New Everton stadium shows the time is right for Liverpool to stage 2022 Commonwealth Games, says Brian Barwick – Exclusive

The time is right for Liverpool to be chosen as the host for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, bid chairman Brian Barwick has told iSportconnect.

Barwick was speaking after the official launch of Liverpool’s bid to host the Games, which has become vacant again after Durban were removed as hosts due to financial difficulties.

A number of UK cities registered their interest initially, but having hosted the Games in 2002 the city of Manchester has taken a step back and is supporting north-west neighbours Liverpool in their bid.

Manchester would even host cycling and cricket as part of a Liverpool Games. However, Birmingham retain ambitions of hosting 2022 also and launched their campaign this week.

But the main centrepiece of Liverpool’s bid is Everton’s planned Bramley Moore dock arena, which would host athletics after being temporarily converted for the Games.

Whilst sitting alongside the city’s famous waterfront, Barwick, the former chief executive of the Football Association, told iSportconnect that although the city was initially planning to bid for the 2026 edition, the Commonwealth Games Federation had provided an opportunity they had to seize immediately.

“When the Commonwealth Games took place in Glasgow [2014], I had a column in the Liverpool Echo and I wrote in that column that Liverpool should bid for the Commonwealth Games because I felt it was the right scale of event and that it worked in Manchester and it worked in Glasgow and I think it would work tremendously well in Liverpool,” Barwick said.

“That’s two or three years ago now. But the reality of it is it is the right time for Liverpool to have an opportunity to stage a great games. The city staged the European capital of culture in 2008 and I just think it’s the right time and this is a city that’s DNA is about sport and about culture and it’s an ambitious place and it’s a welcoming friendly place.

“I read the other day that alongside London and Edinburgh it’s among the big three in terms of visitor numbers. So all those things add up to the fact, and the Commonwealth Games is a great event, so you add all those things together and why wouldn’t you go for it.”

Everton received approval from Liverpool City Council earlier this year for their £300m stadium on Bramley Moore dock, and the club are expected to submit a detailed planning application in due course.

The goal is for the stadium to be ready for the 2021/22 domestic football season, but Barwick insisted that it remains a planned football stadium with a temporary athletics track being put in after the final game of the Toffees’ campaign.

The understanding is that Liverpool 2022 and Everton wish to avoid the problems, and significant financial costs, that have plagued London’s Olympic stadium in being converted from an athletics stadium into a football stadium for West Ham United.

“This is not an athletics stadium that’s going to become a football stadium,” Barwick said of the planned Bramley Moore dock arena. “This is a football stadium first and second that will be adapted for a very brief period during the summer of 2022.”

Everton’s old home of Goodison Park remains a part of the bid, as the planned venue for the boxing finals, while Liverpool FC’s Anfield would play host to rugby sevens.

The Games are expected to cost around £672 million, but the city council say they expect the regeneration of the dockside to accelerate £1bn of investment and create more than 12,000 jobs. The proposed athletes village is also part of the Everton redevelopment.

Tight deadline

With less than five years to go until the Games by the time the CGF makes their decision later this year, it would mean significant time constraints on construction work. But, Barwick is confident that the city could cope.

He said: “The thing about Games which have opening and closing ceremonies is that they create their own deadline. So that’s the deadline. In truth we were originally going for 2026 but very quickly we had to convert to 2022, and we were guided to as well, on the basis that if a UK city was to win 2022 it would be very unlikely that a UK city would win 2026.

“So I think ourselves and others who wanted to apply for a Games in the UK were steered towards having a go for 2022. So in truth it was taken out of our hands, of course we will be ready but it just meant that it accelerated it a little bit.”

The CGF say that a decision on who will host the Games is unlikely to take place before early autumn. Meanwhile, Canada and Malaysia are still rumoured to be interested in putting forward bids to host 2022.

By Christian Radnedge

MATTA launch Skateboarding as an Olympic event

At Tokyo 2020, Skateboarding is to make its debut as an Olympic event, and MATTA are helping launch the news for Skateboard England.

James Hope-Gill, CEO at Skateboard England said: “We’re really excited that skateboarding is going to be included in the Olympics and that MATTA have created a fantastic way for us to spread the news.”

