Sports Olympic Hopefuls, Minus Golf, Press Case in Africa

(ATR) Six of the seven sports seeking a place on the program for the 2016 Games got the chance to explain why this week to African Olympic leaders. Only golf was absent.

Baseball, karate, roller sports, rugby, softball and squash took advantage of the opportunity to make 10-minute presentations July 7 at the general assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa in Abuja, Nigeria.

The audience of 300 delegates included IOC President Jacques Rogge and two members of the Executive Board from Africa. Next month Rogge, Sam Ramsamy of South Africa, Frank Fredericks of Namibia and their EB colleagues will select two of the seven sports to recommend for the 2016 Olympics.

Karate, rugby and softball were represented by their international federation presidents while baseball, roller sports and squash had African speakers

Harvey Schiller, international baseball president, tells Around the Rings that since Rogge has tapped the IOC Executive Board to determine the two sports short-listed for the IOC vote, the IBAF opted to send the African representation, including Ishola Williams of Nigeria, an IBAF executive board member.

Of the group presenting, only softball issued a press release around the appearance. The International Softball Federation quotes Gambia IOC member Beatrice Allen, who was on hand in Abuja.

“Softball is changing lives by providing a framework for building understanding among communities, and it’s cheap and easy to play, making it ideal for young people in less developed areas,” says Allen, who also serves as president of the Gambian Softball Association.

Golf Bogies Abuja

Why no golf presentation in Abuja?

Ty Votaw, the PGA executive who has directed the Olympic campaign for golf, tells Around the Rings the strategy of the World Golf Federation has been aimed at IOC meetings, not continental gatherings such as ANOCA.

"The IOC has given us a process that is the best way to present our sport, through presentations to the IOC Executive Board, the Program Commission.

“We have focused on the process prescribed by the IOC as the most effective way to present our sport."

Votaw was part of the team from golf who presented to the IOC EB last month, a group that included golfers Colin Montgomerie and Anika Sorenstam.

Golf may have been the only one of the seven sports which could brag about world-renowned athletes hailing from Africa, such as legend Gary Player or Ernie Els, currently ranked 23 in the world.

Around the Rings understands that that ANOCA did not specifically invite each of the sports to Abuja. Sports that wanted to appear apparently had to make a request to ANOCA to receive an invitation by President Lassana Palenfo, who nonetheless made it clear he had reserved a spot on the meeting agenda for the seven sports.

A copy of one of those letters obtained by ATR says that the invitee “would be expected to deliver a short presentation as part of your Federation’s campaign to secure admission or readmission into the Olympic Sport programme and in furtherance to IOC policy in this regard”.

Anita DeFrantz, IOC member from the United States, told ATR in Abuja that she thought golf would want to take advantage of presenting in Abuja.

"I'm quite surprised that they weren't here, but I guess they believe that they've made their case and that's all they could do."

"It's often good to meet the people who run the teams who might have the athletes there," DeFrantz said. "I'm sure they had some reason for not being here, but it is a little surprising."

She said she doesn't think it shows a lack of respect for Africa that could reflect badly on golf.

"It's more for the others they were able to get across very personally what their sport had to offer, and the importance to their athletes," DeFrantz said, "and I think golf missed that."

Even though golf says it was not invited to Abuja, the comments of Lesotho NOC president Matlohang Moiloa-Ramogopo indicate that there was an expectation that golf should have presented – and no explanation from ANOCA that the appearances were voluntary, not mandated.

"I think for this presentation, when you say you're going to be coming over and you don't show up, then it's lack of commitment on their part and lack of planning. And people will go back and report that you never showed up and no explanation was given,” says the Lesotho NOC leader.

DeFrantz says golf, as well as the other six sports, need to show interest in developing their sport, for which the Abuja meeting provided a venue.

"One of the things the IOC considers when determining the Olympic program is the commitment of an international federation in development and assisting and also helping especially the continent. If you were supposed to present here, and you don't show up, I think it's important,” she said.

“When we entered into this process, we knew we couldn't go to everything,” Votaw says.

“We have focused on communicating with IOC members and IOC EB Board members in very specific ways that we think maximizes the story we have to tell. We have adhered to the process that was prescribed to us by the IOC and was actually advised by the IOC that attempting to ‘lobby’ members, like bid cities lobby, would not be productive,” he says.

Written by

Ed Hula and Karen Rosen

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Golf Doesn't Show Up