Olympic Newsdesk - Payne Sour on Women at Augusta; UN Reappoints Lemke

Billy Payne Sour on Women at Augusta Golf Club

Amid a call to increase participation in golf, Billy Payne offers little hope that women will be allowed to join Augusta National Golf Club anytime soon

Payne, the leader of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, is now chairman of Augusta, which hosts the Masters this week.

Payne was asked three different ways during his pre-tournament press conference about Augusta’s male-only membership, each time demurring about any changes.

"As has been the case whenever that question is asked, all issues of membership have been and are subject to private deliberations of the members," said Payne in his reply to the first question.

After the issue of women joining Augusta had gone dormant, it’s come alive again with the ascension of Virginia Rometty as CEO of IBM, a tournament sponsor. Rometty’s predecessors, all male, have been invited to join the club.

While ACOG president in 1992, Payne held a press conference at Augusta to announce his intent to stage golf at the club during the 1996 Games. Payne was rebuffed by the IOC over the process of adding a sport to the Olympics, but his proposal also drew sharp attacks over Augusta’s then all-white membership. While blacks have been admitted since then, women are still excluded. And since then, golf has been added to the Olympic program for the 2016 and 2020 Olympics.

In his opening remarks, Payne stressed the need for golf (as well as Augusta) to reverse declining participation of young people in the sport.

"Golf is too precious, too wonderful, to sit on the sidelines and watch decreasing participation. Whether we lead occasionally or follow always, it doesn't matter; it only matters that we try," he said.

But when Payne’s concern was framed by a reporter into a question about the message Augusta’s exclusive membership policy sends to young people, the mood at the press conference grew tense.

"Don't you think it would send a wonderful message to young girls around the world if they knew that one day they could join this very famous golf club?" a reporter asked.

"Once again, that deals with a membership issue, and I'm not going to answer it," Payne said, cutting off a follow-up question, his expression steely and his tone of voice unyielding.

Nor did the Augusta chairman appear pleased when someone asked Payne what he would tell his granddaughters about Augusta’s closed doors.

"Mr. Chairman, as a grandfather, what would you say to granddaughters? How would you explain leading a club that does not include female membership?" came the question.

"Once again, though expressed quite artfully, I think that's a question that deals with membership," Payne said, looking as if he were sucking on a lemon.

Lemke Re-Appointed as UN Sport Adviser

Wilfried Lemke will continue to serve as the United Nations Special Adviser on Sport for Development and Peace for a fifth year.

In his role, Lemke will strive to use sport to bring about positive change around the world.

"Sport can be much more than what we often see on television or read in the newspapers," he said in a statement.

"It can be a game-changer in the lives of millions of people around the world. Sport is present in almost everyone’s life in one way or another and has the unique ability to come to the aid of those who need it most," Lemke added.

He is the UN's top sport official and was appointed as Special Adviser by Ban Ki Moon, UN Secretary General.

AP: London Olympics Good for Business

The London Olympics could help boostthe Associated Press’ financial fortune, the AP reports.

Speaking at the cooperative’s annual meeting in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, AP chief financial officer Ken Dale said revenue dropped to $627.6 million and the AP lost $193.3 million in 2011 but expected an increase of revenue by as much as two percent for 2012.

"Thanks partly to U.S. elections and the London Olympics," an AP report says.

"The AP sells separate, premium content related to both events."

Doha to Host 25 Meter Swimming World Champs

Doha will stage the FINA World Swimming Championships in December 2014.

The swimming competition, which will be held in the Aspire Sport Complex, is one of many ways Qatar is investing in athletics, said Qatar Olympic Committee secretary general Sheikh Saoud bin Abdelrahman Al-Thani.

"Working with FINA and hosting the championships is a further sign of our commitment to the development of sports in Qatar and across the Middle East," he said in a statement.

"We are investing in sport at every level and we promise to deliver a great event."

The QOC also announced the finalists of the Qatar Schools Olympic Program on Wednesday.

The athletic competition concludes Thursday and Friday in Qatar’s capital.

In a two-day final, more than 2,000 young people will compete in nine Olympic disciplines.

The competition will be aired on two national broadcasters – Al Kass and Qatar TV.

World Games Leaders Visit Poland

Leaders of the International World Games Association are fresh off a meeting with Polish president Bronislaw Komorowski.

IWGA president Ron Froehlich and CEO Joachim Gossow made the trip 10 weeks after Wroclaw beat out Budapest for 2017 hosting rights.

Sports and Tourism minister Joanna Mucha, Polish Olympic Committee president Andrzej Krasnicki and Wroclaw mayor Rafal Dutkiewicz also took part in the talks, which included preparations for Wroclaw's upcoming presentation to SportAccord next month in Quebec City.

"All agreed that the Games is an excellent opportunity to promote Poland and Wroclaw," said a statement from the IWGA.

"It was emphasized that the infrastructure prepared for the UEFA Euro 2012 would be used for the organization of the event."

Wroclaw is one of four Polish host cities for this summer’s European football championships co-hosted by Ukraine.

New Zealand Rugby Olympic Coach

Rugby Sevens’ Olympic debut is four years away but New Zealand aren’t resting on their laurels, renewing Gordon Tietjens as the Sevens coach through 2016.

"One of the key components of our Olympic campaign is to have the very best coaches on board," New Zealand Rugby Union CEO Steve Tew said in the announcement. "We now have that in Gordon, who is without a doubt the world's best Sevens coach.

"In partnership with High Performance Sport New Zealand we have taken big steps this year in our quest to be Olympic champions in 2016 in both the men's and women's campaigns.

"Signing Gordon for this extended period through to 2016 not only reflects the uniqueness of the Olympic Games but also his commitment to Sevens rugby in New Zealand.

Tietjens, New Zealand Sevens coach since 1994, has led the national side to nine World Series championships and four Commonwealth Games gold medals.

He said coaching in the Olympics "will be the pinnacle of my career and something that all coaches and athletes aspire to."

Written by Ed Hula III.

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