conversation was that the athletes formed along an entire spectrum.
“There were a few that thought the rule should be outright abolished.
“Some thought it should be left as it is.
“And some thought that the rule was fine but the way that it was interpreted needed to be fixed.
“After that discussion we left the athletes to continue to have further discussions within their countries and their sports.
“Based on that feedback we will try to quantify the viewpoints.
“It is a very diverse region.
“But we will then share those findings with the IOC.”
Reflecting on his participation in the iconic podium protest against racism during the 200m medal ceremony at the 1968 Mexico Olympics, bronze medallist John Carlos, who like gold medallist Tommie Smith had raised a black-gloved fist to the sky, commented: “All we wanted was an even playing field.
“Here we are, 53 years later, and we are still at ground zero.
“The question is when are we as a society going to wake up and act like the right people, the way we were intended to act on this earth?”
Asked about what he considered the most satisfying development from that protest, he responded:
“The fact that it was used as a blueprint.
“It made people have an understanding that, if something is wrong, you don’t wait around for someone else to fix it, you get off your fanny and try to resolve the issue.
“I think so many people have that vision now, that blueprint…”
-insidethegames
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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