INSIDE - SportAccord Convention

The Daily
INSIDE
ISSUE 4 - Thursday, 21 April, 2016
#SAC2016
GO DIGITAL
Conference wowed
as the biggest names
in social media
come to Lausanne
PAGES 2-4
www.sportaccordconvention.com
FINA
Michael
Lynagh:
Rugby World Cup
winner on the
future of sport
Taking steps
to push
integrity
agenda
PAGE 6
PAGE 11
Your guide
to what’s
happening
today at
SportAccord
Convention
in Lausanne
Melbourne
is handed
City award
Sir Martin Sorrell was one of the
keynote speakers as yesterday’s Digital
Summit caught the imagination of
Convention attendees
SPORT NEEDS TO
‘ADAPT
TO
THRIVE’
C
onfidence, core values and
commercial appeal all need
to be addressed if sport is
to heal its differences, Sir Martin
Sorrell, CEO of advertising and
marketing services giant WPP,
told delegates at the SwissTech
Convention Center yesterday.
In a keynote address, ‘The Mission
of Sport’, to kick off a fascinating
inaugural Digital Summit at
SportAccord Convention, Sorrell
highlighted transparency and
accountability as the essential
ingredients of a reform programme
that must embrace new ideas and
new people.
“Recent events have not been
good. There is a breakdown in the
confidence of sports leadership
and it has been rather unpleasant,”
Sorrell said. “Sports governance has
been intensely covered in the media
in the past year.
“There is a tsunami of scandals in
sport and sponsors are questioning
their involvement. Few new
sponsors are coming forward.
Many are withdrawing. Fans are
confused.”
As head of a business that is the
world’s largest in its sector, Sorrell
is acutely aware of the commercial
impact of the problems faced by
sport.
“The IAAF is facing issues with
Adidas,” he added. “FIFA faces
similar issues in finding sponsors for
the World Cups in 2018 and 2022.
“Crisis in sport comes to the minds
of cities and governments when
bidding for sports events, because
scandals can leave events with a
negative image.
“Three issues raised by major
CEOs are credibility, sustainability
and responsibility, and they apply to
sports organisations.
“The current crisis will not
disappear. It is unsustainable for
sports organisations and it affects
sponsors in their association
with NFs, IFs and individual
organisations.”
Sorrell warned that the high
profile of sport means that it attracts
increasing levels of scrutiny, but he
outlined measures that he said can
bring about change.
“Skeletons cannot be hidden in the
closet, because sports organisations
have never faced such scrutiny,” he
said. “They have the delicate task
of balancing policy-makers and
sponsors, but sport has the ability to
heal differences.
“The challenge is to adapt or die
or, on a more positive note, adapt
and thrive. Good governance comes
from independent drug-testing.
“Sport should also simplify its
calendar and bring in people from
the outside to provide an overview.”
Sorrell added that the media can
also be used to help sport repair the
damage of recent years and build for
the future.
“Sports organisations have a
historic opportunity to rebuild trust
with fans through communications
strategies. How you use data and
insights to engage fans and attract
sponsors is key,” he added.
DIGITAL SUMMIT: Pages 2-4
Melbourne and New York
City were the big winners
in the SportBusiness
Ultimate Sports Cities
Awards announced at
SportAccord Convention
yesterday.
The Australian city
scooped the SportBusiness
Ultimate Sports City At 10
Anniversary Award at the
SwissTech Convention
Center, while the US city
picked up the Ultimate
Sports City 2016 gong.
You can read more about
the winners of the Awards,
of which SportAccord
Convention is the official
sponsor, on p5 of this
newspaper.
The Daily also looks
ahead to today’s Plenary
Conference Programme,
which will feature a stellar
line-up of speakers.
The Conference
programme, which starts at
10:00, will feature the likes
of International e-Sports
Federation Secretary
General Alex Lim, who
was featured in The Daily
on Monday.
Australian rugby legend
Michael Lynagh, who
will be the subject of the
Interview of the Day –
brought to you by Dow
Jones Sports Intelligence
– is featured on p11 of
today’s edition.
The Conference
programme will also
feature the likes of
Thierry Borra, Global
Director of Olympic
Games Management at
The Coca-Cola Company,
and Jaimie Fuller,
Executive Chairman of
SKINS and Co-founder
of #NewFIFANow – both
of whom were featured
in big interviews in The
Daily earlier this week.
In today’s edition
you can also read about
tonight’s unmissable
closing ceremony at the
Olympic Museum in
Lausanne (p12).
2 The Daily Thursday, 21 April, 2016
Thursday, 21 April, 2016 The Daily 3
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CONVENTION
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THE DAILY
The Daily is
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port and its partners were
urged yesterday to harness
social media to improve live
coverage of its events and connect
fans with athletes – adding value
to the commercial package in the
process.
During the Digital Summit at
SportAccord Convention, experts
from Facebook and its picturesharing platform, Instagram
outlined ideas that can be applied
to any sport, giving a Sports
Organisation and its partners
control over content and costeffective access to a huge audience.
The panel members said that
Facebook had evolved from
‘connecting’ to a news platform
and entertainment.
‘Sports should make
sure they have a
really immersive
video strategy’
As the largest real-time social
audience for live events, Facebook
now reaches the world’s widest
community of sports fans, with
650m people connected to sports
pages.
The aim is to help its partners
with branded content and rights
management to support specific
business goals.
Fans are given access to the
world’s most authentic and
visually creative sporting
moments, connecting them
with their favourite athletes,
teams, leagues, broadcasters and
publishers.
Dan Reed, Global Head of
Sports at Facebook, said: “Sports
Organisations should make sure
they have a really immersive video
strategy, including live broadcasts
that incorporate audience
interaction.
“Give people access they have
never seen before. Consider
360-degree camera positioning for
events and empower your athletes
for the social media strategies.”
Devi Mahadevia, League
Partnerships, said: “Real-time
content is what fans expect and
sharing athletes’ content on your
page will cross-pollinate the fan
base.” Kevin Cote, Strategic Partner
Development for Sports Teams,
added: “Portraying your brand on
social media is crucial.
“It can be done decently with
proper resources and gives you a
competitive advantage. Facebook
can help sports organisations drive
sales of tickets and merchandise.” Evan Shugerman, Head of
Athlete Partnerships, said: “Sport
should have a conversation with
stakeholders in sports and outside.
“Clear understanding will
help promote sports brands and
connect with fans. Behind-thescenes content is what works with
the fans.”
Driving the conversation
Alex Huot, Head of Social Media at
the International Olympic Committee,
outlined how society engages with the
Games during a fascinating keynote
address entitled ‘All You Need is LOVE’.
Huot opened by giving a brief history of
the Games, referring to the 1896 edition,
where 100,000 attended the marathon
event, as the “first social network”.
He explained how digital engagement
had “reached new heights” in 1972 with
the invention of arcade game Pong,
before Los Angeles in 1984 “captured the
imagination”.
In the modern era, Huot pointed to
the fact that all Sports Federations are
now using social media, something that
Olympians first engaged with during the
Beijing Games in 2008.
Huot added that “a lot of love is
there in the concept of the Olympics”
and there is now the “potential for the
biggest conversation ever” through
social media. He stressed that social media publishers
and editors must have a love for the sport
they are covering as well as a knowledge
of its history. It must also be relevant,
with the content and the performances of
the athletes being crucial. Huot said that
packaging such content is “art”.
Huot concluded his session by pointing
to what works in social media: results and
live webcasts; media-rich galleries; social
platform integrations and reaching niche
audiences.
