El Moutawakel Considers IOC Post
IOC member from Morocco Nawal El Moutawakel says she is considering a run for the IOC presidency.
"Why not? I have not decided yet, there is a long list of contenders, but I might," she is quoted by the German news agency DPA.
And she says the importance of women in the leadership cannot be overlooked.
"Someone once said the future of sport is feminine, and I believe that. You cannot move forward without both legs, men and women. Complete integration is important. We want full inclusion in administration," she said on the side of the London debrief held in Rio de Janeiro this week. She chairs the IOC Coordination Commission for 2016.
An IOC member since 1998, a hurdles gold medalist from Los Angeles 1984, was elected as an IOC vice president in July.
No candidates have officially declared, but a group of four senior IOC members, all men, have been considered as contenders to succeed Jacques Rogge, who reaches his term limit.
Thomas Bach of Germany, Richard Carrion from Puerto Rico, Rene Fasel of Switzerland and Ser Miang Ng from Singapore.
Candidacies don’t become official until next June; election takes place in September at the IOC Session in Buenos Aires.
Palestine Olympic Offices Destroyed
Offices of the Palestine Olympic Committee were reportedly destroyed by Israeli rocket fire on Monday.
According to a report in the Palsport Agency posted on the sports journalists association AIPS website, Israeli warplanes struck a sport complex in Gaza housing the POC media committee and the Gaza sports ministry.
The report says five rockets struck the venue which included a stadium that was used to train athletes for the 2012 Olympics.
Akram Oka, Palestine Paralympic Committee chair, and other Paralympic and sport leaders "denounced what they referred to as a barbaric act," Palsport reports.
On Wednesday, Around the Rings attempted to contact the POC by email and phone but was unsuccessful.
Israel and Palestine had engaged in attacks against each other since Nov. 14. A ceasefire was agreed to on Wednesday and appeared to be holding up.
New Finnish Olympic Committee President
Risto Nieminen is the new president of theFinnish Olympic Committee. He defeated incumbent Roger Talermo, president since 2008, and Jukka Rauhala, president of the wrestling federation on Wednesday.
Nieminen, 61, is the former CEO of lottery company Veikkaus and received 61 of 89 votes in the first round of an FOC Council vote.
"I feel very humble facing such a responsibility. It’s time for me to pay back my personal debt to sports," Nieminen said after his election.
He will serve as president until 2016.
Around the Rings understands the challenge to Talermo came due the country’s perceived poor showing in London. Only three medals, no golds were won in London compared to four medals and one gold in Beijing.
Talermo serves on the Association of National Olympic Committees Executive Council. ANOC by-laws stipulate that Executives must be part of their NOC.
A draft budget of $13 million for the next four years was also approved.
Written by Ed Hula and Ed Hula III.
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