European Games

[intoronto]

Yes that is a main issue to get the venues ready, but why a city/country will have to a lower event ??? It works well at the opposite way. You first go to a continental event before hosting a worldwide one !

So may be, Istanbul (or yes Madrid if once again unsuccessful in their olympic quest) could be interested if awarded the Euro 2020 !

Melbourne hosted the 56 Olympics then staged the Commonwealth games in 06. Mexico city hosted the 68 Olympics and then the 75 Pan Ams

[gotosy]

European Games Concerns

Gymnastics president Bruno Grandi, basketball secretary general Patrick Baumann, boxing boss C.K. Wu and athletics chief Lamine Diack were among the federation leaders to chime in on a budding European Olympic Committees proposal for a possible European Games.

All four appeared staunchly opposed to the idea, and so too did Oswald.

“At the end, if we add, add, add, we are nearly at the end of possibilities,” he said.

For Grandi, there are continents in the Olympic Movement that ASOIF already has to heavily subsidize each year, he said.

There would also need to be an increase in qualifying quotas granted to Europe by the IOC, he said.

Baumann argued that FIBA focuses more on club competitions at present and that a European Games would pose “insurmountable problems” all IFs.

Diack chimed in to say that neither the athletic calendar nor the resources at hand will allow room for another multi-sport Games.

And for Wu, the lack of space on boxing's already busy annual calendar is AIBA's biggest concern, he said.

Oswald then suggested the drafting of a document during a break from Tuesday's meetings that reflects the reservations of IFs regarding the European Games proposal and that every discussion about the project must involve the international federations and not just the European ones.

Otherwise, he suggested, only divisiveness will result.

ATR

[Texas]

In the case of the European Games, would Kosovo be represented by Albania?

[markun]

Kosovo wouldn't be represented at all as they don't have an NOC.

[SwissO]

ASOIF Urged to 'Keep the Leadership' of European Games Project - 23 May 2012 -

By Jonathan Rest in Quebec City

Denis Oswald, the outgoing president of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations, has called on his members to maintain "leadership" of a controversial project by the European Olympic Committee to launch a European Games, a proposed regular continental multi-sports event along the lines of the Asian Games and the Pan American Games.

ASOIF has led opposition to the European Games, the brainchild of EOC president Pat Hickey, stressing that it has not been fully consulted on the project, even though it is up to the international federations to set their own calendars.

Oswald, addressing ASOIF members at their general meeting in Quebec City, Canada today, said: "We still have reluctance to these games. The situation in Europe is different to other continents as there are already a lot of competitions there. It is difficult to fit more into the calendar and it is difficult for the athletes too.

"We have strongly remarked to the EOC that the international federations are in charge of their sport in the different continents and that they have to deal with us.

"We held a second meeting with them two or three weeks ago where we were informed of the state of their progress. They apologised for dealing with European organisations and not with international federations, but in the meantime they have been dealing with just one international federation and are still dealing with European organisations."

In a direct message to ASOIF members, Oswald added: "You should ensure you keep the leadership of this project."

Oswald said that the EOC has dropped initial plans to include non-Olympic sports on a proposed European Games programme, and has "the support, but not the full commitment" of 11 sports for the project.

However he continued: "None of these are what you call core sports. They realise that if they don't have major sports, their project will not work. They are really now dealing strongly with European Athletics and discussing with gymnastics too."

Oswald said that "a number of" national Olympic committees had "expressed their reservations, if not their opposition, to the project," citing concerns over resources and athlete availability.

The Scandinavian countries and Germany, Oswald noted, are strong opponents of the European Games.

At a European Athletics council meeting in Vienna, Austria last month, discussions took place aimed at developing a common set of criteria for judging any proposals for athletics to be part of new multi-sports events, although, according to Hansjoerg Wirz, the president of European Athletics president, they were not specifically aimed at the European Games, rather to create a blueprint for the future.

