Japan ended the World Judo Championships in Baku on Sunday with seven individual titles and victory in the mixed team competition, underlining their strength across the sport’s weight categories.

The championships ran from 4 to 11 October, with Georgia finishing second in the medal standings and Azerbaijan third.

Wakana Koga, Uta Abe, Akari Omori, Haruka Kaju, Hifumi Abe, Ryuga Tanaka and Sanshiro Murao won gold for Japan in the individual events.

Georgia’s two titles came from Tato Grigalashvili at -81kg and Ilia Sulamanidze at -100kg. Azerbaijan’s Ahmad Yusifov won the -60kg category, while Zelim Tskayev and Ushangi Kokauri added silver medals at -81kg and +100kg respectively.

Spain, the United Arab Emirates, Russia and South Korea each finished with one gold medal.

TORO SOLER vs UTA ABE

Japan beat Russia to take mixed team title

Japan defeated Russia 4-2 in the mixed team final, with four victories enough to settle the contest in their favour.

Shiho Tanaka, Japan’s 2025 world champion, gave her team the lead against Russia’s Madina Taimazova. Neither judoka could settle the contest in regulation time, but Tanaka scored a yuko in golden score to take the opening point.

Murao doubled Japan’s advantage against Igor Andoni in the -90kg contest. The Russian initially held his ground, but Murao found the opening with an uchi-mata to score a yuko and maintain his advantage.

Mao Arai then beat Daria Rechkalova after a closely fought contest. Arai received two shidos but found her opportunity in golden score, using a counterattack to secure Japan’s third point.

Russia’s Tamerlan Bashaev stopped the run when he defeated Kenta Nakano in the heavyweight contest. Bashaev scored a yuko and resisted Nakano’s late attempt to change the result, giving Russia its first point of the final.

The decisive contest came in the women’s -57kg category. Akari Omori faced Irina Zueva, who started aggressively and later threatened with a choke on the ground.

Omori escaped and turned the contest in Japan’s favour. She scored a yuko before executing a sode-tsurikomi-goshi for a waza-ari, securing the fourth victory Japan needed to take the title. The 4-2 result gave Japan the mixed team gold, with Russia taking silver.

Japan, Mix Team

Uzbekistan take bronze

Uzbekistan defeated Mongolia 4-2 to claim the mixed team bronze medal. Shirinjon Yuldosheva opened the scoring against Mongolia’s Enkhriilen Lkhagvatogoo in the -70kg category. The contest went into golden score, where Yuldosheva scored a yuko.

Murtozoev followed with an ippon in the -90kg category to put Uzbekistan two points ahead. Mongolia responded through Adiyasuren Amarsaikhan, who won the +70kg contest with a choke.

Uzbekistan restored its two-point advantage when Turoboyev beat Gunchigsuren Batkhuyag. Mongolia then reduced the deficit in the -57kg category, where Sosorbaram Lkhagvasuren defeated Shukurjon Aminova in a contest decided by penalties.

With the score at 3-2, Shahram Akhadov faced Uranbayar Odgerel in the final bout. Akhadov scored a yuko and held on to secure Uzbekistan’s 4-2 victory and the bronze medal.

ILIA SULAMANIDZE

Georgia overcome China

Georgia also finished on the mixed team podium, beating China despite starting the contest one point behind.

Sofio Somkhishvili was unable to compete in the final stage, and Georgia had no registered reserve to replace her. The team therefore began with a deficit before the first contest.

Nino Gulbani levelled the score by defeating China’s Lu Liu with a choke. World champion Luka Maisuradze then put Georgia ahead, securing ippon against Hebilige Bu with groundwork.

Irakli Demetrashvili increased the lead by beating Fuchun Huang, leaving Georgia 3-1 ahead.

China fought back through Nan Wang, who scored a yuko against Eteri Liparteliani early in their contest. Liparteliani responded with a counterattack for waza-ari and added another yuko before seeing out the bout.

Her victory confirmed Georgia’s bronze medal despite the team’s difficult start.

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The additional investment will focus on training, performance analysis and referees’ physical fitness, areas considered essential to supporting the growth of a league that has undergone significant transformation in recent years. Since the 2018-19 season, WSL players have competed in a fully professional, full-time league, while the incorporation of the top two divisions into the independent WSL Football structure in 2024 increased expectations for the organization. However, many referees still have to balance their work in football with other jobs, a reality that has intensified the debate over the need to move toward full professionalization.

