Olympic Briefs -- LOCOG Sweetens the Pot; Beraho Wants ANOCA Spot

LOCOG announced Wednesday that Cadbury is extending its tier two sponsorship for London 2012. The confectioner will extend its estimated $40 million commitment to include all confectionary and packaged ice cream for the Games. Cadbury is the world's largest candy company.

London 2012 CEO Paul Deighton said about the expansion, "This deal is a great opportunity for Cadbury to extend its partnership with the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, and for us to continue to develop our commercial program and raise more private finance to host and stage the Games. Cadbury has a long tradition of sports sponsorship, both in this country, and of supporting major international events, and are proving a strong addition to our team of world-class commercial partners."

The extension of the Cadbury deal includes adding sugar-free gum Trident as a third tier sponsor.

"This is great news for Trident because it links with our recently-announced Cadbury support, allowing us to sell our total confectionery range to everyone visiting each London 2012 venue. It's a further demonstration of our leadership of the confectionery market," Cadbury U.K. Managing Director Trevor Bond said.

One More Candidate for ANOCA Presidency

The president of the Rwandan Olympic Committee announced his candidacy for secretary general of the organization overseeing all African NOCs.

According to the Rwandan newspaper The New Times Ignace Beraho announced his candidacy to become secretary general of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa on Wednesday. Beraho faces competition from Zimbabwe’s Robert Mutsauki, the CEO of Zimbabwe’s NOC.

"I have Ignace Beraho declared his candidacy for ANOCA secretary general. lobbied with every member state in Eastern Africa as well as Central Africa. I am looking forward to go to other zones soon to solicit for more votes," Beraho was quoted as saying in The New Times.

The election will take place at ANOCA’s general assembly at its headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria, July 5-7.

The eight-year leader of RNOC was demure on his chances of success.

"I feel optimistic by the positive feedback that I'm getting not only from the electorate but from other stakeholders, who work in partnership with ANOCA in one way or another."

The position of secretary general has been vacant since Angolan Gustavo Concecaio resigned last November.

Click here to read Mutsauki’s candidate statement.

“Gesture of Reconciliation” Offered to POC

The Philippines Sports Commission offered a “gesture of reconciliation” to the Philippines Olympic Committee, dissolving an oversight board that had caused tension between the two bodies.

PSC chairman Harry Angping said he disbanded the PSC Task Force Aquatics, ostensibly designed to find new homegrown talent, so that the two sports bodies could begin to work together again.

“I want to show that I’m really for reconciliation so the first step is to dissolve the Task Force Aquatics," said Angping.

POC officials said this was a case of government interference with sports, and threatened to separate ties with the PSC if it did not cease and desist in such efforts.

Angping also said he planned to meet with POC brass to smooth relations.

Australia’s Winter Olympians get Cash Boost

The historically cash-strapped Australian winter Olympians have received a cash boost for their preparations for Vancouver.

Ten aspiring winter Olympians will each receive the 2010 Vancouver Scholarship worth Lydia Lasilla says the scholarships awarded to Australian winter Olympians will go a long way to helping them train for 2010. (Toshifumi Kitamura/AFP/Getty Images) $29,000, which is funded by Olympic Solidarity.

“This is the first time Australian athletes have received such funding and we are confident the scholarships will assist them in their preparation,” AOC Director of Sport Fiona de Jong said in a statement.

The scholarships are designed to assist athletes with the cost of coaching and training programs as well as the cost of travel for Olympic qualification.

One of the athletes who received a scholarship, freestyle skier Lydia Lassila, said the lack of snowfall in Australia means Aussie winter athletes have to travel more, and further to be able to train.

“Traveling from water jump training in Switzerland back to set up jumps in Mt. Buller [Victoria] if the weather is right, and then back overseas to other training bases is really expensive but essential,” Lasilla said.

"This money will make a big difference to myself and benefit the other athletes in our programs.”

U.S. Sports Leader Discusses Concerns with New USOC CEO

Skip Gilbert, executive director of USA Triathlon and chair of the U.S. Olympic Committee National Governing Body Council, will meet today with interim CEO Stephanie Streeter at USOC headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo.

"She's trying to reach out to various NGBs - what's the business at hand, where do we need to go?" Gilbert tells Around the Rings. "Obviously, she's got a steep learning curve ahead of her and a lot of constituent groups."

Gilbert is also expected to meet with USOC chairman Larry Probst in the coming days.

Gilbert also wants to discuss the sudden resignation of Jim Scherr last week, who Streeter replaces.

Briefs…

... Jon Valdez, the personal coach of Beijing Olympian in gymnastics Justin Spring, pleaded guilty to one felony count of unauthorized videotaping Tuesday. Valdez set up a hidden video camera that was designed to capture images of people undressing in a locker room of the university where he coached. The state's attorney prosecuting Valdez, Julia Rietz, said his coaching career was “effectively over. My understanding is it's a small world.” Valdez’ lawyer declined to comment on his client’s future.

Written by Ed Hula III.