Even though Mohamed bin Hammam was given the all-clear by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), FIFA have provisionally banned Mohamed bin Hammam for 90 days while they investigate allegations of financial mismanagement during his time as president of the Asian Football Confederation.

The 63-year-old Qatari last week saw a lifetime ban from football overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport after being found guilty in 2011 by FIFA’s ethics committee of paying bribes to Caribbean Football Union officials while campaigning against Blatter for the FIFA presidency.

Bin Hammam remained subject to a 30-day temporary suspension by the AFC – which was then extended worldwide by FIFA – following an audit by Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PWC) that centred on contract negotiations and payments to and from AFC bank accounts during Bin Hammam’s presidency.

And FIFA have now extended that ban further as they continue to investigate those allegations.

“At the request of Michel J. Garcia (chairman of the investigatory chamber of the Ethics Committee), Hans-Joachim Eckert (chairman of the adjudicatory chamber of the Ethics Committee) today provisionally banned Mohamed bin Hammam from taking part in any kind of football-related activity at national and international level for a period of a maximum of 90 days,” read a statement from FIFA.

“The decision was taken based on art. 83 par. 1 in fine of the FIFA Code of Ethics, in order to prevent interference with the establishment of the truth in respect of a preliminary investigation initiated pursuant to article 62 par. 2 of the FIFA Code of Ethics.

“The investigation aims inter alia at assessing the PwC report of 13 July 2012 in respect of potential misconduct on behalf of Mr bin Hammam in the light of the provisions of the FIFA Code of Ethics and at assessing the prospects of collecting further evidence relevant to the recently closed CAS proceedings in the case of Mr Mohamed bin Hammam v/ FIFA as well as at undertaking investigative efforts to this

Legendary NFL quarterback Joe Montana has begun discussions with Santa Clara leaders to build a four- or five-star hotel across from the San Francisco 49ers stadium.

The City Council on Tuesday night voted 4-2 to begin exclusive negotiations with the business group fronted by Montana. The vote was expected after officials in July promised to cooperate with Montana, who excited Niners fans when he unveiled the idea at a public meeting last year.

City leaders and Montana’s group will have one year to battle over how much money the Hall of Fame player and his associates will contribute to the Santa Clara general fund for the right to build on city-owned land. Montana says he has the money to build a luxury hotel garnering at least four stars, a sports bar, an “upscale” restaurant and “additional entertainment uses” that would open with the new Niners stadium before the 2014 NFL season.

“This is a no-brainer,” said Councilman Kevin Moore, a stadium supporter, who joked that apparently there was no interest from former superstar quarterback Brett Favre.

The project will be built on two city-owned lots totaling eight acres at Tasman Drive and Centennial Boulevard. Construction on half the land cannot start until work on an adjacent, new parking garage is complete later this year, while the other half is being used to store vehicles and equipment for the stadium project.

The Rugby World Cup Sevens 2013 will take place in Moscow from June 28-30 as the sport builds towards its Olympic Games debut at Rio 2016.

The announcement was made today at Webb Ellis House, ask Twickenham by Rugby World Cup Limited (RWCL) and the Rugby Union of Russia.

It will be the sixth edition of the event which is the premier international sevens competition contested by men’s and women’s national teams every four years.

Vyacheslav Kopiev, pills President of the Rugby Union of Russia, said: “The IRB has shown great vision by entrusting the running of this great tournament to us.

“We have made real progress in recent years and Rugby World Cup Sevens 2013 will be the next step along the way to Russia becoming a rugby superpower.

“Indeed, our national team’s performances at the recent RWC in New Zealand showed the world how far we have already come along the way.

“We are committed to delivering an exceptional event. We hope to welcome supporters from other countries to Moscow while also engaging the local population and switching them on to Rugby Sevens.”

International Rugby Board Chairman Bernard Lapasset is expecting Moscow 2013 to be an exceptional event.

He said: “The IRB is committed to growing the Game in emerging and new territories and the awarding of Rugby World Cup Sevens 2013 to Moscow underscores our commitment to this process.

“Moscow 2013 will not just be an exceptional global showcase, with the support of the Russian Government it will provide the platform to boost participation and interest in a country that really is embracing rugby.

“We are excited about the potential of Rugby Sevens. We are already a long way down the road in preparation for the 2016 Olympic Games where our finest men’s and women’s sevens athletes will have the opportunity to compete on the world’s greatest sporting stage.”