Funding aims to raise refereeing standards in the WSL

The approved plan includes a three-year funding strategy to prepare for the transition to full-time referees in the 2029-30 season. According to The Guardian, WSL and WSL 2 clubs, the main shareholders of WSL Football, were briefed on the initiative during the general meeting held this month. The initial response was mixed: while some organizations welcomed the establishment of a specific date, others had expected professionalization to be implemented sooner. These differing perspectives reflect the pressure to improve refereeing conditions while taking into account the resources and structures required to support a transformation of this scale.

The decision also includes strengthening the tools referees use to perform their duties, from physical preparation to performance analysis and ongoing training opportunities. During discussions, the league and clubs addressed how to balance the urgency of having full-time professionals with the need to raise standards and ensure the necessary conditions to sustain the change. A senior executive at a WSL club highlighted the importance of funding education and refereeing training, while another executive welcomed having a specific timeline but expressed disappointment that the change would take another three seasons. These positions show that the debate is not only about the implementation date, but also about ensuring that professionalization delivers tangible improvements to the competition.

Refereeing professionalization remains a challenge for English women’s football

Calls for a professional refereeing workforce in the WSL have increased as English women’s football has continued to grow institutionally and competitively. The league became a full-time professional competition for players in 2018-19, but refereeing has not progressed at the same pace. The issue gained renewed attention following the creation of WSL Football as an independent organization in 2024, bringing the top two women’s divisions under a single structure. In this context, the wait until 2029-30 could prompt further criticism from those who believe refereeing professionalization should more closely match the evolution of the league.

The process has involved discussions between WSL Football, the Football Association (FA) and Pro Ref, the organization responsible for referees in English professional football, formerly known as PGMOL. The contrast with the men’s game is significant: referees in the Premier League and the English Football League (EFL) became full-time professionals in 2001, while in 2021 the FA stated that it had no immediate plans to introduce an equivalent model in the top two women’s divisions. A significant institutional development came this season following the launch of Pro Ref, with a WSL representative joining its board alongside representatives from the Premier League and the EFL. This participation gives the women’s competition a greater voice in refereeing decisions and creates a formal opportunity to raise its needs within the structure overseeing referees in English professional football.

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World Skate President Sabatino Aracu

The fifth edition continues a journey that began in Nanjing, China, in 2017, followed by Barcelona in 2019, Buenos Aires in 2022 and Italy in 2024. It is the second edition held in South America, maintaining the approach of bringing different world championships together under one organisational framework and within the same period. World Skate President Sabatino Aracu connects that scale with the ability to unite diverse sporting communities: “But perhaps the most powerful image of these Games is seeing representatives from more than 90 countries come together in one place.” He also highlights cooperation with Paraguayan authorities and the country’s facilities as factors that made hosting the event possible.

The facilities that remain in Paraguay

A tour of the venues helps explain how that diversity is accommodated. The Olympic Park of the Paraguayan Olympic Committee -COP-, located in Luque, in the capital’s metropolitan area, brings together specialist facilities within a complex covering more than 100 hectares. Other venues include the arenas of the National Sports Secretariat -SND-, urban spaces in Asunción and Cerro Lambaré, used for downhill events. The championships therefore combine permanent facilities with courses prepared for specific requirements: a speed skating track, a hockey arena and a downhill road each demand a different operational approach.

The additions include the Olympic Park’s park and street skateboarding facilities. Darren Pearcy, Head of Performance and Pathway at Skateboard GB, highlighted that choice: “Paraguay has made a clear decision. Skateboarding belongs alongside its other Olympic sports, so they’ve built environments that reflect that.” Sports Minister César Ramírez Caje places the longer-term objective in broader participation: “Our goal is for the legacy of ASU26 to create concrete opportunities, above all for our sporting present and for future generations.” The question extends beyond providing a competition venue to how those spaces will introduce new athletes to the sports and support their development.

One federation, different ways to compete

This week’s activity illustrates the breadth of the programme. While skateboarding stages its Park World Championship, rink hockey reaches the women’s and men’s under-19 semi-finals, with Argentina, Italy, Portugal and Spain represented in both categories. The Speed World Championships begin on Saturday, with 406 athletes from 47 countries expected across the junior and senior categories. Competition will move from the COP track to the road circuit and marathon. The Games provide a shared international setting for Olympic and non-Olympic disciplines, reflecting World Skate’s remit beyond skateboarding.

