Dow Chemical Chairman and Chief Executive Andrew Liveris has claimed that the ever mounting pressure over their 2012 London Olympic Sponsorship is ‘beyond belief’ considering that they weren’t involved in the 1984 Bhopal disaster, the root of all the protests.

Dow purchased United States chemical firm Union Carbide, whose toxic gas leakage caused the deaths of thousands of people. Following the incident, the chemical firm paid the Indian Government $470 million (£310 million/€351 million) to settle its liabilities.

To the disbelief of Liveris, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) have asked the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to drop Dow Chemical as a sponsor and have even threatened to withdraw their athletes if they fail to comply. Liveris said: “It was not us

“The fact that you can speak back with science and fact rather than emotion and hysteria is your only defence.

“We are on the ground there [in India] describing to everyone that will listen to us, including the newspapers, what our involvement is with the Olympics and what our involvement wasn’t with Bhopal.

“To keep coming back to the notion that you acquire a company where there is a bright line on the liability that was settled way beyond your time, and to hook you into that event, it’s beyond belief that people are still trying that.

“The obvious reason people are trying that is because we are a healthy company with deep pockets that people want a second bite of the cherry on.

“I keep saying, ‘Please go to India, please talk to the Government of India and please work it out with them’.

“We are very proud to be associated [with the Olympics] and for that matter, the IOC is very proud to have us.”

Nach dreimonatiger, intensiver Arbeit hat der Olympiapark München die Bewerbungsschrift für die Global X Games 2013-2015 bei Veranstalter und Rechteinhaber ESPN fristgerecht abgegeben. „Mit der Abgabe des Bid Books sind wir den Summer X Games einen wichtigen Schritt näher gerückt. Und ich bin überzeugt, dass wir mit unserer Bewerbungsschrift und Eventpräsentation sehr gute Chancen haben, in die engere Auswahl möglicher Austragungsstädte zu kommen“, zeigt sich Olympiapark-Chef Ralph Huber zuversichtlich. 

Tatsächlich handelt sich bei der Bewerbungsschrift nicht um ein gedrucktes Buch, sondern um ein rund 190 Seiten starkes Werk, das ganz zeitgemäß auf einen speziellen ESPN-Server geladen wird. Bebildert mit ca. 100 Fotos und Abbildungen, zahlreichen Darstellungen des Set-Up, sogenannten Renderings, und Konstruktionsplänen wird im Bid Book auf alle relevanten Veranstaltungsbereiche eingegangen und natürlich wie sie in München umgesetzt würden. 

Sollte sich ESPN im April für München und den Olympiapark als Austragungsort entscheiden, würde die bayerische Landeshauptstadt zur europäischen Heimat der weltweit größten und einflussreichsten Actionsports-Veranstaltung werden, bei der sich junge und attraktive Sportarten wie Skateboarden, Freestyle-Motocross und BMX in einer zeitgemäßen Inszenierung präsentieren. 

Neben der Erstellung des Bid Books wurde in den letzten Wochen zudem eine X Games-Website www.xgames-munich.com ins Netz gestellt und natürlich ist die Münchner Bewerbung auch auf Facebook präsent. „Wenn man sieht in welcher Geschwindigkeit sich die X Games zu dem Actionsportwettbewerb schlechthin entwickelt haben und welches Potenzial dieser Event hat, liegt es auf der Hand, sie nach München in den Olympiapark holen zu wollen. Die Stadt und wir bieten für die Dimension und Qualität der X Games ein in jeder Hinsicht optimales Umfeld und das auch noch auf einem Gelände, das vor fast 40 Jahren für eine ähnliche Idee geschaffen wurde“, so Ralph Huber, Geschäftsführer der Olympiapark München GmbH.

The Saudi Arabia Football Federation has today appointed MP & Silva as the official media rights partners for the 2014 Gulf Cup of Nations.

The Arabian football competition will take place on Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 13 to 26 November 2014.

The agreement formalised with the tournament’s organisers allows MP & Silva exclusive rights to distribute the Gulf Cup media rights to all devices and platforms, covering all territories domestically and internationally. The partnership also includes exclusive production and sponsorship rights. 

In the last 15 years the tournament has dramatically featured increased stadia attendance, increased TV audience and worldwide attention. This 2014 Gulf Cup edition will have 8 competing nations: Bahrain, Iraq, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia (host), United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

Peter Hutton, Joint-CEO, MP & Silva said: “We have been very impressed with the professionalism and speed that the MENA sports market has been growing in the last decade. We are proud to be part of this process and the partnership with the Gulf Cup organisers is part of our strategic and long-term commitment to the development of sports in the region.”

Ahmed Al-Khamis, Secretary General of SAFF said: “I am thrilled to start this partnership with MP & Silva. I look forward to continue the growth of our tournament’s international television exposure. MP & Silva enjoys an excellent track record and I believe this partnership can help us to take the Gulf Cup to the next level by reaffirming Saudi Arabia’s objective to position itself as the leading sport market of the region.”

MP & Silva is currently partners with the Olympic Council of Asia, and enjoys commercial partnerships with some of the major football federations of the Gulf.

India is flirting with the idea of boycotting the opening and closing ceremonies of the London 2012 Olympics as it plans to intensify its protest against Dow Chemicals’ sponsorship of the summer games.

