India Could Face IOC Suspension

India may be suspended by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) because of government interference in the forthcoming election of its national Olympic body, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

In a letter to the IOA, the IOC said it will propose the country’s suspension at its executive board meeting next week if the elections do adhere strictly to the Olympic Charter and the IOA constitution.

“It is hereby confirmed that a proposal for suspension of the IOA will be presented to the IOC Executive Board at its next meeting on 4-5 December 2012,” IOC director general Christophe de Kepper wrote in a letter to IOA acting chief V.K. Malhotra.

The IOA has been ordered by a Delhi court to hold the elections adhering to the government’s sports code, but the IOC wants the governing body to follow by the Olympic charter.

The IOC has blamed a lack of cooperation from the Indian government and the IOA for the current situation.

“The issues at hand have been discussed for more than two years and have unfortunately not been resolved adequately by the Government authorities and the IOA in spite of all the efforts made by the IOC,” the letter said.

“Consequently, the IOC and Olympic Council of Asia will not send delegates to India at this stage.”

The IOA will have to write to the IOC by Friday the elections, to be held on December 5, will be held without government interference.{jcomments on}

TE Connectivity to Provide DAS Service for Argentina Soccer Stadium

TE Connectivity (TE) today announced that its InterReach Unison distributed antenna system (DAS) has been deployed to provide clear and consistent mobile service with high call capacity in the Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes in Cordoba, allergy Argentina.

The InterReach Unison DAS at the 57, viagra 100mg 000-seat stadium was deployed in record time to provide service for a World Cup qualifying game between Argentina and Paraguay on September 9, 2012.

Claro, a leading mobile service provider in Argentina, contracted for the DAS project. Claro is also a sponsor of the Argentine national soccer team and wanted the stadium to be at its best – including providing uninterrupted 2G and 3G mobile services in the 1900 MHz band – during the sold-out match with Paraguay. Claro chose TE Connectivity for the deployment because of previous positive experiences with the company and because its InterReach Unison DAS product could be easily deployed within the two-month construction window leading up to the big match.

“TE Connectivity worked with us as a team to get this deployment done and working flawlessly on time,” said Horacio Vigano, chief of new technology deployments for Claro. “We couldn’t have accomplished this without them.”

“TE Connectivity’s vast international experience with DAS in stadiums made us the right candidate for this job,” said Alan Clarke, president of TE’s Wireless business unit. “The InterReach Unison DAS system’s ease of deployment and outstanding performance allowed us to deploy a world-class system within a tight timeframe.”

Nissan Appoint Marketing Agency JMI to Aid with Motorsport Division

Nissan Motor Company has employed marketing agency Just Marketing International (JMI) to help in the automotive giant’s motorsports division, malady Nismo, and develop its international and regional motorsports strategy and activity.

The agency has been retained to support, advise on and help deliver global motorsports and performance division activities for the Nissan brand. JMI will also develop and execute regional and global racing programmes for the Nismo LEAF RC, a zero-emissions racing car based on the all-electric Nissan LEAF production model.

JMI will provide Nissan with strategic guidance, consultation and platform development for the manufacturer’s motorsports portfolio, extending to partnership development services to support the range of Nissan and Nismo branded motorsport programmes and activities.

The agency will bring its expertise to bear through its global services of research and strategy, consulting, integrated marketing communications, partnership development and programme management.

Zak Brown, Founder & CEO, JMI, said: “This is a significant new client for JMI. Nissan has strong motorsports roots and is in very exciting times as a company and brand.

“The addition of a blue chip automotive brand to our global client list gives us even further breadth and depth in motorsports and a perfect opportunity to generate significant value for Nissan, as the company makes a decisive push to give its brand more visibility in the motorsports space.”

Simon Sproule, CVP, Global Marketing Communications, Nissan added: “JMI’s knowledge, influence and relationships within motorsports make them a natural partner to help Nissan reach our objectives within the sport. The Nissan brand has a long and successful record in racing; JMI understand the importance of that heritage, but also our desire to make racing relevant to customers and enthusiasts today.” 

FIFA President Sepp Blatter Displeased by Brazil’s Preparations for 2014 World Cup

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has expressed his concern to President of Brazil Dilma Rousseff over the country’s preparations for the 2014 World Cup. 

Tensions have been building between football’s world governing body and the Brazilian Government and has finally come to a head.

President Dilma Rousseff has been quoted in the Brazilian press as having demanded a “frank conversation” with Blatter to discuss the issues.

FIFA has repeatedly warned the the Brazilian organisers about work delays.

It now seems those concerns, surrounding the building of new stadiums and infrastructure around the tournament, extend to FIFA’s legal demands on the host nation, with football’s world governing body expecting to take total control of all aspects of the event.

One sticking point is believed to be the issue of ticket prices.

In Brazil students and elderly citizens get a 50 per cent discount for football matches and other forms of entertainment, and the Government wants the policy to be extended to the World Cup in 2014.