The organisation also brings together institutions with different responsibilities. World Skate provides the international sporting framework, while the COP, SND and organising committee coordinate facilities and services alongside national authorities. ASU26 Deputy General Director Larissa Schaerer identifies that cooperation as a less visible part of the event: “This kind of institutional cooperation is not seen on a television broadcast, but it is the reason everything else works.” COP and organising committee President Camilo Pérez López Moreira links the ability to host the championships to infrastructure development over recent years. Their remarks place facilities and organisational experience among the resources Paraguay aims to retain after the Games.

World Skate Day and open participation

Bringing that community together is not limited to the championship calendar. Every April 21, World Skate Day commemorates the federation’s foundation in Montreux, Switzerland, in 1924. This year marked its 102nd anniversary, with an invitation to participants across all disciplines and levels to skate in streets, parks and sports facilities. The federation encouraged people to share images of their activities to showcase the community on wheels. Although the celebration took place in April, it connects with the diversity represented in Asunción: alongside athletes competing for world titles, recreational skating and beginner participation also form part of World Skate’s work.

That open participation will take a concrete form in the October 18 marathon, bringing together the Speed World Championships and the World Skate Marathon Tour in downtown Asunción. The event welcomes national teams, registered tour teams and individual athletes, as well as masters and amateur skaters. The format is expected to bring hundreds of additional participants to the final day of the speed skating programme. The same course will accommodate athletes competing for world titles and skaters entering through the tour’s open categories.

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Reaching an agreement remains part of the NBA and FIBA’s approach, but their intention to develop the new competition does not depend on one. “The NBA and FIBA remain committed to moving forward with a new professional men’s league in Europe,” they said in the statement, which also highlighted the benefits of a partnership between all three organisations for clubs, players and fans. The message combines two objectives: bringing EuroLeague into a shared structure and continuing preparations for NBA Europe even if that integration does not happen. Direct competition between the two would follow from that second scenario; Thursday’s announcement did not signal a definitive break.

NBA Europe retains its 2027 target

In London, Aivazoglou maintained the timeline the NBA has been advocating: “We’re moving ahead with plans for a launch next year.” The statement retains 2027 as the target, without confirming that the entire proposed structure would operate from the outset. In September, Commissioner Adam Silver had already explained that the initial product could differ from the fully established league. ‘The Guardian’ reports a full league in 2028 and a preliminary phase in 2027, without official confirmation. The start of activity envisaged by the NBA should therefore be distinguished from the complete launch of all its teams and qualification mechanisms.

The model reiterated by Aivazoglou envisages 16 participants: 12 permanent teams and four qualifying on sporting merit. The NBA and FIBA’s official proposal offers qualification pathways through the Basketball Champions League -BCL- or an end-of-season tournament for clubs in FIBA-affiliated domestic leagues. The combination seeks to provide stability for investors without completely closing access to other teams. It differs from a league made up exclusively of permanent franchises, although it does not mean that all 16 places would be earned through results each year. The project also envisages aligning its schedule with domestic competitions and national teams.

Chus Bueno (EuroLeague) and George Aivazoglou (NBA)

Collaboration remains on the table

The shareholders rejected the proposal presented, rather than ruling out any future agreement. FC Barcelona confirmed to ‘Associated Press’ that the clubs would reconsider an amended offer. That response keeps a collective negotiating route open, while potential discussions with individual participants must be distinguished from agreements to join. The NBA has acknowledged interest from basketball clubs, football organisations and external investors, but that interest does not make existing EuroLeague teams members of NBA Europe. Any eventual participation would require agreement on both entry terms and the relationship with their existing commitments.

Thursday’s appearance also outlined the NBA’s commercial ambitions: preserving European basketball’s identity while broadening its audience through additional entertainment elements. “It will be a global brand and platform. It will transcend Europe’s borders,” Aivazoglou said, according to remarks reported by ‘Eurohoops’. His approach links investor appeal to an international commercial reach extending beyond current audiences. For clubs, the questions include how revenue and commercial rights would be shared; for the organisers, the challenge is converting that potential demand into broadcast agreements, sponsorships and activity in arenas.

