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Thomas Bach marked his first Olympic Day as President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) by hosting a special celebration in Lausanne which saw more than 1,000 runners taking part in the 5.5 kilometre Olympic Capital Run.

Launching the run, Bach called on people around the world to get physically active and enjoy the benefits of leading healthy lifestyles as he was joined by a number Olympians, including runner Udo-Obong Enee of Nigeria, Bahrain swimmer Hisham Shehab, Slovakian decathlete Slaven Dizdarevic and cross-country skier Maria Ntanou of Greece.

"We need to continue to spread the popularity of sport and particularly the Olympic Games, but simply consuming sport is not enough - we need people and particularly young people to get active," said Bach.

"We need to get the 'couch potatoes off the couch' - and Olympic Day and particularly Olympic Day runs are one way we can do that."

Events are taking place across the globe today to mark the annual Olympic Day celebrations dedicated to the founding of the international Olympic Movement by Pierre de Coubertin on June 23, 1894.

Olympic Day aims to spread the ideals of the Olympic Movement and promote participation in sport across the globe regardless of age, gender or athletic ability.

The Olympic Day Run has become a feature of celebrations in many countries as people are encouraged to come together to promote respect and solidarity as well as getting physically active.

Bach, joined by Russia's gold medal-winning snowboarder Iouri Podladtchikov, also unveiled a new bronze statue of de Coubertin at the IOC's headquarters today.

The statue was sculpted by Chinese artist Xikun Yuan and was a gift to The Olympic Museum from the Chinese Olympic Committee following Beijing 2008.

"Part of Coubertin's genius was adapting the values of Olympism to the modern world - but he didn't just hand us these ideas written in stone - part of his genius was to understand that we must constantly renew ourselves and update the Olympic vision," added Bach.

A number of National Olympic Committees have already held events over the past few days, including an Olympic Day Sports Fair in Suva, Fiji last weekend hosted by the Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee, which gave children and adults the opportunity to try a sport at stations set up by a range of national sport federations.

Earlier this month a record 4,500 runners took part in a variety of races in Phnom Penh, Cambodia as part the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia's Olympic Day celebrations, while a series of programmes running over 10 days in Nepal, beginning on June 14, saw children and adults taking part in running, cycling and table tennis events.

In Bahrain, Prince Khalifa Bin Salman Park hosted a number of special events in the town of Arad today featuring activities such as sport folk games, children's games and a skeet board show.

The Zimbabwe Olympic Committee is set to mark Olympic Day by hosting an event in Bulawayo's White City Stadium this coming Saturday (June 28).

As well as both five and 10 kilometre runs, a number of Olympic sports will be on display with participants drawn from primary and secondary schools as well as colleges, and will see amateur and  professional athletes taking part.

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Sport in Trinidad and Tobago is facing some significant challenges and the challenges will not be overcome if they remain unappreciated. Talk to the athletes and you get one perspective. Speak to the administrators and you get another. Who is right and who is wrong?



Priority ought to be given to the athletes’ perspective. They are the ones who have to deliver the performances. They are the flag bearers. From the community level right through to the elite level it’s the participants and athletes who matter most.



Last week’s column spoke about a national sport strategy.



Recently the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC) together with its high-performance partners Michael Johnson Performance and bpTT held a high-performance workshop.



In addition, MJP performance coach and specialist Drew Cuffee was based at the Sport Company Elite Development Unit (EDU) for three weeks.



Tobias Ottley, the executive manager of the EDU, brings a refreshing open-mindness to the public sector landscape. His willingness to have the TTOC and MJP at the EDU is appreciated.



However, notwithstanding the best efforts of all concerned. It is very clear that high performance in T&T has a long way to go and there is a credible reason why many of our current world-class athletes seek foreign help and interventions.



Simple suggestions were not embraced by those who should be more than happy to improve. The attitude that we know and have the answers isn’t borne out by results. This is not to say that foreign help and interventions are a panacea or the only approach.



What is clear is that it has worked for some national athletes and can work for more of our athletes and team sports and that in the lead up to Rio 2016 it will be a difference maker.



Our world-class athletes know the truth and their actions speak for themselves. Sport organisations such as the TTOC must listen to our athletes especially those who have the inner hunger and desire to be the best in the world.



In the high-performance environment accountability, effectiveness and efficiency are not slogans.



The Michael Johnson Performance workshop and three-week stay working on the ground, exposed deficiencies that must be addressed. Fortunately they are not all big-money items but simple attitudinal and mindset changes.



Meeting the expectations of our athletes is the priority. In this respect we must listen hard to what they say.



We can develop and produce World and Olympic champions on a consistent basis and as a matter of course.



What is holding us back?



What is the policy framework?



There is no need to reinvent the wheel.



Best prepared best planned.



The right support at the right time .There are organisations with a proven track record of delivering high-performance success.



We have no other option but to learn from them.



In a very real sense refraining from addressing the issues will place our athletes in a disadvantageous position.



The time has come for honest talk among those who are positioned to make decisions that will either impact our athletes negatively or positively.



Every organisation involved in local sport must face the music and critically examine themselves.



There are people who seem more than happy to talk down other individuals and organisations. You hear repeated some very unhelpful and unfair statements that can’t have any other objective but to create obstacles.



I am not sure what are the motives but what I am sure about is that our athletes are very clear about what must be done.



Hard decisions have to be made.

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Monday 23 June- Port.of.Spain

The Lord Harris Square located opposite to the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee(TTOC) Olympic House on Abrecromby Street  was transformed into a bright and colourful field of dreams for children from various primary schools this morning as the TTOC celebrated Olympic day .

From the time the 2014 Olympic Day celebrations was official opened by TTOC Executive member Wendell Constantine the children enjoyed the opportunity to play traditional games such as  marbles, footsie, hop scotch, draughts and checkers. They also  participated in Tai Chi .

