Keith Joseph has called for structural reform across Caribbean sports governing bodies, arguing that existing operating models must evolve to meet future challenges. Re-elected as president of the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC) at its 24th General Assembly in Curaçao on 18 October, Joseph will lead the organisation for the 2026–2030 cycle. CANOC represents 31 National Olympic Committees, focusing on regional cooperation and development of the Olympic Movement. Joseph has raised concerns about whether current governance structures are equipped to respond to global changes. 📷: CANOC SPORTS/X insidethegames.biz/articles/…

🇦🇺 At 92, Australian Olympic medallist Marlene Mathews has her sights set on Brisbane 2032, hoping to attend an Olympic Games on home soil for a third time. Mathews won two bronze medals in the 100m and 200m at Melbourne 1956 and later marched in the opening ceremony at Sydney 2000. She was among the former Olympians honoured at an Australian Olympic Committee dinner marking 70 years since Melbourne hosted the Games. Now approaching 100 by Brisbane 2032, Mathews told AAP she hopes to be there to welcome the world once again. 📷: Getty Images insidethegames.biz/articles/…

Rwanda is sharing its Para sport expertise across Africa, hosting 30 athletes, coaches and officials from six countries for a training camp in Kigali from 11–18 October. Supported by the International Paralympic Committee’s Sport for Mobility programme, the initiative combined track sessions, classification training and support for national programme development. Delegations from Burundi, DR Congo, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda also attended the 2026/2027 Rwanda Para Athletics National Championships, as Rwanda’s National Paralympic Committee approaches its 25th anniversary on 1 November. 📷: INSTAGRAM/ NPC.RWANDA insidethegames.biz/articles/…

🏋️ The International Weightlifting Federation’s decision to award the 2030 Senior World Championships to Moscow has drawn strong criticism from Polish and Ukrainian sporting authorities. Ukraine’s Ministry of Sports has pledged to formally challenge the allocation, while Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called on the IWF, the IOC and the wider sporting community to intervene and seek the decision’s cancellation. Norway has also condemned the move. The controversy follows the IWF’s June decision to reinstate athletes from Russia and Belarus, intensifying debate over the sport’s international governance. 📷: Getty Images insidethegames.biz/articles/…

Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux has emerged as the leading candidate to head the French Alps 2030 Winter Olympics Organising Committee, with an appointment expected to be considered on Thursday. The former Medef president, who led France’s employers’ association from 2018 to 2023 and served on the Paris 2024 board, would bring extensive business and institutional experience following months of turmoil and the departure of former chair Edgar Grospiron. Roux de Bézieux has chaired the organising committee’s Remuneration Committee since April. His appointment has yet to be formally confirmed. 📷: Getty Images insidethegames.biz/articles/…

🇸🇳 Dakar 2026 is set to make history on Saturday as the first Olympic event hosted in Africa, welcoming around 2,700 athletes aged 17 and under for the Youth Olympic Games. The fourth edition will feature 25 sports over two weeks, with competitions across eight venues in Dakar, Diamniadio and the coastal town of Saly. IOC President Kirsty Coventry received a warm welcome from volunteers, praising their energy and contribution to making the Games special. 📷: IOC Media insidethegames.biz/articles/…

🇦🇺 Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has defended the possibility of staging selected Brisbane 2032 Olympic events outside Queensland to reduce costs and make use of existing venues. Albanese backed options including rowing in Penrith, New South Wales, and tennis in Melbourne, Victoria, while insisting Brisbane would remain the Games’ centrepiece. He cited Paris 2024, when surfing was held in Tahiti. Queensland Premier David Crisafulli opposes moving key events interstate, arguing that local communities should benefit from Olympic investment. 📷: Getty Images insidethegames.biz/articles/…

HYROX and XENOM are targeting Olympic inclusion, with the competitive fitness platforms joining forces in a strategic partnership announced in early October. Their ambition is to grow competitive fitness globally and secure a place on the Olympic programme by Brisbane 2032. Former field hockey international and HYROX co-founder Moritz Fürste told Reuters that both platforms aim to build global competitions around large, engaged fitness communities. 📷: Getty Images insidethegames.biz/articles/…

Voters in Colorado and Washington will decide on 3 November whether to introduce bans on transgender athletes competing in girls’ sports, putting the issue directly to the public through ballot initiatives. Lawmakers in both states have previously rejected similar restrictions. The measures bypass the legislative process, with at least five anti-transgender ballot initiatives expected across several states in the November elections. Chris Melody Fields Figueredo, executive director of the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, described 2026 as “a testing ground for the future”. 📷: Getty Images insidethegames.biz/articles/…

🇻🇪 Caracas has moved a step closer to hosting the 2030 Central American and Caribbean Games after Centro Caribe Sports’ Executive Committee unanimously endorsed Venezuela’s bid. The proposal, submitted by the Venezuelan Olympic Committee led by María Soto on 20 May, underwent a viability assessment covering technical, financial, political and institutional factors, including a city inspection. The final decision now rests with the Centro Caribe Sports General Assembly, which will award hosting rights for the 26th edition of the Games. 📷: CENTRO CARIBE SPORTS insidethegames.biz/articles/…

