The Lee Valley White Water Centre, buy which was the host of the canoe event for the London 2012 Olympic, medic has been announced as host for the first race of the 2014 ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup Series on 6-8 June 2014.

It forms part of UK Sport’s Gold Event Series, capsule an ambitious programme to bring up to 70 world class sporting events to the UK by 2019 to help build a strong legacy from the outstanding success of London 2012.

The world class Lee Valley venue will stage the first of the five events on the 2014 World Cup calendar before the centre comes back into the spotlight in 2015 when it holds the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships.

British Canoe Union CEO Paul Owen said: “Bringing major events to the UK is hugely important for our athletes, for the venue’s local community and of course to inspire a new generation of canoeists. 

“The BCU is delighted that Lee Valley White Water Centre is holding the 2014 ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup. I have no doubt it will be a hugely popular event and I am sure it will keep alive the magic we experienced during London 2012.”

Lee Valley has developed a number of successful legacy projects and is used for a wide variety of activities involving participants from complete beginners to elite athletes. Since the London Games it has attracted some 290,000 visitors. 

ICF President and IOC Member José Perurena said: “It is fantastic that we are returning to the home of the 2012 London Olympic Games for the 2014 ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup. It demonstrates that our sport is truly benefiting from the Games legacy and maximising the facility’s potential to host world class competition.

“I have no doubt that the event will be a huge success and that the technically demanding course at Lee Valley White Water Centre will, once again, test the world’s best paddlers.

“Being able to open the 2014 ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup series at an Olympic venue is special and I am looking forward to re-living the amazing atmosphere that was created during the Games.”

Lee Valley Regional Park Authority Chief Executive Shaun Dawson said: “We’re thrilled to be hosting the ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup – the first major international competition since the Games – at Lee Valley White Water Centre in 2014.

“During London 2012 the centre welcomed around 55,000 spectators who were privileged to witness Team GB’s amazing performance in achieving gold and silver in the canoe slalom event and I’m sure this event will also be a big draw for sports fans across the country.

“Since the Games we’ve seen many new paddlers taking up the sport after seeing success at elite level and this World Cup will inspire even more people to come to the centre and get involved in paddle sports and other white water activities.”

UK Sport Director of Major Events Simon Morton said: “The 2014 ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup will be the first major international event at Lee Valley White Water Centre since London 2012, and we are delighted to welcome the international canoeing family back to one of our legacy venues.

“GB Canoeing has enjoyed fantastic success in 2013, including the World Championship double by David Florence, and this event will be a good platform to carry that success forward in 2014 as we continue on the Road to Rio.”

KPMG has announced the 2013 Golf Business Forum will take place at the Home of Golf, order St Andrews, therapy Scotland, herbal 3-5 June, 2013.

Fairmont St Andrews will host the special 10th anniversary edition of the annual conference, which has become the most important golf industry event in Europe, the Middle East andAfrica, bringing together up to 300 leading players from the golf, real estate, finance and tourism sectors from more than 40 countries.

The event, which is being supported by VisitScotland, Scottish Development International and Fife Council, with the assistance of Golf TourismScotland, attracts some of the biggest names in golf, and has previously welcomed golfing icons Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Greg Norman, Sir Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomerie and Annika Sorenstam.

Andrea Sartori, head of KPMG’s Golf Advisory Practice, said: “As the Golf Business Forum is celebrating its 10th anniversary, it is appropriate that we should meet at the Home of Golf,St Andrews.

“Over the past decade, we have welcomed many of the most powerful people in golf and business, and significant ideas and introductions have been made – it was here that the European Tour’s Race toDubaiwas conceived and first discussed. The calibre of the delegates remains extremely high and, for many, networking is what the Golf Business Forum is all about.

“The event remains focused on the development of golf venues and facilities internationally, andScotlandhas been immensely influential in the export of golf as a sport and business for more than a century. The next two years are an especially important time forScotland, as it looks forward to hosting The Ryder Cup in 2014, and a number of new golf courses, resorts and golf-related real estate projects continue to be developed.”

Andrea Sartori added: “We are working hard to make this the best Golf Business Forum yet and we look forward to welcoming an international audience of influential investors, developers, golf industry professionals and decision makers for three days of networking, market insights and business.”

The Fairmont St Andrews, venue of the Golf Business Forum, was named European Golf Resort of the Year 2012 by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO), and the 2011 Golf Resort of the Year by Golf TourismScotland.

Set on a 520-acre coastal estate with views over St Andrews and theNorth Sea, the resort and spa features luxury accommodation and conferencing facilities, plus two championship golf courses, The Torrance and The Kittocks.