London 2012 Olympic gold medallist Keshorn Walcott along with  Mikhel Thomas , Ayanna Alexander and Commonwealth Games hockey player Pat Borneo, Youth Olympians Abigail Affoo, Malika Davidson and Chelsi Ward took time off from their busy schedule to spend time with the youngsters .

TTOC secretary general Annette Knott said the decision to try something new by moving the Olympic day celebration to the actual day(23 June) proved to be a success.

With the Olympic House transformed into a museum including Olympic themed video presentations children enjoyed learning about the Olympic history and this country's Olympians .

TTOC partners ScotiaBank, Guardian Group, BpTT , Adidas, Lisa along with Olympic Solidarity  and the Port of Spain City Corporation supported the event.

Part 12: Jehue copes with pro athlete/student demands

Jehue Gordon was on top of the world in August last year, his 47.69 seconds run at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia earning him the 400 metres hurdles world title.

But with every success—at the local, regional, and indeed international level—celebrations come to an end. Then, it’s back to the grind, oftentimes working even harder than before. Staying at the top can be a more onerous task than the initial rise.

For Gordon, the task was doubly difficult. In addition to his labour on the track and in the gym, the Trinidad and Tobago athlete had to resume his studies at the University of the West Indies (UWI), where he is pursuing an undergraduate degree in Sports Management.

Gordon’s schedule is very demanding. Well, that’s actually an understatement, for there simply aren’t enough hours in the day for a full-time professional athlete and a full-time university student to comfortably co-exist in one human body.

“It’s very difficult,” says Gordon, “because the Caribbean system is a lot different to the American system. The school has been trying their best to accommodate me as much as possible, especially when it comes to exams.

“I don’t get enough rest,” he continues. “It’s challenging to catch up with the notes especially when you start school two or three weeks late coming in from the Diamond League. My friends pull me out a lot when it comes to taking notes in class, getting tips, studying in groups. My friends play a crucial role.”

The pattern of Gordon’s performances is a reflection of his challenges.

The Maraval hurdler opened his 2012 campaign during UWI’s second semester, clocking 51.13 seconds on March 31. On August 4 — during the school holidays – he ran a then personal best 47.96 in the semifinal round at the London Olympics.

And in 2013, Gordon’s 49.65 seconds opener on March 23 was almost two seconds slower than the 47.69 national record run that earned him the world title on August 15.

Dr Ian Hypolite is Gordon’s coach, and understands what his 22-year-old charge has to cope with.

“He is very, very ambitions as a student. He’s not the type to sit back and rely on gratuities, he’s not the type who is searching for an easy way out. He is as competitive in the classroom as he is on the track, and that makes it difficult because you then have to contend with late hours. He doesn’t complain, though, when he gets the workout.

“Fortunately,” Hypolite continues, “when you look at the record, he always runs his fastest down at the end of the season, or at a major competition when it really really matters. So, it has worked out, but it has been a major challenge nonetheless.”

What has also been challenging for Gordon is the additional attention since his golden Moscow effort.

“When I go to the malls, if I go shopping, if I do anything outside of my normal environment, people recognise me a lot more. They want autographs, pictures, they want me to give their kids advice. I guess now people expect a lot more of Jehue Gordon, compared to before.”

Following his success at the 2013 World Championships, Gordon was showered with gifts, including a house. Yet, when visited by a group of international journalists in April, he was living at Milner Hall—a hall of residence at the St Augustine Campus of UWI.

Like all the students on hall, Gordon does his own laundry. After putting a load of clothes to wash, he explains why he has chosen this simple lifestyle.

“I like to come back into a grounded situation. When you’re out there too much in the public light, you tend to position yourself to be who they expect you to be. And I don’t like anybody shaping my character. That’s why I came back into the school setting, trying to be a normal student, fitting in as a normal person…just being Jehue Gordon.”

With laundry out of the way, Gordon plays a game of table tennis with one of his hallmates. His choice of brain-cooler is no different from the average university student’s. And that’s the way the world champion likes it as he continues to strive for normalcy.

Source

Jorge Luis Pinto and the Costa Rican Football Federation are furious at Fifa for ordering seven of their team’s players to undergo drug tests in the aftermath of the famous World Cup win over Italy.

Diego Maradona has accused world football’s governing body of discriminating against Costa Rica and Pinto, the manager, has made public his displeasure at the abnormal procedure.

Two players from every team are required for doping control after matches but Fifa requested that five additional Costa Ricans were tested. Bryan Ruiz, who scored the only goal of Friday’s game that confirmed Costa Rica’s fairytale qualification to the last 16, was one of them and the others were Keylor Navas, Celso Borges, Christian Bolaños, the substitute Marco Ureña and the unused Diego Calvo and Michael Barrantes.

Fifa say that the mass procedure was necessary because some of the Costa Rica players had been unavailable for the mandatory pre-tournament tests. But there is indignation within the Costa Rican setup as they cannot understand why Fifa chose the moments after one of the greatest victories in the nation’s history to carry out the tests. Fifa, they say, could have chosen any other time since the squad arrived in Brazil.

“The question in all of this is: ‘Why does Costa Rica receive these tests?’” Pinto said. “It’s because Costa Rica is running and running and running, and I congratulate my players for that. They can do doping tests to all of us, including me. We would love it. I hope they do it to all of us.”

Maradona failed a drugs test himself – he was sent home from USA 94 after testing positive for several banned substances, including ephedrine.

“Why test seven players from Costa Rica and not seven from Italy?” Maradona, the 1986 World Cup winner, said. “It’s against the rules. Two players from each team are supposed to undergo doping controls. I know what I’m talking about because it happened to me. But seven players? I’ve never seen something like that.

“Taking seven Costa Ricans to doping shows a lack of respect to the players and to the rules. Costa Rica had an incredible qualification. They had three world champions in the group and they beat them with good football.”

Costa Rica, who beat Uruguay 3-1 in their opening tie, face England in Belo Horizonte on Tuesday. The small central American nation need only a point to ensure that they advance to the last 16 as the group winners.