Another issue is FIFA’s refusal to allow non-rights holders to show matches on television, with the Brazilians wanting local broadcasters to be given some limited access.

NBA and Players Union Adjourn for the Day Resume Today

cialis helvetica, bronchi sans-serif;”>

Negotiations between the National Basketball Association and its players union ended with no resolution and will continue today, both sides said after about two hours of talks.

The talks were held in a Manhattan hotel, New York where David Stern, NBA Commissioner, said: “We spent some quality time discussing concepts. Sometimes when you discuss concepts you want to go back and think about it.”

Owners of the league’s 30 teams and the union are negotiating how to split money from a league that had $4.3 billion in revenue last season. Stern says the teams collectively lost about $300 million. The NBA locked out its players when their labor contract expired July 1.

National Basketball Players Association President Derek Fisher refused to say whether any progress was made.

“We talked extensively in ideas and concepts,” Fisher said outside the hotel. “These are things that, if we can get into the range of, get into the zone of, than we can maybe put a deal together.”

The NBA on Sept. 23 postponed the start of training camps indefinitely and postponed 43 preseason games through Oct. 15, steering the situation towards a delay of the regular season scheduled for Nov. 1.

Whelan Not On the Run says Lawyer

Ray Whelan, bronchi the British man at the centre of the World Cup ticketing probe, is not on the run, according to his lawyer.

Whelan, a MATCH Hospitality director, left the Copacabana Palace hotel on Thursday before police arrived to re-arrest him as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged illegal ticket sales.

Police investigator Fabio Barucke later described Whelan as “a fugitive”, but a Friday statement from the office of lawyer Fernando Fernandes denied Whelan had deliberately evaded the police and said he was now waiting for a court to decide whether his new arrest warrant stands.

The statement read: “Fernando Fernandes said that Raymond Whelan was unaware of the arrest warrant when he left the Copacabana Palace, he is not running away from Rio de Janeiro, or the national territory, and that the executive has in force an injunction and is awaiting court decisions which will come into submission.”

Whelan and MATCH – a FIFA partner company – deny wrongdoing, and an earlier statement from MATCH said their director was working with his lawyer attempting to have his arrest order revoked.

The MATCH statement read: “Mr Ray Whelan and his attorney Mr Fernando Fernandes left Copacabana Palace Hotel on 10 July prior to the arrival of the police.

“The CCTV images of the internal hotel surveillance system distributed to the media show that Mr Whelan did not rush from the hotel. Police arrived thereafter, and finding Mr Whelan was not there, simply requested that he present himself at the 18th Precinct.

“MATCH must emphasise its understanding that the terms of Ray Whelan’s previous release did not restrict Ray Whelan’s movements, provided he stayed within Brazil. We do not believe that the term “fugitive” is appropriate under the circumstances as he is presently with his lawyer.

“We understand that any accused in Brazil has the fundamental right to resist a coercion that he believes to be arbitrary and illegal.

“Mr Whelan’s lawyers submitted an injunction to revoke the arrest order during the course of last night, which was denied, but we understand that Mr Whelan’s lawyers will today submit their request for reconsideration of that decision.

“Ray Whelan has not yet been granted the due process of a fair trial. MATCH remains absolutely confident that any charges raised against Ray will be rebutted.”

Whelan was one of 12 people arrested last week as part of Operation Jules Rimet into illegal ticketing touting. He was later released without charge.

Soccerex in Full Support of the International Sports Business Congress

Soccerex, remedy the global leader for the business of football, cough has confirmed it will sponsor the networking drinks at the International Sports Business Congress (ISBC) on the 17th of July, viagra coupon 2014.

The ISBC, part of the International Festival of Business, will bring together senior figures from sporting business backgrounds to share ideas and forge new relationships.

“The Congress will take place over two days, in two cities considered by many as the football hubs of the UK. The event will kick off in Liverpool on the 17th before moving to Manchester, the city which will host Soccerex’s flagship event, the Global Convention, on 6-10September at Manchester Central Convention Complex. Soccerex host partners Marketing Manchester will be playing a major role at the ISBC, with Sir Howard Bernstein, CEO, Manchester Council, a long-term Soccerex supporter, speaking at the event.

Day 2 of the ISBC will take place at the Etihad Stadium, recently confirmed as the venue for the Soccerex Football Festival on the 6-7 September. Soccerex’s close relationship with the Premier League champions will see both parties bringing together the local community at BT City Square for two days of footballing activities, including a legends tournament, youth competitions, activations and more.  The Global Convention will also feature a host of networking opportunities, including a social evening on the 9th of September at the Museum of Football, host to the ISBC Networking Drinks Soccerex are proudly sponsoring. 

David Wright, Marketing Director at Soccerex, said: “We are very excited to be part of the International Sports Business Congress and the wider International Festival of Business. The strong synergies between not only our event audiences but also the location in Manchester and our partners made the opportunity to be involved too good to ignore. We look forward to working with the organisers to deliver a fantastic networking evening at the Museum of Football.”

