NEWSLETTER 19 JANUARY 2007
WOMEN IN SOMALIA CAN PLAY SPORT AGAIN AFTER END OF ISLAMIST RULE
1) Women in Somalia can play sport again after end of Islamist rule
2) Job vacancy: News Coordinator at Play the Game
3) Newspaper organisations continue fight against sports federations
4) Two Olympic committees vie for power in Panama
5) Secret Czechoslovakian doping programme to be exposed in 2007
6) Little support for Balco reporters from anti-doping agencies
7) FIFA and Kenyan minister fight over legitimate leadership of football federation
8) Give us your ideas for the next Play the Game conference
9) UEFA wants to cooperate with the police to stop money laundering
10) Call for papers for joint congress on history and sociology in sport
1) Women in Somalia can play sport again after end of Islamist rule
The overthrow of the Islamist group that controlled much of southern Somalia for the last six months is good news for female athletes. They are now returning to the country’s sports fields. Bans on sports reporting have also been lifted.
2) Job vacancy: News Coordinator at Play the Game
Play the Game’s present News Coordinator has decided to explore new paths in her professional life, and Play the Game now seeks a new coordinator to start as soon as possible.
3) Newspaper organisations continue fight against sports federations
Traditional news media that want to cover sport events on their websites are coming under increasing pressure from sports federations. Right now the World Association of Newspapers (WAN) is negotiating with the International Cricket Council and the International Rugby Board to keep their respective World Cups open for traditional print media.
4) Two Olympic committees vie for power in Panama
The small country of Panama has not only one but two different Olympic committees. Which committee is the right one is difficult to say as an attempt to resolve the situation in December failed completely despite intervention from the IOC.
5) Secret Czechoslovakian doping programme to be exposed in 2007
Athletes in former communist Czechoslovakia were subjected to a secret state-controlled doping programme with grave consequences for their health. In contrast to the situation in the former East Germany, however, the Czechoslovakian programme has not been described in any detail yet but a report is expected in 2007.
6) Little support for Balco reporters from anti-doping agencies
Two American sports journalist who face jail for refusing to name the source of leaked grand jury testimonies about top athletes’ use of steroids in the Balco case, get support from many corners of American society but should not expect much from official anti-doping bodies such as WADA and United States Anti-Doping Agency.
7) FIFA and Kenyan minister fight over legitimate leadership of football federation
Who is in charge of football in Kenya? FIFA has one answer, the Kenyan minister of sport has another. The minister refuses to deal with the current football leadership and some of the federation’s own branches have renounced their own officials.
8) Give us your ideas for the next Play the Game conference
Play the Game is starting preparations for the fifth world communication conference on sport and society in Iceland later this year. What issues do you think the conference should address?
9) UEFA wants to cooperate with the police to stop money laundering
Multinational cooperation between police and football authorities will be a must if European football wants to counter criminal money laundering activities through football. So says Henri Roemer, a special adviser to UEFA’s Executive Committee and an expert on what makes football vulnerable to organised crime.
10) Call for papers for joint congress on history and sociology in sport
The international joint congress in sport history and sport sociology that takes places in Copenhagen from 31 July to 5 August 2007 has issued its second call for papers.
