It was the best of trials. It was the worst of conferences. Lets start with the best. In Paris, last week, a proverbial rocket hit the world of sport. The former head of the International Athletic Association Federations (IAAF) – Lamine Diack – was convicted of collecting millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks.The actual … Continue reading It was the best of trials. It was the worst of conferences.
Tag Archives: Mohammed bin Hammam
Poor, Old Qatar: labour conditions and the compromised fight against match-fixing
The timing could not be better. Just as the sporting world endures another hot-air session a.k.a. an international conference on match-fixing sponsored by the Qatar 2022 World Cup Committee, out comes a new report on labour conditions in Qatar and the building of the World Cup infrastructure and stadiums. The report, by the external company charged by … Continue reading Poor, Old Qatar: labour conditions and the compromised fight against match-fixing
60 Minutes Sport, the Qataris & the Tobacco Industry
There used to be a public health phenomena called Sick Building Syndrome (SBS). Workers in Qatar The idea was that dirty ducts and air vents inside modern buildings were making people sick. In the early 1990s, SBS was linked to lung cancer, asthma and a number of respiratory diseases. Medical conferences were held. Academic journal … Continue reading 60 Minutes Sport, the Qataris & the Tobacco Industry
Insider’s Paradise: Corruption Looms Large Ahead of FIFA Presidential Election
The FIFA presidential election will take place on Friday in Zurich, giving the game’s power brokers a golden chance to affect change. But there’s a catch. The 207 eligible presidents of the national football federations wield the power to vote, yet these officials are, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, steeped in a world where … Continue reading Insider’s Paradise: Corruption Looms Large Ahead of FIFA Presidential Election
The Elephant in the FIFA Room and the Caribbean Delegates
There are two unresolved questions here in Zurich with days to go before the biggest election in FIFA’s history. The two front runners are Gianni Infantino and Sheikh Salman. They both have the official support of two confederations: Salman his own Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the African Confederation (CAF). Infantino – Europe (UEFA) and … Continue reading The Elephant in the FIFA Room and the Caribbean Delegates
The Walking Oxymoron Strikes Again & 2 Good News Stories
“Quick! Lets have a conference. Invite everyone. In case there is some poor bastard in the field who is actually doing something useful.” Chief-Superintendent (former) Leonard Powell, Metropolitan Police Ho hum. Another month. Another ridiculous conference put on by the walking oxymoron that is the Qatari group for ‘integrity in sport’ – the International Centre for … Continue reading The Walking Oxymoron Strikes Again & 2 Good News Stories
Dead Catting, Image Laundering and Why You Should Have Nothing to Do with the ICSS
No independent, intelligent or credible person should have anything to do with the International Centre for Sports Security (ICSS) – the Qatari sponsored organization on sports governance and integrity. The ICSS is like the great Yiddish joke: what is the definition of chutzpah? The man who kills his mother and father and then throws himself … Continue reading Dead Catting, Image Laundering and Why You Should Have Nothing to Do with the ICSS
The ‘Sports’ Farce in Washington
To my American colleagues who went to the seminar on ‘sports integrity’ at the National Press Club on June 24th, You saw a presentation by a man with little credibility in sports integrity and two other men who have failed. You attended a presentation sponsored by the Qatari sports establishment. This is a group that … Continue reading The ‘Sports’ Farce in Washington
