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AFC condemns unprovoked attack on Al Husseini Stadium by Israeli forces

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Kuala Lumpur: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) strongly condemns the unprovoked and horrific attack launched by Israeli forces on players and spectators during the Abu Ammar Cup Final match between Balata FC and Jabal Al Mukabber at the Faisal Al Husseini International Stadium in al-Ram on Thursday night.
 
Tear gas and rubber encased bullets were used by the Israeli forces during the assault, which led to the match being halted as several Palestinian players and fans, including children and women, suffered from breathlessness due to tear gas inhalation and had to be treated with both pitchside and in hospital.
 
The AFC calls for an immediate end to all acts of violence by the Israeli forces against the Palestinian people and stands in firm solidarity with the Palestine Football Association and the Palestinian football community.

Anti-Doping Steering Committee presents first Report to Kenyan Government

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ATHLETICS INTEGRITY UNIT, 1 1 ST FLOOR, 6 QUAI ANTOINE 1ER, MC 98007, MONACO PRESS RELEASE ANTI-DOPING STEERING COMMITTEE PRESENTS FIRST REPORT TO KENYAN GOVERNMENT

31 MARCH 2023, MONACO: Member of the Anti-Doping Steering Committee spearheading the fight against doping in Kenyan athletics, Brett Clothier, says the Kenyan Government’s US$25 million commitment to the special project for the next five years gives the Committee the financial muscle to deal with the major problem.

Speaking in Nairobi today as the Committee presented its first Kenya Anti-Doping Report to the Kenyan Government, Clothier – who is Head of the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) – lauded the Government for supporting the eradication of doping in Kenyan athletics.

“We must commend the Government of Kenya for the excellent commitment, which will help neutralise the doping menace and keep Kenya’s athletics arena clean. This will be a long road, but as the AIU, we are very glad to contribute to this government initiative that seeks to end doping in Kenya,” said Clothier.

The Anti-Doping Steering Committee – comprising representatives from the AIU, the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) and Athletics Kenya (AK) – has developed a roadmap geared at combatting the doping scourge among Kenyan athletes, with a view to reducing doping substantially. Among the plans outlined in its first report, the Committee has indicated it will draw upon the extensive expertise of a multiagency team to investigate and prosecute doping matters. It will also increase testing among Kenyan athletes as well as enhance educational and integrity programmes for athletes and athlete personnel. Clothier stressed, however, that in its quest to clean up Kenyan athletics, the Steering Committee expects to initially be confronted with a higher number of doping cases as it ramps up testing and its overall integrity vigilance.

Principal Secretary for the State Department for Sports, the Honourable Jonathan Mueke, and Chief Administrative Secretary for the department, the Honourable Wesley Korir (2012 Boston Marathon winner), received the report on behalf of the Kenyan Government. Mueke commented that the report presented an implementation strategy that will see Kenya eradicate doping from its sporting ecosystem.

“The ministry is satisfied with the work that has been done by this Committee, culminating in the establishment of this report,” he said.

“We are confident that, with the strategies contained in this report, we are going to completely bring the doping menace under control in Kenya.”

Stating that doping is a matter of strategic interest to Kenya, Mueke stressed no effort will be spared to ensure the scourge is neutralised. He challenged Kenyan athletes to continue flying the Kenyan flag high by running cleanly.

Athletics Kenya President Lt Gen. Jackson Tuwei added that Kenya is a globallyknown sporting nation – an athletics powerhouse – and therefore it is the country’s responsibility to maintain an international reputation of competing without cheating.

Adjustments to new whip rules

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As part of the ongoing roll out of the new whip rules the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has engaged in ongoing communication with the Professional Jockeys Association (PJA) and senior jockeys from both codes.

As a result of this constructive dialogue and the BHA’s monitoring of bedding-in period and implementation, a selection of small adjustments have been introduced to the rules and processes involved, as below.

Brant Dunshea, Chief Regulatory Officer for the BHA, said:

“We are very grateful to the PJA and to our jockeys, both for the manner in which they continue to adapt to riding under the new rules, and their constructive engagement with the process which has helped bring about these further improvements.

“We will continue to liaise with the PJA and jockeys as we continue the roll-out and embedding of the new rules.”

  1. Repeat offences

Currently any rider who commits three offences of any type is referred to the Independent Judicial Panel. However, on an interim basis, the rule has been changed such that:

  • Any jockey will be referred to the Independent Judicial Panel following their third above permitted level-only offence within a six-month period.
  • However, a jockey will not be referred to the Independent Judicial Panel after just three ‘technical’ offences.
  • Instead, once a jockey commits five offences of any type (this can be a combination of above permitted level and other misuse offences) within a six-month period they will be referred to the Independent Judicial Panel.
  • Should a jockey be referred for either three above permitted level offences or five offences of any type, then these offences drop off their referral record so a jockey cannot be referred twice for the same offence

This is to distinguish between offences for use above the permitted level and those offences which are in relation to technique, as jockeys continue to adjust their riding styles.

