Man linked to Black Tidings secured cash deal for Asian Athletics

SINGAPORE — The Guardian’s report yesterday that the Tokyo Olympic bid team had allegedly made a €1.3 million (S$2.03 million) payment to an account linked to Papa Massata Diack, son of former world athletics chief Lamine Diack, will also be of interest to Singaporeans as Black Tidings, the company which holds the bank account, is based here.

The British newspaper identified an Ian Tan Tong Han as the holder of the Black Tidings bank account. A report by the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (Wada) independent commission said Tan was a consultant to Athlete Management and Services, a Dentsu Sports subsidiary based in Switzerland that marketed and delivered commercial rights granted by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

TODAY found that the registered address for Black Tidings was a flat in Dakota Crescent. When this newspaper visited the flat yesterday, a woman who identified herself as Tan’s mother said that her son stays with her sometimes when he is not overseas for work. She added that Tan was at work but refused to comment further.

A young woman and a toddler were also seen in the apartment, but the woman declined to speak to this newspaper.

Believed to be in his 20s, Tan had apparently been involved in marketing and sponsorship work for the Asian Athletics Association (AAA) and helped secure S$300,000 in cash sponsorship for the Asian governing body last year.

AAA secretary-treasurer Maurice Nicholas told TODAY: “We got to know him through this marketing deal, and this was done through our senior vice-president and marketing chairman (Du Zhaocai) who dealt with a Chinese agency — Tan was working for them.

“He’s a nice person, and a young man trying to come up in life. Now to find out he’s working with Diack … that’s a surprising thing.”

Singapore Athletics officials told TODAY that they have heard of Tan, but have not met him in person.

Black Tidings, a sole proprietorship that was incorporated in Singapore on July 4, 2014, has been the focus of allegations of corruption at the IAAF for years. According to the Guardian, tens of millions of euros had passed through the Black Tidings bank account.

The British newspaper said yesterday that sources had confirmed that the alleged seven-figure payment from the Tokyo bid team is being investigated.

Responding to queries from TODAY, a spokesperson from Dentsu Sports Asia said: “Dentsu Sports Asia does not have any business with Mr Ian Tan.” ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY NOAH TAN