Olympics chief in Bangkok as Thailand bids for Summer Games<\/p>\n
BANGKOK (Agencies): International Olympic Committee (IOC)
\npresident Juan Antonio Samaranch met Thai sports officials on
\nSaturday, three weeks after Thailand said it was bidding for the
\n2008 summer Games.<\/p>\n
Samaranch who arrived in Thailand late Friday night, visited
\nan indoor stadium in Bangkok to observe a game of sepak takraw
\nwhich is reportedly being considered as an Olympic demonstration
\nsport.<\/p>\n
Takraw players try to propel a ball over a high net with their
\nfeet. The sport, which is similar to volleyball, is especially
\npopular in southeast Asia.<\/p>\n
Samaranch was later due to fly by helicopter to present King
\nBhumibol Adulyadej with the Lalaounis Cup at a seaside summer
\npalace in Hua Hin.<\/p>\n
The Cup recognizes services to the Olympic movement.<\/p>\n
Thailand joined the race for the 2008 Games just before the
\nbid deadline last month and is shaping up as a rank outsider
\nagainst front-runner Beijing and eight other cities, including
\nParis.<\/p>\n
Samaranch is due to hold talks with Thai Prime Minister Chuan
\nLeekpai and other officials and will also meet executives from
\nThailand's Olympic Committee Sunday.<\/p>\n
Thai sports officials here played down talk that Samaranch
\nwill make an early assessment of the 2008 bid, keen to highlight
\nthe fact that the IOC chief's visit is strictly ceremonial.<\/p>\n
In Montreal, the fight against the use of illegal drugs in
\nsport took a key step forward on Friday as a conference decided
\non the composition of the 35-member board of a new international
\nanti-doping agency.<\/p>\n
After two days of talks in Montreal, a group of 30 countries
\nreached a consensus that will see Africa send three
\nrepresentatives to the new World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), one
\nmore than had been planned.<\/p>\n
The International Intergovernmental Consultative Group on
\nAnti-Doping in Sport said it decided that Morocco, Senegal and
\nanother as yet unnamed country will sit on the board of the
\nInternational Olympic Committee-funded watchdog agency.<\/p>",
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