Source

Climate, cultivating flair and old-fashioned passion mean South American sides are dominating in Brazil
Amid all the goals, thrills and English inquests, a wider pattern is unfolding in Brazil that might yet develop into the World Cup’s most significant narrative.

Just take a look at the various results and standings. Brazil and Mexico lead Group A. Having so stylishly seen off the defending champions, Chile are already through in Group B. Colombia lead Group C. Uruguay have eliminated England from Group D and now have the chance to progress with Costa Rica.

Ecuador are second behind France in Group E while Argentina are making their expected progress in Group F.

That is potentially eight Latin America teams into the last 16 of the tournament. It would be a feat unprecedented in World Cup history but also the continuation of a surprising wider trend that has seen countries from this region steadily increase their participation in the knockout phase from three in 2002, to four in 2006 and then six in 2010.

That this should be happening amid the backdrop of an ever widening gap between the resources in Latin America football and the riches in the major European leagues is especially striking. It certainly begs many questions. In what is the first World Cup to be played in Latin America since 1986, are we again destined for a winner from that same

And, for all Europe’s money, structures, academies and 10-year plans, are we discovering that the best footballers are still those who spent their childhoods honing their technical skills and temperament away from formal coaching and in fiercely competitive street matches.

It is no secret that Arsène Wenger is searching for a striker while working in Brazil for French television and, for what is the most technically challenging position on the pitch, his eyes are trained on South America.

“I have said many times that Europe still produces many fantastic football players but, if you look well, we do not produce strikers well,” Wenger said. “Very few. All of the big strikers come from South America. Last summer, you had Radamel Falcao going to Monaco, Edinson Cavani going to PSG in a big transfer, Luis Suárez, everybody wanted to buy him. Gonzalo Higuain has gone to Napoli for a lot of money, but in Europe that is an area where it is difficult to find.

“In Germany, I can remember in every club you had a big striker, they produced some fantastic ones, but they do not produce young strikers. Is that a result of the way we coach? Of modern life? I don’t know.”

It was certainly hard not to watch Chile outplay England at Wembley last year – and then so brilliantly dispatch Spain earlier this week – and not sense an inherent technical superiority. Any team with Alexis Sanchez in attack and Arturo Vidal in midfield should always be pleasing on the eye and they will face Holland tomorrow in a fixture that will tell us more about whether players who their coach, Jorge Sampaoli, calls the “rebels of football” can mount a realistic World Cup challenge.

Similarly, it is the flair players of Uruguay, Costa Rica, Argentina and Colombia that are excelling. “We are on the rise, we have lots of confidence but we mustn’t lose sight of our objective which is to play good football,” says Teó Gutiérrez, the Colombia striker.

For all the obvious quality of the Latin America players, there does also seem to have been something more at work in Brazil over these past 10 days. Spain, after all, could not dissect a Chile back three that comprised two midfielders relegated with Cardiff and Osasuna and a centre-back released by Nottingham Forest.

In the expressions of Suárez as he waited on the bench for the full-time whistle against England, it was also impossible not to sense a particular motivation at participating in Latin America’s first World Cup for almost 30 years. Even before the tournament, Costa Rica manager Jorge Luis Pinto summed up the attitude of his team at being drawn against England and Italy. “We love the group,” he said. “The braver the bull, the better the bullfight.”

Pride is also at stake and it has been noticeable in Brazil that, even in matches not involving their teams, most South American fans here are supporting countries from their continent. The one predictable exception is explained by the intensity in the rivalry between Brazil and Argentina.

The climatic conditions must also be factored in when you consider that Latin American teams have won the tournament on all six of the previous occasions that it has been hosted in the region. Yes, England’s loss to Uruguay might have played in autumnal English conditions but, in their sluggish performance, you had to wonder what the match in Manaus five days earlier had taken out of them.

The same also seemed true as Italy so struggled in the searing heat against Costa Rica on Friday. “I think the one main obstacle that the European sides will have to overcome is the climate – or, more accurately, the changes in climate the teams could face,” says Ioan Lupescu Uefa’s chief technical officer.

“Playing in different parts of such a big country could be like playing in three different seasons depending on a team’s schedule. Tactics may be very different from one game to the next because of this. If the European teams can negotiate this problem, they have a great chance.

“Two European teams contested the last World Cup final which took place outside Europe so I think that particular ‘mental block’ has now been removed and going to a different continent does not hold the uncertainties that it maybe once did.”

Lupesca, of course, is right and the strong early showing from Latin America still offers few guarantees for the final outcome. For all that improved representation in the knockout phase, the last two World Cup finals have ultimately ended with an all-European final.

The initial signs, however, are that the balance may very well be redressed this year. Uruguay, Colombia and Chile have rarely looked better equipped to compete with the traditional local powerhouses of Brazil and Argentina to provide an all Latin America final. The last time that happened? Back in 1950, on the only previous occasion that Rio’s Maracana has staged the World Cup final.

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Richard “Torpedo” Thompson and Michelle-Lee Ahye produced a pair of sizzling performances at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, on Saturday (21) at the Trinidad and Tobago Championships.

Thompson, the 2008 Olympic silver medallist, broke his own national record, bolting to victory in the men’s 100m final in a world-leading 9.82. It was 0.03 faster than the previous record he set in 2011 on the same track.

“I’m thrilled with the performance,” Thompson told the Trinidad Express. “I didn’t come in chasing any time. The national record was the furthest thing from my mind. I knew I had a quality field to deal with, people like Rondel Sorrillo, Darrel Brown, Keston Bledman, Marc Burns, the usual suspects.”

By midpoint in the race, Thompson looked a winner, the Louisiana-based sprinter motoring to the line ahead of defending champion Bledman, the eventual silver medallist in 10.00. There was a welcome return to form for Brown, the former world junior champion earning bronze in 10.05. Burns (10.21) and Sorrillo (10.23) finished fourth and fifth respectively.