He also stressed that virtual reality (VR)
would have a big impact on society in the
coming years. Also present at the address was Masa
Takaya, Communications Director at
Tokyo 2020, who echoed Huot’s comments
by claiming that VR would be big at the
Games in four years’ time.
Takaya added that media consumption
among Japanese people is, in some fields,
as high as 383 minutes per day.
He said that Tokyo 2020 is “motivated
to integrate sports and technology to
promote sports in Japan”, adding that
many Paralympic-focused initiatives have
already been drawn up.
Alex Huot
of the IOC
A media platform that connects
more than 1,000 athletes with
an audience of 100m – and
growing – has built its success on
awareness of the need for a high
quality service online and offline.
Sam Li, Head of Content
Acquisition and Strategic
Partnerships, Sina Sports,
told delegates during the
Digital Summit at SportAccord
Convention that even with such
impressive numbers, sports
marketing in China is ripe for
development.
“China is big, different and
the sports marketing is still in
its infancy stage,” Li said during
a Sina Weibo Best-Practice
Workshop.
“The number of people who
engage in China is huge and
hence there is an opportunity for
expanding the fan base for many
of the international brands.” Sina is China’s leading sports
digital media platform. Li has
responsibility for acquiring
streaming rights for major
domestic and international
sporting events, as well as for
structuring key partnerships in
the sports industry.
He said that Sina aims to be
recognised as a sports specialist
rather than just a sports media
specialist.
Sina’s
Sam Li
Li also highlighted a successful
partnership with Manchester
United and Sina’s role in creating
and hosting the official web
destination in China for the
Australian Open as evidence of
the company’s diversity.
Sina Sports has been the
de facto destination for sport
in China for the last 18 years,
reaching nearly 100 million daily
users through Sina Weibo.
“We license and partner with
more than 90 sports properties,
establishing a diversified
platform for sports fans,” he
said. “Our ‘Pro Talk’ concept has
allowed more than 1,000 foreign
athletes to give expert insights
and engaging news to Chinese
sports fans.
“We provide 24-hour coverage
through a comprehensive digital
platform and our strategy is to
integrate online and offline fan
engagement.
“Language is the key element
in China and it is also important
to commit to compelling content,
a secure multi-platform strategy,
a consistent online and offline
presence, and identifying and
developing key opinion-leaders.”
Snapchat expects
new record at Rio
S
napchat is leading the way in providing
an insight into the lives of athletes,
according to Juan David Borrero, who
works on business development at the social
media platform.
Speaking yesterday at the ‘Snapchat BestPractice Workshop’, Borrero delivered an
informative speech on Snapchat’s current
position within both the social media world
and the world of sport.
“Snapchat is the youngest kid in the social
media network,” Borrero said. Indeed,
Snapchat’s Juan
David Borrero
‘Everything in the app
disappears after 24 hours. It
gives a sense of urgency’
Snapchat was only launched in 2011, but
has wasted no time in becoming one of the
most popular social media networks on the
market.
Borrero puts Snapchat’s success down to its
immediacy and feels ‘snaps’ and videos are a
“reflection of who you are in the moment”.
He added: “Everything in the app disappears
after 24 hours. It gives a sense of urgency as,
tomorrow, the content is not going to be there.”
Borrero believes that communication,
creativity and story-telling are the key elements
of Snapchat, and that such characteristics make
it ideal for athletes, leagues and competitions.
“MyStory is a section where specific stories
can be created and is a potential area for sports
organisations to engage with the youth,” he
said.
A lot of American leagues use Snapchat to
engage with supporters, while fans can also
receive an insight into the routines of athletes.
“Snapchat really gives an inside view into
athletes’ lives,” Borrero added.
With Snapchat continuing to prove as
popular as ever, Borrero is anticipating a lot
of activity on the app during this summer’s
Olympic Games in Rio. “For the Rio Olympics,
we are expecting a lot of snaps,” he said. “We
experienced that at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
This year it should be even bigger.”
Borrero feels that Snapchat’s unique selling
point is its intimacy, adding that it is “way
more personal than sending mere messages”.
OLYMPIC CHANNEL TO ‘INSPIRE
FANS TO TAKE UP NEW SPORTS’
Yiannis Exarchos, CEO of Olympic
Broadcasting Services (OBS), predicted
a massive shift in digital broadcasting
in the near future at SportAccord
Convention yesterday.
Speaking in a session entitled ‘What’s
in store for the newly highly-anticipated
Olympic Channel’, he warned that “every
human activity” would soon be digital. “We are on the cusp of a seismic shift
from linear to digital television,” he
‘We are on the cusp of a
seismic shift from linear
to digital television’
added in the Digital Summit session at
the SwissTech Convention Center.
“Linear programming is becoming
increasingly irrelevant among young
viewers. “Not only is the world community
digitally connected, but it also shares
content to an unprecedented degree.
“Social media is rapidly becoming
the broadcaster of the day, which
has led to the shift from central
editorial control of broadcasters to
democratisation of content generation
and distribution. The downside is the
collapse of quality in the majority of
content produced.”
Exarchos said that the smartphone
was the catalyst for the right content
“anytime, anywhere”.
“Interactivity and smart transitions
between different platforms are
essential,” he added. Exarchos praised IOC President
Thomas Bach for initiating the Olympic
Channel, which he said would be “all
about explaining the story and promoting
sport”. “Digital broadcasting, social media, the
internet and big data are fundamentally
influencing how we are developing the
Olympic Channel,” he added. “The Olympic Channel will inspire
fans and empower them to take up
sports. It will also be beneficial to IFs.”
Exarchos revealed there had been
“significant progress” on content creation
for the Olympic Channel. “Some 650 pieces of video will have
been produced between January and
August 2016, and 250 hours of content
will be created on an annual basis,” he
said. “Also, 1,700 pieces of video will be
produced during the Rio Games.”
Exarchos also promised that the
Olympic Archive would be repackaged
and presented “in a fresh way”. Yiannis
Exarchos, CEO
of Olympic
Broadcasting
Services
4 The Daily Thursday, 21 April, 2016
VIDEO IS
VITAL FOR
TWITTER
OFFERING
A
users with a sense that the content produced
lex Trickett, the Head of Sports
is “just for you”, but sport remains markedly
and Global Sports Chair at Twitter,
different from other forms of content.
highlighted the importance of video
“Twitter is a people-to-people thing, and
content during an insightful Best-Practice
that should always be remembered,” he said.
Workshop during the Digital Summit
“We are complementary to the traditional
yesterday.
methods of broadcasting as young people
Trickett told delegates that if they are to
do not consume media via the traditional
connect with sports fans through social
forms of communication. Twitter is in the
media, they cannot afford to ignore video,
which is becoming integral as online
consumer habits evolve.
“You have to think beyond 140 characters,”
Trickett said. “It is worth noting that 82 per
cent of Twitter users watch video feeds.
“Video consumption is undergoing a
seismic shift and Twitter is innovating,
especially in terms of video.”
Trickett added thatSchweiz
it is important
to attract
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Melbourne rewarded
for 10 years of success
Twitter executive
Alex Trickett
M
distribution business and not in the content
creation business.”
Trickett also suggested that empowering
fans through Twitter can help to establish a
more loyal following.
“You need to be strategic about how you
drive a conversation and think about ways to
engage people,” he said.
“For example, it is a good idea to allow
people to have a say through polls and votes
on social media. Give people the power.
They will appreciate it.
“You have to create a two-way connection
and change the way you interact with fans
and their comments. It is important to follow
your fans’ conversations.
“Unlike other content, sports are mostly
consumed in real time. So you need to use
rich media, break news, amplify yourself,
value others and offer exclusive access. You
have to tell people where to get your news.”
