International Olympic Committee : News

Table tennis: When ping pong diplomacy turns ugly

4/26/2013 4:42:16 AM

It's the innocent pastime that has made a surprise return to vogue, but a bitter power struggle has plunged table tennis into uncertain times following an angry row and threats of legal action.

With the International Table Tennis Federation's (ITTF) presidential elections looming next month, challenger Stefano Bosi is locked in a wrangle with long-time leader Adham Sharara that could end up in the courts.

Last month, sparks flew when Bosi confronted Canada's Sharara with claims of conflicts of interest over his close involvement with companies that have dealt with the Ottawa-based body during his 14-year presidency.

According to a letter from Bosi to executive committee members, obtained by Chinese web portal Tencent, Sharara became "very aggressive" and "started to threaten people, suggesting everybody was behind a conspiracy".

Sharara's account of the meeting in Frankfurt is very different. This week, he told AFP that Bosi threatened to go public with his claims unless the president resigned, and became "very angry" when he refused.

Italy's Bosi, who is head of the European Table Tennis Union (ETTU), says Sharara is guilty of "several long-term, serious and persistent infringements of ITTF regulations and ethical principles", and may have broken the law.

He also suggests Sharara has breached the Olympic Charter by mixing personal and ITTF interests, and is calling for the International Olympic Committee to impeach the Egyptian-born Canadian.

Sharara, whose innovations include changes to the scoring system and equipment, says Bosi is trying to discredit him for political gain -- although he admits an "error of judgement" over certain ITTF real estate deals.

The backdrop to the dispute is a sport that commands a mass following in China, the world's most populous country, and is undergoing a promising resurgence in Europe and the United States.

Hollywood actress Susan Sarandon is the star behind America's SPiN clubs, while outdoor tables are now a common sight in cities in Britain, where Prince William's wife Catherine is one of many celebrities spotted playing.

Sharara has overseen a switch in the scoring system to 11 points, the introduction of a bigger ball and the banning of "speed glue", which gives bats greater spin, in an attempt to make the sport more watchable.

He is also a critic of China's unyielding dominance over the sport, calling it "devastating" for its wider image. At last year's Olympics, China swept all four gold medals for the second time running.

This week, Sharara said he remained a candidate for the May 15 election in Paris and reserved the right to launch legal action against Bosi for his "false and libel statements".

"Yes, I am still a candidate for president. Yes, I am confident of winning because I have a very large base of support and because my work and the work of my team is my strongest point," he told AFP via email.

"I believe that Mr. Bosi has the right to be a candidate for ITTF president, but I am very disappointed that he uses a platform of accusations and allegations, escalating them every day, as a means to be elected," he added.

"This is shameful. To be judged as guilty in the public (sic) is unacceptable, this judgement belongs to the legal authorities in a court of law."

Bosi, who announced a surprise bid for the presidency earlier this month, said table tennis needed much greater transparency, warning that poor management would "destroy" the sport.

"I'm confident associations will understand we need a transparent ITTF and support me, in their own interest," he said in comments also sent by email.

"This incorrect management system will destroy table tennis and its credibility on short-medium term."

The argument hinges on Sharara's directorship of TMS, the sport's official marketing company, and sales of Ottawa real estate belonging to the ITTF via a holding company headed by his wife.

Sharara says the TMS arrangement is purely for tax reasons and is beneficial to the ITTF, although he admits he should have been more transparent about the property deals -- and says the courts should decide their legality.

th/dwa

Veterans shine at ExCeL - London 2012 - Table Tennis

7/28/2012 12:00:00 AM

Belgium's Jean-Michel Saive and Sweden's Jorgen Persson know only too well what the world's biggest sporting event entails.

Indeed, the duo - much like Croatia's Zoran Primorac, who enters in round two - have competed in every Games that Table Tennis has been part of, seven in total dating back to Seoul 1988.

In the process, Saive - who has won medals in every major event except the Olympics - equalled the Belgian record for the most appearances at the Games.

To make the occasion doubly special, Francois Lafortune Jr - an 79-year-old former shooter whose feat he has matched - watched on as his countryman emerged victorious in an Olympic Games encounter for the first time since Sydney 2000.

Swede Persson, who claimed gold at the World Championships 21 years ago, did not let the fans down either, cruising to a 4-1 victory over Nigerian Segun Toriola.

Despite previously being All-African Singles champion for 16 successive years starting in 1995, Toriola did not command the same level of support as compatriot Quadri Aruna.

In a theatrical performance, Aruna got the crowd on side and eventually produced the day's biggest shock, knocking out Spain's Carlos Machado, who is ranked 80th in the world, 156 places higher than his opponent.

In a round of surprises, India's Soumyajit Ghosh toppled Gustavo Tsuboi, of Brazil, and Egypt's El-Sayed Lashin overcame Sweden's Par Gerell.

