Formula 1 will return to Africa “in the early 1930s” with a grand prix in Rwanda, according to what Formula 1, the American company that runs the premier motor sport, announced on Tuesday.
Formula 1 announced on social media: “Formula 1 returns to Africa with a 10-year agreement to race in Rwanda. The African Grand Prix is ready to join the Formula 1 calendar in the early 1930s.”
The last Formula 1 Grand Prix on the African continent was held in 1993 at the Kyalami Circuit in South Africa.
Formula 1 confirmed in a statement: “Formula 1 has long aspired to race in Africa, and today’s announcement embodies years of work to bring together all the necessary conditions, with the right partner, to organize a grand prix in a sustainable manner.”
“This partnership has been long awaited,” Rwandan President Paul Kagame said in a press conference on Tuesday. It is a success and an important milestone for the entire continent, especially for African fans. Our ambition is for this grand prize to open the way for other races in Africa. What we are doing today proves that involving African markets in major global sporting competitions is possible and can create great opportunities.”
The announcement of a future Grand Prix for Formula 1 in Rwanda had been awaited since October 8, when sources close to the file in Kigali reported to Agence France-Presse that an agreement had been reached between Formula 1 and the authorities of the East African country.
Rwanda currently lacks a track capable of hosting Formula 1, and it seems that building it would be expensive.
The first grand prix in the country will be held “when the new specially designed circuit in Bugesera (about 40 kilometers south of Kigali) is completed, which is expected to happen early next decade,” according to a Formula 1 statement on Tuesday.
This mountainous country is located in the Great Lakes region of Africa, and is slightly smaller than Belgium, which colonized it from the 1920s until its independence in 1962.
The country's history was marked by the genocide of the Tutsis in 1994, which left 800,000 people dead, most of them members of this ethnic group, including moderate Hutus.
To date, Africa has hosted 24 Formula 1 Grand Prix since the launch of the World Championship in 1950, including 23 in South Africa, all at the Kyalami Circuit between 1967 and 1993.
The only other Grand Prix on the continent was held in Morocco in 1958 at the Ain Diab Circuit (in Casablanca).
The circuit on which the Rwanda Grand Prix will be held has not yet been constructed. The circuit will be close to an international airport being built in Bugesera, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the capital, Kigali.
Stefano Domenicali, CEO of Formula 1, said in the statement: “Africa has more than 100 million Formula 1 fans, and this number continues to grow rapidly. “We are bringing the excitement, energy and excitement that characterizes (Formula 1) to millions of people who have waited so long for the return of our sport to the continent.”
Gianni Infantino may succeed in turning the page on weeks of criticism and securing a new term as president of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), in the absence of any heavyweight figure capable of posing a serious challenge to him, according to what observers told Agence France-Presse.
The Swiss lost the support of a number of federations in his bid to be re-elected for a fourth and final term, since he announced a plan to open the door to private investments in the World Cup, before quickly withdrawing from it.
However, Infantino (56 years old) still maintains a basic card of continuing support for his traditional stronghold in Africa and South America.
The plan of the FIFA Commercial Development Foundation (FFE), which was revealed in July, following the great success of the World Cup, aimed to establish a commercial company affiliated with FIFA, which would manage its most prominent tournaments, most notably the World Cup.
However, two of Infantino's most prominent critics, the Slovenian Aleksandar Ceferin, who is heading to run for a new term at the head of the European Union (UEFA), and the Canadian Victor Montagliani, who reports indicate his intention to run again for the presidency of the Confederation of North, Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF), have become preoccupied with their electoral battles. This prompted the opponents of the FIFA president to urgently search for a serious candidate capable of competing with him in the elections scheduled for next March.
The deadline for announcing candidacy is scheduled to end on November 18.
Terence Burns, who handled the marketing strategy for two successful World Cup campaigns, said Infantino was always the favourite.
He told Agence France-Presse: “Infantino holds all the cards in the game, and this has always been the case. Any potential candidate to compete with him at this stage appears to be either waging a formal battle, or seeking to use his candidacy to conclude deals and achieve gains.”
For his part, Michael Payne, former head of marketing at the International Olympic Committee, expressed his surprise that no serious candidate has emerged yet to confront Infantino.
“Everyone is surprised,” Payne told Agence France-Presse, adding: “If he is re-elected, which seems increasingly likely, it will be a redefinition of the Houdini maneuver.”