After that meeting, European Athletics said in a statement: "Any European multi-sports event must create for athletics important additional awareness and values, an increased image as well as an important higher economical effect, must fit into the international calendar of athletics, the control of the competition and activities must be secured by European Athletics, and additional television exposure and audience is also a condition, among other criteria."

Sportcal

[SwissO]

Interesting old articles explaining the opposition of IFs

ASOIF Sends Five-point Letter to Federations and Rogge Opposing EOC's European Games Plan Games - 06 Dec 2011 - By Callum Murray

Growing concerns over a proposal to launch a quadrennial European Games multi-sports event in 2015 have been brought into sharp focus by a letter sent today by the Association of Olympic International Federations to each of its 28 international federation members, and copied to Jacques Rogge, the president of the International Olympic Committee.

The three-page letter, signed by Denis Oswald and Andrew Ryan, respectively the president and director of ASOIF, raises five separate objections to the plans and means, according to Ryan, that “we do not support [the plan], and do not believe it is feasible.”

Ryan stressed: “We don’t believe it’s feasible whatsoever, and we’ll not support it in its current form with everything we know.”

ASOIF’s objections stem from what it believes is a lack of consultation with the international sports federations, which would have to supply the athletes and officials for the games and clear a space in their own international calendars to make room for the event.

The association said that it is already in discussions with two of the bodies behind existing continental multi-sports events about compensation for international federations for the work involved in preparing their staff and officials for the games.

ASOIF is also concerned that continental bodies, such as European Athletics, are being sounded out over the possibility of dropping their own championships in the relevant years (in athletics’ case the European Athletics Championships) to make way for the European Games.

Some international federations are thought to believe that the EOC is deliberately attempting to by-pass and undermine them, given that the majority of approaches over the European Games concept have been to the continental (European) federations and not to the international governing bodies of the sports concerned.

Speaking exclusively to Sportcal, the president of one international federation, who is also an International Olympic Committee member, claimed that the international federations have not been consulted about the European Games plans and that the EOC’s discussions with European federations are divisive, threatening to drive a wedge between world and continental governing bodies.

Details of the European Games plan emerged for the first time at the general assembly of the European Olympic Committees in Sochi in Russia last month, when a presentation was given on the results of a feasibility report by Deloitte, the business consultants, which is due for completion and circulation to national Olympic committees for their comments this month.

The games are needed to boost sport in Europe, which is falling behind in the Olympics medal table, according to Pat Hickey, president of the EOC. The proposed quadrennial games, lasting 14 days, are budgeted to cost €182 million ($243 million) to stage and to bring in revenues of €124 million, with the difference of €58 million to be provided by governments and/or host cities.

The games concept is Hickey’s brainchild and he claimed: “The games would be manageable; we’ve calculated that there are 50 cities in Europe that would be capable of hosting them.”

Hickey, who said that the games would be relatively compact, with “approximately 15 sports” of which 12 would be Olympic sports, argued that the games could slot in between the Olympics - starting in 2015 - and claimed to have the support of 47 of the 49 European national Olympic committees.

The international federations’ anticipated opposition to the plans was put down by some delegates at the EOC assembly to a kneejerk reaction stemming from a historic rivalry and power struggle between national Olympic committees and international federations. However, the claim was denied by Ryan who argued that relations between the two groups are the best they have been for some time.

Ryan said: “The reason we sent the letter is that almost all of our members have been expressing concern about what they were reading in the media about the European Games feasibility study. The purpose is to make sure they are well-informed about the discussions.

“The issues we have with the proposal are: the impact of the games on the international sports calendar; the impact on the Olympic qualifying process; the impact on the value of the European sports sponsorship pool and TV rights values within Europe; the implications for sports governance and lines of communication in Europe; and the mounting costs for IFs of providing officials for such events and the lack of discussion about compensation.”

Ryan explained:

• Calendar: “There has been no discussion about a European Games in July or August 2015 falling into an Olympic qualifying period [for the Rio Olympics the following year] for events that take place in the summer. One solution is for all [continental] multi-sports games to be held in the same weeks, but that means even more call on IF officials. The calendar is already completely chock-a-block and blocking out two weeks is just not possible."

