Olympic Newsdesk - Dubai Considers Olympic Bid; 1st Asian Youth Games Underway

The UAE city of Dubai announced it will consider a bid for the 2020 Olympics.United Arab Emirates city Dubai is considering an Olympic bid. According to state run media, UAE will form a committee that will decide if the country should bid for the 2020 Olympics, and the World Expo of that year.

Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE launched the “Dubai 2020” initiative on Sunday.

A desire to attract more international attention to the Gulf state prompted the decision.

“The Dubai 2020 initiative will look at how we can shape our environment and society for future generations” the she sheikh said. "These two global events, the Olympic Games and World Expo, give us a sense of common purpose and play to our strengths.”

Dubai has invested heavily in its sporting infrastructure which included creating the Dubai Sports City, a $4 billion multi-venue sporting facility that has hosted several international sporting events. The complex is expected to be a key park of the city’s bid.

Sheikh Maktoum will chair the committee charged with deciding the Olympic bid’s fate. The first order of business for the committee is conducting a feasibility study which will determine if the city bids for the Games or not. According to local media “the public will be invited to participate” in the process.

Dubai will be the second Gulf state city to bid for the Olympics. Qatar, Doha launched an unsuccessful bid for the 2016 Olympics.

Asian Youth Games Underway

The The 1st Asian Youth Games a began with grand opening ceremony Monday in Singapore. (AYG)1st Asian Youth Games are underway in Singapore despite concerns about the spread of the H1N1 strain of the flu virus.

Malaysia did not send 40 of its 42 athletes to the event after four Hong Kong football players and one Philippine player tested positive for the flu virus. More than 100 cases of the flu have been confirmed in Singapore.

The Philippines and Hong Kong were both withdrawn from the football competition after they could not compete as scheduled because their team was quarantined.

Nearly 1,400 young athletes from 43 countries are expected to compete in athletics, basketball, beach volleyball, bowling, diving, football, sailing, shooting, swimming and table tennis.

“The Asian Youth Games are being held in the true spirit of Olympism – with the value of excellence, friendship and respect,” said Ser Miang Ng, Chairman of the Asian Youth Games Steering Committee.

The opening ceremony included three mass displays and 400 young performers singing and dancing. The games end July 7.

Fernández Re-Elected Cuban NOC President

The Cuban Olympic Committee re-elected José Ramón Fernández as its president for 2009-2012 last week.

Fernández announced his plan for the term which includes a short-term goal of presenting a report to the government about the work of the Cuban Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Cuban NOC President José Ramón Fernández says he plans to use science and technology to prepare Cuban athletes for the 2012 Olympics. (ATR)Recreation. Long term objectives include preparing athletes for the 2012 Olympics using science and technology to assist the training of athletes and coaches.

“For the first time, we have worked as a whole in the design of the working strategy of our organization,” Fernández said.

He was unanimously re-elected by 38 presidents of national federations.

Former Olympian Alberto Juantorena and Roberto Leon Richards were re-elected as vice presidents at the session.

Philippine Feuding Rages On

The feud between the Philippine Olympic Committee and Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) continues after the POC and its head, Jose “Peping” Cojuangco, used a newspaper ad to criticize Harry Angping, chairman of the PSC.

The POC asked in the ad that a new chairman be appointed.

“We express our grave concern that if PSC Chairman Angping is allowed to continue with his reckless statements and acts of discrimination, and partiality for or against certain NSAs, particularly in the absence of a concrete program for the development of sports since his appointment to office in January 2009, Philippine sports performances in international competition for 2009 and 2010 will be, as they already are being seriously jeopardized,” the POC’s statement read.

Angping denounced the petition and said, “The POC is going wild. They are desperate and going berserk.”

Cojuangco said in March that he was willing to sit down with the PSC and didn’t “have any problem with unity.”

British Show Jumper Suspended

Olympic show jumper Michael Whitaker is now suspended following a positive drug test for his horse last month.

Whitaker’s horse tested positive for the synthetic hormone Altrenogest during an event in La Baule, France.

The "B" sample will be tested, which if positive, could lead to a hearing by a panel from the International Equestrian Federation.

Whitaker, 49, won a silver medal at the 1984 Olympics and has competed at three other Games.

Media Watch

Trouble could be brewing in Ghana with the report that a coup is underway in the Ghana Olympic Committee.

http://www.modernghana.com/sports/224493/2/plot-to-uproot-goc-boss-uncovered.html

With reporting from Isia Reaves and Ed Hula III

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