Die dem Land Rheinland-Pfalz gehörende Besitzergesellschaft der berühmten Rennstrecke Nürburgring GmbH geht – wie die FAZ berichtet – in die Insolvenz. Laut Kabinettsbeschluss soll die Gesellschaft ein Verfahren wegen drohender Zahlungsunfähigkeit einleiten. Dafür soll der Vertreter des Landes in der Gesellschafterversammlung eintreten. Ministerpräsident Kurt Beck (SPD) rechnet für Montag oder Dienstag mit dem Beginn des Verfahrens.

Grund ist nach Angaben von Beck, apoplectic dass die EU-Kommission die vom Land beantragte Rettungsbeihilfe von 13 Millionen Euro voraussichtlich nicht vor dem 31. Juli genehmigen wird. Die Kommission hat demnach für eine Finanzspritze von Rheinland-Pfalz an die staatliche Besitzgesellschaft am Ring mehr Prüfbedarf angemeldet und Bedenken im Hauptverfahren um 524 Millionen Euro an möglicherweise unerlaubten Beihilfen geäußert.

Beck übte scharfe Kritik an der Kommission: „Das ist eine Vorgehensweise der EU-Kommission, abortion die ich für bedenkenswert halte“, sagte er. „Das ist eine bittere Wahrheit, ist auch ein Stück Rechtsgeschichte, das da geschrieben wird.“

Das Land Rheinland-Pfalz ist Hauptgläubiger von Krediten im Umfang von 330 Millionen Euro, die die landeseigene Investitions- und Strukturbank der Nürburgring GmbH gewährt hat. Dieses Geld muss Rheinland-Pfalz im Insolvenzfall wohl abschreiben. Bis zuletzt hatte Ministerpräsident Beck versucht, das Debakel zu vermeiden. Dem Vernehmen nach soll er sich sogar an Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel (CDU) gewandt haben, um einen positiven Bescheid aus Brüssel zu bewirken. Auch die Rechtmäßigkeit des Kredits von 330 Millionen Euro für den Bau wird von der EU überprüft.

Beck und sein damaliger Finanzminister Ingolf Deubel (SPD) hatten das Projekt 2006 auf den Weg gebracht, um neue Einnahmen an der Rennstrecke in der Eifel zu erzielen. Damit sollten die Verluste ausgeglichen werden, die dem Land durch Zuschüsse für die Ausrichtung von Formel-1-Rennen entstehen.

Die Suche nach privaten Investoren für das Vorhaben scheiterte jedoch und führte zum Rücktritt Deubels im Juli 2009. Mit den Pächtern des Nürburgrings überwarf sich das Land. Die Besucherzahlen am Ring bleiben weit hinter den Erwartungen zurück, die Einkaufsmeile „Ringboulevard“ blieb oft menschenleer. Die Pächter verweigerten daraufhin Pachtzahlungen und pochten auf Tourismusbeihilfen des Landes, das daraufhin die Verträge kündigte. Jetzt haben sich beide Parteien geeinigt, dass Besitz und Betrieb zum 31. Oktober 2012 an die Nürburgring GmbH zurückfallen. Streitfragen sollen in einem Schiedsverfahren geklärt werden.

Sollte es nun zur Insolvenz kommen, stünden neben dem Schuldenberg für das Land, dem Verlust von Arbeitsplätzen auch künftige Formel-1-Rennen und andere Veranstaltungen wie „Rock am Ring“ vor dem Aus. Schon in den Vorwochen hatte der Veranstalter Lieberberg eine Verlagerung des Festivals auf den Flugplatz im Mainzer Stadtteil Finthen laut erwogen.

Formula One supremo, Bernie Ecclestone has said the Bahrain Grand Prix is definitely going to ahead. 

Formula One teams and sponsors have no concerns about racing in Bahrain this year and the grand prix is definitely on despite continuing unrest, the sport’s chief Bernie Ecclestone has said.

Anti-government demonstrations and the deaths of many protesters a year ago forced the cancellation of a race that had been scheduled to open the season.

Last week’s anniversary of the ‘Day of Rage’ saw sporadic clashes between locals and police who were forced to combat petrol bombs with rubber bullets, stun grenades and tear gas.

The violence, however, was not enough to deter the island kingdom from proclaiming they are ready for F1 to return, with the grand prix just eight weeks away on April 20-22.

