Coe won’t run alone

LORD COE, who confirmed yesterday he would put himself forward for the British Olympic Association chairmanship, is likely to face at least one challenger in GB hockey president Richard Leman.

Coe can expect a landslide victory with his hero status after London 2012. But Leman, a close board ally of departing chairman Lord Moynihan, will step forward before the September 24 deadline in the belief it is better for the organisation’s transparency if a ballot takes place.

Coe, approached to stand by a BOA election sub- committee including rowing’s Di Ellis and Niels de Vos from UK Athletics, said: ‘I have a deep commitment to the BOA and owe them a huge debt of gratitude. They fought to allow me to go to Moscow.’ The Thatcher Government had wanted a boycott of those 1980 Games.

RICARDO

TEIXEIRA, the former Brazilian football overlord mired in corruption claims including being named by a Swiss court as having taken bribes from FIFA’s former marketing partners ISL, is living in Florida to escape the furore. But Teixeira is still thought to be on the Brazil football payroll as a commercial advisor. THE final ignominy for those BOA scarves whose poor sales have contributed to the seven-figure hole in the accounts was the attempt by hawkers to sell off the tens of thousands remaining during yesterday’s parade for £10 when suppliers Next had slashed the price to £5 weeks ago.

As BOA chef de mission Andy Hunt or parody tweeter Randy Shunt would post: ‘Whoop, whoop #Ourgreatestsham.’ Celebrity chef Hunt would have loved his name check from BOA president the Princess Royal after the parade, especially when she was wearing one of those scarves.