Two projects in the same market

If the two projects operate separately, they would compete for teams, players, sponsors, broadcast rights and public attention. They would also need to fit their games around domestic leagues, national teams and venue availability. The institutional distinction matters: EuroLeague belongs to its shareholder clubs, while NBA Europe is being developed through the NBA–FIBA alliance. An agreement would need to resolve who runs the competition, how clubs participate in decisions and what obligations they accept when joining. Operating separately, each structure would need to build a sporting and commercial proposition capable of attracting participants, without another league’s arrival automatically guaranteeing greater revenue for everyone.

On Tuesday, EuroLeague agreed to advance the conversion of its 13 shareholders’ ten-year licences into franchises and instructed its Board of Directors to continue assessing new entrants. A final recommendation is due to be submitted for approval in the coming weeks, as part of its plan to reach 24 teams in 2027–28. NBA Europe, meanwhile, retains its publicly stated target of starting in 2027 and continues discussions with prospective participants and owners. The official announcement outlining the project also envisages resources for academies, domestic leagues and development programmes for players, coaches and referees.

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Vega says he has secured the support of the five associations needed to submit his candidacy. “I already have that,” he told ‘El País’, without identifying his backers. His claim must be distinguished from documented endorsements and formal acceptance: candidates need five written declarations of support, must demonstrate an active role in football during two of the previous five years, and must pass an eligibility check. The deadline is November 18. The former Switzerland international brings a name into the debate over new leadership, but Europe’s call for a different president does not yet amount to an endorsement of his bid.

Europe calls for a different president

Aleksander Čeferin announced on Thursday in Berlin, Germany, that he would seek a final term as President of the Union of European Football Associations -UEFA-, reversing his intention to step down. All 55 associations asked him to continue, with the election scheduled for April 22, 2027, in Astana, Kazakhstan. He had already ruled out challenging Infantino in August. His decision keeps his future in European football separate from the search for an alternative FIFA president. “There is still important work ahead, and I have therefore accepted their request,” he explained.

The backing for Čeferin and the position on FIFA differ in scope: all 55 associations support his decision to continue, but 54, excluding Azerbaijan, support the reform proposals. UEFA says they have lost confidence in the current leadership and that institutional changes alone are insufficient. It calls for a figure rooted in football who can command confidence across regions. Its proposals separate the presidency from management functions and protect the independence of oversight bodies. That description does not identify Vega: the overlap between his proposals and Europe’s demands cannot replace the explicit endorsements he would need to become its electoral alternative.

Africa backs Infantino

In Cabo Verde, Motsepe outlined a different position during the strategy conference of the Confederation of African Football -CAF-. “There is a unanimous decision by the 54 CAF member associations to unconditionally support Gianni as president of FIFA,” he said, attributing that backing to Infantino’s record of supporting African football. The continent’s associations represent just over a quarter of FIFA’s 211 members. The announcement constitutes a collective political endorsement, although national associations each hold one vote in the election, rather than confederations voting as blocs.

Infantino linked his remarks to the resources allocated to the continent: “With the FIFA Forward programme we have invested one billion dollars in 10 years in Africa, with 124 different projects and many other actions.” He also pledged to seek additional resources and address disagreements through dialogue. Funding is part of Europe’s institutional debate too: UEFA’s proposals call for Forward allocations to be protected from political interference. The positions therefore combine assessments of the support received with demands concerning how development funding is allocated and the decisions behind it.

Who should lead the review?

The position attributed to Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, President of the Asian Football Confederation -AFC-, introduces another difference. According to ‘BBC Sport’, a letter proposes that football institutions should lead the review rather than entrusting it to an external body. The broadcaster contrasts this with an earlier request, co-signed with European and North American leaders, for a fully independent assessment. Official AFC statements in July and August expressed opposition to the lack of consultation over FIFA Forward Enterprise -FFE- and called for transparency. The letter described by the broadcaster proposes a different review process, but does not amount to a collective decision by the confederation or an electoral endorsement of Infantino.

In September, Infantino proposed asking the Council about an independent external assessment and opening discussions on improving decision-making. The October 15 meeting places that debate ahead of the nomination deadline, as associations define their positions on reform and the presidential election. European associations plan another meeting before November 17; the deadline for submitting candidates falls the following day. The electoral calendar sets February 18, 2027, as the deadline for notifying members of accepted candidates, with the election taking place on March 18 in Rabat, Morocco.

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The Olympic architecture is changing. But who is protecting the International Federations’ institutional place within it?

The International Federations gathered in Lausanne at a defining moment for the future of the Olympic Movement.

They discussed cooperation, sustainability, technology, participation and adaptation. They listened to the IOC’s vision for the future and acknowledged the need for change.

