Tokyo’s 2020 bid has received overwhelming public support according to a survey of 400 people .

The survey was conducted by the Tokyo 2020 bid committee shortly after the London Games.

Support for Tokyo 2020 climbed to 66 per cent, up eight points from 58 per cent in a survey taken slightly before the London 2012 Games.

The London 2012 Olympics is scheduled to boost UK economy by £16.5 billion ($25.8bn) for 2017 according to a new study.

It is also expected to create 62,200 jobs from a starting period in 2005 when the Games were awarded, to the five years after the Games finish, and will come mainly as a result of building Olympic sites and the boost to tourism, according to the study by Lloyds Banking Group.

London 2012 sponsor Lloyds TSB, said nearly a third of the gains worth £5bn ($7.85bn) will come over the five years following the event.

This will be when Olympic sites are converted to other uses and tourism continues to see a boost.

Lloyds chief economist Patrick Foley told Sky: “London 2012 is the most important sporting event the UK has ever staged.

“We’ve witnessed a construction project on an unprecedented scale, the economic ripples of which are being felt not only in the host city, but across the UK.

“As this study demonstrates, London 2012 will help support employment, tourism, consumer spending and living standards, not only this year, but for many years to come.”

The campaign for FIFA’s presidential elections will arrive in England in an attempt to win the Football Association’s (FA) vote, with current incumbent Sepp Blatter set to be invited to a grand lunch, according to the Daily Mail.

Blatter was said to have played a pivotal role in the resounding failure of England’s 2018 World Cup bid, with then stand-in FA chairman Roger Burden ruling himself out of the post due to an unwillingness to work with the current FIFA regime.

Current FIFA president Sepp Blatter will arrive in England next week to campaign for the Football Association’s vote in the upcoming FIFA presidential elections – less than four months after suggestions that Blatter played a pivotal role in the demise of England’s 2018 World Cup bid – according to media reports.

However, new FA chairman David Bernstein is reportedly set to host a lunch at Wembley Stadium and will welcome Blatter when he arrives in the country next Monday.

Blatter is campaigning for votes for a fourth term in office, up against Mohamed bin Hammam who confirmed his candidacy just over a week ago.

Bin Hammam, who played a central role in securing the 2022 World Cup for Qatar, said the current FIFA board of 24 should be increased to 41 – a plan that would dilute the power of Europe and South America – while boosting the representation from the rest of the world. 

The 61 year-old also made it clear that he would support the introduction of goal line technology, and of the extra two officials behind the goals.

Eurosport have announced a two-year, pan-European partnership with Nintendo to provide 3D sports content for the company’s new 3D console. The agreement represents the latest move by Eurosport into 3D, after becoming one of the most prominent supporters of 3D development over the past 18 months.

Nintendo 3DS will now receive exclusive and extensive exposure via Eurosport across their multi-media communication platforms including TV, Internet and mobile broadcasts.

Eurosport Group chairman and CEO Laurent-Eric Le Lay stated: “We are pleased to partner with Nintendo to provide compelling sports video content for the newest game console, 3DS.”

He added: “Eurosport has always been at the forefront of new technology and this partnership is another demonstration of our commitment to innovation and our ability to reach new audiences by making Eurosport content available on as many platforms as possible.”

Former 2010 FIFA World Cup CEO, medstore Dr Danny Jordaan, has been appointed South African Football Association President after winning the race for the top seat over fellow contender Mandla ‘Shoes’ Mazibuko.

It was an overwhelming majority victory for Dr Jordaan who polled 162 votes to Mazibuko’s 88.

The elections were conducted by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and were also monitored by members from FIFA and continental soccer body, CAF and SASCOC.

Jordaan takes over from Kirsten Nematandani who did not contest the race.

Dr Jordaan, who sought the mandate on the promise to improve Bafana Bafana’s overall performance, youth development, strengthening women football as well as strengthening the Association’s financial standing, said he was excited and was looking forward to deliver on his mandate.

The Vice-Presidents positions went to Chief Mwelo Nonkonyana who garnered 197 votes, Lucas Nhlapo (173) and Elvis Shishana who got 167 votes. The other Vice-President of the Association is Premier Soccer League chairman, Dr Irvin Khoza.

The 10 National List members of the National Executive Committee are, Mr Gladwin White, Mr Kwenzakwakhe Ngwenya, Ms Nomsa Mahlangu, Mr Poobalan Govindasamy, Mr Xolile Nkompela, Mr Truman Prince, Ms Ria Ledwaba, Mr Aubrey Baartman, Advocate Norman Arendse and Ms Anastasia Tsichlas.

