IOC president Thomas Bach has responded to SportAccord president Marius Vizer’s attack by dismissing his views as personal and not representative of Olympic sports federations.

President Bach also said consultation with SportAccord on matters concerning the Olympic Games was not necessary, as the IOC collaborates closely with Olympic sports federations directly.

“Mr Vizer: thank you very much for your open words which you have been expressing here,” Bach said, addressing SportAccord Convention after Vizer’s confrontational opening speech. 

“Also I have to say that following the many discussions I had with many of your colleagues, be it the Olympic summer federations, be it the Olympic winter federations, be it the IOC recognized federations, and the many contributions they made to the discussions on Olympic Agenda 2020, my impression is a little bit that the opinion you have is exclusively yours. Because these people have made constructive proposals which has resulted in even closer collaboration between the IOC and international federations.”

Bach said: “When you say that the IOC and SportAccord have to cooperate in order to have a new model for the Olympic Games, for the organisation and for the generation and distribution of the money then I have to say very clearly, “No.” For different reasons. 

“First of all our partners are the Olympic Federations. They are doing the effort. And whenever we have an issue with them, whenever there are ideas we are discussing with them. 

“And the same applies to the recognized federations. Whenever a recognized federation has an idea, they know very well that the doors in Lausanne are open and that they are enjoying our support in many ways. And if there are issues that are common to the recognized federations then we speak to the president of the IOC recognized federations. They are recognized by the IOC as are the National Olympic Committees, which are our direct partners.”

SportAccord is the umbrella group for both Olympic and non-Olympic sports federations.

“We prefer to address all the issues in a direct open dialogue as stipulated by Olympic Agenda 2020 and as is being practiced inside the IOC where we are openly discussing and preparing all the discussions and decisions with the representatives of the international federations,” said Bach. 

“There the international federations have two seats in the IOC Executive Board and whenever you have a question, because you said you were surprised by some of the decisions, I can only offer that you speak with the representatives of the international federations in the IOC Executive Board and they can fully inform you and advise you what is going on. 

“And then you will learn that in the IOC there is an open dialogue, not only among the Members of the IOC EB but we also have as some of you may remember open discussions in the IOC Session in the presence of everybody.”

In his speech, Vizer had accused the IOC of a lack of transparency. 

“It was about one year ago here in Sochi when we had such a Session where all the questions by all the stakeholders were openly discussed,” said Bach. “Afterwards many of you contributed to this Olympic Agenda 2020. We received around 40,000 submissions and I thank you all for these contributions. 

“In fact nobody who wanted to listen, and nobody who wanted to hear, and nobody who wanted to understand, and nobody who wanted to have some sort of good will, could have missed this discussion and could be surprised by any of the decisions we are taking, including the Olympic channel, which was mentioned here.”

Vizer also said the launch of the Olympic TV channel had not been developed in a transparent manner. 

“About the Olympic channel, you could have already read about it in my brochure for campaigning to become IOC President about two and a half years ago,” Bach responded. 

“This is not to mention the first time I proposed it was back in 1994, but for this you are way too young to have followed, this is only for elderly people like me to have some nostalgic feeling to come back to this. 

“And this Olympic channel is an offer to you and has been discussed again with the international federations and has been discussed with the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) who play an extremely important role.”

The IFs, NOCs and national federations cannot be considered in isolation, Bach said. 

“It is just not right to create a discrepancy between the Olympic Movement, the NOCs and the National Federations. Because they are your members, they are your constituents and at the same time they are the constituents of the NOCs.”

Like all the international federations, SportAccord is recognized by the IOC. 

“As an IOC recognized federation you are a full member of this Olympic Movement and you have of course access to the Olympic channel,” said Bach. 

“This is why are offering you workshops here for you to discuss how this can be done in the very best way and how you can really tap this great potential and how you can ensure that your sport and athletes are enjoying worldwide presence through this channel and how in this way you can grow your sport and make it more popular.  And you can promote the values we all share.”

