With exactly one month until the 2011 Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series kicks off, the ITU has released a new promotional video showcasing the electrifying action that embodies ITU triathlon.

CLICK HERE to see the 2011 promo video and get a sneak peak at what’s to come this season.

Now in its third year, the Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series will see the world’s fastest triathletes race head-to-head in seven events around the globe.

With $1.65-million USD up for grabs, plus valuable Olympic qualifying points, a lot is on the line in the heated battle to become ITU’s 2011 World Champion.

The 2011 Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series kicks off in Sydney on April 10 and continues in Yokohama, Madrid, Kitzbühel, Hamburg, London and Beijing.

This season’s ITU World Champions will be crowned at the Grand Final when ITU returns to the 2008 Olympic Games venue in Beijing on September 10-11.

English League One soccer club Leyton Orient have confirmed that they will move to the courts next week asking for a judicial review of the Government’s decision to house Premier League club West Ham United in the Olympic stadium after the Games.

If successful, the club’s chairman Barry Hearn’s decision to go to the law could mean months of discussion are still to come, on an issue the Government thought it had finally settled last month.

Speaking at an International Sports Security Conference, Hearn confirmed: “Our lawyers, Mischon de Reya have been instructed to proceed with all haste to a full application of a judicial review. 

“We will make a written application next week. 

“We want the whole West Ham rubber stamping to be put on hold, whilst the parties have an opportunity to do something they haven’t done properly. 

“This is to consider the effect on Leyton Orient Football club and to consider whether the plans they have for West Ham’s occupancy of the Olympic stadium is a proper resolve of government application of funds.”

Hearn sees the judicial review as “part of his battle plan” to force the Government to change its mind, adding: “We hope the judicial review will be granted which gives all the parties, Government, Minister of Sport, Minister of Culture, West Ham United, an opportunity to judge whether this system was fundamentally flawed. 

“Or whether it was in breach of European law or British law. 

“It will also give an opportunity for Leyton Orient to put their case that West Ham moving into the Olympics stadium, under their current pricing arrangements, is a fundamental breach of law.”

The Orient case will be that by allowing West Ham to move into the Olympic stadium, “it puts the future of Leyton Orient football club seriously in doubt. 

“It is certainly a breach of competition law and predatory pricing law.”

Orient, says Hearn, will argue “West Ham are going to give tickets away, or make thousands of rickets available on a hugely discounted basis which gives them an unfair advantage under European competition law. 

“That is predatory pricing, a case of a large commercial entity moving into an area with a pricing policy aimed at putting other people out of business.”

Hearn admitted his growing fears for the club if their legal battle is unsuccessful, saying: “We will go out of business if West Ham, under their current rules operate out of the Olympic stadium and we are left where we are left.”

Hearn hinted that one way out of this potential impasse could be compensation, adding: “What is the way forward? Is it a compensation issue? Or should we be part of the Olympic Park itself rather than be the forgotten tribe of East London? 

“We are open to suggestions but we can’t get the dialogue started unless everything else is put on hold. The whole point of judicial review is everything stops.

“We are still holding fire on any future action against either the Premier League or Football League. 

“We have sent letters to them and we are waiting a reply from the Premier League on our case against them. 

“We believe the Premier League are fundamentally flawed as well in their decision making process under their own rules. 

“The Football League have been deafening in their silence. 

“I am sure common sense will tell them they have an obligation to represent and support a member club of their company. 

“Leyton Orient are one of the founder members of the Football League and we have rights within that membership of the Football League.”

Hearn feels it is the Coalition Government that is responsible for what he calls ‘the present mess’, stating: “I have to say I blame the incumbent Government. 

“They preach the big society, community values, family values. 

“They have totally ignored a community, family club with a history dating back to 130 years. 

“I blame people that have ignored us and tried to hide behind, ‘Oh the Premier League have sanctioned it’ without considering the Premier League rules themselves and have taken that as black and white as a job done. 

“I blame bullies in society, people who think they can ride rough shod over the little man.”

According to UK Home Secretary Theresa May, arthritis an increase in the maximum penalty for ticket touting at the 2012 London Olympics is set to be enforced from £5,000 (US$8,000) to £20,000 ($32,000).