This is an interim adjustment which has been put in place until the BHA and PJA hold a formal review in the summer after full implementation across both codes has passed.

  1. Suspension dates

During initial drafting of the rules it was intended that a suspension imposed by the Whip Review Committee (WRC) should be imposed 14-days from the date of the referral by the stewards.

However, following discussions with the PJA it was felt that there could be several occasions where there would be insufficient time for a jockey referred to the WRC (and suspended) to lodge an appeal, and for it to be heard prior to the suspension.

The position agreed therefore was that all suspensions imposed by the WRC should start 14-days from its written decision.

Having been through the bedding-in period, and with suspensions now being imposed, the PJA and its members have asked to have the option to serve a suspension as if imposed by stewards on a raceday.

Therefore, jockeys in receipt of a notice of suspension from the WRC will now have the option of requesting that the suspension commences 14 days after the date of the referral by the stewards, should they not wish to appeal the penalty.

Otherwise the suspension will be served 14 days from the date of the WRC decision.

  1. Riding fees

The rule has now been changed such that should a rider be disqualified from a race due to excessive use of the whip they will also forfeit their riding fee.

  1. Whip Review Committee meetings

The Whip Review Committee will now switch to meeting twice a week rather than once.

The basic structure of the WRC’s meetings will be as follows:

Meet

Rides considered

Tuesday

Previous Thursday – Sunday

Friday

Previous Monday – Wednesday

The next meeting of the WRC will be on Friday 31 March, covering rides from Monday 27 to Wednesday 29 March.

  1. Without regard to stride

References to the misuse offence ‘Without Regard to Stride’ (double strike) have been removed from the Whip Guidance. Offences of this nature will now instead be categorised as Without Time to Respond.

The CAS confirms the life ban imposed on Rosnick Grant, Former Vice-President of the Haitian Football Federation, following acts of harassment and sexual abuse

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In the proceedings between Mr Rosnick Grant and the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has decided to confirm the life ban imposed on Mr Rosnick Grant, former Vice-President and Head of Referees of the Haitian Football Federation (FHF), by the Adjudicatory Chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee for violation of Article 23 (protection of physical and mental integrity) and Article 25 (abuse of power) of the FIFA Code of Ethics in connection with acts of harassment, sexual abuse, threats and coercion against female referees. The fine of CHF 100,000 initially imposed on Mr Rosnick Grant was reduced to CHF 35,000.

In May 2020, the Investigatory Chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee opened an investigation into Mr Yves Jean-Bart, former President of the FHF, who was suspected of having coerced several female players from the National Technical Centre in Croix-des-Bouquets into having sexual relations with him. During the proceedings, the Investigatory Chamber identified Mr Rosnick Grant as one of the perpetrators of sexual abuse and opened an investigation against him in August 2020. On 22 July 2021, based on the final report of the FIFA Ethics Committee, the testimony of a victim, the statements of Mr Rosnick Grant, and the statements of the Chairman of the Investigation Chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee, the Adjudicatory Chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee issued the Challenged Decision.

On 6 October 2021, Mr Rosnick Grant filed an appeal at CAS requesting the annulment of the Challenged Decision, claiming that he was innocent of the charges against him. A CAS Panel of three arbitrators, composed of Mr Alexander McLin, President (Switzerland/USA), Prof. Gérald Simon (France) and Mr José J. Pintó (Spain), was constituted to decide the appeal. A hearing was held on 15 and 16 February 2023, during which numerous witnesses were heard, some of whom benefited from special protective measures.

As a basis for its decision, the Arbitral Panel considered the testimony of a victim, who had travelled to Switzerland for the hearing, to be accurate, coherent and credible. The Panel also noted the inconsistency and imprecision in the statements of the witnesses called by Mr Rosnick Grant, most of whom stated, in a contradictory and unconvincing manner, that the accusations against Mr Rosnick Grant were the result of a conspiracy against him. Finally, the Arbitral Panel found that the fine imposed on Mr Rosnick Grant was disproportionate to the salary conditions he was subject to in Haiti.

In conclusion, the Arbitral Panel found that the evidence against Mr Rosnick Grant regarding the sexual abuse charges was sufficiently convincing and that, as a result, the sanction imposed on Mr Rosnick Grant by the Court should be confirmed, with the exception of the fine, which was reduced to CHF 35'000. This decision comes a few weeks after another CAS decision concerning the former President of the FHF, Mr. Yves Jean-Bart, who was released from the sanctions imposed on him by FIFA due to insufficient evidence. That CAS decision is currently being appealed to the Swiss Federal Tribunal.

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