Kalmadi Stays Atop IOA; Athens IBC for Sale; Nuzman Addresses UN

Kalmadi Remains at IOA

Suresh Kalmadi, the disgraced chief organizer of the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games, will stay on as president of the Indian Olympic Association.

On Friday, the IOA Executive Committee met to discuss the status of Kalmadi, who stepped away from day-to-day affairs with the IOA but never relinquished his title. VK Mlahotra had served as acting IOA president.

The meetings were prompted by the IOC’s request for information on his status.The IOC set a deadline of March 1 to respond to their requests.

Malhotra said he responded to the IOC’s request and the IOA decided no further action was needed against Kalmadi. The IOC told Around the Rings its ruling Executive Board would discuss the IOA situation at its meeting this month.

"The Executive Committee unanimously accepted the two letters written by Kalmadi to IOA Acting President, which said that he would not assert his rights and obligations as IOA President as he would not be able to function as IOA chief for long time," Malhotra was quoted telling a press conference on Friday.

"The Executive Committee passed a resolution that the IOA Acting President will continue as IOA chief with all the powers under its Constitution," he said.

"We have replied to all the letters sent to us by the IOC. We will wait for replies from the IOC," he said when asked about the IOC's threat to act on its own if the IOA fails to do the same.

Athens IBC For Sale

As part of the Greek government’s efforts to repay sovereign debt, the 2004 Olympics International Broadcast Center is up for sale.

The Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund, the body responsible for overseeing privatization of Greek assets, announced in a statement on its website Friday that it's seeking "expression of interest" to acquire the compound.

Interested parties must submit their interest by 5 p.m. ESET on April 4.

The new owner will have the rights to the IBC for 90 years.

The IBC, currently owned by the Hellenic Olympic Committee, is touted as one of Greece’s largest office spaces.

Greek officials are hoping to raise $25 billion by 2015 through privatization of assets to pay downsovereign debt.

Rio 2016 Chief at UN Meeting

Rio 2016 president Carlos Arthur Nuzman spoke at the 19th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva on Feb. 27. The topic was "Transformation through sport".

Nuzman spoke on how the 2016 Olympics are transforming the city.

"Nuzman mentioned the major structural changes to Rio which will occur in transport and urban revitalisation with the implementation of Bus Rapid Transit systems and the refurbishment of the port region," Rio 2016 said in a statement.

"He also singled out the project to depollute Guanabara Bay and the city’s lagoons. Furthermore,he stressed that the Rio 2016™ project is in line with the goals established in the city of Rio de Janeiro Master Plan and includes legacies particularly catered to youth."

Media Watch

Reuters reports on Chang Soo Lee, a North Korean defector now living in South Korea, who hopes his sons can win an Olympic medal for his new home. Lee was sentenced to hard labor following a defeat to a South Korean athlete and views a victory from his sons over a North Korean part of his "revenge".

The news agency also reports on the desire of women in Saudi Arabia to become more active in sport. No female Olympian has ever competed for Saudi Arabia.

Iraq hopes the London Olympics can rehabilitate sport in the country.

The Guardian’s London 2012 blog has its own take on the week’s best London 2012 web posts.

Written by Ed Hula III.

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