I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y JANUARY 1, 2020 SPORTS 15

Kolakovic optimistic about IOC confirms Iran’s Marouf candidacy for election to Athletes’ Commission securing spot at Olympics MNA —The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has con- firmed the candidacy of Saeid Marouf, captain of the Iranian SPORTS TEHRAN — Iran volleyball head coach national volleyball team, for election to its Athletes’ Commission. deskIgor Kolakovic is optimistic that his team The captain of the Iranian national volleyball team successfully can finish first at the 2020 Men’s Asian Olympic Qualifi- passed the second round of requirements that would determine his cation Tournament. eligibility as a candidate for the election to the IOC Athletes’ Commis- Iranian have been drawn in Pool A along with , sion, and will now officially represent Iran among other candidates. Chinese Taipei and Kazakhstan. This stage included a test administered by the International Pool B consists of Australia, Qatar, India and Korea. Olympic Committee that confirmed Saeid Marouf’s full eligibility Eight teams will strut their stuff in the Men’s Tokyo to run for IOC Athletes’ Commission election. Volleyball Qualification 2020 at Jiangmen Sports Center The IOC Athletes’ Commission is a body maintained by the Gymnasium, China from Jan. 7 to 12, 2020 to vie for the International Olympic Committee for the purpose of representing top honor and the lone ticket for the Tokyo 2020. athletes. Established in 1981, its function is to act as “the link The volleyball training camp for the competition has between active athletes and the IOC.” kicked off in Tehran’s Azadi Hall. The Commission meets once or twice a year, and organizes “We have an important tournament ahead and know an Athletes’ Forum once every two years. that it will be difficult task because all participant teams An election for Commission members is held at each edition will take part at the competition looking to book a berth at of the Olympic Games, with members being chosen by a secret the 2020 Tokyo Olympics,” Kolakovic told the reporters. ballot of the athletes competing at those Games. “The year 2019 has been a busy calendar year for FIVB Four or five members are elected at each Summer Games and and we have little time for recovery,” he added. two or three at each Winter Games. They replace the group that “We have a lot of faith in our team and are hopeful of was elected at the Games of the same series eight years earlier. winning a berth at the Olympics, that’s why we are here. Marouf’s candidacy makes Iran’s first serious presence at We have no choice but to win a place at Tokyo,” the Mon- the election to IOC Athletes’ Commission. Iran has had no rep- tenegrin coach stated. resentative at this Commission so far. Iran will participate at the 2020 Men’s Asian Olympic The International Olympic Committee is a not-for-profit in- Qualification Tournament without warm-up games. dependent international organization made up of volunteers, “We invited Tunisia, Egypt and Qatar to Iran but they which is committed to building a better world through sport. It didn’t accept our invitation. France also said they will host redistributes more than 90 percent of its income to the wider us in January and it doesn’t work,” Kolakovic concluded. sporting movement. Iran will start the campaign with a match against Chi- nese Taipei on Jan. 7 and meet Kazakhstan and China in the following days. FFIRI General Assembly to Iran chosen to host FIBA U16 Asian Jaber Sadeghzadeh retains Iran’s be held in May 2020 Championship Pahlevan title TASNIM — Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) General Assembly will be held on May 7, 2020. On Monday, Heydar Baharvand was appointed as the feder- ation’s acting president. Iran’s Sports Minister Masoud Soltanifar has said that the activities should be carried out in accordance with the regulation by Baharvand until May. Baharvand will work as acting president until the General Assembly elects its president in May. Mehdi Taj resigned as president of Iran football federation on Sunday due to the heart problems. He was hospitalized last week and the doctors recommended him to step off from his role.

