The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has launched the process for the sale of the broadcast and exhibition rights for territories within Asia for the XXII Olympic Winter Games (2014) in Sochi, adiposity Russia, asthma and the Games of the XXXI Olympiad in Rio (2016), try as well as the second Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2014 in Nanjing, China.

Supplemental bids will also be considered for the XXIII Olympic Winter Games in 2018 in PyeongChang, Republic of Korea and the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in 2020.

The IOC is considering bids for broadcast rights in 24 countries including India, Indonesia, Iran, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand and Vietnam. The IOC has asked for bids to be submitted by 5 July 2013. Last year the Olympics had aired on ESPN Star Sports in addition to DD.

The IOC will assess bids on their ability to meet the highest standards in broadcast quality, their capacity to reach the broadest possible audience across different media platforms, their commitment to promoting the Olympic Games and the values of the Olympic movement, as well as on the financial offer.

The IOC will consider bids from organisations who can guarantee full exploitation of the rights either on a multi-territory or country-by-country basis.

Korea’s professional football league, the K-League, has relegated the military-affiliated Sangju Sangmu Pheonix to the second division for next season for failing to meet international club standards

With Sangju’s demotion, only one of the eight teams in the bottom half of the league’s split system will be relegated to the second-tier National League at the end of the season.

The qualifications the league referred to in its rulings is the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) regulation on club licensing that requires a club to be a “legal entity” ensuring “financial and sporting success in the league.”

There are also issues over contracts, as players do not sign with Sangmu, but play on the team while fulfilling mandatory military service.

A K-League official said: “We can’t leave a team unable to meet the qualifications for a professional club in the league”

Sangju Sangmu Pheonix may boycott its remaining matches this season. The club’s General Manager, Lee Jae-cheol, said: “The Armed Forces Athletic Corps and the Defense Ministry held talks today, and we’ve decided not to play the rest of the season. We just don‘t have the motivation to play out the season. The ministry is adamant about this.”

The AFC stipulates that all professional players must have a written contract with their clubs. Sangmu players are technically under contracts with their original K-League teams because they are only playing for Sangmu to fulfill their mandatory military service requirement.

Sangmu players receive the same monthly wages as other conscripted soldiers, about US$73 for privates and US$96 for sergeants. The players also receive bonus payments for each victory, goal, assist and hat-trick.{jcomments on}

Nigel Chamier has replaced Mark Stockwell as chairman of the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games organising committee.

Mark Stockwell, who won three swimming medals at the 1984 Olympics, was sacked last week by the queensland goverment, just four months after being appointed.

Property developer and financier Nigel Chamier was on Wednesday put in charge of delivering the 21st edition of the multi-sport Games for mainly former British colonies when the new eight-person board was announced.

Neither new Queensland premier Campbell Newman nor his Commonwealth Games minister Jann Stuckey have explained the decision to ditch Stockwell, who led the successful bid to host the Games but was appointed by the previous administration.

As well as three others drawn from the business community, the board includes Australian Commonwealth Games Association chief Sam Coffa as well as Olympians Perry Crosswhite and Glynis Nunn-Cearns, who won heptathlon Olympic gold in 1984.

“I have every confidence that this eight member board will have the depth of experience and fiscal discipline to ensure this billion dollar landmark event is delivered on time, and importantly on budget,” Newman said in a news release.

“My government has an obligation to select the best team possible to deliver a world class Games in 2018. I will be making it clear to the new board that they are charged with the successful delivery of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games on time and on budget.”

Although surprised by the decision to dump him, Stockwell said the focus should remain on making the event a success.

“I’m passionate about this event of course – I can’t just give up on it and walk away,” he told ABC news. In 1982 I was an usher at the Brisbane Commonwealth Games and I watched the swimmers on the deck and I wanted to be there … I might be an usher at the opening ceremonies or something like that.”

The board still needs to be rubber-stamped by the state’s governor before work starts on putting together the necessary infrastructure in the subtropical beachside resort.

Glasgow will host the next Commonwealth Games in 2014.

The New York Cosmos will have at least half of their 14-game North American Soccer League fall season schedule televised.