Bach raised further points in his speech, which ran on for longer than the five minutes he had been allocated. 

“I was invited to give a five-minute welcome speech but I’ve been a little bit longer as I had a lot to tell you after this friendly welcome I enjoyed here.”

Addressing the audience primarily made up of international sports federations, he said “Our doors are open to each and every one of you. We are making this offer of cooperation and support to each and every one of you. I thank you for having taken it already in the last one year and a half and having contributed to this effort of open dialogue and concerted action within the sport movement.”

Marius Vizer, the president of SportAccord, the umbrella group of international sports federations, has directly criticised IOC president Thomas Bach and his programme of reform, Agenda 2020. 

Agenda 2020 was unanimously approved by IOC members in December 2014, but Vizer said the reforms are not in the interests of sports and international federations. 

He criticized the IOC’s decision to launch the new Olympic TV channel, which he said was taken without consultation or transparency. 

Speaking at SportAccord Convention in Sochi on Monday, Vizer also complained that the IOC is preventing the launch of new multi-sports Games event. 

“After becoming SportAccord President, I always tried to develop a constructive collaboration with the IOC and with President Bach. A collaboration based on respect towards the Olympic Movement, its members and the values in which I believe. Unfortunately, it never became reality,” Vizer said. 

“I made a number of proposals in favour and for the benefit of IFs and SportAccord but we have never received a positive reaction. Mr. President, stop blocking the SportAccord strategy in its mission to identify and organize conventions and multi-sport games. 

“Do not try to create a theory around which sports are and are not eligible for multi-sport games. Do not try to impose upon the organizers of SportAccord events guidelines on how to distribute funds generated and earned by ourselves. Do not interfere in the autonomy of the sport organizations.”

The primary feature of Agenda 2020 is its reform of the bidding procedure for Olympic Games, which has been changed to reduce the cost of bidding to make it more appealing to cities. 

One of the changes brought in was to prevent bidding cities from presenting at SportAccord Convention. “The voting for potential host cities of the Olympic Games is compromised,” said Vizer. 

“Key stakeholders are excluded from making informed decisions when selecting Olympic host cities: the bid cities cannot present their candidatures at SportAccord Convention to all stakeholders, IOC members cannot visit bid cities and during the IOC Session, when the vote takes place, IF presidents – who are organizers of the Olympic Games, are obliged to leave the room.”

Vizer said the interests of the international federations (IFs), which SportAccord represents, were not properly addressed.

“The Agenda 2020 hardly brings any real benefit to sport, to IFs, or athletes. It did not bring about more clear criteria, rules and principles,” he said.

Vizer singled out recommendations 9 and 10 of Agenda 2020 as leading to “a destabilizing of the Olympic sports”. 

Recommendation 9 manages the scale of the Summer Olympic Games by limiting accreditations to 10,500 athletes competing in 310 events, and the winter Games to 2,900 athletes and 100 events. 

Recommendation 10 sets out to structure the Olympic programme around events rather than sports. The IFs are to be involved in regular reviews of the programme and organising committees will be able to suggest adding one or more sports to the programme, but the IOC retains ultimate decision making power over which sports and IFs to include in the programme. 

“We must protect the Olympic sports and disciplines currently in the Olympic programme and at the same time we must encourage and support the new sports and disciplines who want to join,” said Vizer.

He also described recommendation 19, to launch an Olympic TV channel as “very surprising”. 

“The IOC Members voted in December 2014, in the IOC Session, unilaterally, without a clear business plan, a commercialization plan and project, to reduce the dividends to International Federations in order to establish the Olympic channel. Leaving from the premise that the Olympic Movement has the assets, any business project in the world needs a business plan, investors, professional partners, breakeven points, strategy, consultation with stakeholders – International Federations and to generate a benefit for all stakeholders. Only after the decision it appears that a plan is in process. 

