https://sg.sports.yahoo.com/news/badminton-bwf-suspends-sport-accord-ties-over-vizer-095428218.html AFP News – 20 hours ago Badminton's governing body announced Monday that it has suspended links with Sport Accord over the organisation's criticism of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and its leadership. Sport Accord President Marius Vizer had last month accused the IOC system and its leaders of being the "cardinals" and "popes" of sport who tried to block his attempts to organise multi-sport events. Sport Accord is a union for both Olympic and non-Olympic international sports federations and organises sporting events. The Badminton World Federation (BWF) said it had written to Vizer informing him of its decision with immediate effect. "It follows BWF's strong disagreement with Vizer's comments about the IOC and IOC President Thomas Bach at the annual Sport Accord Convention last month," BWF said in a statement. "BWF is not aligned with the opinions and vision of Sport Accord and you (Vizer) as the president of the organisation." Rivalry between Vizer and Bach went public at Sport Accord's annual convention last month when Vizer, also head of the International Judo Federation, demanded more power for the sporting federations on the IOC. Vizer's scathing attack had triggered similar reactions from more than a dozen federations, such as those of football, hockey and athletics, to quit Sport Accord over the dispute.