Ahye was also on fire at the Crawford Stadium, seizing gold in the women’s 100m in 10.88, having earlier clocked a world-leading 10.85 in the semi-final.

In the final, Ahye darted to the front, and then opened up a huge gap on her rivals, Kai Selvon finishing a distant second in 11.32.

Before this weekend, the 22-year-old sprinter had a personal best of 11.04. She has now moved to second on the Trinidad and Tobago all-time list and is just 0.02 away from the national record.

“It was unexpected,” said Ahye. “For the semis I was like wow. I was shocked. I was very excited.”

Janeil Bellille erased a 16-year-old national record from the books. The Texas A&M University student won the women’s 400m in 51.83, bettering the 51.96 standard established by Beverly Pierre back in 1998.

Renny Quow won the men’s 400m title, edging Lalonde Gordon into second spot. Both athletes clocked 45.08, but Quow had the edge in the photo finish, beating his rival by four thousandths of a second. Jarrin Solomon bagged bronze in 45.59.

At the top of the home straight, Gordon was in front, but Quow reeled in the Olympic bronze medallist close to the end, before out-leaning him at the line.

Wayne Davis was superb in the 110m hurdles, securing gold in a championship record of 13.21. It also broke the Trinidad and Tobago all-comers’ record, set by Roger Kingdom back in 1985. Mikel Thomas – whose national record is just 0.02 than Davis’s winning time – picked up silver in 13.45, while bronze went to Durell Busby in 13.64.

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You are cordially invited to the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee’s Olympic Day Celebration on Monday 23rd June 2014 from 9.30 am to 1.00 pm at the Lord Harris Square, Abercromby Street, Port of Spain. ( Can be posted on Thursday)

There will be brief ceremony followed by activities to encourage children to MOVE through Jump Rope, Checkers and Traditional Games…To LEARN the Olympic values of Excellence, Respect and Friendship…To DISCOVER our Olympians.

This event is open to the public and children are especially welcomed.

A radical new proposal has been launched that could altar the balance of power between the British Government and sporting organisations and, if successful, would enable the Government to challenge bodies, including FIFA.

Proposed by former Sports Minister Lord Colin Moynihan, who served as British Olympic Association chairman from 2005 until 2012 when he was replaced by fellow Lord, Sebastian Coe, the Private Members Bill submitted to the House of Lords would give Governments the power to scrutinise bodies, including FIFA, to ensure good governance.

National bodies would also be subject to influence, such as golf clubs who do not admit female members.

In return, the Government would have to submit to a number of statutory requirements to prove it was taking sport seriously, while Health and Education Ministers would place annual reports before Parliament on how they were furthering the public health and school sport agendas and the introduction of new legislation relating to match-fixing.

Although Moynihan, who won an Olympic rowing silver medal for Britain at Moscow 1980, admitted Governments should have no role in the actual rules and regulations of sport, he claimed that increased commercialisation meant that a new bill was overdue.

"The Bill would allow the Secretary of State [for Culture, Media and Sport] to challenge FIFA," Moynihan said..

"If every country followed this line, very swiftly FIFA would respond.

"Over the next 20 years, the governance, transparency and accountability of international sport will be even more of an issue.

"There are billions of pounds in sport and we've got to put in place mechanisms that match that investment."

"Only by demonstrating good governance in sport can Government and British sports administrators use their influence internationally.

"Only through the introduction of best governance among international bodies and federations will the problems that have already beset many of the international organisations - from FIFA today, to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Salt Lake City in 2002, and to Formula One over recent years - be consigned to history."

The Bill was introduced into the House of Lords last week and remains in the earliest of stages.

If it is to be successful it will have to pass two readings before a Committee and a Report stage and another reading, before passing a similar process in the House of Commons, during which time it could be rejected or severely amended.

However, even if it is ultimately unsuccessful, as much as anything else the aim of the Bill is to act as a catalyst to provoke debate and keep the issues therein in the public eye.

Good governance in sport is an issue about which there has been a lot of rhetoric in recent times, with it being one important issue in the Olympic Agenda 2020 reform process currently ongoing within the IOC.

But, with IOC President Thomas Bach, also very keen to ensure the autonomy and independence of National Olympic Committees from their respective Governments, the Bill would potentially throw this into question.

Moynihan believes the Bill would provide a vehicle to solve some of the more intractable debates surrounding sport in Britain, while it could also set a precedent for other countries to follow the British lead.

The ongoing corruption allegations surrounding FIFA in recent weeks ahead of the FIFA World Cup in Brazil highlights the importance of changes included in the Bill, it is claimed.

This follows last month's revelation by The Sunday Times in London that it had seen millions of secret documents which allegedly prove football officials were paid a total of $5 million (£3 million/€3.6 million) to back Qatar's bid for the 2022 World Cup.

Since then, FIFA has largely closed ranks and accused critics of being motivated by racism, with it being likely that President Sepp Blatter will successfully stand for a fifth-term as President despite the criticism.

If successful, Moynihan's attempt would mark the first opportunity to legislate against FIFA, because there is currently no mechanism to force change on the governing body except through internal means.

Among other football-related proposals in the Bill is a suggestion that only a limited number of visas should be granted for overseas players but that if they were not used they could be traded for a "considerable" consideration.

The plan, Moynihan believes, would help address the lack of home-grown talent coming through the system to elite level.

Source

Andrew Lewis’ credible sixth place performance at the North American Sailing Championships over the weekend affirmed him a spot to represent Trinidad and Tobago at the 2015 Pan American Games which sails off in Toronto, Canada, from July 10-26.

The Atlantic sponsored sailor, who will also fly the red, white and black at the September 8-21 World Championships, revealed yesterday that he has been working towards becoming an all-round Laser Class athlete for yet another hectic year of international competition.

Having attained Pan Am qualification by producing several strong showings over the weekend, Lewis was among three other Laser sailors who secured spots. The remaining two were Cy Thompson of the US Virgin Islands and Peruvian Stefano Peschiera.

