GAISF, IOC Team Up for Sustainability - Federation Focus

(ATR) The Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) launches a web portal dedicated to sustainability issues.

With support from the International Olympic Committee, sustainability.sport will provide a free tool to help further sport’s goals in combating problems including climate change, economic inequality and social injustice.

The content, which will be regularly updated, ranges from sustainability initiatives from International Sports Federations (IFs), to other helpful resources from outside of the sport ecosystem, such as guidelines and reports. In addition, a wide range of best practice case studies from sports governing bodies such as the IOC are also included within the portal’s content.

A calendar section with relevant sustainability events, milestones and workshops is also included.

"Sustainability must be at the heart of sport, and this will be more important than ever in a post-COVID-19 environment as we look for shared solutions to shared problems," said GAISF President Raffaele Chiulli.

"As the united voice of sports, we felt it was only right that GAISF created a service to help support our Members in their incredible efforts to promote sustainability issues. It is our hope that this platform will not only serve the global sports community, but will also prove to be an invaluable tool for the wider community."

World Table tennis Council Chair Announced

Chinese Table Tennis Association President and double Olympic champion Liu Guoliang will chair the newly formed World Table Tennis (WTT) Council.

The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) announced in May the launch of WTT, which will house the ITTF’s core commercial assets from 2021. WTT will be responsible for running all of the federation’s events beginning next year.

The ITTF split the commercial and governance arms of the organization last year, calling it fundamental to driving commercial growth. The structure of WTT was approved in October of 2019.

The WTT Council will be the governing body of WTT and will consist of key stakeholders including players both past and present, crucial contributors to international table tennis, event hosts and ITTF personnel.

"The fact that Liu Guoliang is the most influential figure in table tennis, not only in China but around the globe, positions him perfectly as Chair of the WTT Council," Steve Dainton, WTT Board Member & ITTF CEO, said in a statement.

"We certainly hope to take advantage of his reputation and influence for the global promotion of table tennis, making it especially appealing for the younger generations. The whole sports industry is in the shadow of the pandemic and we place our hope in Liu Guoliang to spark the future of our sport. This appointment is fantastic news for the entire table tennis family."

The remaining members of the WTT Council will be announced shortly.

Lillehammer to Host Curling Championships

Lillehammer, Norway is selected as the host for the Le Gruyère AOP European Curling Championships 2020 from November 21-28.

This will be the fourth time that the event will be held on Norwegian soil, the first time since 2013 in Stavanger.

"I am sure our friends at the Norwegian Curling Federation and the Lillehammer Curling Club will rise to the occasion and produce a first-class event for our athletes and spectators." World Curling Federation President, Kate Caithness said in a statement.

With Europe still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, organizers of the event will closely monitor the situation and determine the best course of action.

"We will work actively to present a safe and attractive event for all of you in close co-operation with the health authorities." Lillehammer Curling Club Chairman, Jostein Buraas said.

The 2020 European curling championships will determine which nations earn qualifications for the World Curling Championships, where they will compete for places in the Olympic Winter Games 2022 in Beijing.

World Rugby Sevens Series Season Cut Short

The remainder of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2020 schedule has been cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

"These difficult decisions have been taken following detailed consultation with our union partners and in line with advice from the various government and public health agencies around the world, given the global nature of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series," Bill Beaumont, World Rugby Chairman said in a statement.

With the early cancellation, New Zealand’s men’s and women’s teams have been awarded the titles for the 2019-2020 season. Both squads were at the top of the standings table before the pandemic interrupted the season.

This is the 13th title for the All Blacks, the most in World Rugby Sevens Series men's history. For the Black Ferns, it's a sixth title in the eight seasons since the women's series began in 2012.

Seedings for the 2021 Tokyo Summer Games will be modified to include the results from the 2021 rugby series to provide a better gauge of current form ahead of the Olympic tournaments.

Written by Gerard Farek and Jose Chavez

For general comments or questions,click here.

Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.