Newsletter 23 February 2007:
Female ski jumpers challenge IOC for breach of human rights
1) Female ski jumpers challenge IOC for breach of human rights
2) Boxing reforms off to rocky start with suspension of outspoken critic
3) Athletes are forbidden to update websites and blogs from Pan Am Games
4) FIFA president talks about his salary and denies bribery repayment
5) Danish football club reported to FIFA for trafficking of young players
6) Suspended IOC member Park Yong-sung got amnesty in fraud case
7) EU Commission asks citizens for their views on EU involvement in sport
8) Vote in our poll for your favourite topic for Play the Game 2007
1) Female ski jumpers challenge IOC for breach of human rights
A group of female ski jumpers from Canada has filed a complaint with Canada's Human Rights Commission as a way to get the Canadian government to pressure the IOC on its decion not to include women's ski jumping in the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver. The ski jumpers say IOC's decision is gender discrimination.
2) Boxing reforms off to rocky start with suspension of outspoken critic
Efforts to reform the International Boxing Association (AIBA) to make it less corrupt and more democratic have had a rocky start. First AIBA suspended a critical vice president on suspicions that he had committed acts of terrorism but in all likelihood it is a case of mistaken identity. Later AIBA suspended its secretary general for embezzlement - without making it public.
3) Athletes are forbidden to update websites and blogs from Pan Am Games
When thousands of athletes from 42 countries meet at the Pan American Games in Brazil in July this year, athletes will be forbidden to update their blogs or websites during the competition. There will also be restrictions on broadcast of live images on the Internet.
4) FIFA president talks about his salary and denies bribery repayment
A verdict from a court in Lichtenstein obtained by Play the Game documents that it was a representative for FIFA who repaid bribes money in the amount of 2.5 million Swiss Francs to the insolvent estate of the sports marketing company ISL. But despite the documentation FIFA president Sepp Blatter still denies any knowledge of the payment in an interview with a Swiss newspaper.
See also Who took the bribes? FIFA corruption and the ISLPlay the Game's theme page on the investigation into FIFA and the ISL affair
5) Danish football club reported to FIFA for trafficking of young players
FIFPro - the international organisation for professional football players - has reported a Danish football club to FIFA and accused it of trafficking of young football players from Nigeria. FIFPro also attacks the Danish Football Association (DBU) for issuing international transfer certificates to the players in contravention of FIFA rules.
6) Suspended IOC member Park Yong-sung got amnesty in fraud case
On 9 February 2007, the suspended IOC member Park Yong-sung was given an amnesty for his fraud conviction by South Korean president Roh Moo-hyun. A few days later, Park was welcoming the IOC bidding committee that came to assess Pyeongchang as host for the Winter Games in 2014, even though the judo president is still suspended from the IOC.
7) EU Commission asks citizens for their views on EU involvement in sport
The EU Commission now invites everyone to fill in a survey about the kind of involvement EU should have with sport in the future. The commission stresses that the survey is open to all individuals and not just sports organisations.
8) Vote in our poll for your favourite topic for Play the Game 2007
Preparations for Play the Game 2007 are moving along quickly and now we would like to hear your opinion about topics considered for the conference.
