Peter Schmeichel opposes introduction of video assistant referees in football – Exclusive

Former Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel has told iSportconnect at SportAccord Convention in Aarhus, Denmark, that he opposes the idea of introducing video technology to football, saying it would make the game “too clinical”.

Schmeichel, who was part of United’s treble-winning side of 1999, argued that the sport would lose out if it became a stop-start game.

Recent years have seen a sea-change in the attitude towards technology. Goal-line technology is now a permanent feature of top-level FIFA and UEFA competitions and several domestic leagues in Europe.

The International Football Association Board [IFAB], the law-makers of the game, approved a two-year period of video assistant referee testing from March 2016 which a number of federations signed up to – including France, Germany, Italy, Turkey and Mexico.

The FA are due to trial VAR in the FA Cup from next season. But Schmeichel, who retired in 2003, believes that VAR would be a step too far.

“I’d hate football to be going in a direction where it has to be stopped for someone to review the situation on video,” he said.

“Football is not a stop-start game in that respect. You will have referee mistakes, you will have bad tackles but if you take all that out you make the game, for me, a little bit too clinical and basically you leave nothing to talk about.”

You can hear the Dane’s full views on video technology by watching our exclusive interview:

By Christian Radnedge

IOC Moves Closer to Fully Approving 2024/2028 Hosting Award After Board Meeting

The dual hosting award of the 2024 and 2028 Olympic Games moved a step closer after the International Olympic Committee’s Executive Board approved changes to the bidding process last week.

The proposal was announced at a press conference by IOC president Thomas Bach on Friday, following a day-long meeting with members of the EB.

A working group of the IOC’s four vice-presidents confirmed that the IOC could offer a mechanism which would not breach the terms of the Olympic Charter, following a study of the proposal which includes the two highly praised bids of Paris and Los Angeles for 2024, originally.

Therefore, an extraordinary session on July 11 and 12 will ratify the recommendation from the entire membership ahead of a formal vote of allocations in Lima in September.

Bach did not give an indication of which city would be preferred for 2024 or 2028, although it is expected that with a less congested window of opportunity, LA would be happier to wait 11 years to host.

“First of all the IOC members have to express themselves about this proposal coming from the executive board, and only after the members of the IOC have this opportunity, then it will be the time to enter into deeper discussions with the candidate cities,” Bach said, trying to curtail speculation on any prearranged award.

“Then discussions and negotiations may start if the IOC members should hopefully give a green light.”

City reaction

After the decision, LA2024 welcomed the news in a statement and highlighted how the city is an “ideal partner” for the IOC.

“We welcome the IOC Executive Board’s decision to recognize two excellent bids from two of the world’s greatest cities,” Casey Wasserman, LA 2024 chairman, and Eric Garcetti, Mayor of LA, said in a joint statement. “With no new permanent venues to build and unwavering public support, Los Angeles is an eternal Olympic city and ideal partner for the IOC.

“We look forward to… working together to offer the best path forward for our city and the Olympic Movement’s future.”

The team behind Paris 2024 also released a statement more specifically targeted at remaining on track to win the right to host the 2024 Games.

“Paris 2024 remains totally focused on preparing its presentation to the Lausanne meeting where we will have an opportunity to present to all the IOC Members our proposal for centenary Games of passion and purpose,” the statement said.

“We are proud to represent the City of Light and to promote a plan, in partnership with the IOC, all the key stakeholders and the people of Paris and France, that would deliver Games of wonderful celebration and genuine legacy.

“We continue to work hard to win the support of IOC Members and the broader sports family for a Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games based on that vision.”

Changes were also proposed for the bidding system of the 2026 Winter Olympics. This will last only one year, not two as per the current system hopefully resulting in greater cost-saving and therefore opening it up to more bidders.

Concerns have been raised before about the cost of bidding to host the Winter Olympics, with only Almaty and Beijing bidding to host the 2022 edition which the Chinese capital won.

By Christian Radnedge

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Programme Changes Will “Freshen” the Games, Says Reedie – Exclusive

The inclusion of mixed gender events for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics should “freshen the programme” according to former International Olympic Committee vice president Craig Reedie.

Reedie, the president of the World Anti Doping Agency, told iSportconnect about his excitement for the shake-up of the programme ratified by the IOC in Lausanne last week.

The IOC executive board approved a number of changes to the Tokyo programme, focusing mainly on addressing the gender imbalance by increasing the places for women participating.

Reedie was pleased with the board’s decision, and was also interested in the proposal to elect the host of the 2028 Games at the same time as deciding the home of the 2024 Olympics.

“The mix of new events should freshen the programme,” he told iSportconnect. “[I’m] Pleased that Golf and Rugby 7’s stay for 2024.

“I look forward to the meeting in July when the IOC Membership will see the process for electing cities for 2024 and 2028.”

Mixed gender events were added to sports such as aquatics, archery, table tennis and triathlon with a first mixed gender event in athletics in a 4x400m relay.

However, athletics took a hit by having 105 athletes cut from its programme. Weightlifting and wrestling lost the second and third most athletes as the IOC dropped their quotas by 64 and 56, respectively.

