England’s 2018 World Cup bid team is to withdraw a complaint to Fifa about Russia’s campaign following an apology from their rival bidder.

The Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko has apologised for comments made by bid chief Alexei Sorokin.

England’s official complaint was that Russia had broken bidding rules when he made disparaging comments about London.

“Mr Mutko approached the bid team with a genuine apology in an honourable manner,” said an England spokesman.

“We, of course, accepted this apology and appreciate the gesture. We now wish to move on from this matter.”

Fifa’s committee met on Thursday to receive reports on the bids.

Hyundai planned return to the World Rally Championship in 2014 has gained momentum following the announcement of Michel Nandan as Team Principal and the formation of a new motorsport base in Europe.

Hyundai had a formal presence in the WRC between 2000 and 2003, with an Accent World Rally Car run by British preparation firm Motor Sport Developments. 

In September last year however it announced its intention to re-enter the WRC and is now developing a WRC version of its new i20 model with the objective of competing in the entire 2014 championship.

Hyundai confirmed today that Michel Nandan would head up the programme as Team Principal. The Frenchman has held key technical positions in the WRC since the mid-1990s – most notably as Technical Director of Peugeot Sport between 1999 and 2005.

The firm has also established a bespoke motorsport subsidiary, Hyundai Motorsport GmbH, under which the company’s WRC programme will be run. The cars will be built in new headquarters in Alzenau, Germany, close to Frankfurt, where Hyundai’s European HQ is situated.

Nandan said: “I am honoured to have been chosen by Hyundai to spearhead its exciting new entry into the WRC. The project is still in its infancy, but things are moving rapidly, and I am looking forward to developing the team as this year progresses. There is much to be done, of that we are fully aware, but with a dedicated facility in Alzenau and an ambitious core of highly motivated personnel, we are already making good progress.”

“Hyundai is excited to re-enter WRC, and we’re back not just to compete, but to win,” said Tak Uk Im, Executive Vice President & COO of Hyundai Motor.

 

City Events will be held in Lausanne next 14, 15 and 16 November in Lausanne – Olympic Capital hosting as you know the great majority of international sports federations. We are sure that this new edition will meet all your expectations in terms of program quality and networking opportunities.

City Events 2012 will address pragmatic methodologies and key factors of success for winning bidding candidatures. Please notice that to date, the following sport stakeholders will attend City events: Istanbul, Lyon, Manchester, Amsterdam, St. Moritz, Stockholm, John Tibbs Associates, of Around the Rings, of AISTS, the International Swimming Federation, UEFA, the International Basketball Federation or the World Archery Federation.

Together with some 300 international other sport decision makers, all these stakeholders will share their views on the best ways to win calls for bids in order to organize tomorrows’ sports events. As you may remember, City Events offers plenary sessions, breakout sessions and face to face meetings with International Sports Federations to be pre-booked in advance.

To register online, please click here: REGISTRATION

or contact Christine DECHARSONVILLE who is at your disposal to provide you with more detailed information about your participation to City events.

Contact details: Christine.DECHARSONVILLE@GL-events.com / +33 (0)4 78 176 258.

iSportconnect members can attend this years City Events: Where Cities Meet Sport on the 14th – 16th November in Lausanne, Switzerland for a massive 15% Discount.

Click here to find out more>>

 

beIN SPORT Asia has obtained media rights for Hong Kong to UEFA EURO 2016 taking place in France.

The deal includes all UEFA EURO 2016 matches across all media platforms and devices in Hong Kong. The championshipis due to begin on 10 June 2016 and the final match day is scheduled for 10 July 2016.  For the first time the European Football Championship will be a 24 team tournament, herbal having expanded from the 16 team format, erectile allowing a total of 51 matches, ed compared to 31 games in the last events. 

Commenting on the new agreement, Nasser Al Khelaifi, Chairman of beIN SPORT Asia, said “We are extremely excited by the addition of UEFA EURO 2016 to our new channel in Hong Kong. Together with the Italian Serie A, French Ligue 1, English Championship and Scottish Premiership, this addition will crown our offer of top European football being broadcasted in Hong Kong.”

Guy-Laurent Epstein, Marketing Director UEFA Events S.A., said: “We are very happy to welcome beIN SPORT Asia as our new media partner in Hong Kong, a market where European football is extremely popular. The experience and quality of the beIN Sport group coverage of football around the world is significant and we are confident that they will broadcast the UEFA EURO 2016 tournament in a comprehensive and innovative manner for the benefit of football fans in Hong Kong.’’

