Wheelchair basketball team, Galatasaray Abe Lions becoming World Club Champions has boosted Istanbul’s bid for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games as it shows disability sports are prospering in the nation.

Following Turkey’s record performance at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, there has been a surge in Paralympic sports in Turkey. Turkey says its mission is to set new national and international benchmarks in barrier-free living through hosting the 2020 Paralympic Games.

Istanbul 2020 bid committee executive Ali Kiremitcioglu said: “Galatasaray’s success in the World Club Championships in recent years illustrates the growing strength of disability sport in Turkey, as well as ensuring that it remains high on the public agenda and at the forefront of people’s minds. Promoting and supporting disability sport is a fundamental aspect of our bid.

“London 2012 was an inspiration to us and the people of Turkey, and we hope to recreate that effect, particularly among young people. Our delegation grew from 16 athletes in Beijing to 67 athletes in London, and our medal tally increased from two to ten. Turkey can look forward with great optimism to Rio and beyond, because Paralympic sport here is growing and improving all the time.”

Istanbul’s Olympic Training Centre will have dedicated facilities to support Paralympic athletes in 2020. Transport systems will be enhanced for the specific requirements of Paralympic athletes throughout both Games.

All 21 venues nominated for Paralympic competition, as well as the Paralympic Village, will be designed or upgraded to meet international accessibility standards, supporting the development of new accessibility benchmarks in architecture and urban design in Istanbul and Turkey.

United States Olympic Committee (USOC) sponsors Ralph Lauren announced that the uniforms it will make for the U.S. Olympic team’s use at the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia will be manufactured in the USA.

USOC also said Friday that the uniforms for the ceremonies at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games will be made in the United States.

Ralph Lauren said in a statement: “We have committed to producing the Opening and Closing ceremony Team USA uniforms in the United States that will be worn for the 2014 Olympic Games.”

Ralph Lauren’s statement comes after lawmakers raised questions following information that the uniforms for this year’s summer Games in London were made in China.

According to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the controversy over Ralph Lauren making the US Olympics uniform in China put the state of the US fashion industry in the spotlight with members of Congress expressing outrage over the Committee’s decision to allow national team members appear in uniforms manufactured in China.

The fashion company also said: “Ralph Lauren promises to lead the conversation within our industry and our government to address the issue to increase manufacturing in the United States.”

British Olympic Association (BOA) chief executive Andy Hunt has claimed that the media were largely to blame in the bitter financial dispute between his organisation and London 2012 regarding any surplus from the Games, stating that it was unfairly “jumped upon” simply because it was the first major crack to appear in the preparation for the Games.

An agreement on the issue was reached earlier this week after the BOA dropped their case with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), after reaching resolution which is weighted heavily in favour of London 2012.

The organising committee were strongly supported by both the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the British Government throughout.

Hunt stated: “I think the issue got unprecedented media attention mainly because LOCOG and the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) have done a fantastic job on delivering the venues and planning for the Games.

“Therefore, everyone was looking for some little crack, some form of bad news.

“It was then that this row came along and it was jumped upon, perhaps unfairly so, and the crack was really opened up.

“Thing got blown out of all proportion but I maintain that this was a narrow, technical dispute about the interpretation of a contract.

“We have now agreed on the interpretation and we have now agreed on how we are going to work in partnership.

“We are very happy as we got clarification about how the payments will be made after the Games, in terms of if a surplus is created, and we are now working in partnership heading into London 2012.”

During the row, both Hunt and BOA chairman Colin Moynihan, the main driving force in the campaign to raise extra money for their struggling financial accounts, were suspended from the London 2012 Board, but both are now set to be able to resume their positions.

Hunt claims that the row has actually helped strengthen the relationship between the two parties, adding: “We have had a great relationship in with LOCOG over the years but I think all this has really strengthened our partnership whether it is in terms of operational planning for the Games, whether it is getting support from sponsors in planning for the next Olympic cycle or indeed making sure that we can build the best team in London with the best possible support network.

“There was no ‘climbdown’ from us as we now have a better understanding about what was agreed between LOCOG and Government, which was unclear before.

“It is a win-win for both of us and I’m just pleased that we’ve got that dispute over and done with and that we’re all working in partnership heading into London 2012.”

Samsung and Visa, official sponsors of the Olympic Games, announced yesterday, March 31, plans to join forces at London 2012 to make it easier for customers to make contactless payments using their mobile telephones.

The implementation of Near Field Communications (NFC) technology will enable customers to make payments by simply selecting the Visa mobile contactless application, choosing pay and holding the phone in front of a contactless reader at the point of purchase.

Visa is working with banks and retailers worldwide to roll-out acceptance for Visa contactless cards, as well as mobile phones, as part of an industry wide roll-out of contactless technology. 

Peter Ayliffe, the chief executive of Visa Europe, stated: “Visa, like Samsung, shares the vision of leveraging our Olympic and Paralympic Games sponsorship to leave a lasting legacy in the market for banks, retailers, mobile operators and consumers.

“We are not only breaking new ground for Olympic partnerships, we are committed to enabling consumers to connect with mobile and contactless payments technology for 2012 and beyond.

“We look forward to working with financial institutions and mobile operators alongside Samsung to make this initiative a success.”

There are already more than 60,000 locations where contactless payments are accepted during London 2012, and contactless and electronic card payments will be available in the run-up to and during the Games.

A Visa-enabled SIM card will be required for use with the device in order to make purchases at retailers who have the contactless payment system.

