The IOC has banned Kuwait sports administrator SHEIKH AHMAD AL-FAHAD AL-SABAH for 15 years from all positions within the IOC over ethics breaches. Sheikh Ahmad had been found guilty in 2021 in Switzerland on charges of “forgery and a fake arbitration procedure.” The IOC Ethics Commission said that he had also violated his oath as a member by contesting last year's IOC Executive Board decision to ban him for three years (REUTERS, 5/4).
SETTLE UP: A case brought by a former Premier League consultant accusing the organization of racial discrimination was settled out of court today. KAY BADU, who worked in the EPL’s diversity and inclusion team in 2022, had “accused the league of racial discrimination, victimisation and harassment following his departure.” The employment tribunal was listed to start today at London Central and was expected to last for three weeks (THE ATHLETIC, 5/7).
NAMES: The Bay Area Sports HOF yesterday inducted former NFLer JOHN TAYLOR, former NHLer PATRICK MARLEAU, former Giants EVP BRIAN SABEAN, former U.S. swimmer JENNY THOMPSON and former soccer player CHRIS WONDOLOWSKI in a ceremony at the Hyatt Regency hotel in S.F. (S.F. CHRONICLE, 5/6)....Former NFL coach JOSH MCDANIELS has sold his home in Henderson, NV. for $4.8M. He bought the 6,705- square-foot, five-bedroom home in 2022 for $4.95M (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 5/6)....A federal appeals court judge yesterday sided with Pelicans F ZION WILLIAMSON after a years-long dispute with his one-time marketing agent, GINA FORD. The ruling upheld a January 2021 ruling in favor of Williamson that found Ford, a Florida-based sports agent, “failed to adhere to North Carolina’s strict athlete-agent laws” when she signed Williamson in 2019, “thus voiding that deal shielding him from penalties for breaking it” (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 5/6)....A group of Las Vegas business owners launched an online petition earlier this month hoping to gather support to potentially stop the 2024 Las Vegas GP from taking place. The “Stop the Las Vegas Grand Prix” petition calls on commissioners to “deny the special use permit until issues brought on from the 2023 race are settled.” It also asks for reimbursement for $30M that local businesses say “they lost due to the 2023 race.” The business owners have “contemplated filing a lawsuit” against F1 and grand prix officials (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 5/6).
