According to reports from the Daily Telegraph, symptoms the brother of UK Prime Minister David Cameron will represent shamed Pakistani cricketer Mohammed Asif, who faces corruption charges from the International Cricket Council (ICC).

The hearing will commence in Qatar on January 6 where Asif will be joined by compatriots Muhammed Amir and ex-Pakistan captain, Salman Butt. If found guilty, the men could face bans of between five years and life from the game after allegations were made of the trio during a Test match tour of England last year.

London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games have agreed a £37m (US$57.5m) contract to make Aggreko the official power supplier for the event. The company specialises in providing generators for major events with an impressive portfolio.

Aggreko is expected to provide around 220 megawatts of power at the London Olympics after supplying the Beijing 2008 Olympics with 160 megawatts. The Glasgow-based firm also secured its largest ever events contract by value in providing the power at the football World Cup in South Africa.

Aggreko raised profit expectations last Friday as it said work on the soccer tournament boosted first-half revenues by nearly £29m ($45m).

Turnover in the events division soared to £85m ($132.2m) from £48.5m ($75.4m) a year earlier, buy cialis helping drive a 19% rise in interim profits to £127.1m ($197.7m).

As well as the strong performance at the World Cup, doctor Aggreko enjoyed a boost in trade from the Vancouver Winter Olympics, Glastonbury Festival and the US Superbowl.

Cooper Tires is to continue as title sponsor of British Formula 3 until at least the end of 2014.

The American tyre company began its association with British F3 in 2009, when it took over supply from its affiliate brand Avon Tyres, which had previously been sole supplier to the series for 27 years, reports Autosport.

Julian Baldwin, managing director of Cooper Tires Europe, said: “Cooper’s role in British F3 is something that everyone who works at our Melksham base is very proud of – and rightly so.

“F3 is often referred to as the ‘university of motorsport’ for both drivers and engineers, and that requires a top-quality tyre that can be relied on. Over the years, our engineers have worked tirelessly to ensure that our tyres satisfy all the needs of a series that has become the world’s best.”

Lisa Crampton, general manager of British F3 promoter SRO, added: “Cooper Tires has put a huge amount into a powerful marketing and promotional programme, which has led to the success of British F3 today.

“Cooper has offered teams and drivers a high level of service and support for the past two years, and we look forward to seeing that dedication continue in the years to come.”

The Asian Games in Guangzhou would go down in history as “one of the best ever”, Olympic Council of Asia President Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah said on Saturday.

The 16th Asian Games were unprecedented in both size and scale in the 59-year history of the quadrennial event. More than 10,000 athletes from 45 countries and regions have participated in a record 42 sports ranging from archery to chess.

On the last day of the two-week-long competition, Xinhua quoted Sheikh Ahmad as telling a press conference held at the Main Press Center that the OCA was satisfied with the Chinese organizers’ work.

“The city of Guangzhou has done a very great job for the Asian Olympic Movement and for the Asian Olympic family,” he said.

“It was one of the best ever (edition) in the history of Asian Olympic Movement.”

“Our target is to make the Asian Games better, and this is our job,” said Sheikh Ahmad. “Each Games have different aims, have different situations.”

Wei Jizhong, OCA’s deputy honorary life president from China, echoed these comments.

According to Chinese news agency Xinhua, games have raised a record three billion yuan ($454 million) in sponsorship, the amount is five times the total raised by the Doha Games in 2006 and three and half times more than the sponsorship for the Busan edition in 2002.

Munich 2018 now benefits from the backing of every level of government in Germany, with the Federal Cabinet today voting unanimously in favour of the Candidature City File and offering its 100 percent support for the Bavarians’ bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2018.

Munich’s bid to host the Winter Games in 2018 has now received an unequivocal vote of confidence from the highest level of government within its home nation. The backing from the Federal Cabinet of Germany is yet another demonstration of the overwhelming cross-party support the Bid Committee enjoys at all levels of government.

Munich 2018’s main shareholder, the German Olympic Committee (DOSB), and the Munich 2018 Supervisory Board have already given their unanimous approval of the Bid Book.

Thomas Bach, President of the DOSB and Chairman of the Munich 2018 Shareholders’ Assembly, said:

‘I am very happy to have support from the government in Germany and this strong backing from the Federal Cabinet will undoubtedly reinforce the bid’s presence on the international stage.’

The bid will gain great confidence from the extensive backing by the national government at an important time, as the Munich 2018 Bid Committee prepares for two pivotal presentations: at the Asian Games 2010 in Guangzhou on 13 November and at the European Olympic Committee General Assembly in Belgrade on 26 November.

International Surfing Association re-elected Fernando Aguerre to a seventh consecutive term at its biennial general meeting in Punta Hermosa, decease Peru. Aguerre will serve another four years as president of the ISA.

He was first elected in 1994 and has since been re-elected six times.

“It is the greatest honor to have the support of all the federations and the millions of surfers around the world, adiposity ” Aguerre said in a statement.

“Helping the federations realize their dreams and plans and becoming an Olympic Sport makes me look forward to four more years as president.”

Surfing won IOC recognition under Aguerre’s tenure, a victory he hopes the sport can build on. Aguerre met with IOC president Jacques Rogge in December to discuss surfing in the Olympics. The earliest surfing could possibly join the Olympic program is 2020.

With just over three months to go until the Delhi Commonwealth Games, seek the R K Khanna tennis complex became the first stadium to be officially handed over to the Organising Committee as completed.

Union minster for urban development Jaipal Reddy said that, click despite delays and cost overruns to many of the venues for the Games, Delhi would be ready in the end. He said: “In India, we have the habit of doing everything nicely, but at the last moment. We end up doing well. Commonwealth Games has generated a lot of interest throughout the country.

“It [the Games] will attract a lot of foreign and domestic tourists. We will have the best accommodation for all classes, and the people of Delhi will be great hosts.”

The 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games will take place from 3 to 14 October.

 

Bookmaker William Hill has announced it is to start up a new telephone betting operation offshore in Gibraltar.

It said the move was in response to offshore telebetting operators and betting exchanges which “enjoy tax advantages”.

Companies based offshore do not have to pay the Horseracing Betting Levy, decease which UK-based bookmakers have to pay in order to take bets on British races.

As part of the move, cough a call centre in Leeds will be closed, and another in Sheffield will be run by outsourcer Vertex.

William Hill chief executive Ralph Topping said: “This significant change to our telephone business is a response to the challenge of competing with betting exchanges and offshore telebetting operators, all of whom have benefited from significant cost and tax advantages over UK bookmakers.

“This has made it impossible for our existing business to compete profitably from the UK.”

 

Newmarket racecourses has announced a four-year deal with online gambling company 32Red that will see it sponsor three key races on the final day of the prestigious Champagne Lanson July Festival until 2013.

The three races will be the mile-long 32Red Casino Handicap, worth US$60,000; the Group Two 32 Red.com Superlative Stakes, worth US$105,000; and the 32Red Trophy with a prize of US$120,000.

Chief executive of 32Red, Ed Ware, said: “It’s great for 32Red to be sponsoring once again at HQ and to be part of such a fantastic festival.

“We’ve been looking for a flagship race for our brand for some time and we were delighted when the opportunity to develop the 32Red Trophy came up.”

Newmarket Racecourses Director of Racing, Michael Prosser, added: “We are thrilled that 32Red have committed to an agreement that will extend over four seasons. 32Red has long been a greatly valued sponsor with us and this new deal cements our excellent relationship.

“The start of this new and exciting long-term sponsorship arrangement will help to guarantee the future prize money level for all three races for which the race conditions are unchanged.”