• Olympic qualifying: “All games want us to include them in our Olympic qualifying process, but it’s usually not possible because continental events are not open to all athletes. The only compromise is to have five continental events during the qualifying period, but that usually doesn’t work out. Some IFs have included the Pan American Games in their Olympic qualifying, but then they have to balance that with similarly valued events all round the world. If another event was brought in, some IFs could decide that none [of the continental multi-sport games] would count towards the Olympics, and that would be catastrophic for the Pan Am Games. There’s also another issue to do with the risk of burn-out and over-stressing athletes, if another continental event is introduced."

• Sponsorship and television: “A lot of federations’ competition programme is already quite Europe-based, they rely on Europe for the majority of their revenues. A European games would impact on the IFs’ sponsorship revenues and it’s the same for TV broadcast rights: there’s a finite pot of money. They’re not able to conjure up another several tens of millions and something would have to give. There are also indications that if the market is overloaded the overall pot would decline. It’s possible that in some cases the total value of TV and sponsorship revenues would decline on the grounds that the calendar was too crowded."

• Governance and lines of communication: “There are concerns that the EOC has been speaking only to continental federations. We’ve never had this before: all other regional games deal with the IFs; under the Olympic Charter they have to contact the IFs. Continental federations are lower in the pecking order than the IFs. In some cases the IFs do all the work, and sometimes they delegate to the continental body. But it’s absolutely the decision of the IFs. It’s strange because the continental federations can decide very little in the end – the decision rests with the IFs. I’m very surprised at the lack of consultation between the EOC and ASOIF: so far it’s been one letter and one informal meeting."

• International federation costs: “The European Games would use IF officials and athletes developed by the IFs. It’s unrealistic to have a situation where the IFs are sent more and more requests for site inspections, officials, making athletes available… Also, given the situation with multi-sports games growing in number, the standard is going up. This has a knock-on effect for the IFs if they have to provide it at a higher level. We’re going to look at appropriate compensation for IFs. There are already early discussions with two existing multi-sports games to cover the costs, at least, of the IFs. We’re not even talking about a revenue share. When you combine all of the requirements, some IFs have to have one staff member just looking after multi-sports.”

Ryan concluded that the games “can’t go ahead without the full co-operation of the IFs. There should also be a full assessment of the impact on the global and European sports markets – media and audience interest as well as revenues. Also, the impact on the Olympic Games next year.”

He also expressed concerns at Deloitte asking continental federations if they would consider dropping their own championships to make way for the games, pointing out that, given that such championships are usually their main source of revenue, the continental bodies would “need at least as much money guaranteed, if their championships were cancelled, to make way for this.”

Ryan said that the EOC “urgently needs to contact ASOIF to discuss the plan,” warning that “if the EOC wants to progress at all, it had better stop right now and engage properly with the IFs.”

The EOC said at its assembly that, following consultation with national Olympic committees on the Deloitte feasibility report, the aim is then for the concept to form probably the sole item on the agenda of an extraordinary general meeting to be held by the EOC during the Association of National Olympic Committees’ general assembly in Moscow in April next year.

The EOC has claimed that “a certain number of cities are already showing interest” in hosting the games. Europe is the only major continent that does not already have its own multi-sport games and the EOC argues that it is responding to the requests of national Olympic committees in drawing up plans for such an event.

Sportcal

[SwissO]

Table Tennis position on European Games

No support for EOC Games from Summer Olympic International Federations

Friday, 15 Jun 22:58 2012

Тhe Summer Olympic International Federations decided unanimously to support a resolution stating that they could not support any project to create a EOC Games in the foreseeable future. They continue to have concerns regarding costs to the International federations in providing technical support resources and the impact of increased pressure on the sports sponsorship and broadcast rights pool in the current economic climate.