Trickett outlined how Twitter had helped
famous sports stars to form a closer bond
with their fans by giving them a direct
avenue of communication.
Such opportunities can also apply to
organisations within sport, he added.
“Exclusivity, expertise and intimacy are
key elements that sports organisations
can explore in order to engage with fans,”
Trickett said.
“There is a sense of warmth when athletes
and coaches interact with fans directly.
“Don’t be afraid to learn ‘on the fly’. If you
have rights, then Twitter can help you to
work with your sponsors effectively.”
 Thomas Lund, Secretary General and
Chief Operating Officer of Badminton
World Federation (BWF), is confident
that the organisation’s groundwork in
Brazil will pay off when Rio hosts the
2016 Olympic Games.
“This year, of course, a lot of our focus
is on the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in
August,” Lund told The Daily.
“We are fine-tuning our plans for the
staging of a world-class showcase of
badminton in Rio.
“Over the past two years, we have
ramped up our presence in Rio – and
Brazil as a whole – with an awareness
campaign called ‘Descubra O Badminton’
(Discover Badminton) to introduce
Brazilians to badminton and increase
interest in the sport through interactive
street activations and media coverage.
“Following the London 2012 Olympic
Games, badminton was promoted to
Group C of Summer Olympic sports and
we are keen to improve on this. The
2016 Paralympic Games will also be key
for badminton as we observe how these
Games unfold and prepare to be part of
that event in Tokyo 2020.
“Later this year we will also
announce the next cycle of host cities
for our flagship tour, the BWF World
Superseries, and the preparatory work
for that will soon be underway. These
are exciting times in badminton.”
WORKSHOPS TO HELP
PLANNING AND HOSTING
The key phases of planning and hosting
major events will be explored today
in a series of workshops presented by
SportAccord Convention Partners and
Supporters.
SportBusiness and Sportcal – both
Principal Media Partners – will be
joined by Convention Supporter
GlobalSportJobs in delivering insight
aimed at helping hosts and organisers
understand the lifespan of a major
project. All the workshops will take
place in Room 4BC.
SportBusiness Group will partner
with 360 DIRECT between 09:00 and
10:30 to present ‘Effective Event Host
Planning’. Against a background
of cost and time overruns reflecting
poorly on federations, local organising
committees and host cities, the session
will outline innovative solutions to
ensure an event runs on time and
within budget.
GlobalSportsJobs will examine ‘Talent
Management in a Digital Age’ in their
session, which runs from 14:00 until
15:30.
The leading specialised digital talent
platform for the international sports
industry, the company will begin with
a panel discussion on challenges and
opportunities of talent acquisition and
management.
The focus will then move on to local
organising committees and how to build
high performance teams.
Sportcal will use their workshop,
which takes place between 16:00 and
17:30, to unveil more about their ‘Global
Sport Impact Project’, developed to help
people understand more about the effect
of sporting events on host cities and
nations.
The session will feature a series
of studies around some of the major
sporting events of 2014 and 2015, and
look at how sports and cities can learn
more about the impact, and use narrative
and data to communicate the benefits
more effectively.
elbourne scooped the coveted
SportBusiness Ultimate Sports
City At 10 Anniversary Award at
SportAccord Convention yesterday.
Melbourne, which picked up the
SportBusiness Ultimate Sports City
Award in 2006, 2008 and 2010, beat off stiff
competition from Berlin, London, New York
and Australian rival Sydney for the title.
The special prize was introduced this year
to celebrate the city with the greatest impact
over the 10 years that the awards have been
hosted by SportBusiness, a Principal Media
Partner of the Convention.
“We have been very fortunate to have the
support of a government that continues to
invest in major events and venues,” said
Victorian Major Events Company Chief
Operating Officer Kelly Dickson, pictured
receiving the award from SportBusiness
International Editor Ben Cronin.
“We have terrific venues at the heart of the
city and we also have excellent attendances.
Last year our major events attracted a
total attendance of nine million people
and Melbourne is a city of four million
inhabitants. Rights-holders know that if
they take their event to Melbourne, it will
be well attended. We also have a year-round
calendar of events, from the Australian
Open to Formula One to football’s
International Champions Cup, and this
establishes a broader network of support
that is really useful for rights-holders.”
Head Judge and Founder of Ultimate
Sports Cities Rachael Church said: “I am
not surprised that Melbourne came out
on top for this special 10-year anniversary
award.
“The city has been either the winner or
runner-up in the awards in the previous
five editions of Ultimate Sports Cities and
boasts a major events strategy that many
other cities have since used as a best practice
SPORT GROUPS EXTEND
RELATIONSHIP WITH IOC
Two IF umbrella organisations
celebrated historic events at SportAccord
Convention which saw them cement
partnerships with the IOC.
The Alliance of Independent
Recognised Members of Sport
(AIMS) signed a Memorandum of
Understanding with the IOC which
President Stephan Fox said will
particularly benefit non-recognised IFs.
The Association of IOC Recognised
International Sports Federations (ARISF)
held its first joint meeting with the IOC
in a session which brought together top
decision-makers from each body.
Both developments had their roots in the
engagement between the organisations at
last year’s Convention and in the fruitful
discussions which followed.
Fox said the signing underlined the
progress made since he was voted into
the role by the AIMS General Assembly
last year. He had declared after his
election that the long-term aim of AIMS
members was to leave the organisation
and make the move to AIOWF or ASOIF.
He vowed to assist that process by
working closely with SportAccord and
strengthening links with the IOC.
He said: “It was a decision of the IOC
President in Olympic Agenda 2020 to
ensure good governance, transparency
and tolerance, and that is why they
opened the door.
“AIMS was recognised in December
in a process that started in Sochi. We
had close discussions with the IOC and
outlined the need for our members to get
support and guidance. Recognition was
subject to us making some amendments
to our constitution and the signing of the
MoU has sealed the deal.”
Fox added that the MoU will enable
non-recognised IFs to tap into IOC
resources, making sure they are fully
WADA compliant and gaining them
exposure through the Olympic Channel.
Raffaele Chiulli, President of ARISF,
said his organisation made great
strides with the IOC during a first joint
workshop in Sochi and had built on that
with this week’s inaugural joint meeting
and a second workshop.
The joint meeting brought together
Chiulli and every member of the ARISF
Council, with IOC President Dr Thomas
Bach and his four Vice Presidents
supported by members of the IOC’s
senior management team.
Chiulli said: “The meeting took place
at the request of the IOC President,
because he sees this relationship as the
key way to move forward.
“He indicated that he would like to
have the meeting regularly.
“It was a successful meeting which was
private, but which still generated open
discussion around the table. We wanted
to identify a joint pathway to further
strengthen cooperation in key areas, such
as the fight against doping, IF recognition
procedures and being more relevant to
our IFs and to the key stakeholders in the
Olympic Movement.”
Kit McConnell, the IOC’s Sports
Director, said: “The signing of the MoU
is historic in terms of reinforcing the
relationship between the IOC and AIMS.
We had a very strong engagement with
AIMS and its Federations at its General
Assembly here, and the MoU underlines
that partnership and reinforces the
working partnership.
“The first meeting between the IOC
President and Vice Presidents and the
ARISF Council is also historic, and of
great value, as is the second workshop
with ARISF.”
guide for their own strategies.
“The city has sports venues that are not
only the best in the world but that are at the
heart of the city, fostering a greater sense
of engagement with the general public and
fans when events take place.
“A highly supportive government at local,
regional and national level also means
Melbourne offers a safe pair of hands to
event organisers in a stunning setting.”