With around 6.6 million tickets set to go on sale to the public next week, May released a statement saying: “The change will ensure that there is a more substantial deterrent to serious and organised criminal groups.”

The Home Office said an amendment to the London Olympic and Paralympic Games Act would be put to Parliament shortly while Assistant Commissioner Chris Allison, national Olympic security co-ordinator, said letters had been sent to people who might try to illegally sell Olympic tickets, warning them they were being watched.

Allison stated: “Touts are part of organised criminal networks, often involved in other crimes, and we are committed to dismantling them layer by layer.”

May added: “The 2012 Games will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the Games on home soil.

“By increasing the fines for touting, we are sending a clear message to criminals and prospective criminals that it is not worth their while and they are not welcome.

“The focus of the government and everyone involved is to deliver a safe and secure Olympic and Paralympic Games that London, the UK and the world can enjoy. It will not be spoiled by ticket touts.”

London 2012 chairman Lord Coe also commented: “We want to get London 2012 tickets into the hands of enthusiastic sports fans so that our venues are packed to the rafters at Games-time and provide a fantastic atmosphere for the athletes.

“The message is loud and clear that ticket touts are not welcome and will face large fines.”

With a money row between the British Olympic Association (BOA) and London 2012 stealing the headlines, a new issue is threatening to engulf the BOA after complaints from Nelson McCausland, Northern Ireland’s (NI) Sports Minister, that “Team GB” is discriminatory and should be changed to “Team UK”.

The BOA have, in recent Games, established “Team GB” as a powerful marketing brand, even though its official title is “Team GB and Northern Ireland” which McCausland claims is unfair to athletes from NI as their contribution is being overlooked.

McCausland stated: “The current naming and branding of the team has the potential to create the perception that Northern Ireland is not part of the British Olympic team.

“However as we are all aware, Northern Ireland athletes have contributed significantly to the Olympic team’s success, particularly in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, and this should be recognised in the name and branding.

“Indeed, a change in branding, such as to ‘Team UK’, would be entirely consistent with the current title for our UK-wide sports body, UK Sport.”

McCausland has has promised that the Government will write to the BOA to ask them to consider changing the name, lobbying Britain’s Sport and Olympics Minister Hugh Robertson on the affair.

The topic of Northern Ireland’s role in the Olympic Movement has always been clouded in confusion and controversy since athletes have been able to opt to compete for either Britain or the Republic of Ireland.

Jacques Rogge, IOC President, stated earlier this month that sports bodies should receive a cut of betting revenues and also insisted that governments should impose tighter controls on gambling in sport, speaking ahead of a summit with government ministers, Interpol, UN representatives and betting operators.

The PFSC, chaired by UEFA president Michel Platini and comprising representatives from the European Club Association, European Professional Football Leagues, FIFPro and UEFA, released a statement via the official website of European football’s governing body yesterday, March 10, to confirm its members had “agreed a united position regarding the issue of betting”.

The statement added: “Financial solidarity depends on redistribution of revenue from the commercial exploitation of top professional football to the grassroots…(and the PFSC) expresses concern at the growing unauthorised commercial use of football competitions for betting purposes.

“(The PFSC) considers that competition organisers/clubs should have the right, including intellectual property right, to consent to their events being used by betting companies and that such companies should pay fair financial compensation,” added the statement on UEFA.com. “Such financial compensation is also essential for funding grassroots football as well as fighting match-fixing and sports fraud.”

The PFSC also stated it would urge “political authorities to adopt a concrete national and/or European-wide legislation to address these matters and to ensure a fair financial return to football”.

World soccer’s governing body FIFA has charged six match officials allegedly involved in match-fixing during an international friendly tournament in Antalya, Turkey, on February 9.

FIFA announced that it had opened disciplinary proceedings after investigating games between Bolivia and Latvia and also Estonia and Bulgaria which produced seven goals, all of which were scored from penalties. One of those awarded was even missed and subsequently re-taken due to an alleged infringement.

A statement released by FIFA read: “The proceedings were opened following an evaluation of all documentation and information received by FIFA, in relation to a possible match-fixing situation in these matches. The FIFA disciplinary committee will be in charge to deal with the matter.”

