With one month to go until the start of the London Olympic Games, order a UK Sport report has revealed that Athletics is the number one sport in which the public would like to see the UK achieving international success.

The ‘Sporting Preferences’ research, conducted eight times over the past 12 years around major sporting events, discovered public appetite for Olympic sport is high as the Games approach.

Athletics proved to be the sport the British public would most like to see success in, rating this higher than football – for the first time since 2002 – and the rugby codes. Success in swimming was the fourth most popular response, with tennis and cycling fifth and sixth respectively.

Athletics is also the sport most people would like to see GB win medals in at both the Olympic and Paralympic Games, rating this just ahead of swimming and cycling for the Olympics, and swimming and wheelchair basketball for the Paralympics.

The first Olympic and Paralympic Games to be staged in the UK for over 60 years, London 2012 will be the most significant sporting event the country has ever seen, with the Olympic opening ceremony alone set to be watched by a global audience of four billion people.

Following the national celebrations earlier this summer for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, UK Sport’s research, carried out by Ipsos MORI, also revealed nearly 60% of people believe the Games will create or heighten a sense of ‘Britishness’ among the UK population.

UK Sport Chief Executive Liz Nicholl said: “A home Olympic and Paralympic Games is a once in a lifetime opportunity for athletes, their coaches and support staff, but it also represents a fantastic opportunity for the general public to feel engaged with sport and proud of their athletes’ success.

“This summer the British public can feel especially proud of the role they have played in supporting our athletes. Funding from The National Lottery, as well as from the Exchequer and Team 2012, has allowed UK Sport to invest £313million in our Olympic and Paralympic sports for the London cycle (2009-13), ensuring we will have one of the best supported, best prepared teams at London 2012.”

The research, carried out in early May with nearly 2600 adults aged 16+, sought the public’s views about sport in this Olympic and Paralympic year. This was the eighth time UK Sport had commissioned ‘Sporting Preferences’, which has gauged public opinion in the periods immediately before and after the Sydney, Athens and Beijing Games and, in 2002, following the Manchester Commonwealth Games.

The survey was conducted online among 2,582 UK adults aged 16+, between the 4th and 11th May, 2012, using Ipsos MORI’s iOmnibus panel.

Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Mohamed Bin Hammam has confirmed that he will contest FIFA chief Sepp Blatter’s campaign for a fourth consecutive term as the president of world soccer’s governing body.

Bin Hammam’s challenge will be the first that Blatter has faced for his presidency in nearly a decade after the Qatari confirmed today, March 18, that he would stand against the Swiss incumbent in the June 1 elections.

Bin Hammam’s announcement draws a close to months of speculation after stating at a press conference at the AFC’s Kuala Lumpur headquarters that he would seek to end Blatter’s 13-year reign. Blatter has not been challenged since 2002, when he defeated Confederation of African Football president Issa Hayatou by 139 votes to 56.

The challenger stated: “Today after careful study, consultation and consideration, armed with my love and passion for football, believing that our game is about fair competition, I have decided to contest.”

The head of the AFC has been outspoken in his criticism of FIFA’s practices since his country secured the hosting rights to the 2022 World Cup in early December and despite acknowledging Blatter’s contributions, Bin Hammam added that it was time for “new faces, new blood”.

He continued: “There is a time limit for everyone. I hope that Asia is going to be united behind me, but also the other confederations where I enjoy a lot of friendship and relationships, I hope also those people are going to support me.”

Bin Hammam proposed that the 24-man FIFA executive committee, which was hit by scandal in the build-up to the December 2 vote on the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments, should be replaced by a 41-member board. He also said he would hope to set up a new transparency committee and spread FIFA’s income more evenly across the globe.

Blatter told reporters on Thursday: “I still feel full of energy and I’ve not yet finished my work in FIFA. I’m now in the 13th year of my presidency, and the 36th year working within FIFA, so I’m available to the congress. If there is competition there is competition. I have support from different Asian associations, but I must have the support of the whole FIFA family.”