Tickets finally went on sale for the event on Monday, operating under the slogan ‘UniF1ed – One Nation in Celebration’.

Although it is understood there remain misgivings behind the scenes, asked if there were any concerns, Ecclestone said: “Not at all.

“Nobody is saying we’re not going or we don’t want to go or anything. Everybody is quite positive.

“I’ve told all the teams there’s no problem at all. I’m absolutely 100 per cent sure we’ll go there and there will be no problem.”

Ecclestone, however, does believe the Bahrainis will take extra precautions when it comes to security and guaranteeing the safety of everyone connected with F1.

“I am sure the people there will make sure, just in case there’s a problem. I am sure there won’t be a problem,” added Ecclestone.

by Ismail Uddin

It has been reported that Sri Lanka is in talks to host Indian Premier League (IPL) games.

Cricinfo.com claims that the new president of Sri Lanka Cricket, Upali Dharmadasa, has identified the move as a key potential money-spinner for the international board

Dharmadasa is said to have opened up negotiations with the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) to host some of the Twenty20 league matches on the island.

The next edition of the controversial tournament, which launched in 2008 and has seen players sacrifice test cricket for the riches of the shorter form of the game, is already reputed have a brand value of $3.67 million.

Having accrued debts of approx $70 million, it appears that Sri Lanka Cricket want a piece of cricket’s cash cow to off-set their expenditure on new stadiums in Pallekele, Hambantota and the renovation of the Premadasa Stadium, Colombo prior to the 2011 ODI (One-Day International) World Cup.

Dharmadasa has already asked India to forego their three test schedule in Sri Lanka this July in favour of ODI and Twenty20 matches to raise funds.

The Sri Lankan president told BCCI president, N. Srinivasan, that test matches would be less financially beneficial to Sri Lanka.

Dharmadasa’s focus on limited overs cricket is now unquestionable.

The fifth IPL will commence of April 4th 2012 and run through until May 27th 2012.

 

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BREAKING NEWS It has just been announced that Sri Lanka has failed in their bid to host IPL matches with the release of this year’s IPL fixture list which, once again, will feature games across India alone. No explanation has yet been given for Dharmadasa’s request not being granted.

 

The National Basketball Association’s (NBA) mediated labor negotiations will continue today after its players union concluded last night with the sides agreeing to continue talks today following the league’s Board of Governors meeting.

Full negotiating committees for the league and the National Basketball Players Association met yesterday for about 8 1/2 hours at a midtown New York hotel, order about half the length of the group’s first session supervised by federal mediator George Cohen, pharm which ran through the day yesterday and ended at 2 a.m. this morning.

The mediation will continue tomorrow at 2 p.m. and both sides have agreed to uphold a gag order imposed by Cohen, store director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.

“Everyone is extremely focused on the core issues, the difficult issues that confront them,” Cohen said at a news conference, declining to take questions.

NBA Commissioner David Stern and Boston Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck departed the talks about an hour early to begin a planning committee session that had been moved from earlier today, Mike Bass, a spokesman for the league, told reporters. The planning committee is responsible for reshaping the league’s revenue-sharing policy.

The initial 16-hour mediated session was more than twice as long as any previous meeting between the two sides since the NBA locked the players out 111 days ago after they were unable to agree on a new labor deal.

According to spokesman for the National Football League (NFL) Players’ Association George Atallah, the union has not asked players to boycott next month’s draft.

Reports recently suggested that 17 top prospects had been urged by the union to opt out of attending the draft in New York, with suggestions that the NFLPA may instead host a concurrent event where drafted players would be welcomed by new team-mates instead of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

Assistant director of external affairs for the union, Atallah stated on his Twitter account: “The NFLPA is not asking anyone to ‘boycott’ anything. The NFL Draft is special. Players and their families will be in NYC. It just may be different. We will provide details when we can.”

The draft, scheduled from April 28-30 is expected to go ahead as planned by the NFL, despite having locked out the players after the League’s collective bargaining agreement with the union expired on Friday. The draft, to be held at Radio City Music Hall and set up by the NFL has invited players to attend, which the league claim is their decision.