Officials from the four countries involved raised questions about the game with FIFA and UEFA and also queried the identities of the match officials involved, while unusual betting patterns on the matches were also reported.

FIFA have not disclosed the identities of the officials charged, but the Hungarian Football Association last month suspended referee Kolos Lengyel and two other Hungarian assistant referees following the matches in Turkey. The exhibition tournament was organised by a Thailand-based company called Footy Sport International.

Leading digital media company Perform Group have, medstore as expected, floated a 25 per cent stake in the agency through an IPO on the London Stock Exchange with the hope of raising around US$113m.

A notice on the sports specialist agency’s site claimed the proceeds will be used to fund organic growth and further acquisitions.

Perform said it wants to exploit opportunities posed by new digital platforms such as tablet devices, as well as expand into high-growth markets like Russia and China.

The statement read: “Underlying social and technology drivers point to further growth in the rapidly developing global market for commercialising digital sports content. The directors believe the opportunities for Perform to monetise sports content rights are significant.”

The announcement also disclosed a new management structure that will see former CEO Paul Walker become non-executive chairman, replaced by Oliver Slipper and Simon Denyer as joint-CEOs.

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The International Boxing Association (AIBA) have confirmed the suspension, as of March 8, of the Romanian Boxing Federation in a decision made by the AIBA Executive Committee Bureau, with the case submitted to the AIBA Disciplinary Commission for review.  AIBA had been informed that the Romanian Boxing Federation would hold an election, which subsequently failed to take place, for its Presidency on October 27, 2010, in order to elect a new President to replace the suspended President, Rudel Obreja.  On December 2, 2010, AIBA granted the Romanian Boxing Federation two additional months to organize an election but until now Mr Obreja continues to act as President of the Romanian Boxing Federation despite his current long suspension. The AIBA Executive Committee Bureau has therefore provisionally fully suspended the Romanian Boxing Federation, meaning that no boxers, coaches or any officials are authorized to take part in any AIBA approved or controlled events and/or meetings. Additionally, the Romanian Boxing Federation is not authorized to host any continental or international boxing events until an election for Presidency takes place and a decision by the AIBA Disciplinary Commission is made.

The president of the French Football League (FLP) Frederic Thiriez has revealed the need for calm after a report by the league’s financing authority, the national directorate of management control (DNCG), unveiled worrying financial results for the country’s top soccer clubs.

In its annual report for the year through to June 30, 2010, the DNCG announced a cumulative deficit of nearly US$180m for clubs, with Ligue 1 outfits accounting for $157.8m of the total.

The losses for the 20 clubs in the top flight were reduced to $157.8m after write-downs by some shareholders, but Thiriez is concerned that the deficit has increased from $78.9m in the previous financial year.

In an interview with Reuters, Thiriez stated: “The accounts are not good. However, it is necessary to keep our heads. This report will be submitted to the union so that it can make its observations.”

Forbes have released a list detailing the top 10 richest owners in sport, led by Indian Premier League (IPL) Mumbai Indians owner Mukesh Ambani, owner of the behemoth conglomerate Reliance Industries, his share of the business empire built by his father that he split with his brother Anil.

Ambani is the ninth richest person in the world, with a net worth of US$27bn way ahead of second placed Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov. As owner of the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) New Jersey Nets, Prokhorov is 32nd on Forbes’ list of the world’s wealthiest people with a net worth of $18bn

Third on the list is the only owner of an English sports club and another Russian in Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich. 53rd on the world’s rich list, Abramovich has a net worth of $13.4bn.

The first of five Americans in the top 10 is Paul Allen, Microsoft billionaire and owner of NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers. Allen is followed by the controversial prime minister of Italy and AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi who is the 118th-richest person on the globe  with net worth of $7.8bn.

6th to 10th list as follows; Philip Anschutz (LA Kings/$7.5bn), Micky Arison (Miami Heat/$5.9bn), Richard DeVos (Orlando Magic/$4.2bn), Charles Dolan (New York Knicks, Rangers/$3.3bn), Joe Lewis (Tottenham Hotspur/$3.2bn)

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