Govt passes CONI autonomy decree to avert IOC sanctions

(ANSA) - ROME, JAN 26 - The cabinet approved a decree to guarantee the autonomy of the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) and avert sanctions from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in one of its last acts, with Premier Giuseppe Conte set to resign on Tuesday.
    The IOC had warned Rome that a recent reform of Italian sport undermined CONI's autonomy.
    It was expected to take action at a meeting of its executive committee on Wednesday, with a suspension among the possible penalties.
    This would have meant Italian athletes would not have been able to compete under the Italian flag at the Tokyo Olympics.
    CONI President Giovanni Malagò said he interrupted a meeting of the board of the organizing committee of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics to inform IOC President Thomas Bach about the development.
    Bach said "I'm very happy" after Malagò told him "the law is OK, our autonomy is safe". Under the recent reform, Italian sport's State funding was handed by a body called Sport e Salute that answers to the economy ministry.
    Previously the finances were handed by CONI's own Coni Servizi arm.
    "The cabinet has approved a decree containing rules that set out the autonomy of CONI," said Sports Minister Vincenzo Spadafora.
    "Now the Italian parliament will have the last work when it converts it into law.
    "It was unlikely that Italy would have been so heavily penalized tomorrow, given our country's long and glorious sporting and democratic history.
    "But today's decision eliminates any doubt and resolve the problem of CONI's independence that was left open by the 2019 reform". (ANSA).