The Russian Biathlon Union informed the Int'l Biathlon Union that the Youth and Junior World Championships and the IBU World Cup, both originally scheduled to take place in Russia in '17, "are to be relocated." The RBU informed the IBU on Thursday that the biathlon Youth and Junior World Championships 2017, originally assigned to Ostrov, and the 2017 IBU World Cup 8, originally assigned to Tyumen, are "to be given back to the IBU." The union said in a statement that "their relocation is to be determined at a later date." The decision was made at an IBU extraordinary exec board meeting in Munich, Germany, called "to decide on further necessary steps" in response to the findings of the second part of a WADA report authored by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren and published in London on Dec. 9 (RT, 12/23).
The Kontinental Hockey League "sent a sternly-worded warning to Spartak Moscow for playing the Soviet national anthem before their retro-style game with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl on Thursday." The game between the two was "dedicated to the 70th anniversary of Spartak Hockey Club," one of the oldest teams in Russian/Soviet ice hockey. The team's website said the organizers were looking to "immerse the spectators in the atmosphere of Spartak's successful 60s." The KHL was "less than impressed by the idea of playing the Soviet national anthem before the game" (RT, 12/23).
Spanish energy firm Acciona said "it will compete in the Dakar Rally next month in Latin America for the third straight year with the only electric vehicle of the gruelling off-road race." The company said in a statement on the Facebook page of its Dakar Rally team, "We compete in Dakar 2017 with an electric vehicle because we believe 100% in the potential of renewable energy." Some 316 vehicles, including 83 cars and 146 motorbikes, are registered for the 39th Dakar Rally, which will be staged over nearly 9,000 km (5,600 miles) from Jan. 2-14 in Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay (AFP, 12/26).
Despite "threats and warning," Somalia held its first ever interregional all-girls basketball tournament which ended on Monday with Banaadir region crowned champions. The tournament was a "success" after the governor of the host region, Omar Abdullahi Osman, downplayed warnings by the Somali Religious Council which said that "the tournament violates Islamic law" (AFRICA NEWS, 12/27).
