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Global Sports News

Pro-Tibet Foreign Activists Arrested Outside Beijing National Stadium

By AUDRA ANG
Associated Press Writer

BEIJING (AP) - Four foreign activists were led away by police Wednesday after unfurling pro-Tibet banners outside the Beijing National Stadium, where the opening ceremony for this week's Olympic Games will be held.

Two men from Students for a Free Tibet each climbed a light pole in front of the so-called Bird's Nest and put up the banners at dawn, said Lhadon Tethong, the New York-based group's executive director. The other two -- a man and a woman -- provided support from the base of the poles, she said.

It was the first demonstration at a venue for the games, which open Friday. Beijing organizers, who have taken great pains to put strict security measures in place to show that Beijing is capable of hosting the event, condemned the protest.

"We express our strong opposition," said Sun Weide, spokesman for the Beijing Olympics organizing committee. "In terms of assembly and demonstrations, China has related laws and regulations. We hope that foreigners will respect the related Chinese laws and regulations."

Sun said the demonstrators were "persuaded to leave" by police, who received tips from local residents about the protest. The four have not been arrested or taken to a police station, he said.

International Olympic Committee spokeswoman Emmanuelle Moreau said organizers should expect people to "use the platform of the Olympic Games to draw attention to their causes."

"The IOC are confident Beijing city authorities will assess the situation reasonably and act with tact and understanding," she said.

Tibet has been an extremely sensitive topic since protests against almost 50 years of Chinese rule turned violent in the region's capital of Lhasa in March. Many Tibetans insist they were an independent nation before communist troops invaded in 1950, while Beijing says the Himalayan region has been part of its territory for centuries.

Similar demonstrations were sparked in Tibetan communities throughout Western China and a massive crackdown by Chinese security forces ensued. Pro-Tibet groups say scores of monks and nuns have been arrested, imprisoned and beaten since March.

The uprising brought a tide of critical reporting by the foreign media and turned the Olympics torch relay into a melee of protests.

One of Monday's white and black banners said "Tibet will be free" and "Tibet Freedom" in Chinese. The other read, "One World, One Dream" -- the slogan for the Beijing Olympics -- followed by "Free Tibet." One of the men also flew the flag of the Dalai Lama's former Tibetan government.

"We've done this action today to highlight the Chinese government's use of the Beijing Olympics as a propaganda tool to whitewash their human rights record on Tibet," protester Iain Thom said from his perch about 50 feet (15 meters) off the ground, according to a recorded cell phone conversation posted on the group's Web site.

It could not be immediately confirmed if members of the group had breached the stadium's security perimeter. Canadian Television said the protest was outside a fence separating the public from the Olympics area.

Tethong said the demonstrators were peacefully led away by police and members of the internal security force after about an hour. No contact had been made with them because their phones were off, she said.

"It's absolutely critical that ... a message is sent to the Chinese government to meaningfully address and end violence and repression in Tibet or they will never be truly accepted by the international community," Tethong said.

Tethong's group identified the protesters as Thom, 24, of Scotland; Lucy Marion, 23, of England; Phill Bartell, 34, of Bridgewater, New Jersey; and Tirian Mink, 32, of Portland, Oregon.

While Beijing has announced that it would allow applications for public protests in three designated areas, it isn't immediately clear if any had been accepted.

China's human rights record and its policies in Tibet and Sudan have been a flash point in the run-up to the Aug. 8 Olympics as activists use the games to highlight their causes.

Former Olympic speedskater Joey Cheek had his visa revoked by Chinese authorities Wednesday, hours before he was set to travel to Beijing to urge the Chinese government to help make peace in the war-torn Darfur section of Sudan.

Cheek, the president and co-founder of a collection of Olympic athletes known as Team Darfur, had been planning to spend about two weeks in China.

One of his key initiatives was urging the international community to persuade Sudan to observe the ancient tradition of the Olympic truce during the Beijing Games.