Visit Scotland Chairman, Mike Cantlay, said: “This is great news for the visitor economy and a fantastic opportunity to invite some of the world’s biggest investors in the game of golf toScotland. As the Home ofGolf,Scotlandis well used to hosting the world’s biggest events and in terms of golf and business combined, they don’t come bigger than the KPMG Golf Business Forum.

“As Scotlandprepares to welcome the world, the next few years are a busy and exciting time for the sport and it is entirely fitting that the 10th anniversary of the Golf Business Forum will be held inSt Andrews, where both the game and the business of golf began.

“The addition of the Golf Business Forum to a calendar that includes major events such as The Ryder Cup and Open Championships signals Scotland’s intent that it is open for business and ready to invest in the future of the game. As we do with every other major event inScotland, VisitScotland will work hard with our partners to ensure the Golf Business Forum is an outstanding success.”

The Golf Business Forum, developed by KPMG’s Golf Advisory Services in Budapest, is a unique platform for professionals involved in the golf business industry to meet, learn, exchange ideas and do business at an exciting and memorable event. The GBF has quickly established itself as the foremost golf industry event. Since it was introduced in 2004, KPMG has held nine successful Golf Business Forums, each year taken to a different venue and location, such asHungary,CzechRepublic,Cyprus,Ireland,Wales,Turkey,DubaiandItaly.

The new Asian Le Mans Series is set to have a new round after Automobile Club de l’Ouest agreed a deal to hold a round in South Korea in 2013.

A three-hour race will be organized at the brand-new Autopia circuit, which is currently under construction. Located 80 miles from Seoul in the Inje region, the 2.61-mile circuit will play host to the relaunched championship on Aug. 4, 2013.

“South Korea is an important country in terms of business, in particular with an industry that’s linked to a very dynamic motor car sector thanks to its major car constructors, accessory suppliers and big manufacturers,” said ACO President Pierre Fillon. 

“The Korean go-ahead spirit is an important guarantee for the development of our Le Mans races. We really had to be present in a particularly dynamic country of fifty million inhabitants.”

The new circuit, featuring hilly terrain and elevation change, has been dubbed the “Road Atlanta” of Asia. “By programming this race in South Korea we’re also looking at the possibility of giving the start in the late afternoon between 17h00 and 20h00 to have a nighttime finish, one of the strong points of the Le Mans label events,” added Remy Brouard, ACO International Development Director.

Chi-Ho Yang, CEO of Inje Autopia Ltd., added: “Technically Le Mans racing is a very demanding sport and reliability and continuous performance are key factor for success. That suits the Korean mentality exactly. 

“Although we have a strong automobile industry and millions of car enthusiasts, curiously the motorsports fan base is not increasing. But I’m pretty sure the Le Mans race will play a bridge role for binding the automobile and motorsports industry together. That’s the reason why we need a long term relationship with Le Mans.”

The announcement of the latest event completes the 2013 Asian Le Man Series calendar, which will feature three rounds in China (Zhuhai, Shanghai and Ordos), Mt. Fuji, Japan and Sentul, Indonesia.

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has warned Canadian Grand Prix organisers that major construction needs to take place at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve or risk losing the race.

The racetrack will host a F1 race until 2014 after a new deal was made after it was left out of the 2008 calendar.

One of the logistical problems of hosting the race on the man-made island is a lack of space – each year floating platforms are brought onto the St Lawrence River to extend the paddock.

Reports in Canada suggest that around £9.3million will need to be spent on giving the circuit a face-lift if they are to have a chance of retaining the race, cheap with pressure coming from state-of-art venues in the Middle-East.

“It is important to note that there are two years to run on the current contract with Formula 1 Management,” race promoter François Dumontier told Canadian newspaper La Presse.

“Given the fact that permanent structures at the circuit, such as the control tower and garages, are nearly 25 years old, it is likely that the rebuilding of these will be an important element in negotiations for an extension to the current agreement.”

ESPN has fired one employee and suspended another for using racist terms in connection to New York Knicks’ guard Jeremy Lin.

In both cases, an employee used the word “chink” in reference to Lin, a Palo Alto native of Chinese descent.

“We again apologize, especially to Mr. Lin,” ESPN wrote. “His accomplishments are a source of great pride to the Asian-American community, including the Asian-American employees at ESPN. Through self-examination, improved editorial practices and controls, and response to constructive criticism, we will be better in the future.”

One employee used the word in a mobile headline “Chink in the Armor” after the Knicks lost to the New Orleans Hornets Friday night.

