Fifa to discuss governance reforms amid pressure from sponsors and campaigns | Football | The Guardian

Fifa to discuss governance reforms amid pressure from sponsors and campaigns | Football | The Guardian

Press release - Transparency International calls for FIFA to publish World Cup investigation

Press release - Transparency International calls for FIFA to publish World Cup investigation

What the World Cycling Union should do now

Cycling’s world governing body, the International Cycling Union (UCI) has announced it will set up an independent commission, with its members nominated by an independent sports body, to investigate UCI’s links with Lance Armstrong following the damning report by the United States Anti-doping Agency. This is an important step, but it is as important that the commission has strong terms of reference and independent credentials.

Below are our suggestions.

The independent commission should be established by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland, as this is the independent authority accepted by all international and national sport bodies, including those involved in cycling, and athletes in juridical cases. CAS is highly respected for its independence.

See full Press Release: http://www.transparency.org/news/feature/what_the_world_cycling_union_should_do_now

La reputación de las marcas de la Fórmula 1 supera las criticas a la sostenibilidad

Las discusiones entre grupos medioambentales con empresas de productos y servicios que descartan en su plan estratégico la ayuda al medioambiente, han desatado un cambio radical dentro de las compañías internacionales. Sin embargo, aún existen espacios que no se dedican a hablar de temas de sostenibilidad. Uno de ellos es el deporte favorito de muchos hombres alrededor del mundo, la Fórmula 1. Con un coche en frente y varias carreras con altos consumos de combustible se puede describir en resumen la actividad de este sector. Pero para los seguidores de este deporte, la sostenibilidad no es tan relevante, por lo menos así lo demuestran los resultados del estudio realizado por la empresa dedicada a la investigación de mercados Puls Marktforschung GMBH.

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Own goal, FIFA needs to reform now

Football is the world’s most popular game with a global fan base in the billions. It is a role model for the youth everywhere and is an important vehicle for delivering a message of fair play, integrity and respect for the rule of law.

Football’s governing body must be an example of fair play. That is why it is so important for FIFA, the sport’s world governing body, to address the wave of corruption allegations against its executives. In the past, FIFA has sought to sweep the suspicions of foul play that surround FIFA under the rug. Now the rug is being pulled from under FIFA.

See full Press Release.

Fifa president Sepp Blatter under investigation

Good news. As he is standing again and eliminating competition, it is good to see that his role is being investigated. There has been too much corruption in his tenure as well.

Onésimo Alvarez-Moro

See article:
Fifa has opened an ethics investigation against its president, Sepp Blatter.

The action follows a charge by Mohamed Bin Hammam, his rival in next week's presidency election, that Blatter knew about alleged cash payments.

Bin Hammam and vice-president Jack Warner will also be at Sunday's hearing to answer charges of bribery.

Blatter issued a statement saying: "I cannot comment on the proceedings that have been opened against me. The facts will speak for themselves."

See full Article.

World Cup officials 'took bribes from host bidders'

EXPLOSIVE new allegations have emerged to suggest Australia threw away $45 million on a soccer World Cup bid that it never had a chance of winning.

Claims of corruption in FIFA's 2018 and 2022 bidding processes have been aired in a British parliamentary inquiry, alleging votes were for sale. And it is claimed Qatar, which trumped Australia for the 2022 hosting rights, was involved.

Australia gained only one vote in last December's ballot.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/national/world-cup-officials-took-bribes-from-host-bidders-20110511-1eiz4.html#ixzz1MKBYUu00


See full Article

London 2012 Olympics team publishes first green report

London 2012 Olympic organisers have published the first environment report for next year's Games.

The report says it is on target to cut the carbon footprint by 100,000 tonnes of carbon emissions in the procurement of materials and venue construction.

Organisers say they are on track to deliver the world's first "truly sustainable" Olympic Games, which will open at the end of July 2012.

See full Article.

