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☆ IBA files complaint to integrity unit against breakaway world body
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 26 (Reuters) - The International Boxing Association has filed an official complaint to the Boxing Independent Integrity Unit against the individuals and entities involved in the creation of a new world boxing federation, it said on Wednesday. Earlier this month, a group including the United States and Britain announced a new world boxing federation in a breakaway aimed at securing the troubled sport's Olympic future. Leaders of Swiss-registered World Boxing said they would seek recognition from the International Olympic Committee. Reuters has requested comment from World Boxing. The IBA -- suspended over governance, finance, refereeing and ethical issues -- was stripped of involvement in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the qualifiers for Paris 2024.

☆ IOC stance on Russians, Belarusians 'confusing' - Swiatek
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 21 (Reuters) - The International Olympic Committee's (IOC) recommendation to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to return to international competition as neutrals is "confusing" because Ukraine is still under attack, tennis world number one Iga Swiatek said. Russian and Belarusian tennis players have been competing on the tours and at the other Grand Slams as neutrals since March last year. "Right now the situation is pretty complicated because at the beginning of the war there weren't many decisions one way. At first they (Russian and Belarusian athletes) were kind of banned in other sports, not in tennis," Swiatek told reporters on Thursday. "Many Ukrainian athletes are fighting in the war and losing their lives.

☆ Russian and Belarusian archers to be allowed to return as neutrals
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 21 (Reuters) - Russian and Belarusian archers will be allowed to compete in individual international competitions as neutrals this year, the sport's global federation said on Friday. The World Archery Federation (WA) first banned Russian and Belarusian competitors in March last year after Russia invaded Ukraine, initially using its ally Belarus as a staging ground in what Russia called a "special military operation". In March, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended that athletes from Russia and Belarus be allowed to return to competition as neutrals, if they did not support the war or were not affiliated to the military. "The board expressed its support and agreed to explore a timeline for the return of these athletes under strict conditions of eligibility," WA said in a statement. Table tennis, pentathlon, fencing, judo and taekwondo are among other Olympic sports which have readmitted athletes from Russia and Belarus as neutrals.

☆ Pentathlon-Russian and Belarusian pentathletes allowed to return as neutrals
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 20 (Reuters) - Russian and Belarusian athletes can return to international pentathlon events as neutrals after being banned last year in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the sport's global federation (UIPM) said on Thursday. In the wake of the invasion, most international sports federations adopted recommendations by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes. However last month the IOC issued new guidelines for a gradual return to international competitions by Russian and Belarusian athletes as neutrals. "UIPM will now work to develop the necessary independent review processes to facilitate the return of these athletes, in consultation with the IOC and the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations." Table tennis, fencing, judo and taekwondo are among other Olympic sports which have readmitted athletes from Russia and Belarus as neutrals.

☆ Badminton federation extends ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 20 (Reuters) - The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has maintained its ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes participating in international tournaments, the governing body said on Thursday. The BWF first banned Russian and Belarusian athletes in March last year after Russia invaded Ukraine, initially using its ally Belarus as a staging ground in what Russia called a "special military operation". Table tennis, fencing, judo and taekwondo are among the Olympic sports which have readmitted athletes from the two countries as neutrals. The BWF said in a statement that the decision to extend the ban was taken at its council meeting on Tuesday. "However... BWF is not convinced there is satisfactory justification to lift the suspensions on Russian and Belarussian players and officials at this time.

☆ Azerbaijan protests 'barbaric' flag-burning at weightlifting championship in Armenia
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BAKU, April 15 (Reuters) - Azerbaijan lodged a strong protest on Saturday after its national flag was grabbed and set on fire during the opening ceremony of a weightlifting championship in neighbouring Armenia. Azerbaijan said it had become impossible for its athletes to take part in the championships and they had already left Armenia to travel home via Georgia. They condemned it as a "barbaric act" and as evidence of ethnic hatred and racism, saying Armenia was unfit to ensure the safety of athletes and host international sporting events. Armenia rejected that criticism, saying the incident had been resolved quickly and without any danger to competitors at the European Weightlifting Championships. Russia's RIA Novosti news agency quoted a lawyer for the man allegedly involved in the flag incident as saying he had been released without charge.