Yet one fundamental question remained conspicuously underrepresented in the public debate: who is defending the institutional position of the International Federations themselves?

The silence is not an absence of words. It is the absence of a sufficiently visible collective response to a changing distribution of institutional power.

And that distinction matters.

The IOC knows where it is going

Kirsty Coventry has moved quickly.

The IOC’s Fit for the Future agenda is progressing from consultation towards implementation. The Olympic programme is entering a more flexible, discipline-based evaluation framework, with sustainability, relevance, cost and audience engagement shaping future decisions.

These are legitimate strategic objectives. The Olympic Games cannot expand indefinitely, and the IOC has a responsibility to protect their relevance, sustainability and long-term viability.

Coventry appears to know what she wants from the new Olympic architecture. She has moved quickly to pursue it. That is leadership. The question raised by Lausanne is different: do the International Federations know with equal clarity what they need to protect within it?

The IOC has established its direction and is exercising the authority available to it.

The IOC is doing its job. The question is whether the International Federations are doing theirs.

The institutional change came before Lausanne

The decisive transformation did not begin at the SportAccord Forum.

It had already begun through changes to the Olympic Charter and the framework governing the Olympic program.

The removal of the previous Charter-level listing of Olympic sports, alongside the introduction of discipline-based evaluation, represents a consequential step in a longer evolution towards greater flexibility in the Olympic program.

The IOC already possessed substantial authority over the program. The significance of the latest changes is not that this authority suddenly appeared, but that the institutional framework governing the future of individual sports and disciplines has become more flexible.

The consequences extend beyond Brisbane 2032.

When the program becomes more flexible, the future position of individual sports and disciplines becomes increasingly dependent on evaluation, strategic priorities and subsequent decisions.

That changes institutional incentives.

Every federation has an understandable interest in demonstrating its relevance, meeting emerging criteria and maintaining a constructive relationship with the IOC.

Individually, that approach may be rational.

Collectively, however, it raises a far more consequential question:

If every federation is fighting to protect its own place in the Olympic program, who is fighting to protect the place of the federations in the Olympic system?

ASOIF: negotiating the process, not the power

The International Federations have not remained entirely silent.

ASOIF’s 2026–2032 strategy identifies important institutional objectives, including transparent program criteria, meaningful participation in decision-making and protection of collective federation interests.

At Lausanne, ASOIF requested a transparent, evidence-based evaluation process, sufficient time for affected federations to understand the methodology, and meaningful dialogue with the IOC.

It also sought to move the relevant Brisbane 2032 decisions from December 2026 to the IOC Session in April 2027.

These were legitimate and substantive requests. They demonstrated that the collective representation of the Summer Olympic Federations was prepared to intervene publicly in the process.

But they also exposed the central institutional distinction.

ASOIF challenged the timetable and the conditions of the process. It did not publicly challenge the underlying distribution of decision-making authority.

The federations sought more time and greater involvement before decisions were made.

What did not emerge publicly was an equally explicit collective demand to reconsider the balance of institutional authority within the new framework.

That is not the same as doing nothing. But neither is it the same as negotiating power.

The individual survival instinct

A post-Forum statement by the International Sambo Federation provided a revealing illustration.

FIAS explained that understanding the IOC’s new priorities and requirements would help it adapt its long-term strategy while pursuing Olympic inclusion.

For a federation seeking entry into the Olympic program, this is entirely understandable.

But the underlying mechanism deserves attention.

The IOC defines the direction. The federation studies the requirements. The federation adapts.

FIAS cannot represent the behavior of every Olympic federation. Their interests and institutional positions differ substantially.

Nevertheless, the example illustrates how uncertainty over Olympic inclusion can encourage individual adaptation rather than collective institutional negotiation.

What may be rational for each federation individually can become dangerous for the federations collectively.

The more each federation concentrates on securing its own Olympic future, the more difficult it may become to establish a common position on the institutional future of the federations themselves.

SportAccord: a different measure of relevance

There is also an institutional irony surrounding SportAccord.

The dissolution of GAISF marked the end of a longstanding structure of collective representation for International Federations. SportAccord subsequently assumed certain activities and retained institutional links with the IF umbrella organizations.

Today, however, its public identity increasingly emphasizes conferences, networking, commercial connections and access to decision-makers.

Such activities may be useful, but they are not equivalent to collective institutional authority.

