Zhukov Cites Sochi Advantage; ITTF Chief Seeks Reelection; Twenty20 Cricket for 2024?

Zhukov Cites Home Advantage for Sochi

Russian Olympic Committee president Alexander Zhukov insisted Thursday that home athletes will have a training advantage at the Sochi 2014 Winter Games.

Foreign competitors are restricted to isolated training weeks in the Russian resort in the run-up to next year's Games, while Russian athletes are free to use the facilities as they please, Zhukov said.

"For all foreign athletes, there is a fixed time when they can train at the Olympic venues in Sochi – training weeks or competitions, but there are no such limitations for our athletes," Zhukov said.

Zhukov also said the 11 venues built especially for the Olympics took into account the wishes of the respective federations.

"Olympic tracks are built with the consideration of requests and wishes expressed by all Russian sports federations," he said.

That appears to contradict claims made by Russian tycoon and chief of the Russian Biathlon Union president Mikhail Prokhorov, who said earlier this month that the Laura biathlon complex was not an optimal design for home athletes.

"The track meets all global standards, but our wishes, what sort of track we wanted to have a competitive advantage for our athletes, no one agreed with us," Prokhorov said at the Biathlon World Championships in Nove Mesto in the Czech Republic, where Russians won just one bronze and one silver medal.

EBU to Broadcast Paralympics Through 2016

The International Paralympic Committee signed a record-breaking broadcast deal with the European Broadcast Union on Thursday, with rights to air the Games through 2016.

According to the deal, the EBU would show the Paralympics and other Para-sport events on all platforms in 27 EBU countries excluding Russia in 2014 and the U.K. for both Games. A statement from the IPC says this is an unprecedented level of commitment so far in advance of a Paralympics.

"London 2012 was broadcast to over 100 countries reaching a cumulative global TV audience of 3.8 billion, all of whom I am sure were left inspired and excited by what they saw," said IPC president Philip Craven. "It is important that the world gets to see athletes in action outside of the Paralympics at events such as World and regional Championships."

Sharara Stands Again for ITTF President

Adham Sharara will run for another four years atop the International Table Tennis Federation.

President for the past 14 years, the Canadian announced this week at a meeting of the ITTF Executive Committee in Qatar he will stand again at the AGM scheduled for May in Paris.

Nominations close April 15. So far, Sharara is unopposed.

Twenty20 Cricket for 2024 Olympics?

Members of the MCC World Cricket Committee are backing a bid for the 2024 Olympics.

"The MCC World Cricket committee appreciates that a great deal of effort may be needed to lobby for the inclusion of cricket in the Olympic Games of 2024," says a Wednesday statement on lords.org.

"The committee accepts that, were cricket to be played in the Olympics, there would be a short-term loss in income for the ICC, and therefore for dispersion to its members, but is impressed with the potential boost for the game worldwide if cricket were to be included.

"Furthermore, the committee advocates Twenty20 cricket as the format to be played at the Olympics, thereby providing the ‘pinnacle’ of that form of the sport."

The MCC World Cricket Committee functions complementarily to the International Cricket Council, which is the international governing body for the sport and the one from which any bid must come.

Great Britain beat France by 158 runs in cricket’s first and only appearance at an Olympics: Paris 1900.

London Legacy Plans for Copper Box, Database

London’s only professional basketball team says players were "spellbound" by their recent visit to Copper Box.

The handball venue from the Olympics is undergoing transformations for legacy use and will host the London Lions from July 27, exactly one year after the opening ceremony of London 2012.

"[Basketball] was one of the most popular sports of the London 2012 Games and I’m sure will continue to be a popular sport with Londoners, said Dennis Hone, CEO of the London Legacy Development Corporation.

"The Copper Box will host at least 21 basketball games per year as well as offering a wide range of sporting opportunities for the public to use on a daily basis."

The first game in Copper Box is scheduled for August after the Lions relocate from Crystal Palace National Sports Center.

Also this week,LOCOG selected Sport England to receive its customer database with 5.3 million subscribers. Those who remain in the database will receive information about sport, volunteering and cultural opportunities throughout the United Kingdom. Transferring the database is part of LOCOG’s legacy proposal to increase sport and volunteering participation in the U.K.

"The British people took the Olympic and Paralympic Games to their hearts last summer," LOCOG chairman Sebastian Coe said. "These were the London 2012 fans and millions have chosen to stay engaged. I am delighted that we'll be able to continue to keep these amazing people informed and involved in the legacy of the Games."

A database transfer is an Olympic first, and LOCOG will not receive any financial benefit.

Chair of the partnership and Sport England CEO Jennie Price said: "London 2012 changed the way we think about sport, volunteering and our cultural life forever. The Games created a sense of community and excitement up and down the country and we will use the database to capture and keep that feeling."

Tokyo 2020 Athletes' Commission

Tokyo 2020 held its first Athletes' Commission meeting on Thursday.

The commission consists of 25 athletes and is chaired by Sport Director Yuko Arakida.

"By learning from past and present Japanese Olympians and Paralympians, we intend to reinforce our plan of thoughtful and innovative propositions for the Olympic and Paralympic family," said bid president Tsunekazu Takeda. "Best practices and insight derived from the Commission will be woven into our Games plan as we strive tirelessly to fine-tune our plans for the world's greatest sports celebration in 2020."

Written by Ed Hula IIIwith copy provided by exclusive partnership with RIA Novosti, the host agency of Sochi 2014

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