🏑 The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has unveiled its new strategic roadmap, Made For Hockey 2032+, at its 50th Congress in Doha. Aligned with the IOC’s “Fit for the Future” initiative, the framework focuses on five pillars: athletes, community, movement, impact and growth, with the aim of expanding participation, strengthening National Associations and reaching new audiences. The Congress also elected six Executive Board members and admitted the Lebanese federation, bringing FIH membership to 147. President Tayyab Ikram urged the sport to remain “vigilant, adaptable and ambitious” following record audiences at the 2026 Hockey World Cup. @FIH_Hockey 📷: FIH/ WorldSportPics insidethegames.biz/articles/…

🇦🇺 Victoria has pledged AU$1.5 million (€939,200) to support Australia’s Olympic and Paralympic teams ahead of LA28, with funding split equally between the two delegations. Premier Ben Carroll announced the investment in Melbourne during a dinner marking the 70th anniversary of the 1956 Olympic Games. Paralympics Australia and the Australian Olympic Committee will each receive AU$750,000 through the joint Team Appeal fundraising initiative. The funding will help cover participation costs and support services for athletes competing in Los Angeles. 📷: Getty Images insidethegames.biz/articles/…

LA28 has launched “Made for Two-Eight”, a licensing programme giving small businesses in Los Angeles County the opportunity to produce official products featuring the Games’ emblem. CEO Reynold Hoover said the initiative aims to ensure the economic benefits of the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics reach local communities. Homeboy Industries is among the first participants, producing torch-themed T-shirts that connect LA28 with the legacy of the 1984 Games. Its founder, Father Greg Boyle, carried the Olympic torch in 1984. 📷: Reynold Hoover/Linkedin insidethegames.biz/articles/…

The Bavarian government plans an “Olympic law” to fast-track planning approvals and infrastructure projects linked to Munich’s bid to host the 2036 Games. Minister-President Markus Söder and Munich Mayor Dominik Krause announced the initiative on Monday, aiming to simplify construction rules and procedures so projects can be ready to start by 2029. Munich has yet to secure the right to host the Games. 📷: Getty Images insidethegames.biz/articles/…

Public confidence in Brisbane 2032’s cost control is under pressure, as Queensland declines to publish project timelines while negotiating contracts for major Olympic venues. A Resolve Political Monitor survey of 434 voters, conducted from 6–10 October, found around two-thirds had little or no confidence that the state would keep venues spending within the A$7.1 billion (€4.45bn) budget. Sports Minister Tim Mander faces the challenge of balancing public transparency with confidentiality during procurement. 📷: Getty Images insidethegames.biz/articles/…

🏑 The International Hockey Federation (FIH) Executive Board has endorsed a new strategic framework aligned with the IOC’s priorities, ahead of Saturday’s FIH Congress in Doha. Chaired by president Tayyab Ikram, Wednesday’s meeting focused on turning record audiences at the 2026 Hockey World Cup into sustained global growth, increasing participation and strengthening the sport’s international reach. Delegates will consider the framework on Saturday, while Friday’s programme includes elections and the Hockey Stars 2026 awards. The board also reviewed plans to expand pitch access across Oceania and Asia. 📷: FIH/ WorldSportPics insidethegames.biz/articles/…

The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and national Olympic committees are strengthening efforts to combat match-fixing through athlete education, awareness campaigns and improved reporting channels. During the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, held in Japan from 19 September to 4 October, the OCA worked with the IOC’s specialist unit to brief delegations on recognising potential manipulation, suspicious betting activity and improper sharing of confidential information. A report published by the Association of National Olympic Committees highlights these initiatives as part of wider prevention efforts, with further action planned ahead of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. 📷: ANOC insidethegames.biz/articles/…

🇨🇦 The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) has announced a series of senior leadership changes aimed at strengthening its organisational capacity and supporting key strategic priorities. Marianne Bolhuis has been appointed general counsel and chief External Affairs officer, expanding her responsibilities to include government relations, international relations, IOC affairs, strategic communications and bidding activities. Bolhuis joined the COC in 2018 as general counsel and corporate secretary, bringing previous experience in the legal department of a major multinational consumer goods company and an international assignment. 📷: COC insidethegames.biz/articles/…

⚽ UEFA has given FIFA two weeks to provide written answers to 42 questions concerning president Gianni Infantino’s leadership, in a letter sent on Monday to FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafström. A central issue is FIFA Forward Enterprise, a proposed company intended to manage commercial rights to the World Cup and other competitions, with plans to sell a 20% stake to private investors. The proposal was withdrawn following opposition from several confederations. UEFA is seeking clarification on who authorised negotiations with investors, what terms were discussed and why the process proceeded without consultation with the FIFA Council. 📷: Getty Images insidethegames.biz/articles/…