“I set a few personal goals in the lead up to Rio 2016 (Olympics) and my peek event for next year is the Pan Am Games,” he explained. “So with that being said, you can see how import it is for me. It’s a real honour to represent my county in the second highest Games to the Olympics.

It’s a great feeling. And just like every single race I enter, I go with the intentions to win gold.”

Over the past few months, the 2012 Olympic representative has been continuously competing and training on the water. Admitting that he had a shaky start in the early stages of 2014, Lewis made a couple adjustments to his training team and has since seen great productivity.

“To be honest, my year did not start out as smooth as intended. But I changed up my training programme and I am with a new trainer.

This change has switched my results drastically in a more positive light. I feel like I am back on track,” said a motivated Lewis.

Presently, the promising athlete is in California, USA, training with some of the world’s top Laser Class sailors.

He is expected to continue this development regime until early July and return to TT on July 10. Lewis is currently undergoing preparatory work with American number one Laser Class Charlie Buckingham, second ranked Chris Barnard, third rated Eric Bowers; 2012 Olympian and Brazilian number two Bruno Fontes and Thompson.

“We’re all in one camp and this has been the best training of my life thus far. This is also in preparation for World Championships this year in Spain in September. I have the Canada Olympic Class Regatta from 16-20 of August, then World Championships, then CAC games in mid- November, then a few events next year before the Pan Am,” continued Lewis.

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Former England 7s coach and current Fiji Head Coach Ben Ryan has been entrenched in the process of Rugby 7s becoming an Olympic sport, today he looks at what that means, qualification, eligibility, player availability and just about everything you need to know about Rio Qualification

Next season is different.

The ‘soft’ opening to Rugby 7’s into the Olympics has been going on for some time as pundits and supporters gaze into the future to see what it might bring. For the teams on the ground and the players with ambitions to be walking beside their national flag on the opening ceremony at the Rio Olympics on August 6th 2016, it begins properly on the Gold Coast.

Qualification to be one of those dozen starts in Oz

So, with so many not clear about how everything comes together and some of the changes, I thought I would try my best to have some clarity here.

I say twelve but it’s actually eleven, as Brazil has gained automatic qualification as hosts. It doesn’t matter if you agree or don’t agree with that, that’s the status quo and so the first part of qualification begins with next year’s HSBC World Sevens Series.

The top four at the end of the 2014/15 series are straight through to Rio and though it hasn’t be confirmed, it would be logical to also seed those teams as the top four for the Olympic Competition. That means plenty of jostling between those positions to get top seed status, which would probably also mean for number one seeds sharing a group with the bottom seeds, again, not confirmed but likely to be Brazil.

Making that top four will be huge for those sides. It allows planning and none of the pressure that undoubtedly will come with the next stage of qualification;

Six of the remaining spots will be decided through the regional competitions, split as:

Asia (3)

Europe (4)

Oceania (2)

Africa (3)

North America (2)

South America (2)

That leaves one spot, which will be decided, from a 16-nation repechage tournament with the teams made up from the regions above and the number from each of those regions in brackets. Winner gets the golden ticket.

Ok, so that’s the process. However, a few other changes and curve balls next year too….

Team GB Qualification

I haven’t mentioned GB to this point, as it would have confused things. In short, it looks like England will be the nominated team next season to try to gain an automatic spot for GB by getting in the top 4.

That means if Wales or Scotland achieves that, they cannot take their slot – only England getting top 4 counts. It also doesn’t mean that an England side would then represent GB. It merely acts as a tool to try to get GB a spot at Rio.

If England DO NOT achieve a top 4 finish then GB will have to qualify via a European competition.

With the possibility that France could roll out their 15s test stars in that with their best 7s players, as well as the threat of sides like Spain, Russia and Portugal, in potentially a one off tournament - this is by no means a straightforward route and there is a real threat of no Great Britain team being in Rio.

Team GB and the process around that has not been publicly confirmed, so we are all in the dark around it. England have put more of a development spin on their programme this season, but with the hopes of the other nations with them achieving top 4, that might have to be re looked at. If they do what they did this season then the combined home nations can breath a huge sigh of relief but if not….

It is all very interesting – throw Wales and Scotland potentially helping the process by beating some of the other top 4 candidates next year and it’s a series not to be missed!

ELIGIBILITY.

As its Olympic Qualification next year, it means all players have to be qualified under Olympic eligibility rules and that means they have to have a passport for that nation. No exceptions. As you have seen with Halai’s exclusion from the NZ sevens side to compete at the Commonwealth Games (they have the same eligibility criteria), not everyone that has played international sevens also holds a passport for that country.

Qualifying on residency is a lot easier than getting a passport in nearly every competing country so there will be players next season that will not be able to play for their respective teams until they have a passport. Having seen at first hand the pacific players in other countries teams playing under residency criteria, it might now be the time to look at this globally and see whether three years is just too short a time frame to become eligible to play for another country. I haven’t got a firm opinion on this but targeted poaching happens in other Olympic sports and this whole area needs a careful eye kept on it to see how it develops.

SWITCHING NATIONS.

A ripple from this is a window that will also exist next year for players to effectively ‘switch’ countries back to a country they have a passport to.

Ill try to explain this as simply as possible, so:

If you haven’t played for 18 months for one of the “capped” teams in the nation you have already played for, AND hold a passport for another country then you can play in next year’s series for that country. Interestingly, once you make the switch, you are then available to be chosen for the nations XV’s test side too. You cannot switch back.

After this season, the 18 months will go up to 3 years and the switch can only happen in an Olympic qualifying event or the Olympics itself, so if you don’t do it next season then its not again possible until the actual Olympics.

If it I put this into a practical example, I will use Josh Drauniniu – sure you don’t mind Josh! Gets you some airtime!

