Pan Am Judo officials suspended for four years

Subject: Pan Am Judo officials suspended for four years

Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee(TTOC) Secretary
General Brian Lewis ,presented the medals won in the
men's 60g judo competition on Sunday afternoon(July
22nd) at the Riocentro Complex,Pavilion 4A.

But the Trinidadian Olympic official had to wait for
the Security and venue officials to settle down the
crowd following a fracas between Cuban athletes and
Brazilian spectators,the Brazilians were reacting
negatively to a decision awarded to Cuba's Sheila
Espinoza in her gold medal 52kg bout with Brazil's
Erika Miranda.

The scenes threatened to get even uglier and mar the
image of Rio 2007 but the agitated crowd calmed down
somewhat following and address on the public address
system by Brazil's Judo athletes who pleaded with
their countrymen and women to calm down and not give
Brazil a bad image.

Lewis,participating in his first Pan American Games
medal ceremony was eventually able to present the
medals to the men's 60 kg medalists .Cuban silver
medalist Yosmani Pike however was booed by the
crowd.The gold medal went to Miguel Albarracin of
Argentina while Brazilian Alexandre Lee and Juan
Miguel Postigos of Peru received the bronze medal.

The TTOC Secretary General said the " unfortunate and
ugly scenes "did not spoil the occasion.But admitted
things briefly got frantic with the pelting of debris
and the sight of the Cuban athletes and officials in
the stands supporting their teammates fighting with
spectators, before the Military personnel brought the
situation under control.

The aftermath of Sunday's turmoil is still
reverberation at RIO 2007 following a media release
issued by the Rio 2007 Organizing
Committee(CO-Rio)stating that based on the reports
issued by CO-RIO's management at Riocentro and by
CO-RIO's management at the venue, the Organizing
Committee will withdraw and cancel the accreditation
passes of the following delegates present at the
official's tribune and involved in the incident:
Francisco Neto, representative of the Judo Federation
of Maranhão and Eduardo Costa, representative of the
Judo Federation of Ceará.

The Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB)has suspend
Francisco Neto and Eduardo Costa for four years each,
including the 2011 Guadalajara Pan American Games. The
officials mentioned above are prohibited to
participate in any competition, event or any other
official activity falling under COB's jurisdiction.

COB has also directed the Brazilian Judo Confederation
(CBJ) to send a detailed report to CBJ's Tribunal.

CO-RIO affirmed that it will at all times take extreme
measures to ensure fair play in the sport concerning
all matters under its jurisdiction. CO-RIO repudiated
any action which disrupts harmony among peoples, one
of the pillars of the Pan American Games.