ASOIF Suspends SportAccord Partnership -- On the Scene

(ATR) The Association of Summer Olympic International Federations is pushing pause on its relationship with SportAccord in light of Marius Vizer’s provocative speech on Monday.

According to a release, ASOIF unanimously decided at its council meeting on Tuesday afternoon to "suspend ASOIF’s association with SportAccord with immediate effect pending a full review and formal clarification" of three points, including SportAccord’s mission, activities, and governance and management.

"This is precipitated by the reaction of our members," ASOIF executive director Andrew Ryan toldAround the Ringsafter the meeting at the Radisson Blu hotel in Sochi.

"It was very difficult for the ASOIF council, but they feel it’s an appropriate response to the comments made yesterday."

Ryan said that the ASOIF members - minus judo, the federation of which Vizer is the chief - are "unanimously" in support of the letter that was signed denouncing the Monday comments by the SportAccord president.

Members of ASOIF are free to maintain their relationships with SportAccord. The association "expresses its respect" to all members, regardless of their decision whether to remain a part of SportAccord.

ASOIF president Francesco Ricci Bitti tellsATR the review of the ASOIF relationship with SportAccord is needed.

"This has been what we aimed [for] for a long time. We have been lucky yesterday to have been given the [opportunity]. We have a very good reason to make the point."

Ricci Bitti could not commit to a timeframe for the review, but said ASOIF is "determined to do it as soon as we can."

"We really don’t need this," the International Tennis Federation president said, "We have enough to do."

ASOIF will rejoin SportAccord, Ricci Bitti said, when a "satisfactory solution" is reached.

The Summer Olympic federations will air their grievances to Vizer directly when he joins them for the ASOIF general assembly on Wednesday.

Archery, IPC Sever SportAccord Ties

World Archery president and IOC member Ugur Erdener says his federation sent an official letter of resignation to SportAccord management on Monday.

The athletics and shooting sport federations also backed out on Monday with more resignations expected in light of Vizer’s outburst.

"This is not a good situation in the international sports family," Erdener told ATR. "Unfortunately, this is the reality."

Like many federation heads, Erdener is deeply involved with the IOC.

"As an IOC member [and] also an IOC executive board member, I never agree with the situation yesterday. It was a big shock for me.

"As international sports family members, we have to be fair. We have to be very polite during our relations, our conversations, our speeches."

The International Paralympic Committee issued a statement saying it, too, was ending its relationship with SportAccord.

The statement says the IPC disagrees with Vizer and "certainly [does] not support his views."

"The IOC is the IPC’s most trusted long term partner, and I believe our partnership is an example of best practice, highlighting how the IOC works closely with a sports organization in order to achieve the best possible outcomes."

Written by Nick Devlin in Sochi

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