In the letter addressed to the European Olympic Committees’ President Patrick HICKEY after recent General Assembly in Quebec City regarding the proposed EOC Games, President of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations Denis OSWALD stated:

“Due to the potential added pressure on the currently crowded sports competition calendar in Europe and the potential impact on the Olympic Qualification process, the International Olympic Summer Sport Federations decided unanimously to support a resolution stating that they could not support any project to create a EOC Games in the foreseeable future. They continue to have concerns regarding costs to the IFs in providing technical support resources and the impact of increased pressure on the sports sponsorship and broadcast rights pool in the current economic climate. Further, our members also reported a continued lack of involvement with the individual International Federations which are the points of contact for the EOC according to the Olympic Charter.“ For the European Table Tennis Union the EOC Games will present a good opportunity for farther promotion of the sport, but currently the there are more Contra then Pro at the list in favor of the another big multidisciplinary event.

For ETTU President it is very important issue. “We have to say that the idea was very good but not well prepared. It was a good occasion that Europe lost. Even if we had to face a lot of problems, probably the initiative would have helped the young generations to challenge the other continents.”

Europe needs such events, but currently it will be very difficult to organize it. “Last but not least, such an event would have given a contribution to the unity of our Continent. With such a statement from ASOIF the dream is finished. Let’s concentrate on our events in ETTU….” stated ETTU President BOSI.

[Lord David]

So it's not as easy as scrapping the European Championships of Olympic sports and just having them held under a "European Games" banner? In one city?

[markun]

It sounds like it will be an uphill struggle to get these off the ground which will is a real shame. I think it would be a great opportunity for many cities. I'd love a winter games too.

[baron-pierreIV]

I'd love a winter games too.

Figure Skating already has European championships normally held in February in non-Olympic years. In Olympic years, it is moved up to January so the skaters have at least a 4-week period to recover before the Winter Games begin in mid-Feb usually. And then they have the Worlds in March. At some Olympic-year Worlds, the top 2 winner sometimes opt out because they are already so worn out by the season and/or do not want to risk getting a lesser title after the O's.

For the alpine and snow events, it will be a little harder because you would only have like 10 countries to choose from (to maintain the same standards of difficulty of venues) that can stage the Games...and the field of contestants would be pretty much the same Euro-centric cast of characters as those who play in the Olympics already, just minus the North Americans and the Chinese. It would almost make the Euros or Olympics redundant. Plus, being outdoor events, you have the vagaries of weather which could screw things up royally.

I think to avoid the charge of 'overcrowding the calender,' they should just drop any Euros in an Olympic year because it wears out everyone...the IFs and the athletes. Not to mention fans' pockets would be stretched too thin to follow their favorites over too many events.

[SwissO]

From Around the Rings

European Games Inch Forward

Plans to stage a European Games could move ahead this weekend when the Executive Committee of the European Olympic Committees meets in Andorra.

EOC President Patrick Hickey says the EB could vote in favor of a proposal that would put the question before the 49-nation EOC assembly in December.

“Negotiations are at a delicate stage,” Hickey tells Around the Rings, declining to elaborate on what will be presented to the EOC panel.

Modeled after other continental multi-sports events like the Asian Games and Pan American Games, the European Games have been a pet project of Hickey. An already crowded European sports calendar is one of the major challenges for the event, which would be held every four years.

ATR understands that the proposal for the Games would include around 15 sports to make it easier to fit the Games to the calendar. Hickey has said in the past that the European Games would grow in size in future editions.

[gotosy]

^The EOC Executive Committee approved the concept of the European Games project

European Games Decision by EOC -Press Release

9/29/2012

3rd EOC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

PRESS RELEASE

For its 3rd meeting of the year, the Executive Committee of the European Olympic Committees, met in Andorra on 29th September on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the local NOC.

Under the leadership of President Patrick Hickey, the EC received a comprehensive report on the European Games project. The Executive Committee unanimously voted to approve the proposed concept and connected structure and will recommend acceptance following a full presentation to be made at the EOC General Assembly to be held in Eilat on December 7th-8th.

