FIFA is looking to take the international to more global stages by unveiling India as host for the Under-17 World Cup in 2017.

India has never yet hosted an international football tournament and will stage the U17 event in six venues from a shortlist of eight – Goa, Pune, Mumbai, Bangalore, Cochin, Kolkata, Delhi and Guwahati.

South Africa, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan had originally applied to stage the U17 event.

India and Qatar are not the only current ventures into new territories for FIFA as Blatter on Thursday announced that the women’s under-16 World Cup will be played in Jordan in 2016.

“It’s another landmark for FIFA to organise a women’s tournament in an Arab country,” said Blatter, who also revealed he had good news to report on the divided island of Cyprus.

Blatter said FIFA was pleased to report “the signature of a provisional arrangement between the Cyprus Football Association and the Cyprus Turkish Football Association” made at FIFA’s Swiss headquarters last month.

“The arrangement aims to unify and facilitate the progress of football within the football communities on the island of Cyprus,” divided for three decades into the internationally recognised Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish-controlled Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

“The Cyprus Football Association and the Cyprus Turkish Football Association have now ratified the memorandum of understanding and in the near future we will see that football will be played between these two entities,” said the FIFA chief.

National Hockey League team Carolina Hurricanes have fired the son of team owner Peter Karmanos Jr. according to the Canadian Press

The team said Sunday that it had relieved Jason Karmanos of his duties as executive vice-president and assistant general manager, but no reason was given in a two-paragraph news release announcing the move.

The younger Karmanos had been the team’s assistant GM for 15 years.

Ron Francis, the team’s vice-president of hockey operations, and Darren Yorke, its video scout and hockey operations assistant, will take over Karmanos’ duties.

Protests groups London Mining Network, abortion UK Tar Sands Network and Bhopal Medical Appeal held a demonstration outside the head office of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) in Canary Wharf.

The groups, drugs behind the Greenwash Gold 2012 campaign, viagra said they held the protest because LOCOG has refused to meet them over their concerns about sponsors of the Games.

The group said LOCOG refused to meet with them again this morning, but a spokesman for London 2012 said: “We were not aware that anyone requested a meeting with us today concerning this.”

The protesters, who say they have concerns over the human rights and environmental records of Olympic sponsors Dow, BP and Rio Tinto, held giant dummy megaphones and carried a banner for their organisation.

Emily Coats from the UK Tar Sands Network said: “We’ve been trying since February to arrange a meeting with LOCOG to discuss the inappropriateness of fossil-fuel giant BP being Sustainability Partner.

“LOCOG’s refusal to meet us confirms that they are more concerned about greenwashing their corporate clients than about real green issues.”

Colin Toogood from Bhopal Medical Appeal added: “LOCOG and Lord Coe have been ignoring the Bhopal Medical Appeal’s request for a meeting since last August when the The Dow Chemical Company’s sponsorship of the stadium wrap was announced.”

Premier League chairman Sir Dave Richards has rejected suggestions that he bullied members of the Football Association board into blocking reforms after former Football Association (FA) chairman Lord Triesman spoke out against his old Premier League counterpart.

In an interview with ESPN, Richards stated: “Bully the 12 people on the FA board? Absolutely not. What a futile accusation.

“I am not a bully. I, nor the Premier League, block any change at the FA. We would not block change because we want change – we are a progressive organisation and I was personally involved in changing the constitution of the FA back in 1996 to form the board capable of being progressive.”

He added: “The FA is in control of football’s governance, football’s regulations and of football’s discipline, and that is how it should be.

“If the FA wants to run the professional game – the leagues and the Premier League – then of course we all have a problem because the Premier League won’t tolerate that kind of interference and we will fight our corner.

“I attend the FA board meetings about once a month, and I am one man’s opinion among a board of 12. But I am entitled to my opinion as a representative of the Premier League.

“For good or bad, I speak my mind and being a Yorkshireman, I might not be as eloquent at speaking as some, but I say it as I see it.”

Triesman’s permanent successor, David Bernstein was ratified in his role as FA chairman last month and has supported Richards since joining the organisation, stating: “There’s a mutuality of interest where the good of the national game is in all interests. Sir Dave Richards has been extremely co-operative.”

Bernstein added: “When I spoke to the FA Council two weeks ago I presented five main themes, one of which was relationships. It is very important to work and improve relationships in and out of the UK.”

US broadcaster Tennis Channel has signed a broadcasting deal to show the Champions Tennis League on its satellite networks. 

Tennis Channel will broadcast all Champions Tennis League matches from 17 to 26 November to 35 million Tennis Channel homes across the United States.

With live tournaments, cough one-on-one interviews, cialis game analysis and skills instruction, the channel is a 24 hour television-based multimedia destination dedicated to the professional sport and passionate lifestyle of tennis.

