NEWSLETTER 22 DECEMBER:
NEW BOXING PRESIDENT SETS UP REFORM COMMITTEE TO CLEAR UP CORRUPTION
1) New boxing president sets up reform committee to clear up corruption
2) FIFA reprimands own vice president for illegal ticket sales
3) China relaxes rules on foreign reporters before the Olympics
4) Gibraltar fears that its UEFA application will not succeed afterall
5) President may stand again despite huge mess in Argentine football
6) China raises climbing fees to make room on Everest for Olympic torch
7) States and news organisations support Balco reporters in court
8) Business organisations want amnesty for suspended IOC member
9) Iceland will host Play the Game 2007
1) New boxing president sets up reform committee to clear up corruption
The International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) wants to clean up its reputation as a corrupt and controversial organisation. As one of his first acts in office, the newly elected president Ching-Kuo Wu has set up a reform committee and appointed IOC executie board member Gerhard Heiberg as its chairman.
2) FIFA reprimands own vice president for illegal ticket sales
FIFA vice president Jack Warner’s son Daryan illegally resold World Cup tickets, says FIFA. Warner himself escapes sanctions because there is no evidence proving Warner knew about it. Had the case been tried under the new Code of Ethics, however, Warner may not have able to get away with only a telling-off.
3) China relaxes rules on foreign reporters before the Olympics
China has issued a new set of rules for foreign journalists who want to cover issues in China up to and during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. According to a spokesperson from the Foreign Ministry, foreign reporters will be allowed to travel anywhere in the country without prior permission from local authorities.
4) Gibraltar fears that its UEFA application will not succeed after all
Swimmers, boxers, tri-athletes, rowers and many other athletes from Gibraltar can play their sports internationally. Football players can not, and the Gibraltar Football Association fears that it will not gain full membership of UEFA in January despite years of legal wrangles.
5) President may stand again despite huge mess in Argentine football
At a recent meeting no less than 600 people cheered for FIFA vice president Julio Grondona and encouraged him to run for the eight consecutive reelection as president of the Argentinian Football Association (AFA) despite the terrible mess that was the last AFA tournament.
6) China raises climbing fees to make room on Everest for Olympic torch
The Chinese authorities are trying to limit the number of climbers on Mount Everest’s north side in Tibet. Officially the Chinese are preparing a trial run of the torch relay on the summit but many speculate that the real reason is that Everest is close to Cho Oyu where Chinese army guards shot Tibetan refugees in September.
7) States and news organisations support Balco reporters in court
High level support is pouring in to Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams, the two American sports journalists who are facing jail for up to 18 months because they refuse to say who leaked them confidential grand jury testimonies from athletes questioned in the Balco doping case.
8) Business organisations want amnesty for suspended IOC member
Park Yong-Sung who was suspended from the International Olympic Committee earlier this year after being convicted of fraud in South Korea could be involved in a last minute attempt to save his seat on the IOC. His name is on a list of convicts whom the South Korean president is said to consider for an amnesty.
9) Iceland to host Play the Game 2007
For the first time Play the Game will hold its world communication conference on sport and society outside Denmark. Next year’s conference will take place from 28 October to 2 November in Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland.