Among the other award-winners
announced at the SwissTech Convention
Center yesterday were New York City,
which picked up the SportBusiness Ultimate
Sports City 2016 award.
The final list of 10 contenders for the
Ultimate Sports City 2016 award were:
Auckland, Calgary, Copenhagen, Glasgow,
London, Los Angeles, Manchester,
Melbourne, New York and Tokyo.
“New York City is a well-deserved
winner of the SportBusiness Ultimate
Sports City title, triumphing this year after
its previous best place of fourth in 2012,”
Church added.
Manchester, Glasgow, Auckland, London,
Gold Coast and Copenhagen were the
other award-winners unveiled yesterday.
SportBusiness had revealed a first batch of
winners at the Convention on Tuesday.
2016 WINNERS
Winner, Anniversary Award,
Ultimate Sports City at 10..........MELBOURNE
Winner, SportBusiness Ultimate
Sports City 2016....................NEW YORK CITY
Winner, Best XS Sports City..... MANCHESTER
Winner, Best Small Sports City........ GLASGOW
Winner, Best Medium Sports City.. AUCKLAND
Winner, Best Large Sports City..MELBOURNE
Winner, Best XL Sports City.................LONDON
Winner, Special Award, Best Newcomer
........................................................ GOLD COAST
Winner, Special Award, Best Home-Grown
Event..........COPENHAGEN (Swoop Challenge)
Winner, Best Hosting............................LONDON
Winner, Best Venues....................MELBOURNE
Winner, Best Transportation.... MANCHESTER
Winner, Best Accommodation................ TOKYO
Winner, Best Event Strategy...........AUCKLAND
Winner, Best Legacy........................... GLASGOW
Winner, Best Quality of Life and
Economic Impact...........................VANCOUVER
Winner, Best Public Support/Tourism........NEW
YORK CITY
Winner, Best Security.......................AUCKLAND
Winner, Best Marketing and Branding
.................................................................LONDON
6 The Daily Thursday, 21 April, 2016
Thursday, 21 April, 2016 The Daily 7
FINA Executive Director Cornel
Marculescu has stressed the
importance of the global governing
body of aquatic sports’ continuing
integrity efforts in the wake of
a series of high-profile scandals
in various sports over the past 12
months.
Marculescu believes it is vital that
FINA remains transparent and he
wants the body to take a leading
role in the international sports
community.
“FINA has been evolving in a
particularly challenging year for
sport’s reputation in general,”
Marculescu told The Daily.
“Various seriously damaging
scandals emerged in 2015 and FINA
has naturally closely followed all
these developments.
“Hot topics on the table now
include good governance,
transparency, revenue distribution
and fighting against doping. On
all those matters, FINA has taken
decisive steps to ensure compliance
of our rules and to guarantee the
swimming, staged its 2015 World
Championships in Kazan, Russia.
“We had a record participation
of 184 countries and superb
performances in all our six aquatic
disciplines – in swimming, for
example, 12 world records were
broken,” Marculescu added.
“Last year, we organised our top
annual events such as the Diving
World Series, the Swimming World
Cup, the 10km Marathon Swimming
World Cup, the Synchronised
Swimming World Trophy, the Water
Polo World Leagues and the High
Diving World Cup and other key
circuits with increased prize money
for all of them.
“Looking back, we have
witnessed outstanding sports
performances in 2015 and these
keep us determined to deliver great
events in prestigious locations.”
Like many International
Federations, FINA’s current focus is
on the Rio 2016 Olympics in Brazil.
“At the moment we are focused on
Rio 2016 preparations,” Marculescu
Underwater sport
has licence to thrill
with SportAccord
Convention Gold Partner
DID YOU KNOW?
One of the oldest sports clubs in the
world was founded in Lausanne. It is
thought that the Lausanne Football
and Cricket Club, which was founded
in 1860, was the first football club to
be established in continental Europe.
Sheffield FC in England, the oldest
football club in the world, was formed
only three years earlier in 1857.
Paul Bush (pictured), Director of Events at EventScotland, has
hailed SportAccord Convention as a standout week on the
international sporting calendar. EventScotland is a long-term
supporter of the Convention, and is once again a Silver Partner
this year in Lausanne. “The Convention is undoubtedly the one
key networking opportunity of the year, bringing together key
decision-makers from all levels of sport and related industry
sectors worldwide,” Bush told The Daily. “It allows for
discussion and debate on the key challenges and opportunities
facing the industry, while simultaneously providing a platform
to initiate, sustain and develop valuable partnerships and
relationships. It’s great to be back in Lausanne for this critical
week on the calendar.”
B
said. “As the world governing body,
our primary role is to represent
the athletes’ interests. As the
preparations progress, we ensure
that the best possible environment
for our competitors is available.
“We work hand-in-hand with the
Rio 2016 Organising Committee,
the local authorities and the
International Olympic Committee
to provide an excellent Games
platform for our athletes. I am sure
it is going to be a great success.”
This is another busy year for the
governing body, with the FINA
World Swimming Championships
(25m) heading to Canada for the
first time this winter. The city of
Windsor will host the event from
December 6-11.
“We are also working hard on this
event, which welcomes more than
1,000 swimmers from around 180
countries,” Marculescu said.
“Previous to this event, the
FINA World Aquatics Convention,
which gathers 1,000 delegates,
300 exhibitors and more than 400
organisations, will take place in
the same city. This event, held
every two years, gathers the world’s
aquatic experts to exchange best
practice and to network.
“In parallel, a World Sports
Medicine Congress will take place.
The FINA Swimming Coaches
Golden Clinic will also be organised
in Windsor in December.”
COFFEE BREAK
BUSH HAILS CONVENTION
ARZHANOVA REVEALS THE STORY BEHIND SPORT’S RISE
integrity of our sport and the
protection of our athletes.
“It is important for us to
underline that FINA is regularly
conducting out-of-competition
unannounced doping tests, as
well as in-competition tests.
We carefully monitor any
developments around the world,
acting immediately in accordance
with FINA rules.
“We are increasing our education
programmes that we implement
in partnership with National
Anti-Doping Organisations
worldwide and we are developing
an intelligence programme. It is of
the utmost importance in our sport
to protect the clean athletes, one of
FINA’s basic principles.
“FINA will continue to support
its National Member Federations
in their activities, and the same
will apply for the Continental
Organisations. The ultimate
objective is that the wider FINA
family comes together to achieve our
vision by increasing the value of our
sport and protecting the athletes.”
In spite of the challenges,
aquatic sports continue to grow in
popularity, with participation and
performance records having been
broken last year.
FINA, which is the international
governing body of swimming,
diving, water polo, synchronised
swimming and open-water
GETTY IMAGES
FINA TAKES DECISIVE
STEPS IN PUSH TO
IMPROVE INTEGRITY
y swimming and diving for
gold in an increasing number
of competitions worldwide, the
athletes of World Underwater Federation
(CMAS) are staying true to the ambitions
of some of the people who founded the
organisation more than 50 years ago.
If it seems bizarre that the home of
underwater versions of rugby, hockey
and orienteering – among other activities
– should owe its existence in part to the
work of deep-sea treasure-hunters, then
consider also the science of the seas.
The man credited with founding the
organisation as the World Confederation
of Underwater Activities was actually
Jacques Cousteau. The world-famous
explorer of the oceans was the CMAS
President from its formation in 1959 until
1973. Sport was not his priority in an age
when scuba diving was the domain of
explorers and espionage, but sometimes
Anna Arzhanova
things just happen. Anna Arzhanova,
President of CMAS, said: “From the
beginning it was an organisation for
diving and underwater scientific research,
looking for treasure and protection of the
environment.
