Governing Bodies
The ABC of the ‘Olympics-like-no-other’, the weird Tokyo 2020
Your guide to Tokyo 2020 – from the 42 competition venues to medals that are made from recycled metal.
Competition venues within and outside Tokyo
There are 42 competition venues for this year’s Olympics, and the majority of them are located in Tokyo.
A number of them, such as the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium and Yoyogi National Stadium, also hosted events during the 1964 Tokyo Games.
To avoid possible high temperatures in the capital city, a handful of sports are conducted in venues farther away. Hokkaido, for instance, will host the marathon and race walking events.
The Olympic medals
Graphic designer Junichi Kawanishi won a nationwide competition in 2019 to design medals for the 2020 Games.
The medals, designed to symbolise an athlete’s journey from beginner to Olympic champion, are made from recycled metal.
Almost 79,000 tonnes of used electronic devices, such as mobile phones and laptops, were collected across Japan through a donation drive to provide raw materials for the 5,000 Olympic medals.
New national stadium
Completed at a cost of more than US$1.4 billion (S$1.9 billion), the stadium will host the athletics and football events during the Games, in addition to the opening and closing ceremonies.
Construction started in December 2016, about 14 months later than planned, after the original design was scrapped because of a public outcry over spiralling costs.
The centrepiece stadium is designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, who is known for blending traditional Japanese style with modern elements.
Hottest in recent history
This year’s Summer Olympics will be held during July and August, typically the annual peak for temperatures and humidity in Tokyo.
Historical data for the past 20 years shows that average maximum temperatures in the capital can be as high as 38.1 deg C during the dates of the Games, potentially making these the hottest Olympics in more than 40 years.
Daily maximum temperature
When Tokyo first hosted the Games in 1964, they were held during the cooler, drier month of October. Most Summer Olympics have been held in July and August since 1976, with some exceptions.
Torch relay across Japan
The nationwide torch relay began on March 25 at J-Village, a football training centre in Fukushima that served as an operations base for workers who battled the nuclear power plant crisis. The location was selected to emphasise Japan’s recovery from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
However, the relay has faced numerous problems, with nearly half of the legs on the route disrupted amid continuing fears over the spread of Covid-19.
The president of the Confédération of African Football, Dr. Patrice Motsepe, has announced five new CAF Vice Presidents. They are:
- CAF First Vice President: Mr Fouzi Lekjaa (Morocco)
- CAF Second Vice President: Mr Kurt Okraku (Ghana)
- CAF Third Vice President: Mr Pierre-Alain Mounguengui (Gabon)
- CAF Fourth Vice President: Ms Bestine Kazadi Ditabala (Democratic Republic of Congo)
- CAF Fifth Vice President: Mr Feizal Sidat (Mozambique)
In addition, the CAF President has co-opted Yacine Idriss Diallo, President of Fédération Ivoirienne de football, into the CAF Executive Committee.
The CAF Executive Committee also approved the names to fill vacant positions on several CAF Committees.
Organising Committee for the African Nations Championship (CHAN)
- President: Pierre-Alain Mounguengui (Gabon)
CAF Technical and Development Committee
- President: Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)
- Vice President: Malouche Belhassen (Tunisia)
CAF Medical Committee:
- President: Dr. Mohammed Bouya (Mauritania)
- Vice President: Dr. Thulani Ngwenya (South Africa)
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Governing Bodies
Nigeria becoming an epicentre of global badminton as Francis Orbih enters the Badminton World Federation Council
Laurels on the courts and now glory in the boardroom sums up the mark that badminton is making in Nigeria.
The President, Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), Francis Orbih, has been elected as a council member of the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
The election took place during the BWF Annual General Meeting on Saturday in Xiamen, China.
Orbih emerged victorious over top contenders from other African countries.
He will join Cameroon’s Odette Assembe Engoulou on the council, while Chipo Zumburani (Zimbabwe) and Hadia ElSaid (Egypt) missed out.
An elated Orbih expressed his gratitude to fellow badminton presidents across the globe for their trust and support.
He said, “I am deeply honoured by the trust placed in me by my peers across the badminton world.
“I look forward to quality representation, driving development initiatives, and strengthening badminton’s global reach over the next four years.”
Orbih also acknowledged the support of the Federal Government of Nigeria, particularly the National Sports Commission (NSC), which he said played a significant role in his successful bid.
“The Chairman and the Director General of the NSC monitored the entire process. I’m grateful for their involvement and confident Nigeria will benefit from this,” he stated.
He further appreciated the BFN board members and the Nigerian badminton community for their prayers and continued belief in his leadership.
“From the day I declared my intentions, the board members of BFN have been supportive, and I promise not to disappoint them,” Orbih concluded.
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A former member of the FIFA Council, Mamoutou Toure, has been released from jail in Mali after almost two years in detention for alleged corruption, Malian media reports said on Wednesday.
Toure, president of the Malian Football Federation since 2019, was released after 622 days in prison on Tuesday.
He served on the FIFA Council, world football’s all-powerful decision-making body, for four years until last month when he lost his seat after failing to contest new elections.
The 67-year-old was arrested in August 2023 on allegations of embezzling $28 million of public funds but was granted a provisional release order by the Malian courts, reports said.
He was accused of misconduct during his time as the National Assembly’s financial and administrative director from 2013-2019.
Toure denied all charges and, during his time in jail, was last August re-elected as Malian Football Federation president for a second consecutive term, with his supporters claiming he was a victim of a conspiracy fuelled by detractors.
While in jail, he received a letter of support from FIFA president Gianni Infantino. However, as of last month, Toure is no longer a member of the FIFA Council or the Confederation of African Football’s executive committee.
-Reuters
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