Brazil’s overcrowded and outdated airports could be an embarrassment for the country when it stages the 2014 World Cup, the country’s sports minister said on the opening day of the Soccerex Global Convention in Rio de Janeiro.

Orlando Silva warned that not enough progress was being made in improving airports in the vast country which depends almost exclusively on air transport for long-distance travel.

“Today, I have a very strong concern about our airports,” Silva told reporters during the Soccerex conference.

“When we think about an event of this size and that Brazil is almost a continent, and that you can only travel around by plane, then we realise that this is the biggest risk for the 2014 World Cup.”

Brazil has almost no long-distance passenger trains while many main highways are in a dilapidated state.

Twelve cities will host matches, many of them thousands of kilometres apart.

The longest distance between venues, Porto Alegre in the south and Manaus in the Amazon region, is roughly 4,500 kilometres.

A recent report by the consulting firm McKinsey and Co said that, at the end of 2009, seven of Brazil’s 20 principal airports were struggling with overcrowding in both passenger areas and plane berths, frequently leading to delays or cancelled flights.

The report said Brazil’s airports had capacity for 126 million passengers per year, with existing demand of 111 million that is expected to rise to 146 million by 2014.

During the Cup alone, McKinsey said as many as 6 million additional travellers would pass through Brazilian airports.

The government expects to invest 6.5 billion reais in airports by 2014, including about 5.5 billion reais for those in the 12 host cities.

However, Silva said progress has not been quick enough and criticised the government’s airport authority Infraero.

“I think Infraero will have to change its conduct, behaviour and attitude, otherwise Brazil could suffer embarrassing situations in 2014,” he said.

Brazil’s airport safety conditions have improved since a 2007 crash that killed almost 200 people when a plane skidded off a runway in Sao Paulo’s Congonhas airport.

But critics say investments have still not kept up with demand.

Passenger traffic jumped 28 percent in the first half of 2010 from a year earlier, according to Brazilian civil aviation authorities.

Brazil was chosen in 2007 to host the tournament which was earmarked for South America by FIFA under a short-lived rotation system which also brought this year’s World Cup to Africa.

Airports are not the only worry with rampant crime and social problems also a concern especially in the biggest cities.

One big name visitor to Soccerex is confident that crime will not be an issue adversely affecting Brazil’s sporting attraction to overseas visitors.

Former Dutch football legend Ruud Gullit, in Soccerex as president of the Holland-Belgium 2018 World Cup bid, says he sees similarities with Brazil’s position and that of South Africa this summer.

“There were similar warnings about crime and violence and people making judgements, but there was no violence,” he says.

“But the tournament gave South Africa a boost, and that can happen in Brazil, with things like infrastructure developments.

“And if Brazil can attract tourists from around the world, it can help build the country.”

The head of the Asian Winter Games in Almaty has been replaced after officials inspecting sporting facilities last week found them unsatisfactory.

Sultanbek Syzdykov was chosen on Monday to replace Sultanmakhmut Shokbytov, ed who was named the Almaty Directorate of the Asian Games in January 2010 to oversee the construction of sports facilities, the Kazakh daily newspaper Kazakhstan Today (KT) reported.

Shokbytov will continue to work in the directorate, Kazinform.com reported.

The VII Winter Asian Games, to be held in Astana and Almaty, will begin January 30, 2011 with opening ceremonies in Astana.

The new Almaty Directorate must ensure that all the stadiums and athletic facilities for the regional event will be completed on time, KT reported.

Over 10,000 foreign visitors are expected to descend upon Almaty alone during the games, which will last until February 6, 2011. The total budget for the 2011 Asian Winter Games is anticipated to exceed $1 billion.

Kazakhstan was chosen in 2008 by the Olympic Council of Asia, which organizes the games, to host the 2011 event.

A Florida appeals court has upheld a previous ruling that broadcaster ESPN did not defame legendary boxing promoter Don King.

An episode of ‘Sports Century’ shown on the channel included allegations that King cheated a hospital out of money from a benefit fight, owed money to boxer Meldrick Taylor and threatened to have him killed, and convinced doctors to invest in a film on King’s life that was never made.

King subsequently sued ESPN, ABC and Disney for defamation, but the case was dismissed when it was found he failed to present evidence that the network acted with actual malice, a legal requirement when proving defamation.

King appealed the initial decision, saying emails between ESPN producers showed they wanted to portray him as  a “huckster”, a “thug” and an “evil mob-connected guy”.