For an organization that once represented institutional power, aspiring to become the place where those who still hold power meet is not a new role. It is a measure of decline.

That is an institutional assessment, not a denial of the value of its events. The broader question is whether the international federation community has replaced the collective institutional influence once associated with its former structures — or merely found new places to meet.

The silence that matters

None of this establishes that the International Federations agree with every aspect of the IOC’s direction.

Nor does it establish that they are afraid, indifferent or incapable of responding.

This is not a judgment on what the federations may be saying privately. It is an observation of what they are not saying publicly.

The central issue is not whether federations participate in discussions, attend meetings or seek consultation.

They clearly do.

The issue is whether their collective institutional position is being defended with the same clarity and determination with which the IOC is advancing its own strategy.

The IOC has every right to pursue a more flexible and sustainable Olympic program.

The International Federations have an equally important responsibility to define what meaningful partnership, institutional participation and collective safeguards should mean within that program.

Cooperation is essential. Consultation is valuable. Adaptation may be necessary.

But none of them automatically guarantees institutional influence.

Lausanne offered a revealing snapshot of a changing Olympic system: an IOC moving decisively towards implementation, federations seeking procedural assurances, and a fundamental question of collective authority still insufficiently addressed in public.

The battle may have been lost before the federations even realized there was something left to negotiate.

But perhaps the greater danger is not that the battle has already been lost.

It is that the federations may discover what they needed to defend only after the new architecture has become irreversible.

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The International Testing Agency, acting on behalf of the World Karate Federation, said Takzima had accepted a further three-year period of ineligibility after breaching the prohibition on participation while serving a provisional suspension and period of ineligibility.

Takzima had accepted a three-year ban on 13 April 2023 for an anti-doping rule violation under Articles 2.1 and 2.2 of the WKF anti-doping rules. The original period was due to run from 23 December 2022 to 22 December 2025.

The ITA later found that, during his provisional suspension and period of ineligibility, Takzima had acted as a coach and participated in various sporting events. The WKF subsequently opened a new procedure against him.

Takzima did not challenge the new anti-doping rule violation and agreed to the consequences proposed by the ITA. The case was therefore resolved through an acceptance of consequences rather than a contested disciplinary hearing.

The decision has significant consequences. The credit previously given to Takzima for his provisional suspension between 23 December 2022 and 13 April 2023 has been revoked. His original three-year ban now runs from 13 April 2023 to 12 April 2026, followed by an additional three-year period of ineligibility from 13 April 2026 to 12 April 2029.

The ITA has also disqualified all of Takzima’s individual competitive results obtained from 23 December 2022 onwards, with the forfeiture of medals, points and prizes.

The published decision, however, provides no details of the sporting events in which Takzima participated, the nature of his role at those events or how the ITA identified his activities. It therefore leaves unanswered questions about how restrictions imposed on suspended athletes are monitored in practice.

That distinction matters. A disciplinary decision establishes what an athlete cannot do, but enforcing those restrictions requires sporting organisations to identify activity that may fall within the scope of a ban. In this case, the ITA has confirmed the breach and imposed a further period of ineligibility, but has not explained how the activities were detected.

For the WKF, that leaves a broader question about the practical enforcement of suspensions. If a banned athlete is able to act as a coach or participate in sporting events, the effectiveness of the sanction depends not only on the disciplinary rules but also on the systems in place to identify and prevent such activity.

The decision may be appealed to the appeals division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport by parties with a right of appeal under Article 13.2.3 of the WKF anti-doping rules. The ITA said it would not comment further on the case.

The disciplinary case may now be closed, but the questions surrounding enforcement remain. A ban is only as effective as the system used to monitor and enforce it, and the Takzima case puts that process under scrutiny.

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Both moves reflect different challenges within the sport. On the one hand, the UCI aims to expand access to its esports world championships and offer young cyclists and those over 40 the opportunity to compete for an official world title. On the other, professional road cycling is entering a period of structural analysis following an international consultation in which federations, teams, riders and organisers identified safety, financial fairness, the calendar, and commercial and media rights as key priorities.

UCI expands the Esports World Championships to Junior and Masters categories

The first edition of the new UCI Cycling Esports World Championships for Junior and Masters categories will take place virtually on 12 December 2026, one week after the competition for Elite categories. It will be the first time that the UCI awards the rainbow jersey of world champion in cycling esports to athletes outside the Elite category. The Junior events will be open to cyclists born in 2008 and 2009, while the Masters categories will include athletes aged 40 and over, divided into five-year age groups. A minimum of 10 participants will be required for each category to take place and for a world title to be awarded.

