OLYMPIC GAMES

The weekend reports claiming that João Havelange had resigned as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) brought to mind two images from recent IOC Sessions.

The first is from Copenhagen in 2009.

The Brazilian, who as FIFA President once shared with the late Juan Antonio Samaranch the billing of 'Most Powerful Man in World Sport', is inviting fellow members of the IOC club to Rio de Janeiro to celebrate his 100th birthday in 2016.

A short while later, the photogenic Brazilian city was unveiled as the 2016 Summer Olympic Games host, beating both a Madrid bid backed by Havelange's old chum Samaranch and a Chicago bid backed by the most powerful human being on the planet.

It was a moment of purest triumph for the old warhorse.

The second is from Durban in 2011.

Joseph Blatter (pictured left with IOC President Jacques Rogge), FIFA President de nos jours and IOC member, is confiding that he will depart from South Africa with a blueprint of the IOC ethics machinery in his briefcase.

Just as it seemed that the IOC was striving to differentiate itself from FIFA in its handling of corruption-related issues, probing three IOC members – including Havelange – over allegations made by BBC Panorama, so FIFA was apparently planning to rip pages out of the IOC's book.

If there is one thing that the latest reports (if confirmed) will do, however, it is to highlight the gaping credibility chasm between the world's two most prominent sports bodies in their ethics policing.

The IOC's reputation for this – having learnt the hard way via the Salt Lake City scandal – is now very good.

Havelange's resignation will have boosted this reputation still further – and at an opportune moment with a high-stakes battle between six cities – Baku, Doha, Istanbul, Madrid, Rome and Tokyo – for the 2020 Olympics in its early stages.

This is even though a resignation letter is reported to have cited health reasons.

By contrast, FIFA's credibility on ethics matters remains, in my judgement, very low, in spite of a recent flurry of activity.

Only last week the impact of the unveiling of its new reform chief, Mark Pieth (pictured), was partly undermined when the anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International said it had turned down an invitation to join Pieth's new independent Governance Committee.

Another key moment in FIFA's battle to restore its battered reputation is expected to come on December 16 and 17 at its Executive Committee meeting in Tokyo.

Blatter indicated in October that the meeting would see the reopening of a file on ISL, a company engaged by FIFA to sell World Cup broadcasting and marketing rights, which collapsed in 2001 with debts of $300 million (£192 million/€224 million).

It is from ISL that Havelange is alleged to have received $1 million (£639 million/€746 million), in the matter being looked at by the IOC Ethics Commission.

Havelange's resignation will probably end the IOC's role in the affair, since its Ethics Commission would be expected to then drop the case, as IOC rules stipulate.

According to reports, a two-year suspension at least for the Brazilian, who has denied the allegations, was expected to be considered at the IOC Executive Board meeting in Lausanne on Thursday.

This is even though the receipt of payments, such as those alleged by Panorama, would not at the time have been against Swiss law.

Blatter said in October that the ISL file would be given to "an independent organisation outside of FIFA" so they could extract its conclusions and "present them to us".

However, I understand that procedural matters laid down in Swiss law, and therefore beyond FIFA's control, are likely to slow things down, perhaps considerably.

In which case, the Tokyo meeting could turn out to be less significant than it initially appeared and scepticism about FIFA's reforms may be reinforced.

Havelange's (pictured left) resignation leaves one more, potentially delicate, issue for the IOC to navigate.

As things stand, the athletics stadium for the 2016 Olympics is to be named in Havelange's honour.

Had the Brazilian been sanctioned over the ISL affair, this would have been embarrassing for the Olympic Movement.

Now, were pressure to be applied to find a new name, it could be argued that any such move would constitute unnecessary cruelty to a sick old man who, when all is said and done, was one of the towering figures of 20th century sport.

But what if the FIFA process did eventually – ie over the next four to five years – produce unwelcome disclosures?

Sceptics and Havelange supporters will find this unlikely, but I would be surprised if those whose job it is to burnish the Olympic Movement's public image didn't continue to monitor the evolution of brand Havelange with some care.

It will not have escaped readers' attention that word of Havelange's resignation came on the same day that the former Brazil football captain, Sócrates – a figure universally associated with all that is best about his country's inimitable flair for the game – died.

It would be facile and cheap to suggest that one name might beneficially be substituted for the other: athletics wasn't Sócrates' thing and Havelange accomplished more than enough in his administrative life to warrant a Brazilian stadium being named after him.