Home favourite Paul Drinkhall gave the crowd something to cheer by beating Kuwait's Ibrahem Al-Hasan, while, at the same time, Oleksandr Didukh made hard work of edging past Marcelo Aguirre 4-3.

Meanwhile, in the women's competition, Poland's Natalia Partyka finished off a fantastic opening day of action by edging a thriller against Denmark's Mie Skov 4-3.

Partyka, born without a right hand and forearm, has claimed Singles gold at the last two Paralympic Games and, much like Beijing, will compete in both versions this year.

She excited the crowd late into the night at the ExCeL Arena, sealing a brilliant victory in a quite astonishing encounter at 10:48pm.

Half of the second round in the women's Singles event was completed, with the final eight games to take place tomorrow morning.

Singapore 2010 adopts new sport formats

8/12/2010 3:39:00 PM

The first Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Singapore will feature all 26 sports currently on the programme of the London 2012 Olympic Games. What will differ in some cases are the disciplines and format, such as 3 on 3 street basketball, a mixed gender relay in the swimming pool, a medley relay on the track or events in which athletes from different National Olympic Committees compete on the same team. Read on to see what your favourite sports will consist of in Singapore...

Aquatics (diving and swimming)

Aquatics comprises diving and swimming. There will be two diving events for both men and women, 3m springboard and 10m platform. Swimming events include freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly and medley, both individual and relay. As a first, a mixed gender event for 4 x 100m freestyle relay and 4 x 100m medley relay is included.

Archery

Archery will feature individual men, women and mixed team competitions. The distance that athletes will be shooting is 70m.

Athletics

Athletics comprises a total 36 events for both men and women. The track events will include 1000m and 3000m races as well as a 2000m steeplechase and a medley relay. There will be eight field events (four jumps and four throws).

Badminton

Badminton will feature men’s and women’s singles events in Singapore.

Basketball

Basketball 3 on 3 will be played at the YOG. There will be two teams of three players on court at any one time. This fast-paced game is played on a half court, with one basketball hoop. It includes two periods of five minutes each. The winner is the first team to score 33 points, or the team that is leading the game at the end of the fifteen minutes of play.

Boxing

Boxing will feature men’s events. There will be 11 different weight categories, ranging from 48kg to the 91kg+ division.

Canoe-Kayak

Canoe-Kayak will feature four events for men and two for women. Both will race
in head-to-head sprints and obstacle slaloms in the kayak category. The men will also compete in the same events in canoes.

Cycling

The Cycling competition will involve teams. Each team consists of three men and one woman. The three men are required to compete in one discipline each (BMX, MTB and Time Trial), while the woman has to compete in all three disciplines. All male riders also have to compete in the Road Race.

Equestrian

In Equestrian, only the jumping events will take place (team and individual). The Organising Committee will provide the horses, which will be assigned to riders by draw. For the team event, there will be six teams representing each FEI regional zone.

Fencing

Fencing will feature individual competitions in the foil, epée and sabre for men and women, and a mixed team competition.

Football

Football will consist of a six-team competition, representing all continents, for both men and women.

Gymnastics

Gymnastics is split into artistic and rhythmic, as in the Olympic Games. The artistic competition will feature eight individual men’s events and six individual women’s events. The rhythmic competition consists of two events – individual and team – for women.

Handball

Handball is a six-team tournament, representing all continents, for men and for women.

Hockey

Hockey is the same as football and handball – a six-team competition, representing all continents for both men and women.

Judo

There are a total of eight weight categories for both men and women in the Judo competition. There is also a mixed team event.

Modern Pentathlon

The Modern Pentathlon competition consists of four of the five modern pentathlon disciplines: fencing, swimming, running and shooting. The fifth discipline, riding, will not be competed at Singapore 2010. The run-shoot format will be competed. In the Combined event, laser shooting is being used for the first time.

Rowing

Both the men and women will compete in two events in Rowing – single sculls and pairs.

Sailing

The Sailing competition comprises four events, with men and women sailing in either the one person dinghy or the windsurfing.

Shooting

In Shooting, the men and women will compete in both air rifle and air pistol.

Table Tennis

Table tennis will consist of men’s singles, women’s singles and a mixed team competition.

Taekwondo

Taekwondo will see athletes competing in five weight categories per gender.

Tennis

There will be both men’s singles and doubles and women’s singles and doubles in the Tennis tournament.

Triathlon

The Triathlon competition format for individual competitions includes a 750m swim in open water, a 20km cycle ride and a 5km run. The 4 x mixed team relay competition includes a 250m swim in open water, a 7km cycle ride and a 1.7km run.

Volleyball

Volleyball is a six-team men’s and women’s competition.

Weightlifting

Weightlifting sees men competing in six weight categories, while women will compete in five weight categories. The combined results of the Snatch and the Clean & Jerk will produce the champion of each weight category.

Wrestling

The Wrestling competition will see men compete in Greco-Roman (five weight categories) and freestyle (five weight categories) and women in freestyle (four weight categories).