News from the NOCs -- OCA Pledges Support for Palestinian Olympic Committee, Sailor Slams Israeli NOC over Funding

OCA President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah said the Olympic body was committed to the redevelopment of sporting infrastructure in Palestine. (ATR) The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has assured the Palestinian Olympic Committee (POC) of its full support amid the demolition of sports infrastructure in Palestine following military attacks by Israel.

"The Olympic Council of Asia has witnessed over the last few days the systematic demolition of the Palestinian sports infrastructure which the OCA strongly condemns," the OCA said in a statement.

"The OCA hopes that a truce will be reached at the earliest possible moment and peace returns to this region sooner than later."

OCA President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah spoke to Mr Jibril, President of the Palestinian Olympic Committee , on Tuesday to convey the OCA's "total support towards the youth of Palestine."

He said the OCA was committed to the redevelopment of sporting infrastructure in Palestine and would help ensure the participation of its athletes in the 1st Asian Martial Art Games in Bangkok in April, the inaugural Asian Youth Games in Singapore in June and the 3rd Asian Indoor Games in Vietnam in November.

Dawood Mutawali, a representative of the NOC president, will discuss Palestine's sports issues with OCA chiefs when he visits the OCA's headquarters in Kuwait on Jan. 14.

In its statement, the OCA said it "wishes and prays that normalcy will return soon to Palestine and the Palestinian youth will be able to practice sports as freely as before."

Iran's NOC to Hire Foreign Coach for Olympic Soccer Team

Iran National Olympic Committee secretary general Bahram Afsharzadeh says the NOC is ready to hire a foreign coach for the country’s Olympic soccer team after failing to qualify for the last few Games.

"We have failed to qualify for Olympic Games in the previous editions. We have to concentrate on recruiting an experienced foreign coach. He will be assisted by some good Iranian coaches. We believe in our coaches, but they have to extend their football knowledge," Afsharzadeh said.

"Iran National Olympic Committee and the Physical Education Organization, along with the football federation, should hold a meeting to find the best coach for the Olympic team soon."

Israeli Olympic Committee Under Fire over Funding

Israeli sailor Udi Gal says the Olympic Committee of Israel does not provide enough financial assistance for its athletes, claiming the lack of funding may force him to retire from the sport.

The 29-year old, who partnered with Gideon Klinger in the 470 two-person dinghy competition at the Beijing Olympics, admitted that there was plenty of financial assistance for the pair during the Games. But he has complained that the NOC does not provide enough funding for athletes between Olympic Games.

"If something does not change soon, then I will certainly quit. Before the Olympics, we made $3,088 a month and now we have to make do with $1,286 before tax. Nobody prepared us for this; they just slashed our salaries by overOlympic silver-medal sprinter Richard Thompson was named 2008 Sportsman of the Year by the Trinidad & Tobago Olympic Committee. (Getty Images)50 percent in one day," Gal said.

Trinidad & Tobago Announce Athletes of the Year

Sprinters Richard Thompson and Kelly Ann Baptiste were selected as 2008 Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year by the Trinidad & Tobago Olympic Committee at a ceremony on Dec. 29.

Thompson won silver in the men's 100-meter dash at the Beijing Olympics, finishing second behind Jamaica's Usain Bolt, and was part of Trinidad & Tobago's silver medal-winning quartet in the 4x100-meter relay at the Games.

Baptiste made it to the second round of the women's 100-meter competition at the Beijing Games.

Olympic Swimmer Roy Saari, 1945-2009

Roy Saari, a U.S. gold medalist at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, has died in Mammoth Lakes, California. He was 63. No cause of death was given.

Saari was a member of the U.S. 800-meter freestyle relay team that won gold at the Games. He also claimed the silver medal in the 400 individual medley as well as finishing fourth in the 400 freestyle and seventh in the 1,500 freestyle.

He also set four world records, becoming the first swimmer to break the 17-minute barrier in the 1500 freestyle with a time of 16:58.7. Saari was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1976 and the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame in 1982.

...Briefs

...IOC President Jacques Rogge will visit Bulgarian capital Sofia later this month at the invitation of the country's president Georgi Parvanov and NOC president Stefka Kostadinova.

Rogge will take part in celebrations to mark the 85th anniversary of the NOC at the National Museum of Archaeology Jan. 19. He will meet the head of state the following day. During his two-day stay, the IOC president will also meet the city's mayor Boiko Borissov and prime minister Sergey Stanishev.

...The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) has been awarded the right to host the 2011 Pan-Arab Games by the Union of Arab National Olympic Committees. The QOC will sign an agreement with UANOC to host the Games during the Gulf Cup soccer tournament in Muscat, Qatar. The last Pan-Arab Games were held in Egypt in 2007.

...Philippe Rogge, the son of IOC President Jacques Rogge and a member of the Belgian Olympic Committee, was appointed chief operating officer of wireless technology company Option N.V. Rogge moves to Option from Belgacom Group, where he was the vice president of business development and planning. He was the chef de mission of the Belgian NOC at the Beijing Games.

...The Philippine National Shooting Association re-elected Art Macapagal for a fourth term as president in an election held at the Manila Yacht Club Dec. 22. The 66-year old Macapagal was elected to a third consecutive term, having returned to the presidency in 2000 after serving from 1988 to 1992. Macapagal lost in his bid for president of the Philippine Olympic Committee in November.

Written by Greg Oshust.