#ICYMI: FIFA Trial; IOC Suspends Fredericks; Lima 2019 Progress

(ATR)#ICMYI -- In Case You Missed It ... Sometimes the best stories don't get the attention we think they deserve. Here are our staff picks for articles this week they really want you to know about.

FIFA Corruption Trial Begins

The only three defendants in the FIFA corruption scandal who have pleaded not guilty are finally getting their day in court.

Former Brazil soccer federation president Jose Maria Marin, former Peru soccer federation boss Manuel Burga and Juan Angel Napout, the former president of both the Paraguay soccer federation and CONMEBOL, South American soccer’s governing body, are all on trial in New York Federal Court on bribery charges tied to the sale of media and marketing rights to international tournaments run by CONMEBOL.

Jury selection is scheduled for this week with media reports saying opening statements are expected to commence next week in a trial that could last months.

It’s been almost two and a half years since the U.S. Justice Department announced the probe into the case.

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IOC Suspends Frank Fredericks

The IOC Executive Board suspended Frank Fredericks on Tuesday from all privileges as a member after waiting for a recommendation from its Ethics Commission.

The Ethics Commission, which met Monday in Lausanne, recommended suspension despite saying "it is not in a position to make a recommendation on the value of the facts". Consideration for the "impact on the reputation of the IOC" was the reasoning behind recommending a suspension, an IOC statement said.

"The Commission once again ‘recalled the importance of respecting the principle of the presumption of innocence for any person concerned by a criminal investigation’"

Fredericks was charged on Nov. 3in an alleged scheme to purchase votes ahead of the 2009 IOC Session. He testified in France the day before about a $299,000 payment to an offshore bank account on October 2, 2009.

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Panam Sports More Optimistic with Lima 2019 Progress

Leaders of Panam Sports have more confidence in the delivery of the Lima 2019 Pan American Games following a recent Coordination Commission visit and presentation by organizers given in Prague, Czech Republic.

Led by president Carlos Neuhaus, Lima 2019 is beginning to right the ship after a rocky start caused by two changes in the leadership of the organizing committee in the span of a year. With Neuhaus in place since September 2016, the organization has made significant strides in preparing for the Pan Ams.

Neuhaus tells Around the Rings he has been most impressed with the commitment of his team to deliver under a tight deadline.

"Of course they get paid, but the people I have working could be making much more money in the private sector," he told ATR after delivering a presentation to the Panam Sports General Assembly on Nov. 4.

"But the commitment to the country is a once in a lifetime experience. Sometimes I get out of the office at 1900 and I still see people working."

A gathering of Panam Sports’ 41 National Olympic Committee leaders in Miami in June led to major concerns that infrastructure projects for the Pan Ams would not be completed in time. Since that meeting, Lima 2019 has developed a government-to-government agreement with the United Kingdom to help deliver all projects in time.

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