Motorcycle racing organisers Dorna Sports and Infront Sports & Media have reached agreement to bring both their motorcycle racing interests under a single umbrella organisation.

Dorna is the organiser of the FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix (MotoGP), prostate whilst Infront organises the eni FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) through its subsidiary Infront Motor Sports.

As a consequence, capsule MotoGP and WorldSBK, prostate will be integrated within the Dorna Sports group but managed as separate events with a view to enhancing the two distinct championships. The objective is to allow both series to develop and enhance their championship personalities, retaining their leadership positions in the arena of world motorcycle road racing – WorldSBK, with its focus on production-based racing, and MotoGP with its focus on prototype racing. At the same time, both championships will benefit from joint marketing and commercial strategies.

Alongside this re-organisation, Infront has been appointed as marketing partner and global advisor to both championships.

Philippe Blatter, President & CEO of Infront Sports & Media, said: “Under the new structure, the two leading motorcycle road racing events are now set for sustainable further growth and development. A true win-win situation has been created. Both Dorna and Infront can now further strengthen and focus on their core competencies and, in addition, achieve leading positions in their specific area of expertise.”

Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports, added: “We’re very excited to have the two top motorcycle road racing series under one roof. We fully expect to develop and strengthen the distinct nature of both MotoGP and WorldSBK as separate properties and remain committed to working with teams and manufacturers, circuit owners, sponsors and broadcasters to give fans the best experience yet.”

Commenting on the re-organisation, Bridgepoint said: “This is a logical and exciting development which should ensure that both these fantastic Championships continue to flourish.”

Formula One team, HRT, are considering a name change in the future acccording to team principal Luis Perez Sala.

Originanlly named the Hispania Racing Team when it first came into Formula 1 as part of its mid-2011 reconstitution, it has continued with the HRT chassis name.

But this could be dropped in the long-term as part of the team’s ongoing changes.

“We are thinking about that,” Perez Sala told AUTOSPORT. “But no decision has been taken about changing the name.

“Now, we are HRT. In the future we will see. There is no plan at the moment but it is true that we are thinking about it.”

International Cricket  teams may soon play up to 15 Twenty20 games in the year preceding a World Twenty20 – which is set to expand to a 16-team event.

World champions England play just seven matches this year before they defend their title in Sri Lanka in September.

They have already won a three-match series against Pakistan, and next summer face a one-off clash with West Indies and three against South Africa shortly before they set off for Colombo.

But after a two-day meeting of the International Cricket Council’s chief executives’ committee in Dubai, a recommendation is to be made to the full board that an increase in fixtures is permitted in any year when an ICC World Twenty20 is scheduled.

The CEC discussed the future of Twenty20 international cricket among several topics, and also concluded that the number of teams participating in the tournament should rise from 12 to 16 starting from the 2014 edition in Bangladesh.

That would increase the opportunities for non-Test-playing countries such as Ireland and Scotland.

Twenty20 will also be at the forefront of the ICC’s intention to find out whether cricket has a place in multi-sport global events such as the Olympic and Commonwealth Games.

An ICC press release read: “The CEC decided to further explore an invitation for cricket to take part in the Commonwealth Games to be held on the Gold Coast in Australia in April 2018.

“The CEC also supported the key initiative in the ICC strategy to independently evaluate the pros and cons of participating in the Olympic Games.”

In the much shorter term, the ICC may be prepared to ditch established protocol in an attempt to help Bangladesh’s proposed tour of Pakistan to go ahead next month.

No visiting ICC opposition has set foot in Pakistan since the fatal attacks led on officials and the touring Sri Lanka team being transported to the abandoned Lahore Test of March 2009.

Bangladesh are still considering becoming the first to do so, but it seems the chances of ICC clearing their own neutral umpires and match referees to attend are much more remote.

