Adidas, sale the Official Sportswear Partner of Team GB and ParalympicsGB has unveiled the team kit that will be worn by the British athletes at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Designed by acclaimed British designer Stella McCartney, who was appointed by adidas as Creative Director for this project, the kit is the most comprehensive range that’s ever been supplied to a national team, combining the best in performance technologies and stand-out British style.

Over two years in the making, McCartney’s design of the kit focusses on the Union flag, breaking down the iconic design and reconstructing it, creating a modern and contemporary twist. The result is a bold design that features on all items of the kit to ensure the British athletes stand out in front of the home crowd as a unified team.

Stella McCartney said: “The first place to start on a project like this is to look at the Union flag. For me it’s one of the most beautiful flags in the world and it was important for me to stay true to that iconic design but also to modernise it and present it in a contemporary way. Ultimately, we wanted the athletes to feel like a team and be proud with the identity we created.”

The kit was revealed in spectacular style at the Tower of London where over 30 athletes including Jessica Ennis, Phillips Idowu and Ellie Simmonds showcased the performance range including competition kit, training wear, the presentation suit, footwear and accessories.

Speaking about the new adidas kit, British triple jumper Phillips Idowu said: “With a global audience watching London 2012 every little detail matters. I love what Stella has done with the design. Looking good is psychologically important but my sprint suit is also technically advanced, so not only do I look good but I also have confidence in the technology in the kit.”

Nick Craggs, Marketing Director, adidas UK said: “All eyes will be on the British athletes when they take the stage at the Games so we wanted to ensure that they would be the best equipped team through a combination of leading technologies, including TECHFIT^TM PowerWEB and Climacool and a unified, striking team identity.”

adidas will supply over 900 British athletes across the 26 Olympic and 20 Paralympic sports producing a total of approximately 175,000 items of clothing. This is made up of 590 individual articles that have been created to ensure the British team will be the best equipped nation for the Games.

Involving the British Olympic Association (BOA), British Paralympic Association (BPA and the athlete commission in every step of the process, the result is a performance-led collection that reflects both Team GB and ParalympicsGB’s patriotic pride and passion, ensuring that they fly the British flag in style.

Andy Hunt, Team GB Chef de Mission and Chief Executive of the BOA, said: “This partnership has brought together the best in performance technology through adidas, the best in British design and creativity with Stella McCartney and the best in British sport with athletes from Our Greatest Team. Performance is our number one priority and the superb combination of adidas and Stella is sure to impact positively on Team GB.”

Tim Hollingsworth, Chief Executive Officer of the BPA, added: “A home Games will be an incredible experience for Britain’s Paralympic athletes. Despite their past success, they have never been centre stage like they will be in London so it’s really important that they look fantastic with the eyes of the whole nation on them. And after all the hard work they have put in to make the team, they will also want to know that the kit will enable them to perform at their best. This kit is a great combination of style and function that we hope will give us the winning edge.”

Replica ranges of the British team kit will go on sale in April, including football, tennis, cycling, basketball, athletics and swimwear.

by Ismail Uddin

What do you think of the team GB kit? Tell us your views here>>>

Irish broadcaster RTÉ will show 78 live SSE Airtricity League Premier Division and FAI Ford Cup games as part of a new agreement with the Football Association of Ireland until November 2018.

In addition, order RTÉ will broadcast all of the Republic of Ireland’s qualification matches in the UEFA EURO 2016 qualification campaign, unhealthy which kicks off on Sunday, 7 September against Georgia in Tbilisi, and highlights of all home international friendly matches.

Soccer Republic will also continue to cover domestic and international football on Monday evenings.

Commenting on the news, FAI chief executive John Delaney said: “I want to thank RTÉ for their continued support of Irish football, both in the SSE Airtricity League and our international matches.

“With an exciting league season under way and as we head into a highly anticipated EURO 2016 qualification campaign, television exposure is important for the development and promotion of the game and helps the association continue the work it does across all strands of the game in every part of Ireland.”

