India's Blame Game; Sochi's Diplomacy; Rio's NOC Day

India Blames IOC Member for Suspension

The president-elect of the Indian Olympic Association blames IOC member Randhir Singh for the body’s suspension by the IOC Executive Board.

"From the start to finish Randhir is responsible for the entire mess," Abhay Chautala was quoted by Indian media.

"To save his chair he can do anything. He should resign first [as IOC member] because he has spread all the dirt in Indian sports.

"Randhir should withdraw from the IOC immediately. In tomorrow’s Annual General Meeting of IOA we will demand Randhir’s withdrawal from the IOC because he is no longer a member of the executive board of IOA."

Singh may be in luck as his membership in the IOC does not appear to be contingent upon being part of his National Olympic Committee.

Both Chautala and sports minister Jitendra Singh laid blame on the IOC.

Singh called the suspension "unfortunate" adding: "Once we learnt about the mess, we wrote to the IOC but they never responded."

Sochi Practices Diplomacy

Sochi 2014 has had diplomacy serve as its key focus this week.

More than 90 embassy representatives took part in the first diplomatic briefing of the Games conducted by Sochi 2014 and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to a Sochi 2014 press release, diplomats were briefed on how to organize visits for their heads of state or sports ministers.

"Accreditation procedures, arrival and departure, accommodation and transport, ceremony and competition visits were all discussed in great detail."

The organizing committee added "more similar events will take place ahead of the Games."

President Vladimir Putin also signed into law a bill that will simplify visa procedures for athletes during the Olympics.

At the request of Sochi 2014, the Russian immigration agencies can now issue visas by email to consular officials in Russia, simplifying and expediting the visa acquisition process.

The bill passed the Duma on Nov. 23.

Golf Great Down on Olympics

U.S. great Tom Watson says golf just doesn’t belong in the Games.

"I don't want to pour cold water on it, but I don't think it should be in the Olympic Games," he was quoted Tuesday in an Associated Press report.

"I still think of Olympics as track and field and not golf, to be honest with you."

Rio 2016 will host golf’s first Olympics competition in 112 years. Paris and St. Louis staged tournaments in 1900 and 1904.

According to Watson, 63, getting golf back in the Games will only devalue the sport’s four major championships, of which he has won eight throughout his 40-year career.

He also stressed that the Olympics should be for amateurs and suggested whichever players head to Rio for the 2016 tournament may not be going with the purest of motivations.

"I like to trust people and trust they are doing things for the right reasons," he said.

"When the professionals go to the Olympics, they go for the wrong reasons."

World Visits Rio

The National Olympic Committees of the world are already visiting Rio 2016.

Tuesday marks the end of the first Rio 2016 NOC Open Day, the organizing committee's first official meeting with NOCs.

A visit to venues at Deodoro, Maracana and Bara de Tijuca are on tap for Tuesday.

The overall purpose of the meeting is to allow NOCs to begin planning their preparations for Rio 2016.

Representatives from NOCs on all four continents were part of the meetings.

Olympics Top Yahoo! Search

"Olympics fever" made 2012 Olympic searches the top item in the U.K., according to Yahoo! U.K.

In the "Top Ten of Everything 2012" list, "Olympics" bested Liverpool F.C. for the top spot.

"The Olympics inspired an entire nation," a Yahoo! statement said. "It fueled an unbeaten volume of searches over the summer on top of huge interest throughout the year, ensuring it led the way across searches and news."

Olympics also claimed gold in the top news story search and top mobile search categories, and Olympians were the top 10 most searched sports celebrities.

Save the Date!

ATR's 17th annual Golden 25 countdown begins Dec. 17, 2012 – our ranking of the most influential personalities in the Olympic Movement for the year ahead, revealed every day until Jan. 1, 2013.

Click here for previous nominees and winners.

Written by Ed Hula III

20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.