Secretary General of world soccer’s governing body, FIFA, Jérôme Valcke sent a letter to The Football Association (FA) Chairman David Bernstein yesterday, May 11, in which he requested a complete report from Lord David Triesman on the statements that he made yesterday in front of the House of Commons, as well as any and all documentary evidence at his disposal in relation to those statements.

Triesman spoke at a parliamentary inquiry on Tuesday, May 10, claiming that FIFA members Jack Warner, Nicolas Leoz, Ricardo Teixeira and Worawi Makudi had all requested bribes in one form or another, to ensure that the England 2018 World Cup bid secured their backing.

Valcke also sent a letter to The Sunday Times to ask the newspaper to provide FIFA with any piece of evidence with regard to the statements made to MP John Whittingdale.

Valcke expressed the extreme concern of FIFA and the FIFA President Sepp Blatter in his letter, at the latest allegations questioning the integrity of some FIFA Executive Committee members in connection with the bidding procedure for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups.

The Secretary General added that to be in a position to examine the situation thoroughly and with clear-sightedness, FIFA  required the FA to submit a complete report from Lord David Triesman, by means of which the latter would relate his declarations fully and provide any and all documentary evidence at his disposal.

Valcke also asked the FA to assist in providing FIFA with the parliamentary records/report in connection with the statements and testimonies made by Lord David Triesman at the House of Commons.

According to the Telegraph, Valcke’s letter read: “There is no need to express our extreme concern regarding the latest allegations questioning the integrity of some FIFA Executive Committee members made recently by Lord David Triesman…here, dear chairman, we need your help.

“For us to be in a position to examine the situation thoroughly, and with clear sightedness, we kindly solicit you to remit us a complete report [from] Lord Triesman [together with] any or all documentary evidence at his disposal. We wish to underline the utmost urgency and extreme sensitivity of the matter.”

Meanwhile, in the letter to The Sunday Times, FIFA refers to a previous exchange of correspondence by means of which FIFA understood that The Sunday Times had already provided the body with all of the evidence and documentation at its disposal.

The newspaper had reported that Issa Hayatou, FIFA vice-president, and Jacques Anouma from the Ivory Coast received US$1.5m between them to vote for Qatar’s 2022 bid.

Nevertheless, FIFA asked the English newspaper to submit any other piece of evidence that it may be in possession of and which has not yet been sent to FIFA as soon as possible.

In particular, reference is made in the letter to the allegations regarding a “whistleblower who had worked with the Qatar bid”, who allegedly made some declarations regarding the matter in question.

Chair of the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC), which awarded preferred bidder status for English Premier League soccer club West Ham to inherit the Olympic Stadium, Baroness Margaret Ford has warned it is inconceivable for League One side Leyton Orient to be allowed to move to Eton Manor after the London 2012 Games.

Barry Hearn, chairman of the English third-tier soccer side, has threatened legal action over West Ham’s proposed move, which was recommended, and has since been ratified by the Government and the Mayor of London.

He believes that the Premier League club’s move to the nearby venue could cost his League One club up to US$2.4m a year by attracting fans of his club to brighter lights of elite league action, with Orient being the closest club to the Olympic Park.

But Hearn has suggested he will drop his threat of legal action if the authorities help Orient build a new 15,000-seater stadium at nearby Eton Manor on the Olympic Park, currently being redeveloped and due to host three temporary swimming training pools for aquatics during the Olympics and then wheelchair tennis during the Paralympics.

The Eton Manor facilities, run by the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, will be able to accommodate elite hockey events for up to 15,000 spectators, and while Lee Valley will have the definitive say on what happens at Eton Manor after London 2012, Ford is fully against the move.

Ford told the London Assembly: “I actually think that is inconceivable that you put two football stadia in the Olympic Park.

“I mean, this is much-needed recreational, employment and housing space for the area of East London.

“I made that point to the chairman of Leyton Orient when we wrote to him recently.

“This isn’t land that is up for grabs that is not earmarked for anything else.

“It is very clearly earmarked in the master plan for specific legacy purposes set out long ago.”

Hearn strongly favours a move to Eton Manor – he feels a financial settlement for Leyton Orient will not guarantee the survival of the club as young fans will slowly divert to West Ham.

Hearn stated earlier in the month: “To compete we would have to move out of the area completely or be housed in the Olympic Park itself.

“That way we could have the same facilities and transport links that West Ham would have and then there would be a level playing field for us to compete on.