In total, 15 International Federations received changes to their event programme in either the number of disciplines contested or number of athletes.

Agenda 2020

In a statement, the IOC said: “The approval of the event programme for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 will make the Games more youthful and more urban, and they will include more women.

“The new event programme will see the highest-ever representation of female athletes in Olympic history, while also introducing sports events with youth and urban appeal.

“These changes reflect the continued evolution of the Olympic programme and build on the reforms outlined in Olympic Agenda 2020, which aim to create more flexibility through an event-based Olympic programme.”

Tokyo 2020 will therefore feature 339 events, compared to the 306 at Rio 2016 with female participation to rise up to 48.8 per cent.

The new programme will also include 3×3 Basketball, which has previously featured successfully in the Youth Olympics.

“The fascinating new events that we approved today, together with the five new sports that were added to the Tokyo 2020 program last year, represent a step-change in the Olympic program,” IOC president Thomas Bach said in a statement.

“I am delighted that the Olympic Games in Tokyo will be more youthful, more urban and will include more women.”

By Christian Radnedge

Cristiano Ronaldo Retains Top Spot in Forbes World’s Highest-Paid Athletes List

Cristiano Ronaldo is still the richest sportsperson on the planet, according to Forbes World’s Highest-Paid Athletes annual list.

The Real Madrid striker topped the list for the second year in a row, with a net worth of $93m (£72.05m). However, the Spanish club lost its top spot in the football rich list.

Basketball superstar LeBron James was second with $86.2m (£66.79m).

Both Ronaldo and James saw an increase in the revenues. The Portuguese footballer saw his earnings rise $5m, whilst the Cavaliers’ power forward earned $9m more.

Basketball dominated the list with 32 NBA players among the top 100, followed by baseball with 22 and American football with 15.

The top 100 people earned a total of $3.11bn (£2.4bn) over the last year, a slight decrease from last year’s earnings of $3.15bn (£2.43bn).

Serena Williams is the only female athlete in the top 100. The American tennis player is 51st, having made $27m (£20.92m) in the last 12 months.

Here’s the top ten list:

  • Cristiano Ronaldo – football ($93m/£72.05m)
  • LeBron James – basketball ($86.2m/£66.79m)
  • Lionel Messi – football ($80m/£61.98m)
  • Roger Federer – tennis ($64m/£49.58m)
  • Kevin Durant – basketball ($60.6m/£46.95m)
  • Andrew Luck – American football ($50m/£38.74m)
  • Rory McIlroy – golfer ($50m/£38.74m)
  • Stephen Curry – basketball ($47.3m/£36.64m)
  • James Harden – basketball ($46.6m/£36.10m)
  • Lewis Hamilton – formula 1 ($46m/£35.64m

Read the full list here

ITTF becomes first international sports federation to have every country on earth as a member

The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has become the first International Sports Federation to have every country on earth as a member.

The 226-member associations milestone was reached after the induction of Bahamas, Cape Verde, Eritrea and Guinea Bissau, and has been officially approved at the ITTF Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 31 May 2017.

ITTF President Thomas Weikert, who was in Guinea-Bissau to celebrate the founding of the Guinea-Bissau Table Tennis Federation, said: “For the ITTF and for myself, our small associations have been a clear priority for many years, thanks to the dedicated work of the ITTF Development Department.

Our focus must now be the empowerment of our smallest and most recent members, and through our ITTF Marketing Department have secured the support of Seamaster to achieve this.”

Following the official induction into the ITTF, these four new members will receive $25 thousand for technical support from Seamaster, who is the title sponsor of the ITTF World Tour, and $5 thousand equipment support from Stag International, alongside empowerment through coach education and organisational development.

Rugby League Leads the Innovation Movement in Sports

By Roger Draper (RFL Chief Commercial Officer and Super League Executive Director)

You can’t help but admire two of sport’s super-brands – NFL and Premier League – and the way their games and players have an impact on many fans around the globe.

Changes in these games are often put under the media microscope and discussed by many.

I’ve followed the news of a potential NFL franchise in London and the recent video technology trials in football with great interest.

Why would I follow these two topics? Rugby League has an early experience of implementing changes like these, from the introduction of the video referee in 1997 to welcoming the sport’s first-ever transatlantic team to the league this year.

Steve Jobs once said: “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”

Rugby League has never been frightened of innovation – we aim to be at the forefront when it comes to change. From reducing the number of players to 13, adopting substitutes, video technology (referee cam and player cam), to welcoming new teams to the competition.

We are a sport that never sits still and constantly wants to improve the game day experience on and off the field.

Regular communication throughout the year with our stakeholders enables us to focus on the issues that matter. Identifying areas of potential advantage, testing and implementing is often a quick process due to the accessibility of Rugby League and the vision of the clubs and individuals involved.

One of the most successful Rugby League World Cup tournaments was hosted in the UK in 2013 and our bid to host the tournament here again in 2021 was accepted last year.

Who knows how innovative the 2021 World Cup could be and how close supporters can get to the action.

One thing you can guarantee; we’ll give it a try!