Esteghlal eye Irish forward Anthony Stokes SPORTS TEHRAN – Iran has at the World Cup in Sofia, Bulgaria. SPORTS TEHRAN – Jaber in which athletes from across the country deskbeen chosen to host Iran have never participated in the last deskSadeghzadeh retained participate to achieve the title. the 2020 FIBA U16 Asian Champion- five editions of the FIBA U17 Basketball title of Iran’s Pahlevani Wrestling Cham- Though the competition has ancient roots, IRNA — Iranian football giant Esteghlal have set sight on signing ship by FIBA Asia. World Cup. pionship for the sixth time on Monday. its modern form has been held since 1944. Ex-Tractor forward Anthony Stokes. The competition, which will be held The FIBA U16 Asian Championship is He defeated Mehdi Hassanpour in the Winner of this title is called Pahlavan and The 31-year-old hitman left Tractor in July to Join TFF First Tehran from March 23 to April 2, 2020, an under 16 basketball championship in final match of the +100kg weight class. wears the special Bazouband (Armband). League club Adana Demirspor on a two-year contract, with the brings 16 Asian teams together at the the International Basketball Federation’s The final day of Iran’s Pahlevani Wres- The United Nations Educational, Scien- option of a third. Azadi Hall. FIBA Asia zone. The event started in 2009 tling Championship was held on Monday tific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) The former Arsenal forward joined Tractor in June 2018 and The event will also act as the FIBA U17 and is held bi-annually. in Tehran’s Iran Mall. registered Pahlevani and Zourkhaneh rituals scored 15 goals in 23 matches for the Iranian top-flight football club. Basketball World Cup qualification. Iran won a bronze medal in the first edi- Pahlavan of Iran is an annual Pahle- in the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage Now, Esteghlal are going to sign Stokes in the January trans- The top four teams will book their places tion held in 2009 in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. vani Wrestling competition held in Iran, in 2014. fer window. The Blues also want to hire Zob Ahan striker Arsalan Motahari. Esteghlal sit fifth in Iran Professional League, five points Asian Paralympic Committee launch new Strategic Plan behind leader Persepolis. The Asian Paralympic Committee (APC) launched its new cellence from grassroot to elite level’ reflects the role of the veloped. These are: Strategic Plan which will take the organization through to APC as the IPC’s representative in the region and organizer * Enhance the positive impact of the Paralympic Move- Iranian top sports officials to 2023 and follows the launch of the International Paralympic of the , the largest multi para-sport event ment in Asia Committee’s new plan which was unveiled in July. outside of the Paralympic Games. * Improve the standard of the Asian Para Games and meet IOC chief Work began on the new plan in February at the APC’s Speaking about the new Vision and Mission, APC Pres- leave a legacy General Assembly and Conference when the NPCs who ident Majid Rashed said: “The Paralympic Movement in * Drive a cultural shift through Para Sport for an in- make up the APC’s membership took part in facilitated Asia has been growing rapidly, fueled in part by having clusive Asia TASNIM — Iran’s National Olympic Committee President workshops. These identified the key challenges that the three Paralympic Games in quick succession in our region. * Strengthen APC and Asian Para Games brands Reza Salehi Amiri and Sports Minister Masoud Soltanifar plan Paralympic Movement in Asia faces and outlined the mem- However, there is still a long way to go to ensure that Asian * Develop excellence in our organization, operations to travel to Lausanne, Switzerland in January. bership’s vision for the role that the APC should play in para-athletes get the opportunities and recognition that and governance The Iranian officials will travel to the Swiss city to meet Inter- meeting these challenges. they deserve. Our new strategic plan will shape the APC’s Tarek Souei, APC CEO, said: ”We welcome the new Stra- national Olympic Committee (IOC) chief Thomas Bach. The process, led by an outside expert Eng. Hatim Ab- activity through to 2023 to make sure that the organization tegic Plan and the sharper focus that it puts on our Executive A total of 1880 athletes aged 15-18 from 80 countries will dulrahim, has seen the new Board of the APC discuss and is focused on doing everything that we can to grow, develop Team to deliver on behalf of the Paralympic Movement in descend upon Lausanne for the 2020 Youth Olympic Games, develop a new Vision, Mission and Values for the organization and sustain the Movement right across Asia. We’re looking Asia. We are a very diverse region and face many different which will be held from January 9 to 22. and set five new strategic priorities with targeted outcomes. forward to delivering the plan on behalf of our members challenges but we all share the same vision to use the power Iran will also send six athletes to the competition. The new vision is ‘Make for an inclusive Asia through and for the benefit of Asian para-athletes.” of para-sport to drive inclusion not just for para-athletes Para-sport’ which aligns closely with the new IPC vision The plan also identifies three new values for the APC: but for all people with impairment across the region. ‘Make for an inclusive world through Para-sport’. The new Solidarity, Diversity and Sustainability. These are designed We saw this power in action in Indonesia in 2018 at the North Korea pulls out Mission ‘To lead the Paralympic movement in Asia, deliver to specifically meet the needs of the region whilst comple- Asian Para Games and determined to build on this for the successful and sustainable Asian Para Games and support menting the Paralympic Values. ” of women’s 2020 soccer the NPCs to enable Para-athletes to achieve sporting ex- In addition, five new Strategic Priorities have been de- (Source: Mediaoffice.ae) qualifiers in South