The ambassadors for the event have also been unveiled as Russian players Vasiliy Artemyev, who plays for Northampton Saints, Vladimir Ostroushko, Anastasia Mukharyamova and Elena Shevtsova.

English Premier League team Chelsea FC has become the first English team to add a charity logo onto its Champions League kit.

In addition to existing sponsors Samsung and adidas, the club’s European kit will also feature the logo of global charity partner, Right To Play – a humanitarian organisation using sport and play to help tackle disease, poverty and conflict in 20 countries around the world. The logo will feature on the back of the shirts throughout the remainder of the European campaign.

The new European shirts debuted on Tuesday 1 November during Chelsea’s 1-1 draw with Belgian side KRC Genk.

Bruce Buck, Chelsea chairman, said: “As a club we acknowledge the vital role that sport can play in our local and global communities and we are delighted to be leading the way by featuring a charity sponsor on our Champions League shirt.

“Our vision is echoed by our shirt sponsors Samsung and adidas who share our passion for using sport for positive social change.”

Working closely with communities, Right To Play train local staff and volunteers to implement sport and play-based learning programs designed to teach children and youth important life skills including health, teamwork, conflict resolution, respect and fair play.

Founded by four-time Olympic speed-skating gold medalist Johann Koss, Right To Play’s partnership with Chelsea is helping to raise funds and increase awareness of the charity’s work across the globe.

Koss, Right To Play President and CEO, said: “I am excited about this new commitment by Chelsea Football Club. By featuring our logo on their Champions League shirt, Chelsea and their sponsors are truly demonstrating their commitment to Right To Play. This will spread the message that sport and play have the power to improve the lives of children living in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the world.

“I am thrilled that Right To Play’s partnership with Chelsea continues to grow and I would like to thank Chelsea and their sponsors Samsung and adidas for their support.”

An agreement is believed to have been made between Formula One stakeholders for Grand Prix cars to utilize a new type of ‘green’ engine from 2013.

The current 2.4-litre V8s will be replaced by 1.6-litre, four-cylinder turbo engines which have energy recovery systems and fuel restrictions. The move has the aim of increasing public demand for such engines following the trend towards fuel-efficiency in road cars. The new regulations may be confirmed by governing body the FIA on 10th December.

Both Mercedes and Ferrari were thought to have been reluctant to agree to the switch as they felt that it was an unnecessary expense at a time when F1 was trying to reduce costs. However, A Ferrari spokesman stated that the rules had been agreed and he would be ‘surprised’ if it was not announced by the FIA World Council.

The new rules have been established in the hope that the efficiency of F1 engines can be improved by as much as 50%. Relevant caution has been taken to ensure the performance of cars will not be affected and total power outputs will remain at current levels – approximately 750bhp in tests and negotiations that have spanned over months. The switch looked as though it may have been delayed until 2014 and was even rumoured to have been put back as late as 2017.

It is believed that the regulations will go before the F1 Commission – a group of stakeholders that agrees all rule changes – on Thursday 9th December before being rubber-stamped by the World Council the following day. Increasing the future sustainability of F1 was made a keen aim by F1 teams’ organisation FOTA and FIA president Jean Todt with recent developments seen as a triumph by both.

Mini will compete in selected rounds of the 2011 World Rally Championship, marking the return of one of the sports most famous competitors.

Owner BMW confirmed Mini will compete in selected rounds next year, and take part in the full series the following year.

The driver line-up is yet to be confirmed but the car will be available to to customer teams this Autumn.

Developer of the Mini Countryman WRC, Prodrive’s Dave Richards, said: “This is a very exciting new motor sport programme. During the 1960s, Mini captured the imagination of the world when the tiny car took on the might of V8-powered Fords and won what was then one of the toughest motor sport events , the 4,000km Monte Carlo Rally.

“I believe our new Mini will become a firm favourite of the latest generation of rally fans, just as it is adored by its millions of owners across the world.”

The Jockey Club, the largest commercial group in British horseracing, today appointed UK journalist Jeff Randall, as a non-executive director of its Sandown Park Racecourse in Surrey.

The former presenter of Jeff Randall Live on Sky News, Editor-at-Large of The Daily Telegraph, Business Editor of the BBC and Sports Editor of The Sunday Times, Randall is a lifelong horseracing fan and regular visitor to several of The Jockey Club’s racecourses.

Randall retired from journalism in March this year, but as part of a move from the newsroom to the boardroom, Randall has joined the board of Babcock International plc, the UK’s leading engineering support services company, as a non-executive director and chairman of its remuneration committee.

