Reuters
Published Jan 26, 2021 06:05AM ET
Updated Jan 26, 2021 07:00AM ET
By Karolos Grohmann
BERLIN (Reuters) - Italy on Tuesday approved a decree guaranteeing the autonomy of the country's Olympic committee, a day before the IOC was due to discuss imposing sanctions on the host of the 2026 winter Olympics over perceived government interference in sporting matters.
The IOC had threatened to ban the Italian flag and anthem at this year's Tokyo Olympics over a draft Italian sports law that hands power over sports funding to a government-run body instead of to CONI, the national Olympic committee.
The cabinet approved a decree on Tuesday morning securing CONI's autonomy with a string of what it called "urgent measures regarding the organisation and functioning of CONI."
"In order to ensure the full operation of the Italian National Olympic Committee and its autonomy and independence as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the text gives CONI its own organic endowment of personnel, including management," the government said.
CONI chief Giovanni Malago has contacted the IOC, of which he is a member, to inform it of the news.
The IOC Executive Board is due to meet on Wednesday, and sanctions on Italy had been on the agenda aside from a raft of Tokyo Olympics-related matters.
The IOC is allergic to any kind of government involvement in sports affairs, even at the national level, saying that sports should be independent of any government influence.
Italy is set to host the 2026 winter Olympics and any sanction ahead of Tokyo would have been a major embarrassment.
It is not unusual for the IOC to threaten or impose sanctions on countries over government interference, as has been the case in recent years with India, Kuwait and Ghana among others.
Russia is currently banned from flying its flag or having its anthem played at the Tokyo Games, and its athletes will compete as neutrals in the wake of a doping scandal that has hung over the world of sport for the last five years.
Written By: Reuters
Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.