The competition will be held remotely on the MyWhoosh platform, using a virtual recreation of the final circuit of the 2026 UCI Road World Championships in Montreal. The course will be 13.3 kilometres long, with 247 metres of elevation gain. Juniors and participants over 60 will complete two laps, for a total of 26.6 kilometres, while cyclists aged between 40 and 59 will complete three laps, covering 39.9 kilometres. All participants must represent their National Federations, hold a UCI licence and meet the eligibility requirements established for the competition.

Professional cycling reform enters a new phase

While esports continue to expand their competitive reach, the UCI has also begun structuring a reform of men’s and women’s professional road cycling. The organisation created a steering committee bringing together representatives of the main stakeholders involved in the sport, including UCI leadership, the Professional Cycling Council, organisers, teams, cyclists, members of the Athletes’ Commission and representatives of some of the leading events and professional structures. The group held its first meeting on 6 October in Geneva, with two further meetings scheduled before progress is presented at the UCI Women’s WorldTour and the UCI WorldTour Seminar, scheduled for 9 and 10 December in Benidorm.

The initiative builds on the consultation on the future of road cycling conducted by the UCI in 2026. Responses showed broad agreement among the sport’s stakeholders on several challenges, including safety, the distribution of financial resources among teams, calendar organisation, and the management of commercial and media rights. To support the committee’s work, the UCI appointed Deloitte as its strategic adviser. Specialists from its global sports division participated in the first meeting in Geneva and will contribute to developing a vision and roadmap, while the first measures resulting from the process could be implemented as early as the 2029 season.

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The new framework proposes moving away from a model based solely on checklists towards an approach adapted to the reality of each National Federation. To this end, World Triathlon will implement a TRICARE Classification System with three levels of readiness: Bronze, Silver and Gold. The tool will allow each organisation to identify where it currently stands and determine the steps needed to strengthen its prevention, education and response mechanisms when situations arise that may affect people’s wellbeing within sport.

A system adapted to each National Federation

The Bronze level is aimed at federations that are beginning to develop their safeguarding structures. Requirements include appointing a child safeguarding officer, establishing a minimum reporting mechanism, completing TRI’s Level I Child Safeguarding course on Education Hub, and participating in the Annual Child Safeguarding Survey. The Silver level, meanwhile, is designed for organisations that already have an operational programme, including a public safeguarding policy, a formally appointed safeguarding officer, several reporting channels, codes of conduct and at least one educational initiative each year.

The Gold level applies to federations with established safeguarding systems and seeks to recognise more advanced structures. These organisations will be required to conduct regular policy reviews, provide advanced training for their child safeguarding officers, offer anonymous, confidential and public reporting mechanisms, implement safer recruitment procedures, provide formal support for victims and publish anonymised data. In addition, World Triathlon proposes that federations reaching the Silver and Gold levels take on a mentoring role for those that are just beginning, promoting the exchange of knowledge and experiences across the international triathlon community.

New tools and standards for 2027

The guidelines will come into effect in 2027 as part of World Triathlon’s safeguarding measures implementation plan. The aim is to increase the number of federations with policies and programmes focused particularly on prevention and awareness. The challenge is based on a concrete reality: of the organisation’s 168 members, only 61 National Federations reported in the 2025 National Federation Survey that they had a safeguarding policy. In response, World Triathlon will conduct a comprehensive review of existing policies to ensure that they meet the established minimum standards and requirements.

The document also addresses practical aspects of managing a safeguarding concern, from definitions, scope and reporting channels to sanctions and jurisdiction. Among the measures, the independent safeguarding officer will be required to acknowledge receipt of each report within 96 hours, while the guidelines also cover education, prevention, athlete wellbeing and online safety. In addition, the guidelines introduce the Safeguarding Point of Contact (SPOC), a trained individual who will be present at World Triathlon events to receive and address safeguarding concerns, with implementation beginning in 2027. The guidelines were developed by World Triathlon and underwent a final review by Laureus Sport for Good and Sport Resolutions, the independent body responsible for managing safeguarding matters referred to TRI.

