Cannabis ban defended

The World Anti Doping Agency has defended the continued inclusion of cannabis on its prohibited list of substances following criticism that the ban is placing unnecessary strain on sporting federations.

IAAF council member and Spanish athletics federation president Jose Maria Odriozola raised concern about the cannabis ban on Sunday during a round table discussion on "borderline issues" at an international anti-doping symposium organised by the world athletics governing body.

According to Odriozola, federations are "wasting considerable time and money, dealing with what is essentially a recreational non-performance-enhancing drug."

Odriozola's comments were firmly rejected by WADA's director of science, Olivier Rabin.

"We have three criteria for including something on our list of prohibited substances and methods, at least two of which have to be met -- performance enhancement, possible health dangers and a contravention of the spirit of sport," Rabin told Reuters.

"We know full well that cannabis can alleviate feelings of fear which can help performance in some sports.

"It is also risky for athletes and others around them as it can cause a distortion of perception and we also believe it violates the spirit of sport even though we understand it is mainly a social drug."

PASSIVE SMOKING

In a high-profile case concerning cannabis, Canadian snowboarder Ross Rebagliati was temporarily deprived of his 1998 Olympic giant slalom gold medal after traces of marijuana were found in his body.

Rebagliati claimed he had inhaled the drug 'passively' but his medal was only returned to him after it was pointed out that cannabis was not actually banned at the time.

"We think it is now clear to athletes that cannabis is prohibited," Rabin said.

"We can very clearly distinguish between active and passive smoking and with our current thresholds we are clearly targeting the active users of cannabis and cannabinoids.

"If we detect levels above these thresholds then we are telling athletes that will be considered an adverse analytical finding with potential sanctions.

"Because cannabis is listed as a specified (banned in competition) substance there is still the possibility that an athlete may first face a reprimand rather than a sanction."

Cannabis has been included on WADA's list of banned substances and methods since the list's creation in 2004.

It remains on the new version of the annually-revised list which was approved by WADA's executive committee last month and comes into force on January 1.

LOC gets help ahead of 2010

German football association general secretary Horst Schmidt has been appointed to help the world soccer-body, Fifa, stage its 2010 World Cup tournament in South Africa.

Schmidt, who was first vice president of the German local organising committee will spend a week a month co-ordinating the project as a consultant .

He will serve as the "extended arm" in South Africa and Zurich of Fifa general secretary Urs Linsi, working on the day-to-day management of preparations for the spectacular.

"There can be very few people around the world with such vast experience in terms of event organisation, security matters and ticketing," said Linsi.

Schmidt organised his first World Cup in Germany in 1974, going on to serve Fifa on security and ticketing issues, before tackling operations for the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

Fifa has had permanent representation in South Africa since the start of 2006. It will soon move into new offices with the local organising committee.

It had also set up a company to ensure knowledge was transferred about management, accommodation, ticketing, IT and hospitality.

NEW START TIMES ANNOUNCED FOR POPULAR CAPE MARATHON

Race organisers have announced the new start times for the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon presented by Nike, which will take place on Easter Saturday, April 7, 2007. The 56 km ultra marathon and 21 km half marathon will both start in Main Road, Newlands, with the half marathon starting at 06h00 and the ultra at 06h20.

According to Jack Luker, the event’s route manager, there will be two separate sets of starting pens in Main Road for the ultra and the half marathon. “This will allow runners in both events to start lining up in their own time without having to wait for one event to clear the road, which was a frustration for many of the runners in the past.”

After months of careful research, which included route inspections, extensive feedback from runners around the country and input from the Traffic Department officials, the times were decided. The facts that played a role in the decision were traffic issues, inconvenience to residents living along the route and runners’ safety. Mother Nature also played a huge role in this decision – sunrise is at 06h32 on race day, which means that runners will not have to run in the dark for too long.

“The ultra is the flagship event and in order to accommodate these runners we have to start the half marathon first so that the slower runners have time to finish their race and are off the road before the front runners in the ultra come through,” said Luker.

The half marathon route has changed slightly and will now see runners turning off Main Road into Aliwal Road at the 3.1 km mark instead of continuing down to Gabriel Road at 5.8 km. This will ensure that the ultra runners will have a clear road when they start at 06h20.