The ICC release added: “The CEC recognised that the ICC board had determined that a decision as to whether a particular tour should take place or not is one for the participating countries and the ICC’s role was limited to considering the safety and security of the match officials after a tour had been confirmed and a security plan produced.

“The CEC also noted that in the event of the participating countries deciding that the tour should proceed and the ICC determining that it was unsafe to appoint match officials to the tour, a special dispensation to depart from the standard playing conditions to allow non-neutral match officials to participate in the matches would be required from the ICC Board.

“While acknowledging that the granting of such dispensation must involve a wide range of important considerations, the CEC agreed to recommend to the ICC board that, from a cricket perspective only, the granting of the special dispensation would be justified.”

ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said: “Bearing in mind that safety and security is the sole responsibility of individual member boards for bilateral matches, the CEC regarded this as an exceptional circumstance in which the appointment to matches of non-neutral match officials could be justified but stated clearly that it should not to be regarded as a preferred option or precedent if the dispensation were to be granted.”

by Ismail Uddin

New York Knicks Point Guard Jeremy Lin rising popularity is making the Knicks must-see TV in Asia.

The NBA says its Asian TV partners have added Knicks games to their broadcast schedules following the emergence of Lin, the first American-born NBA player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent.

Sina in China will show Friday’s game against the Lakers, while stations in Taiwan will televise Knicks games this month against Toronto, Sacramento, New Orleans, New Jersey and Atlanta. ESPN Philippines also added the Feb. 17 Hornets game in New York.

Lin, an undrafted guard from Harvard, has led the Knicks to three straight wins, scoring more than 20 points in each game.

Ironically, his performances are missed by many in New York. A dispute between Time Warner Cable and MSG Network is keeping the Knicks off that system.

MSG said its ratings are up 36 percent over its season average in the two games since Lin moved into the starting lineup on Monday.

by Ismail Uddin

The NFL has become the first major US professional sport that will blood test for the human growth hormone.

The news came after it was announced that NFL players have ratified a 10-year labor agreement with owners.

Teams have had to delay training with the timing of the decision will some players needing this clearance before starting with their clubs.

National Football League spokesman Greg Aiello said “The goal is to begin testing for HGH the first week of the regular season, doctor ” continuing he said “Over the next several weeks, we will discuss and develop with the union the specific arrangements for the testing procedures.”

This comes at the conclusion of a four and a half month stand-off between owners and players and the agreement will be signed at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, the NFL Network reported.

That was to have been the site of the opening preseason game in two days between the Chicago Bears and St. Louis Rams, a contest that was cancelled because of the work stoppage.

 

English Premier League soccer side Tottenham Hotspur have taken the first step towards launching a legal challenge to the decision to award the 2012 Olympic Stadium to London rivals West Ham United.

Having put forward West Ham as the preferred bidders of the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC), a spokeswoman for the body has confirmed that Tottenham have warned that they could take them to court over the controversial decision. 

In an interview with BBC London, the OPLC spokeswoman stated: “We can confirm that a letter before action in relation to potential judicial review proceedings has been issued.

“The Olympic Park Legacy Company ran a very rigorous and transparent process in its selection of the recommended preferred bidder.

“We have been supported by independent experts in their field in terms of legal, financial, commercial and technical advice.

“We have been consistent, fair, objective and entirely equal in our dealings with the bidders from start to finish.

“We are confident that if these judicial review proceedings are pursued, our approach will be entirely vindicated by the courts.”

The OPLC referred their decision to the UK Government and the London Mayor Boris Johnson for ratification, as joint owners of the OPLC, and they now have four weeks to respond to the letter in writing.

Tottenham would then have to decide whether to press ahead with the action by serving papers to the High Court.

A City Hall spokesman said: “We are advised and believe that the decision to choose West Ham as the preferred bidder was properly taken.”

Tottenham are challenging the process undertaken in the decision to award West Ham the right to move into the stadium in 2012 and the courts allow for challenges on the basis of illegality, irrationality or unfairness.

