Dhe battle between Gianni Infantino, President of the World Football Association (FIFA), and the Olympic sports system is intensifying. So far, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has only indirectly criticized Infantino’s plans to hold the World Cup every two years instead of every four years, thereby filling FIFA’s coffers with billions more.
At the 139th General Assembly on Thursday in Beijing, the tone of the usually soft-flushed members hardened. The first contribution to the speech immediately after Thomas Bach’s keynote address, which the IOC President seemed to have been waiting for, was aimed at Infantino. Algerian Mahmoud Berraf, chairman of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa, said his plan “would damage and jeopardize sport in general and football in particular”.
Without mentioning them, Berraf referred to Infantino’s recent speech to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. After presenting his World Cup idea, the top Swiss official said: “We have to give Africans hope so that they no longer have to come across the Mediterranean to maybe find a better life or, more likely, death.” in the sea.” In a statement, he later denied any connection with the World Cup plans.
“A Trench and a Setback”
“The World Cup every two years would not prevent our young Africans from making very dangerous journeys,” said Berraf. “She wouldn’t help promote sport in Africa or anywhere else.” And that wasn’t all. Other sports would be pushed into the background. The biennial World Cup would “open a rift between men’s and women’s sports, it would be a setback for all our efforts to achieve equality in all sports”.
Nenad Lalović, the imposing president of the World Wrestling Federation and board member of the Summer Olympic Sports Association, similarly demanded that FIFA should not make a decision of such magnitude without consulting other sports. And the South Korean Ryu Seung-min, IOC athletes spokesman and table tennis Olympic champion from 2004, explained: “The World Championships every two years would take away the attention of young fans and the money from other sports.” And added: “Sport is for everyone, and we need more solidarity between sports.” Finally, he pointed out that the players could be overworked and that there was a risk of burnout and serious injuries.
Things could have gone on longer had Bach not intervened by pointing out that IOC member Infantino had canceled his trip to Beijing on Tuesday. Bach offered to pass the arguments of the session on to him “out of respect for his colleague”. Bach later explained to the press that Infantino had canceled due to the pandemic and followed the hybrid session in Cameroon on the screen. There he watched the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Infantino must have taken notice again. When the Austrian Karl Stoss, head of the IOC program commission, which had so far presented 28 sports for the 2028 games in Los Angeles for approval, football, unlike the sports boxing, weightlifting and modern pentathlon, which were on probation, was there. But, Stoss said twice, the IOC Executive will “continue to monitor the development of the international schedule and its impact on the Olympic movement.” Shortly before, Bach had placed one of his well-loved bon mots – on the occasion of the beginning of the Chinese year of the tiger: “When a tiger shows you its teeth, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a smile.”
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