Approved in July 2007 by the International Olympic Committee,
the inaugural 2010 Summer Youth Olympic Games (YOG) will be followed by the 2012 Winter YOG,
2014 Summer YOG, 2016 Winter YOG ... and so on ... in alternate years to the current "Professional" Olympic
Games.
Wait a minute. Not so fast.
Consider that at this time, it goes against common sense for humanity to accept further International Olympic Committee global
events at the moment we seek to protect our children by reducing carbon emissions.
The Youth Olympic Games would sensibly be launched in global celebration
once we have resolved the risk of climate change.
By JOHN LEICESTER (AP) PARIS —
The International Luge Federation's 20-page — is that all his death deserved? — report into the horrific accident
that killed Georgian Olympian Nodar Kumaritashvili is exactly what was expected: a self-serving whitewash...
Note: At July 2010, it is noticed that the above article "is no longer
available" at the Associated Press.
A fact deserving of attention is the high percentage number of crashes that took place during the 2009 Olympic Test Event.
Of 186 runs during the Test Event (World Cup-Luge 2009- see page 13), the report documents 16 crashes. The Test Event percentage
is remarkably higher than the totals given in for instance, the 2008/2009 season: 15,115 runs and 73 crashes.
The IOC would have had reason to have awareness of this high percentage,
as the test event is an IOC requirement. Aside from
the number of crashes at the Test Event, it is common sense that the G-force/severity of a crash in Olympic conditions would
be worse when an athlete crashes at a faster speed on the fastest track in the world.
Video from Iran Television: The Culture of Iran Requires a Dresscode and for this Reason, the Olympic Family (FIFA) Forbids
the Iranian Girls' Soccer Team from Participating in the Youth Olympic Games
AlJazeeraEnglish—April 13,
2010 — Iran's football federation says it is sending a delegation to Fifa - the international football
association - to urge the Geneva-based association to overturn its ban on the hijab, or Islamic headscarf.
10 April 2010 - FIFA stated in a letter to Iran Football Federation (IFF) that they had no choice but to disallow Iran girls’
football team from participating in the 2010 Asian Youth Olympic Games.
FIFA banned the team because prevailing
rules prevented players from wearing an Islamic headscarf.
The Asian Football Confederation said in a statement
on Monday, “FIFA decided that wearing hijab (Islamic covering) is not in accordance with game regulations.”
FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke stated in a letter to the Iran Football Federation, “Taking into consideration
the clear position stated by (the Olympic committee of) Iran, the FIFA executive committee had no choice other than to decide
that Iran will not be able to participate.’
FIFA’s international rulebook contains a section on players’
onfield equipment and attire. One provision under Article 4 requires “Basic compulsory equipment must not have any political,
religious or personal statements.” This is the second time within a year that the issue of athletes donning hijab
has cropped up in Singapore.
Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer of the Blacktown District
Soccer Football Association Jack Taylor told 2UE Radio that he did not expect any Sydney football associations to comply with
the ruling if FIFA chose to impose it.
“I couldn’t see any association, certainly in Sydney - and I
know most of them - I can’t see us implementing it,” he said.
He stated, “You can’t make
political statements ... but I don’t see the hijab as a political statement.”
FIFA Bans Youth Soccerplayers from Wearing Religious Headwear in YOG
As reported on Tehrantimes.com: FIFA ban Iranian women footballers from wearing hijab in YOG
TEHRAN - FIFA banned the Iranian women’s football team wearing
hijab from participating in the inaugural Youth Olympic Games (YOG) which will be held from August 14 to 26 in Singapore.
FIFA at first invited the Iranian team to take part
in the games but unexpectedly decided to forbid wearing hijab (Islamic covering) in the games.
President of Iran
Football Federation Ali Kafashian wrote a request to the world football governing body to reconsider their decision.
He pointed out that due to religious beliefs the Iranian women team will participate in the competitions only if they are
allowed to observe the Islamic dress code.
Altogether 170 countries are expected to participate in the 2010 Youth
Summer Olympics. About 3,500 athletes and 875 accompanying persons are expected to participate in the games. Each country
will send at least four athletes.
'Taekwondo Struggle Committee vandalizes Ministry of Sports'
Kathmandu, April 4 - The Taekwondo Struggle Committee formed to protest exclusion of Nepali players from the Youth
Olympic Games vandalized the Ministry of Youth and Sports on Monday.
The committee was formed to protest after
four taekwondo players-- Sita Tamang, Gyani Chunra, Ranjan Shreshta and Jhalakman Tamang -- not being selected for the Games
being held in Mexico from March 3. The players, selected from across the country, were sent for a month-long training in Korea.
Tenth graders Sita Tamang and Ranjan Shrestha left their SLC exams to prepare for the Games. “We don’t
know why we have been denied participation in the Games, but we have missed both the Games and the SLC exams,” the duos
said.
Kathmandu, April 1 - Nepal Olympic Committee (NOC)
has admitted it appointed Deepak Bista as the chef-de-mission for the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) behind closed doors.
At a press conference organized on Thursday, NOC said that it took the decision without informing National Sports Council
(NSC) and Nepal Taekwondo Association (NTA).
Bista, who holds the record of securing four
consecutive gold medals in the South Asian Games, came under criticism after he attended the Games meeting in Singapore recently.
NTA had suspended Bista from the central membership and NSC had slapped a one-year ban following Bista´s appointment.
NOC President Dhruba Bahadur Pradhan said, “We took the decision secretly, otherwise it would have been like
a challenge to NSC and NTA at a time when the latter had formed a struggle committee against us. We had decided to appoint
Bista as the chef-de-mission while we were in Bangladesh.”
Pradhan also said that NSC does not have the authority
to ban players from playing.
The first ever Youth Olympic Games moves ever closer; when the Games officially
open on Saturday 14th August 2010 it will be an historic day for the International Olympic Committee.
10 April 2010 - FIFA stated in a letter to Iran Football Federation (IFF) that they had no choice but to disallow Iran girls’
football team from participating in the 2010 Asian Youth Olympic Games.