“However, no Federation can exist
without sport, and sport arrived in the
early 1960s with spearfishing and fin
swimming.”
Underwater orienteering soon followed.
One influence came from the military in the
years of the Cold War, and the parallel is
clear with police underwater search units,
archaeologists finding their way around
submerged wrecks, and any number of
James Bond movies - which may be where
underwater wrestling came from!
CMAS is buoyant, with income
increasing by 20 per cent over the last
three years from sponsorship and
activities, with regular appearances at
The World Games and with ever stronger
relationships with other Federations,
many of which find their own sports
being given a CMAS makeover.
The degree of physical contact varies
between the sports and compared with
the surface versions of the sports, but the
demands are just as strenuous. Swimming
‘We can have events
wherever there is water
– in open water or a
swimming pool’
may be easier with a fin, to the point
where Arzhanova says a non-swimmer
can learn in just one day, so expectations
are higher and speeds can be 30 per cent
faster, or more.
The CMAS Underwater Hockey World
Championships are in their 19th year and
in South Africa earlier this month featured
14 men’s teams, 13 women’s teams and
Masters tournaments for both, which are
evidence of a sport displaying pedigree
and potential.
Science is still an important part of the
agenda, with CMAS involved in the global
protection of marine resources and the
fight against over-exploitation of resources
and pollution, but Arzhanova’s immediate
priority is sport.
She said: “We would like to include
underwater wrestling in the Combat
Games and we would like to be in the
Beach Games because we want to develop
our sports.
“We can have events wherever there
is water – in open water or a swimming
pool. In a planet with so much water
people swim on the surface and
underwater.
“A lot of people enjoy water and that’s
why we created different activities and
different sports. Wherever you go you will
see swimmers, snorkelers and divers.”
This year is a particular milestone for
CMAS, marking 30 years since they
gained recognition from the IOC. It is a
big anniversary and they will be splashing
out to celebrate.
IFF ambitious after breaking attendance record
The International Floorball Federation
(IFF) is hoping to build on a successful
past 12 months by increasing the
exposure of the sport across the globe.
In December the IFF staged the
10th Women’s World Floorball
Championships (WFC) in Tampere,
Finland, where a new attendance record
was set in the final match between the
host nation and Sweden, the eventual
winner.
IFF Secretary General John Liljelund
told The Daily that the event provided
many valuable lessons.
“Overall, the Women’s WFC brought
forward new ideas of how women’s
events could be organised in order to
reach a higher level,” Liljelund told
The Daily. The IFF has set its sights on
securing floorball’s participation in some
of the world’s leading multi-sport events
in the coming years.
Last June it was one of 26
International Federations to submit an
application for inclusion at the Tokyo
2020 Olympic Games.
Unfortunately for the IFF, floorball did
not make the cut, but attention has now
turned to other multi-sport events that
are on the horizon.
“The main objective of the IFF is
to prepare for The World Games in
Wroclaw in 2017, as this is the next
opportunity we have to showcase the
sport to the sporting world and prove
that floorball is a sport that is well-suited
for other multi-sport events,” Liljelund
added.
“In relation to this, we are working
towards having floorball on a number of
events between 2017 and 2020, like the
European Masters Games, the Southeast
Asian Games and other regional games.”
Last year floorball made its debut at
the Southeast Asian Games multi-sport
event in Singapore. Although the IFF is
keen on featuring at other similar events
in the future, it is just as focused on
raising the profile of its own events.
“As the main floorball events are
already of a world standard, we are
working to enlarge the number of
territories showing the Men’s World
Floorball Championships in Riga, Latvia,
in December, which will also be the
qualification tournament for The World
Games in Wroclaw,” Liljelund said.
“We have worked on a combined sales
approach between the IFF and main
National Floorball Associations, in order
to break through into the big league.”
On April 12, the IFF celebrated its 30th
anniversary, but it has embraced new
technologies as it continues to evolve.
“Last year has been very successful,
with the 10th Women’s World Floorball
Championships in Tampere, where
a number of spectator records were
broken, with the new attendance record
in the final and very extensive media
coverage of the event on both TV and
especially on social media,” Liljelund
added.
“The IFF has worked a lot with new
tools like Snapchat and Instagram.
“Maybe the most important single
development over the past year has
been the start of the ‘Each One - Teach
One’ mentoring programme for the
IFF Member Associations, where
a total of 26 bilateral projects have
been started between the Member
Associations, coordinated by the IFF,
and the fact that the IFF now has 60
Members.”
8 The Daily Thursday, 21 April, 2016
Thursday, 21 April, 2016 The Daily 9
VOLUNTEERS HAILED
FOR CONTRIBUTION
S
portAccord Convention
2016 is providing a valuable
learning experience for some
120 volunteers who are helping
to make this year’s event run like
clockwork.
The ‘hidden heroes’ of the
event hail from the International
Academy of Sport Science and
Technology (AISTS), fellow
educational institutions HES,
EPFL and UNIL, and also
Volontaires Sportifs Lausannois.
The enthusiastic volunteers
have been tasked with a range
of vital responsibilities at the
SwissTech Convention Center,
providing assistance in the media
and conference rooms and at the
entrance, cloakroom, car park, info desk and
accreditation desk, while also dealing with
accommodation and hotline enquiries.
“They really have been very helpful and
we couldn’t do this event without them,” the
Convention’s Volunteer Coordinator and
Assistant at the City of Lausanne, Elodie
Salerno, told The Daily.
“I think it’s a wonderful experience for them
to see an event like this and everything that
goes on.
“We are fortunate to have a very strong base
Brian Cookson
President
UCI
of volunteers in Lausanne for sporting events.”
AISTS Executive Director Claude Stricker
told The Daily that the Convention represents
a “very unique learning opportunity” for
the AISTS Master of Sport Administration
students.
“As one of the major conferences in the
annual calendar that brings together over
100 International Federations and Sports
Organisations, our volunteers are getting
a unique insight into the industry, a firmer
understanding of the stakeholders at play in
their future industry and a practical, hands-on
#ShareYourGoldenMoment
Why Lausanne..?
“As we look forward to the
construction of our new
headquarters, it is a good time
to consider why we moved
from Brussels to Lausanne in
2012. We wanted to be closer to
the Federations who organise
our events and to the Olympic
Movement. It has been a two-
experience of the behind- thescenes organisation of a major
conference,” he said.
“Being immersed in this
environment will also provide the
class with an understanding of
the challenges and opportunities
currently facing International
Federations, and which they will in
turn face as they embark on their
career in a few months’ time.” AISTS volunteers have
volunteered for numerous local
events in the past, with the
Olympic Capital of Lausanne
operating as a hub of activity in
international sport.
“They have time and again
shown their commitment to sports
and to this industry,” Stricker added.
“AISTS MSA participants can always be
found giving up their time to volunteer for
sporting events. “With the learning and experience from the
AISTS MSA, it is always the hope that our
course participants will go on to realise their
full career potential in sports administration.
It is the aim of the programme to produce
future leaders in sport who can go on to
make a positive impact and change the world
of sport.”
way street, easier for us to meet
the Federations and easier for
the Federations who didn’t know
about FISU to find out about us.
We only had a few people when
we moved here and now we have
more than 40.”
Dejan Susovic, Chief Operating Officer,
International University Sports Federation (FISU)
 The World Curling Federation (WCF) has committed
to developing its existing broadcast partnerships with the
USA Curling Association and Champions Curling Tour in
order to deliver more high-quality broadcast coverage of
the sport to its supporters. WCF President Kate Caithness
said: “We are determined to deliver a range of top-class
curling broadcasts to as wide an audience as possible in
the build up to the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.”