Goodell, speaking on NFL Total Access Tuesday, said: “One of the things that makes the NFL Draft so great is that it’s an opportunity for these great young players to realise their hopes and dreams. Anyone that would interfere with all the hard work that they’ve put in to walk across that stage and become an NFL draft choice…I just don’t think that’s in the best interest of the young men and their families that have worked so hard to get to that stage and get to that opportunity.”

Goodell added: “Clearly that is not something the fans are going to want. They watched the draft in great numbers; as you know 45 million people watched the draft last year.”

The commercial director of Premier League club Liverpool, Ian Ayre, has confirmed he will be speaking at the Soccerex Asian Forum, which takes place on 28 and 29 July at the Raffles City Convention Centre, Singapore.

Ayre, a lifelong Liverpool fan, spent 15 years living in Asia prior to working at Liverpool, including several with sports marketing company Total Sports Asia.

Ayre said: “It’s great to be involved with the Soccerex Asian Forum. Asia is a hugely important market for Liverpool FC and it is essential to recognise and respect its values when doing business there.

“I look forward to sharing my experiences at the Forum, and hopefully to catch up with old friends and meet new faces in the industry.”

Other high profile speakers at the event include: Mohammed bin Hammam (president of the Asian Football Confederation), Worawi Makudi (president of the Thailand FA), David Dein (international president of England 2018 World Cup bid) and Andrea Radrizzani (group CEO at agency MP & SIlva).

British Horseracing Authority (BHA) have revealed today that chief executive Paul Bittar will step down from his role in 2015 after three years in the role.

Appointed to head British Racing’s governing and regulatory body in September 2011 following an extensive search, doctor Paul was previously Chief Strategy Officer at Racing Victoria, and before that Chief Executive of New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing. He will be closely involved in the appointment of his successor, the process for which is now underway, with an announcement due in the autumn.

Paul Bittar’s tenure as Chief Executive has been marked by an improvement in the sport’s financial position, the re-establishment of BHA’s leadership role within British Racing in both regulatory and strategic matters, and the development of closer working relationships between stakeholders across the sport.

Steve Harman, Chairman of BHA, said:“Paul has been instrumental in building the foundations for Racing’s future growth, has established stronger regulation and integrity of the sport and improved its overall health. His wisdom and knowledge of racing matters is hugely valuable and he has contributed much to the next steps of both BHA and Racing generally.

“On my arrival in summer 2013, I was delighted that Paul agreed to stay on until early 2015, and by having planned this timing we are in a good position with simultaneous developments with the BHA Board, Shareholders, Executive team and the implementation of the industry’s growth strategy. The search for a new CEO has started and Paul’s successor will be announced in the autumn.

“Paul, supported by his team, will continue to work hard on some key objectives in 2014, including finalisation of the 2015 Fixture List, the current and forthcoming Government consultations on the Levy, and support to various aspects of the industry’s growth strategy.

“Paul is reviewing a number of options which he is considering for his next role, and I know he will make a big impact in whichever of the positions he chooses.”

Bittar added: “I am proud of what BHA has achieved in the past few years and it will be with some sadness that I will leave early next year.

“Despite its obvious challenges and complexity of structures, British Racing is a world class sport to be involved in and it has been a privilege to have held the post of Chief Executive of BHA as well as lead such a committed team. I love the quality and diversity of the racing staged in this country, I’ll never tire of it and nowhere else can rival it in that regard.

“There are many areas in which we have made significant progress. The opening weeks brought the challenge of resolving the dispute over the whip rules, followed by a difficult Grand National. It is encouraging and satisfying that the collaborative approach adopted by BHA with the relevant parts of the industry, and the subsequent steps taken, mean that neither topic has since generated the levels of negative coverage that can impact on the sport’s well-earned and good reputation.

“We’ve consciously sought, and have seen, a fundamental change for the better with regard to our relationship with the betting industry, while our strategy of engagement with Government over the funding of British Racing has also started to pay dividends.

“Our primary role is the regulation of the sport, so arguably the greatest challenge the sport faced during this period followed the positive tests for anabolic steroids in horses trained by Mahmood Al Zarooni. The gravity of the case warranted swift and decisive action, and in years to come it may well be seen as the catalyst which led to a material change in how Racing around the world deals with the threat posed by the use of anabolic steroids. On this matter BHA has adopted, and I am sure it will maintain, a key leadership role in raising standards and seeking robust and rigorous international minimum standards.