“At the same time, the cost of more than 450 million dollars to establish a digital channel seems exaggerated. Do consult us as stakeholders of the Olympic Movement regarding all the proposals, contracts and partnerships that are being signed and make them transparent!”

Vizer took over as president of SportAccord in May 2013, before which he was president of the International Judo Federation. He is faces no challenger in the presidential election due to take place at the SportAccord Convention.

Read the full transcript of the speech here.

The IAAF awarded its flagship event, the 2021 World Championships, to the US city of Eugene on Wednesday in a surprise move that has provoked condemnation by the governing body of athletics in Europe.

The decision was made at a meeting of the IAAF Council in Beijing, bypassing the usual bidding procedure.

“Although this decision departs from the usual procedure, I am delighted that my Council colleagues understood the enormous opportunity presented to us to access a key market and have taken a decision in the interest of the global development of our sport,” said IAAF president Lamine Diack.

“In granting the championships to Eugene the IAAF Council have made a clear choice on a strategic decision that enables us to take advantage of a unique opportunity that may never arise again, whereby public authorities, the private sector, the national Olympic Committee, NBC and a particularly enthusiastic public are joining forces.”

The news was greeted with surprise and consternation by European Athletics.

“I would like to congratulate USA Track & Field and Vin Lananna, who has led Eugene’s bid, but I must say I am very surprised by the complete lack of process in the decision the IAAF has taken,” said Svein Arne Hansen, who was elected as president of European Athletics last week.

“The IAAF knew that Gothenburg was a serious candidate for the 2021 World Championships. Swedish Athletics and the city had put in a lot of effort over the years to prepare the bidding application but they have not even been given the chance to bid for the event. 

“I have already spoken to Swedish Athletics Federation President Björn Eriksson and he is deeply disappointed about what has happened. 

“I completely understand the disappointment of Björn and Göteborg & Co. CEO Camilla Nyman. I know that 2021 was the most important year for the city because it is when they will celebrate their 400th anniversary. 

“This type of decision would just not happen within European Athletics as we have a comprehensive bidding process that all candidates must follow.” 

Eugene bid for the 2019 Championships and lost out to Doha by just 15 votes to 12 votes, after Doha reportedly promised to raise $37 million for the IAAF from broadcasting and merchandise revenues. 

With 2021 going to the USA, this will be the first time a World Championships will be held outside of Europe for two consecutive editions. 

“This is, of course, not good for the development of our sport on the continent. European Athletics expects the World Championships to come back to Europe in 2023,” said Hansen.

World Archery president and IOC vice president Prof Dr Ugur Erdener laid the first stone of the World Archery Excellence Centre in the Olympic Capital of Lausanne today. 

The development was welcomed by IOC president Dr Thomas Bach, who said “Archery is one of the most ancient sports, but it has also been an innovator throughout its history and that is shown here at this centre once more.

“We are looking forward to see many future Olympians and Olympic and Youth Olympic Champions prepare here for Buenos Aires, Tokyo and beyond, and if work on the Centre keeps on progressing at this pace, even for Rio.”

The centre is set to become a hub for the development of Olympic, elite and recreational archery worldwide. Construction is set to be completed next year, with the centre opening its doors after the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The World Archery Excellence Centre’s design and operational plan is environmentally friendly. The Centre will be heated by geothermal wells, will feature extensive solar panelling and has been designed to maximise the effect of natural light inside the building. 

“This is a historic moment for archery,” said Erdener. 

“We are very grateful for the support of the Canton of Vaud, the city of Lausanne, IOC president Dr Thomas Bach, the board of FIDTA and everyone else who made this project possible.

“Over the last few years we have seen a dramatic increase in participation and global recognition in our sport. There is still much work to do and as an organisation and a sport we constantly aim to innovate, evolve and development.

