Olympics: Olympic Charter review imminent
Friday, 17 November 2000Fresh on the heels of this week's Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) controversy, the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne has announced it is to conduct a review of its Olympic Cahrter, which will include the current statutes of all National Olympic Committees.
In a week when OCI President Pat Hickey has received widespread criticism of the unfairly loaded nature of the current electoral policy, this new development will give a lot of the sporting bodies throughout the country added optimism for an end to Hickey's controversial reign as President.
Olympic medal winner Eamonn Coughlan, is the latest big name to add weight to the argument. Speaking in this morning's Irish Examiner, Coughlan voiced his agreement with comments made by Olympic gold medallist Michael Carruth. He said: "I absolutely agree with Michael that the existing executive of the Olympic Council should not only step down on the night of the election, but that they should absolutely step out too."
The current committee, who receive ten votes between them, as opposed to one for each of the twenty-six summer and winter sports, aren't the only body that Coughlan believes need re-evaluation. He added: "It would be hypocritical and contradictory to start pointing the finger at the OCI, and not at other sports too. The problems in certain other sports are the same. I believe it is time for a few other executives in other sports to step down, and to step out."
Filed by Shane Murray
