Watford have confirmed their potential takeover by the Pozzo family remains on track.

The announcement comes after current owner Laurence Bassini claimed earlier on Friday that the deal was off, stating the interested party “don’t have the money”.

However, the npower Championship club have now moved to set the record straight.

A club statement read: “Despite the recent remarks, the deal for the sale of Watford FC to the Pozzo family is progressing nicely.

“There is no issue with funds and both parties are hoping to conclude shortly.”

The Hornets confirmed earlier this week they had agreed a deal in principle to sell the club to the Pozzo family.

The Italians already own Serie A side Udinese and Spanish team Granada and looked well poised to take the reins at Vicarage Road, with Gianfranco Zola even heavily linked with a prospective role at Vicarage Road.

But Bassini, who bought the Hertfordshire outfit 15 months ago, this afternoon told the Watford Observer: “They don’t have the money (I want for the takeover) so I’m not doing the deal.

“They didn’t provide the proof of funds and it is not transparent enough so that is that.

“They have so many partners but they don’t have the money.

“The deal is definitely off. They do not have the money. What can I do?”

But the club still believe the deal is going ahead.

Malaysia’s HRH Prince Tunku Imraan has been elected the new president of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) after Jamaican Michael Fennell had stepped down earlier this year after a 17-year spell.

Along with this appointment South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee President Gideon Sam was elected Vice President of the CGF, both announced on Friday.

Sam’s election is seen as a major coup for the South African sports body. 

Imran has served 11 years on the CGF Board as vice-president.

Sam, a veteran South African sports administrator, has been president of South Africa’s Olympic governing body since 2008.

He has previously headed up the national swimming federation as well as the triathlon code.

Sam described his election as a humbling experience

“I am looking forward to helping the Commonwealth Games movement go from strength to strength and making sure that it is afforded due recognition in the sporting arena,” he said.

The other vice-president’s position will be filled by Canada’s Bruce Robertson.

The Congress is also expected to announce the winner of the host city for the 2018 Commonwealth Games with Hambantoto in Sri Lanka and Gold Coast in Australia the two bidding cities.

The ITF announced today that Invacare will continue its sponsorship of wheelchair tennis for a 17th successive year by becoming title sponsor of the ITF’s year-end Doubles Masters event in a two-year deal. The 2011 Invacare Doubles Masters will be held in Amsterdam on 2-6 November.

The Invacare Doubles Masters is the ITF’s flagship wheelchair tennis doubles event. First staged in 2000, capsule the season-ending event currently features the world’s top eight men’s doubles pairs, and the top four women and quad doubles pairs. Women’s world No. 1 Esther Vergeer has been the most successful competitor, sharing the women’s title on eight occasions.

Invacare Corporation was previously title sponsor of the World Team Cup between 1996 and 2010. The European team of Invacare Corporation has overseen its wheelchair tennis sponsorship since 2008, since when the company has increased its on-site involvement and operational support behind the scenes.

During the 2011 Invacare Doubles Masters, the European team of Invacare Corporation will continue to host the successful international wheelchair tennis symposium that has been held during the World Team Cup for the past three years. The symposium is a public seminar that features a variety of guest speakers from wheelchair sport and various medical experts.

ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti said: “We are delighted that Invacare is continuing its sponsorship of wheelchair tennis. The company’s longstanding support of the World Team Cup helped it become the most prestigious event on the ITF’s wheelchair tennis calendar, and I am confident that its commitment and enthusiasm will have a similar effect on this important year-end event.”

Hans Lautenschlager, Invacare Vice President / General Manager of Commercial Operations EMEA, said: “After 16 years of World Team Cup support, Invacare has been seeking new challenges within international tennis. The Doubles Masters will give Invacare a great opportunity to continue developing ‘best-in-class’ tennis events with the ITF. Our aim is to make the Doubles Masters a long-awaited and popular date in the tennis calendar as the World Team Cup is today.”

Univision Deportes, health the sports arm of Univision Communications Inc., salve has inked a deal with Formula One Management to become exclusive Spanish-language U.S. broadcast and digital rights to all 19 Formula 1 Grand Prix races beginning with the Australian Grand Prix this weekend.

“We are looking forward to taking Hispanic audiences to the races and making them feel as if they are in the driver’s seat, ed ” said Juan Carlos Rodriguez, president of Univision Deportes. “Not only will Univision Deportes follow the Hispanic racers that will be making history in the Formula One, we will showcase the sounds, the entertainment and the technology behind the world’s premier open-wheel racing series. It will be pure adrenaline.” 

“I am delighted we have concluded this agreement and look forward to this significant level of exposure in this valuable and ever-growing consumer market,” said Bernie Ecclestone, CEO Formula One Group. 

The 2013 FIA Formula One World Championship includes 19 races in 19 countries from March through November. Univision Deportes will televise all 19 F1 races live on UniMás and qualifying rounds on Univision Deportes Network. Select races will be streamed online on UnivisionDeportes.com and on the digital network UVideos.com.

Shares in Evergrande, which owns Chinese Super League Guangzhou Evergrande FC and is one of China’s largest property developers, have fallen this week.

The drop comes after a U.S. shortseller said the company is guilty of “fraud, bribery and reckless spending on football teams.”

Citron Research, based in LA, said in a report on its website that Evergrande has “abused the capital markets” and “represents the worst of Chinese neo-capitalism.” Evergrande’s shares closed at 11.4 percent on Thursday, having fallen by around 20 percent, and leaving the company with a market capitalisation of $(US)7.6 billion.

Evergrande is planning to build a Chinese soccer academy in partnership with Real Madrid.

{jcomments on}

Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Chief Executive Officer Brodie Carr has stepped down over an error that led to Kelly Slater being prematurely crowned world champion last week.