☆ Ukraine bans its national teams from competing with Russians and Belarusians
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 14 (Reuters) - Ukraine has banned its national sports teams from competing in Olympic, non-Olympic and Paralympic events that include competitors from Russia and Belarus, the sports ministry said in a decree published on Friday. The decision, criticised by some Ukrainian athletes, comes after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) angered Kyiv by paving the way for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutrals despite Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine had previously warned its sports federations that it would strip them of their status as governing bodies if their athletes competed on the international stage with Russians and Belarusians. Some Ukrainian athletes, including Olympian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych, criticised the ban saying it would lead to the destruction of Ukrainian sports. The IOC sanctioned Russia and Belarus but in late March it recommended allowing their athletes to compete as neutrals in international competition.

☆ New world body to defend Olympic status in break from IBA
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, April 13 (Reuters) - A group of national federations including the United States and Britain announced a new boxing world body on Thursday in a breakaway move aimed at securing the troubled sport's Olympic future. Leaders of the Swiss-registered body, World Boxing, told a news conference that they would seek recognition from the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The group includes federations who have already announced boycotts of this year's men's and women's world championships organised by the Russian-led International Boxing Association (IBA). Amateur boxing's governing body defied IOC guidance and lifted a ban on Russian and Belarusian boxers competing under their flags last October. The United States tops the all-time Olympic boxing medal table with 50 golds and 117 medals, ahead of Cuba and with Britain third.

☆ US sports giant Fanatics acquires top Italian football club merchandiser
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Ian Thomas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Fanatics has acquired Italian sports merchandise company Epi for an undisclosed amount and will rebrand the Milan-based company as Fanatics Italy. The company operates the ecommerce, in-venue, physical retail store and third-party logistics for several of the top football clubs in Italy including AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus, as well as the Italian Football Federation, which oversees the Italian national team. The deal builds upon Fanatics' existing presence in Europe and across the globe, which totals more than 60 offices, and manufacturing and distribution facilities. Roughly a "low double-digit" percentage of Fanatics' revenue comes from outside North America, Mack said, declining to comment further as Fanatics is a private company. Revenue for Fanatics will be approximately $8 billion in 2023, according to previous company estimates seen by CNBC.

☆ Ukraine's Svitolina criticises 'useless' WTA amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, April 4 (Reuters) - Ukrainian players do not get enough support from women's tennis governing body WTA amid Russia's invasion of their country, Elina Svitolina said on Tuesday. "The WTA should have done more, much more, on many issues. Asked what her reaction would be if they would be allowed to take part in next year's Olympics in Paris, Svitolina said: "I don't think about it. It's up to the Olympic Committee and the Ukrainian Committee to think about it and do their job! (This story has been corrected to fix Svitolina's ranking in paragraph 3)Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Angus MacSwanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Britain confirms boycott of men's world championships
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, April 4 (Reuters) - British boxers will not take part in the men's amateur world championships in Tashkent after the country also boycotted last month's women's event in India amid mounting concern about the sport's Olympic future. The men's tournament starts on April 30 in the Uzbek capital and runs to May 14. GB Boxing had said in February when it announced a boycott of the women's championships that it was reviewing participation in the men's. GB Boxing will send a team to the European Games in Poland, an official qualifying event for the Paris 2024 Olympics. The U.S. and Irish federations announced in February they would not be participating in either the women's or men's world championships.

☆ Taekwondo-Russians, Belarusians set to return at world championships
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 4 (Reuters) - Russian and Belarusian taekwondo athletes are set to compete at next month's world championships after the sport's global governing body said it would allow them back as neutrals following the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) guidance. Table tennis, fencing and judo are the other Olympic sports which have readmitted Russians and Belarusians as neutrals. World Taekwondo said a review committee will oversee a verification process to "ensure strict neutrality" of individual athletes and support personnel after its ruling council met remotely for an extraordinary meeting on Monday. "World Taekwondo will continue to support Ukrainian athletes in ensuring they can participate in taekwondo events," the organisation said. The world championships are scheduled to begin on May 29 in Baku.

☆ IOC stance on Russians, Belarusians 'painful', says Wlodarczyk
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Bronze medalist Malwina Kopron of Poland watches gold medalist Anita Wlodarczyk of Poland celebrate on the podium REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson/File PhotoApril 3 (Reuters) - The International Olympic Committee's (IOC) recommendation to let Russian and Belarusian athletes return to international competition is painful, three-times hammer throw champion Anita Wlodarczyk said on Monday, hoping the decision would change. The IOC sanctioned Russia and Belarus after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 but recommended last week that their athletes compete internationally as neutrals. It should be a top-down message that athletes from both countries should not compete," added the 37-year-old Wlodarczyk. "I will still stand by my decision that they should be excluded (from all international competitions)," Wlodarczyk said. "I hope that this decision will change in the coming months and that the Russians and Belarusians will not be allowed in."

