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Tag: IOC

  • Sports ministry gets notice to ensure compliance of IOC directions by IOA

    Sports ministry gets notice to ensure compliance of IOC directions by IOA

    NEW DELHI: The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court today issued notice to the Union Sports Ministry on a public interest litigation filed by IPS officer Amitabh Thakur and social activist Nutan Thakur to ensure compliance by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) of the directions issued by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

    After hearing arguments of petitioners’ counsel Asok Pande, the bench of Justice Imtiyaz Murtaza and Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya directed the Sports Ministry to present facts related with the matter within one week.

    According to the petition, IOC suspended IOA in December 2012 for not complying with the directions to suitably amend its constitution for introducing integrity, ethics and good governance in sports and reiterated it again during its meeting in Buenos Aires on 4 September directing IOA to amend its constitution by 31 October.

    Amitabh and Nutan said that participation in the Olympics is associated with not only sports but is also linked with the nation’s sentiments and has ramifications in international diplomacy and prestige, hence the sports ministry be directed to use its authority to ensure that IOA complies with the IOA directions in the prescribed period.

  • India requests IOC to retain wrestling in the category of core sports in Olympic Games

    India requests IOC to retain wrestling in the category of core sports in Olympic Games

    NEW DELHI: The Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has requested full membership of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to take up the matter of wrestling at the 125th session of IOC at Buenos Aires (Argentina) and take a decision to retain Wrestling in the category of core sports in Olympic Games.

    In a letter written to all the IOC members, Sports Secretary P K Deb has said that Wrestling, which combines Freestyle (Men and Women) and Greco-Roman events, goes back to the inaugural modern Olympics held in Athens in 1886 and has been a core sport from the first Olympics onwards. It was a part of the ancient Olympics too. The exclusion of the discipline from the core sports of Olympics is against tradition which is so much a part of Olympics.

    The letter said, in modern times, wrestling has immense popularity and fan following world-wide. Its popularity can be gauged from the fact that 71 countries participated in wrestling events in the London Olympic 2012, to full houses. The letter said the decision of the executive board of IOC not to include Wrestling in the core sports for 2020 Olympics will severely affect the sustenance of the game in future.

    The letter said, India believes that the decision to exclude the sport of wrestling from the 25 core sports needs to be reconsidered particularly in view of the fact that wrestling has got not only universal appeal, but is also very affordable.

    The letter has been written in the context of the decision of the Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at its meeting held on 12 February 2013 recommending that wrestling governed by the International Federation of Associated Wrestling (FILA), be not included in the list of core sports for the 2020 Olympics. The Executive Board of IOC at its meeting held at St. Petersburg (Russia) on 20 May 2013 recommended that baseball / softball, squash and wrestling be proposed to the 125th session of IOC for possible inclusion as an additional sport in the Olympic Programme for 2020 Olympic Games. The full IOC membership will meet for the 125th session in Buenos Aires, Argentina from 7th to 10th September 2013 and will vote on which of the three sports to add to the programme of the Games for 2020 Olympics in addition to the 25 core sports.

  • Star India in deal for Olympic Games coverage

    Star India in deal for Olympic Games coverage

    MUMBAI: Star India has scored the rights to carry the upcoming 2014 Winter Olympics from Sochi and the 2016 Summer Olympics from Rio across seven South Asian countries.

     

    The deal with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) also covers the Summer Youth Olympic Games, taking place next year in Nanjing, China. Star India has the free to air, pay TV, Internet and mobile rights for Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. In 2012, the Olympics were broadcast in India on state broadcaster Doordarshan.

     

    “We welcome the opportunity to work with Star India for the upcoming editions of the Olympic Games and Youth Olympic Games,” said IOC president Jacques Rogge. “We are confident they will do a great job providing the best possible broadcast coverage of the Games, on a variety of platforms, to the largest possible audience in the seven different countries.”

     

    IOC chairman finance commission Richard Carrión, said, “The Star India deal marked a shift in the organisation’s handling of broadcast rights in Asia. Traditionally the IOC has negotiated broadcast rights on a pan-Asian basis; however, the media landscape is changing and we have adapted our approach recently by negotiating directly in certain markets. We are very pleased to have reached this agreement directly with Star India.”

     

    For the 2012 games, the IOC had a pan-Asian free-TV deal with the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union and a pay-TV deal with the now defunct ESPN Star Sports.

     

    Star India head of sport business Nitin Kukreja added, “The Olympic Games remain the pinnacle of sporting achievement where the world’s best in various disciplines face off for the title of Olympic champion. Indian athletes have also performed admirably over the last few editions, which is evident in the medal-winning performances that we have come to admire. We value our partnership with the IOC and feel that this spectacular extravaganza can be taken to even greater heights in India on both television as well as on digital platforms.”??

