West African Countries Excluded from Boxing Congress -- Federations Focus

(ATR)Three West African countries are barred from participating in the International Boxing Association’s (AIBA) 2014 congress.

Athletes and officials from Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia will not be in Jeju, South Korea next week for the AIBA congress. Although the three countries have been facing discrimination due to fears over the Ebola virus, an AIBA spokesperson told Around the Rings that the virus was responsible for one country’s ban.

"We follow the recommendation of the World Health Organization and refused only one country, Guinea. Liberia and Sierra Leone are not eligible to participate in the congress."

"For the World Championships, so far, we have not refused participation of any country," he added.

The 2014 AIBA Congress is scheduled for Nov. 13 – 25.

European Golf Tournament Bidding In Progress

(ATR) Bidding for the sixteenth Solheim Cup is now underway.

Last week, European golf federation Ladies European Tour issued a statement to formally begin the bidding process for the 2019 Solheim Cup, a biannual tournament featuring top players from both sides of the Atlantic.

"The Solheim Cup combines the tradition and prestige of the game of golf with passion for one’s country," an LET statement boasts.

"This biennial, trans-Atlantic team match-play competition features the best U.S.-born players from the Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour and the best European members from the Ladies European Tour."

The 2015 Solheim Cup will take place at Golf Course St. Leon-Rot in Germany.

Potential Conflict Between German Olympic Bid, Football Tournament

(ATR) The Euro 2024 football tournament could clash with Germany’s Olympic aspirations.

The German Olympic committee is considering both Hamburg and Berlin for a 2024 or 2028 bid, but the country has expressed interest in hosting Euro 2024 as well, posing a potential conflict of dates for a German Olympics.

A report on Wednesday from Germany’s DPA says a decision on the Euro 2024 football tournament will come in 2018.

The IOC will select a host city for the 2024 Olympics in 2017.

IF Forum 2014

ATRis in Lausanne for the eighth annual International Federations Forum. The forum is an opportunity for IF representatives to gather and discuss issues facing sport today.

Clickhereto view photos from the event.

Written by Andrew Murrell and Ed Hula III

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