Hassan al Thawadi, capsule Secretary General of the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee, the body responsible for overseeing the coordination and preparation of the FIFA World Cup when it is hosted in the Middle East for the first time, will deliver his unique insight into the strategies being developed to stage one of the most challenging and complex sporting events in history in a rare public interview at the International Sports Event Management (ISEM) conference in London on Wednesday November 7^th.

Al-Thawadi, who also held the position of CEO during the bid campaign which saw the Gulf state overturn the odds to be selected as hosts, is among the headline speakers at the seventh edition of the conference which takes place at the Cumberland Hotel, Marble Arch.

An outstanding, passionate and persuasive speaker, Al-Thawadi’s appearance is certain to be among the highlights of ISEM 2012.  It is one of only a handful of opportunities which events professionals will have to hear him during 2012.

The FIFA World Cup is far and away the largest single sports event in the world and Qatar’s plans involve breathtaking stadium construction and infrastructure projects with a carefully planned legacy for Qatar and other Nations.

During the interview with SportBusiness Group Editorial Director, Kevin Roberts, he will be asked not only to provide a progress report on the project but to discuss some of the current and future challenges in staging a mega event in a country with a small population.

Hassan Al-Thawadi plays a critical role as Secretary General of the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee, which functions as a central body, uniting public and private stakeholders in Qatari society to ensure a united and focused approach to the gigantic project.

He was named among the leading innovators in world sport during 2011 by readers of SportBusiness International and, as one of the top 30 international lawyers under 40 by Legal Business magazine.

ISEM 2012 will reflect on the key management issues and lessons from a packed year of international sport which has included not only the Olympic Games but UEFA Euro 2012 and the IRB Rugby World Cup.

International Olympic Committee Vice President, Sir Crag Reedie CBE, will reflect on the success of London 2012 and its lessons for future Olympic Games during his session on Thursday November 8.

Sir Craig, a former Chairman of the British Olympic Association, played a key role in both the bidding and organising phases of London 2012, will share his unique insight into the triumphs and challenges of one of the most successful Olympic Games with an audience of industry leaders drawn from governing bodies, organising committees and event service providers around the world.

As a member of the IOC’s Executive Committee and the commission set up to evaluate Games Bids, Reedie has unparalleled expertise in the issues facing cities to develop rationales for hosting major sports events and the hurdles they face in delivering them.

He will deliver the ultimate insider’s guide to what it takes to win a bid and deliver a successful event drawing on the wealth of knowledge and practical experience developed by the Organising Committees of previous Games and the IOC.

As well as reflecting on the learnings from this year’s events, the conference will look to the future through a series of presentations, discussions and interviews with the people responsible for delivering the next wave of sports mega events.

Other speakers include Kit McConnell, Head of Rugby World Cup 2011 and David Grevemberg, CEO of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee, each of whom will ensure that ISEM 2012 delivers the best ever insight into, and analysis of, the planning and staging of major sports events.

The International Sports Event Management conference attracts the crème de la crème of the international events business as well as senior representatives of governing bodies and local organising committees. The result is an event which provides priceless networking opportunities as well as fascinating, practical and hugely valuable conference sessions.

Over the years ISEM has earned a reputation as the ultimate meeting place for sports event professionals, who gather to share information and insight into the trends and issues shaping the sector.

Many of the leaders of world sport have been speakers at previous editions of ISEM and the 2012 edition is set to continue this trend.

The Hyundai A-League Grand Final , cialis which took place yesterday, sale saw 296,000 Australian people tuning in to see Central Coast triumph over Western Sydney. 

It was the most watched A-League match in history.

Fox Sports’ LIVE coverage of the decider surpassed the previous record, the 2007 Grand Final between Melbourne Victory and Adelaide United by 14,000 viewers, and smashed last year’s Grand Final average audience by 38 per cent.

The finale was the perfect ending to the Hyundai A-League season which has seen unprecedented interest in the sport, achieving record crowd attendances and television ratings.

Fox Sports CEO Patrick Delany said: “Yesterday we witnessed an incredible ending to what has been one of the most remarkable sporting stories of the year.

“Never before has there been so much interest in football in Australia and FOX SPORTS has been there every step of the way with live and exclusive coverage of every Hyundai A-League match.

“At the beginning of the season the headlines were all about marquee signings which no doubt helped raise the league’s profile and crowd attendance but, the real story at the end of the day, was the emergence of quality teams and contests that captivated fans.

“This season was the most watched season in the competition’s history with more than 2.8 million viewers tuning in to FOX SPORTS’ live coverage with average audiences up 23 per cent on last year.

“With over 33 weeks of prime time coverage, the Hyundai A-League is emerging as a real gem for us in summer and has well and truly cemented itself in the Australian sporting fabric,” Mr Delany concluded.