British politicians have denounced a union leader’s threat of strikes to disrupt the Olympics as “completely unacceptable and unpatriotic”.

Len McCluskey, general secretary of Unite, told The Guardian that unions could stage industrial action as part of their campaign against Government cuts.

He called for the public to engage in civil disobedience to defend public services during the fortnight of sport this summer.

Mr McCluskey said no precise plans had been drawn up for action during the London Games, but added that they “absolutely” could include strikes.

“The attacks that are being launched on public sector workers at the moment are so deep and ideological that the idea the world should arrive in London and have these wonderful Olympic Games as though everything is nice and rosy in the garden is unthinkable. Our very way of life is being attacked,” he said.

“I believe the unions, and the general community, have got every right to be out protesting. If the Olympics provide us with an opportunity, then that’s exactly one that we should be looking at.”

Responding to his comments, Prime Minister David Cameron’s official spokesman said: “The Olympics are a great opportunity for this country to show everything that is great about the United Kingdom and advertise ourselves to the world.

“It is completely unacceptable and unpatriotic what he is proposing. Most people in this country, including members of that union, think the Olympics is a great occasion for the country and wouldn’t want to see anything happen that would disrupt it in any way.”

Mr McCluskey’s comments were also condemned by Labour leader Ed Miliband, whose party is largely funded by union donations.

“Any threat to the Olympics is totally unacceptable and wrong,” said Mr Miliband. “This is a celebration for the whole country and must not be disrupted.”

Mr McCluskey said no precise plans had been drawn up for action during the London Games, but added that they “absolutely” could include strikes.

“The attacks that are being launched on public sector workers at the moment are so deep and ideological that the idea the world should arrive in London and have these wonderful Olympic Games as though everything is nice and rosy in the garden is unthinkable. Our very way of life is being attacked,” he said.

“I believe the unions, and the general community, have got every right to be out protesting. If the Olympics provide us with an opportunity, then that’s exactly one that we should be looking at.”

Mr McCluskey said his union had not yet discussed “the specifics” of how workers could target the Olympics, but said they were looking at what “leverage points” the Games offer – such as bus services.

He added: “Now nobody has made any decisions yet and, of course, it would be nice if we were able not to disrupt such a prestigious event as the Olympics.

“But by the same token, people have to understand that we are fighting for our heritage here.

“Our parents and our grandparents, having defeated fascism in Europe, came back determined to build a land fit for heroes. They gave us the welfare state, the National Health Service, universal education.

“All of that is being attacked. I, for one, am not prepared to stand by and have my children or grandchildren say to me, ’What did you do when this was being taken away from us?’

“When you say what can we do, and the likes of the Olympics, I’m calling upon the general public to engage in civil disobedience.”

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg urged Mr Miliband to “rein in” the union boss.

“I just think people will be gobsmacked, appalled, that someone thinks that at a time when we are finally hosting one of the greatest events in the world, he is calling for civil disobedience,” Mr Clegg told ITV Daybreak.

“I know he is the sort of paymaster of the Labour party but I hope Ed Miliband will rein him in.”

Conservative Party co-chairman Baroness Warsi said she too was “shocked” by Mr McCluskey’s comments and called on Mr Miliband to act.

“This is an appalling display of naked self-interest by Labour’s biggest financial backer,” she said.

“The London Olympics will be a great occasion for this country. It is disgraceful for a trade union boss to be calling for mass disruption when the eyes of the world will be on Britain.”

Harriet Harman, Labour’s deputy leader spoke to Mr McCluskey this morning to tell him his threat was “absolutely wrong”.

Ms Harman said: “Len McCluskey is absolutely wrong to even float the notion that there should be any trade union disruptions or anything that would disrupt the Olympics.

“The Olympics are going to be a fantastically important thing for London and the whole country. It is inconceivable that trade union members would want to disrupt something that they’ve been very much a part of.

“I have spoken to Len McCluskey this morning and said that both Ed Miliband and I think he is wrong and we think that he shouldn’t even have been floating the prospect.

“We all need to be rallying behind the Olympics. It is going to be an important opportunity for Britain and is going to affect our jobs, our economic growth in the future and the prosperity of this country.”

Betsafe have signed a three-year deal to become a major sponsor of the Danish soccer league, medic just months ahead of the country’s market opening up.