One World Sports will televise at least the team’s home games. It was not known whether the road matches would be on on the cable TV station.

The team also plans to hire former MetroStars and Red Bulls announcing partners JP Dellacamera and Shep Messing as the New York Cosmos, according to national soccer sources.

The announcement could come as early as next week, sources said.

Philly.com reported that Dellacamera probably could not announce all of the games because of his commitments to the Philadelphia Union.

Football Association (FA) chairman David Bernstein has issued an apology for the Hillsborough disaster.

The apology came soon after the Hillsborough Family Support Group called on English football’s governing body to say sorry.

The FA gave the go-ahead for the 1989 FA Cup semi-final, at which 96 people died, to be staged at Sheffield Wednesday’s ground despite the fact that it had no safety certificate and had been the scene of potentially dangerous crowd situations in previous years.

“We are deeply sorry this tragedy occurred at a stadium the FA selected. This fixture was played in the FA’s own competition, and on behalf of the FA I offer a full and unreserved apology and express sincere condolences to all the families of those who lost their lives and to everyone connected with the city of Liverpool and Liverpool Football Club,” Bernstein said.

“This should never have happened. Nobody should ose their lives when setting out to attend a football match, and it is a matter of extreme regret and sadness that it has taken so long for these findings to be published and the truth to be told.”

Earlier on Thursday, the FA issued a statement in which it welcomed the publication of the Hillsborough Independent Panel’s report on Britain’s worst-ever sporting disaster, saying it “reiterates its deep and ongoing sadness at the dreadful events that unfolded on April 15, 1989”.

But Support Group chairman Trevor Hicks said they should go further, following the example set by Sheffield Wednesday and issuing an apology. He told BBC Radio Five Live: “Yes they should – the ground didn’t have a safety certificate.”

The FA commended the panel for its work in compiling the report, which revealed a devastating cover-up by police and emergency services and said the lives of some of the victims could and should have been saved.

The panel, chaired by the Right Reverend James Jones, the Bishop of Liverpool, assessed more than 400,000 pages of documents relating to the tragedy, which happened on the Leppings Lane terraces as the Reds played Nottingham Forest.

In a statement, the FA praised their “exhaustive and professional work” and said: “Having thoroughly reviewed yesterday’s report in full, the Football Association would like to commend the Hillsborough Independent Panel.

“It is also important that the FA recognises the tireless commitment shown by so many, particularly the Hillsborough Family Support Group. We welcome the publication of the report and the subsequent comments of the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition.

“The FA reiterates its deep and ongoing sadness at the dreadful events that unfolded on 15 April 1989. The organisation’s thoughts at this time remains with the families of all those who lost their lives in such terrible circumstances, as well as everyone connected with the city of Liverpool.

“For 23 years, the families have suffered unbearable pain, and we have profound sympathy for this.”

The statement said the FA had “co-operated fully” with the panel throughout the compilation of the report, and had released documentation as requested.

It added: “The FA, and English football, has changed immeasurably, and has learnt many lessons in the last 23 years. Through advancements in safety and investment in facilities English football is now a much safer, more welcoming environment for supporters.”

After the report was released, Prime Minister David Cameron, in a statement to the House of Commons, apologised to the families of the victims for the injustice they had suffered and said the report showed that the police cover-up, aided and abetted by media coverage – most infamously in the Sun – had resulted in the “denigration of the deceased”.

He told MPs: “With the weight of the new evidence in this report, it is right for me today as Prime Minister to make a proper apology to the families of the 96 for all they have suffered over the past 23 years.”

Cameron said the report was “black and white” in its findings that Liverpool supporters had been in no way to blame for what happened that day.

 

Controversy surrounding Blackburn Rovers FC has continued as deputy chief executive Paul Hunt, has been sacked according to sources.

On Tuesday, a letter from Hunt to Blackburn’s owners was leaked which called for “significant changes” at Ewood Park, including the removal of manager Steve Kean, who was unable to save the club from Premier League relegation this season.  