Karren Brady, vice-chairman of English Premier League soccer club West Ham United has criticised London rivals, Tottenham’s attempt to hi-jack the Hammers’ proposed switch to the Olympic Stadium post 2012.

Although West Ham remain favourites to be awarded the rights to move into the venue following the London Olympics, the financially stronger option of Tottenham has a number of supporters.

Crucially many of these supporters are not actually Tottenham fans, who along with local MP David Lammy, feel that a refurbishment of the club’s current home ground at White Hart Lane would be a better option.

In her regular column in British newspaper the Sun today, Brady writes: “It is an understatement to say I’m unhappy with the way Spurs have gone about trying to wrest the rights to the Olympic Stadium from us.

“Our bid has been founded on goodwill to the community, to the Council, to athletics and sport overall. 

“We have powerful support and the funds.

“Spurs’ is an attempted smash and grab in our manor, sneaky and of no known benefit to anyone beyond their backers and major shareholders, who by the way are not based in the UK and don’t pay UK tax unlike our owners who have always lived, worked, employed and paid tax here.

“Even their own fans hate the idea of a multi-mile move. 

“Spurs are trying to muscle in where they are not wanted.”

National Rugby League (NRL) team, Parramatta Eels have announced the appointment of Scott Seward as their new Chief Executive Officer.

Seward becomes the Eels’ fourth CEO in three years on Saturday and walks straight into one of the toughest jobs in Australian sport as he tries to rejuvenate one of the NRL glamour teams.

The Eels are currently without a coach, a major sponsor and have finished with the wooden spoon for the last two seasons.

Seward will officially begin in his new role on Wednesday following 11 months as General Manager, Membership and Consumer Business for the Eels. During that time Eels Membership has grown by an incredible 49.5% on 2012 to a record 17,205, the largest increase in the NRL.

“There is so much upside to this club, and the rise in membership is just one aspect of that,” Seward said.

“But our focus moving forward is not what has been done but what we are doing. There are some great people at this club doing some great things and our mandate from the board is to now turn that into on field success.”

“We have a responsibility to our Members and fans to deliver long term sustainable success, stability and a club that they can be proud of in the community. That is my focus.”

His experience with both the Eels and the Canterbury Bulldogs in the NRL and the Western Bulldogs in the AFL made him a standout candidate for the PNRL board and Chairman Steve Sharp.

“Scott is an excellent operator and we have seen that first hand during his time with our club over the last year,” Sharp said.

“We have a lot of confidence that his experience and fresh approach is exactly what this great club needs to take us into the future.”

Sharp also acknowledged the work of Matt Phelan, General Manager, Operations and Strategy who filled the role in an interim capacity since July.

Madrid’s Mayor Ana Botella is adamant ‘Madrid 2020 will be a Games of Integration’.

The Mayor was in London heading the Madrid observer’s delegation at the London 2012 Paralympics. She met with with members of the International Paralympic Committee, the International Olympic Committee, International Sporting Federations, and supporting more than 140 Spanish athletes participating in the London Paralympics along with compatriots Alejandro Blanco, President of Madrid 2020 and Theresa Zabell, CEO of International Relations.

Botella said: “This is a wonderful opportunity for Madrid 2020 to further our learning and ensure our bid continues to integrate all opportunities for hosting a successful Paralympic Games,” adding that Madrid 2020 sees the Olympic and Paralympic Games as “One festival, two events”, and commits to continue to enthusiastically collaborate and learn. She said Madrid 2020 is convinced that the Paralympic Games will boost social cohesion highlighting the right to difference and to equality in opportunities for everyone which is essential in every facet of life.

Botella called Madrid: “A city of diversity, but a city that has integration at its heart. Madrid has been working hard for many years to ensure accessibility and inclusivity for all and we are focussed on improving every day. We now have excellent city transportation that will ensure everyone can reach our Olympic facilities easily and safely.

