Olympic Newsdesk - Turkey pays off Bulgaria for Weightlifter, IBAF elects president

Turkey reportedly paid the Bulgarian government $7 million for weightlifter Naim Suleymanoglu to compete for Turkey at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

Former Deputy Turkish Prime Minister Ekrem Pakdemirli told the Bulturk newspaper that ex-Turkish PM Turgut Ozal told him to pay the communist Bulgarian government for Suleymanoglu, an ethnic Turk, to compete for Turkey, instead of his native Bulgaria.

He went on to win three gold medals in Seoul, Barcelona, and Atlanta, and seven word championships. Suleymanoglu, dubbed “the Pocket Hercules” is one of only seven lifters who lifted three times their bodyweight in the clean and jerk competition.

Suleymanoglu, was born in Ptichar, Bulgaria; in 1967 under the name of Suleimanov. The Bulgarian government forced all Turks to adopt Bulgarian last names. He defected from Bulgaria in 1986 while competing in Australia.

Fraccari wins Baseball Presidency

Italian Riccardo Fraccari was elected president of the International Baseball Federation (IBAF). He will lead baseball into an era without Olympic status.

IBAF members elected a new leadership board on Sunday to conclude its congress in Lausanne. Fraccari, who is president of the Italian Baseball Federation, won an unopposed elected after Australian John Ostermeyer withdrew from the race.

Fraccari succeeds Harvey Schiller of the United States. He will serve a four-year term.

Fraccari ran under platform of "Change We Must!" Fraccari said it is important for the IBAF to build stronger relationships with professional leagues.

“It is extremely important for us to strengthen our relationship with the world’s professional leagues,” said Fraccari. "They need us to help continue to develop players worldwide, and we certainly need their support both on and off the field."

Fraccari is the second Italian to lead the IBAF. The late Aldo Notari served as president from 1993 until his death in 2006.

Newly elected executive committee members include 1st Vice President Kazuhiro Tawa (Japan), 2nd Vice President Alonso Perez Gonzalez (Mexico), 3rd Vice President Tony Castro (Cuba), Secretary General Israel Roldan (Puerto Rico),Treasurer Rene Laforce (Belize), 1st Member at Large Paul Seiler (United States), 2nd ember at Large Tom Peng (Taiwan) and 3rd Member at Large Luis Melero (Spain).

Vote for Youth Olympic Medals

The public can vote on medal designs for the inaugural 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore.

Voting is underway at www.medaldesigncompetition.com. Voting will close Jan. 22. The top 10 vote-receiving medals will be presented to an IOC jury that will select the winning design.

Participants from 34 countries submitted designs in an online medal design competition that took place Nov. 7 to Dec. 4.

The YOG will take place Aug. 14-16.

Peter Holmes, Triathlon Communications Chief, 24

Peter Holmes, International Triathlon Union communications manager, passed away on Saturday from the effects of a hiking accident in Vancouver. He was 24 years old.

Holmes had been with ITU since April after serving as a communications officer for the British Triathlon Federation. Holmes joined the BTF after graduating from Loughborough University in 2006.

“This is devastating news,” said Sarah Springman, President of British Triathlon and Vice President of the International Triathlon Union in a statement. “Peter was such a wonderful young man. He was a great enthusiast and had so much talent, potential and energy for so many different fields."

Holmes was an endurance runner and competed for his home club of Cheltenham Harriers.

Briefs…

…The World Curling Federation will hold its 2012 World Men's Curling Championship Basel, Switzerland. The event will take place March 31 to April 8 at St. Jakob Halle…

… Argentinean Luciana Aymar, Naomi van As of the Netherlands and Australian Jamie Dwyer of Australia have been named as the2009 World Hockey Players of the Year. Aymar and As tied in voting while Dwyer grabbed his third title as best men’s hockey player of the world…

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Written by Sam Steinberg.