Sheikh Ahmad Eyes Reelection; Somali Soccer Players Among Bombing Victims

Sheikh Ahmad Announces OCA Reelection Bid

Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah will stand for reelection as president of the Olympic Council of Asia.

"It has been a singular honor for me to be elected President of the OCA since 1991," he wrote Sunday in a letter sent to the OCA’s executive board as well as the leaders of all 45 member NOCs.

"With your guidance and advice I hope to continue to serve the Asian Olympic Movement to the best of my abilities and capabilities and make the OCA one of the most active and revered continental associations in the world."

Sunday’s announcement seemed but a formality in the wake of an earlier letter in which Sheikh Ahmad reflected on the recent run of Asian Games and suggested he has unfinished business atop the Asian Olympic Movement.

"The OCA now begins a new chapter in its history, and we must continue to improve Asian sport and take the Olympic Movement to a higher level," he wrote Feb. 8 on the heels of the 7th Asian Winter Games in Kazakhstan.

"This is a busy calendar and a big challenge for us, but I believe with our Olympic Solidarity and our OCA family spirit we will work together and overcome any obstacles to make our own Asian sports movement a better and bigger success."

Guangzhou hosted the 16th Asian Games in November, and the 2nd Asian Beach Games were staged in December in Muscat, Oman.

Next up are the 3rd Asian Beach Games in Haiyang, China, in 2012; the 2nd Asian Youth Games in Nanjing, China, in 2013; and the 4th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Incheon, Korea, in 2013.

Whether Sheikh Ahmad will preside over these Games will be decided at executive board elections slated for the OCA’s July 14 general assembly in Tokyo.

Suicide Bombing Kills Somali Soccer Star

Three Somali soccer players are among the victims of a suicide car bombing in the country’s capital.

U-20 international Abdi Salaan Mohamed Ali was killed by Monday’s blast in Mogadishu. Both Mahmoud Amin Mohamed and Siid Ali Mohamed Xiis were injured in the attack, which news reports indicate killed at least seven people.

"It is with a sad heart that I write to you today, having learned of the tragedy that occurred in Somalia," FIFA president Sepp Blatter wrote Monday in a letter to Somali Football Federation president Said Mahmoud Nur.

"On behalf of FIFA and the worldwide family of football, I wish to extend our condolences to you, the Somalian football community and, most importantly, all family, friends and loved ones of the victims."

An Islamic insurgency group affiliated with Al Qaeda later claimed responsibility for the bombing.

Santander Wins 2014 Sailing Worlds

Spain will stage the fourth sailing world championships in 2014.

The International Sailing Federation’s executive committee awarded the hosting rights Monday to the northern port of Santander, a city dating back to the Roman Empire.

"The decision ISAF had to make was very difficult," ISAF secretary general Jerome Pels said in a statement.

"We are confident that Santander will host a superb event for sailors and spectators as well as providing excellent coverage to a worldwide audience through the internet and television."

The other bidders were Kingston, Canada; Qingdao, China; Aarhus, Denmark; Busan, South Korea; The Hague, The Netherlands; and Gdynia, Poland.

The famed Bay of Santander staged a number of world championships for specific classes throughout the past decade, but this will be the first time its waters play host to all 10 of the events included in the Olympic sailing competition.

The championships are provisionally slated for September 2014.

Landlocked Hungary Joins Surfing Association

Hungary is the third landlocked member of the International Surfing Association.

"We are very happy to welcome Hungary to the surfing movement," ISA president Fernando Aguerre said Monday in a statement.

"Hungary’s ISA membership goes a long way to show that surfing has become one of the fastest developing sports throughout the world, and not only in nations with oceans and waves."

Peter Tancsa is president of the Hungarian Surfing Association, now the ISA’s 65th member federation. Austria and Switzerland are the other two landlocked countries.

Mexican YOG Bid Shows Off Venues

A video recently posted to Monterrey 2018’s YouTube channel highlights the Mexican city’s candidacy for hosting the Youth Olympic Games.

The middle of the five-minute clip shows footage of a number of venues that could be included in a potential bid.

Monterrey previously expressed interest in hosting the 2014 YOG before the Mexican Olympic Committee selected Guadalajara to bid for the 2014 YOG.

Monterrey 2018 then launched a Facebook page on Jan. 23 of last year, the same day Guadalajara withdrew from the 2014 race.

Any Monterrey bid would have to receive the approval of the Mexican Olympic Committee.

Other bids could come from Medellin, Colombia and Brisbane, Australia.

New Office for Horse Sport

The International Equestrian Federation is switching offices but staying in Lausanne.

The new digs are named for FEI president Haya Bint al Hussein’s late father King Hussein I of Jordan.

The address change took effect Monday.

IAAF Awards Italian TV Rights

Italian public broadcaster RAI will air coverage of the IAAF World Athletic Series through 2013, a span that includes the 2011 athletics world championships in Daegu, South Korea and 2013 world champs in Moscow.

IEC in Sports brokered Monday’s deal on the IAAF’s behalf.

Written by Matthew Grayson.