London 2012 Sustainability Report: A blueprint for change

This is the first of three London 2012 Sustainability Reports designed to chart delivery against the London 2012 Sustainability Plan. The next two reports will be released in the spring of 2012 and the winter of 2012/13.

See full Details.

What should FIFA do about corruption? : space for transparency

FIFA for many appears to do no wrong or is untouchable. One of the two.

Onésimo Alvarez-Moro

See article:
Clearly Sepp Blatter, the head of FIFA, football’s governing body, spent the holiday season mulling over the impact of the corruption scandal at FIFA.

Sport plays an important role in the lives of fans and players alike. The suspicion of corruption damages our sense of truth and justice; we believe in sport and sporting heroes because we believe in level playing fields. Corruption can have no place in the world of sport; otherwise this essential purity will be tainted for generations of sports enthusiasts. The lustre of the beautiful game of football, for example, is already being tarnished by the allegations of corruption at FIFA, along with a spate of scandals involving match fixing in 2010.

See full Article.

London Olympics Goes for the Green with Sustainable Sourcing Code

The organizing committee behind the 2012 Olympic Games has unveiled a guide to procuring products, services and promotional items that meet strict social and environmental standards.

The London Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games announced the sourcing guide as a first step to make sure the next Summer Games meet and exceed the green goals of this summer's games in Beijing.

There are four basic principles behind the sourcing code, which is aimed at internal Olympics 2012 buyers, suppliers for the games, and licensees: responsible sourcing, use of recycled materials, energy efficiency in the supply chain, and non-toxic materials.

The organizing committee projects that the 2012 Olympics will generate roughly 5,000 business opportunities and 25,000 supply chain opportunities. Sales of licensed products for the 2008 Beijing Olympics reached $700 million by the end of 2007, and the 2004 Olympiad in Athens, Greece, grossed over $1 billion in total sales.

See full Article.

La F1 se tiñe de verde

La Fórmula Uno es sinónimo de la velocidad por excelencia. Desde su creación, hace más de 50 años, ha tenido como objetivo crear la forma de transporte sobre ruedas más rápida del planeta. Ahora hay otro tema en su consciencia: el medio ambiente.

Y es por eso que este fin de semana la categoría se pinta de verde. De este color se pintarán los surcos de los neumáticos que utilizarán los monoplazas durante el Gran Premio Japón en un intento por involucrar la F1 en las campañas de protección del medio ambiente.

La iniciativa de la Federación Internacional del Automóvil, parte de la campaña "Crea coches verdes", contradice el impacto que ha tenido la categoría durante su evolución, en la que no ha escatimado en recursos económicos y no renovables.

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Green marketing

The marketing model of Formula One has not changed a great deal since 1968, when the Lotus team committed the then subversive act of putting a sponsor’s logo and branding on its car. It was the tobacco brand Gold Leaf and the livery of the car was completely given over to the brand. The rest of the teams quickly followed.

Forty years later, “stickers on cars” is still the model by which sponsors get their brands in front of the cameras. Most F1 teams derive about half of their income from sponsorship and many juggle the opposing needs of diverse sponsors, with each part of the car having a rate card.

See full Article (paid subscription required).

UN chief congratulates China on Olympics success

Now the UN chief adds his name to the dictator Olympics.

Onésimo Alvarez-Moro
See article:

United Nations (PTI): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has applauded China's successful hosting of the Olympics and said it helped in promoting international peace and harmony.

"The Secretary-General congratulates the government and people of China on their unprecedented effort and success in hosting the historic Olympic Games in Beijing," said a statement issued by Ban's office on Monday.

"China can be proud of hosting a spectacular Olympiad which brought together athletes and people from all over the world in celebration of games spirit, cooperation and goodwill," it said.

See full Article.

'The best Olympics ever' -- now what?

Why would the Chinese Communist party want to open up now. They have just had a successful Olympics, while successfully maintaining the dissidents under control and with the world showing them that they don´t care about their behaviour.