Glasgow is expected to submit a bid to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) next month for the 2018 Youth Olympic Games after local councillors backed the plans

The city will now formally submit a bid to the International Olympic Committee next month and will compete against five other cities who have lodged an interest – Poznan (Poland), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Guadalajara (Mexico), Medellin (Columbia) and Buenos Aires (Argentina).

On Thursday, councillors from Glasgow City Council’s Executive Committee meeting heard from chief executive George Black.

He said the majority of the infrastructure required for the Games would be in place by 2018 following the Commonwealth Games in two years’ time, including the Hydro Arena and the National Hockey Centre at Glasgow Green.

The only two facilities which will need to be built are a BMX track and a diving pool.

Glasgow City Council will fund 30% of the Games Delivery Budget, with the remaining figure picked up by the Scottish Government.

The Youth Olympic Games were first held in Singapore in August, 2010. It is held every four years and involves around 3600 athletes between the ages of 15 and 18.

Glasgow’s programme would involve 28 sports.

Japanese businesses are boosting their sales promotions of Olympic-related goods and services, viagra including replica uniforms and packaged tours to see the Games.

Package tours to attend the London Olympics have been popular, viagra coupon with applications far outnumbering available spots.

Japan travely agency JTB Corp. offered packaged tours to London and solicited 15 participants for the tour, no rx a six-day trip with four nights in a hotel, priced at 1.3M yen (US $16,200).

The agency received 10 times more applications than available spots, and selected participants by lottery. So far, 30 similar tours have booked 80% of their seats.

Kinki Nippon Tourist Co. said  “most of its Olympic tour packages also have sold out,” including a six-day, three-night tour for 450,000 yen ($5,600) that includes tickets to table tennis and swimming events.{jcomments on}

A meeting has been arranged between the UK Government and the British Olympic Association (BOA) for today, March 29, to try to find a solution to the cash row threatening to overshadow the build-up to London 2012.

The chairman of the BOA, Colin Moynihan has been at the centre of the untimely dispute however, he announced that the Government had agreed to try to find an “amicable” solution to the row between themselves and London 2012 (LOCOG) over the argument about profits from next year’s Games.

Moynihan spoke ahead of a press conference unveiling 27 sporting icons as Team GB ambassadors, stating: “I can report that good progress was made through the weekend.

“The Government has agreed to hold a discussion to reach an amicable solution to the current contractual dispute.”

Moynihan is due to meet with the Sport and Olympics Minister Hugh Robertson before Britain’s National Olympic Committees gather in London tomorrow afternoon where the topic is top of the agenda.

BOA’s opposition in the dispute, the organisers of London 2012, have not been invited to the meeting which follows criticism from Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt who condemned the row over the weekend.

Robertson added: “The last thing any of us wants is a damaging row lasting the summer. I want to see if there is anything the government can do to bring this row to a conclusion.

“The last thing any of us wants is for this to go on for three or four months and end up at CAS. That would be very bad for sport and for London 2012.

“My role is to look at the overall damage this is doing for London 2012 and for British sport and see if there is anything I can do to help come to a solution.

“London’s Olympics is in great shape – it’s on time and it’s to budget. I’m prepared to do anything I can to reach an end to this dispute.”

After London won the rights to host the Games back in 2005, an agreement was signed meaning that the BOA would be entitled to a cut of any profit after 2012, but only after the cost of the Paralympics has been taken away, potentially limiting the amount they will receive.

The BOA is now disputing the contract they signed six years ago and is taking London 2012 to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Whilst they are involved in legal action against LOCOG, Moynihan and BOA chief executive Andy Hunt will not be permitted to take part in any 2012 Olympic Board meetings.

There is increasing pressure – both domestically and internationally – for Moynihan to drop his legal action with the BOA Chair having already angered the International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge by turning down the opportunity earlier this month for him to try to resolve the row.

The IOC last week ruled in favour of London 2012 and Denis Oswald, the chairman of the IOC’s Coordination Commission for London 2012, has warned the BOA that they have no chance of winning their case at CAS.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Oswald stated: “It’s very regrettable that they have and we have to spend time on this. It could have been avoided. 

“The sooner it is settled the better so that we have it behind us.”

The row took a further twist when Neil Wood, the chief financial officer at London 2012, issued a statement refuting Moynihan’s claims that the Olympics could make a profit of £400 million (US$640 million).

“With reference to a claims by the BOA of a meeting last July between LOCOG and the BOA in which statements allegedly were made by me to the effect that the Olympics would make a profit of about £400 million ($640 million) with the Paralympics making a corresponding loss and at a subsequent meeting I allegedly revised this figure down to £300 million ($480 million) – I have never made such statements, which are in fact untrue,” he said.