“There are options such as moving into the hockey stadium or building a new venue at Eton Manor playing fields.

“These are real suggestions we are looking at to resolve this issue.”

Larry Scott’s has retained his position as commissioner of the Pac-12 conference through 2017-2018, the league’s Board of Directors have confirmed.

“On behalf of the entire Pac-12 Board of Directors, we are delighted to announce a contract extension with Larry and the new title of Pac-12 Commissioner and Executive Chairman of Pac-12 Enterprises,” said Dr. Elson S. Floyd, President of Washington State University and Chair of the Pac-12 CEO Group. “Larry’s leadership and vision is critical as we realize our tremendous potential as a conference built on a firm foundation of academic excellence and superior athletic achievement. Pac-12 Enterprises will continue to provide exposure to our athletic programs, student-athletes in all sports, and world-renowned academic programs, as well as deliver long-term financial value for our institutions to help fulfill our core academic missions.”

The Pac-12 has expanded, started an annual football championship game and launched both a cable and digital network since Scott took over in July 2009. His most recent expansions efforts have not included adding universities but instead taking the Pac-12 experience overseas with the Pac-12 Globalization Initiative.

“I am honored and gratified by the support from the CEO Group of our great institutions,” Scott said in a prepared statement. “We have reached a number of key milestones in the past four years and none of this would have been possible without the vision and commitment of our board.”

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has publicly backed Madrid’s 2020 bid while also urging every Spaniard to lend it the same nationwide support as Barcelona enjoyed when it was awarded the 1992 Olympics.

“In 1992 we were all Barceloneses, and in 2020 Madrid is expecting us all to be Madrileños,” said Rajoy, on being presented with the Candidature File by the Mayor of Madrid Ana Botella and Madrid 2020 Bid President Alejandro Blanco at a ceremony held at the Moncloa Palace, his official residence in the Spanish capital.

Rajoy described the Madrid project as a “showcase” revealing what the people of Spain are capable of when they unite in a common cause.

He added: “The Candidature File is the very best example of the excellence that can be achieved by team work and faithful cooperation between the various levels of government.”

The Spanish leader also pointed to Madrid’s proven organisational capabilities, the fact that the city has been diligently going about its preparations for many years, and the excitement among its inhabitants at the opportunity to host the Games.

For her part, the Mayor said: “This is an Olympic bid by the whole of Spain, one that goes beyond the city and is a national project, a project for everyone and based on efficient, simplified and intelligent management. It has the support of the entire country.”

Blanco, who is also the head of the Spanish Olympic Committee, had this to say: “The organisation and plan for the Madrid Games are guaranteed, backed and promoted by the entire government and the Prime Minister.”

He added that the project was credible, achievable, controllable, responsible, and – using a word he said he was keen to bring to Rajoy’s attention – predictable, in that it was a project that could only lead to success.

“We have every faith in the sporting and organisational ability of Spain. We are a benchmark throughout the world thanks to the quality of our sportsmen and women, our coaches and our federations” he concluded.

GE Healthcare unveils a ‘one of a kind’ virtual video tour of the Olympic Village Polyclinic. The ground-breaking interactive video, here shot in 360 degrees, apoplectic a first within a healthcare setting, discount allows viewers to have an exclusive view within an Olympic Village Polyclinic and learn more about the broad range of medical imaging technologies in use from GE Healthcare…a truly VIP behind the scenes experience.

Viewers can navigate from room-to-room between the advanced imaging and diagnostic technologies in use, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computing tomography (CT), ultrasound, X-Ray, electrocardiogram (ECG) and IT & monitoring systems that will help supply care, early diagnosis and treatment for over 22, 000 competing London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic athletes, as well as Games’ attendees and team staff.

Also featured in the video are officials from the London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) explaining how the Polyclinic facility is available to offer world-class healthcare services during the Games 24/7, as well as how the sophisticated medical equipment will be put to use.

Dr Richard Budgett, LOCOG Chief Medical Officer, said “People really do have to view this video experience to see how the Polyclinic will operate during the Games. The building itself, as well as the world-class medical services we offer here, is something that we are very proud of – it’s quite remarkable. This is also a great opportunity to see how the outstanding GE Healthcare technology will be used.”