“Vital to this mission is the World Archery Excellence Centre: a hub, cornerstone and a state-of-the-art example of archery’s drive to always improve. We are confident that this new facility will help us build on the momentum archery has built over the past few years, serve our development goals and move towards a future where everyone has the opportunity to make the sport of archery their elite or recreational activity of choice.”

Facilities at the world-class venue will include indoor and outdoor ranges for international athletes to train for major international, multisport and World Archery events – including future Olympiads – and a state-of-the-art gym. The Centre will also host theoretical and practical courses for the sport’s technical officials and coaches in its conference and meeting rooms.

The elite facilities will also be used for training camps for young people from the local community and as an outreach centre for archery in the area. The Excellence Centre’s offices will be dedicated to conceiving innovative ideas to develop the sport from grassroots through to elite around the world.

A bid from Paris for the 2024 Olympic Games overcame a significant hurdle today as the city’s councillors voted in its favour.

The next step will be a public consultation before a final decision on the bid will be made in June. 

A recent national opinion poll found that 61 per cent of the French public would be in favour of Paris hosting the Games.

"Now we are off on an Olympic adventure," said Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris.

According to local sources, 163 city councillors voted overwhelmingly in favour of bidding for the 2024 Olympic Games, with support coming from the majority of political parties. 

President Francois Hollande, who publically backed the bid in November, is due to meet with IOC president Thomas Bach on in Lausanne on Thursday to discuss Paris’s potential candidacy.

Paris last hosted the Olympic Games in 1924, which would make 2024 a centenary event for the city.

It last bid for the Olympic Games in 2012, which went to London despite Paris being the early favourite.

Bernard Lapasset, vice president of the French National Olympic Committee, presented a report to Hildago and the government on Thursday. 

"France has the qualities to win," he said.

If the public consultation works out in favour of the bid, Paris would join Rome, Hamburg and Boston in a competitive race. 

The Indian Olympic Committee is also said to be considering a bid for the 2024 Olympic Games.

Once a city has announced a bid, it can work with the IOC through its new “invitation phase” of the Olympic bidding procedure. The deadline for applying to bid for the Games is September 15th 2015.

Mattar Al Tayer, chairman of the board of the Expo 2020 Dubai Higher Committee met last week with the Executive Committee of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) to give a status report on preparations for hosting the world’s largest exhibition. 

Al Tayer, who is also executive director of Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority, provided details of the Expo 2020 Dubai registration dossier, which will be submitted to the BIE during the summer of 2015.

“We continue to welcome the opportunity to share our 2015 plans with the BIE Executive Committee,” he said.

“Their insight, guidance and collaborative spirit is key to our ability to communicate our comprehensive strategies, capture best practices and prepare and execute essential milestones.”

The visit is part of a series of meetings required for Expo 2020 Dubai to achieve official registration. 

Dubai was selected as the host city of the 2020 World Expo by the BIE general assembly in November 2013. According to BIE regulations, any Expo project selected by the BIE general assembly must submit its application for registration to the Bureau at the least five years before the opening date. 

The Expo’s final registration is then granted by the BIE general assembly upon previous examination and approval of the dossier by competent committees.

Running from 20 October 2020 through 10 April 2021, the Expo will launch the country's Golden Jubilee celebration. With its theme of “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future", it will serve as a springboard for a progressive and sustainable vision for the coming decades.

Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo in the Middle East, Africa and Southern Asia region.

On a visit to Dubai in March, BIE secretary general Vincente Loscertales said he was pleased with the progress made by the Expo Dubai 2020 and reiterated the BIE’s full support and commitment to ensure it is on course to present a global platform, address global challenges, and leverage the convening power of previous and upcoming Expos, including Expo Milano 2015.

At the meeting with the BIE last week, Al Tayer explained how Expo 2020 Dubai will be presented in the UAE Pavilion during the Expo 2015 Milan, which takes place from May to October 2015, as well as discussing ongoing national engagement activities.

