Olympic Newsdesk -- Controversy for Nigerian NOC; U.S. Alone Atop New FIBA Rankings

IOC Member Loses NOC Presidency Reelection

Nigerian IOC member Habu Gumel lost his campaign for reelection as Nigerian Olympic Committee, but it is unclear if the results will stand.

Reports indicate the IOC will not recognize Sani Ndanusa NOC president-elect. The IOC also reportedly told the NOC not to hold elections.

There were allegations of impropriety with the election, and lawyers for Gumel and his secretary general, Olabanji Oladapo, even appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport asking the court to prevent the vote from taking place.

Requests for comment from the IOC were not returned.

Adding to the confusion, Gumel issued a statement shortly after his defeat saying "proper" elections would be held Sept. 23.

Neither Gumel nor Oladapo were present for the Thursday vote, and both were removed from office. Ndanusa, who was third vice president, won his race unanimously, while Tunde Popoola will replace Oladapo.

Gumel and Ndanusa have sparred in the past few years over the election and the NOC.

U.S. Tops Across the Board in New FIBA Rankings

The U.S. leads comfortably in all five categories of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) rankings.

FIBA debuted its new system Friday, less than a week after the world championship came to a close in Istanbul.

Team USA leapfrogged Argentina atop the men’s rankings after Kevin Durant and company ended the nation’s 16-year world championship drought.

Spain, Argentina, Greece and Lithuania round out the top five, with host country Turkey soaring from 18th to sixth after its runner-up finish last weekend.

The U.S. edges out Russia atop the women’s rankings, which will be updated after this month’s world championship in the Czech Republic.

New youth categories for both boys and girls each have the U.S. in the lead by comfortable margins.

The U19 and U17 world championships as well as all U16 and U18 continental championships inform these inaugural rankings.

"This is a great initiative and one that has been a long time coming," FIBA secretary general Patrick Baumann said in a statement.

"We have to make sure we reward the countries that perform well in youth competitions because the young players coming through the junior ranks are the best investment in the future of basketball."

A combined ranking also has the U.S. ontop. Spain, Russia, Australia and Argentina round out its top five.

"This is a reflection of the talent and commitment they have both in Men's and Women'steams at Junior and Senior level," Baumann said.

The rankings are based upon performance in all world championships, Olympic Games and continentalchampionships and calculated on an eight-year cycle. Whenever a new championship is played, the oldest championship of that category drops out, and rankings are recalculated.

South Korea Looks Back At Seoul, Ahead to PyeongChang

A who’s who of South Korean sport gathered Friday to celebrate Olympics past and future.

The day marked the 22nd anniversary of the opening of the 1988 Seoul Summer Games, in which 8,391 athletes from 159countries competed in 237 events.

More than 300 Olympic medallists, Games volunteers and federation representatives convened in the capital to honor the occasion as well as to promote PyeongChang 2018.

A photo exhibit to support the bid opened in the city’s Olympic Museum and will showcase the winter sports haven’s landscape and preparations as well as a new promotional video.

"2018 will mark the 30th anniversary of the 1988 Seoul Games, and this inspires us to keep our promises to the IOC, deliver on our commitments, and make every effort to win the right to host the Winter Games in 2018," bid chairman Yang Ho Cho said in a statement.

PyeongChang is bidding alongside Annecy, France, and Munich. The host will be elected at the next IOC session in Durban in July.

German Lottery Partners With Munich Bid

Lotto Bayern is the latest German business to back Munich 2018.

Bid leaders unveiled the company Friday as a national sponsor of their efforts to bring the Olympics back to Bavaria.

"With the help of the state lottery fund and its 3,800 service points in Bavaria, we hope that LOTTO can help to boost the entire state’s excitement for the Winter Games to ensure everyone backs the bid with real enthusiasm," bid CEO Bernhard Schwank said in a statement.

Lotto Bayern also helped finance Munich 1972’s infrastructure and annually gives more than $650 million to German sport.

Written by Ed Hula III and Matthew Grayson.