Finn Crotty, GE Healthcare’s Olympics Project Lead added “It’s fantastic to see GE’s latest medical imaging technologies here at the Olympic Village Polyclinic, which will aid in the early diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of injuries. Working closely with LOCOG we are providing significant support for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games from a healthcare standpoint and offering athletes access to state-of-the-art imaging facilities. We are proud that with this interactive video experience we are able to showcase this exceptional facility to medical professionals and members of the public.”

This first 360 degree interactive video experience was filmed inside the Olympic Village Polyclinic located at the Olympic Village in the Olympic Park in Stratford in a state-of-the-art building that will provide up to 16, 000 athletes and team officials staying in the Village during the Olympic Games and 6, 200 athletes and officials during the Paralympic Games with access to 24 hour healthcare services.

Denver-based Comcast Media Center (CMC) is now providing channel origination and transmission services for the 24-hour NHL Network, prostate the two organizations announced.

NHL Network’s new facility at the CMC uses the latest technology to support the network’s HD and SD (standard definition) broadcasts, including multiple live events. Designed to deliver programming in the highest-quality video, the new control room also features advanced graphics and live ticker capabilities.

Peter Del Giacco, NHL chief technology officer, said: “Through its affiliation with national and regional sports television networks, CMC already plays a major role in coordinating the delivery of NHL games from their local venues to TV homes across the US and Canada. CMC shares our commitment to a quality viewing experience and we are confident they will provide an excellent television experience to our viewers.”

Richard Buchanan, Vice President and General Manager, Content Services for Comcast Media Center, added: “We are grateful for the opportunity to expand our relationship with the NHL to include origination and transmission services for its flagship TV network. As one of the country’s most seasoned and largest sports content operations facilities, we have the right people and technology to meet the NHL’s expectations for quality and reliability.”

For nearly 20 years, the CMC has been an industry-leading provider of content services across multiple platforms for customers worldwide. Live sports are one of the CMC’s specialties. The CMC currently originates more than 20,000 HD, SD, and 3D live and recorded events a year for its industry customers, including out-of-market pay-per-view sports packages, and recently managed more than 100 events in a single 24-hour period. Its live event capabilities include live commercial insertion, client graphic creation and manipulation, branding, facilitation between remote sites, one-on-one coverage and monitoring, and time-delayed and/or immediate replay of live media.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) member and Confederation of African Football (CAF) chief Issa Hayatou yesterday, May 11, denied corruption allegations made against him by a British Parliamentary Committee.

Hayatou claimed allegations that he was paid for vote for Qatar’s 2022 World Cup bid were “pure invention” and reserved the right to sue “those propagating this campaign of denigration,” according to a statement on the CAF website.

The statement revealed that Hayatou would cooperate with any investigation by FIFA which wants a swift resolution to the latest spate of corruption claims involving six of its Executive Committee.

According to evidence submitted by newspaper the Sunday Times to a UK parliamentary inquiry this week, Hayatou and fellow FIFA Executive Committee member Jacques Anouma of the Ivory Coast were allegedly paid US$1.5m to vote for Qatar.

The CAF stated: “The President of the Confederation of African Football Issa Hayatou has categorically denied allegations of corruption brought against him before Parliament in Britain.

“This kind of reporting to create and propagate false information to destroy his reputation, leadership and integrity will not succeed.

“The President of CAF said all these accusations brought against him are pure invention and an attempt to discredit him.”

The statement added that Hayatou was “anxiously waiting for the so-called proof” from paper, with Qatar having beaten the United States by a landslide in the final round of voting for the right to host the 2022 tournament, the biggest ever upset in bidding history and the first World Cup to be staged in the Middle East.

Qatar’s Football Association has also denied the allegations that Hayatou and Anouma were paid money, calling them “serious and baseless”, claiming they would “remain unproven because they are false.”

The Parliamentary Committee identified a man working for Hayatou and the Qataris as Amadou Diallo, though Mike Lee, the former communications director of London 2012 who helped mastermind Qatar’s victory, told the Committee he had never heard of Diallo.

There have nevertheless been strong links between African soccer’s heirarchy and Qatar for some time after Qatar used a clever but perfectly legal marketing loophole last year, to exclusively sponsor the CAF Congress, paying $1.8m for the right, preventing any of its rivals for 2022 from officially addressing delegates.

The CAF statement added: “In return, [the] Qatar 2022 Bid Committee was given the exclusive rights to address the general assembly and make presentations to members. 

“This sponsorship was approved by the Executive Committee of CAF…an agreement was signed between the two parties.”