The half marathon has seen tremendous growth over the past few years, attracts record fields every year and is now the biggest half marathon in the country. It is an integral part of the event and important to the sponsors, who aim to attract as many entrants as possible. “It is for this reason that we have kept the 3 hour cut-off for the half to accommodate both events as best we can so that all parties benefit,” added Luker.

Many of the half marathon runners go on to run the ultra and there is a large percentage of ultra runners who run the half if they are no longer able to run long distances, as they can still feel part of the event and enjoy the incredible vibe that is associated with this event.

The new start times have been discussed with Western Province Athletics, who play a key role in the event planning. WPA looked at all the issues, took into account the sustainability of Two Oceans as an event, particularly with regard to the runners, the city and the traffic authorities, and supports the changes to the start time and the half marathon route.

The city’s traffic department plays a huge role in the start time decisions, as it is important that the roads are not closed for too long on Easter Saturday. The later start time of 07h00 this year meant that roads were kept closed later on the day than in previous years, which caused problems for the marshals and officials out on the road.

The Pick ‘n Pay Amashovashova National Classic

“You can get there by plane, train, bus or by car… whatever you do just get there”. These were the words of Annie Batchelder, organiser of the Pick ‘n Pay National Classic due to take place on October 22.

Organisers are bracing themselves for a big influx of cyclists from all over South Africa and beyond.

Entries have come in from the US, UK, Europe, Australia, France, Egypt, Kenya and many other countries around the world.

“One of the challenges when entering a cycle race like the Amashova is getting your bicycle to the race so we have put in place a number of alternatives for entrants in this years’ race to make things a lot easier” said Batchelder.

Cyclists in the Amashova have a choice of plane, train, bus and bicycle! A number of cyclists are cycling to the race and then competing as a “last leg” whilst others are having their bikes couriered to Durban. A train service for bike, cyclist and support crew is even being offered from JHB to Durban which gives cyclists the opportunity to make the train their home whilst in Durban as well as their transport.

On the morning of the race bus transport as well as train transport is available to the start from Durban – cyclists are advised to go to www.shova.co,.za to book for these services as soon as possible.

“We are pulling out all stops to make sure that the Amashova is a highlight on every cyclist’s calendar. We see our entrants as clients and we want to be able to afford them the very best service possible” said Batchelder.

The road for both the 106km race from PMB to Durban and the 40km race from Pick ‘n Pay in Hillcrest to the finish at the Suncoast Casino and entertainment world will be closed to all vehicular traffic for the duration of the event.

Entries for the 106km race from PMB to Durban and the 40 km from Hillcrest to Durban are available from www.shova.co.za. Entries close on October 2.

New chance for SA Padler in Fish River Canoe Marathon

Sprint star Michael Arthur has grabbed the chance of a lifetime, and accepted an offer to paddle with French wild water world champ Arnaud Hybois in the Hansa Powerade Fish river canoe marathon.

Hybois’ partner Rudi Gerard was sidelined this week by an injury to his eye that doctors insist will not allow him to take part in the 82km two day event from Grassridge Dam to Cradock.

A despondent and frustrated Hybois made an impassioned appeal from France for an elite paddler to join him, to keep alive his hopes of a podium finish in the Hansa Powerade Fish, which takes place on 29 and 30 September.

Most of the countries top paddlers were understandably committed to partners for the race. However Arthur was available, and grabbed the opportunity with both hands.

Arthur is a key member of the SA sprint team, and finished fifth in the recent SA Marathon champs.

“It’s a great chance,” said Arthur. “Obviously we have never sat in a boat together, but Arnaud arrives in Cradock on Saturday night, and I will get there as soon as I can to settle into the boat with him. If everything works out, we could have a good race.”

Hybois arrives in Port Elizabeth on Saturday, together with his partner Rudi Gerard, who while unable to paddle, is still eager top experience the atmosphere of the race, which he has heard so much about.

The duo will jet into the Eastern Cape with Dutchmen Pascal Lucker and Peter Luethi, and Czech women Micha Mruzkovastrandova and Katerina Vacikova. They will meet up with Germans Max Hoff and Stefan Stiefenhofer, who will have driven up from Cape Town, and travel together to Cradock to begin their race preparations.