☆ Kvitova draws on experience to triumph in Miami
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/7] Apr 1, 2023; Miami, Florida, US; Petra Kvitova (CZE) celebrates with the Butch Buchholz championship trophy after her match against Elena Rybakina (KAZ) (not pictured) in the women's singles final on day thirteen of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY SportsApril 1 (Reuters) - Petra Kvitova said she drew on her deep well of experience to come through an epic first set tie-breaker and upset Elena Rybakina 7-6(14) 6-2 for her first Miami Open title on Saturday. "Experience today played a good role in my mind," Kvitova told reporters after the match. With the win Kvitova became the second-oldest women to triumph at the Miami Open, after Serena Williams in 2015. Kvitova said athletes from those countries should also not be allowed to compete at the Paris Olympics.

☆ War has killed 262 Ukrainian athletes, sports minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 2 (Reuters) - Russia's war against Ukraine has claimed the lives of 262 Ukrainian athletes and destroyed 363 sports facilities, the country's sports minister, Vadym Huttsait, said on Saturday. "They all support this war and attend events held in support of this war," Huttsait said, according to a transcript on President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's website. The International Olympic Committee has recommended the gradual return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competition as neutrals. Reuters could not independently verify the number of Ukrainian athletes killed or how many facilities have been destroyed. In the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion on Ukraine in February 2022, a number of Ukrainian national-level athletes have taken up arms voluntarily to defend their country.

☆ Ukrainian diver joins boycott of events with Russians as war takes its toll
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Anna Voitenko | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] Stanislav Oliferchyk, the European diving champion from Mariupol, practices in a pool at the training base for divers, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, March 27, 2023. Oliferchuk had been eagerly awaiting the reopening of Neptun swimming pool in Mariupol, which underwent two years of costly, major restoration. "The swimming pool was just incredible, I really enjoyed training there after it was renovated. It is very sad that the swimming pool as well the rest of the city was destroyed," Oliferchuk told Reuters. No way Russians should be allowed to take part in the competitions - if it happens, we will boycott."

☆ Ukraine says athletes not allowed to compete against Russians in Paris qualifiers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 31 (Reuters) - Ukrainian athletes will not be allowed to take part in qualifying events for the 2024 Paris Olympics if they have to compete against Russians, government minister Oleh Nemchinov said. Huttsait is also president of Ukraine's Olympic committee. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued recommendations Tuesday for the gradual return to international competition for Russian and Belarusian athletes as neutrals. The IOC is to make a separate decision on the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in Paris at a later date. Some federations have readmitted Russians and Belarusians in competitions but there is also considerable opposition to the IOC's plans from athletes and some European governments.

☆ Olympics President Floats Plan for Russian Athletes’ Return—Excluding Supporters of the War
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Louise Radnofsky | Rachel Bachman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach announced proposals to exclude competitors who have supported Russia’s war in Ukraine. Facing increasingly strong headwinds against his push to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes back into international sports events, Olympics president Thomas Bach on Tuesday announced proposals to exclude competitors who have supported Russia’s war in Ukraine. The plan floated by the International Olympic Committee would allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to return to some international competitions without being identified as representatives of their countries—as long as those athletes haven’t shown support for the war, as judged by a new screening panel.

☆ IOC issues recommendations for Russian athletes' return to competitions
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The IOC Executive Board's recommendations concern the return of those athletes to international competitions but not the 2024 Paris Olympics where a separate decision will be taken at a later date. He said the recommendations for events organisers and sports federations to follow included that Russian and Belarusian athletes can only compete as neutrals, with no flag or anthem. "I am disappointed by the IOC recommendations," Lipavsky wrote on Twitter. "The parameters as announced are absolutely unacceptable," Russian Olympic Committee president Pozdnyakov told a news conference, according to Russian news agencies. PARTICIPATION WORKSBach had earlier told the IOC Executive Board that Russian and Belarusian athletes were already competing daily in many sports without facing problems.

