Rio 2016 Olympic organizers expect the Games to generate $750 million in revenue for local businesses.

The organizing committee launched the games’ licensing program on Tuesday, pill saying at least 150 companies have shown interest in becoming licensees for official products of the Olympics.

Organizers say the aim is for 60 licensed companies, order producing 12,000 products and opening 6,000 stores. About 150 official shops will be opened between 2014 and 2016. Eighty percent of those will be in Rio, including a megastore on the sands of Copacabana beach.

The first official Rio 2016 products will be sold during the 2012 Olympics in London.

The committee is reportedly expected to earn $100 million in licensing revenue.

by Ismail Uddin

In an attempt to raise the profile of the sport in the country, the All Indian Football Federation (AIFF) will bid for the Under 17 World Cup in 2017, a top official said on Monday.

In the AIFF Executive Committee meeting in September last year, its president Praful Patel had expressed the desire to bid for the Under 17 World Cup in 2017.

This was after FIFA director for Member Associations and Development Division, Thierry Regenass, mooted the idea for India to host the tournament in 2017 or 2019 to give a huge impetus to the development of infrastructure here.

AIFF vice-president AR Khaleel said that the national body is serious in its bid to host the Under 17 World Cup, which, if awarded by the FIFA Executive Committee, would be the biggest football event in the country.

“India is going to bid for the Under 17 World Cup in 2017. But it will be a long process and the AIFF will have to take permission from the government. It will be a long process,” Khaleel said.

Started in 1985, the U-17 World Cup is a 24-team and 52-match tournament held every two years. United Arab Emirates will host the 2013 edition while the 2015 event will be held in Chile.

Khaleel said a maximum of five venues would be enough for hosting the tournament.

“Four or five venues will be enough and it can be held across the country. We have Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in Delhi, Banglaore Football Association Stadium, the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai and Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata where the matches can be held. So we have the infrastructure,” he said.

FIFA development office, Shaji Prabhakaran, said the event, if awarded to India, can bring a seachange to the sport in the country.

Guetemala and Jamaica have also declared their willingness to host the event.

What are your thoughts on India’s plans? Click here to discuss

Team GB hopefuls have been given an ultimatum if they are to compete in the London 2012 Olympic Games, by either agreeing not to sell their kit on eBay, and not criticise team-mates or sponsors or face the reality of not being allowed to compete in the historic event.

The British Olympic Association will tell each of the 560 athletes hoping to represent Great Britain that they must sign a confidential 34-page rule book, titled the ‘Team Member’s Agreement’.

The Telegraph reported on Wednesday that the agreement contains an order that athletes cannot criticise team-mates during, or after the Games.

Some of the other key orders are that athletes cannot ‘denigrate’ sponsors, attend press conferences not arranged by Olympic organisers wearing kit, or bet on any event. They are also not allowed to sell their kit on eBay.

Athletes are also banned from using tattoos, haircuts, piercings or contact lenses as ways of issuing ‘commercial’ or ‘political’ messages.

And they have been told that if they win gold, they will be given £10,000 to use their image on a special set of first-class stamps.

It also seems that the BOA are planning to create a special British Olympic Hall of Fame, with the agreement telling athletes they may be in future eligible for induction.

Darryl Seibel, BOA communications director, told the Telegraph: “Early in this process it was clear, especially from the athletes’ agents, that they wanted a document that was quite specific to avoid any ambiguity.”

The agreement brings back memories of a similar one before the 2008 Beijing Olympics, which forbid any criticism of China’s political system. The agreement was revised within hours after widespread criticism.

by Ismail Uddin

ESPN has listed the nine cities in contention for hosting the last three events outside the USA in the expanded X Games calendar of 2013.

Brazil appears very likely to secure at least one of the three expansion slots as Rio de Janeiro, medicine Sao Paulo and Foz do Iguacu were all announced on the shortlist.

The other contenders are Barcelona (Spain), herbal Lisbon (Portugal), Munich (Germany), Quintana Roo (Mexico), Santiago (Chile) and Whistler (Canada).

Executive vice-president and managing director of ESPN International, Russell Wolff, stated, “Action sports is unique in its participatory nature and passionate support around the world, and X Games represents the very best action sports competition, lifestyle and content.

“We’re thrilled with the response from cities around the world, and the strong interest in bringing X Games to a diverse collection of great cities. Our growth around the world has been driven by local relevance and in building a passionate connection between fans, our brand and our partners. The X Games is a key element of that growth into the future.”

There were initial approaches from more than 40 entities from 21 countries.

