By Martin Laurence

2010 was a fantastic year in the world of sports with numerous major events catching the eye and imagination of fans from around the world. The World Cup was staged in South Africa, the first World Cup to be staged on the continent. Sebastien Vettel became the youngest winner of the Formula One Driver’s championship with Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber finishing third, ensuring victory for the young constructor’s team. The likes of England and India dominated World cricket with the former winning their first Twenty20 World Cup and retaining the Ashes in the same year. Europe’s golfers overcame the American’s to regain the Ryder Cup under Colin Montgomerie’s stewardship. The Commonwealth Games were shrouded in controversy prior and since the event in October in Delhi with organisers heavily criticised in their preparations to the event.

These are just a few highlights from a memorable sporting year and here will depict the world’s major sports in images highlighting their 2010!

American Football

Athletics

Baseball

Basketball

Boxing

Cricket

Football / Soccer

Formula One

Golf

Horse Racing

Ice Hockey

Rugby

Tennis

Vladimir Putin, arthritis the former President of Russia, anabolics has stated that he believes that the hosting of the 2018 World Cup will prove a catalyst for positive societal and economic changes in the nation. In the upgrading of infrastructure of the 13 World Cup host cities, pilule an estimated US$10bn will be spent, though Putin claimed that the benefits would be far greater than the cost.

Speaking on a live TV call-in show on 16 December, Putin said: “It will have an entirely positive influence on the future of the country. All of this (infrastructure development) will be left to the people and will serve them for decades. It will facilitate a healthy way of life. There will be less crime and less drug-taking.”

Putin also admitted that Sochi may have been doomed were it not to have won the 2014 Winter Games: “I hate to say it, but maybe we would never have done it (in Sochi), but now they are getting roads, gas pipes and new electricity stations,” he added.

“When we talk about the FIFA World Cup, we are talking about 13 cities,” Putin continued. “It won’t be as grand-scale an infrastructure project as in Sochi, but it still requires a lot of work on building roads, expanding airports and train stations. There is a proposal to set up express rail services between the host cities. I have every confidence that we’ll do a great job with the World Cup.”

British sports channel, symptoms Premier Sports will broadcast live Friday Night Fights and the World Series of Boxing in the UK. The Channel, health available on the Sky network, click will now make the boxing accessible, through subscription, to almost 10 million households. As of January 2011, 31 Friday Night Fight events will be broadcast live in an initial deal running for two years with the World Series of Boxing beginning prior to Christmas 2010.

Richard Webb, spokesperson for Premier Sports, stated: “Friday Night Fights are a way of life for boxing fans in America and we are thrilled to now make them available live and exclusive in the UK. It is a terrific opportunity for boxing fans in the UK to track the American boxing scene once again”.

The World Series of Boxing is a new, global team concept which will culminate in May with the finals held in Macau. The tournament is sanctioned by AIBA with the winners in each division claiming automatic qualification to the London 2012 Olympics.

Webb commented, “We have broadcast eight live fights in the last three months including Martinez vs. Williams, but on top of seeking out more monthly world class events that will grow our subscription base we wanted to provide consistent boxing to reward our loyal subscribers. We believe this move combined with the continued relationship with HBO and the developing one with promoters in America puts us in a great position to show live boxing 12 months of the year at the great value price of £6.99 per month.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank customers who have supported us during the last three months and given us the belief that regular boxing from around the globe still has a place on UK television.”

Tourism officials are predicting a sharp fall in the number of British cricket fans heading to Australia for this winter’s Ashes series, BBC reports

Numbers are expected to be down by almost half compared to 2006, with fewer than 20,000 supporters now likely to make the long journey from the United Kingdom to watch the battle for the legendary urn.

Cricketing authorities are blaming the runaway Australian dollar and economic uncertainty.

“Unfortunately we’re not expecting as many UK visitors this time,” says Peter Young from Cricket Australia.

“The huge tidal wave of UK visitors including the Barmy Army that we had four years ago is not going to be repeated.

“The twin impact of the financial crisis and the exchange rate has meant that the pound buys so much less than it did four years ago.”

The Ashes will be the biggest sporting event in Australia this year and strong ticket sales have been reported for the first three days at all five test venues, including the much-anticipated blockbuster in Brisbane that starts on 25 November.

So, the grounds will be far from empty but those stay-away England fans will be missed.

The 2006/07 Ashes series and the one-day internationals that followed pumped $320m into the domestic economy, more than both the Formula One Grand Prix and Australian Open Tennis in Melbourne.

On average travelling England fans spent more than $10,000 during their stay, a sizeable chunk doubtless frittered away drowning sorrows during a forgettable tour that saw the tourists thumped 5-0 in the test series.

National Hockey League (NHL) team Calgary Flames have signed signed a three-year deal with home-improvement retailer Rona, it has been announced.

The partnership will include the renovation of community youth facilities as well as including permanent, camera-visible, Rona branding at home team games.

Rona president and CEO Robert Dutton said: “We know that having opportunities for children to experience the pleasures of childhood sports and activities provide tremendous advantages in life.”