India will take the decision on whether to boycott the ceremonies after it gets a clear reply from the organizers about Dow issue. 

According to reports, Indian officials will not only skip the opening and closing ceremonies, but will also boycott all official ceremonies related to the event. 

However, IOA has confirmed that the athletes will not join the boycott. 

Indian Olympic Association secretary general Randhir Singh said that the IOA has not taken any decision to boycott the Games. 

“IOA has not taken any such decision. We don’t want the athletes to suffer. We are here for the interest of the athletes. Athletes have been training for so many years, we have not taken any such decision,” said Singh. 

The Indian government had on February 27 lodged a formal complaint against Dow’s sponsorship of London Olympics with the Union Sports Ministry writing to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). 

The Union Sports Ministry has strongly protested against Dow sponsoring the Games.

by Ismail Uddin

The Doha 2020 Bid Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games yesterday delivered its applicant file to the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at Lausanne, sale Switzerland.

The Doha 2020 delegation was led by vice chairman and Qatar Olympic Committee general secretary Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman al-Thani.
The delegation included leading Qatari athletes Olympian shooter Nasser al-Attiyah, doctor swimmer Nada Arkaji, sprinter Noor al-Malki and para athlete Ali al-Mass, Doha 2020 legal director Tariq Falamazi and public relations director Mohamed al-Othman.

Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman said it was a proud moment to be delivering the Doha 2020 applicant file to the IOC headquarters.

“A huge amount of work has gone into its production and I believe its contents are very strong. We look forward to making its contents public soon and continuing to build on our campaign to bring the Olympic and Paralympic Games to the Middle East for the first time.”

The Doha 2020 Bid Committee vice chairman explained that the applicant file contained a strong hosting plan based on many existing venues and a number of planned facilities.

“It also outlines an exciting legacy vision focused on building opportunities for Olympic sports in the region and growing participation across the Middle East – especially among girls and women,” he stated.

“2020 is a historic opportunity to grow the Olympic movement in a new region and our applicant file is a crucial step in our ambition to turn this opportunity into reality,” he added.

Al-Mass said that being in Lausanne at IOC headquarters made the Doha 2020 ambition seem even more real.

“If Doha is given the honour to stage the Games, it would give an amazing boost to the profile of paralympic sport across the Middle East and inspire people with disabilities in our region to take up sport,” he added.

The applicant file started its journey to the headquarters of the IOC on Sunday at a “send-off” event at Doha International Airport.

Nada Arkaji, who represented Qatar in swimming at the 2011 Doha Arab Games, said it was a great honour to be travelling to the International Olympic Committee as part of the Doha 2020 delegation at such an exciting time for sports in the Middle East.

“Sport has changed my life and I know that if the Olympic and Paralympic Games were to come here, to a region that has never had the honour of hosting the world’s greatest sporting event, many more young lives across the Arab World would be changed for the better.”

Al-Attiyah, four-time Olympian shooter and international rallying champion, said he had had the great privilege of competing at four Olympic Games and seen first-hand their transformational impact and how they could inspire more young people to participate in sport.

“If Doha were to be given the honour of hosting the 2020 Games, I believe there is a wonderful opportunity to get many more young people across the Middle East playing sport and inspired by Olympic values,” he added.

by Ismail Uddin

The Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) is on the hunt for a new commissioner after Gary Pemberton announced he will retire from his role on October 31.

Pemberton, a former chairman of Qantas, Billabong and Racing NSW, was one of the seven commissioners appointed to the newly-formed ARLC in February 2012.

He was also a key player in broadcast negotiations for the 2000 Sydney Olympics and ARLC chairman John Grant paid tribute to his work in helping the commission through its infancy.

“Gary undertook to serve on the commission for two years when he was appointed and we’re extremely grateful he’s been able to do so,” Grant said.

“The contribution he has made from the early period of due diligence prior to formation, through our initial year and into this second year has been invaluable.

“He retires from the role of commissioner with the sincere thanks of his fellow commissioners.

“The timing for Gary’s departure is such that the new commissioner will have the off-season to become familiar with the organisation and the role.

“The recruitment process has commenced and we’re looking widely for a suitable candidate.”

The Queen will officially open the London 2012 Olympics this summer, Buckingham Palace have confirmed.

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will lead the Opening Ceremony at the 80,000-seat Olympic Stadium when the Games begin on July 27, as was widely expected.

Buckingham House officials also revealed that the couple, who have long been strong supporters of the Olympics, will open the Paralympic Games on Aug 29 – a first for the Queen.

As head of the Commonwealth, the Queen opened the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, and her husband opened the Melbourne Games on her behalf in 1956.

The 1984 Paralympic Games were officially opened by Prince Charles, son of the couple. Those games were held in both Europe and North America, with the opening ceremony in Stoke Mandeville, Buckinghamshire – the birthplace of the Paralympic Games.

London 2012 chairman Lord Coe said: “This summer we will be hosting the largest Paralympic Games ever and the opening ceremony on August 29 will be a fantastic event.

“The Paralympic Games will undoubtedly be a time of extraordinary pride for our nation, and it is fitting that Her Majesty will declare us under way.”

by Ismail Uddin