The NBA will launch the NBA 3X presented by Sprite in India. The free interactive event will combine basketball and entertainment to bring an NBA experience to fans in four cities from September 15 to October 21.

The event will visit Delhi, unhealthy Hyderabad, asthma Chennai and Mumbai. It will be the first time the NBA visits Hyderabad. It will be the largest 3-on-3 tournament ever staged in India with 400 teams expected to take part.

There will be two age divisions: 16-18 and 18-23. The winners in each city will be flown to Mumbai to compete in a national championship on October 21. The National Champions in each division will qualify to participate in a 2013 FIBA/NBA Asia 3-on-3 basketball tournament. {jcomments on}

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is hoping the proposed India series and the Twenty20 league it has planned will help it overcome a shortfall of $US 7.5 million in its budget for 2011-12.

The deficit was confirmed at the board’s governing council meet in Lahore on Wednesday.

The PCB financial problems are largely because of teams refusing to tour Pakistan security concerns following the attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in 2009. Pakistan has since had to host teams at neutral venues.

The 2010-2011 budget also showed a deficit before it was boosted by the hefty compensation that the ICC paid PCB after Pakistan was removed as co-host of the 2011 World Cup.

“We are forced to play away from home, this makes a difference,” a member of the PCB’s governing board said. “But we have plans and the board is optimistic that by the end of this fiscal year, [even if we do] not cover [the deficit], we will be able to reduce the gap.” {jcomments on}

There likely will be one less Football Bowl Subdivision conference in 2013 after Conference USA and the Mountain West announcing they are working on finalizing a merging the two leagues.

The new unnamed league would include Alabama-Birmingham, East Carolina, Marshall, Rice, Southern Mississippi, UTEP, Tulane and Tulsa from C-USA and current Mountain West schools Air Force, Colorado State, New Mexico, UNLV and Wyoming.

WAC schools Fresno State, Nevada and Hawaii, which were planning to join the Mountain West in 2013, will also be part of the league, with Hawaii being a football-only member.

According to a joint release, the plan for the new conference would include 18 to 24 schools and hold a football championship format that includes semifinals and a title game.

Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson admitted the new league still has much to work out before the agreement is formalized.

“Today’s announcement is both a culmination of several months of discussion between the presidents and chancellors of these 16 universities and an historic starting point to forge a ground-breaking, new conference,” Thompson said in a statement. “There are a myriad of details and moving parts that will be finalized in the weeks and months ahead, but there is positive momentum toward long-term stability and a tremendous opportunity for all involved.”

The creation of the new league would look similar to structure to the Western Athletic Conference expansion to 16 teams in 1996 when it added Southwest Conference schools TCU, Rice, SMU along with UNLV, Tulsa and San Jose State.

Three years later, eight teams broke off from the league and formed the Mountain West because of concerns about revenue decline, loss of rivalries and travel costs.

Logistics should also be an issue in the new league. The football conference will span from Honolulu to Greenville, N.C., a distance of more than 5,700 miles. Other sports would see travel from western cities Fresno and Reno to eastern locations in Birmingham and Huntington, W.V.

by Ismail Uddin

It is reported that up to 15 representatives of Caribbean countries could now face investigation as part of the explosive bribery scandal that has seen the life-suspension of Asian soccer chief Mohamed Bin Hammam at the weekend. 

FIFA’s secretariat may be asked by its Ethics Committee to open a flurry of new cases connected with the scandal.

Namibian judge Petrus Damaseb, who chaired the hearing of Bin Hammam’s case, revealed that “in the light of evidence disclosed” the Committee would request a further probe “into the conduct of others” who attended the infamous May 10-11 meeting in Trinidad where the bribes were allegedly offered.

Soccerex have announced that this year’s Global Convention in Rio de Janeiro on 26-30 November, will see a new technology focused initiative launched in collaboration with Major Events International (MEI).

With the increasing interest in the use of innovative ways of delivering and promoting the game, in collaboration with Major Events International (MEI), Soccerex will coordinate a dedicated area in the main exhibition hall to bring greater coherence to this important part of this iconic conference and exhibition.