“The submission of our Registration Document, our presence in Milan, and our national engagement activities are all part of our ongoing efforts to deliver on a truly inclusive and extraordinary Expo,” said Reem Bint Ibrahim Al Hashemi, Minister of State, Director-General of the Dubai Expo 2020 Bureau.

“We continue to appreciate the BIE process and the occasion to update the Executive Committee on our plans, which we are confident will lead to delivering a transformative World Expo.”

The BIE is the intergovernmental organisation responsible for overseeing the organisation of World and International Expos.

The Olympic rings have been a constant presence at each Games since 1920. But while they provide a symbolic continuity from one Games to the next, each edition also features its own distinctive identity – from the modern and youthful vibe of London 2012 to the patchwork quilt of Sochi 2014 – which provides an eye-catching backdrop to the sporting action and adds to the visual spectacle of the Games.

The task of creating this unique Look of the Games – which is seen everywhere from signposts and souvenirs to venues and volunteers’ uniforms – falls to the Organising Committees of the Olympic Games (OCOGs), which seek to produce a visual identity that is built upon the foundation of the Olympic rings, while also incorporating designs and colours that reflect the culture and history of the host city.

For Alison Gardiner, who was the Vice President of Brand and Creative Services at the Vancouver 2010Organising Committee, it was important to have the rings as a strong starting point for this huge task. 

“The Vancouver 2010 brand strategy drew from the Olympic brand as well as Canada’s, and this combination provided the foundation for everything we did,” she explains. “Our goal was to ensure there was one integrated, powerful experience that was unique to our country and our time, and could also engage and inspire as many people as possible.”

However, building a visual identity around a globally recognised symbol, which already has so many values and meanings attached to it, can also present challenges for OCOGs. 

“We couldn’t get away from the fact that as soon as we put the rings on something, there was immediately an association with something great and powerful and a standard of Olympic excellence that we had to live up to,” says Gardiner. 

“But the Olympic brand is also incredibly inspiring to work with because of what it stands for – just the symbol on its own, everyone on the planet recognises it and associates it with excellence and bringing people together in celebration.”

According to Beth Lula, Branding Director at the Rio 2016 Organising Committee, another of the challenges for Games organisers is building a visual identity that is representative of the host city and nation, as well as the values inherent within the rings. 

“It’s important for engagement,” Lula says. “If you have something that people can recognise and understand, they can feel that it represents them and their nation and they can feel proud of it. When we were developing our brand, we were looking for universal symbols – that’s why we have people embracing as our Games emblem. It’s a global symbol. We want people throughout the country to recognise themselves and feel proud of our designs.”

While the Olympic rings provide a globally recognised symbol for OCOGs to draw on, Lula also believes that each edition of the Games adds something special to the Olympic brand as a whole. 

“Every time that the Olympic Games go to another culture, they absorb some aspects of that culture and that’s what really makes the Olympic brand global,” she says. 

“The Games have never been to South America, so we said throughout our bid process that we would be new territory for the Olympic Games. We have a unique way of celebrating things, we love sport and we are a passionate people with a lot of energy. I think that is going to be something very special that we are going to add to the Olympic brand.”

Lula hopes that what her team is creating for Rio 2016 will live on long after the Games through the rings themselves. “When we return the Olympic rings to the IOC after the Games, they have to be even more valuable than they were before,” she says. “That’s our mission.”

This article was written by and reproduced with kind permission from the International Olympic Committee. For more information visit www.olympic.org

SportAccord Convention has welcomed Qatar Olympic Committee as a Silver Partner for this year’s World Sport & Business Summit taking place from 19-24 April 2015 at the Sochi Expocentre, Sochi, Russia.

“The Qatar Olympic Committee is pleased to be partnering the SportAccord Convention again this year,” said Sheikh Saoud Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Secretary General, Qatar Olympic Committee.