Flames president and CEO Ken King added: “Financial investment is important, but it’s secondary to having the right kind of partner, the kind of people that share the values that we have and the kind of people that want to do good in the community.”

There are also suggestions Rona could take up the naming rights of the Flame’s home stadium the Saddledome too, but King said: “That’s probably not in the cards immediately. But anything’s possible in the long-term future.”

Heather Reid has been named as an Ambassador for the Australian Womensport and Recreation Association (AWRA), joining inaugural Ambassador Lauren Jackson in AWRA’s campaign to get more women and girls participating in sport.

The AWRA honour is another major recognition for Heather Reid, who on Friday night was awarded a prestigious ‘Edna’ Award for her work in women’s sport and football.

The ‘Ednas’ celebrate the life and work of feminist Edna Ryan who died in 1997, aged 92, leaving a rich legacy as a social reformer and political activist. Among Ryan’s many contributions was her tireless campaign to achieve equal wages for women.

Australian Womensport and Recreation Association President, Janice Crosswhite OAM, today congratulated Heather Reid on her ‘Edna’ award and her AWRA role.

“Heather is a very fitting choice to join basketballer Lauren Jackson as an AWRA ambassador to promote a strong and healthy culture through increased participation of females in sport,” Janice said. “AWRA is lucky to have two strong women campaigning for a cause that benefits women and Australia.”

Heather’s ‘Edna’ award recognises her vision and leadership in growing female participation in football (soccer), which is the fastest growing sport for females in Australia. She was a foundation member of the ANU Women’s Soccer Club, and later in 1978 as ACT Women’s Soccer Association President pioneered women’s football competition.

In the 1980’s, as CEO of Australian Women’s Soccer, Heather helped lobby for the establishment a FIFA World Cup for women and also successfully lobbied for women’s competition to be added to the Olympic Games football program. Ten years ago, Heather became the first female to be appointed as CEO of a State Football Federation and is currently the only female CEO of a semi-professional football team, (Canberra United FC) that competes in the national W-League.

Heather said: “I look forward to forward to championing AWRA’s vision of a strong and healthy Australia by encouraging more women and girls to participate in sport, physical activity and recreation,” Heather said. “The ‘Edna’ award is special because it means that my work in facilitating change for women in football and sport in general has been recognised by peers from all walks of life.”

Sportsbetting supplier Sportech has announced that its American subsidiary Sportech Racing LLC has signed a six-year contract with American racetrack operator Penn National Gaming Incorporated.

London-based Sportech stated that its American subsidiary will now provide Penn National Gaming with ‘betting technology and associated services’ across nine states via up to eleven racetrack properties, allergy | five off-track wagering venues and an Internet and telephone service while the initial agreement also contains a pair of one-year extensions.

“We are delighted to have secured this long-term contract with Penn National Gaming, viagra cheap the largest racetrack and associated betting facility operator in the United States, find ” said Ian Penrose, CEO for Sportech. “This further strengthens our position in the United States and builds upon the international momentum following sales to the UK Tote and a contract with Danske Spil, the state-owned Danish gaming operator, earlier this year.”

Sportech stated that it has the ‘largest operations in the United States of any UK gaming company’ and processes half of all horseracing bets. It declared that this latest contract further strengthens its presence ‘in this significant marketplace’ and sees it remain ‘well positioned for future deregulation across the country’.

“We sought to enter into a partnership with a company that would bring significant advantages to Penn National Gaming in the form of improvements to the customer betting experience, increased compatibility between our properties and delivery of improved operational efficiencies,” said Christopher McErlean, racing vice-president for Penn National Gaming. “After a thorough competitive bidding process, we determined that Sportech Racing was that partner.” 

The world’s richest badminton competition of the season begins this week in South Korea.

The  Korea Open tournament starts today with the preliminary rounds in men’s and women’s singles and doubles, as well as mixed doubles.

The finals for all disciplines are scheduled for Sunday. The total purse for the tournament is US$1million.

The Korea Open is one of five Premier Super Series events run by the Badminton World Federation.{jcomments on}

The International Handball Federation (IHF) officially approved the Caja Mágica arena in Madrid as preliminary round venue of the 2013 Men’s World Championship in Spain (11 to 27 January).

After Arena Madrid had to be closed for security reasons, asthma the International Handball Federation had to switch to a new handball venue for the preliminary round of the Men’s WCh in Madrid. The new arena, “Caja Mágica”, proposed by the Royal Spanish Handball Federation (RFEBM) and the Organising Committee of the 2013 World Championship, has a capacity of 12,000 spectators and is also hosting an ATP tennis tournament.

The IHF said in statement: “As Caja Mágica had been successfully inspected by the IHF and as the city of Madrid had confirmed to fulfil all further IHF requirements, e.g. special public transportation service, updated security concept and promotion measures to promote the WCh accordingly, the International Handball Federation is pleased to officially approve Caja Mágica as new venue of the XXIII Men’s Handball World Championship in Madrid, Spain.”