West Ham United have decided against submitting a formal bid for the Olympic Stadium unless they are given clarity over what the Olympic Park legacy Company wants from bidders.

The east London based club are now said to be reconsidering their plans to move to the stadium in Stratford.

An interest in a 99-year lease had been expressed by the club, who are top of the Championship, but no work will begin on any significant plan until the Olympic Park Legacy Company offer greater clarity about what is being asked of bidders.

Concerns have been raised over the share of naming-rights revenue, match-day branding, flexibility on fixtures and the identity of any co-tenants.

Rugby union side London Wasps are said to be seriously considering a move to the Olympic Stadium and have expressed an interest in the course of its due diligence. But West Ham would reportedly not be interested in sharing with a rugby team because of the damage to the pitch.

With UK Athletics using the stadium over the summer there would only be a fortnight window for the pitch to be made ready for football.

According to reports in the Times, West Ham are cold on the idea of wasting more money on another bid without there being more clarity, while they are also concerned about starting the process to sell their current home Upton Park unless they know for certain they are moving to the Olympic Stadium.

West Ham are thought to have spent nearly £1 million on the process of their first bid.

They are not the only London football club who are considering their options.

Leyton Orient are full participants in the “expressions of interest” phase, and are considering what kind of offer they might be able to make to the increasingly anxious OPLC

An issue for both football clubs is that the OPLC will retain the power to force tenants to share with each other.

The “pairing” system means that tenants have no choice about who they share with, meaning that the OPLC could impose a rugby club in a ground-share with West Ham, or pursue sharing between West Ham and Orient.

That would present a bigger problem to West Ham than to Leyton Orient.

Lillehammer, Norway has been named the host city for the 2nd Winter Youth Olympic Games in 2016, the The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced.

Lillehammer, which hosted the 1994 Olympic Winter Games, was elected by the IOC members via postal vote, the deadline for which was 5 December. As the only city in contention, Lillehammer needed – and received – a majority to obtain victory.

IOC President Jacques Rogge, said: “We are excited to be going back to Lillehammer, which hosted unforgettable Winter Games in 1994. The city, the government and Norwegian National Olympic Committee have shown a great desire and commitment to hosting these Games, and we are confident that Lillehammer will provide a world-class experience for the young athletes in just over four years’ time.”

Over 1,000 athletes ranging in ages from 15 to 18 will compete at the 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games, which will feature competitions in the same seven sports that are currently on the Olympic Winter Games programme.

President Rogge will soon establish a Coordination Commission to assist Lillehammer throughout its preparation period.

Norwegian NOC President Børre Rognlien, said: “I would like to thank the IOC and its Executive Board for the trust they have shown us and Lillehammer in selecting us as the host of the 2nd Winter Youth Olympic Games in 2016. It is with great pleasure and pride that the Norwegian Olympic Committee can now invite a new generation of athletes to Lillehammer. We will attempt to build on the heritage of the Lillehammer 1994 Olympic Winter Games, and also create a new legacy – a legacy of young people, by young people, and for young people, as well as for our country and the rest of the winter sports world.”

Norwegian Minister of Culture Anniken Huitfeldt added: “I am very pleased to recognise the IOC’s announcement that Norway and Lillehammer will host the 2nd Winter Youth Olympic Games in 2016. The IOC’s decision will help boost youth sport in Norway and internationally. Hosting the 2016 Youth Games coincides nicely with existing plans to further develop the Lillehammer region as a winter sports destination, and a number of the arenas used in the 1994 Olympic Games will be reused for the Youth Olympic competitions.”

Innsbruck, Austria, will host the 1st Winter Youth Olympic Games from 13 to 22 January 2012. Singapore hosted the first Summer edition in 2010, while Nanjing, China, will host the 2nd Summer edition in 2014.

U.S. sports network ONE World Sports has secured a multiyear, multi-platform programming agreement with Infront Sports & Media, the exclusive media and marketing partner for the recently formed Champions Hockey League.

As part of the deal, the newtwork will exclusively telecast Champions Hockey League games in the United States for the next three seasons, beginning with the League’s inaugural 2014-2015 season.

The agreement includes the rights to every game starting with group play in August and concluding with the inaugural Champions Hockey League final in February, spanning over 161 games.

“We continue to deliver on our goal to bring our fans best-in-class programming from around the world,” said Joel Feld, ONE World Sports’ Executive Vice President, Programming and Production. “We expect that the newly founded Champions Hockey League will grow into one of the sport’s premier championships.”

Transport for London are spending £2.5 million ($3.8m) to take all their staff on day-trips to the Olympic Park.

The 6-month staff training programme for 30,000 employees includes an hour long tour of the site in Stratford, followed by presentations from senior management and videos of athletes explaining what to expect in July.

The programme has run from October last year and is due to finish in March.  One Tfl insider described the move as a ‘propaganda exercise’ and said “it is a total waste of money.  For back office staff like me, there is no benefit whatsoever in going on a visit to the Olympic Park.  They’re trying to get us excited about the Games because they know we’re going to be overworked, it’s a joke.”

Tricia Riley, TfL’s HR Director, said: “This is a big year for London and TfL, with the Diamond Jubilee, 2012 Games and a huge programme of investment, while also improving the journeys of millions of customers every day. Every member of our staff will play an important role in achieving the significant and unique challenges ahead. These events give them all the opportunity to discuss what is required of them in 2012 to deliver the best possible service to our customers.”

