Dow Sponsors Sochi; Fasel on NHL Talks; Putin, Ahmadinejad on Wrestling

Fasel "Optimistic" Over Sochi Talks

President Rene Fasel says he’s optimistic the International Ice Hockey Federation can convince the NHL to break for the 2014 Olympics.

"I hope that we can come to an agreement [at the] latest beginning of May, which would be good for the teams as to which players to select for the World Championships," the Swiss was quoted Thursday on IIHF.com.

His comments follow a second round of talks this week between the IIHF and NHL, this time in the host city of Sochi.

"This was a very good couple days of site visits of the Olympic venues and infrastructure, followed by some good discussions with the NHL representatives," he said.

"It must be said that many challenges remain and that this is more than just an IIHF-NHL issue. We have also the IOC, the NHLPA, the Sochi organizers, the National Olympic Committees and the IIHF affiliated national ice hockey associations. There is still lots of coordinating to be done."

Fasel is trying to ensure NHL participation for the fifth straight Winter Games dating back to Nagano 1998.

Putin, Ahmadinejad Protest Wrestling’s Olympic Exclusion

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday labeled the decision to exclude wrestling from the Olympics "unjustified" and said he hoped to take up the sport’s cause with the IOC.

Wrestling was dropped from the IOC’s list of core Olympic sports last month and will vanish from the Games from 2020 onwards unless it beats seven other candidate sports to the last available slot.

"It appears unjustified that there is the exclusion from the Olympic program of traditional sports which originally formed the basis of and were on the program of the Olympic Games even in the time of Ancient Greece, from where the Olympic movement began," Putin said.

Wrestling’s future requires a focused discussion "which I hope we will still be able to have with our friends from IOC," he added.

Putin’s comments are his first public protests against the decision, although his spokesman Dmitry Peskov has previously vowed Russia would fight to help wrestling recover its place.

The final decision on the Olympic program for the 2020 Games will be made by the IOC in Buenos Aires in September along with the announcement of the host city.

Wrestling’s cause has brought together unlikely allies, with U.S. and Iranian national Olympic officials among those to call for the sport’s reinstatement.

Also Wednesday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad echoed Putin’s call for the IOC to reconsider.

"Wrestling is compatible with the spirit of the Olympics. The sport combines chivalry, power and speed," he was quoted by Iran’s Mehr News Agency.

Ahmadinejad added that he will soon send a letter to the IOC requesting the decision be reversed.

Dow Picks Up Carbon Sponsorship

Dow Chemical added the carbon sponsorship of Sochi 2014 to its Olympics portfolio.

The TOP sponsor made the announcement on Thursday. A statement says Dow will work to "mitigate the direct carbon footprint" of the Games. Dow will also work with firms throughout Russia to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in infrastructure, industry and agriculture projects.

"We aim to be the most innovative Olympic Winter Games in history, and our long-lasting positive impact will leave behind an unparalleled heritage not only to Sochi and the Krasnodar Region, but to Russia and its people for generations to come," said Sochi 2014 President and CEO Dmitry Chernyshenko.

Blatter Reconsiders Reelection?

Comments published Thursday in a German football magazine suggest Sepp Blatter could be reconsidering his decision not to run for reelection as FIFA president in 2015.

`What can you rule out," he told Kicker, "when you don't exactly know what the future will bring?"

The Swiss previously said as he was reelected at the 2011 FIFA Congress that this would be his fourth and final term.

"Revolutionary" Table Tennis Table in the Works

San-Ei is the ITTF's new table tennis table sponsor.

The Japanese company will supply the playing surfaces for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. DHS was the table sponsor for the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.

A statement from the International Table Tennis Federation says a "revolutionary" table is being planned for the Games that will be revealed on the ITTF website in 2016.

"The bidding for the table for 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games was the most competitive since I became ITTF President," said Adam Sharara.

"It would seem that being the table supplier for the Olympics has increased in value tremendously, as table manufacturers compete to get this prestigious right."

DHS will remain as the official ball supplier of the Olympics.

Dunlop Adding 50th Year of Squash Sponsorship

Dunlop will continue to serve as the official ball for the World Squash Federation.

The deal extends Dunlop’s sponsorship of the WSF into its 50th year. As part of the agreement, Dunlop will also support squash’s bid to join the 2020 Olympics.

Written by Ed Hula III with copy published by exclusive arrangement with RIA Novosti, host news agency of Sochi 2014.

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