The company will become the third main sponsor of the Danish Superliga as well as the title partner of the second tier of Danish soccer, which will be renamed the Betsafe Liga.

The contract will be activated once Betsafe has received its licence under the forthcoming Danish legislation being introduced. The Danish government reassured the industry in January that licensed operators would be active in the market by the autumn.

Richardt Funch, Betsafe’s country manager for Denmark, told EGaming Review that the deal would give the company “a unique strategic platform” for the introduction of the Danish legislation.

He added: “This deal will send a clear signal to the industry that Betsafe has very high ambitions and will become a significant operator in the future Danish betting market.”

The Spanish broadcast rights to carry UEFA Champions League action in the nation have been renewed by TVE and TV3 for the period of 2012-15.

State broadcaster TVE and TV3, a regional public network in Catalunya, tabled a joint bid for the free-to-air rights in Spain after Digital+ acquired the pay-TV Champions League package for the same three seasons.

The free-to-air rights comprise the 16 first-choice live matches on Tuesdays as well as the UEFA magazine programme and highlights on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. TVE’s website, www.rtve.es, and TV3’s www.tv3.cat and www.esport3.cat online platforms will also be able to air action.

UEFA Events marketing director Guy-Laurent Epstein stated: “In the current rights cycle, both TVE and TV3 have shown commitment to elevate the UEFA Champions League’s position even further as forerunner in club football worldwide.

“We are pleased to continue our relationship with both broadcasters for the UEFA Champions League. The high quality of their programming will ensure that Spanish fans will continue to enjoy watching the top European teams competing on the highest footballing stage,” he added.

According to the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics organising committee (VANOC), the event broke even in relation to the final budget.

VANOC spent US$1.86 billion to stage the Games which was a significant increase from the original budget of $1.61 billion over the three years in the run up to the Games.

During the first quarter of 2010, hotel revenues were increased by $128 million than normal in Vancouver and Whistler at that time of year with revenue from restaurants and bars up around the same amount for the period.

John Furlong, chief executive of VANOC stated: “The true measure of the 2010 Winter Games is not strictly financial, but a positive financial outcome is something we are very proud of in the story of the Games’ success. It is a key result we committed to and, through a true team effort, we have achieved it under some very challenging circumstances.”

91% of revenues came from corporate sources, but taxpayers also helped to support the Games according to VANOC, with both the provincial and federal governments providing financial assistance in the months leading up to the Olympics. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) also pledged to cover any budget deficit.

American National Football League (NFL) side, the St Louis Rams has a new official airline after Delta Air Lines signed a two-year deal to replace American Airline.

The deal between the previous partner, American Airlines has not been renewed after 20 routes between Lambert – St Louis International Airport were cut from their operations.

Delta will now be responsible for transporting the Rams players and staff to all away games in the NFL calendar. In return the airline will receive signage during the Rams home games as well as in the matchday programme and on the teams official website.

Bob Reif, the Rams’ executive vice president of sales and marketing stated, “We appreciate Delta’s commitment and growing presence in the St Louis market and look forward to a long partnership”.

Senior vice president and chief financial officer at Delta, Hank Halter added: “This partnership demonstrates Delta’s ongoing commitment to St Louis as we continue to invest in the market with new service and enhanced facilities for our customers.”

LG Electronics along with the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), pills the official sanctioning body of professional golf in India concluded the high profile ‘LG Race to Ireland’ a unique Pro-Am format golf tournament. The tournament, which was held from November 3 – 7 at the Jaypee Greens Golf Resort, Greater Noida, saw high quality strategic golf by professional golfers along with industry leaders and corporate honchos. The winning team received a lifetime opportunity of competing at the Pro-Am of the prestigious Irish Open with, all expenses paid.

The announcement of LG race to Ireland made last week through a press conference saw the presence of H.E. Mr. Kenneth Thompson, the Ambassador of Ireland which was followed by a gala dinner, announcing the teams and celebrating the opening of the game. The gala dinner attended by prominent socialites such as Kapil Dev and Suhel Seth, had an enthralling performance by celebrated entertainer Ash Chandler and an by renowned Jazz artist Sonam Kalra. The tournament concluded on the morning of 7th Nov, 2010 with the announcement of the winners.

