Latest news with #ReynoldHoover
Straits Times
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
US travel ban will not hinder Los Angeles Olympics, LA28 CEO says
Casey Wasserman, LA28 Chairperson and President speaks between Nicole Hoevertsz, IOC Vice President and LA28 Coordination Commission Chair, and Reynold Hoover, LA28 Chief Executive Officer, during a press conference in Los Angeles, California, U.S. June 5, 2025. REUTERS/Mike Blake US travel ban will not hinder Los Angeles Olympics, LA28 CEO says LOS ANGELES - U.S. President Donald Trump's directive banning citizens from 12 countries from entering the U.S. exempts athletes, and LA28 officials said on Thursday they were confident the Games have the full backing of the administration. Trump signed the proclamation on Wednesday as part of an immigration crackdown he said was needed to protect against "foreign terrorists" and other security threats. "The important thing for us is that the federal government and this administration recognized the importance of the Olympics and the Games," LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover told Reuters on Thursday. "There is a carve-out in the order in the travel ban that allows for and assures that there will be access to the Games for the athletes and their families and officials. "We will be able to have a wide-open Games." The countries affected by the latest travel ban are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The entry of people from seven other countries - Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela - will be partially restricted. Casey Wasserman, the chairman of LA28, the private, non-profit company organizing the Games, said he had "great confidence" that the positive working relationship with the administration would continue. "It was very clear in the directive that the Olympics require special consideration, and I want to thank the federal government for recognizing that," he told a press conference after hosting International Olympic Committee officials in Los Angeles. Wasserman added that he did not anticipate the travel ban to have any impact on ticket sales, which will begin next year. The U.S. along with Canada and Mexico will host the FIFA World Cup in 2026, and Trump said during a task force meeting last month that he wanted people traveling to the U.S. to watch that competition to have a seamless experience during their visit. "At the White House task force the president, the vice president, all of the administration officials said, 'We welcome the world to come to FIFA,'" Hoover said. "I think the administration is welcoming the world to come to LA." Hoover said LA28 continues to forge ties with the administration ahead of the mega-sporting event, now just over three years away. "We have direct communication with the White House through the chief of staff, we have direct communication with the Department of State, and we are working with the State Department to have embedded teams to coordinate visa access," he said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
11 hours ago
- Politics
- The Star
Olympics-US travel ban will not hinder Los Angeles Olympics, LA28 CEO says
Casey Wasserman, LA28 Chairperson and President speaks between Nicole Hoevertsz, IOC Vice President and LA28 Coordination Commission Chair, and Reynold Hoover, LA28 Chief Executive Officer, during a press conference in Los Angeles, California, U.S. June 5, 2025. REUTERS/Mike Blake LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump's directive banning citizens from 12 countries from entering the U.S. exempts athletes, and LA28 officials said on Thursday they were confident the Games have the full backing of the administration. Trump signed the proclamation on Wednesday as part of an immigration crackdown he said was needed to protect against "foreign terrorists" and other security threats. "The important thing for us is that the federal government and this administration recognized the importance of the Olympics and the Games," LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover told Reuters on Thursday. "There is a carve-out in the order in the travel ban that allows for and assures that there will be access to the Games for the athletes and their families and officials. "We will be able to have a wide-open Games." The countries affected by the latest travel ban are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The entry of people from seven other countries - Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela - will be partially restricted. Casey Wasserman, the chairman of LA28, the private, non-profit company organizing the Games, said he had "great confidence" that the positive working relationship with the administration would continue. "It was very clear in the directive that the Olympics require special consideration, and I want to thank the federal government for recognizing that," he told a press conference after hosting International Olympic Committee officials in Los Angeles. Wasserman added that he did not anticipate the travel ban to have any impact on ticket sales, which will begin next year. The U.S. along with Canada and Mexico will host the FIFA World Cup in 2026, and Trump said during a task force meeting last month that he wanted people traveling to the U.S. to watch that competition to have a seamless experience during their visit. "At the White House task force the president, the vice president, all of the administration officials said, 'We welcome the world to come to FIFA,'" Hoover said. "I think the administration is welcoming the world to come to LA." Hoover said LA28 continues to forge ties with the administration ahead of the mega-sporting event, now just over three years away. "We have direct communication with the White House through the chief of staff, we have direct communication with the Department of State, and we are working with the State Department to have embedded teams to coordinate visa access," he said. (Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
Reuters
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Reuters
US travel ban will not hinder Los Angeles Olympics, LA28 CEO says
LOS ANGELES, June 5 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's directive banning citizens from 12 countries from entering the U.S. exempts athletes, and LA28 officials said on Thursday they were confident the Games have the full backing of the administration. Trump signed the proclamation on Wednesday as part of an immigration crackdown he said was needed to protect against "foreign terrorists" and other security threats. "The important thing for us is that the federal government and this administration recognized the importance of the Olympics and the Games," LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover told Reuters on Thursday. "There is a carve-out in the order in the travel ban that allows for and assures that there will be access to the Games for the athletes and their families and officials. "We will be able to have a wide-open Games." The countries affected by the latest travel ban are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The entry of people from seven other countries - Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela - will be partially restricted. Casey Wasserman, the chairman of LA28, the private, non-profit company organizing the Games, said he had "great confidence" that the positive working relationship with the administration would continue. "It was very clear in the directive that the Olympics require special consideration, and I want to thank the federal government for recognizing that," he told a press conference after hosting International Olympic Committee officials in Los Angeles. Wasserman added that he did not anticipate the travel ban to have any impact on ticket sales, which will begin next year. The U.S. along with Canada and Mexico will host the FIFA World Cup in 2026, and Trump said during a task force meeting last month that he wanted people traveling to the U.S. to watch that competition to have a seamless experience during their visit. "At the White House task force the president, the vice president, all of the administration officials said, 'We welcome the world to come to FIFA,'" Hoover said. "I think the administration is welcoming the world to come to LA." Hoover said LA28 continues to forge ties with the administration ahead of the mega-sporting event, now just over three years away. "We have direct communication with the White House through the chief of staff, we have direct communication with the Department of State, and we are working with the State Department to have embedded teams to coordinate visa access," he said.
