(ATR) FIFA President Gianni Infantino will be running unopposed in his bid for a second term.
World Football's governing body announced on Wednesday that Infantino was the only candidatefor the presidential election to take place at the 69th FIFA Congress in Paris on June 5.
Former Swiss international Ramon Vega, who also played for Tottenham Hotspur and Celtic during his career before becoming a successful businessman, attempted to run against Infantino but failed to get the required backing of at least five of FIFA's 211 member federations by Tuesday's deadline.
Infantino, 48, was elected in February 2016 to complete the term of the disgraced Sepp Blatter as FIFA President. At this point, he only needs topass the formality of eligibility and integrity checks to win re-election.
His first term was highlighted by the expansion of the men's World Cup from 32 to 48 teams and the selection of a joint USA/Canada/Mexico bid to host in 2026. He is currently trying to get the expanded tournament to debut in 2022 rather than in 2026.
Paris Welcomes Judo Grand Slam
The annual first grand slam event of the IJF World Judo Tour season is this weekend in Paris.
Paris Grand Slam 2019 will feature 609 competitors, 360 men and 249 women, from 98 countries over Saturday and Sunday. The draw and the weigh-in are on Friday.
The event is being held at the AccorHotels Arena of Bercy, which has a capacity of 14,500.
First place winners take home the gold medal and $5,000, divided between the judoka ($4,000) and the coach ($1,000). Second place finishers receive the silver medal and $3,000 ($2,400 for judoka and $600 for the coach) while the two bronze medalists receive $1,500 ($1,200 for judoka, $300 for the coach).
An international training camp will be held from February 11-14 following the weekend’s competition.
For more on the event, click here to watch a video from the International Judo Federation.
Wednesday Winners
Around the Rings is launching a new video feature, where we look back at the biggest winners in International sport over the past week. Take a look!
Written by Gerard Farek
For general comments or questions, click here .
25 Years at # 1: Your best source for news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com , for subscribers only.
Últimas Noticias
Utah’s Olympic venues an integral part of the equation as Salt Lake City seeks a Winter Games encore
Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation chief of sport development Luke Bodensteiner says there is a “real urgency to make this happen in 2030”. He discusses the mission of the non-profit organization, the legacy from the 2002 Winter Games and future ambitions.
IOC president tells Olympic Movement “we will again have safe and secure Olympic Games” in Beijing
Thomas Bach, in an open letter on Friday, also thanked stakeholders for their “unprecedented” efforts to make Tokyo 2020 a success despite the pandemic.
Boxing’s place in the Olympics remains in peril as IOC still unhappy with the state of AIBA’s reform efforts
The IOC says issues concerning governance, finance, and refereeing and judging must be sorted out to its satisfaction. AIBA says it’s confident that will happen and the federation will be reinstated.
IOC president details Olympic community efforts to get Afghans out of danger after Taliban return to power
Thomas Bach says the Afghanistan NOC remains under IOC recognition, noting that the current leadership was democratically elected in 2019. But he says the IOC will be monitoring what happens in the future. The story had been revealed on August 31 in an article by Miguel Hernandez in Around the Rings
North Korea suspended by IOC for failing to participate in Tokyo though its athletes could still take part in Beijing 2022
Playbooks for Beijing 2022 will ”most likely” be released in October, according to IOC President Thomas Bach.
