Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike has reportedly decided to build a new volleyball facility in Tokyo as originally planned for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, "dropping a proposal to use the existing Yokohama Arena." She is expected to announce the decision "during her regular press conference Friday." Sources said that the decision to build a new Ariake Arena near Tokyo Bay "will be authorized on Dec. 21 during a teleconference of a four-party working group reviewing costs" for the int'l sports event. Koike "stuck to the option of using the facility in Yokohama," south of Tokyo, to save money, asking to delay the decision "until Christmas." But Yokohama Mayor Fumiko Hayashi said that it would be "extremely difficult" for the city to host the volleyball competition, and the sport's int'l and domestic federations "also backed construction of the Ariake Arena" (KYODO, 12/14).
Hungary's Supreme Court has "again rejected a plan to hold a national referendum on Budapest's bid to host the 2024 Olympics." The court on Wednesday "upheld key parts of a lower court decision blocking the vote." Among its objections to the referendum, the court said that the "question being asked was not sufficiently clear and could potentially mislead voters" (AP, 12/14).
Jim Webb, who has "driven the growth" of cheerleading over four decades, said that the sport, which received provisional recognition as an Olympic sport last week, is an "increasingly international activity." Cheerleading will now be able to "tap into some IOC funding and take part in a number of programmes, including athlete development and anti-doping." At the end of the three-year provisional recognition period, the sport can "apply to become part of the Olympic Games sports programme" (REUTERS, 12/14).
OLYMPIC BRIEFS ...
The Olympic Council of Ireland has confirmed details of February's extraordinary general meeting which "will feature elections for all executive committee positions, including the role of president." The EGM will "formally bring to an end Pat Hickey's reign as OCI president." Hickey stepped aside in August "pending the outcome of the ticket-touting charges during the Rio Games." He confirmed in a statement that "he will not be a candidate for president at the forthcoming elections." Acting OCI President Willie O’Brien, whom Hickey had already identified as his successor, "has confirmed he will be putting his name forward for the position on a permanent basis" (IRISH TIMES, 12/14).
The Gangneung Ice Arena has been officially opened ahead of the Int'l Skating Union Short Track World Cup, which will serve as a test event for PyeongChang 2018. In addition to short track, the 12,000-capacity venue, which took two-and-a-half years to complete, will also host the figure skating competitions in '18. Located in Gangneung Olympic Park, the ice arena is one of the six new venues built for PyeongChang 2018 (IOC).
The Union of Sports Federations of Catalonia (UFEC), the Pro-Catalan National Teams Platform and the Catalan Government's secretary general of sports "finalized an agreement to reactivate" the Olympic Committee of Catalonia (COC). The "aim of the initiative is to begin a process" for the COC to be recognized by the IOC (EL PAÍS, 12/12).