But if Havelange deserves his stadium, then Sócrates, unquestionably, does too.

I hope those organising the world's two greatest sporting festivals in Brazil between now and 2016 will take note.

By David Owen

Source: www.insidethegames.biz

December 5 - Arsenal and England left back Kieran Gibbs has said that he wants to play in the London 2012 Olympic Games for the Team GB football team, despite his club manager Arsene Wenger being vehemently opposed to the involvement of his players in the football tournament.

Wenger has said that the Olympic football competition is "not a real tournament," and does not want any of his players playing in both the European Championships and then the Olympic Games next summer.

Speaking at the National Lottery's unveiling of their "Class of 2012", the team of Olympic and Paralympic athletes which Gibbs is a part of, he revealed that he did not know that Wenger had made those comments.

He also insisted that he wanted to be a part of the Olympics, even if he was called up for the European Championships earlier in the summer.

"I wouldn't be happy to not play," he said in response to a question from insidethegames.

"As a player you want to be part of everything, whether it is Euros, cups.

"The Olympics is the biggest stage so you can't turn an opportunity like that down.

"Obviously I have to come to an agreement but for me if you get asked to represent your country then you don't say no."

The Arsenal man said that he was looking forward to being able to compete alongside club mate Aaron Ramsey, adding that it would feel strange to compete together for a different team.

He also rebuffed suggestions that the World Cup was a greater honour than the Olympic Games.

"When a footballer thinks of what he wants to achieve he says he wants to win the World Cup," he said.

"But the Olympics is the greatest stage of all.

"What a stage they both are...playing against the best in the world, it's great to be a part of that.

Gibbs also backed David Beckham to lead Team GB at the Olympic Games, saying "it would go without saying that it should be like that.

"It seems that's the way it should be the way he has served the country for him to lead it."

Kieran Gibbs is part of the National Lottery's 'Class of 2012.' Over 1,200 elite British athletes benefit from National Lottery funding, supporting them for London 2012. Lottery players are also investing £2.2 billion in London 2012 venues, infrastructure and art and cultural events. Find out more at www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk

By David Gold

Source: www.insidethegames.biz

December 5 - The Government have dramatically increased their security budget for the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics from £282 million ($441 million/€328 million) to a huge £553 million ($866 million/€643 million), an increase of £271 million ($424 million/€315 million).

The announcement was made by Sport and Olympics Minister Hugh Robertson (pictured) here as the Government's November 2011 Olympic Quarterly Economic Report showed that security concerns for the public during the Olympic and Paralympic Games are now far greater than originally anticipated.

"The increase in security guard numbers is not in response to any specific security threat," stressed Robertson.

"But as venue security plans have developed, so has the requirement for security personnel at Games time to support them.

"The funding is being made available to London 2012 to support them in delivering their responsibilities for securing Olympic and Paralympic venues and it will fund the recruitment and training of 23,700 venue security personnel and search and screening equipment for more than 100 competition and non-competition venues across the UK.

"The fact is safety and security of the public at the London 2012 Games is non-negotiable.

"We will not compromise on security because it is the responsibility of the Government to keep the public safe."

Robertson refused to condemn the original security budget estimate of £282 million ($441 million/€328 million) as he said that it is only now that the relevant security authorities have a clear idea of what the security costs will be.

"Only at the very last stages of the process can you be entirely sure what security for an event of this scale will cost," he said.

"There are also a number of other factors such as the international security situation so £553 million ($866 million/€643 million) is the figure we have come up with.

"It could rise depending on the international security situation as we get closer to the Games but this is the figure we have right now.

"The Government carried out a full review of security arrangements in late 2010 and remains confident the right plans are in place to deliver a safe and secure Games for all.

"The Government's approach is intelligence-led and risk-based, giving the flexibility to respond to any changes between now and Games time.

"The further funding is containable within the overall £9.3 billion ($14.6 billion/€10.8 billion) public sector funding package.

"The core security operation will be performed by G4S private security guards, with additional support from the military and London 2012 volunteers, while all roles will be performed by people who are appropriately trained and qualified."

Despite the huge rise for the security budget, the Quarterly Economic Report showed that the overall funding package for the Games remains at £9.298 billion ($14.56 billion/€10.81 billion), with more than £500 million ($783 million/€581 million) of unallocated contingency available.

The anticipated final cost of the Olympic Delivery Authority's (ODA) construction, infrastructure and transport programme is £6.856 billion (£10.728 billion/€7.972 billion) which shows a decrease of £394 million ($617 million/€458 million) since July.