Skateboarding’s inclusion at Tokyo 2020 reflects the IOC’s recent shift to create an urbanisation in sport and focus on a youth audience. The announcement launches today, on the internationally recognised annual #GoSkateboardingDay which encourages people to give Skateboarding a go.

“While Skateboarding’s Olympic inclusion was decided last August, we believe that general awareness is still quite low, so today’s a great opportunity for us to celebrate the news.” added Hope-Gill.

Matt Campbell, Executive Creative Director at MATTA said: “The opportunity to work with James [Hope-Gill] and the Skateboard England team at this incredibly exciting time was not something we wanted to miss, and we are looking forward to seeing how Skateboarding evolves as a sport between now and 2020.”

The creative partners Olympic iconography with the line ‘Grind for Gold’, which which references the fundamental Skateboarding skill and nods to the hard graft and training required to make it as an Olympic athlete.

Skateboarding’s attempted inclusion in 2012 and 2016 before being included in 2020. The event will encompass two disciplines for both men and women in Tokyo, ‘Park’ and ‘Street’.

Web: www.makeitmatta.com

Twitter: @makeitmatta

Vimeo: Matta

WTA president Micky Lawler confirmed as special guest at London Directors’ Club

iSportconnect are pleased to announce that WTA president Micky Lawler will be a special guest at our London Directors’ Club on July 12.

Lawler will be interviewed individually before taking questions from the audience along with fellow special guest LaLiga President Javier Tebas.

Lawler, who was appointed President of WTA in October 2014, has driven growth in all aspects of the tennis business throughout an extensive career across athletes, events, sponsorship sales and consultancy.

She will therefore be able to offer a unique insight into the world of tennis as its focus – fittingly – turns towards the climax of Wimbledon’s famous fortnight.

London Directors’ Club: Event details

The invitation-only event is set to be staged at the office of private banking firm Coutts, allowing attendees to engage in an open discussion within an informal atmosphere.

Chatham House rules will be strictly adhered to, as with all iSportconnect Directors’ Club events, encouraging a free exchange of ideas.

There will also be ample time for delegates to network with their fellow executives.

Scroll over the interactive image below to find out more about iSportconnect Directors’ Club events

If you would like to register your interest in the event please contact Adi (adi@isportconnect.com)

WADA suspends UCLA Laboratory accreditation for specific prohibited substances

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has partially suspended its accreditation of the UCLA Olympic Analytical Laboratory (UCLA Laboratory) as it relates to analysis of specific prohibited substances, effective 14 June 2017 for a period of three months. The suspension of these analyses by the UCLA Laboratory — which is located in Los Angeles, California, United States — is a result of WADA’s quality assessment procedures that identified non-conformities with best practice.

The Agency’s procedures focus on consistent analysis being carried out by WADA-accredited laboratories in order to ensure comparable, valid and reliable results; which, in turn, is intended to give athletes greater confidence and trust in the global anti-doping system.

It is important to note that, during the suspension, the UCLA Laboratory can continue carrying out all its regular anti-doping activities.  However, the Laboratory must obtain a second opinion from another WADA-accredited laboratory prior to reporting any Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) for the glucocorticoids ‘prednisolone’ and ‘prednisone’; and, the anabolic steroids ‘boldenone’ and ‘boldione’.

This type of suspension, which is limited to certain substances or classes of substances and that has been applied to other WADA-accredited laboratories in the past, allows for appropriate monitoring of the UCLA Laboratory to ensure full implementation of necessary improvements with the objective of return to full compliance.

On 14 June 2017, an independent WADA Disciplinary Committee, which was advised by WADA’s Laboratory Expert Group (LabEG), delivered its recommendation to the Chair of the WADA Executive Committee that was accepted.  On 16 June, the UCLA Laboratory was notified of the Decision.

The UCLA Laboratory may appeal the Decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) within 21 days of receipt of notice.

As part of the process, WADA will conduct a UCLA Laboratory site visit within a timeframe that reasonably allows the Laboratory to finalize implementation of all remedial actions.

According to the International Standard for Laboratories (ISL), WADA is responsible for accrediting and re-accrediting anti-doping laboratories, thereby ensuring that they maintain the highest quality standards. This monitoring process is conducted in conjunction with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assessment by independent national accreditation bodies that are full members of the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC).  Whenever a laboratory does not meet ISL requirements, WADA may suspend the laboratory’s accreditation.