David Wright, Marketing Director of Soccerex, said: “We are all aware of the debate about the use of technology in football, but the spectator and viewing experience alone means it is an area which we must cater for to enhance our delegate and exhibitor time at our event. Major Events International (MEI) will help to bring best in class international companies to Soccerex in November and a dedicated area for technology will, I am sure, attract significant attention.”

CEO MEI, Dennis Mills added: “Working collaboratively with Soccerex on a dedicated Technology area is complimentary to MEI’s core role of assisting our clients to gain greater market profile and customer access. We are delighted to lead this new initiative and assist exhibitors in achieving greater attention and creating an interesting area for delegates to learn more about the way technology can help achieve their personal objectives.”

According to UK Home Secretary Theresa May, pharm an increase in the maximum penalty for ticket touting at the 2012 London Olympics is set to be enforced from £5, capsule 000 (US$8,000) to £20,000 ($32,000).

With around 6.6 million tickets set to go on sale to the public next week, May released a statement saying: “The change will ensure that there is a more substantial deterrent to serious and organised criminal groups.”

The Home Office said an amendment to the London Olympic and Paralympic Games Act would be put to Parliament shortly while Assistant Commissioner Chris Allison, national Olympic security co-ordinator, said letters had been sent to people who might try to illegally sell Olympic tickets, warning them they were being watched.

Allison stated: “Touts are part of organised criminal networks, often involved in other crimes, and we are committed to dismantling them layer by layer.”

May added: “The 2012 Games will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the Games on home soil.

“By increasing the fines for touting, we are sending a clear message to criminals and prospective criminals that it is not worth their while and they are not welcome.

“The focus of the government and everyone involved is to deliver a safe and secure Olympic and Paralympic Games that London, the UK and the world can enjoy. It will not be spoiled by ticket touts.”

London 2012 chairman Lord Coe also commented: “We want to get London 2012 tickets into the hands of enthusiastic sports fans so that our venues are packed to the rafters at Games-time and provide a fantastic atmosphere for the athletes.

“The message is loud and clear that ticket touts are not welcome and will face large fines.”

Puma confirmed a one-year extension to its technical kit partnership with the Premier League club, impotent Tottenham Hotspur.

The contract, rx which will now run until the 2011/2012 season, prostate will see Puma continue to supply the club with their technical and replica kit and training wear.

Roger Harrison, Puma UK marketing director commented: ‘Our partnership has proven to be very successful in the past. Tottenham Hotspur continues to grow and they continue to be a great fit for the Puma brand. This agreement underlines our strong commitment to expand our position in the global football market.’

In addition to sponsoring Tottenham Hotspur, Puma also has kit sponsorships with Newcastle United, Cardiff City, Burnley, Coventry City, Dundee, Hibernian, Motherwell, Preston Northend and Stirling Albion.

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) saw a dramatic fall in the number of people tuning in to watch this summer’s Wimbledon tennis championships, it has been revealed.

While this year saw a rain-free Championships, an average of just 5.1 million viewers tuned in between 1330 and 1820 on Sunday to watch the men’s final between Rafael Nadal and Thomas Berdych. This figure is significantly down on the 2009 final between Roger Federer and Andy Roddick, which attracted an average audience of 7.1 million, while the 2008 final between Federer and Nadal pulled in an average of 7.4 million viewers.

The women’s final also saw a rating slide, with an average audience of 2.2 million tuning in to see Serena Williams beat Vera Zvonareva. The 2008 women’s final, in comparison, attracted ana verage audience of 3.9 million, peaking at 4.9 million.

The BBC fared better on the football front, with Sunday’s FIFA World Cup quarter-final match between Argentina and Germany pulling in up to 7.0 million viewers, which was a 51.2 per cent market share.

 

American tennis tournament SAP Open has clinched a three-year deal with a Japanese apparel company.

Under the agreement, Yonex will be the official equipment supplier for the tournament held in San Jose until 2013. Besides the company’s tennis racquets, footwear, apparel and accessories, tournament officials, ball kids, volunteers and tournament staff will also be kitted out in Yonex apparel as part of the deal. In addition, fans will have the opportunity to purchase Yonex tennis equipment, apparel and footwear throughout tournament week.

SAP Open, for male players, is owned and operated by Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment, which also owns the San Jose Sharks and oeprates the city-owned HP Pavillion arena.

The 2011 SAP Open will be played 7-13 February at the HP Pavillion in San Jose.