Mariano Dima, the executive vice-president of marketing and payment solutions at Visa Europe, added: “Innovation is a key business driver for Visa and mobile payments are one of the main areas we’re focusing on.

“The Olympic and Paralympic Games enables us to accelerate our business goals and this partnership plays a large role in achieving them.”

Samsung has demonstrated its leadership in NFC-enabled phone technology since it launched one of the first commercial NFC phones in France last year and the President and chief executive of Samsung Electronics Europe, Seokpil Kim said: “As a pioneer in mobile technology, Samsung is striving for long term change in the way we use mobile payments.

“In London next year, we regard the greatest show on earth as the perfect opportunity to showcase how this technology can make a positive difference to people’s lives – enabling them to feel closer to the Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

“This mobile payment device will be available in the UK initially, and we plan to expand the service to other countries in Europe and around the world where contactless payment facilities are available in the near future.”

Gyehyun Kwon, the vice-president and head of of Worldwide Sports Marketing at Samsung Electronics added: “This marks the very first partnership between two Worldwide Olympic Partners of the London 2012 Games. 

“We are delighted to be joining forces with Visa to make the Olympic Games more accessible and convenient for everyone. 

“This fits extremely well with our ambition to enable more people to participate in the Games through our smart technology.”

Tokyo 2020, Japan’s bid to host the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, was boosted today following a report by FutureBrand’s Country Brand Index 2012-2013 which Japan ranked third out of 118 countries, up one position from the previous year.

The Country Brand Index is a preeminent global study which measures and ranks global perceptions around the world’s nations based on factors such as their cultures, industries, economic strength, and public policy initiatives. The resulting index is a mix of trend reportage, expert findings, data-rich analysis and future-positive prediction compiled by FutureBrand. Japan earned high notes in business, culture, and tourism.

The report highlights many of Japan’s attractive characteristics and validates a common perception of the country: Japan is one of the world’s most exciting countries, boasting a mix of the hyper-modern and the traditional with values that inspire today’s world. The country claims the top spot in the Advanced Technology, Attractions and Authenticity subsections.

Japan also ranked second in the Skilled Workforce subsection, ranking third overall in the Good for Business section. Finally, Japan ranked third in the Art and Culture subsection, taking the third spot overall under the Heritage and Culture section.

The annual Country Brand Index stated: “Japan has managed to maintain its reputation as a world-class brand, especially for tourism, perceived as the second strongest brand in the dimension overall, the strongest brand in the world for Attractions, third strongest for Food and sixth for Value for Money.”

Tsunekazu Takeda, IOC member and President of the Tokyo 2020 Bid Committee and the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) commented: “We are delighted with the results of FutureBrand’s latest Country Brand Index. This report reflects the world’s positive perception of Japan, based on our innovative culture and rich history. If Tokyo secures the honour of hosting the 2020 Games, I am confident that athletes, Olympic and Paralympic Families, and international visitors will all likewise appreciate all that Tokyo has to offer.”

US politicians have expressed their dismay about the U.S. Olympic Committee’s (USOC) decision to provide the U.S. team with Chinese-manufactured uniforms while its domestic textile industry is struggling; there are reportedly hundreds of thousands of unemployed textile workers in the US.

Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid said: “I am so upset. I think the Olympic committee should be ashamed of themselves. I think they should be embarrassed. I think they should take all the uniforms, put them in a big pile and burn them and start all over again.”

House Democratic Leader, Nancy Pelosi said: “They should be wearing uniforms that are made in America.”

House Speaker John Boehner also expressed his disappointment. “You’d think they’d know better,” he said.

“Unlike most Olympic teams around the world, the US Olympic team is privately funded and we’re grateful for the support of our sponsors,” USOC spokesman, Patrick Sandusky said in a statement. “We’re proud of our partnership with Ralph Lauren, an iconic American company, and excited to watch America’s finest athletes compete at the upcoming Games in London.”

Sandusky tweeted that Ralph Lauren “financially supports our team. An American company that supports American athletes.”

The clothing company has not commented on the criticism.

In recent years, the USOC has also faced criticism sponsorship deals with German car manufacturer BMW, when its deal with General Motors ended, and retaining BP as a sponsor after the infamous oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico.{jcomments on}

 

World soccer’s governing body FIFA revealed yesterday, May 3, that a new set of tests for goal-line technology were underway, with the prospect of a system possibly being introduced in time for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

FIFA has invited manufacturers to take part in a two-stage technical testing process between September 2011 and March 2012, which will be verified by an independent technical institute. As of now, around 10 different goal-line technology systems have been tested though all have failed to convince the International Football Association Board (IFAB), and FIFA so far.

FIFA released a statement reading: “The final results of this evaluation will be presented to the IFAB at a special meeting in July 2012. The tests will be conducted in two phases at a football stadium selected by the respective technology providers, in consultation with FIFA.”

The first phase of tests between September and December 2011 will check the success of the required goalscoring indicator, which will be linked to a bracelet worn by the referee. Shortlisted systems, which are at least 90 per cent successful, will then progress to the second phase, where FIFA will be looking for 100 per cent accuracy in tests involving different types of shots on goal under simulated match conditions.

The IFAB, which is made up of FIFA and the Football Associations (FA) of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, decided in March to look at technological aids for referees again.

The recent tests have seemingly been forced into action after another high profile decision which eventually saw Premier League champions Chelsea defeat Tottenham due to an incorrect award of a goal. FIFA have been consistently criticised for a lack of action to ensure that the correct decision in terms of whether a ball has crossed the goal-line is made, with many feeling that the technology is readily available and used in a growing number of sports.