News in brief 24 September 2007

Olympic Torch relay to bypass Taiwan
After lengthy discussions between Taiwan and China failed to come to any agreement, the Olympic torch will not now pass through Taiwan. A deadline of 20 September had been set by the International Olympic Committee for deciding upon a route, so as to allow for the practicalities of staging the event.

The Taiwanese objected to the routing of the relay, saying that China’s insistence that the torch pass from Japan to Vietnam, then on to Taiwan before heading to Hong Kong was a sign of China’s control over Taiwan. Instead, a routing of Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam was suggested to emphasise the distinction between Taiwan and China.

Both sides have accused each other of mixing sport and politics. In a statement released on the Beijing Olympic Committee for the Olympic Games, the Chinese state that Taiwan has created “a very bad precedence by refusing to have the Olympic flame go to its jurisdiction.”

The two parties appeared to have had reached an agreement on the routing, though the final sticking point, the use of flags and national emblems of Taiwan during the  rely, was said to have been the sticking point.

"We deeply regret the result," Taiwan's Sports Minister, Yang Jong-her, said.

Conference, Sport et Travail (Sport and Work)
From 10-12 December, La Faculté des Sciences du Sport et de l’Education Physique de l’Université Lille 2, will host the conference Sport et Travail (Sport and Work).

The conference will focus upon the following six areas:

1. The use of sporting values in the world of business and vice versa
2. Event management, image merchandising, mediatisation
3. Entrance conditions for the sports job market
4. The exercise conditions of work in sport
5. Life after having been a professional athlete, the exit conditions, conversion and reconversion
6. Sport tourism

Other research axes and subjects can be suggested and will be considered by the conference scientific committee. 

For further information, please visit the conference homepage at http://staps.univ-lille2.fr/en/colloques/conference-sport-and-work.html#c247

Congress of the European College of Sport Science
From July 9 – 12, the Congress of the EuropeanCollege of Sport Science will take place in Estoril, Portugal.

The EuropeanCollege organizes an interdisciplinary event which offers numerous opportunities to participate and also to present a paper or a poster.

Potential topics will feature topics in sport sociology, sport pedagogy, sport history and sport philosophy, but it is possible to talk about other topics. The scientific committee will cluster the open topics into coherent sessions. Speakers are also invited to propose a session with several participants.

The congress offers a special incentive for young researchers in form of a Young Investigators Award (sponsored by Mars).

For further information, please visit the conference homepage at http://www.ecss-congress.eu/index.php