FILA Sets Extraordinary Congress Date
On May 18, FILA, the International Wrestling Federation, will confirm its plans to re-join the Olympic Program.
That’s the date it will hold its Extraordinary Congress in Moscow where, among other things, Nenad Lalovic will have a vote to become full-time president of FILA, and numerous rule changes and programs to increase female and athlete participation in the sport’s governance will be discussed.
"This will be one of the most important meetings in the history of our sport," said Acting President Lalovic. "This will be the time we make our sport better. We are proud of our past, but we’re looking to our future and we will be strong enough to change."
Snooker Seeks IOC Funding
Is snooker sneaking up on the Olympics?
Leaders of the sport are lauding Tuesday’s "breakthrough" agreement between the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association and the International Billiards and Snooker Federation by which snooker will join the IOC-approved World Confederation of Billiard Sports.
"I believe that one day snooker will be an Olympic sport," WPBSA Chairman Jason Ferguson said in a statement.
"Many sports receive substantial funding from the IOC to assist growth and increase participation. I'm very excited about what the future holds for snooker and the potential to pave a new way ahead."
Snooker is already a part of the Asian Games and will also be contested at the 2013 World Games in Cali, Colombia.
Pishchalnikova Banned, Stripped of London Silver Medal
Russian discus thrower Darya Pishchalnikova has been suspended from competition for 10 years and stripped of her 2012 Olympic silver medal over a positive doping test taken two months before the Games, Russia’s athletics federation announced Tuesday.
Pishchalnikova, 27, was serving a provisional suspension by the International Association of Athletics Federations after a test taken May 20, 2012, detected traces of the anabolic steroid oxandrolone.
All of her results from that date have been cancelled, according to RusAthletics, meaning the London Olympics silver medal goes to China's Li Yanfeng and Yarelys Barrios of Cuba is promoted to bronze.
Pishchalnikova, the 2006 European champion, had been facing a lifetime ban because of a previous doping suspension from July 2008 to April 2011.
Published by exclusive arrangement with RIA Novosti, host news agency of Sochi 2014.
Sharapova Hopes Olympics Put Former Home On Map
Tennis star Maria Sharapova spoke Tuesday of her delight that her former hometown of Sochi will host next year’s Winter Olympics, an event she hopes will put the Black Sea resort on the map.
Sharapova spent several years living in Sochi before emigrating to Florida at the age of seven to pursue her dream of a tennis career.
"I’m very happy that we’ll have the Olympics," she said on Russia’s Dozhd TV channel.
"When I’d just flown to America, I told everyone that I was from Sochi. No one knew about it. I hope the Olympics will change that, and that everyone will know what a wonderful city there is in Russia."
She added she would definitely return to Sochi for Russia’s first Winter Olympics.
Published by exclusive arrangement with RIA Novosti, host news agency of Sochi 2014.
Malta Elects New President
Julian Pace Bonello is the new president of the Malta Olympic Committee.
Elections were held on April 30. Lino Farrugia Sacco, President of the MOC since 2000 declined to run for reelection.
Joe Cassar was reelected as Secretary General.
Media Watch
Tokyo’s The Asahi Shimbun wrote an editorial condemning the comments of Tokyo governor Inoke Inose regarding the 2020 campaign. "Inose revealed not only his poor understanding of the Olympic spirit but also his insensitivity to the values of multicultural societies," the paper wrote.
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/views/editorial/AJ201305010037
The Wall Street Journal reports on the bailout of two Norilsk Nickel shareholders’ struggling Olympic projects.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323528404578452650581997088.html
Written by Ed Hula III.
20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.
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