A spokesman for Tottenham Hotspur said: “At this stage the Club has not issued any proceedings against the Olympic Park Legacy Company (the OPLC) or any other party in respect of the decision regarding the award of the Olympic Stadium.

“The Club’s lawyers have written letters to the OPLC, the Mayor of London, the Minister of Sport and the Secretary of State for Local Government and a separate letter to the London Borough of Newham raising a number of concerns with the processes which led to the award.

“The letters also requested – in the interests of transparency – the provision of certain information concerning the processes, which the club considers that it is entitled to.

“Tottenham Hotspur will determine its next step as and when it receives a response to these letters.”

The Asian Games in Guangzhou would go down in history as “one of the best ever”, Olympic Council of Asia President Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah said on Saturday.

The 16th Asian Games were unprecedented in both size and scale in the 59-year history of the quadrennial event. More than 10,000 athletes from 45 countries and regions have participated in a record 42 sports ranging from archery to chess.

On the last day of the two-week-long competition, Xinhua quoted Sheikh Ahmad as telling a press conference held at the Main Press Center that the OCA was satisfied with the Chinese organizers’ work.

“The city of Guangzhou has done a very great job for the Asian Olympic Movement and for the Asian Olympic family,” he said.

“It was one of the best ever (edition) in the history of Asian Olympic Movement.”

“Our target is to make the Asian Games better, and this is our job,” said Sheikh Ahmad. “Each Games have different aims, have different situations.”

Wei Jizhong, OCA’s deputy honorary life president from China, echoed these comments.

According to Chinese news agency Xinhua, games have raised a record three billion yuan ($454 million) in sponsorship, the amount is five times the total raised by the Doha Games in 2006 and three and half times more than the sponsorship for the Busan edition in 2002.

The National Football League (NFL) have appointed Peter O’Reilly as their new President of Events. 

O’Reilly, who served the past nine years as the NFL’s vice president, fan strategy and marketing, replaces Frank Supovitz. Supovitz announced in May that he was leaving the league to form his own events company.

O’Reilly, 42, will report to NFL Executive Vice President ERIC GRUBMAN. He will be responsible for the execution of all NFL events run by the league office, including the Super Bowl, Pro Bowl, NFL Draft, NFL Kickoff, NFL International Series and league business meetings.

“The Events Department has been an important part of the growth and progress of the NFL for many years, demonstrating excellence and commitment in its day-to-day activities, while constantly evolving to meet the needs of fans, clubs and the league,” said Grubman. “The selection of Peter to lead the department recognizes his many talents and will enhance our ability to serve fans and clubs.”

O’Reilly joined the NFL in 2005 after serving in a senior role on NYC2012, New York City’s Olympic Bid committee. He had previously worked at the National Basketball Association’s production and marketing departments. He started his career as a studio coordinator with ABC Sports.

The International Biathlon Union (IBU) has revealed today it has received Application Files from four cities to host the 2019 IBU World Championships.

The applicant cities of Nove Mesto na Morave (Czech Republic), denture Antholz/Anterselva (Italy), medstore Khanty-Mansiysk (Russia) and Östersund (Sweden) all met the 6th of June 2014 deadline for submission to the International Biathlon Union (IBU) of their Application Files to host the 2019 IBU World Championships Biathlon.

All four venues have a valid A-license and have previously hosted the IBU World Championships. Nove Mesto na Morave-CZE most recently in 2013, ailment Antholz/Anterselva-ITA in 2007, Khanty-Mansiysk-RUS in 2011 and Östersund-SWE in 2008. 

All four venues have made significant investments in their stadiums and venue infrastructure following hosting their World Championships. Each region are also stops on the IBU World Cup Calendar and can rely on a well-trained functionaries and volunteer base.

The Biathlon Organizing Committees will make their decision of a host at the IBU Congress on September 8th in St.Wolfgang-Austria.