Discovery Unites with Paris 2024 Bid in Show of Support

Discovery Communications and Eurosport, home of the Olympic Games in Europe, met with members of the Paris 2024 Olympic Bid Committee in a show of support for an Olympic Games to be held in Europe in 2024.

Discovery Networks International President and CEO Jean-Briac Perrette and Eurosport CEO Peter Hutton met with Paris 2024 Co-President, Bernard Lapasset, while in Paris for the Roland Garros.

As part of the meeting, Perrette shared the company’s commitment to bring the Olympic Games to more people, delivering the ultimate Olympic Games viewing experience to a new and younger audience.

This will begin at the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 with the broadcast of more than 100 events live and on demand, on any device, at any time, making PyeongChang 2018 the most digitally accessible Olympic Games across Europe.

Regarding Discovery’s support, Lapasset said: “The support of our bid by Discovery and Eurosport, demonstrates once again the strong unity and firm commitment across Europe to seeing the Olympic and Paralympic Games return to Paris for a centenary celebration in 2024.

Paris 2024 will be a Games to welcome people from across the continent and around the world to share in our spectacular showcasing of sport and Olympism at the heart of our iconic city.”

Hutton added: “Paris 2024 would give everyone a chance, young and old, across Europe to experience premium and exclusive coverage of an Olympic Games close to home. This is a prospect that we find incredibly exciting.”

Adidas Announced as Official Sponsor of 2017 AIBA World Championships

The International Boxing Association (AIBA) has confirmed a deal with global sports giant Adidas to become the official sponsor of the 2017 AIBA World Championships in Hamburg.

In collaboration with Adidas Global, the 2017 World Championships will receive online coverage with all communications relayed across the brand’s official channels in 70 countries.

Worldwide, exposure will be achieved through innovative social media activations, new digital platforms and special offers, beginning in advance of the start of the competition and continuing long after the final gold medal has been awarded.

The complete partnership deal includes the provision of gloves, bandages and uniforms for athletes and volunteers.

The tournament will take place from 25 August to 2 September at the Hamburg’s Sporthalle Arena.

AIBA President Ching-Kuo Wu said: “Signing with a company of Adidas’ stature is a testament to AIBA’s new proactive approach towards sponsorship and the global reach and popularity our sport is enjoying.

The participation of such a major international brand reflects the hard work of the entire AIBA Family since the beginning of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Cycle.”

IAAF Names First Head of New Integrity Unit

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) named Brett Clothier as the first head of the independent Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU).

Clothier, coming from eight years in charge of the Australian Football League’s integrity unit, will join the newly formed board chaired by former World Anti-Doping Agency chief David Howman.

About the appointment, Clothier said: ” I am excited by the opportunity to lead the AIU in rebuilding athlete and fan confidence in how we manage threats to the sport. I look forward to working with athletes and all members of the athletics community.”

The IAAF has spent the last two years trying to rebuild its reputation after the corruption of Lamine Diack was revealed in 2014 and 2015.

Diack and his advisers were in command of athletics between 1999 and 2015, but are now under a criminal investigation in France for bribing officials, covering up positive drug tests and manipulating votes.

The AIU replaced the IAAF’s -house anti-doping department and will be responsible for all aspects of the drug-testing programme, as well as guarding against corruption and all other forms of cheating.

IAAF boss Lord Coe said: ” The Athletics Integrity Unit sits at the epicentre of the IAAF’s integrity reforms and today’s announcement is the final brick in athletics’ robust wall of ethical defences.”

David Beckham MLS franchise in Miami moves closer with final land purchase

By Christian Radnedge – 

David Beckham’s plan for a Major League Soccer franchise in Miami has moved up a gear after securing the land needed for a proposed stadium.

Miami-Dade County commissioners voted on Tuesday to allow the former player’s group Miami Beckham United to purchase the final three acres of a nine-acre plot where the franchise will be based.

The group will pay $9million for the final acres, having already purchased the other six acres for $19m.

A 25,000-seat stadium is planned on the site for a franchise which has been Beckham’s pet project for more than four years now in trying to bring an expansion MLS side to Miami.

Tim Leiweke, one of the partners in Beckham’s goup, said he’s hopeful a team could even start playing in the stadium by 2020.

“Miami is ready,” said Leiweke. “We are committed. And the city and the county have now taken the necessary steps for us to control our own destiny for a privately financed, world-class soccer stadium for Major League Soccer.”

The construction costs are projected to be around $220m, which Leiweke confirmed will come from private funding and that there will be no public money involved.

“We are not here to take money from the county or the city,” he said. “We will pay for this project ourselves, privately, we will pay property taxes and we will be good neighbours.”

A significant obstacle to overcome is the fact that Miami has not yet been awarded a franchise by the MLS.

Beckham’s 2007 contract with Los Angeles Galaxy gave him the right to start an expansion franchise for $25m, and four years ago he earmarked Miami as where he would want set up a team.

“We look forward to working with the Miami community to bring our vision for the neighborhood to life,” Miami Beckham United said in a statement.

“Our loyal fans in Miami and around the world have been waiting for this moment for years, and we’re thrilled that we’re getting closer to our kick-off.”

MLS officials responded positively to this week’s news and will be in Miami on Wednesday to tour the planned site.