More than 200,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million displaced in fighting in the western Sudanese region since ethnic African tribesmen took up arms in 2003.

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Associated Press sports writer Stephen Wade contributed to the report.

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On the Net:

Students for a Free Tibet Olympics site:
http://freetibet2008.org/

AP-CS-08-06-08 0259EDT

New Guidelines on Use of Club Professionals For Beijing Olympic Expected

ZURICH, Switzerland (AP) - FIFA will issue guidelines by Thursday to calm growing tension between clubs and countries over the use of players for the Beijing Olympics.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter, an International Olympic Committee member, is preparing to rule on whether players must report for national duty if selected for next month's Beijing Games, which conflict with the start of the European season.

Brazil star Ronaldinho has been chosen for China but the 28-year-old midfielder's Spanish club FC Barcelona is refusing to let him go. Brazil is to play the host nation on Aug. 13.

FIFA declined to comment Wednesday but said an official statement from the president's office is expected soon.

Blatter has been an IOC member since 1999 and is a strong supporter of the Olympic tournament.

"For any player, the Olympic football tournament represents a highlight of his career and I hope that a solution can be found," Blatter said in February.

Current FIFA rules obliges clubs to release players 23 and under, but allows them to withhold older players. Each of the 16 competing teams can have three overage players on its roster.

The informal rule is being tested by two German clubs after the announcement of the Brazil squad on Tuesday.

Werder Bremen has refused to release Diego, a 23-year-old midfielder, and Schalke wants to keep its 22-year-old defender Rafinha.

Both clubs say the players would miss preseason training and two Bundesliga games, while Schalke has a Champions League qualifying-round match scheduled for Aug. 12 or 13.

AP-CS-07-09-08 0826EDT

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Port Elizabeth Stadium Dropped From Confederations Cup

By DEVON HAYNIE
Associated Press Writer

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) - The new Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth was dropped Tuesday as a site for next year's Confederations Cup because construction has fallen behind schedule.

FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke cited technical problems with the roof, but said the venue will be ready for the 2010 World Cup, where it is scheduled to host eight games, including a quarterfinal.

Port Elizabeth Acting Mayor Bicks Ndoni objected, saying in a statement Tuesday that the venue will be able to be used for the Confederations Cup, an eight-nation tournament to be played from June 14-28 next year.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter said two weeks ago that a plan exists to move the World Cup in the event of "natural catastrophe."

Valcke would not comment Tuesday on where the World Cup could be moved. He said a "Plan B" was particularly necessary because a late cancellation of the tournament would cause of a loss of funds FIFA uses to stage other tournaments.

"If something happens in a country that is out of your control ... then you must somehow have a way of saving the event and saving the value of the event," he said.

The 2010 tournament has been plagued by stadium construction delays, transport problems, the possibility of power outages and security fears.

The Confederations Cup will be played at Johannesburg's Ellis Park along with venues in Bloemfontein, Pretoria and Rustenburg. The tournament includes the United States, Brazil, Egypt, Iraq, Italy, South Africa, Spain and the Oceania champion, likely New Zealand.

AP-CS-07-08-08 1444EDT

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European Clubs Reject Foreign Players Limit

NYON, Switzerland (AP) - Europe's best and wealthiest soccer clubs rejected FIFA's plan to restrict their use of foreign players on Tuesday.

Members of the new European Club Association -- representing 103 teams from 53 nations -- used their first business meeting to reject the so-called '6+5' rule proposed by Sepp Blatter, president of world soccer's governing body, to protect the national identity of clubs.

The rule would force clubs to start matches with at least six players eligible to play for the national team and a maximum of just five foreigners, despite European Union law on the freedom of movement of workers.

Clubs prefer a plan put forward by European governing body UEFA which is based on a quota of players on the roster who were developed in that country, regardless of nationality.