The governing body had calculated that Slater’s Nov. 2 third-round win in San Francisco was enough to give him an unassailable lead atop the championship. Two days later, abortion the association said a mistake had been made and that he could still be caught. Slater, purchase 39, went on to secure his record- extending 11th title four days ago.

Carr said in a statement on the ASP website: “The determination of the ASP world title is the most important moment in professional surfing. Ultimately, the responsibility for every activity within ASP lies with me. Therefore, I have elected to resign my position as CEO.”

Carr, who was appointed in 2005, will leave after the end of the World Tour on Dec. 31. ASP Chairman Richard Grellman will take temporary charge while a replacement is found, the ASP said.

The final event of this year’s elite World Tour, the Billabong Pipe Masters, takes place Dec. 8-20 in Hawaii.

The ITF announced today that Invacare will continue its sponsorship of wheelchair tennis for a 17th successive year by becoming title sponsor of the ITF’s year-end Doubles Masters event in a two-year deal. The 2011 Invacare Doubles Masters will be held in Amsterdam on 2-6 November.

The Invacare Doubles Masters is the ITF’s flagship wheelchair tennis doubles event. First staged in 2000, doctor the season-ending event currently features the world’s top eight men’s doubles pairs, troche and the top four women and quad doubles pairs. Women’s world No. 1 Esther Vergeer has been the most successful competitor, sharing the women’s title on eight occasions.

Invacare Corporation was previously title sponsor of the World Team Cup between 1996 and 2010. The European team of Invacare Corporation has overseen its wheelchair tennis sponsorship since 2008, since when the company has increased its on-site involvement and operational support behind the scenes.

During the 2011 Invacare Doubles Masters, the European team of Invacare Corporation will continue to host the successful international wheelchair tennis symposium that has been held during the World Team Cup for the past three years. The symposium is a public seminar that features a variety of guest speakers from wheelchair sport and various medical experts.

ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti said: “We are delighted that Invacare is continuing its sponsorship of wheelchair tennis. The company’s longstanding support of the World Team Cup helped it become the most prestigious event on the ITF’s wheelchair tennis calendar, and I am confident that its commitment and enthusiasm will have a similar effect on this important year-end event.”

Hans Lautenschlager, Invacare Vice President / General Manager of Commercial Operations EMEA, said: “After 16 years of World Team Cup support, Invacare has been seeking new challenges within international tennis. The Doubles Masters will give Invacare a great opportunity to continue developing ‘best-in-class’ tennis events with the ITF. Our aim is to make the Doubles Masters a long-awaited and popular date in the tennis calendar as the World Team Cup is today.”

Sport 24, cure the 24/7 live sports channel produced and distributed by IMG Media exclusively for the in-flight and in-ship markets, capsule has concluded a deal with ATP Media to add the Barclays ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Series and ATP World Tour Finals to its outstanding tennis offering which already includes Roland Garros, mind Wimbledon and the US Open.

The ATP Masters 1000s events, which start with the BNP Paribas Open from Indian Wells this week, are the most prestigious tournaments outside of the four Grand Slams. The Series can now all be seen on Sport 24 and has been secured for the next three years by IMG Media, part of IMG Worldwide, the global sports, fashion and media company.

Richard Wise, Senior Vice President, IMG Media, said: “We now have a fantastic offering for tennis enthusiasts travelling the skies and seas around the world. We have already shown the Australian Open from Melbourne and will broadcast the entire ATP Masters 1000 Series, which attracts the top men in the game and takes in great locations from Asia, Europe and North America, culminating in the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals at London’s O2 Arena in November.”

Steve Plasto, CEO, ATP Media, said: “I am pleased to open up a new distribution channel for the ATP Masters and Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.  Sport 24 presents a fantastic opportunity for fans to access the world’s best tennis on their travels.”

The other events that make up the Barclays ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Series are the Sony Open from Miami (March 21-31); the Rolex Masters from Monte Carlo (April 15-21), the Mutua Madrid Open (May 6-12), the Internazionali BNL d’Italia from Rome (May 13-19), the Western and Southern Open from Cincinnati (August 12-18), the Shanghai Rolex Masters (October 7-13) and the BNP Paribas Masters from Paris (October 28- November 3). The ATP World Tour Finals take place from November 4-11.

Glasgow Rangers faced a setback today after Hearts owner Vladimir Romanov revealed his club are set to vote against a newco Rangers being accepted into the SPL.

All 12 SPL clubs, treatment including Rangers, unhealthy will vote on the issue at a general meeting on July 4. Rangers need an 8-4 majority for the newco to be included.

Romanov told Heats official website: “Supporters deserve a new beginning and have to accept the fact that their club has to start from the lower league, keeping order in the SPL and without creating unfair competition with other clubs.”

“As regards the club itself, we can only express our deepest condolences to its supporters, who have been lied to for so many years. It had to happen sooner or later. They have lived beyond law and all morals, and should now be declared beyond the pale.’

Superbowl champions Green Bay Packers executive Jason Wied is taking an indefinite leave of absence from the team for “personal reasons.”

Wied, the Packers’ vice president of administration/general counsel, has played a leading role in recent plans to expand Lambeau Field and develop the surrounding areas, among several other significant projects.

Mark Murphy, president and CEO, said in press release: “Jason is going to take some time to take care of a personal matter. Our senior staff and leadership team will handle his duties during his absence.”

Wied, 39, joined the Packers in 2000 as staff counsel. He was named corporate council in 2001 and vice president of administration in 2007. He was one of three finalists for the president and CEO job for which Murphy was chosen in 2007.

Wied is a graduate of Premontre High School, Green Bay, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Marquette University Law School. He is married and has three children.