In the interim period the EOC will continue with its constructuve discussions with stakeholders in the international sports community

...

ATR

[memorabilia]

Great ! So next step is General Assembly on December 7&8 !

[intoronto]

If it is approved the event will be held in the later part of 2015 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

[Princess Puffer]

Does the world really need another big international sporting event? What will they do to make it exciting? Nude athletes and I'm totally in favor.

[Olympian2004]

If it is approved the event will be held in the later part of 2015 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

You're joking, right? Why should they award the hosting of an event and even name a time slot for the event if it hasn't even been already decided whether they want to introduce that event? If I'm wrong and you're serious, what's your source?

[intoronto]

You're joking, right? Why should they award the hosting of an event and even name a time slot for the event if it hasn't even been already decided whether they want to introduce that event? If I'm wrong and you're serious, what's your source?

It was from another forum where a member posted that it would in Azerbaijan and it was in Polish. They didn't post yet the source I will post it here as soon as I can. Here is the post

[Olympian2004]

I found several Polish reports about that, here's the Google translation of one of those (from sport.pl):

http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?act=url&depth=1&hl=de&ie=UTF8&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.de&sl=pl&tl=en&twu=1&u=http://www.przegladsportowy.pl/Igrzyska-olimpijskie-Igrzyska-Europejskie-odbeda-sie-w-2015-roku,artykul,147998,1,969.html&usg=ALkJrhhF5mNee2CgwkYG11ET2vXkXt9IPw

And here's also a corresponding report from Spanish news agency EFE:

http://www.eluniverso.com/2012/09/29/1/1442/aprobado-proyecto-juegos-europeos-baku-2015.html

That's really a strange order of proceedings. First you award them to a host city (where was the bid race for that, by the way? Did they ever open the contest for other candidates?), and only after that you decide whether you actually want to stage them?

[Olympian2004]

The forum poster made a mistake, by the way: He confused the allegedly proposed time slot for the 2015 European Games with the dates of the EOC session in Eilat this December. It wouldn't make any sense anyway to stage a summer sports event in December.

That would also be the big challenge for EOC: How to squeeze the Games into a crammed competition calendar in a year that has the IAAF and FINA World Championships, for example. But I suppose that if they managed that for the Pan American Games, they can manage it for the European Games as well.

[intoronto]

The forum poster made a mistake, by the way: He confused the allegedly proposed time slot for the 2015 European Games with the dates of the EOC session in Eilat this December. It wouldn't make any sense anyway to stage a summer sports event in December.

That would also be the big challenge for EOC: How to squeeze the Games into a crammed competition calendar in a year that has the IAAF and FINA World Championships, for example. But I suppose that if they managed that for the Pan American Games, they can manage it for the European Games as well.

Oh okay lol. I thought it would be London where it was mentioned earlier. The 2015 Pan American Game conflict with the World Aquatics Championships. Counting the women's world cup June-July then the world aquatics then the IAAF worlds it leaves a short amount of time to organize them

[baron-pierreIV]

The 2015 Pan American Game conflict with the World Aquatics Championships.

That would mean then that Toronto 2015 would have a sub-par swimming competition, or will they just drop the Aquatics programme entirely? But don't they need it for continental qualifications for Rio? Or you could also get that from the Worlds.

[intoronto]

That would mean then that Toronto 2015 would have a sub-par swimming competition, or will they just drop the Aquatics programme entirely? But don't they need it for continental qualifications for Rio? Or you could also get that from the Worlds.

Swimming, open water, syncrho duets and diving competitions will be scheduled to allow athletes to compete in both events. Water polo and synchro team will conflict so the b teams will be present in Toronto. Brazil being hosts in 2016 means both synchro and water polo will not be qualification events in Toronto.

[markun]

I'm thrilled by this news but not at all keen on it being in Azerbaijan...

[wamel042]

Any new developments?

[SwissO]

Any new developments?

Next step is EOC General Assembly on December 7&8 !