He played for England 7s in 2011 and hasn’t played for any other national England sides since. He holds a Fijian Passport (as well as a UK one) as was born and raised in Fiji so would be eligible for me to select if I wanted to and he wanted to. He could then play for Fiji at national 15’s level. Let me just make clear that this is just an example and not a clever ploy to lure Josh to back to Fiji! I just know the timings in this example in this and it just illustrates the point and also shows you that players do exist out there in this category.

IRB Reg 9

Next year IRB Reg 9 is in place. This means that clubs must release players to participate in a HSBC World Series event. The IOC and IRB have publicly voiced their opinion that they want to see some of the 15s stars of the game playing in Rio and this is another helpful tool to allow the nations the possible ability to use them next year in preparation and to bolster their qualification chances.

In practice, it’s not quite as straight forward.

I do not think the clubs have been aware of this and I am sure they don’t want to lose key players for large part of the season. Now, if I was being devil’s advocate, it’s a bit like taking a banned substance you thought was ok and hadn’t read the label. It is not an excuse to simply say you were not aware as this change has been in the public domain for some time and some clubs will have prepared for this possibility when they singed players that were in this bracket.

Again the Pacific nations are the ones that would benefit the most out of this as there are large numbers playing overseas that have previously shown to be world-class players in international sevens. Nearly every Fijian star of the overseas club game has played huge amounts of 7s growing up and knows the game well, so the transition for them will be far easier than nearly every other nation as long as they are given some time to adjust and get the required fitness.

As National coach, I want to make sure Fiji are in the top four next year and have every opportunity to win a gold in Rio. Samoa will feel the same. Without the finances and other resources of our rivals, for Fiji and Samoa (and in the regionals, Tonga), this gives us the potential to have a tool that helps us balance that out a bit and I would sincerely hope that the rugby community sees that as well.

No one wants to risk a player’s livelihood but the opportunity to show just why rugby sevens is now an Olympic sport – that small countries with little resources can be up there fighting for a gold medal with the best talent they have, is possible.

Plenty to digest and goes to show you why next year is just that little bit different. I can see just as much action off the field as on it next year! Yet, the positives of ensuring Rugby, albeit in the sevens format, can be shown off in the best light possible to the rest of the sporting world in Rio is what needs to be in everyone’s mind. The reality of Rio will be soon upon us.

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Isn’t leadership about the captain being the last to leave the ship?

Something is just not adding up. It’s well established that youth, children and young people follow the example of their elders. These days it’s an uphill battle keeping young people motivated and inspired.

Finding positive role models who can be used as positive examples isn’t an easy task. Where have we gone wrong as a country and society?

Do we have a culture that encourages sacrifice? How do we encourage young people to put aside a sense of entitlement and/or dependency?

Last Friday government and opposition MPs united in parliament to raise their own retirement allowances—29 votes in favour, no votes against.

According to media reports, the decision was based on the desire to provide for those who have served their country through yeoman service at great sacrifice of their own personal circumstances; their family life and their health.

It was said that our parliamentarians had contributed to this country at great personal sacrifices and have shown an unparalleled level of patriotism.

So what about the rest of us? What about the long-suffering population who over the years would have placed collective and individual trust in the legislature and executive to lead and govern us well and put in place policies and action plans that serves the best interest of the nation?

How do we ask young people to make personal sacrifices and to forgo feelings of entitlement and dependency?

Getting to the mountain top and achieving anything of significance, purpose and merit requires sacrifice.

Athletes who dream of ascending to the pinnacle have to work hard and make many sacrifices. Nothing worthwhile can be achieved without toiling upwards through the night. It comes with the territory. Excellence and achievement are demanding task masters.

Everywhere our sportsmen and sportswomen turn, they see and read where it’s one rule for some and another rule for them.

Aren't they patriots? Don’t they make personal sacrifices? Don’t they have families?

How do we ask our youth and young people to contribute to building a nation and a society? How do we ask them to put country before self? How do we ask them to put the welfare of others first? How do we show them how to be great leaders?

Our athletes deserve much better than they are currently getting. Time is not a luxury. Time lost can’t be regained.

The system is failing those who deserve the support the most.

National sport organisations must get together and create a national sport strategy that will define a blueprint for the sustainable development of sport and set out guidelines for the reduction of inequities.

A national sport strategy will provide policy advice and strategic guidance to the nation and ministers of government on policies for sport and physical recreation and also monitor programmes and systems.

It will propose and advocate for sport to be considered as an independent sector and for the economic impact of sport to be recognised.

Sport has proven its ability to have a positive impact on the country's international, regional and continental image.

T&T has a rich sport history. Building on that history is a responsibility not to be taken lightly.

We have been inspired by Rodney Wilkes who won this country’s first Olympic medal when T&T participated in its first summer Olympic Games.

Our success at the London 2012 Olympics created high expectations for more Olympic medal success. Rio 2016 is two years away.

Time is not on the side of our athletes.

There is much that needs to be done. We can’t carry on as if all is well.

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One of the best-known symbols in marketing, let alone world sport, reaches an important milestone this week.

June 2014 marks the centenary of the presentation by Pierre de Coubertin to those attending the sixth Olympic Congress in Paris of the five multicoloured Olympic rings and the Olympic flag.

The symbol of the interlaced blue, yellow, black, green and red rings, representing the five continents, is today recognised instantly by a good proportion of the world's seven billion or more people.

It was not until 1920 in Antwerp, however, that the white flag bearing the five rings could be seen flying in an Olympic stadium.

This was because of the outbreak later in 1914 of the conflict now known as the First World War; this prevented the 1916 Olympic Games being staged, as planned, in Berlin.

As explained in an Olympic Museum information sheet, the fifth modern Olympics in Stockholm in 1912 had turned out to be the first Games featuring participants from all five continents.

A year later, the five rings appeared at the top of a letter written by Coubertin, founder of the Modern Olympics.

According to the information sheet, Coubertin "drew the rings and coloured them in by hand".

