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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡
● Olympic Games 2026 ● “The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) officially submitted a Letter of Intent to the Future Host Commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), formally expressing India’s interest in hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2036.”
That’s from India Today, with a source saying that “This monumental opportunity could bring substantial benefits, fostering economic growth, social progress, and youth empowerment across the country.” The letter was actually submitted on 1 October.
Hosting the 2036 Olympic Games has been an announced priority of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who told the IOC Session in Mumbai last year that the country was ready, willing and able to host.
India has had all kinds of internal political issues with the governance and operations of the Indian Olympic Association and some of its member national federations and has been unable to seat a new chief executive for months. But the Olympic aspiration remains a goal, now formalized with the letter to the IOC.
Many other countries have indicated interest in the 2036 Games and are in varying levels of discussions with the IOC’s Future Host Commission for the Olympic Games.
● Boxing ● The Federation Francaise de Boxe (FFBoxe) announced Monday:
“The steering committee of the French Boxing Federation (FFBoxe) has made a major decision for the future of the discipline by voting to disaffiliate from the International Boxing Association (IBA) in order to join World Boxing.
“This decision, motivated by the desire to guarantee French boxing its place at the Olympic Games and to strengthen the stability of the clubs, marks a turning point for the FFBoxe, which is moving forward with determination in this direction.”
The decision has to be approved by the federation’s General Assembly, in a vote on 14 December. The decision was motivated by a letter from the French National Olympic Committee (CNOSF), which noted the International Olympic Committee’s instructions that “national federations that maintain their affiliation with the IBA will no longer be recognised by their respective National Olympic Committees.”
World Boxing is trying to become the recognized governing body for Olympic boxing, and to keep the sport on the program for the 2028 Olympic Games.
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Russian super-heavyweight Alexander Povetkin, the Athens 2004 Olympic gold medalist, has been charged with a doping violation from 2014, for use of the muscle-builder Ostarine.
Povetkin, now 45, last fought in 2021 and is retired. The case was referred by the World Anti-Doping Agency’s Intelligence & Investigations unit, from data recovered from the Moscow Laboratory of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency in 2019, and is being handled by the International Testing Agency. Povetkin, now the deputy governor of the Vologda Region, said he does not plan to appeal.
The positive came in a time when Povetkin had been a professional boxer for 10 years; he held heavyweight titles at various times in the World Boxing Association and World Boxing Council.
● Football ● FIFA announced it is opening negotiations for U.S. television rights for its 2027 Women’s World Cup, with 2031 also available. This is the first time that the Women’s World Cup rights have been sold on a standalone basis for the U.S.
Fox has been the U.S. rights-holder since the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup (2015-19-23), through the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. (2018-22-26).
The 2027 Women’s World Cup will be played in Brazil, and the U.S. is a bidder for the 2027 Women’s World Cup; submissions are due by 3 December 2024.
● Sailing ● Dutch star Marit Bouwmeester and the Spanish pair of Diego Botin and Florian Trittel were named as the Rolex World Sailors of the Year on Tuesday at the World Sailing Awards show in Singapore.
Bouwmeester, 36, became the most decorated women’s sailor in Olympic history with her Paris 2024 gold in the women’s Laser Radial class. It was her second win – also in 2016 – and her second World Sailor of the Year award (also in 2017). She now has four straight Olympic medals in the Laser Radial class: 2012 silver, 2016 gold, 2020 bronze and 2024 gold. She is also a four-time World Champion in the class.
Botin and Triffel, both 30, won the men’s 49er class gold in Paris, the first Olympic medal for both. They also won the SailGP series in the 49er class and took major wins at the Semaine Olympique Francaise and the Princesa Sofia Regatta.
The Italian Nacra 17 Olympic champions, Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti, won the Team of the Year, defending their Tokyo 2020 title, also winning the 2024 Nacra 17 World Championship.
The awards were determined by a fan vote of 49,964, and an expert panel of judges.
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