Cycling president Brian Cookson responds to news of challenge from David Lappartient

UCI president Brian Cookson has reiterated his desire to continue developing cycling following the confirmation that European Cycling chief David Lappartient will challenge him for election in September.

Frenchman Lappartient announced his candidacy this week, saying he wanted to improve governance at the UCI.

In a statement, Cookson responded to the challenge from Lappartient as follows:

“I learned that David Lappartient, UCI Vice President and President of the UCI Professional Cycling Council has decided to run against me for the Presidency of the UCI.

“I strongly believe that my track record of restoring integrity and credibility to the UCI, and developing cycling over the past four years, together with my plans for a final four year term as president, will be judged favourably by the cycling family at the UCI Congress in Bergen in September.

“My plans can be read on my campaign website www.briancookson.org together with some of the messages of support I have been proud to receive from across the cycling world, from those most familiar with the work of my administration.

“That website also contains a summary of the many things which have been achieved over the last four years of my leadership of the UCI across anti-doping, governance, transparency, women’s cycling, communication and the development of the sport.

“Having recently had confirmation from the IOC that at the Tokyo Games we will have additional medals for men’s and women’s events in both the Madison and BMX Freestyle, I am proud that cycling is now the third largest Olympic sport.

“Having changed the constitution of the UCI to introduce term limits and improve the election process after the controversial events of four years ago, I respect other people’s right to announce their candidature. I note that so far David Lappartient has not set out very much detail in his plan or any vision he may have beyond his well known personal ambition for the role.

“I look forward to debating what matters for the future of cycling over the coming months.”

IOC unveils Intel as new Olympic top sponsor through to 2024

International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach has officially unveiled global technology giant Intel as a new Olympic top sponsor through to 2024.

In a ceremony in New York, Bach was joined by Intel ceo Brian Krzanich to announce the partnership where new technology was the focus of the proceedings.

The IOC said the partnership would “enhance the Olympic Games through to 2024”.

Intel will focus primarily on implementing its 5G platforms, VR, 3D and 360 content development platforms, artificial intelligence platforms and drones into the existing technology strategy of the Olympic Games.

Bach said he was looking forward to seeing how fans would interact with the Games in new ways.

“As a result of Olympic Agenda 2020, the IOC is forging ground-breaking partnerships,” Bach said. “Intel is a world-leader in its field and we’re very excited to be working with the Intel team to drive the future of the Olympic Games through cutting-edge technology.

“The Olympic Games provide a connection between fans and athletes that has inspired people around the world through sport and the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect. Thanks to our new innovative global partnership with Intel, fans in the stadium, athletes and audiences around the world will soon experience the magic of the Olympic Games in completely new ways.”

“We are excited to join the Olympic Movement and integrate Intel’s innovative technologies to advance the Olympics Games experience for fans around the world,” Krzanich said. “Through this close collaboration with the Olympic family, we will accelerate the adoption of technology for the future of sports on the world’s largest athletic stage”.

The news comes shortly after it was announced that McDonald’s would be ending their sponsorship of the Olympics three years early, in a move that was seen as surprising by many.

With Intel joining up with the Olympic movement, they become the 13th member of the Top partnership group.

By Christian Radnedge

FIA Formula E reveals new venues for 2017/18 championship calendar

FIA Formula E has revealed new venues for the 2017/18 Championship, following the FIA World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) meeting in Geneva.

Santiago, Sao Paulo and Rome will be added to the calendar, which also features a more compact schedule with three double-headers.

Formula E is set to stop at new locations in both South America and Europe – with races in the Chilean capital of Santiago in February, the first race in Brazil on the streets of Sao Paulo in March, and Rome in mid-April.

The fourth edition of the world’s first fully-electric single-seater racing series comprises the most races to appear on the calendar since its inception in 2014.

The Formula E cars will take to the track in the season-opener in Hong Kong for the second year running on 2-3 December.

Alejandro Agag, Founder & CEO of Formula E, said: “It’s exciting news to welcome a number of new host cities on the Formula E calendar, as well as seeing existing locations build on the success of previous events. Our priority is to consolidate a calendar with long-term agreements with host cities – the schedule for season four is a step in the right direction.”

FIA President Jean Todt, said: “The FIA Formula E Championship continues to break new ground bringing motorsport and electric mobility to new urban centres around the world. The impact of this exposure to millions of potential new fans will be fantastic, and the desire of the cities to be involved in the championship shows how much of a success Formula E has been over its first three seasons.”