Although the President of the Norwegian Federation, Lisa Klavenes, is considered one of the most prominent voices critical of Infantino, and has received widespread praise, she has ruled out running in the presidential race.
Even if Claviness changes her position, she will face a huge challenge in her bid to become the first woman to run for president of the body that oversees world football, following in the footsteps of Kirsty Coventry, who last year became the first woman to be elected president of the International Olympic Committee.
A source familiar with football governance affairs, who requested anonymity, told Agence France-Presse: “There were people within the management of the International Olympic Committee working to ensure the election of Coventry. This was the desire of Thomas Bach, her predecessor in the position, who wanted her to succeed him in the presidency.
The source added: “As for Lisa, she faces the exact opposite situation; “FIFA employees are likely to work to prevent her from being elected.”
However, Infantino is still far from ensuring a safe path to a new term, with his opponents resorting to legal action before American courts, as well as submitting formal complaints to committees within FIFA.
Klavinis and the Norwegian Federation highlighted three issues, united by a common thread, which is the friendly relationship between Infantino and US President Donald Trump.
A company affiliated with Josh Kushner, brother of Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, was scheduled to assume the role of the lead investor in the “Viva Commercial Development Corporation” project.
However, the same source warned that “there is no guarantee that these complaints will be taken into account.” Even if it is decided to consider it, it will take time.”
He added: “What the Infantino camp fears is that the Norwegians will resort to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) if they are not satisfied with the decision.”
But Burns believes that the greatest threat to Infantino comes from the legal moves launched by UEFA before the American courts. With the aim of reviewing documents related to the “FFE” project, in a case to which “FIFA” faces strong legal objection.
Burns said: “This issue represents a point that disturbs the peace of the scene.” If the FFE project was merely the result of a miscalculation in communication procedures and strategy, then why hide its details?
He added: “This lack of transparency is like a thorn in Infantino’s side, and its impact will not disappear with time.”
For his part, Payne believes that the absence of support from a number of major football powers, such as Spain, France and England, may harm Infantino.
He said: “Running a global sports federation requires unity. “FIFA will be on the brink of civil war, and this is a completely new situation for a governing body in the world of sports.”
On the other hand, Burns believes that the opposition will be forced, reluctantly, to reach a settlement with Infantino.
He explained that the governing football bodies prefer to avoid division, “unless, of course, there are serious criminal activities that justify this, which there is not.”
He pointed out that the other factor that may change the balance of power is the presence of “financial gains” that the federations can achieve by removing Infantino from his position. But he added, “There are no such gains either.”
Rather, Burns believes that the current path may lead to a completely opposite result, considering that it is likely to “lead, when this crisis passes, to a further concentration of power and influence in the hands of Infantino.”
Cindy Hook intends to step down from her position as CEO of the Brisbane 2032 Organizing Committee when her four-year contract expires this year.
The organizers of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics announced Hawke's decision in a statement issued on Tuesday, one week after the official logos of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, which are scheduled to be held after 6 years, were unveiled.
“As CEO, I am proud to have built the organizing committee from scratch, created the vision and plan for the games, designed and implemented a clear strategy, created the brand story, launched amazing logos, and built early momentum in the market,” Hawke said in the statement. Hook added: “The foundations for success have been firmly established, and this is the right time to hand over responsibility to a new CEO.”
The Brisbane 2032 Olympics organizing committee stated that the process of selecting a new CEO will begin immediately, noting that this timing will allow a smooth transition from the planning and capacity-building stage to the next stages, which include operations and implementation of projects and events.
It is noteworthy that Hook, an American executive who was based in Singapore as CEO of Deloitte in the Asia-Pacific region before assuming the position on the organizing committee, was appointed to this position in December 2022.
For his part, Andrew Liveris, Chairman of the Brisbane 2032 Organizing Committee, said in a statement: “Cindy was an exceptional leader. Her passion, enthusiasm and strategic thinking paved the way for the success of Brisbane 2032.” He explained: “Cindy began her work when the organizing committee was just a fledgling organization, and she succeeded in transforming (Brisbane 2032) into a thriving organization.” He continued: “Her focus on values, institutional excellence, governance processes, and strict financial oversight has become rooted in a highly competent work team that she has chosen and formed. I thank her for her great gestures.”
Brisbane is scheduled to be the third Australian city to host the Summer Olympic Games, after Melbourne and Sydney in 1956 and 2000, respectively.
It is noteworthy that Brisbane, the third largest city in Australia, has been granted the right to host the “2032 Olympic Games” in July 2021.