“Over 85 per cent of our venues for the 2020 Games are already constructed. Being on such an observers program will allow Madrid 2020 to continue to integrate new learning into the fabric of their venues and infrastructure seamlessly ensuring Madrid 2020 will be the most inclusive Games ever.”

With only a month left to 2012 summer Olympics in London, amazingly hotel prices are coming down.

Between July 27, when the opening ceremony occurs, and  the final day, August 12, hotel prices in London are still pretty high at an average of $250 (£160) per night. This rate is up 75% than the same time last year due to the big event, but over the past two weeks, prices have dropped by 25 percent, according to Hotels.com.

Earlier this month, London hotels were going for a rate of $327 (£202) per night, but recently, there has been a significant price increase as the summer games get closer. Hotels.com even found that some room are running as low as $92 (£59), according to the Telegraph.

Hotels expected a high increase in travel, but the tourism rate has not reached expectations as people don’t want to pay the premium hotel rates. As a result, thousands of unwanted hotel rooms that are held by the London Olympics organizing committee are being released back to the hotels so that they could be booked as the Games get closer.

“A lot of hotels, small, medium and large, have held back until now in the hope of attracting visitors at premium rates,” Seamus Maccormaic of Hotels.com told the Telegraph. “But they are now starting to put rooms onto the market at much lower rates because they found they just could not fill them.”

Hotels are now selling the rooms at lower prices to try to catch the attention of spontaneous visitors who are deciding to head to the Games at the last minute. This would specifically target those in other parts of Britain and other northern European countries.

The falling rates also come as a result of hotels removing their length-of-stay minimums. Hotels are now selling more rooms for one-night stays. Also, more hotels have opened up recently, which means that even more rooms are available for travelers.

MacCormaic said: “Falling prices are an encouraging move for consumers and there is still good availability across London in all classes of hotel.

MacCormaic believes that summer travel to London isn’t doomed yet. He noted that there is still interest in London travel as people are searching London from the UK for the Olympics at a 22 percent rate higher than last year.

World soccer’s governing body FIFA has charged six match officials allegedly involved in match-fixing during an international friendly tournament in Antalya, Turkey, on February 9.

FIFA announced that it had opened disciplinary proceedings after investigating games between Bolivia and Latvia and also Estonia and Bulgaria which produced seven goals, all of which were scored from penalties. One of those awarded was even missed and subsequently re-taken due to an alleged infringement.

A statement released by FIFA read: “The proceedings were opened following an evaluation of all documentation and information received by FIFA, in relation to a possible match-fixing situation in these matches. The FIFA disciplinary committee will be in charge to deal with the matter.”

Officials from the four countries involved raised questions about the game with FIFA and UEFA and also queried the identities of the match officials involved, while unusual betting patterns on the matches were also reported.

FIFA have not disclosed the identities of the officials charged, but the Hungarian Football Association last month suspended referee Kolos Lengyel and two other Hungarian assistant referees following the matches in Turkey. The exhibition tournament was organised by a Thailand-based company called Footy Sport International.

The Ukrainian capital of Kiev have unveiled plans for a new motorsport circuit with an intent to host a Formula One Grand Prix in the country in the coming years.

Anatoliy Prysiazhniuk, abortion head of the state administration department stated that the city will spend US$1bn on the construction of a new 5.2 kilometre circuit at the start of the New Year. The project will begin with target completion date set in 2013 for the track which will be situated on 100 hectares of land on the fringes of the capital.

In an interview with the Kyiv Post, Prysiazhniuk stated: “We will build an international track in the Polissia and Ivankiv districts in order to host international competitions. I saw the project, and experts from Europe assessed it.”

He added: “The project was drafted by a person from Denmark who built the tracks in the (United Arab) Emirates, Singapore and other countries. The track will meet all modern requirements.” According to reports, the development will also include a number of hotels and comes as the country look to further enhance their sporting profile after being awarded with the joint hosting of the UEFA European Championships with Poland.