 

Chinese Super League clubs face paying 100 per cent tax on foreign player transfers

Chinese Super League clubs face paying double for their transfer targets following a proposal to include a 100 per cent tax on all future signings.

The measure, put forward by the Chinese Football Association, is intended to limit the inflated spending of “loss-making” clubs, who have already made expensive acquisitions from Europe’s top leagues.

The new rule should be in force from this week when the mid-season transfer window officially opened.

The CFA said: “Clubs signing players through capital expenditure will be charged the same amount, with the full sum going to the Chinese Football Development Foundation, to train young players, promote social football and soccer charity activities.”

In the previous transfer window, Chinese clubs spent £331m on players. That included Shanghai SIPG spending a reported £60m on Brazil international Oscar from Chelsea, and the £40m Shanghai Shenhua spent on Carlos Tevez.

Premier League stars such as Wayne Rooney and Diego Costa have also been linked with big money moves to the Far East.

China is dedicated to rapidly improving its own footballing infrastructure, and also brought in a rule this year limiting the number of foreign players allowed in a CSL matchday squad to five.

Last month however, CFA vice-president Zhang Jian denied that foreign footballers were harming the development of China’s own talent.

“China’s national team is a problem,” Zhang said. “Obviously we haven’t been very good over the past few years.

“But the Super League is a very important base for the national team and you can notice we’re trying to make our national team much better.”

The Asian nation is also already planning a bid to host the FIFA World Cup in 2030.

By Christian Radnedge

International Paralympic Committee confirms four candidates in the running to succeed Sir Philip Craven as president

The International Paralympic Committee has confirmed that four candidates have been shortlisted to succeed Sir Philip Craven as president.

Craven, only the second president of the organisation since its inception in 1989, will end his 16-year tenure in September at the IPC general assembly in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

The quartet bidding to become the third president of the IPC are Patrick Jarvis (Canada), Andrew Parsons (Brazil), John Petersson (Denmark) and Haidi Zhang (China).

Petersson is also standing for vice president, along with Duane Kale and Majid Rashed.

Craven assumed office in 2001 and has overseen a significant period of growth within the Paralympic movement, with London 2012 and Rio 2016 the most attended Paralympic Games ever.

There have also been more troubling times and Craven was widely praised for his leadership in enacting a total ban of Russian athletes from Rio 2016 due to the widespread doping scandal in the country.

This was in stark contrast to International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach’s more relaxed approach to allow the international federations to rule on Russian participation.

The IPC said last month that Russia’s ban would continue following a taskforce’s recommendation that key criteria still needed to be met before reinstatement of membership could happen.

Brazil’s nominee Parsons already got a jump on his rivals by releasing a statement shortly after the candidate confirmation, saying: “I am delighted that my candidacy to become the next IPC President has been confirmed and I would like to thank the Brazilian Paralympic Committee for the trust and support they have placed in me by nominating me as a candidate.”

His official campaign launch will take place in London this week. As of yet there has been no news of when the other candidates will be launching their campaigns.

On 6 September each candidate will have the opportunity to make a presentation on their candidature to the IPC membership attending the IPC General Assembly in Abu Dhabi.

By Christian Radnedge

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho accused of tax evasion by Spanish authorities

Jose Mourinho has been accused of evading tax by Spanish prosecutors, who are investigating his time spent as Real Madrid manager.

Spanish prosecutors said in a statement this week that they had filed the claim against Mourinho on two counts of tax fraud from 2011 and 2012.

The statement added that the Portuguese is alleged to owe tax authorities €3.3m (£2.9m).

Mourinho, currently manager of Manchester United, spent three years in Madrid from 2010 to 2013.

It follows the news that Cristiano Ronaldo is to testify in his own tax fraud case next month.

The Champions League winner is accused of defrauding Spanish authorities of €14.7m (£12.9m) between 2011 and 2014, something the player strenuously denies and has led to reports of him wanting to leave Real Madrid as soon as possible.

Ronaldo is due to testify on July 31, where he will defend his tax activities in Spain.

The Portugal star is currently in Russia with the national team at the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez said he would talk to Ronaldo about his future upon his return from the tournament which finishes on July 2.