The England & Wales Cricket Board is "facing a revolt from some counties that do not stage Test matches over its plans to push through a significant change to its articles and constitution." Execs from the category B and C counties -- those that do not host Test matches -- "are meeting on March 20 to discuss their concerns about the change and the implications of the proposed eight-team city-based Twenty20 competition before the ECB’s planned vote a week later." At least six of the non-Test match counties have become "increasingly concerned that they are being asked to vote to change the existing constitution" (LONDON TIMES, 3/11).
Muirfield golf club is "set to allow women to join for the first time following a second members’ vote in less than a year." There is "strong confidence inside the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers that the two-thirds majority needed for this seismic change, which failed by 14 votes last May, will be achieved" (London DAILY MAIL, 3/10).
Russian weightlifting is "hoping to persuade the sport’s world governing body to overturn a planned new one-year ban after starting an anti-doping program" that it said is an "example others could follow." Less than a year ago, Russia was banned from the Olympic Games and "severely criticized" by the Int'l Weightlifting Federation for its "shocking and disappointing statistics" on doping (REUTERS, 3/10).
A crackdown on "handicap cheats" is "under way" as two national golfing bodies "bid to stop club players manipulating the system in order to win lucrative prizes in amateur events." The campaign to "stamp out the problem is being led by the Golfing Union of Ireland and Irish Ladies Golf Union, with England Golf also vowing to get tough" (SCOTSMAN, 3/10).
A source said that French prosecutors investigating whether bribery was involved in the award of the 2021 World Athletics Championships to Eugene, Oregon, "are also looking into several other host city decisions." The inquiry, "one of a group of French probes into cash-for-votes allegations surrounding the award of sporting events around the world," is looking at decisions by the IAAF to give the event to Doha ('19), London ('17), Beijing ('15) and Moscow ('13) (REUTERS, 3/10).
Yelena Isinbayeva's election to a key role within Russia's anti-doping agency "has been criticised" by WADA. Former Olympic champion Isinbayeva, 34, described Russia's athletics team's suspension from Rio 2016 as "a blatant political order." WADA said that Isinbayeva's appointment was "not consistent" with plans it had agreed upon over necessary reforms (BBC, 3/10).
Cricket Australia named Trevor Hohns the full-time chair of its National Selection Panel on Friday, "effecting a structural change to improve the rankings of the underperforming Twenty20 side." Hohns, who has acted as interim chair since Rod Marsh resigned in November after five consecutive test defeats, ex-captain Greg Chappell, former batsman Mark Waugh and head coach Darren Lehmann "have all been retained as selectors" (REUTERS, 3/10).
