Olympic Newsdesk -- Iceland Volcano Hits NOC; India Development

Iceland Volcano Impacts NOC

The National Olympic and Sports Association of Iceland says the explosion of Grimsvotn could impact its participation in the Games of the Small States of Europe competition in Lichtenstein.

Liney Rut Halldorsdottir, the NOC’s secretary general told media the delegation was set to depart this weekend for the Games, but volcanic ash eruption has shut down Icelandic airspace.

"At the moment, we have every intention of participating in next week’s GSSE in Liechtenstein," Halldorsdottir said.

"I must admit though that we are a bit concerned by the situation. If we are unable to board the flight to Frankfurt on Sunday it will be difficult for us to arrive in time in Vaduz.

"We are in continuous contact with our meteorological office experts and they have informed us that the situation should improve by the weekend."

More than 100 athletes will represent Iceland at the GSSE.

At the 2009 edition, Iceland finished second in the Games’ medal tally.

Indian NOC Rejects Controversial Sports Bill

The Indian Olympic Association is taking a stand against controversial sports legislation due to be introduced into parliament come July.

News reports indicate the IOA’s executive council unanimously rejected the latest working draft at a Tuesday meeting in New Delhi.

The so-called "National Sports Bill" would force IOA and federation officials to retire upon their 70th birthdays or after serving a maximum eight years in office, measures acting IOA president Vijay Kumar Malhotra called "draconian, illegal and unconstitutional" as well an attempt by the Indian governmentto take over the country’s national governing bodies.

"If the government is going to implement such measures in sports, then it should be implemented in all spheres of governance," said Malhotra, who took over last month from ousted president and Commonwealth Games organizer Suresh Kalmadi.

Whether the IOA’s disapproval will quiet sports minister Ajay Maken’s call for the age restrictions and term limits remains to be seen.

Warnings a plenty from the IOC that state involvement in the NOC’s affairs is in violation of the Olympic Charter have so far been unsuccessful in deterring him.

The Olympic Charter says all NOCs must be free from government interference, and athletes are occasionally forced to compete under the flag of the IOC due to such meddling.

Brazil Training Camps for 2016

Some 355 venues across Brazil have been selected for the next step of in the process to establish training sites for other nations to use in the lead-up to the 2016 Olympics. Representatives from city and state governments gathered in Rio de Janeiro this week for a seminar on the training camp program.

Rio de Janeiro Governor Sergio Cabral, speaking to the group, said that the training facilities will help provide a sport legacy from the 2016 Games.

The venues that have been preselected for the program will need to submit further documentation in the coming months. A final list of venues will be confirmed in January so that NOCs can begin making bookings in 2012.

Vero Opens Rio de Janeiro Office

A top sport business consultancy is launching its first overseas office in an effort to leverage both Brazil 2014 and Rio 2016.

"Brazil’s presence on the world stage is greater than ever and we are keen to be part of that ahead of the World Cup and Olympic Games," Vero Communications chairman Mike Lee said in a statement.

"I have had a fantastic experience working with the Rio 2016 team and we are now thrilled to launch MLA True Communications to offer our services in Brazil - a dynamic country in an exciting stage of its growth."

Lee founded Vero after captaining the communications campaign for London 2012’s successful Olympic bid. Current clients of the London-based firm include Rio 2016, PyeongChang 2018 and the Qatar Olympic Committee, whom Vero helped land the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Media Watch

L.A. Times film critic Patrick Goldstein says former NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol should follow the Olympics with the Oscars.

Written by Matthew Grayson.