Commenting on the sponsorship agreement, Richard Morris, ISBC Event Director, said: “We’re really pleased to have made an excellent signing in Soccerex. The Congress is set to be a great event celebrating sport business and in two cities that are renowned for their love and success in sport. With Soccerex’s Global Convention coming up in September, it made perfect sense for Soccerex to link up with the International Sport Business Congress to showcase their event to our sports business audience.”

The Global Convention opens with the Football Festival on 6-7 September, with the Conference starting on Monday 8 September. A packed international exhibition and a programme of networking and social events complete the schedule for what is widely acknowledged as the world’s leading football business event.

For full information about Soccerex and future Soccerex events please visit http://www.soccerex.com // call +44 (0)20 8987 5522 // emailenquiry@soccerex.com

Dominic Anghileri Joins ITF as Executive Director of Finance

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has appointed Dominic Anghileri as Executive Director, pill Finance and Administration, capsule replacing Gillian Burgess who left the ITF on Friday 17 January.

Anghileri comes to the ITF from the Royal Academy of Arts where he was Finance Director and Head of Operations since 1998. Prior to the Royal Academy, unhealthy he worked for BMW (GB) Ltd. and House of Fraser. He qualified as an accountant while working for SmithKline Beecham plc.

As well as his role as Finance Director, Anghileri will be responsible for areas such as Administration, ICT and Human Resources.

ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti said: “We are very happy to welcome Dominic to the ITF and believe that his wide range of experience is a very good fit for an international federation like the ITF and we look forward to working with him.”

IOC Wants Fair and Transparent IOA elections

The IOC has urged the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to hold fair and transparent Presidency elections later this month.

The IOA has an opportunity to clean up its image with controversial current President Suresh Kalmadi deciding not to stand for re-election.

Kalmadi was arrested in April 2011 on charges of inflating tenders worth millions of dollars for equipment used at the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games that he headed.

He was released from prison on bail this January after nine months.

The Commonwealth Games were billed as India’s answer to the 2008 Beijing Olympics but controversy and arguments arose over leaking stadiums, poor accommodation for athletes and corruption scandals.

“Top priority for the IOC is integrity,” International Olympic Committee (IOC) Vice President, Thomas Bach, said. “Therefore a fair and transparent campaign for the presidency of the IOA is essential.”

“Only with the leadership of integrity can the IOA play the deserved important role in world sports and exploit the huge potential of sports in India,” said Bach.

India’s athletes returned from the year’s London Olympics with two silver and four bronze medals, the country’s biggest Olympic haul and equal to the collective tally of India’s previous seven campaigns.

“Six medals was a good harvest. However, a nation of 1.2 billion should do better,” Indian President Pranab Mukherjee said in August.

The favourites for IOA presidency are Indian Amateur Boxing Federation’s (IABF) Abhay Chautala and IOA Secretary General Randhir Singh.{jcomments on}

Goal-Line Technology to be Implemented after FIFA Signs Deals

Goal-line technology is now a visible possibility after FIFA signed licence agreements after sports technology providers, GoalRef and Hawk-Eye.

GoalRef and Hawk-Eye have been authorised to install their systems around the world after deals with world football’s governing body were agreed.

Last October, FIFA began a process of testing the reliability of goal-line technology systems after a series of high-profile controversies about whether or not shots had crossed the line.

The tests showed that both GoalRef and Hawk-Eye could reliably detect whether the whole of a football had crossed a goal-line.

A FIFA statement said: “Between October 2011 and June 2012, both companies passed a series of extensive laboratory and field tests, tests in simulated match situations, as well as tests in live matches.

“This milestone in the goal-line technology process, which began in 2011, means that the two companies now have official authorisation to install their respective goal-line technology systems worldwide.”

The International Football Association Board (IFAB), which makes the game’s rules, gave the go-ahead to the use of technology as calls for its introduction increased around the world.

The debate was intensified by incidents such as the “phantom goal” scored by Frank Lampard for England against Germany in the last World Cup, when the referee failed to award a goal despite the ball clearly crossing the line.

But hurdles remain before the systems are in full use, and FIFA explained: “Once a system has been installed in a stadium, it undergoes a final inspection to check its functionality.

“This is carried out by an independent test institute and the results of this so-called ‘final installation test’ must be successful. Only a positive final installation test qualifies a system to be used in official matches.”

Both systems are due to be used in competitive games for the first time at the Club World Cup in Japan in December, with GoalRef installed at one of the tournament’s two venues and Hawk-Eye at the other.

But some leading figures in football, including UEFA president Michel Platini, remain opposed to technology.

Platini is refusing to allow its use in UEFA competitions, instead preferring additional assistant referees, such as those seen at Euro 2012 and in the Europa League.

“You will never convince me on technology and I will not change at the age of 57. Technology assisting referee: I say, no,” he told the Evening Standard last month “My idea is to help referees by putting up more referees [he has introduced a system of extra officials].”

Goal-line technology is set to be introduced in the English Premier League for the start of the 2013-14 season.