Acting Group Head of RTÉ Sport Clíona O’Leary added: “We are delighted to extend our partnership with the FAI, bringing Irish viewers live free-to-air coverage across the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division and FAI Ford Cup.

“This comprehensive coverage, combined with Soccer Republic, an exciting series covering all aspects of the game with a particular focus on football in Ireland, underlines our strong commitment to the domestic game.

“And, as RTÉ has already secured live broadcast rights for all of Ireland’s Euro 2016 qualifying games, we really have the most comprehensive offering for fans, all free-to-air.”

Concerns have emerged over the possibility that security costs for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games will increase.

According to public spending watchdog Audit Scotland, the Games are generally on track, but “there are risks to particular projects”.

Security was a particular concern highlighted in the second progress report by the public body, given the rising costs at previous sporting events.

The budget for the games approved last November was £524m, which was a substantial increase on the initial £373m budget approved by the Scottish Parliament in 2008.

In the report released on Thursday, the budget “remains inherently uncertain as would be expected at this stage.”

The report continues: “By September 2011, only 17% of costs were certain, with £44 spent and a further £44m contracted.

“Approximately £142m (39%) of the budgeted operational costs are particularly uncertain as they are based on many unknown factors and early planning assumptions.”

According to Audit Scotland, the distribution of the £27m allocated to security costs is unclear, which puts it “particularly at risk of cost increases” compared to the budget for previous Commonwealth and Olympic Games.

The report concludes that organisers should do more work “to inform the procurement approach for security guards and equipment.”

Audit Scotland cited the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games as an example as its security budget increased by £3m, which was part of a 120% rise in the overall budget.

Audit Scotland also found “particular risks” for organisers in delivering the athletes’ village in Dalmarnock and Hampden Park developments on budget and on time as they are due to be completed less than five months before the Games.

The watchdog found that preparations for the Games are progressing well, with 92% of the milestones due for completion, and the rest “mostly insignificant”. It said that the risks were not as high as at other large sporting events as many of the venues and infrastructure were already in place in Glasgow.

In response, a Glasgow 2014 Organising Committee spokesman said: “We welcome Audit Scotland’s assessment that progress in planning for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games is on track.

“We are pleased the progress report also recognises that, with 70% of infrastructure already in place, the risks around delivering Glasgow 2014 are less than for other Games.

“As identified in this report there are risks associated with delivering a complex multi-sport event of this scale. However we are pleased to note the auditor general’s comments that partners are identifying key risks and managing them.”

by Ismail Uddin

Cronulla Sharks has promoted Steve Noyce to interim chief executive officer of the embattled National Rugby League club.

Noyce, who had previously been CEO at both Wests Tigers and Sydney Roosters, takes over from stop-gap chief executive Bruno Cullen, who walked away from the club on Monday.

Cullen had been parachuted into the role by the NRL following the sacking of four key staff members as a result of a review of management procedures relating to the 2011 supplement program which is now the subject of an ASADA investigation.

While Cullen was always just a temporary option, it is believed his departure was accelerated by the new Sharks board’s decision to publicly apologise to the four sacked staffers and give them the opportunity to return to the club.

“This is a great club and it’s a real privilege to be appointed to this role,’ Noyce said in a statement.

“Whilst on one hand there appears to be many challenges, excitingly there are also many opportunities for the Sharks and I look forward to working with the amazingly dedicated on and off field teams involved here at the club.”

Sharks Chairman Damian Keogh said the appointment of leadership and stability to the club, but Noyce’s interim title means the clubs has not had a fulltime CEO since Richard Fisk was in charge in 2010.

“Steve has proved himself to be a great asset to the Sharks in his short time at the club and this promotion is in recognition of that, as well as his capability to assume more responsibility within the organisation,” Keogh said

India’s Sports Minister Ajay Maken has admitted London 2012 organisers have launched an objection to Indian opposition to Dow Chemical’s controversial sponsorship of the Olympics.