“The outlook for British Racing is significantly more positive now than it was at the close of 2011 and I firmly believe that the reputation of BHA has also improved. We have created a platform from which the sport can really grow and thrive.

“I’m focused on supporting Steve and the Board in ensuring that we achieve a lot before I finish. The back half of 2014 sees finalising of the 2015 Fixture List, Government consultations on the offshore Levy and Levy reform, finalising of more formal and collaborative structures with our shareholders, and the next stages of the industry’s growth strategy to name a few. I look forward to continuing to work effectively with the Executive, Board and Shareholders on these subjects over my final six months.”

WISeKey SA and the Swiss Football Association (SFA) have announced a new partnership that sees a new official SFV ASF App developed of the Swiss National Team.

The SFV ASF App generates digital identities for fans and harnesses original content created by the players and the SFA via social media platforms, and further enriches this with exclusive content from the players and the SFA. WISeKey has concluded similar projects with Real Madrid for their fans in China, FC Barcelona, Flamengo and Vasco football fans all over the world, and lately with ORACLE TEAM USA, winners of the 2013 America’s Cup. WISeKey has currently 12 more clubs joining WISfans, to be announced shortly, creating a global identity ecosystem for digital certified fans.

The Swiss National Team will be the first national football team using this technology and it will be very beneficial to capture all social media interactions around the team.

“We are delighted to launch the SFV ASF Official App of the Swiss National Team with the SFA, allowing them to connect with their fans’ ecosystem and federate all Swiss fans under one app. This new app is also a great way for WISeKey and the Swiss National Team to leverage their online presence and is part of the strategy to bring WISeKey Cyber Security services directly to Swiss consumers”, said Carlos Moreira, Founder and CEO of WISeKey.

“This new SFV ASF App allows us to have a new and innovative relationship with our fans while we increase our digital footprint. With this app the Swiss National Team definitely enters into the social media mobile world, developing one more tool of relationship between its members and fans,” said Alex Miescher, General Secretary.

The International Triathlon Union (ITU) has opened up the bidding process for the World Triathlon Series to all National Federations and cities interested in hosting the premier triathlon circuit for the next three seasons. 

Included in the bid opportunities is the possibility to host the 2016 and 2017 World Triathlon Series Grand Final races, viagra 40mg which attract more than 6,000 international age-group athletes, as well as one of the eight flagship events in 2015.

The 2015 elected cities will join Chicago as a host of the popular race series. The US city has already been named as host of the 2015 ITU Triathlon World Series Grand Final and will this year debut as a WTS event on June 27-29. 

“The World Triathlon Series continues to soar beyond our expectations from the quality of racing to the growth of the events to the exposure cities receive,” said ITU President and IOC Member Marisol Casado. “Its popularity now allows to open bidding for multiple seasons in advance, as well as host events in all parts of the world, as we did this year with Africa debuting in the Series.” 

The ITU World Triathlon Series is the premier triathlon series in the world and features the top triathletes racing head-to-head in cities around the globe. In addition to competing for the title of World Champion, athletes vie for a total prize purse of over $2-million USD, the greatest cumulative prize money in triathlon. The series is comprised of standard and sprint distance events, with one race also selected to host the Triathlon Mixed Relay World Championships. 

Cities interested in hosting a World Triathlon Series event must submit bid documents in conjunction with their respective National Federations.

USA Archery have revealed their recent spike in membership has a lot to do with the success of film franchise, Hunger Games. 

USA Archery says its membership has increased from 4,185 in November 2011 to 8,589 in November 2013 — a 105 percent jump. The first The Hunger Games movie opened in the spring of 2012. The movie’s star, Jennifer Lawrence, used a bow and arrow during the movies and was coached for archery scenes by five-time Olympian Khatuna Lorig.

“We definitely attribute much of this growth to The Hunger Games films, along with movies like Brave and The Avengers,” said USA Archery CEO Denise Parker said in a statement. “Given that archery was also the most-watched sport during NBC’s first week of Olympic Games coverage, we’re hopeful that people who see and try the sport will find out what archery fans already know: it’s an awesome sport, fun and challenging, and one that you can enjoy year-round and for the rest of your life.”

Parker was a three-time Olympian and won a bronze medal.

USA Archery also cited growth in its competitions. Its national indoor and Junior Olympic Archery Development championships had an increase of 31 percent from 2012 to 2013.