Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/842553
21 THE global soccer body FIFA said on Tuesday it had decided to publish the Garcia report into the decision to award the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar respective- ly, more than two-and-a-half years after the investigation was completed. The 430-page report lists in great detail the wheeling and dealing which went on behind the scenes in the bid- ding race. It said that "f laws" in the process were caused by a "culture of expectation and entitlement" among FIFA ex- ecutive committee members who held the right to vote for the hosts. FIFA said its decision to publish was made after the report, compiled by its for- mer chief ethics investigator Michael Garcia in 2014, was "illegally leaked" to a Ger- man newspaper. "For the sake of transparen- cy, FIFA welcomes the news that this report has now been finally published," it said, adding that the decision was made to "to avoid the dis- semination of any misleading information." Garcia, who is now an as- sociate judge at the Court of Appeals for the state of the New York, spent 18 months and interviewed 75 witnesses as he investigated the convo- luted bidding process for the two tournaments. His report was not pub- lished but instead handed to the then FIFA ethics judge Hans-Joachim Eckert, who issued a 42-page summary which said there was not enough evidence to re-open the bidding process. Garcia publicly criticised Eckert's summary and re- signed one month later, in December 2014. FIFA then agreed the report could be published once all investiga- tions against individuals had been completed. FIFA's situation took a dra- matic turn in 2015 when sev- eral dozens soccer officials were indicted on corruption- related charges in the United States, while the Swiss attor- ney general's office opened a criminal investigation into the award. Sport SAILING FORMULA 1 maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 28 JUNE 2017 PHOTOGRAPHY BY EMMA TRANTER Royal Malta Yacht Club crews ready for Camilleri Marine Ragusa Weekend OFFSHORE races have always proven to be popular events with Club members, taking them further ashore and pos- ing a true challenge to crews and testing their abilities especially with the volatile weather conditions that one can experience in the Malta- Sicily Channel. The Camilleri Marine Ra- gusa Weekend, taking place this weekend will see Club boats racing up from Malta to the pretty Marina di Ragusa on Thursday. Throughout the weekend, the Circoli Velici Iblei, under the auspices of the Federazi- one Italiana Vela, organise the Trofeo Achille Boroli Challenge and the Hyblea Cup. Last year the races were very much a Maltese affair with Maya Podesta's Elusive 2 BOV storming to victory and winning the Achille Boroli Challenge. The Hyblea Cup was won by Anton Calleja's Lartista. The fleet will race up to Ragusa on Thursday 29th June at 8:30, with first boats expected to arrive in Ragusa just before sunset. Depending on weather con- ditions, boats are likely to race down on Sunday or Monday morning whilst a prize giving evening, hosted by Camilleri Marine, sponsors of the event will take place on Friday 7th July at the Royal Malta Yacht Club. For further information please visit – www.rmyc.org or email the Club Secretariat on info@rmyc.org FIFA publishes Garcia World Cups report after leak Honda to bring 'Spec 3' PU to Austrian GP HONDA chief Yusuke Hasega- wa has confirmed that its 'Spec 3' power unit will be introduced at the Austrian Grand Prix, following a suc- cessful test in Azerbaijan. McLaren-Honda has strug- gled for reliability and perfor- mance this year and sits last in the Constructors' Champion- ship with two points, scored by Fernando Alonso in Baku. Alonso sampled the 'Spec 3' power unit during Friday prac- tice, before reverting to 'Spec 2' for the remainder of the weekend, as Honda pushes to close the gap to its rivals. Hasegawa has now con- firmed that the green light has been given for both Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne to run the upgraded package at the Red Bull Ring. "Although we still saw a big gap to the front-runners, it was a great result if we consider that we started from the back of the grid on what is a very power-hungry circuit," said Hasegawa. "For the next round in Aus- tria, we are scheduled to bring our updated Spec 3 PU for both cars following the suc- cessful test in Azerbaijan. "In the meantime, we will continue our development with our best efforts in order to continue closing the gap." Alonso and Vandoorne took sizeable grid penalties for Sun- day's race, worth 40 and 35 places repsectively, having tak- en on several new power unit elements.