The Malaysian Insider :: Sports
The Malaysian Insider :: Sports |
| IOC plays down wrestling’s exit after global uproar Posted: 13 Feb 2013 05:42 AM PST  The IOC board is taking in stride furore over wrestling possibly being dropped from Olympics. — Reuters pic The IOC's 15-member executive board voted on Tuesday to recommend that the sport be dropped from the 2020 Olympic programme, with a final decision resting with the IOC session in September in Buenos Aires. The vote prompted an instant wave of protest and anger from the sport's global community with the international federation (FILA) calling it an aberration, petitions launched with the United States White House and on-line wrestling support groups signing up thousands of supporters. India's government said on Wednesday it would seek the support of other countries where wrestling is popular to help the sport remain an Olympic discipline. "These reactions, they are quite normal," IOC Vice President Thomas Bach told reporters. "This would have happened with any decision. You have to find the right balance between tradition and progress. "This was a decision about core sports and nothing more," he said of Tuesday's vote that cut the core Olympic sports from 26 to 25, leaving out wrestling. "I am happy about FILA's reaction, to draw up a plan to act. That is the right way. Keep in mind a final decision has not yet been taken. If they (FILA) continue like that they will win a lot of sympathies," said Bach, a potential presidential candidate later this year. The IOC's executive board will decide in St Petersburg in May to decide which of eight candidate sports, including wrestling, will be put forward to win the spot left vacant for the 2020 Games. Painful decision It will then put its recommendation for the 25 core sports and the new entry to a vote at its session in Argentina. "It was always going to be a painful decision," said IOC member and head of the organisation's finance commission Richard Carrion, also a potential presidential candidate. "No matter what we do, it will be criticised by someone," said Puerto Rican Carrion, whose country won a silver medal in wrestling at the London 2012 Olympics, one of two medals overall. "From a personal point of view I am sad. I have become attached to the wrestling club (in Puerto Rico) which doesn't even have a regulation-size mat and still managed to send three athletes to the Games." For Juan Antonio Samaranch Junior, who is both an executive board member and a modern pentathlon vice-president, the decision was a good one. "I am very sorry for wrestling as it is a sport I respect," the son of former IOC president Samaranch, told reporters. "I cannot be surprised by the reaction because any sport would have created the same reaction." Wrestling's surprise exit has been blamed by some on a lack of political support within the executive board, where other sports at risk - including modern pentathlon and taekwondo - had the upper hand with representatives in the 15-member group. Asked whether his double capacity was a conflict of interest, Samaranch said: "I am here in my capacity as executive board member." — Reuters |
| Celtic cry foul after Champions League humbling Posted: 13 Feb 2013 03:31 AM PST  Juventus' Stephan Lichtsteiner (left) and goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon tussle with Celtic's Gary Hooper during their Champions League soccer match at Celtic Park stadium in Glasgow, Scotland February 12, 2013. – Reuters pic Celtic were ruthlessly taken apart in a 3-0 defeat in Glasgow yesterday as the Italians soaked up everything the Scots could throw at them and counter-punched their way to a substantial first-leg lead. It was the persistent pushing and shoving at corners and free kicks that irked the Glasgow club and sparked a post-match debate after Spanish referee Alberto Undiano Mallenco chose to warn players rather than give the hosts a penalty. "I thought he (the referee) was poor," Lennon said on Sky Sports. "I thought he was very pro-Juventus. I was disappointed with his performance to say the least." He added: "It's not rugby we're playing, it's soccer. "I pointed it out to the referee at halftime in the tunnel area but he just waved me away. I made it clear to the players to flag it up to the referee in the second half but he ignored our requests. "They were being fouled, manhandled. Every time one of my players tried to move he was held. He should have given a penalty on at least two occasions. "I'd like to know what the interpretation of the rules are in Italy or Spain, because it's blatantly different to what they are in Britain from what I've seen tonight. They were fouling on every opportunity and he was staring right at it. So are the rules different in Spain? Because, on that showing, they must be." Stephan Lichtsteiner was involved in a long-running tussle with Celtic striker Gary Hooper, with both receiving yellow cards in the first half. The Juventus defender seemed more intent on keeping Hooper away from his goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon than making any attempt to defend the ball. "It's normal," Lichtsteiner told Sky Sports. "I think it is part of football that they play the corners and the free kicks, and of course they score more than 40 per cent of their goals in the Champions League from free kicks, and they look to block the goalkeeper. "It was my role today to keep him away from Buffon. "A penalty for what?" he added. "It is more a foul from him than for me because if you attack the goalkeeper it is a goal." Celtic took a different view with midfielder Kris Commons questioning how the additional officials UEFA employ behind the goal failed to spot any offence. "You've got a referee there, a guy behind the goal, a linesman - the whole idea of the official behind the goal is to look out for this sort of stuff," Commons said. "If he can't identify when people are being hauled, manhandled, wrestled to the floor then I don't think he should be in a job." Celtic right back Mikael Lustig added: "They used a lot of arms when we got our corners but it is up to the referee. "Of course, we tried to speak to him, but he didn't listen to us." – Reuters |
| You are subscribed to email updates from The Malaysian Insider :: Sports To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
0 ulasan:
Catat Ulasan