The ODA has also achieved £42 million ($66 million/€49 million) of new savings in the quarter July to September, taking the total achieved since the November 2007 baseline to more than £910 million ($1.4/€1.1 billion).

Construction of the venues and infrastructure for the Games is now 92 per cent complete, with the majority of venues on the Olympic Park now complete.

Meanwhile, contracts for the sale of the Olympic Village (pictured) and adjacent development plots to the Delancey and Qatari Diar joint venture have been exchanged, generating £557 million ($872 million/€648 million) for the ODA.

"We're in the home straight, with the finish line in sight – and still going flat-out to keep down the bill for building the Games," said ODA chief executive Dennis Hone.

"We can now report that more than £900 million ($1.4 billion/€1 billion) has been saved and our anticipated final cost cut again.

"But there is still work to do, with smaller venues to be completed and the Olympic Village set to be finished around the end of the year.

"So we are anything but complacent and totally committed to securing value for money for the public from this huge project."

The Quarterly Economic Report also showed that £41 million ($64.2 million/€48 million) – including £7 million ($11 million/€8 million) held in contingency – will be given to London 2012 for the Olympic and Paralympic Ceremonies.

"There will be four billion people watching the Ceremonies around the world and given the unique opportunity, we wanted to help make sure that they will showcase the best of the UK," added Robertson.

By Tom Degun

Source: www.insidethegames.biz

December 1 - The British Olympic Association (BOA) have announced that it will deliver the Team GB Ambition Programme at the London 2012 Games with the help of Prince William, Kate Middleton and Prince Harry after they were today unveiled as Official Ambassadors for Team GB and Paralympics GB at London 2012.

The programme itself will focus on athletes and coaches who aspire to represent Team GB at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games and the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games.

Athletes and coaches from all 35 sports on the Olympic Programme for Sochi and Rio will be eligible for the Team GB Ambition Programme with participants to be nominated by their respective National Governing Bodies.

Approximately 200 athletes and coaches will be selected to take part in the programme, which will be directed by Sarah Winckless, the BOA Athletes' Commission chair and Athens 2004 Olympic bronze medallist in rowing.

Oversight for the programme will be provided by the BOA director of sport Sir Clive Woodward, with further support from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.

"Athletes and coaches who have succeeded in the Olympic Games often reflect upon the importance of being aware of the complexities and pressures of the Games environment, and having confidence in knowing how to deal with those challenges," said BOA chief executive Andy Hunt.

"That's what this programme is all about: supporting British athletes and coaches at the highest level of international sport by providing an invaluable introduction to the Olympic environment.

"We are particularly pleased to draw upon the experience and inspiration of Sarah Winckless and our Team GB Ambassadors, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry."

The Team GB Ambition Programme aims to provide practical insight into the unique aspects of the Olympics, to inspire young athletes and their coaches to continue pursuing their ambitions, to develop greater awareness and understanding of the Olympic Values and to foster communication and a commitment amongst participants.

Programme participants will begin their journey with a two-day stay at the Team GB Prep Camp at Loughborough University, where they will take part in a Team GB orientation session, Olympic education programmes and their own version of 'kitting out'.

From there, the participants will travel to London for three days of hands-on experience in the Olympic Games environment, including two sessions of sport competition (including, where possible, their own sport), a behind-the-scenes tour of Team GB House, and inspirational presentations from Team GB Ambassadors.

The participants will be housed at Queen Mary University (pictured), where most members of the Team GB support staff for London 2012 will reside.

The final element of the programme will be a one-day workshop following the Olympic Games, during which participants will reflect upon and share their experiences, and develop strategies to share the knowledge and understanding gained with others in their sport.

"The Olympic Games environment is unlike anything else in sport," said Winckless.

"The Team GB Ambition Programme is instrumental in providing aspiring Olympians with the understanding and confidence they need to navigate the Olympic environment and ultimately, succeed on the field of play."

The Team GB Ambition Programme was introduced in conjunction with the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and proved to be highly successful.

The inaugural programme included 152 athletes and coaches across every sport on the Summer Games programme.

Among the aspiring Olympians who participated in the 2008 programme and are now vying for positions on Team GB for London 2012 are triathlete Jonathan Brownlee, middle distance runner Hannah England, table tennis player Paul Drinkhall, gymnast Sam Oldham and weightlifter Zoe Smith.

By Tom Degun

Source: www.insidethegames.biz