Hybois won the world wild water title in 2005, and was runner up in the worlds in the Czech republic this year. He was the top international home in last year’s Hansa Powerade Fish, with a solid top ten result.

The Hansa Powerade Fish River Canoe Marathon takes place in Cradock on 29 and 30 September

All the details can be found at the event website at www.fishmarathon.org.za

FIFA are getting worried about 2010

A senior German football official is to act as an adviser to South African organisers of the 2010 World Cup amid growing concerns about the state of preparations.

Football's world governing body Fifa yesterday confirmed a German report that Horst R Schmidt, general secretary of the German Football Federation, would help the 2010 organisers with preparations.

Fifa media director Markus Siegler said negotiations were under way to hire Schmidt, who played a key role in the 2006 World Cup planning as senior vice-president of the German organising committee. However, Siegler denied media reports that the first World Cup to be held in Africa could be in danger.

According to yesterday's Sueddeutsche Zeitung, 64-year-old Schmidt will lead a "Fifa crisis team to help save the World Cup" in SA. Schmidt told the newspaper he was in talks with Fifa and SA's organising committee, but the exact job description still had to be formalised.

Fifa is concerned about delays in preparations for the event. Fifa president Sepp Blatter said he intended to visit SA soon to urge authorities to speed up building.

Blatter said he wanted to meet President Thabo Mbeki and make an appeal to Parliament "to explain the value of the World Cup and to fire up the organising committee because it's the last moment to start building five stadiums."

Gary Player and the Sunshine Tour break new ground with Coca-Cola Charity Championship

The Sunshine Tour, Coca-Cola and Gary Player have inked a landmark three-year agreement for a new limited-field event aimed at providing a competitive platform for the 30 leading professionals at the culmination of the Sunshine Tour’s Winter Swing.

Following a three-year association with the Nelson Mandela Invitational, presented by Coca-Cola and hosted by Gary Player, the three parties have collaborated to create the Coca-Cola Charity Championship, with Coca-Cola as the title sponsor and the evergreen Gary Player as the host.

The inaugural tournament will boast a lucrative prize fund of R500 000 and will be staged at the award-winning Arabella Country Estate in the week leading up to the 2006 Nelson Mandela Invitational, from November 21 - 23, 2006.

"We are looking forward to our first significant golf tournament on the Sunshine Tour,” said Alex Maditsi, Executive Director of Coca-Cola South Africa Division.

“During our sponsorship of the Nelson Mandela Invitational over the past three years, we have been privileged to witness the emergence of many talented golfers such as Trevor Immelman, Tim Clark, Charl Schwartzel, Richard Sterne and Omar Sandys, to name a few.

"The Coca-Cola Charity Championship is a natural extension of the Nelson Mandela Invitational and it too was designed to raise significant funds for charity, while at the same time providing a world-class event to showcase the best in South African professional golf.”

South Africa’s legendary Grand Slam winning golfer, Gary Player, commented: “I am delighted that my concept of the Nelson Mandela Invitational has developed further into the Coca-Cola Charity Championship, which benefits three worthy children’s charities in the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, the Player Foundation and the Starfish Foundation.”

“I am honoured to have been asked to host the tournament and look forward to welcoming both the best players from the Sunshine Tour’s Winter Swing as well as Coca-Cola’s special guests.”

The Coca-Cola Charity Championship will be staged over 54 holes of stroke play in which the first two rounds will be played in a Pro-Am format, while the final round will be contested by professionals only, with no cut to the field size.

The leading 30 available players off the current Sunshine Tour Order of Merit at the conclusion of the Platinum Classic at Mooinooi (26-28 October) will qualify for the tournament, with the winner gaining automatic entry to the 2006 Nelson Mandela Invitational.

Sunshine Tour commissioner, Johan Immelman, welcomed the Tour’s newest tournament, saying that the Coca-Cola Charity Championship further underlines the accelerated growth of professional golf in South Africa.

“We are delighted to take our association with Coca-Cola and Gary Player to the next level and welcome on board the Coca-Cola Charity Championship to the Sunshine Tour schedule,” said Immelman.

“We are confident that this new event will be a great success and we truly appreciate the support from Gary Player and our valued Tour partner Coca-Cola.”