“The Convention always provides an excellent platform for the sporting community to discuss important issues and the QOC looks forward to strengthening existing associations and building new relationships as part of our commitment to international sports development.” 

The Qatar Olympic Committee is the overall supervising body for all sports and events in Qatar. This includes supporting its National Federations in the development of their sports and the organisation of world-class events, promoting community participation and enjoyment of sport, and developing sport at every level.  

Nis Hatt, Managing Director, SportAccord Convention said, “We are delighted to have Qatar Olympic Committee taking part in the SportAccord Convention. Their return, as a Silver Partner, reinforces the value seen by governing sports bodies and federations, and we are sure the QOC and all sports organisations will further benefit from the opportunities gained, as the Convention grows in stature to the World Sport & Business Summit.”

With a busy sports calendar both nationally and internationally for 2015, including the World Boxing Championships and IPC Athletics World Championships, which are both taking place in Doha in October, the Qatar Olympic Committee is also actively promoting opportunities for women in sport, and the Qatar Women’s Sport Committee was established in 2000 to encourage greater female sports participation. 

At this year’s SportAccord Convention, the Conference Programme includes a Panel Session entitled: When Inequality IS the Legacy and will discuss the challenges that still exist for women and girls, even playing sport at all levels, in some parts of the world, as well as the legacy being left behind for girls starting out in sport today.

The SportAccord Convention World Sport & Business Summit is a unique opportunity for key decision-makers in sport to engage with business leaders across 25+ industry sectors. The 6-day event features a 3-day Conference, dynamic exhibition, LawAccord, City Forum, MediaAccord, the SportAccord Convention Village and Sports Demo Zone, as well as hosting the SportAccord Awards, and the annual general meetings of governing bodies of world sport.

Samsung Group on Monday signed as domestic sponsor of the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games. 

Samsung will support the PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (POCOG) with a sponsor package valued at KRW 100 bn (USD 92m) to become a domestic partner working in various business areas across the Samsung group.

The domestic sponsorship is in addition to the Worldwide TOP Partnership with the IOC, which Samsung recently renewed until 2020 and which includes the provision of wireless communications equipment, tablet PC, notebook computer and desktop PCs.

"We are happy to have Samsung support in addition to the TOP partner agreement with POCOG,” Cho Yang-ho, president of POCOG said. “We are confident that this sponsorship agreement will encourage other Korean companies to join as sponsors for the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.”

POCOG has also signed domestic sponsors agreements with Samsung Group, Korean Air, KT, Youngone Outdoor (The NORTH FACE Brand), Pagoda Education Group and Samil PricewaterhouseCoopers, but has so far only achieved 41 per cent of its sponsorship target.

According to AFP, POCOG anticipates reaching 70 per cent of its sponsorship target by the end of 2015.

"Samsung Group is thrilled that Korea has won the right to host the Olympic Winter Games. The Corporation demonstrates its support by extending the domestic marketing rights for PyeongChang 2018 that are already in place through the TOP (The Olympic Partner) contract with the IOC," said Park Sangjin, president of corporate relations at Samsung.

"Indeed, Samsung has made a meaningful decision to provide additional support for the PyeongChang 2018 organizing committee to contribute to the successful Olympic Winter Games. This sponsorship agreement furthers our efforts to commit to social responsibility as a corporate representative of Korea."

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) has launched an ambitious plan called “Transformation 2022” to optimise its sporting movement over the next seven years.

“Now is the time to be ambitious and bold, as we build on our diverse heritage and forward momentum," said CGF president HRH Prince Imran. 

A network of Commonwealth cities is being set up to identify, support and engage with cities that are aspiring to host the Games or develop their sports. 

The issue of good governance also features in the strategic plan.

The sports programme for the Commonwealth Games has been reviewed for the next three Games, with the number of optional sports proposed to be reduced by 10 and the number of compulsory sports to go up by six. 

Sports that are proposed to be dropped from the programme include tennis and sailing, while cricket is set to makes a return in the T20 format.

