Olympic Newsdesk - IOC Praises Lisbon Treaty; Rwandan Elections Postponed

Jacques Rogge praised the new Lisbon Treaty for promoting sport in the European Union. (Getty Images)IOC Praises Lisbon Treaty

The IOC says the new Lisbon Treaty of the European Union boosts the position of sports in Europe.

The treaty will go into effect on Tuesday and contains two articles mentioning sport. Article 6 and Article 65 both state that the EU can assist in supporting sports.

According to the IOC, the treaty provides a legal basis for sport in the EU. The Olympic Movement fought for legal standing for the past 15 years.

"We have come a long way. I thank the member states for their strong commitment to sport over the last years," said IOC President Jacques Rogge. "The impact of sport in the EU is huge, as is the influence of EU policies on sport. It really is time to move from a case-by-case approach to an environment where the specific characteristics of sport can be taken into account properly."

The treaty allows the EU to establish funding programs.

"We fully support this approach since the European Union should support and not regulate sport", said President of the European Olympic Committees Patrick Hickey.

For full text of the Lisbon Treaty, click here.

Rwanda Postpones NOC Election at IOC Request

Elections for an interim executive board of the Rwandan NOC are reported to have been postponed at the IOC’s request.

Local media reported that the elections, scheduled for Nov. 30, were postponed when the IOC asked for a delay to meet with the Rwandan government to ensure there is no interference with the RNOC.

The IOC would not directly confirm that a postponement had been requested but an IOC spokesperson said this “is a case of government interference the IOC is closely monitoring.”

In November, the sports ministry dissolved the RNOC executive board, leaving the national federations in charge. The head of the IOC’s NOC relations sent a letter to the ministry saying the IOC would only recognize the dissolved RNOC. The letter was rebuked by the sports ministry, prompting the IOC to send a delegation to help end the impasse.

The IOC team arrives on Tuesday and will be briefed on what led the government to take action the way it did.

Elections are now scheduled for Dec. 5, at the national football federation headquarters.

Sports Minister Robert Bayigamba and national tennis federation chief Charles Rudakubana are running for president. Deposed RNOC President Ignace Beraho declined to seek reelection.

Campaign in Nigerian NOC Election Heats Up

The Nigerian sports minister heats up the rhetoric in the election for Nigerian NOC president.

Sani Ndanusa, running against incumbent NOC chief, and newly elected IOC member Habu Gumel, called the sitting chief “a landmine.”

The comment came after Ndanusa was disqualified last week from running forHabu Gumel was called “a landmine that needs to be uprooted” by his opponent for president of the Nigerian Olympic Committee.the position by the NOC, only have that decision overturned by its executive body.

“People are desperate to hold on to office but must they lie and rubbish others for their selfish interest” Ndanusa was quoted by local media.

“Gumel is a landmine that needs to be uprooted for true Olympic spirit to return to Nigerian sports. He has done nothing in his eight years as NOC President.”

Elections are scheduled for Dec. 9.

South Korea to Host 2011 Taekwondo Championships

South Korea is the host for the 2011 World Taekwondo Championships, the decision coming at a WTF meeting in Cairo on Sunday.

South Korea hosted last hosted the biennial championships in 2001 on Jeju Island. Taekwondo is the national sport of South Korea.

Russia was chosen to host the second WTF World Para-Taekwondo Championships in St. Petersburg in May 2010.

Also at the meeting, WTF President Chungwon Choue announcednew council members that will serve until the WTF General Assembly in 2013. Choue appointed the three new vice presidents including Australian IOC member Phillip Coles, President of the Asian Taekwondo Union Dai Soon Lee of South Korea and Ivan Dibos, an IOC member from Peru.

The council also approved distributing $5,000 to each WTF member national association and $20,000 to each continental union.

The meeting took place prior to the opening of the 2009 WTF World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships. The championships are scheduled for Nov. 30-Dec. 2 at Cairo Stadium. The championships draw about 600 athletes from about 60 countries.

Fiji Banned from Commonwealth Games

Fiji will be unable to compete at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi next year.

At a meeting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Trinidad and Tobago, it was determined Fiji is not living up to Commonwealth values.

Frank Bainimarama overthrew the elected government in 2006 and refused to hold elections before a 2010 deadline, set by the Commonwealth. This forced the body to suspend Fiji from the Commonwealth. The ban was confirmed over the weekend.

"Sporting ties are inseparable from the values of the association" the Commonwealth said in a statement, justifying its actions to prevent the South Pacific country from competing at the Games.

It was also revealed over the weekend that Trinidad and Tobago is interested in hosting the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Australia and Nigeria have already expressed interest in hosting the Games as well.

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Written by Sam Steinberg.