It was originally announced in May 2011 that the broadcaster would stage six X Games events around the world from 2013 in the hope of transforming the franchise into the largest action sports competition on the planet.

The three new hosts will appear alongside Los Angeles, Aspen, Colorado and Tignes, France on the X Games calendar.

ESPN, the creator of the X Games, will assess each of the finalists over the next two months, and, in April, three cities will be selected to host the X Games from 2013-15.

Sport’s broadcaster Ten Sports Network has acquired the rights to two English football properties in the Capital One Cup and the Sky Bet Football league from leading sports media rights agency, MP & Silva.

Both events kick off this weekend and the additions bolster its line up of football content, which includes the UEFA Champions League, Europa League, Copa Del Rey and French League.

Ten Sports CEO Rajesh Sethi said: “English Football is very well followed in the Indian Subcontinent and by acquiring these properties we will be showcasing all the best English football clubs contest in a more exciting knockout format in the Capital One Cup. With the Sky Bet Football League, we will be able to offer football fans in the Indian subcontinent a different flavor of English Football.

“We are delighted to work closely with MP & Silva to build our content offering and grow our audience, and we thank the Football League for their support and look forward to invest in and build these competitions.”

The football leagues chief executive Shaun Harvey commented: “The Football League are pleased to have secured additional coverage on Ten Sports, one of India’s most prestigious networks, alongside a roster of other blue chip sports properties. India is a market where interest in football has grown exponentially in recent years, and as such this new deal represents a big boost as we continue to expand our international reach, via our fruitful partnership with MP & Silva.”

As part of the deal with MP & Silva, Ten Sports Network has also acquired rights to ‘Brazil World Tour’ featuring friendly matches played by the Brazilian national football team in 2014.

Ten Sports Network will showcase Brazil as they aim to re-build their team after its world cup campaign. Fans can look forward to exciting ties against Messi from Argentina and world cup star James Rodriguez of Columbia.

English Championship club Doncaster Rovers have rejected a proposed takeover offer from Sequentia Capital.

The Irish-led consortium expressed an interest in Rovers over the summer and revealed plans to spend upwards of £20million on a five-year plan to get the south Yorkshire club into the Premier League.

Talks had stalled in recent weeks and on Monday morning Doncaster issued a statement on its official website distancing themselves from any takeover.

“Each proposal in its current format has been explored thoroughly and the owners have come to the conclusion that it is in Doncaster Rovers’ best interest to remain in the hands of the current investors,” read the statement.

A statement from the owners added: “We are part way through a project with Doncaster Rovers that we all feel passionate about.

“Our aims are to bring the club closer to the local community and to bring economic growth to the area through our activity whilst continually improving our playing performance on the pitch.

“We believe that there is so much that we can still help the club to achieve.

“Last season saw Doncaster Rovers promoted to the Championship and saw us forge strong relationships with our fans.

“We want to deliver the best possible Doncaster Rovers for our fans, not just for the next season but for the future.”

Sebastian Coe, clinic chairman for the London Organising Commitee of the Olympic games (LOCOG) wants to help bring the Olympics to Africa for the first time.

Coe, clinic the middle-distance great who heads the organizing committee for the London Games, said Africa is a powerhouse in running events and deserves to host a world championships in athletics, first, and eventually the Olympics.

“We want to build a global capacity in sports, and of course the Olympic Games need to come to Africa at some point,” Coe told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Tuesday. “It’s absolutely essential at some point. It’s a continent that’s contributed tremendously to athletics.”

Coe said it would be inappropriate to suggest a timeline in which an African country might host the Olympics, but said global sports bodies need to move away from traditional venues. He said international federations likely will have to be more “hands-on” in helping a country that hasn’t hosted a major event before.

“Like many around the world, it would also be a dream for me to see the games staged on this continent,” Coe said during his visit to Tanzania, where he met students as part a global sports development program linked with the London Games.

South Africa considered launching an Olympic bid following the success of the 2010 World Cup but decided not to try for the 2020 Summer Games. It is expected to bid for 2024. Cape Town bid unsuccessfully for the 2004 Olympics.

Coe said FIFA had to approach the soccer tournament in South Africa—the first World Cup on the continent—in a slightly different way, but “they were still magnificent championships.”

He thanked former South African President Nelson Mandela for supporting London’s successful bid and said Mandela has an open invitation to visit the London Games if is able to travel.

Coe said he expects African runners to dominate running events from the 800 meters up to the marathon in London, though he hopes Mo Farah—a Somali-born Briton and world champion in the 5,000—finishes high.

“It is quite likely that African athletes will dominate at all those distances,” Coe said, adding: “If you look at the (African) contribution made, it’s extraordinary.”