These Olympics have reconfirmed that they are OK as they are.

The Olympic movement should be ashamed of itself for having allied itself with this regime......but it won´t be.

Onésimo Alvarez-Moro

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The Beijing Games are over, declared a resounding success. The question now is whether China will finally loosen up or justify its authoritarianism.

Despite worries that pollution, traffic congestion, its human rights issues and overbearing security would make for a "no fun" Olympics, China is basking in accolades after festive closing ceremonies Sunday that wrapped up the most expensive Games in history.

"I think it is the best Olympics ever," said Juan Antonio Samaranch, former head of the International Olympic Committee. "China is No. 1."

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Beijing’s Bad Faith Olympics

The Beijing Olympics still have one more day to run. But the final gold medal — for authoritarian image management — can already be safely awarded to China’s Communist Party leadership.

Beijing got what it wanted out of this globally televised spectacular. It reaped a huge prestige bonanza that it will surely use to promote its international influence and, we fear, further tighten its grip at home.

It pocketed these gains without offering any concessions in return. When it increased repression — rather than loosening up — a supine International Olympic Committee barely offered a protest. Most world leaders, including President Bush, were nearly as complicit.

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Sustainable Sport - Ever Greener Games

Sport’s ability to continue to meet the needs of sponsors depends on its healthy and clean image. As global warming rises up the list of priorities this image has increasingly to include positive environmental credentials.

The carbon footprint of sport is relatively modest but there is an opportunity to play a leading role on the world stage influencing the opinions of both policy makers and the public. The future of sport is also inextricably linked to a healthy environment in which athletes can thrive and sport can develop. For these and other reasons it is now clearly in sports interest to make its role a positive one.

September’s SportBusiness International featured an article on the environmental issues facing sport, ‘Ever Greener Games’ examines the ways in which different organisations and bidding cities are tackling the green issue and the impact it is having on their major event bids.

Access full Article (registration required.

First Cut: IOC president warns athletes against political protests

"I am in favour of free speech, of course"

That is what IOC president when asked about their outrageous threats to athletes about political speech.

Typical of someone who heads an ethically-questionable organization, questions which have been asked for a long time, well before this current president´s term began

He is true to his predecessor´s policy of ignoring ethics. Nothing new that the olympic movement fails its ethics test yet again.

Onésimo Alvarez-Moro

See Audio interview. Short but clear!

IOC denies deal on internet curbs

Given the questionable ethics credibility that the admnistrators of the Olympic ideal have shown over the years, and given their complete renunciation of responsibility on China´s continuing human rights abuses, redoubled in this period up to the opening ceremony, this type of denial carries no credibility.

We shouldn´t be too surprised if it comes out the indeed they did facilitate Chinese actions, so that the success (as they define it) of the games can be assured.

Onésimo Alvarez-Moro

See article:
Olympic official have denied agreeing to curbs on internet access for foreign journalists covering the Beijing Games.

Reporters found a number of politically sensitive websites blocked earlier this week, and some senior Olympic officials said they had been aware of it.

But International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge said there had been "no deal to accept restrictions".

See full Article.

Baseball Team Clashes With Environmentalists Over Oil Company Advertising

When the Washington Nationals’ season opened in March, the team unveiled a stadium any environmentalist could love — the country’s first certified green major professional sports stadium, with energy-conserving lights and water-conserving plumbing.

Now, the team is the focus of protests from environmentalists who say their issue is not with the stadium, but with the Nationals’ advertising relationship with the oil giant ExxonMobil.

The company’s logo appears prominently on the left-field wall and is frequently featured on the stadium’s scoreboard.

Despite the stadium’s recognition for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design by the U.S. Green Building Council, ExxonMobil’s involvement has erased any good will, say the leaders of Strike Out Exxon, a combination of environmental, civic and religious groups.

See full Article.