The funding is being shared between Transport for London, which is spending £1m ($1.5m) and the Olympic Delivery Authority, which is putting forward the other £1.5m ($2.3m).  The cost of the programme per employee is £83.33.

An Olympic Delivery Authority spokesman said: “We are helping fund the Fit for London programme because of its importance in preparing transport staff for the huge logistical effort required this summer to get spectators to venues and keep London moving. Transport for London is briefing all 30,000 of its staff about the Games, their roles and the unique transport challenges the event raises.

“We have ear-marked up to £1.5m for this project but will obviously be keeping track of costs at every stage to ensure value-for-money. The overall £2.5m budget includes meeting the substantial costs of hiring a venue for a six month period, as well as additional essential expenditure including providing technical facilities like audio-video and lighting.”

Labour MP for Hammersmith Andy Slaughter said: “I dont want to be a party pooper and I’m sure London Underground Staff will find it interesting and enjoyable to go round the Olympic Park, but £2.5m?  Last month they closed Olympia Station on weekdays, this month they’ve closed the Hammersmith flyover – I’d rather they were putting their money into getting them open again.”

Tokyo 2020, Tokyo’s second consecutive bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games received a boost after the passing of a resolution by Japan’s House of Representatives to provide full cooperation and support to Tokyo’s campaign to host the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Tokyo 2020 bid president, Tsunekazu Takeda, was thrilled by the support,”It is wonderful news. I would like to offer my sincere thanks to the members of the House of Representatives for their kind support.

“And I am confident that the House of Councillors will also adopt the resolution.”

“This will serve as a major step forward in our efforts to boost domestic support for the bid, and I look forward to working closely with the members over the next months and years as we strive to realise our dream of bringing the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games to Japan,” he added.

The resolution states that the Games “will make a significant contribution to international friendship and goodwill and to the realisation of a sports-oriented society in Japan”.

Another important point of the resolution is that the Games are viewed as a symbol of Japan’s recovery from the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern Japan in March, and would the opportunity to provide further hope and inspiration to those in the affected areas.

The House of Councillors will consider the resolution later this week and is expected that they will also endorse the Lower House resolution.

Tokyo is running against Baku, Doha, Istanbul, Madrid and Rome to host the 2020 Games. The final decision will be taken in September 2013 at the IOC session in Buenos Aires.

The £231 million ($359 million) debt for buying the Olympic Park site will prove to be a good deal according to Sir Edward Lister, the Mayor of London’s chief of staff.

The new deal has seen the Greater London Authority (GLC) secure a large share of Olympic land in order to compensate the administrative body for taking on the huge financial debt and they are now tasked with selling on the land in order to raise funds to cover the shortfall.

Sir Edward, who is also Deputy Mayor for Planning, claimed the new deal means that the GLA now have the assets to repay the debt without any extra money from London taxpayers due to the fact that the Olympic Park in Stratford is likely to be a sought-after destination following the 2012 Olympic and Paralympics.

But the Mayor’s chief of staff did admit that repaying the debt entirely could take some time.

“The new land deal is hugely valuable to the GLA because we now have major land assets that we are confident we can sell to pay off the debt we have taken on,” Sir Edward told the GLA’s Budget and Performance Committee here today.

“We have already made estimates and have a book value for the land we have secured but those estimates are very conservative. For example, the book value for our land on the Olympic Park is £138 million ($214 million) but I think we can all agree that it is worth substantially more than that in real terms.

“So we have obviously been very conservative in our early estimates and it is likely that it fetch a sum that is much higher than those estimates.But it is clear that with some of the land we have, we will have to hold onto it and wait for the right time to sell in order to get the best possible deal.

“There is property that needs to be developed in order to ensure that we get right deal for the GLA and for London. But we do have time on our side as we are looking at 2023 or 2024 to repay this money. We do not have to repay all of this tomorrow.”

Sir Edward reiterated that the taxpayer will not be involved.

“We will be responsible for selling the assets and repaying that debt,” he said.

In November John Biggs, chair of the Budget and Performance Committee, had claimed the Mayor “has either been stitched up or allowed himself to be stitched up” by the Government by taking the Olympic Park land debt largely due to the fact that there is an uncertain property market and unknown interest costs.

But while Sir Edward admits that there are risks, he believes the GLA are in a good position with the land they have secured.

“It think it is fair to say that London has not be as badly affected by the economic downturn as other areas and that even in an uncertain property market, it remains a sought after destination,” he said.

“I think that as long as this is handled properly and as long as things are not rushed, this will prove a good deal for the GLA and ultimately a good deal for Londoners.”

Rome have opted to officially continue their bid to host the 2020 Olympic Games despite Italy’s economic and political uncertainty, the country’s Olympic committee (CONI) said on Wednesday.

CONI president Giovanni Petrucci following a meeting, said: “Rome’s candidacy for 2020 is going ahead. The bid chairman Mario Pescante is doing an excellent job and we have faith in Rome’s prospects, although we are realistic.

“The plan of economic compatibility was presented yesterday to the government; we hope that the current economic climate will not have consequences for our candidacy.

“I anticipate that the Olympic Games will represent a chance for growth and development and therefore could represent an important instrument for overcoming the difficulties which the country is going through.”

Doha, Madrid, Istanbul and Tokyo have also said they will bid for the Games.

Rome hosted the Olympics in 1960 and plans to use many of the same venues if it is awarded the 2020 Games.