Boxing, one of the oldest sports of them all, with a proud, proud tradition at the highest level of amateur boxing in the Olympic games dating back years, is being looked at in a very adverse light now by the IOC (international Olympic Committee).
“The thing here is flexibility”, Samaranch, who also heads the International Olympic Committee coordination commission for the 2022 Games in Beijing, told the International Olympic Committee session when asked whether Sapporo should be excluded due to the number of Asian hosts. “This will lead to a new norm – from the candidature for and the delivery of the Games through to their legacy”. The plan invites opportunities to reduce venue sizes, rethink transport options, optimise existing infrastructure and reuse the field of play for various sports. The Olympic Broadcasting Service (OBS) is a successful example of the latter strategy introduced in the past.
Paris will become the second city after London to host the Olympics three times.
The sponsorship money will help fund the $5.5 billion local operating budget, which Coates says is not expected to need public money. International Olympic Committee officials visited that city last month to further investigate cost-cutting strategies. Others have until March 31 to state an interest. The IOC reported Tuesday that Calgary, along with Sion in Switzerland, Stockholm in Sweden and Sapporo in Japan were part of the Dialog Phase of the bid, yet to date only Sion has confirmed it will move forward.
‘The study, which proposed to advance the Games by one week, was welcomed by the International Paralympic Committee as well as the IOC, who approved it during its Executive Board meeting in Pyeongchang, ‘ the site added.
A set of 118 reforms presented to the IOC Session in Pyeongchang yesterday also includes measures to provide more support for host cities and boost long-term development.
IOC member John Coates, who heads a committee analysing Games operations, said a ‘robust plan has emerged ‘that reduces complexity and costs, while maximising flexibility and partnership.
–Africom
