World soccer body FIFA has appointed Bahrain Football Association president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim bin Hamad Al Khalifa to its 2014 World Cup committee despite the Bahraini officials denial of the sentencing and torture of national team soccer players for their involvement in anti-government protests earlier this year.

Bahrain’s official Bahrain News Agency heralded the appointment as “adding to Sheikh Salman’s rich record of prestigious positions he has held at the Asian and international sport arenas, testifies to the global acclaim of the kingdom’s role in enhancing sport movement.”

The agency quoted Sheikh Salman as saying that his appointment would “enable him to reaffirm the capability of the kingdom’s cadres to hold such key international positions.”

The appointment comes as national soccer players are fighting in Bahrain courts charges brought against for peacefully demonstrating and despite the fact that other major sports institutions have steered clear of the Gulf island because of the brutal crackdown on anti-government protesters seeking greater political freedom, an end to discrimination against Shiite Muslims and more economic opportunity.

Sheikh Salman played an important role in the crackdown as head of a committee that identified 150 soccer players, athletes and sports executives who had participated in the demonstrations. They were either arrested or fired from their positions.

Among them were three national soccer team players, including brothers Alaa and Mohammed Hubail. Alaa last month recounted in an interview with The Associated Press how he and his brother were arrested, abused and humiliated during the government’s brutal suppression of the protests. The arrests were part of a government sweep that targeted medics, government employees and activists, many of who said they were tortured while in detention.

Bahraini courts last week sentence 36 people, including 21 medics and two hand ball players, to prison terms of up to 15 years.

Sheikh Salman’s involvement in the crackdown has privately prompted questions within the Asian Football Confederation because he is a frontrunner to succeed disgraced Qatari national Mohammed Bin Hammam as the organization’s president. The AFC in July postponed initiating the process of electing a new president to give Mr. Bin Hammam time to appeal a world soccer body FIFA ban for life on involvement in football because of his alleged engagement in bribery. AFC officials suggest privately that electing Sheikh Salman would send the wrong signal.

Mohamed Hubail was tried by a Bahraini security court and convicted to two years in prison, but later released pending his appeal after FIFA questioned the BFA about the crackdown.

Alaa’s case that has yet to go to court. He and the five other national team players have been barred from playing on the national team or in Bahrain’s domestic league.

The protests were part of the wave of anti-government demonstrations sweeping the Middle East and North Africa. Unlike in Syria and elsewhere the region, Bahrain succeeded to squash the protests with brute force. Thousands were detained and some 30 people were killed.

By including athletes in the crackdown, Bahrain effectively shot itself in its foot. Like other Gulf states, Bahrain sees sports as a vehicle to project itself on to the world stage. It succeeded in attracting the region’s first Formula One race, the Bahrain Grand Prix, and in becoming part of this year’s Volvo Golf Champions European tours. Both events were however cancelled because of the protests.

Many of the affected soccer players are meanwhile trying to move on with their lives. National team defender Sayed Mohammed Adnan went into voluntary exile and has joined Australian A-League champion Brisbane Roar. Alaa recently signed a deal to play for an Omani football club.

His brother Mohammed is still looking for a place to go. He rejected an offer to return to Al Ahli because the club demanded that he sign a statement admitting to his crimes.

By James M. Dorsey

English fifth-tier side Aldershot Town are now officially out of administration after almost going into liquidation in 2013.

In a statement, doctor the Conference Premier club said: “The Board took the decision to clear the old club’s debts at the earliest opportunity, believing it was the right thing to do for our creditors, many of whom we recognise are long-term supporters of the club.

“This brings to a close what has been a challenging administration process, with a need to satisfy Conference rules to ensure probity in the game.

“The continued support of our fans remains critical to our progress, but we can now look forward positively to the new season in the knowledge that our club is in a stronger financial position than it has been for many years.”

The Shots turned a small profit in the last year.

The Tokyo Summer Olympic 2020 bid committee has developed a plan for a “compact Games” that involves competition venues and 87,000 hotel rooms for visitors concentrated within a 10-kilometre radius in a central location.