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Vega, 55, was born in Olten, Switzerland, and grew up as the youngest of five children in a family of Spanish immigrants. He became a professional footballer, trained in banking while playing and later built a second career in finance. Representing his country of birth also changed his sense of belonging: in an interview with ‘Square Mile’, he recalled the contrast between initially feeling unaccepted and later wearing the Swiss cross on his national team shirt. Years afterwards, he faced another struggle for recognition: his name opened doors in business, but many people still saw the footballer before the financier.

A career beyond Tottenham

His most prominent spell was at Tottenham, although he arrived in London after winning three league titles with Grasshopper and playing for Italy’s Cagliari. He earned 23 caps for Switzerland and appeared at Euro 1996. At Tottenham, he made 84 competitive appearances and won the 1999 League Cup; he subsequently joined Celtic on loan, helping the club complete the Scottish domestic treble in 2000–01. He scored twice against Aberdeen on his debut for the Glasgow side. His career continued at Watford and ended at Créteil in France.

The 1999 Wembley final remains one of the experiences he has recalled most often. As he told ‘RG’, he was carrying a stress fracture in his ankle and doctors had warned him about the risks of continuing to play. “I need to play. This is the most important period of my career, I can win something for the club,” he recalled telling them. He played the full 90 minutes of the victory over Leicester and later underwent surgery, with a lengthy recovery that changed his position within the team. That period eventually led him to Celtic, where he found regular playing time and further trophies before approaching the end of his professional career.

Football in the morning, banking in the afternoon

Preparation for what came next had begun during his teenage years. When he passed a trial to join Grasshopper, his mother opposed any move that would mean abandoning his education. The club found an arrangement that allowed him to continue studying, train in banking and finance and work at Credit Suisse. “In the morning I trained with Grasshopper, and in the afternoon I did my placement at Credit Suisse in Zurich,” he told ‘Vozpópuli’ in 2012. At the time, he resented staying in to study while his friends went out or preparing for an exam after a match. “It wasn’t easy,” he admitted to ‘RG’, before expressing gratitude for his mother’s condition: no education, no football.

While playing, Vega followed his own investments and advised teammates, according to that 2012 interview. In 2002, he helped establish Duet Group, whose activities included asset management, investment funds, private equity and real estate. His education did not prevent a difficult transition. “When I retired from football, the first two or three years were the hardest years of my life,” he told ‘Square Mile’. His fame generated interest, but not always the confidence needed for people to invest with him. In 2025, he told ‘RG’ that he had come close to giving up after two years because he was struggling to be taken seriously in finance.

Business and team management

In 2008, he founded Vega Swiss Asset Management, with a model he described as personalised, transparent and focused on client liquidity. His business career also included property projects and an unsuccessful attempt to acquire Portsmouth in 2009. His asset management firm eventually reached its own endpoint: the British company register records that Vega Swiss Asset Management UK LLP was dissolved on 1 May 2023 following liquidation. The interview published by ‘RG’ in 2025 describes a subsequent period advising investors, clubs and federations, travelling between London, Budapest and Dubai.

Vega also sought to bring his sporting experience into corporate leadership through From Pitch to Boardroom, a project developed with Stuart Blyth. His approach began with understanding people and building teams before making changes within an organisation. “I don’t know any football manager who goes onto the pitch himself if the striker doesn’t score,” he told ‘Square Mile’, discussing leaders who prefer to fix everything personally rather than manage their colleagues. In his latest announcement, he returns to the relationship between leadership and an organisation: “The President must serve FIFA — not control it.” He proposes more transparent and inclusive decision-making and a fairer, more effective distribution of football’s resources.

A longstanding ambition

In his manifesto, he also gives a prominent role to his Hungarian wife, Claudia, with whom he has spent years travelling through different parts of the football world. According to Vega, she held technical and operational roles in international men’s competitions before also working in management and institutional relations. Beyond those projects, the former player spoke in 2015 about his interests in cycling and opera, visits to relatives in Spain and charity matches with Tottenham’s former players. He fondly recalled supporters of the London club and Celtic still recognising him in the street years after he stopped playing.

His interest in the FIFA presidency is not new: he expressed that intention in 2015, 2019 and 2022. His priorities now include player welfare and access for supporters: “We need a responsible international calendar that protects their health and puts quality before quantity.” Vega says he has the backing of the five member associations required to submit his candidacy. The deadline for submitting documentation is 18 November; alongside those endorsements, candidates must demonstrate an active role in football for at least two of the preceding five years and pass an eligibility check. The election is scheduled for 18 March 2027 in Rabat, Morocco.

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