He takes up his new role at Sandown Park at this weekend’s climax to the Jump season – the bet365 Jumps Finale fixture, featuring Grade 1 racing and where AP McCoy will be crowned Champion Jump jockey for the 19^th consecutive year – joining the racecourse committee under the chairmanship of Mike Street OBE.

Randall commented on his new role: “I am delighted to be joining the board at Sandown Park, one of my favourite racecourses. Thanks to my late father, I was introduced to the sport in the early 1970s and it has been a source of huge enjoyment ever since. Now, through my involvement with The Jockey Club, I have a chance to give something back. I’m grateful for the opportunity.”

Mike Street OBE, Chairman of Sandown Park Racecourse, added: “It is clear that racing has a special place in Jeff’s heart and I speak for all at Sandown Park in saying we are thrilled he is joining our team.

“Sandown Park is one of London’s premier racecourses, just 25 minutes from Waterloo to Esher in Surrey. Jeff’s superb professional experience and network, particularly within the City and wider business community will be a tremendous asset to Jockey Club Racecourses and British racing as a whole.”

The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) have expanded their partnership with Infostrada Sports (IS).

During the four year deal, USOC will not only have continued access to Podium, IS premier sport performance analytic tool, but USOC will also have unlimited access to Infrostrada’s world leading sports database of Olympic and Paralympic sports. This will enable USOC to create the most comprehensive and unparalleled sports analytic program in the world.

The partnership with USOC provides IS with the opportunity to take the sports database to an unmatched level for Olympic sports. By growing in both breadth and depth of the data, IS can continue offering analyses and consultancy to prepare organisations around the world to face the challenges of the next decade.

“It has been clear to our analysts from day one that Podium is the optimal analytic tool to fully suit the needs of our Competitive Analysis team,” said Alan Ashley, Chief of Sport Performance USOC. “Work that previously took a week can now be accomplished in two hours by our analysts. This leaves more time over to go further in terms of data analysis. Our decision to partner with Infostrada Sports is a testament to their knowledge and experience in sports database management.”

Danny Menken, CEO Infostrada Sports said the company believed data analytics services was an important part of the future of our industry. “We are delighted that we have signed an agreement with such an important National Olympic Committee as USOC. We are proud to be able to provide USOC our innovative turn-key solutions that work and which are both analytical and accessible to the professional user. USOC’s decision to partner with us is recognition of the 15 years of experience we have gained in sports data collection and provision.”

Infrostrada Sports manages the world’s largest sports database, covering more than 300+ sports worldwide.

International sports marketing agency, check RedTorch have announced a partnership with Triathlon New Zealand to market the remodelled Tri NZ High Performance Property to prospective commercial partners.

RedTorch will focus on securing a sole partner to support Tri NZ’s elite athletes as they compete in the global ITU World Series each year and prepare for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Triathlon NZ is looking for a partner to share in their values of “Inspiring-Success-Together” with CEO Craig Waugh excited about the opportunities in the international market.

“The appointment of RedTorch reinforces our commitment to excellence and we are happy to have found a competent and enthusiastic partner who will help us in achieving this goal.”

RedTorch Managing Director Jonny Murch added: “We are very excited to be working on behalf of Triathlon New Zealand, acting as their European based agent. Triathlon is a growing and very current sport with fantastic values. Their appointment of Graeme Maw as their new High Performance Director is a clear signal of intention. We are looking forward to helping Tri NZ find a new partner to join them on their exciting journey towards the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.”

Following on from the independent review into the High Performance Programme, Triathlon New Zealand appointed highly regarded Maw to the newly developed position of High Performance Director.

The appointment of the former High Performance Director at British Triathlon is the first significant step in the implementation of the recommendations of that review and is seen as something of a coup in the international triathlon community.

Waugh is excited about the future of the sport and the High Performance Programme under the guidance of Maw.

“In appointing Graeme we have no doubt that he has the vision, experience and the leadership to bring a group of talented people together working to implement the recommendations of the 2020 HP review. The sport is such a fast growing one; it is vital that we are world class in our pursuit of excellence on the world stage.

“Our partnership with RedTorch is the natural next step to secure an appropriately like minded and positioned international brand to further enable the Tri NZ High Performance Programme and our athletes to achieve their goals and objectives.”

London based RedTorch will commence their search immediately for a suitable partner to the HP Programme with a view to signing a deal prior to the 2013 international programme getting underway in Auckland next April, the first event in a new 4-year hosting partnership between Auckland and the ITU ensuring world class Triathlon continues to take place in New Zealand for the foreseeable future.