The plan will be submitted by January 7. Bidding cities may start their promotional campaigns overseas early next month and the Japan Olympic Committee will dispatch executives to Europe for an extended period in the hope of gaining an edge over its competitors, Madrid and Istanbul.

Tokyo’s plan states that its basic approach is to concentrate 85 percent of the competition venues within an eight-kilometer radius from the athletes’ village, to be built in the Harumi waterfront district of Chuo Ward.

The marathon course would start at the New National Stadium, passing by such sites as Tokyo Dome and the Imperial Palace and finishing at the stadium.

The plan emphasises Tokyo’s state-of-the-art public transportation system, which can reportedly carry 25.7 million passengers a day.

Sections of the Metropolitan Expressway and other main that amount to about 320 kilometers would be designated as “Olympic lanes” for exclusive use by athletes and Games officials.

More than 140,000 hotel rooms would be made available within a 50-kilometer radius from the athletes’ village.

The plan states the Tokyo Games would make the best possible use of eco-friendly technologies such as solar panels and low-emission vehicles.

The Japanese Olympic Committee plans to collect information through its executives dispatched to Europe because the International Olympic Committee is headquartered in Switzerland and nearly half of its members are from the region.

The Philadelphia 76ers have signed a deal to use Skyview Networks’ satellite distribution,  F.A.S.T. affiliate web automation, inventory management, and live read logging services for the NBA club’s radio network, which is headed by GREATER MEDIA Sports WPEN-A-F (975 THE FANATIC and 950 ESPN RADIO).

Under the agreement, Skyview of Scottsdale, Ariz., an integrated play-by-play broadcast systems specialist, is providing the Sixers with services for expanding its affiliate network; streamlining inventory management, advertiser scheduling and affidavit reporting; and automating its billing process.

“SKYVIEW’s F.A.S.T. service has already proven itself to be a valuable, cost-effective solution for our extensive radio broadcast needs,” said SIXERS SVP/Corporate Partnerships & Broadcasting TOM WARD. “We look forward to working with them this season and in the years to come.”

“We are confident that our systems will meet the needs of the SIXERS to make the process of growing the network and managing the broadcast successful,” said SKYVIEW VP/Business Development MATT STYS.  “We look forward to building a solid relationship as we continue to partner on play-by-play broadcast solutions.”

NCR Corporation have announced that it has entered into a new agreement with the Green Bay Packers to implement NCR’s Quest venue management solution at Lambeau Field, anesthetist the longest continually occupied stadium in the NFL.

The solution will enable the Packers to increase speed of service and sales per guest throughout the historic venue through credit card programs and other system features. In addition, the system will improve efficiencies across foodservice and retail operations by using a common platform and building a foundation to better manage gift card and loyalty programs for season ticket holders.

The Packers solution includes point-of-sale hardware and software that will support back office management, integrated credit card processing, and ticket, suite, premium and retail sales. Approximately 425 wired, wireless and touchscreen point-of-sale terminals are expected to be installed throughout the stadium by the 2012-2013 season, making the Packers the twentieth NFL team to select Quest for their technology needs.

Tim Connolly, vice president of sales and marketing, Green Bay Packers, said: “The Packers are focused on making sure our fans have the best game day experience possible. Our fans deserve integrated, modern technology across foodservice and retail that will get them back to their seats faster. We selected the Quest solution based on NCR’s long-standing history of handling large volume facilities, including many other NFL venues.”

“We are especially excited to be one of the first venues in the NFL to be able to deploy a unified system across all elements of food service and retail,” continued Mr. Connolly, “which will enable us to deliver innovative loyalty and merchandising programs to better serve our fans.”

“The fan experience within large venues is rapidly changing due to advances in technology, mobility, and the demands of the fans,” said John Brasch, general manager of Quest, NCR Hospitality. “Our goal is to support the continued redevelopment of Lambeau Field and enable the Packers to significantly increase sales and engagement with their fans.”

The Royal & Ancient (R&A), Golf’s governing body has confirmed that The British Open Championship will return to St Andrews in 2015.

St Andrews, widely considered the ‘Home of Golf’, has hosted the oldest major in the sport a record 28 times, with the Claret Jug coming to be contested at the famous links every five years in recent times.