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) have been involved in a campaign for the American company to be dropped as an Olympic sponsor because of its link to Union Carbide, whose Indian subsidiary ran a pesticide plant in Bhopal at which a gas leak allegedly killed up to 25,000 people in 1984.  

But the issue has only really heated up since Dow stepped in last year and agreed to a £7 million ($11 million) deal to sponsor the wrap around the London 2012 Olympic Stadium. 

India did not publicly protest to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) when Dow were unveiled as a worldwide sponsor nearly two years ago, which London 2012 officials have made clear in a letter to the Indian High Commission in Britain.

“Through diplomatic channels, LOCOG (the London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games) raised two key objections to our raising the Dow issue,” admitted Maken. 

“First they asked why the IOA had not raised the Dow issue when the agreement was finalised in July 2010, and second how could the IOA object when it had done business with the company during the 2010 Commonwealth Games.”

Dow had supplied insulation material, sold under the brand Styrofoam, for the construction of the Athletes’ Village when the Commonwealth Games were staged in New Delhi, it has been revealed following a freedom of information request in India.

But Maken insisted that they would continue to object to Dow’s involvement in the Olympics, although he priomised that India would not boycott the Games over the controversy.

“We have not thought of pulling the athletes out of the London Games,” he said. 

“We are monitoring the issue and we have conveyed our concerns to the IOC on Dow’s sponsorship bearing in mind the sentiments of the people.”

George Osborne, British Chancellor, has verified that Sunday trading hours will be extended for eight Sundays during the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics so that the British economy can take advantage of the huge influx of foreign visitors to Games.

Osborne made the announcement in the 2012 Budget today, where he said that all-day trading will be allowed for eight Sundays starting on July 22 and ending on September 9.

The Olympics take place from July 27 to August 12, while the Paralympics run from August 29 to September 9 and the Chancellor said that Britain need to make the most of the opportunities provided by the Games.

“We have got the whole world coming to London and the rest of the country for the Olympics,” Osborne said.

“It would be a great shame, particularly when some of the big Olympic events are on a Sunday, if the country had a ‘closed for business’ sign on it.”

Osborne will now push through emergency legislation through Parliament over the next few days in order to lift the six-hour limit on opening hours for larger stores over the eight weekends in July, August and September.

However, the move by the Chancellor has been criticised by some, who claim that it could pave the way for longer weekend opening hours on a permanent basis.

John Hannett, the general secretary of shop workers’ union Usdaw, said: “Our members are vehemently opposed to any further deregulation of Sunday trading hours and the Government’s own consultation on this just last year showed that there is no widespread support from either retailers or the general public for change.

“Any change would fly totally in the face of the Government’s commitment to be family-friendly. To suggest that the legislation, which allows shops to open for 150 hours a week, means Britain is ‘closed for business’ is ridiculous.”

The Church of England have also criticised the move as a spokesman said: “The Church would strongly oppose any further attempts to erode the special nature of Sunday, which legislation still reflects.”

Under the Sunday Trading Act 1994, large shops over 280 square metres in England and Wales are restricted to six hours’ continuous trading between 10am and 6pm on Sundays and cannot open at all on Easter Sunday.

Some major retailers have been lobbying in Whitehall for at least five years for the restrictions to be torn up.

The stores argue that 7,500 jobs would be created, generating extra money for the economy and the Government through tax.

Tesco, Asda, IKEA and the DIY chains have thrown their weight behind the campaign in the past.

Any change though, will alarm the owners of small stores, which can open all day on Sunday and benefit from the restriction on their large rivals.

But Confederation of British Industry director-general John Cridland said that the move to help Britain’s economy benefit from London 2012 should not be criticised if it does indeed prove a temporary policy.

“I think there is a big difference between a temporary measure to try and lock in some of the spending of the thousands and thousands of international visitors who will come to Britain during the Olympics on a Sunday and a permanent change,” he said.

“If it is a permanent change we would need to consult a lot of people, the shops themselves and the workers in those shops, but a temporary change just for the Olympics – every little helps.”