     

    Elsewhere in the region, deals for the 2014 and 2016 games were previously concluded with CCTV in China, SBS in Korea and a consortium of broadcasters in Japan.

  • IOC to be honoured as Champion of The Earth 2007

    IOC to be honoured as Champion of The Earth 2007

    MUMBAI: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and its president,, Jacques Rogge are to be honoured as Champion of the Earth 2007 by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

    Along with Al Gore and five other prominent environmental leaders, Rogge will be presented with the award at a special ceremony on 19 April in Singapore.

    Rogge says, “I am very honoured to receive this award, which is a great recognition of the IOC’s responsibility and commitment to raise awareness about the importance of sustainable development in sport”.
    “Since the early 1990s, the IOC and the Olympic Movement have progressively taken the environment and sustainability into account throughout the lifecycle of an Olympic Games project. The ‘Green Games’ concept is increasingly a reality. Today, from the beginning of a city’s desire to stage an Olympic Games, through to the long-term impact of those Games, environmental protection and, more importantly, sustainability, are prime elements of Games planning and operations. I am very proud of this and would like to thank UNEP for recognising these efforts”.

    The Olympic Games are above all about sport and the athletes, but they can bring several important environmental outcomes if they are planned, managed and conducted in a way which minimises the adverse environmental impacts and effects.

    The opportunity of the Games the IOC says can also be used to provide sustainable environmental legacies, such as rehabilitated and revitalised sites, increased environmental awareness, and improved environmental policies and practices. They can further encourage and facilitate strong environmental actions, and technology and product development in a city, country and beyond, through the educational value of good example.

  • European broadcasters oppose swimming, gymnastic Olympic events timings

    European broadcasters oppose swimming, gymnastic Olympic events timings

    MUMBAI: The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has formally protested the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s decision to hold some Olympic swimming and gymnastic finals in the morning during the 2008 Beijing Games.

    Media reports indicate that IOC had announced the changes last week in a concession to US broadcaster NBC. However the EBU says that this means that the events willl occur in the middle of the night in Europe.

    In a statement the EBU says, “With this decision the IOC ends the tradition of staging these finals in the evening irrespective of the time zone at the venue. Viewers in Europe as well as the vast majority of the global TV audience will be disadvantaged.”

    Swimmers too have registered their protest in a letter. Ian Thorpe says, “I won’t make a habit of posting annoyances here but this one just blew my mind. Anyone else think it irritating that NBC is putting pressure on the IOC to change the swimming schedule to only benefit the US prime time audience? That’s nice but what about the rest of the planet, who last time I checked, were also involved in the Olympics.”

    Pieter van den Hoogenband says, “Do you see the big athletes of the 100 metre sprint, the Powells and Gatlins, running their final in the morning? Come on. Be serious. For one time, one tournament, they alternate the programme, because of American goals. Without knowing the opinion of the men to swim: we, us. This is worthless. For me especially. I am not a morning person. To be at my best at ten o’clock, shortly after breakfast, is impossible .”

  • IOC in $72mn deal with Korean broadcaster

    IOC in $72mn deal with Korean broadcaster

    MUMBAI: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has awarded the Olympic broadcast rights in Korea to SBS, the privately-owned terrestrial commercial broadcaster in South Korea. SBS will have all rights on any audiovisual medium in the territory.

    The agreement, valued at $ 33 million for Vancouver 2010 and London 2012, and $ 39.5 million for the 2014 and 2016 Games, includes for the first time Olympic coverage in both North and South Korea. It also shows a significant increase of 109 per cent from the current broadcast rights agreement (2002–2008) with the Korean Pool which runs until the Olympic Games in Beijing.

    In line with the IOC’s policy to ensure maximum coverage and exposure for the Olympic Games broadcast, the agreement ensures that 250 hours of the Olympic Games and 150 hours of the Olympic Winter Games are broadcast on Korean free-to-air channels, along with an “Olympic Games’ Daily Highlights” programme, which will be shown in prime time.

    IOC president Jacques Rogge said, “This significant agreement is an excellent outcome for the IOC and for the people of Korea, who are avid Olympic Games fans. This deal ensures a broader reach and greater coverage with a dedicated and enthusiastic new broadcast partner. This deal will mark the end of our relationship with the Korea Pool. We look forward to their collaboration on the Beijing Games and thank them for their partnership in previous Games”.

    IOC executive board member Richard Carrión, who led the TV rights negotiations in Korea, said, “Korea is arguably the world’s most advanced media market in terms of broadband penetration and early adoption of new technologies. This new contract with SBS will allow the deployment of a full spectrum of new media rights as well as extending the coverage of Olympic Games into North Korea. The financial aspects are also favourable for the Olympic Movement. We are very pleased with this outcome.”