Olympic Briefs -- OCA Congress Postponed; Woods Supports Golf Bid

OCA postpones general assembly and martial arts games because of escalating political tension in Bangkok. (Getty Images)The Olympic Council of Asia announced Monday that it would postpone both the 28th OCA General Assembly and the 1st Asian Martial Arts Games due to violence in Bangkok. They will now be held from June 6 to 14 in the Thai city.

According to media reports, approximately 30,000 'Red Shirt' protestors took to the streets in Thailand demanding Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva resign. At least 100 people were injured and several died during the military crackdown that followed the three-week protest. It is believed troopsfired automatic weapons in the air as well as tear gas to quell the demonstrations.

"It’s a pity that sports has been affected," Dave Carter, the Philippine delegation’s chef de mission told Philippine media. “All we can do is to pray and hope that the situation will be resolved peacefully by our Thai brothers."

The 1st Asian Martial Arts Games will feature judo karatedo, taekwondo, wushu, muay, pencak silat, kurash, kickboxing and jujitsu.

Woods Supports Golf Olympic Bid

Tiger Woods is doing his part to bring golf into the Olympic family.

Woods is among the 18 world-class Tiger Woods is giving his support to golf’s bid for inclusion in the 2016 Summer Olympics. (Getty Images)golfers who are supporting the International Golf Federation’s bid to win inclusion of the sport in the 2016 Summer Olympics, writing to the IOC’s U.S. representative, Anita DeFrantz and sending her a 32-page brochure.

Vijay Singh of Fiji, Colin Montgomerie of Scotland, Sergio Garcia of Spain and Padraic Harrington of Ireland are the other top golfers who have joined in the campaign for golf’s addition to the Olympic lineup.

“As we have consistently stated from the outset of the bid process, it is imperative that the best players in the world support golf’s Olympic effort,” IGF joint secretary Peter Dawson said.

Bolt Apologizes for Drug Comments

Olympic champion Usain Bolt has apologized for comments about smoking marijuana at a young age and learning to roll a joint, which were reported in a German newspaper.

“I want to apologize to the Triple Olympic gold medal winner Usain bolt has apologized for implying that all young children in Jamaica have smoked marijuana. (Getty Images)Jamaican people if at anytime it may have come across that all young people roll a joint,” Bolt said.

Bolt said in an interview published Sunday that children in Jamaica learn to roll a joint. “Everyone here has tried it. I did too – but I was real young then,” the newspaper quoted Bolt saying.

In his apology, the three-time Olympic gold medalist stated he has never smoked marijuana as a competitor and his family and friends do not smoke.

NBC to Place Restrictions on Olympic Online Coverage

NBC is planning to enforce a new authentication system that would require viewers to subscribe to a television service before viewing coverage of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, according to the Sports Business Journal.

To view free, live streaming of the Olympics, viewers would have to be a subscriber of a cable, satellite or telecom multichannel service that has an agreement with NBC.

If the viewer is not a subscriber, they would only be able to view archived footage.

NBC streamed more than 2,000 hours of coverage live during the Beijing Olympics. Internet users had to provide their zip code and cable provider to access the live stream.

The new authentication system would require users to provide their Internet Protocol (IP) address.

FIH Wants to Evaluate Olympics Qualifying Process

The International Hockey Federation wants to evaluate the World Cup qualifying procedure, according to its president, Leandro Negre.

“It is not a good qualifying system with one team coming through from each of the three tournaments,” Negre said.

“I think the old system where there was one qualifying tournament for either the World Cup or the Olympics and having four or five qualifiers was the better option.”

The qualifying system, which was released last year, splits 18 teams into three sets of six teams. The winners of each set qualify for the World Cup.

The continental winners and the hosts get an automatic berth and do not have to participate in the qualifying tournaments.

Negre also expressed concern about costs for producing three qualifying tournaments and the qualifying system forcing top teams to play in qualifying tournaments.

“Argentina are also a top team and they failed in the Pan American Games last month,” he said.

“Now they will play in a qualifying tournament. How does this help the smaller teams?”

Briefs…

…The IOC’s Olympic Studies Center launched its 2010 edition of the grant program which will focus on the history and values of the Olympic movement, focus on young researchers of the Olympic Movement and encourage networking among the researchers from various countries. The young researchers will include current postgraduate students, doctoral candidates and university professors.

Media Watch

The Associated Press has an article on how Princess Haya, the equestrian federation president, is dealing with the doping controversy surrounding her husband’s horse.

Ahead of the IOC’s inspection of Tokyo’s Olympic bid, Forbes Magazine reports on the city’s “Olympic bummer.”

The BBC has a report on the post-Games use of Beijing’s Olympic venues.

The Telegraph begins its look at the sports vying for Olympic inclusion with golf. Rod Gilmour thinks the sport in the Olympics is risible.

Financing the Games will be “decisive” in determining who wins the 2016 Olympics.

There is a “catch” to being a volunteer for the Vancouver Olympics.

USA Today has a response to its article about the lack of diversity in the U.S. Olympic movement from USA Track and Field.

A letter to the editor in the Wisconsin State Journal says hosting the Olympics in the neighboring state of Illinois would not be worth the cost to taxpayers.

American Law Daily, a law blog, looks at the legal side of Chicago’s bid for the Olympics.

Written by Trista McGlamery, Greg Oshust and Isia Reaves.