Lee, Paik out of Korea Republic squad Redskins fire Allen, begin offseason overhaul North Korea has withdrawn its women’s soccer team from the Korea Republic will be without Lee Kang- Redskins owner Daniel Snyder fired team final round of 2020 Tokyo Olympics qualifiers being staged in in and Paik Seung-ho for their challenge in president Bruce Allen and the overhaul in South Korea in February, the Asian Football Confederation AFC U23 Championship Thailand 2020. Washington officially began Monday morning. (AFC) has said. The Korea Football Association Before a well-publicized meeting with The AFC said on Tuesday the North had sent a letter informing announced on Monday that Valencia former Carolina Panthers head coach Ron it of its withdrawal from the tournament and that global governing CF midfielder Lee and SV Darmstadt Rivera began, Snyder made the announce- body FIFA was also aware of the decision. 98 midfielder Paik Seung-ho are not ment regarding Allen’s ouster. The two Koreas remain technically at war after the Korean available for the tournament which also “As this season concludes, Bruce Allen War ended in a truce and not a peace treaty, and while there was serves as the Qualifiers for the 2020 the senior national team. has been relieved of his duties as presi- ning the Sporting News Executive of the a flurry of sports diplomacy between the neighbours last year Tokyo Olympics. Lee had an outstanding FIFA U-20 dent of the Washington Redskins and is Year award in 2002 when the Raiders won ties have again cooled over stalled negotiations over the North’s Head coach Kim Hak-bum had an- World Cup in June, winning the Gold- no longer with the organization. Like our the AFC championship. nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. nounced his 22-man roster last Tuesday, en Ball as Korea Republic emerged run- passionate fan base, I recognize we have not Starting with the 2010 season, the Red- “The AFC can confirm that DPR Korea Football Association leaving one spot open in hopes of filling ners-up. lived up to the high standards set by great skins own the NFL’s fourth-worst record sent an official letter to withdraw from the Women’s Olympic it with either Lee or Paik. The KFA said FC Seoul defender Yoon Redskins teams, coaches and players who at 62-96-1 under Allen’s watch, including Football Tournament 2020 Asian Qualifiers Final Round,” the According to the KFA, Valencia would Jong-gyu is the 23rd player in the squad have come before us. As we reevaluate our a 3-13 mark this season. AFC said in an emailed statement. have agreed to release Lee if not for his and he will train Korea Republic for their team leadership, culture and process for Washington made the playoffs twice in The third round of group stage matches for the qualifying quad injury while Darmstadt wanted Paik training camp in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. winning football games, I am excited for the past 10 seasons, losing both times in the tournament will be held from Feb. 3-9 in South Korea and China. to play in the group stage only, whereas Korea Republic will face defending the opportunities that lie ahead to renew wild-card round. In the Allen era, the Redskins North Korea were drawn in Group A alongside hosts South Korea Republic wanted the 22-year-old champions Uzbekistan, China PR and our singular focus and purpose of bringing have hired and fired two head coaches — Mike Korea, Vietnam and Myanmar. Australia are in Group B with for the entire competition. Islamic Republic of Iran in Group C at championship football back to Washington Shanahan and Jay Gruden. The Redskins also hosts China, Taiwan and Thailand. German club SC Freiburg, how- Thailand 2020. D.C.,” Snyder said in a statement. fired then-head coach Jim Zorn less than three The top two teams from each group advance to a two-legged ever, have released midfielder Jeong They will open their campaign against Allen was hired as Redskins general weeks into Allen’s tenure in Jan. 2010, and playoff in March. The two playoff winners will join Japan, who Woo-yeong. The 20-year-old is the only China on January 9, before facing Iran manager in December 2009. He previously Bill Callahan is finishing this season as interim have already qualified by virtue of being hosts, at next year’s Europe-based player on coach Kim’s team. (January 12) and Uzbekistan (January 15). worked in the front offices of the Oakland coach after Gruden was fired in early October. Olympics in Tokyo. Both Lee and Paik have played for (Source: the-afc) Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, win- (Source: Reuters) (Source: Reuters)