☆ Russian forces making no headway in Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Ukraine says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/6] A damaged building is seen, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Avdiivka, Donetsk region, Ukraine, March 28, 2023, in this still image obtained from a social media video. But the military said Ukrainian fighters continued to successfully repel Russian forces and claimed that Russia was suffering high combat deaths in the offensive. Britain's defence ministry said Russian forces had made only "marginal progress" in an attempt to encircle Avdiivka in recent days and had lost many armoured vehicles and tanks. Denis Pushilin, the Russian-installed leader of the part of Donetsk region under Moscow's control, said most Ukrainian forces had pulled back from a metals factory in western Bakhmut. "In principle, we cannot speak of them (Russian forces) having achieved any strategic advances in the last few hours or even days," Ukrainian spokesman Cherevatiy said.

☆ Keep Russian, Belarusian athletes banned-German Olympic Committee
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, March 17 (Reuters) - Germany's Olympic committee (DOSB) said on Friday it was in favour of maintaining a ban of Russian and Belarusian athletes but opposed any plans to boycott the Paris 2024 Olympics over their participation. Ukraine has spearheaded a call to ban athletes from Russia and its close ally Belarus from the Paris Games next year after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in January said it was open to including them as neutrals. "We remain in favour of a ban of Russian and Belarusian athletes and sports administrators from international competitions," the DOSB said in a statement. "Russia and Belarus must not get the chance to misuse the participation and successes of their athletes at international competitions for war propaganda purposes." Athletes from Russia and its neighbour Belarus, which aided Moscow's invasion of Ukraine a year ago, have been banned from many international competitions since then.

☆ SIGN UP NOW — For a Better Future: Bridging Culture, Business, and Climate
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Business Insider | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Today's business leaders are embracing circularity to better engage in sustainability and climate action. Leaders in climate justice advocacy, business, and fashion will discuss the future of sustainable practices inside and outside the business world. On April 18, 2023, Insider is hosting "For a Better Future: Bridging Culture, Business, and Climate," a free virtual event at noon ET featuring speakers from Deloitte and Junk Kouture. Insider's virtual event, "For a Better Future: Bridging Culture, Business, and Climate," presented by Deloitte, takes place on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, at noon ET. This multi-session virtual conference will focus on how empowerment and circularity inspire climate action beyond the world of business.

☆ High jump pioneer and icon Fosbury dies at 76
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

March 13 (Reuters) - Olympic high jump champion Dick Fosbury, who revolutionised the event with a radically different jumping technique that was eventually named after him, died on Sunday aged 76, his agent Ray Schulte said on Monday. The straddle or scissor jump were common techniques in the high jump. "With his groundbreaking "Fosbury Flop" technique, Dick Fosbury not only won Olympic gold at Mexico City 1968 but also revolutionized the high jump. "I am deeply saddened by the passing of Dick Fosbury, a true legend and pioneer in the world of track and field. Dick's innovative technique of the 'Fosbury Flop' revolutionized the high jump event and forever changed the sport," said Max Siegel, CEO of USA Track & Field.

☆ Russia's war on Ukraine latest: Ukraine opts to fight on in Bakhmut
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 11 (Reuters) - Ukraine has decided to fight on in the ruined city of Bakhmut because the battle there is pinning down Russia's best units and degrading them ahead of a planned Ukrainian spring counter-offensive, an aide to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said. DIPLOMACY, WEAPONS* The European Union could soon top up the fund used for purchasing weapons for Ukraine by 3.5 billion euros ($3.7 billion), a senior EU official said on Friday. * The United States accused Russia on Friday of seeking to destabilize Moldova and said it would help the Eastern European country fight off such attempts by sharing information and providing other assistance, the White House said. * Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday that a conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in India last week was "constructive", but he heard nothing new from the U.S. side. * Canada on Friday banned the import of all Russian aluminum and steel products in a move that Ottawa said was aimed at denying Moscow the ability to fund its war against Ukraine.

☆ Global brands look to boost media investment in women's sports through a new partnership, The Women's Sports Club
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

For four-time Olympian and gold medal-winning ice hockey star Angela Ruggiero, pushing for more media attention and sponsorship dollars for women's sports comes naturally. Today, through her company, the Sports Innovation Lab, she's dedicated to changing that. Ruggiero's Sports Innovation Lab on Tuesday announced a partnership with banking giant Ally to create the Women's Sports Club, a coalition of major brands and media that will work to tackle some of the challenges in buying women's sports inventory and to elevating investment in women's sports. More than 20 global brands that buy and sell sports media and sponsorships are coming together to drive media spending to women's sports. The Women's Sports Club will meet at significant media and sporting events throughout the year, beginning with the South by Southwest event next week in Austin, Texas.

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