While most today would probably accept that the symbol and flag were the most important products of that 1914 Congress, contemporary newspaper reports suggest that participants were more concerned with burning issues such as the participation of women in the Olympics and the sports that should make up the programme.

One paper, the Sydney Morning Herald, described debate of a motion that women should be allowed to take part in lawn tennis, swimming, skating and foils.

The Times of London carried a short Reuters report to the effect that Congress had decided that future Games should be "decided within three weeks so that the results could be more easily classified, and that due solemnity might be given to the opening and closing ceremonies".

The report continued, "Although the Congress has already expressed the view that the number of events was too great, it agreed this morning, at the request of various countries, to the inclusion of the following new events: archery, rugby football, hockey and ice hockey.

"These events will, however, be optional."

While attitudes on some issues change dramatically over time, others, it seems, prove as enduring as the five-ring symbol itself.

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International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach's Agenda 2020 is set to reach a new milestone this week as the 14 Working Groups meet to discuss the proposals submitted for the future of the Olympic Movement.

The groups, which are made of up of key stakeholders, including IOC members, athletes, and figures from International Federations and National Olympic Committees, as well as representatives from Google, Transparency International and the World Bank, are gathered at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne to analyse the recommendations put forward by Olympic and sport officials and individuals.

Of the thousands of submissions received by the April 15 deadline, almost half of those came from Olympic officials, while about a quarter came from the public.

The process in bidding for the Games, sports on the Olympic Programme, IOC membership, good governance and youth strategy are among the matters due to be discussed.

Proposals submitted also include one put forward by the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports (NIF) that calls for stricter procedures to ensure future host nations adhere to the Olympic Charter principles of human rights, gender equality and inclusion, while one from the Federation of Gay Games (FGG) urges the IOC to be a "rampart against discriminatory laws and practices".


The Working Groups are due to conclude their meetings on June 24 before presenting an outline of their findings to the IOC Executive Board at its next meeting on July 7 until 9.

This will then be discussed at the Olympic Summit, which will be attended by all the key stakeholders of the Movement, later next month.

The contributions will then be presented to the IOC Commissions in September, before being discussed again at an Executive Board meeting the following month.

The refined Olympic Agenda 2020 proposals will finally be presented for discussion by the entire IOC membership and final approval at an Extraordinary Session in Monaco on December 8 and 9.

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TRINIDAD and Tobago won their very first set in the 2014 edition of the Women’s Pan American Volleyball Cup when they extended Cuba past three sets for the very first time in Mexico on Saturday.
After losing their first three matches of the tournament in straight sets, the five-time Caribbean champions were beaten 25-17, 25-18, 20-25, 25-10 by four-time champs Cuba.
T&T had never taken a set from the regional powerhouses before and just last month the Cubans had beaten them to qualify for the World Championships in September.
T&T still have a chance of getting to Italy, however, as they will host Costa Rica, Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama in the middle of next month and the winners will secure the 24th and final place in “Worlds.”
But that chance is getting slimmer by the minute as the Mexicans will be the overwhelming favourites based on their performance in this tournament.
Two days after upsetting the Peruvians in five sets, the hosts almost allowed a two-set lead to slip before they recovered in the decider to stun the previously unbeaten Canadians 27-25, 27-25, 13-25, 14-25, 15-9 on Saturday.
The same thing almost happened to the group favourites, but two-time champs Dominican Republic recovered in time to edge Peru 25-18, 25-21, 22-25, 18-25, 15-12 in the other Group A match in Mexico City.
In Group B action in Hidalgo, two-time defending champs United States also made it four from four when the world No. 2 crushed the Costa Ricans 25-13, 25-9, 25-11 to convincingly win the five-team group and move straight into Wednesday’s semi-finals.
And with Puerto Rico on a bye, Argentina were 29-27, 25-17, 25-15 winners over Colombia in the other match in the group.
The Group A winners, determined when Dominican Republic opposed Canada when the round-robin phase of the tournament concluded last night, will also move straight into the semis.
The second and third-placed teams will contest quarterfinals tomorrow.
The champions will be crowned Thursday night in Mexico City and will qualify for the World Grand Prix in the United States in July next year.
T&T tackled Mexico in a preview of next month’s World Championship qualifier in the final match of the round-robin phase last night.
In their 82-minute contest against Cuba on Saturday, Melissa Vargas was the leading scorer with 24 points, four more than this country’s captain Krystelle Esdelle, who had led all scores with 14 points on Thursday against the Canadians and was the game’s joint leading scorer with 13 the day after against Peru.

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Trinidad and Tobago quartermilers, Deon Lendore and Carlyle Roudette teamed up with American Aldrich Bailey and Grenadian Bralon Taplin for gold in the men’s 4x400 metres relay, on the final day of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Outdoor Track & Field Championships, in Eugene, Oregon, USA, on Saturday.
Roudette split 44.7 seconds on the second leg, while Lendore anchored in 44.11 as Texas A&M University won in two minutes, 59.60 seconds, missing out on the American collegiate record by just one-hundredth of a second. University of Florida clocked 3:00.42 to finish second, ahead of Louisiana State University (LSU) in 3:01.60.
“It was an amazing experience and I’m happy to be here as a senior,” Roudette said, in an interview on the Texas A&M website, www.aggieathletics.com. “It was an amazing run, I couldn’t ask for a better way to go out. I just wanted to put my team in a good position to win. I was able to come back on Florida and close the gap so we could make it a close run for Deon on the anchor.”
Lendore, the individual 400m champion, said the collegiate record was a team goal.
“Going into the race we had a lot of hope for each other especially after the time we ran in the semifinal (3:00.76). We knew there was a chance we could break the collegiate record. We came so close, but we missed it this time. Hopefully next year or in the near future we will get the record.”
Earlier on Saturday, Lendore anchored Texas A&M to silver in the men’s 4x100m in 38.84 seconds. He outleaned another T&T athlete at the line, Shermund Allsop and his LSU teammates taking bronze in 38.85. Florida (38.73) grabbed gold.
T&T’s Janeil Bellille was part of the Texas A&M team that secured silver in the women’s 4x400m in 3:25.63. University of Texas won in a meet record time of 3:24.21, while third spot went to University of Oregon (3:29.03).
“I’m really blessed and happy to be part of an amazing team,” Bellille said. “Today meant a lot to the team, so I came out and put my best foot forward in the relay.”
Texas A&M captured the women’s team title with 75 points. Texas (66) and Oregon (59) were second and third, respectively.
In the men’s team competition, Texas A&M finished third with 41.5 points. Oregon (88) captured the title, while Florida (70) secured the runner-up spot.
LSU (29 points), Steve Waithe’s Pennsylvania State University (5) and Durell Busby’s University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (2) were fourth, 44th and 64th, respectively.
On Saturday, Waithe finished fifth in the men’s triple jump with a 16.14m effort—a new personal best.