R&A chief executive Peter Dawson said: “We are delighted to announce that The Open will be returning to St Andrews and the historic Old Course in 2015. St Andrews has proved time and again that it is perfectly equipped to host The Open and I am certain we will yet again see a worthy winner lift the Claret Jug.”

It will be the 144th staging of the event, which will take place between July 16-19. Previous winners at St Andrews include Tiger Woods (2000, 2005), Sir Nick Faldo (1990), Seve Ballesteros (1984) and Jack Nicklaus (1970, 1978). It is often said that every great player in history has teed it up at St Andrews at least once during their career.

Euan Loudon, chief executive of the St Andrews Links Trust, added: “There is always a special sense of anticipation when the Open is played on the Old Course and it promises to be no different in 2015. Almost every great champion in the game has played here and there is no more fitting celebration of the rich heritage of the Home of Golf than hosting golf’s oldest major championship.”

The return of the event should also provide a financial boost to the local area – with the R&A estimating that the 2010 event injected over £100 million ($156.2m) into the Scottish economy, £40.1 million ($62.7m) of that in Fife and the surrounding areas.

Next year’s Open will take place at Royal Lytham & St Annes, with Muirfield and Royal Liverpool also due to host the event before it returns to St Andrews.

Qatar’s Heir Apparent His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, medstore Chairman of the Qatar Olympic Committee, buy was announced at the head of the Doha Bidding Committee for the 2020 Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games.

HH the Deputy Emir declared the decision about the formation of the Doha Bid Committee on Sunday. He also announced the names of other members of the bid committee as well as the team that will prepare Qatar’s file for the 2020 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. 

HH the Deputy Emir announced the appointment of HE Sheikha Mayassa bint Hamad al Thani and Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman al Thani, anabolics Secretary-General of the QOC, as the Vice-Chairmen of the panel. 

Noora Ali al Manai will be the Chief Executive of the panel.

H.H. Sheikh Tamim has a considerable portfolio in sport. He has been a member of the International Olympic Committee and the Sport for All Commission since 2003, is President of the Qatar National Olympic Committee, and was Chairman of the 2006 Asian Games, Doha – the first Asian Games where all 45 nations of the Olympic Council of Asia competed. He was also recently confirmed as President of the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee.

H.H. Sheikh Tamim holds a number of significant political positions within Qatar, including Chairman of the Supreme Education Council, President of the Supreme Council of Health and is Chairman of the Urban Planning and Development Authority. H.H. Sheikh Tamim is also actively engaged in regional diplomacy and co-chaired, with British Foreign Secretary William Hague, the Libya Contact Group hosted in Doha earlier this year.

Qatar is also preparing to host the FIFA 2022 World Cup. Current plans are underway; and the executive operations are being led by H.H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The leadership role played by the Heir Apparent in both projects will ensure a fully co-ordinated approach to planning, implementation and the efficient use of resources.

The regional governing body of softball, The European Softball Federation (ESF) is creating a commission to establish the sports chances of reinstatement in future Olympic Games.

The Olympic Softball Evaluation Committee are aiming to reinstate the sport which ran as a women’s event  from the 1996 Atlanta Games up until the Beijing Olympics in 2008. A decision was made by International Olympic Committee (IOC) members to drop softball from the programme for the London 2012 Olympics after a tied vote.

Softball was again overlooked for the schedule of the Rio Olympics in 2016 in favour of Rugby Sevens and Golf by the IOC. This decision made in 2009 dismissed four years of campaigning by the International Softball Federation (ISF) under the name of BackSoftball as they tried to emphasise the sports global support.

ESF President Andre van Overbeek said: “The launching of this evaluating commission is a big step forward in understanding the reasons why the IOC dropped softball from the Olympic programme and why our Backsoftball campaign didn’t gave us the results we hoped for,

“This commission will also make recommendations how to continue with our future efforts for reinstatement and keep the Olympic dream alive for all players around the world.”

The newly proposed commission will comprise of five members who will represent the national softball federations of Europe. The decisions on who will make up the board are set to be made within the next fortnight. A report will be completed and submitted to the ISF culminating the commissions work in the summer of next year.