The letter, which was sent in December and subsequently published on Sportingintelligence.com this week, further saw Hunt asking Venky’s to “make some significant changes to save the club, perhaps from relegation but also perhaps from administration.”

It is reported on Wednesday, according to sources among others, that Hunt has been sacked by Blackburn in the wake of the leak, despite claims that the chief executive was not the man to have publicised the letter, which also saw him request a promotion and a pay rise.

Have your say here>>

Leading sports marketing and sponsorship agency, Generate Sponsorship, has won the PR brief to drive interest for the UCI BMX World Championships in Birmingham in May 2012.

Generate’s specialist PR team has developed a PR campaign that includes media relations, experiential activity, and digital to encourage ticket sales for the event as well as participation in the sport.

The event, which takes place at Birmingham’s National Indoor Arena NIA from May 24^th-27^th, will host over 2,000 riders from across the world, including Olympic GB hopefuls Shanaze Reade and Liam Phillips who will be gunning for world titles before the Games.

Jonny Clay, Event Director for the UCI BMX World Championships said, “The 2012 BMX World Championships is the latest in a string of major events that British Cycling has successfully bid for in recent years, and the event gives the GB Cycling Team home advantage in just weeks leading into the Games.  We’ve already seen the impact of the event here in Birmingham with the creation of the new International BMX facility at Perry Park as part of the legacy of the event and as the event draws closer we’re looking forward to giving many more people the chance to participate in and watch the sport of BMX.”

Rupert Pratt, Managing Director of Generate, said, “We have developed a PR programme that will engage people primarily in and around Birmingham to drive attendance at the event, with a wider PR programme designed to generate interest and participation in the sport. The event takes place only a few months before the Olympic Games, and with GB medal hopefuls competing at the Championships, media and consumer interest will be high. We’re looking forward to working with the UCI BMX World Championships to assist in making this event a huge success.”

For tickets to the event go to www.bmxworldchamps.co.uk

For further information about Generate go to www.generatesponsorship.com

Leading South African TV sports broadcaster, apoplectic SuperSport have announced a three-year broadcast partnership with EFC AFRICA, there Africa’s leading Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organisation.

The partnership comes off the back of the unparalleled growth of EFC AFRICA since its inception in 2009, medicine and the subsequent mass interest in the sport of MMA. 

“This agreement has been long in the making,” says Happy Ntshingila, Chief Executive of SuperSport. “EFC AFRICA has quickly established itself as a world class sporting organisation, all the while singlehandedly pioneering the sport of MMA on the continent. Our partnership with EFC AFRICA represents our cognisance of what is widely considered the fastest growing sport in the world.” 

The new partnership will see hours of dedicated EFC AFRICA programming per day on SuperSport, as well as a guaranteed 10 live primetime events per year.

“This is the perfect partnership for us and our fans, and one which the fans have been wanting for a long time,” added EFC AFRICA president Cairo Howarth. “We are now able to offer EFC AFRICA fans a new level of sports broadcasting, as well as reach an entirely new fan base through Africa’s biggest sports network.”

FIFA officials have been discussing plans to improve India’s football infrastructure during a four-day meeting with the All India Football Federation, as the country prepares to host the U17 World Cup in 2017.

The meetings were headed by FIFA Secretary General, Jérôme Valcke, and FIFA Director of Member Associations and Development, Thierry Regenass, who also met with Reliance Industries Chair, Mukesh Ambani, and Hero Group Chair, Pawan Munjal.

Valcke said: “It’s true that one of the issues of football in India is lack of infrastructure.” About 80 percent of I-League matches are played in three stadiums, only two have flood lights.

“With the lack of good stadiums and structure, it’s impossible to organize football games in the evenings, and all of the games are played in the afternoon.”

To host the U17 World Cup, the Indian government, which owns the land, will have to ensure it has sufficient quality stadia. Valcke said that FIFA has already built four artificial pitches and a football academy, and plans to build two more of each. “We have asked the Indian football federation that on top of the six artificial pitches financed by FIFA that we should finance more and give them more,” he said.

Talks will continue in the next month, with the aim of reaching an agreement before the end of the year. {jcomments on}