 Members of the media have been invited to attend
a signing ceremony today between the International
University Sports Federation (FISU) and the
Russian International Olympic University (RIOU).
A Memorandum of Cooperation between the two
organisations will be signed at the FISU stand on Level
1. The event, which will be attended by FISU President
Oleg Matytsin and Secretary General Eric Saintrond,
will start at 13:45, with a FISU media roundtable
beginning at 14:15. Please email anna@jtassocs.com or
call +79 183402753 if you would like to attend the event.
PUT YOUR
FOCUS ON
THE VIEW AGGREKO
SportAccord Convention
delegates are well aware that
television audiences worldwide
just cannot seem to get enough
of sport.
Nearly half the globe tuned
in to watch the closing minutes
of the 2014 FIFA World Cup,
the Olympics draw billions of
viewers and annual tournaments
like American football’s NFL
Super Bowl and cycling’s Tour
de France attract audiences in the
hundreds of millions.
However, these are the
mainstream television
audiences. An increasing
number of viewers follow the
action via online streaming, dip
into blogs or attend the event in
person.
In 2015 Deloitte predicted that
broadcast rights alone would be
worth about £17bn in 2016 and
will continue to grow.
“This means
that ensuring
continuous,
reliable and
uninterrupted
viewing is a
paramount
consideration
for those
staging major
sporting
events,”
Aggreko’s
Head of
David de Behr
Global
Events, David de Behr, said.
“Just as sportsmen and women
train and prepare for their event,
sporting event organisers also
need to plan ahead. Nothing
should be left to chance or come
as a surprise.”
De Behr said that early
collaboration between power
suppliers and event organisers
is the best way to safeguard
against potential issues,
regardless of the size or location
of the event.
“The first thing I’d say is that
failure is just not an option.
We’ve learned a great deal
in the 50 years since we first
provided power for a sporting
event – being flexible, prepared
and expecting the unexpected
all help to mitigate the risk of
disruption,” De Behr added.
By getting involved early,
Aggreko helps organisers to
define their priorities.
“All events are different,
have different broadcasting
requirements and need different
solutions,” De Behr added.
“Running hours, noise,
emissions, unobtrusiveness,
remote locations and availability
of grid power or fuel type are
just some of the considerations.
“It’s all about collaboration
and having the conversation
early on, thinking about the
unthinkable and planning
ahead.”
Come and talk to David
de Behr and the Aggreko
events team on Stand 44 at the
SwissTech Convention Center.
Lausanne linking
up world of sport
T
he host of this year’s SportAccord
Convention is commonly referred
to as the ‘Olympic Capital’, such are
its established links with the international
sports community.
Lausanne, the home of the International
Olympic Committee (IOC) and dozens of
International Federations, is the hub of the
sporting world.
Patrice Iseli, the City of Lausanne’s Head
of Sport, believes that there are three main
reasons why an increasing number of IFs
are choosing to call Lausanne home.
“Firstly, joining Lausanne enables
Federations to connect with the world of
international sport,” Iseli told The Daily.
“Today 55 International Sports
‘International sport
expertise is here, so
joining this community is
truly an opportunity’
Organisations are based here, employing
more than 1,500 people.
“More than 50 businesses directly related
to the sports industry are operating from
here – in sectors such as communications,
marketing, law, finance and PR – as well
as world-renowned academia, creating
research and innovation in sport every
day. International sport expertise is here,
so joining this community is truly an
opportunity for growth.
“Secondly, we make the move easy
for the Federations and offer great
conditions when they are here. We have
a one-stop shop ‘welcome desk’ that
assists Federations and their staff in every
administrative aspect of their move.
“Thirdly, we offer a unique quality of
life. In the heart of Europe, one-and-a-half
Nicolas Imhof and Patrice Iseli
hours from Paris, Milan or Amsterdam,
Lausanne is a great place not only to
think about sport, but also to play sport.
The lake, the countryside, the Alps –
everything is just a stone’s throw away.”
Lausanne has experienced significant
growth in recent years, but, according
to Iseli, there is ample room for further
expansion.
He added: “We are victims of our
success! Next to the Maison du Sport
International there is currently a brand
new building under construction that will
open in April 2018.
“We will have an extra 2,500m2 of space
for Sports Organisations there.
“In addition to that, we do have office
space available in and around the city,
from the simplest, to the most ‘grandiose’
settings.”
Aside from being the home of the IOC,
the ‘Olympic Capital’ nickname is fully
justified, if recent research is anything to
go by.
“The International Academy of Sport
Science and Technology (AISTS) did
research on this topic in 2015,” Nicolas
Imhof, Head of Sport at the Canton de
Vaud, told The Daily.
“The estimated annual economic impact
of the sports industry for Switzerland as
a whole is CHF1.07bn – more than €900m
or about $1bn – with CHF550m for the
Canton of Vaud and CHF250m for the city
of Lausanne.”
Imhof added that the City of Lausanne is
in regular contact with various IFs and will
continue to strive to expand the scope of
support for them.
“We interact a lot with the Federations
already,” he said. “We organise
management seminars, IF meetings and
social events, but we want to do more.
“Also, the state has created an
organisation called ‘ThinkSport’, which
aims to put all the stakeholders of the
sports industry that are based here –
International Sports Organisations and
Federations, businesses and academic
institutions – in an active network so
that they can all grow through a better
exchange.”
 Visit www.thinksport.org for more
information and visit www.olympiccapital.
ch to check out the City of Lausanne’s new
website.
LAUSANNE – THE
OLYMPIC CAPITAL...
 Is the home of 55 International Sports
Federations and Organisations
 Is the base for more than 50 sport-related
companies
 Employs more than 1,500 people through sport
 Delivers an annual economic impact of
CHF550m for the region
IOF’S OLYMPICS PLEDGE
International Orienteering Federation
(IOF) President Brian Porteous has
vowed to maintain the sport’s drive for
Olympic Games inclusion.
The IOF was one of 26 International
Federations to apply for a place on the
programme for the 2020 Olympic Games
in Tokyo, but did not make the cut.
Porteous told The Daily that he is
determined to increase awareness of
the sport and participation numbers
worldwide.
“Our continued focus is to work to
become a sport worthy of inclusion in
the Olympic Summer or Winter Games
and, as part of that objective, to grow
further our global footprint in every IOC
region,” Porteous said.
“This means targeted regional
development in our growth areas of
South America, Africa and Asia. We are
staging the first-ever World Orienteering
Day on May 11 to show the extent of our
sport in every corner of the world.”
Despite the Olympics setback, it has
been a successful past 12 months for the
IOF.
“We have had a great year, growing
our membership, totally revamping
our professional organisation with a
‘We have had a great
year. We have the best
quality TV coverage we
have ever produced’
new focus on marketing, expanding the
reach of our TV products, improving the
attractiveness of our major events and
obtaining new major sponsorships,”
Porteous said.
“We have the best quality TV coverage
we have ever produced and that means
we have a product that is capable of
being sold more around the world.
“The expanding visibility is bringing
us new Members and is also giving
us the opportunity to attract more
commercial income.
“Our challenge is to make the most of
these opportunities.”
Porteous added that events such as
SportAccord Convention are vital for the
continued growth of smaller IFs such as
the IOF.
“The Convention is always a very
important platform for us and we are
looking forward to seeing old friends and
making new ones in Lausanne,” he said.
