Protests Could Damage Lviv Bid
Ukraine’s Prime Minister, Mykola Azarov, has warned that ongoing protests in the country will damage the Lviv 2022 Olympic bid.
Azaraov made the comments on Thursday at a training camp in Kyiv for Ukrainian athletes.
"Of course, the current political instability in the country reduces our chances of successfully passing the qualifying rounds," Azarov was quoted by the Interfax news agency’s Ukrainian service.
Protests erupted after President Viktor Yanukovych rejected a pro-European political and trading agreement.
"But, again, we believe that while today there is political instability, tomorrow it will disappear. And I hope that the sooner we settle it, the more confident we will follow the path of participation in the right to get such a ticket to the 2022 Winter Olympics."
BFJ Asks NPB for Help
The Baseball Federation of Japan hopes the country’s professional league can hit a home run for the sport.
Japan’s Kyodo News Agency reports that BFJ chairman Yoshinobu Suzuki visited the headquarters of Nippon Professional Baseball on Wednesday to ask for their help getting the sport on the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Program.
Suzuki was apparently inspired to make the effort following Thomas Bach’s visit to Tokyo in November.
"Bach told me, ‘Baseball and softball are popular so I want to back up the effort to bring them back,’" Suzuki was quoted as saying. "That decision is going to require effort and I intend to do my all to make it happen."
NPB secretary general Atsushi Ihara said, "We can share information and if there is something concrete we can do, we’ll want to do that."
Olympic Impact in Japan
There was another small reward for Tokyo's successful Olympic bid.
"Ring" was announced as the kanji of the year on Thursday. The Kanji characters are the Chinese characters used in the Japanese language.
The Olympics are often referred to as "five rings" in Japanese media.
Written by Ed Hula III
20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.
Últimas Noticias
Sinner-Alcaraz, the duel that came to succeed the three phenomenons
Table tennis: Brazil’s Bruna Costa Alexandre will be Olympic and Paralympic in Paris 2024
Rugby 7s: the best player of 2023 would only play the medal match in Paris
Rhonex Kipruto, owner of the world record for the 10000 meters on the road, was suspended for six years
Katie Ledecky spoke about doping Chinese swimmers: “It’s difficult to go to Paris knowing that we’re going to compete with some of these athletes”