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Franz Beckenbauer has been banned by Fifa from taking part in any football-related activity for 90 days. The governing body alleges that he has failed to co-operate with the ongoing inquiry by Michael Garcia into Fifa’s vote to award the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar respectively.

Fifa said the ban on the German football legend is provisional, pending the completion of a formal investigation into his alleged non-co-operation. On Friday night Beckenbauer reacted with surprise to the news, telling Sky Sport Germany: “I had to check the date at first. I thought it was April the first and thus an April fool.”

Beckenbauer was one of the 22 members of the Fifa executive committee who in 2010 cast their secret votes for World Cup hosts, and he has never declared for which countries he voted. Last weekend, based on a cache of documents in its possession, the Sunday Times alleged that Beckenbauer visited Qatar before and after the vote, at the invitation of Mohamed Bin Hammam, the Qatari exco member who has since been banned by Fifa from football activities for life following corruption allegations.

The Sunday Times reported that in June 2011, Beckenbauer visited Qatar as part of a business delegation for the Hamburg shipping company ER Capital Holding, for which Beckenbauer was an adviser and ambassador. He has since 2012 also been an ambassador for the Association of Russian Gas Producers.

Fifa said that Garcia, the chairman of the investigatory chamber of the ethics committee, has been seeking to interview Beckenbauer but received no co-operation, to the point where Garcia requested disciplinary action in the form of the ban.

“A breach of the code of ethics appears to have been committed,” Fifa said in a statement. “The apparent breach relates to Mr Beckenbauer’s failure to co-operate with an ethics committee investigation despite repeated requests for his assistance, including that he provide information during an in-person interview or in response to written questions provided in both English and German.”

Fifa said the formal investigation is being led by another member of the ethics committee, Vanessa Allard of Trinidad & Tobago.

Beckenbauer, who played 103 times for Germany and won the World Cup as captain in 1974, then as the Germany coach in 1990, has for years become involved in a plethora of business interests, often set up by his adviser, Fedor Radmann.

Beckenbauer told the German media this week that he did not respond to Garcia’s request for an interview because he did not understand all the questions sent to him in English and had asked for a meeting to talk about it in German. After the ban was announced Beckenbauer said that his nominal position at Bayern Munich was his only remaining official football role, although Beckenbauer is also a special advisor to Fifa’s football committee. “If they mean my honorary presidency at FCB, then I can live with it,” he said.

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Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben inspired the Netherlands to a 5-1 comeback thrashing of Spain in one of the most unforeseen results in FIFA World Cup™ history.

A Xabi Alonso penalty put the defending champions ahead but, after David Silva had spurned a glaring chance to double the lead, the Dutch ran riot. Van Persie and Robben hit doubles apiece, both netting majestic goals, with Stefan de Vrij also getting on the score-sheet as Spain conceded over four times for the first time since 1963.

La Roja began the game by monopolising possession, but it was the Oranje who created the first noteworthy chance. Robben slid a sumptuous ball in behind the defence for Wesley Sneijder, who carried it into the box but hit his shot straight at a relieved Iker Casillas.

Moments later, Andres Iniesta won possession in the Netherlands’ last third and slipped the ball to Diego Costa. The Brazil-born striker was inside the box, but his touch let him down and allowed Ron Vlaar to get back and admirably stifle the danger.

Spain did go ahead on 27 minutes though. Following a neat passing move, Costa cut inside Stefan de Vrij and was tripped. The referee pointed to the spot and Xabi Alonso’s low, firm penalty found the bottom corner.

La Roja should have doubled their lead on 42 minutes. Andres Iniesta skipped inside his marker and exercised his extra-sensory vision and immaculate execution of pass to send David Silva one-on-one with Jasper Cillessen. The Manchester City playmaker attempted an elaborate chip, which the Ajax goalkeeper was away to tip round his post.

Silva held his head in his hands, and the Netherlands swiftly punished his mistake. Daley Blind played a long ball over the top of the Spain defence and, rather than bring the ball down, Van Persie produced a superb first-time header which looped over Casillas and went in.

Eight minutes into the second half the Oranje went in front. Robben, in mid-air, delightfully controlled a long ball forward, cut inside Gerard Pique and, with the aid of a deflection, fired the ball home.

It was almost 3-1 minutes later, with Robben leading a rapid counter-attack which ended with Van Persie cannoning the ball against the crossbar. But the Netherlands did double their lead on 64 minutes. Sneijder whipped a free-kick into the back post and, with Van Persie putting Casillas off, De Vrij bundled it in at the back post.

It got worse for Spain eight minutes later. Casillas, ahead of a seemingly straightforward clearance, miscontrolled the ball. Van Persie pounced, took it round him, slid in and poked it into the empty net.

Robben sealed a 5-1 success with another marvellous individual goal, showcasing blistering pace to escape the Spanish backline, rounding Casillas and fizzing the ball home.

Robben, Jeremain Lens and Sneijder all had chances to grab the Netherlands’ sixth of the night, but 5-1 was how it finished.

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