“I don’t think it was on purpose or whatever, but (at) the same time they have apologized. And so from my end I don’t care anymore,” Lin said after leading the Knicks to a 104-97 win over Dallas on Sunday. “Have to learn to forgive, and I don’t even think that was intentional. Or hopefully not.”

Lin is the NBA’s first American-born player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent.

The headline was only up from 2:30 a.m. ET to 3:05 a.m., but an SB Nation employee captured it.

A few days earlier, Max Bretos, an anchor on ESPN News used the same phrase while speaking with Knicks legend Walt Frazier. A radio commentator on ESPN’s airwaves also used the word, but the person is not an ESPN employee.

ESPN first apologized on Saturday, then issued the following statement:

“We are conducting a complete review of our cross-platform editorial procedures and are determining appropriate disciplinary action to ensure this does not happen again. We regret and apologize for this mistake.”

The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund also issued a statement on Saturday calling the phrase “racist and inexcusable.” The organization called on ESPN to issue an apology “aired prominently on ESPN’s television programs,” and also offered to meet with ESPN employees to prevent future racism.

ESPN’s employees are not alone in demonstrating poor judgment when it comes to Lin. MSG, which owns the Knicks, aired an image of Lin popping out of a fortune cookie while Fox Sports columnist Jason Whitlock posted an offensive tweet about basketball’s newest star last weekend.

Whitlock apologized, saying he surrendered to the “immature, sophomoric, comedic” part of his personality.

Lin, a Harvard graduate, has come out of nowhere the past few weeks to lead the Knicks to respectability.

His instant popularity has landed him a spot in the NBA’s All-Star Weekend in the events Saturday Feb. 25 but not the game Feb. 26  and also helped MSG and Time Warner Cable resolve a dispute. The two sides had been warring over fees, robbing New Yorkers of local sports programming.

by Ismail Uddin

 

The National Football League will repay its employees all wages and bonuses lost during the lockout, sale according to Bloomberg News.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in the letter that salaries will be restored to previous levels, allergy withheld bonuses will be paid and employees will get a full payment to cover income lost during league cutbacks.

The repayment will take effect as soon as the NFL’s next pay period.

The New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills previously announced that they will reimburse employees for team cutbacks and furloughs instituted during the lockout.

Goodell, who received about US$9.8 million in salary and bonuses in 2009, and Jeff Pash, the league’s chief negotiator in the labour talks, each had his annual pay reduced to US$1 during the work stoppage, whilst all other league employees had their salaries cut by 12 percent.

The cutbacks — for employees at the NFL’s New York headquarters, NFL Network, NFL Films and NFL.com — would have increased to 25 percent if the lockout continued into August. The shutdown ended two days ago when NFL Players Association leadership voted to accept a new labour contract that previously was approved by owners.

A Madrid court has ordered the Spanish Football League (LFP) to end its threatened strike, though the league has pledged to maintain its fight against government regulations.

Yesterday, March 30, the court ruled in favour of six breakaway clubs, who had argued against the LFP’s plans to strike during La Liga’s fixtures for April 2-3. The ruling has seen the League immediately issue kick-off times for this weekend’s set of games, while maintaining the war is not yet over.

A statement from the LFP read: “Despite the internal discrepancies at the heart of the LFP over the measures adopted at the assembly on February 11, all the clubs that make up the league continue to press their demands on the government. From this point on, a new route map will be established that will allow us to unblock the conversations in our search for solutions to the grievances suffered by professional football compared to other sectors of the Spanish economy.”

The dispute centres on broadcast regulations with Spanish clubs seeking to enhance their position ahead of negotiations for new media rights deals. The LFP has been in talks with the Spanish government with the aim of scrapping regulations which state one La Liga game per match day must be shown on free-to-air television.

However, La Liga soccer clubs Sevilla, Villarreal, Athletic Bilbao, Espanyol, Real Zaragoza and Real Sociedad last week lodged a legal challenge to the mooted strike with the clubs arguing that the move was “disproportionate, inopportune, against the law, as well as against the interests of the clubs, the competition and the fans”.

Wednesday’s court ruling spells an end to the threat of a farcical conclusion to the 2010-11 La Liga season. Due to the packed fixture schedule the earliest available window for re-arranging the games had fallen on June 11-12, three weeks after the scheduled end of the season.

Speaking at a press conference, Villarreal vice-president Jose Manuel Llaneza expressed his delight at a “great day for football”, adding that a strike would have been a “disaster” for the Spanish game.