The Sun
2 days ago
- General
- The Sun
Paralympics-LA28 unveils venue plan for largest ever Paralympics
EVENTS for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympic Games will be held in downtown LA, Exposition Park, Venice Beach, Long Beach, Carson and Arcadia under the venue plan released by Games organizers LA28 on Tuesday. Like the LA Olympics, the Paralympics will seek to take advantage of the city's vast network of existing sports venues when it hosts the event for the first time. Downtown LA will be a major hub of activity with wheelchair fencing, para judo, para taekwondo, boccia and para table tennis all held at the Convention Center. 'By hosting multiple competitions side by side, the events will encourage constant movement, shared fan engagement and a festival-like environment that highlights the diversity of athletic performance,' LA28 said in a release. Wheelchair basketball will be held at Arena, home of the NBA's LA Lakers, with the U.S. men's team looking to capture a fourth consecutive gold medal. Goalball, a sport designed exclusively for people with visual impairments that requires total silence from the crowd, will take place at the nearby Peacock Theater in an acoustically optimised setting. LA Memorial Coliseum will host para athletics and the Paralympics closing ceremony, while the opening ceremony will be held at Inglewood's SoFi Stadium, home of the NFL's Rams and Chargers. Galen Center will host para badminton and wheelchair rugby, Carson will stage para archery, wheelchair tennis and para cycling, while Arcadia's Santa Anita Park will be the site of para equestrian. On the west side of the city, Venice Beach will host para triathlon and mark the starting point of the para athletics marathon, while Long Beach will host seven events including para swimming, blind football and para climbing's debut. The most gender-balanced Paralympics yet will award the most medals in its history and feature 4,480 athletes across 23 sports. With every competition taking place within a 35-mile radius, the venue plan seeks to minimize travel times for athletes staying in the Paralympic Village. 'The Paralympic Games showcases the highest level of athleticism, skill and endurance and it is important for LA28 to deliver a plan that not only elevates Paralympic sport but brings it to the next level,' said LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover. LA Mayor Karen Bass said the Games would provide an opportunity for LA to improve inclusive accessibility citywide. 'The legacy of these Games will be imprinted on our city forever – proliferating beyond the boundaries of these venues to better all of Los Angeles,' she said. The Paralympics will be held from August 15-27 in 2028.
Straits Times
2 days ago
- General
- Straits Times
LA 2028: Venue plan unveiled for largest-ever Paralympics
The planned wheelchair basketball venue for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games is seen in a digital artist's rendering released June 3. PHOTO: REUTERS LOS ANGELES – Events for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympic Games will be held in downtown LA, Exposition Park, Venice Beach, Long Beach, Carson and Arcadia under the venue plan released by Games organisers LA28 on June 3. Like the LA Olympics, the Paralympics will seek to take advantage of the city's vast network of existing sports venues when it hosts the event for the first time. Downtown LA will be a major hub of activity with wheelchair fencing, para judo, para taekwondo, boccia and para table tennis all held at the Convention Center. 'By hosting multiple competitions side by side, the events will encourage constant movement, shared fan engagement and a festival-like environment that highlights the diversity of athletic performance,' LA28 said in a release. Wheelchair basketball will be held at Arena, home of the NBA's LA Lakers, with the US men's team looking to capture a fourth consecutive gold medal. Goalball, a sport designed exclusively for people with visual impairments that requires total silence from the crowd, will take place at the nearby Peacock Theater in an acoustically optimised setting. LA Memorial Coliseum will host para athletics and the Paralympics closing ceremony, while the opening ceremony will be held at Inglewood's SoFi Stadium, home of the NFL's Rams and Chargers. Galen Center will host para badminton and wheelchair rugby, Carson will stage para archery, wheelchair tennis and para cycling, while Arcadia's Santa Anita Park will be the site of para equestrian. On the west side of the city, Venice Beach will host para triathlon and mark the starting point of the para athletics marathon, while Long Beach will host seven events including para swimming, blind football and para climbing's debut. The most gender-balanced Paralympics yet will award the most medals in its history and feature 4,480 athletes across 23 sports. With every competition taking place within a 35-mile radius, the venue plan seeks to minimise travel times for athletes staying in the Paralympic Village. 'The Paralympic Games showcases the highest level of athleticism, skill and endurance and it is important for LA28 to deliver a plan that not only elevates Paralympic sport but brings it to the next level,' said LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover. LA Mayor Karen Bass said the Games would provide an opportunity for LA to improve inclusive accessibility citywide. 'The legacy of these Games will be imprinted on our city forever – proliferating beyond the boundaries of these venues to better all of Los Angeles,' she said. The Paralympics will be held from Aug 15-27 in 2028. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
