Another Sponsor for Tokyo; New Modern Pentathlon No. 2; IOA Elections Update

Tokyo Secures Eighth Sponsor

Japanese security firm ALSOK will help promote Tokyo 2020.

A statement from the bid committee released Monday announced the sponsorship, the eighth for Tokyo 2020.

"ALSOK’s dedication to sport is a testament of their long and rich history in supporting athletes and also the common attribute among all our bid partners," said IOC member Tsunekazu Takeda, president of both Tokyo 2020 and the Japanese Olympic Committee.

Tokyo 2020’s other official bid partners are All Nippon Airways, ASICS, Descente, Japan Airlines, JTB, Kinki Nippon Tourist Co. and Mizuno.

New UIPM No. 2

Shiny Fang of China is the new secretary general of the International Modern Pentathlon Union.

She was tapped for the role by recently reelected UIPM president Klaus Schormann and approved over the weekend at an Executive Board meeting in Frankfurt, Germany.

"I have a very close working relationship with her, and she has impressed me with her extraordinary abilities over the past five years," Schormann said Saturday.

"This appointment shows our commitment to women's equality, putting women in this important position."

Fang, the UIPM’s assistant for international affairs since 2008, is also a vice president of the International Cheer Union.

New IOA Election Chair

Anil Dev Singh is the new chairman of the Indian Olympic Association election panel. The former regional high court chief justice replaces S. Y. Quraishi, who resigned last week.

What is still unclear is if the elections will proceed as originally scheduled for Nov. 25. With Quraishi’s resignation, the inspection process for nominations was postponed, leading to speculation the election would have to be rescheduled as well.

Tensions are escalating over the Nov. 25 election, with the IOC urging the IOA to follow Olympic regulationsand the IOA secretary general saying the appointment of Singh comes even though the acting president has exhausted his power to make appointments.

Indian media report that V.K. Malhotra responded to the IOC saying he was following court orders.

"While (the) IOC is insisting that its charter and (the) IOA constitution are paramount, the Government of India has formulated a Sports Code and it wants that (the) IOA and (the) National Sports Federations (NSFs) should follow that code," he was quoted as writing the IOC in a letter.

"The Sports Ministry of the Government of India has threatened that in case of non compliance of the Sports Code, it will withdraw its recognition to the concerned NSFs and even the IOA."

"Defying the orders will lead to contempt of court," he wrote, referring to a Delhi High Court ruling.

Sports minister Jitendra Singh was quoted saying the ministry would not "get involved" with the IOA elections.

Boxing federation president Abhey Singh Chautala and IOA secretary general Raja Randhir Singh, an IOC member, are the two candidates.

Cubans Receive Olympic Honor

Cuba’s 14 Olympic medalists received their medalist pins last week.

The ceremony took place in East Havana's Cojimar Convention Center and was attended by Cuba’s sport leaders and members of the Communist Party Central Committee Secretariat.

"The award is a great honor, not just for me but for every athlete. It encourages our improvement," said shooter Leuris Pupo, according to Prensa Latina.

Each medalist receives a special pin from the IOC.

USOC Redesigns Logo

The U.S. Olympic Committe unveiled its redesigned logo on Monday.

The logo keeps the key features from its 2010 overhaul with the changes coming to the Team and sponsor logos. Both will now feature the U.S. flag and the Olympic or Paralympic logos in the appropriate colors.

A statement from the USOC says the redesign will "enhance the USOC's brand with clarity, meaning and purpose for years to come."

"This redesign of our five-ring logo continues to build our framework for a consistent look and feel for all USOC assets as well as our desire to work collaboratively with the IOC," said USOC Chief Marketing Officer Lisa Baird. "Additionally, since the American flag is the most recognized symbol of our country, putting it at the center of our marks signifies the importance of identifying with the history, spirit and symbolism of our country."

Market research on the logo found Americans "strongly identified" the marks to stand for "patriotism, inspiration, leadership and dedication."

Written by Ed Hula III.

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