“A number of core principles drove the proposals, such as depth and scale of participation in the Commonwealth, legacy (especially with regard to the need for purpose-built venues), equality (including increased opportunities for para-sport athletes) and breadth of competition, maximising opportunities for smaller CGAs to win medals,” a spokesperson for the Commonwealth Games Federation told HOST CITY.

Commonwealth Sports Cities Network

A core feature of the strategic plan is “to deliver inspirational and innovative Commonwealth Games built on Commonwealth Games and Youth Games, built on friendships and a proud heritage supported by a dynamic Commonwealth sports cities network.”

David Grevemberg, CEO of the Commonwealth Games Federation told HOST CITY: “By 2017 we want to have developed and started to implement a Commonwealth sporting network – to identify, support and engage with cities that are aspiring to host the Games and sport in the Commonwealth.

“So this notion of using sport as the new ‘shipping lane’ to make communities and nations prosperous, peaceful and happy – in order to do that we need to be able transfer, from a city to city basis, what is working and where challenges lie – whether that’s an emerging market, a regenerative market or a sustained market.

“There’s a group already in place called the Commonwealth local governments forum that we’ll be looking to partner with in that area.”

Transforming the sports programme

Previously there were 10 compulsory sports and 20 optional ones. The CGF is now proposing 16 compulsory and 10 optional sports. 

Under the proposal, 10 of the previously compulsory sports remain compulsory. These are: aquatics (swimming, inc. para swimming); athletics (inc. para athletics); badminton; boxing (men); hockey; lawn bowls (inc. para lawn bowls); netball; rugby sevens (men and women); squash; and weightlifting.

Six sports that were previously optional have been made compulsory. These are: road cycling; artistic gymnastics; judo; table tennis; triathlon; and wrestling.

Women’s boxing and women’s rugby, previously optional, have also been made compulsory.

The biggest changes proposed are to the optional sports, which have been reduced in number significantly. Aquatics (diving), aquatics (open water swimming) aquatics (synchronised swimming), canoeing, rowing, sailing, softball, tennis, tenpin bowling and taekwondo would no longer feature in the Commonwealth Games programme for 2022, 2026, and 2030.

None of these disciplines set to be removed from the sports programme feature as part of the current Durban 2022 bid proposals.

T20 cricket, wheelchair basketball, para triathlon and para table tennis are new options on the sports programme.

Cricket has only featured in the Commonwealth Games once before, when a 50-over format was included at Kuala Lumpur in 1998.

The introduction of T20 Cricket is an indication that the CGF is promoting sports that are more widely practiced within the Commonwealth nations. 

“We are proposing a mechanism of being able to attract top athletes, creating a Commonwealth rating system by sport that helps not only to promote great sport in the Commonwealth but also to assess how widely they are practiced in different nations,” Grevemberg told HOST CITY. 

“We aim to maximise efficiency and effectiveness in our delivery of a world class event with real community relevance that is both affordable and universally appealing.”

“We feel that stabilising a sustainable sports programme for a period of time, by increasing the number of compulsory sports, helps us to get more efficiencies of scale, by giving us greater certainty in terms of proposing an athletes’ quota system. It allows us to create a more certain product in terms of what we are presenting." 

CGF vice president and chair of the CGF sport committee Bruce Robertson said: “The Sports Programme proposals also have important operational benefits, including a higher degree of certainty in athlete numbers and more flexibility in the optional sports programme, which we believe will support future Host Cities and CGAs in their Games planning.”

The CGF is looking to continue to work with sports not on the Games programme through a new recognised designation of affiliation with the Commonwealth Games Federation for International Federations (IFs). 

“It’s our intention to work with other IFs on developing sport in the Commonwealth,” said Grevemberg. “The movement is much broader than just the Games.”

The new proposed sports programme will be voted on at the CGF General Assembly in New Zealand in September.