Table Tennis Talks New Olympic Event with IOC President -- Federations Focus

(ATR) IOC president Thomas Bach met with International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) president Thomas Weikert for the first time since Weikert gained the office in September.

The highlight of discussions between the two German officials was the possibility of adding a fifth medaling event for table tennis at the Olympics. The fifth event would be mixed doubles or teams table tennis.

Weikert said the federation has been trying to add this event to the Olympics for a few years with no success, yet the ITTF president is optimistic moving forward.

"My conversations with President Bach were positive, so we hope that we will have a fifth table tennis gold medal added by Tokyo 2020."

The two presidents also discussed the success the federation has had in recent years, particularly with its development and expansion program. ITTF now stands as the largest international sporting federation with 222 national associations as members.

FIFA Plans Discrimination Monitoring for '18 WC Qualifiers

The international football federation (FIFA) is taking another step towards eliminating discrimination and racism from the game.

On Wednesday,the federation announced a new discrimination monitoring system that will go into effect starting with the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

The new system appoints designated anti-discrimination match observers to watch matches and report on any potential violations. These match observers will attend any matches that are considered to be at high-risk for acts of racism or discrimination.

The purpose of these new monitors is to assist the referees and FIFA disciplinary bodies in resolving these types of issues. They also hope the new system will offer much assistance to the legal procedures following reported incidents by providing concrete evidence of the violations.

After every match the observers are required to submit a thorough report of the game to FIFA officials within 24 hours to be reviewed for any necessary disciplinary actions against players in violations of the federation’s anti-discrimination policies.

This is the latest in a series of steps taken by the federation to reduce and eliminate the presence of prejudice within the game. In 2013, FIFA passed the Resolution on the Fight against Racism and Discrimination at their 63rd FIFA Congress.

The federation says it will be publishing a "Good Practice Guide on Diversity and Anti-Discrimination" in the near future to help associations.

USATF CEO Praised for Creativity

USA Track & Field CEO Max Siegel is number 52 on Fast Company’s list of the "100 Most Creative People in Business 2015."

Fast Company releases their top 100 creative business men and women annually, praising those who have made a difference in their company, field or communities with innovative thinking.

Siegel took over as CEO in 2012 and has helped bring an aggressive turnaround to USA track and field after years of doping scandals and lack of sponsorship. Siegel facilitated an estimated $500 million deal with Nike over the next 23 years to help lead the turnaround.

Secretary General Leaves Skateboarding

Mike Jacki has resigned from his post as secretary general for the International Skateboarding Federation.

After serving the federation for a number of years, Jacki is moving on to focus his energy solely on his duties as senior advisor for the International Cheer Union, a position he has held since 2005.

ISF president Gary Ream told Around the Rings that plans to find a replacement for Jacki were in the works.

Mo Farah Jogs on Doha Beach

Olympic gold medalist Mohamed Farah took to the beaches of Doha for a short run before his debut in the IAAF Doha Diamond League track meet.

Farah won gold in the 5,000 and 10,000 meter runs at the 2012 Games in London.

To view the photodesk of his run, click here.

Written by Kevin NutleyandAndrew Murrell

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