Come and experience
Top World Floorball in Lausanne!
match schedule EFT 2016
date
Espace Odyssée
Malley
Chemin du Viaduc 14
1008 Prilly
teams
time
arena
22.04.2016
17.00
CZE
SWE
Espace Odyssée, Lausanne
22.04.2016
20.00
SUI
FIN
Espace Odyssée, Lausanne
23.04.2016
15.00
FIN
CZE
Espace Odyssée, Lausanne
23.04.2016
18.00
SUI
SWE
Espace Odyssée, Lausanne
24.04.2016
12.00
FIN
SWE
Espace Odyssée, Lausanne
24.04.2016
15.00
SUI
CZE
Espace Odyssée, Lausanne
Free Entrance with the
SportAccord Accreditation!
10 The Daily Thursday, 21 April, 2016
Thursday, 21 April, 2016 The Daily 11
A
s a long-running Gold Partner of
SportAccord Convention, Sport
Event Denmark has established
close relationships with International
Federations over the years.
At the opening ceremony for this year’s
Convention on Tuesday evening at the
SwissTech Convention Center, it was
announced that the Danish city of Aarhus
will host next year’s event from April 2-7.
Aarhus, the European Capital of Culture
in 2017, will provide an intimate and
vibrant setting for the Convention, and
confirmation of the hosting agreement has
demonstrated a further commitment by
Denmark towards the international sports
movement.
“Being a Gold Partner of the Convention
for many years now offers us the opportunity
to meet with our colleagues within the world
of sport,” Sport Event Denmark CEO Lars
Lundov told The Daily.
“The Convention is a golden moment for
us in terms of networking and building new
relationships.
“We like to listen in and to contribute to
the experiences we have when it comes
to bidding for and hosting international
Lars
Lundov
sporting events. By attending the
Convention, we have the perfect stage for
this and this year we have been especially
looking forward to sharing golden moments
with the International Federations.”
Sport Event Denmark is the national
Danish sports event organisation, focusing
on attracting leading championships and
competitions to the country.
Plans are already in place for the 2017
Convention, with Lundov having told
The Daily yesterday that the event will be
“compact, cosy and in the very centre of the
city”, with Sport Event Denmark retaining its
status as a Gold Partner.
However, the focus this week is on making
the most of the opportunities to meet
IFs and international sport stakeholders
in “wonderful Lausanne”, according to
Lundov.
“For the Convention, our focus is to listen
and learn,” Lundov added.
In recent years, Sport Event Denmark has
helped to secure leading swimming, cycling,
badminton, handball, volleyball and halfmarathon events for the country.
In 2018, Denmark will stage the ISAF
Sailing World Championships and the IIHF
World Men’s Ice Hockey Championships,
while Copenhagen will be one of 13 cities
to host the UEFA Euro 2020 national team
football tournament.
“Sporting events are all about golden
moments and these moments are milestones
in hosting major international sporting
events,” Lundov said. “In Denmark we are
passionate about hosting – and taking it to
new heights.
“We have the experience and the partners
to stage successful events. We recognise
the importance of adding value to an event
and its owner, and we always strive to do
our utmost to exceed the expectations of all
stakeholders.”
Lundov added that the company’s
‘Hosting Winners’ slogan is highlighted by
the calibre of events Sport Event Denmark
has been able to land.
“Gold is an important value within sport,”
‘We recognise the
importance of adding
value to an event and we
always strive to exceed
the expectations’
he added. “So through our Sport Event
Denmark slogan, ‘Hosting Winners’, we
underline that winners are both on the field
and within every operation of the event itself.
“Gold is also about exceeding boundaries
and expectations. The key aspect of creating
long-term relationships between host cities
and International Federations involves
playing an active role in sport and sporting
events.”
PREMIER12 EVENT PROVES
A BIG SOCIAL HIT FOR WBSC
World Baseball Softball Confederation
(WBSC) Executive Director Michael
Schmidt has praised the impact of the
inaugural Premier12 national team
tournament, which took place in Taiwan
and Japan last November.
The baseball competition featured the
top 12 ranking nations in the world, with
South Korea claiming the gold.
However, the impact of the event
was global thanks to the magic of
social media. “The WBSC successfully
launched a new flagship tournament,
Premier12, in which two billion social
media impressions were generated – the
most ever for an international baseball
event,” Schmidt told The Daily.
“The potential broadcast reach of
Premier12 was 253.7m households, while
fans from 217 countries and territories
tuned in online.
“The inaugural Premier12 helped to
generate $131m in brand exposure for
our partners, as well as for our sport and
WBSC itself.
“Last year was the biggest yet for
WBSC, in terms of key measurements
like broadcast exposure, sponsorship
value, fan attendance and social media
reach.
“We are also very excited that
baseball and softball are part of a new
sports package proposed by Tokyo
2020, following the historic passing of
Olympic Agenda 2020.”
WBSC is one of five International
Federations to have been recommended
for inclusion in the programme for
the Tokyo Olympics, along with
the governing bodies of karate,
skateboarding, surfing and sport
climbing. The IOC removed baseball
and softball from the Summer Games
programme in July 2005, and the two
SPORT’S
FUTURE
NOW ON
THE LINE
sports have not featured at the Olympics
since Beijing in 2008. However, IOC
President Thomas Bach’s Agenda 2020
roadmap has provided the likes of
WBSC with hope for the future.
“Agenda 2020 has presented this
history-changing opportunity, and
WBSC is committed to earning and
keeping a place in the Olympics,”
Schmidt added.
“Baseball and softball continue to look
to expand the reach and popularity of
our sport, while furthering our leading
position in youth sport. We now have an
estimated 65m athletes in our sport, with
the majority of our athletes between the
ages of five and 21.
“WBSC has 209 National Federations
in 142 countries and territories
worldwide. We are a global sport
dedicated to growing further,
particularly in Africa and the Middle
East, to sustain the growth of our sport
over the next decade.”
Although 2016 will be an Olympicsfree year for WBSC, several other events
are scheduled to take place.
“This year we have key Youth World
Championships, as well as our flagship
women’s events, including the U15, U23
and Women’s Baseball World Cups, and
the Women’s and U19 Men’s Softball
World Championships,” Schmidt said.
From legendary feats on the pitch to
a life-threatening stroke and beyond,
Australian rugby great Michael Lynagh
is lifting the lid on his stunning story
Lynagh touches
down against
Ireland in the 1991
Rugby World Cup
A
s a Rugby World Cup
winner and record points
scorer in Test matches,
Michael Lynagh probably does not
worry too much about whether he
made the right decision, but there
was a time he could have chosen
cricket.
The young Lynagh played for
Queensland Schoolboys for four
years, starting as a 13-year-old
among 17-year olds and taking the
field with such stars of the future
as Ian Healy and Craig McDermott.
Selection for a tour of the UK and
Ireland helped to cement his future
in rugby union in much the same
way as a family move from the
Gold Coast to Brisbane had ended
any likelihood of pursuing an early
talent for rugby league.
And what a future he had.
Lynagh still lives in Twickenham,
scene of his greatest triumph as a
member of the Australian team
who in 1991 won their
country’s first Rugby
World Cup. He will
never forget the
victory, the crucial
eight points from
his kicks and a taxi
ride a few years
later.
“When we
first moved to
Twickenham,
I got a cab in
the West End,”
he told The
Daily. “The
driver asked
Michael
where I wanted
Lynagh
to go and I said
Twickenham. He
spotted me in the
mirror and said:
‘Where else!’”
The life of Lynagh
went through many
twists and turns after that Rugby
World Cup success, and he will
expand on some of them in the
Interview of the Day – brought
to you by Dow Jones Sports
Intelligence – with BBC World
Journalist and Anchor David
Eades from 16:00-16:30 today. The
audience will find Lynagh easygoing, entertaining and ready to
take any question head-on.