"There is no necessity for a 6+5 rule and the organization favors instead UEFA's homegrown approach," the ECA said in a statement Tuesday.

Club delegates meeting at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, confirmed Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Joan Laporta as chairman and vice chairman of the ECA.

Rummenigge, the chairman of German champion Bayern Munich, and FC Barcelona president Laporta represented clubs last month at a meeting with the European Union during which Brussels made it clear that '6+5' was unacceptable.

ECA's priorities include changing the international match calendar so players spend less time away on national team duty, and developing better relations with governments.

It was created in January to replace the G-14 lobby group of clubs which was seen as elitist and wanting too much influence in how soccer was run.

The ECA was recognized by FIFA and UEFA as an independent and democratic forum to help solve soccer's problems. As part of the deal, the G-14 dropped legal actions and threats to form a breakaway league while the governing bodies agreed to pay clubs for releasing players to participate in the finals of the European Championship and World Cup.

Clubs can lose their ECA place when membership is reviewed every two years to reflect performances in the Champions League and UEFA Cup competitions.

AP-CS-07-08-08 1245EDT

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Ukrainian President Visits Austria to Discuss Euro 2012

VIENNA, Austria (AP) - Ukraine hopes it can learn something from Euro 2008 co-host Austria as it struggles to prepare for the 2012 European Championship.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko was making a one-day visit to Vienna on Tuesday to see if his country could benefit from Austria's recent experience hosting the tournament with Switzerland.

Ukraine and Poland are co-hosting Euro 2012. UEFA has expressed concerns that both nations' preparations are seriously behind schedule, fueling speculation of plans for a backup host.

Both face the challenge of building stadiums and upgrading dilapidated infrastructure, such as roads, airports and hotels.

"The Ukrainian side is interested in learning Austria's positive experience in holding the recent European football championship," Yushchenko's office said.

The president also planned to meet with Austrian President Heinz Fischer, Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer and Senate President Barbara Prammer.

AP-CS-07-08-08 0550EDT

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Rebranding the European Cup for Better Profits

NYON, Switzerland (AP) - European football clubs were told Monday the UEFA Cup will be rebranded to revive its fortunes and earn them more money.

The competition has suffered in the shadow of the lucrative Champions League, which gives teams global exposure and huge television revenues.

While Manchester United earned euro43 million (US$67 million) for winning the 2008 Champions League, clubs who played in the UEFA Cup's 40-team group phase and subsequent knockout rounds shared just euro37 million (US$31 million).

"We always had the impression the UEFA Cup was a second-class competition," said Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, announcing the plans as chairman of the new European Club Association. "The money achieved in that competition has to be increased to make it more interesting for participating clubs."

Rummenigge said it could be renamed the UEFA Europa League and marketed more heavily for the 2009-10 season.

The UEFA Cup was last renamed in 1971 when it was a well-regarded competition for clubs who just missed out on the championship in their national leagues.

But its status has suffered in the last decade as the Champions League expanded to accept teams finishing as low as fourth in its league and reward them with payouts of millions of euros.

Many clubs now see entering the UEFA Cup as a poor consolation, after finishing just outside the Champions League qualifying place, winning a domestic cup or losing in a Champions League qualifying round.

"We have to come back to how it was 15-20 years ago when it was more important than it is today," said Rummenigge, whose club Bayern Munich reached the UEFA Cup semifinals last season but earned just euro4.5 million (US$7 million).

AC Milan finished fifth in Italy's Serie A last season and will play in the next UEFA Cup, just two years after winning the Champions League.

Milan director Umberto Gandini said the loss of money was a problem for the club.

"We know that it is going to be financially difficult for the club because there is a huge between the revenues available.

"But we have never won the UEFA Cup in our history, so it is a once and only occasion hopefully to fight for it," Gandini said.

Changes to the UEFA Cup would have to be approved by the governing body's executive committee which meets in Bordeaux, France, at the end of September.

AP-CS-07-07-08 1426EDT

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