Tennis Channel senior vice-president TIR David Egdes said, “We look forward to highlighting the exciting team competition from the six cities across India, as well as seeing the current and former stars on each team, and the young Indian players who will be possible future stars on the ATP tour. We are also excited to introduce our audience to some of the extraordinary personalities and rich history emanating from the various CTL cities”.

Second Serve CEO Arjun Rao said, “This is the first time an Indian tennis event of this scale and size will be broadcast, with minimal delay, to the large tennis diaspora across the US. This is a huge step forward in our bid to become a globally watched League with some of the most competitive players in the world in our fold. We are thrilled to be working with Tennis Channel and we are sure we will benefit from their expertise and experience in the world of tennis.”

Markus Rejek has announced he will step down as Head of Marketing at Borussia Dortmund.

The 45-year-old Markus Rejek is leaving after 14 years with the Bundesliga club. Reek, viagra 1999 was a founding member of the Sports Five teams in Dortmund, impotent where he was for many years responsible for the marketing and support of sponsors and changed in fall 2010 as Head of Marketing directly to the club. 

Reek will leave his position in late September.

British Prime Minister David Cameron said a successful Glasgow bid to host the 2018 Youth Olympic Games would be a guaranteed legacy for London 2012 and the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, and would be a catalyst for the next phase in the UK’s journey with the Olympic Movement.

He said, “I am delighted to give my backing to Glasgow’s bid to host the 2018 Youth Olympics and sustain the momentum of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Whilst the Youth Olympics may not turn every child into tomorrow’s Chris Hoy or Hannah Miley, I am convinced that if we can bring the Games to the UK, we will help even more young people develop a sporting habit for life.

“The tremendous legacy of the 2012 Games is not just about stadiums and the economy, it is also about young people. All our great athletes started at a young age and I believe that the Youth Olympics is about opening young people’s eyes to the possibility of sport and inspiring the next generation of Olympic heroes.”

Councillor Gordon Matheson, leader of Glasgow City council said: “Being in Scotstoun today and seeing the excitement and enthusiasm that our young people have for sport and for the Olympic Games showed exactly why Glasgow would be the perfect host city for the 2018 Youth Olympic Games”

“A real strength of our bid is that it has the support of government of all levels and we are delighted that the Minister is backing the bid. We have a shared commitment to bringing the Youth Olympic Games to Glasgow.”

Michael Moore, Secretary of State for Scotland commented: “The Olympics is already transforming the way people across the UK look at and engage with sport and will leave a legacy inspiring the next generation to compete and succeed. The example being set by the Games and our Olympians provide the perfect platform to support a bid for the 2018 youth event. I support it fully and will work with the Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council and sporting bodies to help bring it to Glasgow.”

The US Olympic Committee (USOC) has launched the TeamUSA channel on YouTube, aimed at giving fans all over the world an inside look into the lives of Olympic and Paralympic athletes as they train and prepare for London Olympics.

 

The channel will feature a raft of original programming and will follow 17 Olympic/Paralympic athletes on their way to potentially making the 2012 Olympic Games in two shows: Qualified, and the 2012 Paralympic Games Returning Veterans: London Bound. Also, Olympic coaches and athletes will give advice in Olympic Coaching Tips. And, Gold Medal Moments will relive past Olympic memories with Olympians and the Olympic footage.

 

“In just over a month the Summer Olympics will kick-off in London with thousands of athletes competing for their countries to bring home the gold,” YouTube’s blog reads. “While the world will watch the summer games, YouTube will bring a new dimension to the competition.”

Outgoing FIFA vice-president Chung Mong-joon has hinted that his Asian counterpart, Qatari national, Mohammad Bin Hammam will challenge FIFA president Sepp Blatter when he stands for re-election later this year.

As of yet, the Frenchman’s revelation that he will apply for re-election for the post for a record fourth term, has gone unopposed ahead of April 1 deadline for nominations.

However, Chung wrote on his Twitter account yesterday, February 9: “I had lunch with Bin Hammam, the AFC president today. It seems he will challenge the FIFA presidential election in June.”

Chung, who will be replaced by Prince Ali Bin Hussein of Jordan, added: “A FIFA president from Asia is a good thing. We all support him.”

Chung’s claims come after numerous reports suggesting that Bin Hammam would contest Blatter’s potential re-election after the Asian Football Confederation president criticised the governing body’s operations over the recent months.

Last month, Blatter, making reference to Bin Hammam’s support of Chung’s failed FIFA vice presidential re-election, told journalists to “make their own conclusions” of how much support the Qatari had if he couldn’t command his own confederation.

Bin Hammam later made a thinly-veiled reference to Blatter’s attempt to extend his presidency to 17 years, saying that FIFA needed presidential term limits to introduce “new people, new ideas, new thoughts” to push ”the organisation ahead”.