He has some
strong views
and good
ideas on
where
rugby is
going, on
the risks to
his game
and sport
generally, and
on the life-
threatening stroke that he
experienced in 2012 – which
inspired his latest book.
Lynagh retired from international
rugby after Australia’s defeat to
England at the 1995 Rugby World
Cup, but he remains the Wallabies’
all-time record points scorer.
As someone who made his name
in the days of amateur rugby,
Lynagh always had a job. One of
the reasons he did not move into
coaching was that he had the skills,
experience and contacts to build a
successful business career.
He said: “Also, I didn’t want to
be standing around in my tracksuit
in the middle of an English
winter! But rugby had given me
everything and I wanted to use my
business knowledge and nous to
help the game progress.”
Lynagh worked with the
International Rugby Board (IRB),
which was rebranded as World
Rugby in late 2014, to help drive
the development of the game. His
latest appointment sees him take
on the full-time job of Managing
Director EMEA for Dow Jones
Corporate, with particular
involvement in its Sports
Intelligence service.
A
s someone who
played in the
inaugural Rugby
World Cup in 1987, Lynagh
was the obvious choice to
work with the IRB on shaping
the future. He helped with the
lobbying to get rugby sevens
into the Olympics schedule
and to promote the growth and
sustainability of rugby in the
islands of Samoa, Fiji and Tonga.
He is excited about the long-term
benefits, particularly for emerging
nations, from last year’s Rugby
World Cup, this year’s Olympics
Lynagh and Nick
Farr-Jones with
the Webb Ellis
Trophy in 1991
and RWC 2019, which will take
place in Japan. He said: “We saw
the success of Japan last year in
beating South Africa and I remind
my South African friends about
that quite often!
“It was one of the best World
Cups I have been to and the
hosts played their part by getting
knocked out early!”
His work at SportAccord
Convention this week goes beyond
‘Rugby had given
me everything and
I wanted to use my
business knowledge
to help it progress’
the Interview of the Day. He will
be working behind the scenes with
the rest of the Dow Jones Sports
Intelligence team to outline their
services around greater transparency,
compliance and good governance.
“It is a wonderful fit for me
because of my background in sport
and business, and it’s great timing
with so many different issues in
so many different sports,” he said.
“Because of the nature of Dow
Jones, we have a vast array of data
and intelligence. Sport for various
reasons probably has not kept pace
and we are starting to see how that
is becoming an issue.”
And then there is ‘Blindsided’, the
book written with Mark Eglinton
and published last year about
Lynagh’s recovery from the stroke.
It is shortlisted for International
Autobiography of the Year in the
Cross Sports Book awards and
ironically faces competition from All
Black star Dan Carter among others.
However, while Lynagh is clearly
proud of that, he seems more
impressed by the letter he received
from a prisoner who was so
inspired by the story that he vowed
to turn his life around.
“His fiancée sent him the book
and his reaction was very nice,”
he said. “When someone in prison
writes to you and says your book
has changed their life for the better,
it makes it all worthwhile.”
 Michael Lynagh will be the
subject of the Interview of the Day,
brought to you by Dow Jones Sports
Intelligence, from 16:00-16:30 in
the Plenary Conference today
GETTY IMAGES
Convention offers
‘golden moments’
12 The Daily Thursday, 21 April, 2016
READY, STEADY, GO!
The morning activity sessions at SportAccord
Convention this week have been attracting dozens of
delegates who are keen to start their day with a bang.
After the morning run, supported by SportAccord
Convention, offered a chance to see the sights of
Lausanne on Monday, the International Orienteering
Federation (IOF) hosted the morning activity on Tuesday
before the International Federation of Muaythai
Amateur (IFMA) helped delegates to blow away the
cobwebs yesterday morning.
Swiss three-time orienteering world champion
Matthias Kyburz was on hand on Tuesday to offer
support to participants, who were provided with
electronic timing and GPS tracking equipment so they
could compare their performances.
Yesterday IFMA took a group of 40 delegates through
their paces, hosting a workout that has been a part of the
Convention calendar since the 2010 edition in Dubai.
IFMA General Secretary Stephan Fox, a former
Muaythai world champion, told The Daily: “It is always
great for people to come together for our workout
sessions at SportAccord Convention.
“The standard has definitely improved over the years,
and whatever your level of fitness, there is no better way
to kick-start your day.”
TODAY AT
A GLANCE
Thursday, 21 April
MEETINGS:
SportAccord Council Meeting (09:00-12:30)
ARISF/WADA Anti-Doping Coaching/Training
Session (14:00-17:30)
CONFERENCE:
SportBusiness Group Workshop (09:00-10:30)
SportAccord Convention Conference (09:4512:00, 13:30-17:30)
GlobalSports Jobs Workshop (14:00-15:30)
Sportcal Workshop (16:00-17:30)
CONVENTION:
SportAccord Convention Exhibition (08:3018:30)
Virtual Sports Demo Zone (09:00-18:30)
MEDIA:
SportAccord Convention Press Conference
(13:00-13:30)
SOCIAL:
Morning Activity urban workout session with
Slaven Dizdarevic, powered by AISTS - Olympic
Museum (06:30-07:30)
Lunch (12:30-14:00)
Exhibition Showcase Cocktail (17:00-18:30)
SportAccord Convention Closing Event –
Olympic Museum (19:00-22:00)
SportAccord Convention After Hours Official Bar
– Royal Savoy Lausanne (19:00-23:30)
Museum set to
host ceremony
L
ausanne’s Olympic Museum will
tonight provide a spectacular and
historic setting for the event which
brings down the curtain on this year’s
SportAccord Convention.
After the hours of meetings, presentations
and exhibitions the focus will switch
to networking and not working, with
delegates free to tour the exhibits, marvel
at the unrivalled views of Lake Geneva and
the Alps, and enjoy each other’s company.
Philippe Gueisbuhler, who organised
the opening ceremony and the social
programme for SportAccord Convention,
said he is hoping for fine weather to add the
magical finishing touch.
He said: “If we get good weather, then
the view from the terrace of the red, setting
sun reflecting on the waters of the lake with
the Alps in the background will be mindblowing!
“If the weather lets us down, delegates
are still in for a fantastic evening in a
wonderful environment which is all about
sporting history and achievement, and
which is perfect for our celebration.”
The collections date from ancient times to
the present day and came together for the
first time in 1993 with the opening of the
Olympic Museum at Ouchy. The Museum
attracted almost 200,000 visitors every year
until it closed at the end of 2012 for a major
refurbishment.
It reopened almost two years later with an
additional 1,000 square metres of exhibition
space, taking the total to 3,000 square
metres extending to three floors and even
into the Museum grounds, presenting more
than 1,500 exhibits and countless amazing
Olympic stories.
The closing ceremony will begin at
19:00 and end at 22:00. Delegates will
be welcomed by a red carpet lined with
torches and will enter the building to the
sound of a grand piano.
Cocktails and canapés will be served as
guests make their way through the three
floors, experiencing a variety of exhibits
and moods.
The gentle melodies of the piano player
will make way for the jazz and pop of the
Robert Trainor Band, hand-picked for the
occasion following the success of their
appearance at the IF Forum in Lausanne
last November.
Gueisbuhler said: “The attractions
include an art corner, there’s a temporary
exhibition about Rio 2016 and there will be
an opportunity to buy exclusive gifts from
the Museum shop. The food and drink will
include some Swiss specialities and some
local wines.
“We have planned an informal event for
our last evening together in Lausanne and
the aim is for people to close SportAccord
Convention by enjoying this final
opportunity to spend time together in a
superb social setting.”