Tokyo Considers Guesthouse; Romanian NOC Chairman Resigns

Tokyo Considering Guesthouse for 2020

The Tokyo metropolitan government is weighing the possibility of building a guesthouse to host foreign dignitaries for the 2020 Olympic Games.

One current guest house, Akasaka Palace in Minato Ward, is seen by Tokyo Governor Yoichi Masuzoe as "an imitation of the Palace of Versailles."

The governor prefers a building with traditional Japanese architecture.

A site under consideration, Hamarikyu Gardens, is located near many of the Tokyo 2020 athletic facilities and the athlete’s village. However, as it is a national scenic and historic site, "It would be difficult in terms of landscape and preservation," Masuzoe said according to the Yomiuri Shimbun.

Romanian NOC Chairman Resigns

Octavian Morariu stepped down last week as chairman of the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee (COSR).

Morariu, an IOC member who is also involved European Rugby Association, told Xinhua, "I’ve led the institution for 10 years and I think I was a dedicated chairman in all these years."

He assumed his position with the COSR in 2004, before which he was chairman of the Romanian Rugby Federation.

"All my work requires me to be one hundred percent careful with what happens to COSR. There should be someone to handle the day-to-day activity. It would be for me a lack of morality and ethics to keep things like this."

Morariu was elected to the IOC in September.

New Van for OCI

The IOC has presented the Olympic Council of Ireland with a new Sprinter van as part of its Olympic Solidarity program.

The national sports federations accredited to the OCI will use the van to ferry athletes, teams and sporting gear from competition to competition throughout Ireland and Europe.

The new van is a replacement for the van originally presented to the council in 2001. Irish Olympic boxing will now use the older van as its athletes and coaches prepare for the 2016 Summer Games.

"This new van is very warmly received and will be extensively used by our many Olympic Sports Federations for transportation to competitions at home and abroad," OCI president Patrick Hickey said during the ceremony.

Hickey added, "Its presentation is a great example of the work of Olympic Solidarity and the positive impact it has on the work of national Olympic committees."

IOC To Meet with Pakistan

The IOC has warned Pakistan that a suspension will be imposed in July if the two competing Olympic bodies do not form an agreement.

A meeting has been proposed by the IOC in May in Lausanne bringing the Pakistan Olympic Association leadership and the Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) to resolve the issue of government interference.

"We accept your proposal for a new meeting and are pleased to invite you to Lausanne, Switzerland," the IOC letter to the IPC stated.

"We may propose the date of May 21 for a meeting with IOC representatives, including in particular IOC members Syed Shahid Ali and Arif Hasan."

Written byNicole Bennettand Aaron Bauer.

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