However, the original ruling was upheld, with Judge Dorian Damoorgian saying in his decision: “Nothing in the record shows that ESPN purposefully made false statements about King in order to bolster the theme of the programme or to inflict harm on King.”

Ticketing provider Paciolan has announced that the University of Cincinnati has extended its partnership with the company.

Cincinnati will continue leveraging Paciolan’s industry-leading ticketing and marketing solutions, and in conjunction with the renewal, the university has upgraded Paciolan’s Access Management system and implemented the company’s Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform. Cincinnati has been a Paciolan partner since 1990. Paciolan is a subsidiary of the Philadelphia-based sports and entertainment firm Comcast-Spectacor.

“It is a pleasure to continue our partnership with an industry juggernaut that represents our industry on a national scale,” said Mike Bohn, Director of Athletics at the University of Cincinnati. “Within the college athletics landscape, Paciolan is the only one that serves the majority and provides the platform and services for Cincinnati to be the best it can be.”

Cincinnati will continue to leverage Paciolan’s eVenue online ticketing solution to efficiently sell tickets in real-time at GoBearcats.com. Using the website, fans are able to purchase and renew tickets, and manage their accounts online in a fan-friendly interface. The online box office also provides Cincinnati fans with the ability to select tickets via interactive pick your own seat maps for football and basketball events, along with the option to print their tickets from home.

With the renewed partnership, Cincinnati upgraded Paciolan’s Access management technology to allow the university to provide its fans and students with mobile ticketing and delivery. Beginning with the 2014-15 men’s basketball season at Fifth Third Arena, Bearcats fans will be able to bypass will call lines and enter the venue upon arrival with 2D barcoded tickets on their mobile devices. In addition to using the Access solution at Fifth Third Arena, Cincinnati will implement the technology for the 2015 football season at Nippert Stadium after its renovation and expansion during the 2014 season.

“We partner with Paciolan, in part because of the technology, but also because they offer a full suite of options for us to use such as their marketing services,” said Brad Wurthman, Associate Athletics Director, Marketing and Strategic Communications at the University of Cincinnati. “In an age where sports marketing in college athletics is changing rapidly, we have to be cutting edge and Paciolan provides that platform for us to do so.”

“We are thrilled to extend our partnership with Cincinnati Athletics and continue to provide them with a robust suite of tools and a platform to achieve their goals,” said Dave Butler, Chief Executive Officer of Paciolan. “Paciolan is eager to help our partners grow and expand their business while remaining committed to improving their fan and customer experiences through leading technology.”

First Commitment International Trade Ltd. (FCIT), a private entity based in Hong Kong, has agreed a CHF 35 million ($39m) deal to support the International Boxing Association’s (AIBA) global marketing company, the Boxing Marketing Arm (BMA).

At its 2014-2015 Executive Committee Meeting, currently being held in Istanbul, AIBA reviewed several investment offers and finally approved FCIT as a partner for AIBA and BMA due to the company’s solid business portfolio and obvious passion for sport. 

The AIBA President and the BMA Board Chairman, Dr Ching-Kuo Wu, expressed his delight at the new partnership. He said: “It is a great step forward in the success of our global boxing project and the development of AIBA. We are grateful for the insight and belief that FCIT Chairman, Mr Di Wu, has for the potential of boxing in the future. 

“I am especially pleased to have a partner and investor with a proven record of business success who will provide us with great value above and beyond the investment fund.” 

AIBA’s recent revolutionary programs, the World Series of Boxing (WSB) and the much-anticipated AIBA Pro Boxing (APB), offer a fantastic and fruitful opportunity for FCIT’s plan to expand globally in the sports industry, something which the company was eager to exploit. 

As a part of the investment, FCIT will be the exclusive representative for all BMA China businesses which are located in the Greater China territories, including mainland China and the People’s Republic of China Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau. 

“We have always believed in the rapid growth of businesses in the sports industry and boxing has that potential,” said FCIT Chairman. Mr Di Wu. 

“In addition to its elite level programs, we believe that there is great potential for success in AIBA Pro Boxing and the World Series of Boxing both in terms of short-term revenue generation and long-term asset values.” 

BMA will be instrumental in generating all revenues necessary for AIBA to build structured platforms for further achievement by maximizing the commercial rights of AIBA Open Boxing, APB and WSB programs and will therefore support the growth and success of global boxing at all levels.