Mr. L K Gupta, Chief Marketing Officer, LG India, said, “LG’s foray into the elegant world of Golf is to reinforce its premium positioning and brand building in the Indian market. The company will focus to build this event over the years to provide a strong platform to bring together the best talent from professional golf and the corporate boardrooms.”

Key highlights of the game:

– The game saw India open winner C Muniyappa and PGTI regulars Mahesh Kumar and senior professional Gaurav Ghei participate in the tournament.
The PGTI 1 team comprising of professionals Amandeep Johl and Arjun Singh and amateurs Mr. Kapil Dev, Ms. Nooraine Fazal and Mr. K K Bajoria won the LG Race to Ireland Pro-Am at the Jaypee Greens golf course on Sunday.

Mr Padamjit Sandhu, Director, PGTI said, This event was a success, and it helped us to bring the best professional and amateur golfers on the same platform. I am sure the winning CXO have learnt to strengthen their team work and strategise. We are confident that the LG-PGTI partnership will help create high value and strong growth platforms for the sport of golf in India.”

THQ and World Wrestling Entertainment have signed a “new, comprehensive marketing agreement” that greatly expands the alliance between the two companies. The expanded deal includes product placement, social media and experiential marketing at WWE events.

Financial terms of the pact were not disclosed. The new alliance builds on THQ’s exclusive eight-year deal signed this past December to make and market WWE-based videogames. THQ first signed a licensing deal with WWE in 1999, but was involved in legal disputes with other gaming companies until the latest deal took effect in January 2010. Industry analysts said that from 2000 through 2009 the THQ-WWE alliance has generated more than $1.4 billion in sales.

According to the videogamer and wrestling-based entertainment company, THQ-developed, WWE-branded videogames will be integrated into domestic and international events, pay-per-view and TV sponsorships, magazines, WWE.com, WWE DVDs as well as other elements. In addition, for the first time, THQ will host interactive gaming kiosks at 40 WWE live events.

This significantly expands THQ’s previous marketing efforts that were concentrated around the launch of individual WWE video games.

“This strategic marketing agreement reflects the benefits of working more closely with WWE to maximise the interactive entertainment experience for fans of this leading sports entertainment brand.”THQ president and CEO Brian Farrell said in a statement.

According to WWE COO Donna Goldsmith, “We are pleased to move our partnership forward in a broader, more comprehensive way. Working together, we plan to give our fans more access to all of the great interactive entertainment being created by THQ, as well as develop robust promotions to increase awareness of all WWE platforms.”

Source: Reuters – Switzerland is considering closing a loophole for sporting bodies in its anti-corruption law following allegations of bribery among FIFA officials for World Cup bids.

Social Democrat Anita Thanei, who heads the Swiss Parliament’s legal committee, said she would launch a parliamentary initiative for the anti-corruption laws to be amended.

“I expect the measure will find broad support,” she said on Tuesday.

“International sporting bodies are acting in the public interest, which is why the public is legitimately bothered when such cases are not punished.”

Defence minister Ueli Maurer, who also oversees sport, said the justice ministry would look into the matter.

“It’s about corruption, it’s possibly about money laundering, it’s about fixing bets, touches doping too,” he told Swiss television news late on Monday.

Since the accusations surfaced last week, soccer’s world governing body FIFA has promised a zero tolerance approach to unethical behaviour in the contest to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Officials from international sport organisations are not currently covered by Switzerland’s anti-corruption statutes.

But politicians have called for action following news last week that two members of FIFA’s executive committee were provisionally suspended on suspicion of selling their votes.

Switzerland is home to dozens of international sport organisations who choose it as a base for its favourable legal framework and tax regime.

In addition to FIFA, European soccer confederation UEFA which is based in Nyon and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), housed in Lausanne and which was tainted by a vote-selling scandal involving the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in 2002, are also located there.

Andy Hunt, order chief executive of the British Olympic Association, cough will serve as the Great Britain chef de mission at the London 2012 Olympics.

Hunt served in the same role at the Vancouver Winter Olympics earlier this year, stuff a decision that raised eyebrows considering his previous working experience had been entirely in the business sector.

He will be supported by five deputies, including long-serving BOA employee Mark England – who takes responsibility for operations and the Olympic village – and Craig Hunter, who served as the England chef de mission at the recent Commonwealth Games and will have control over the team preparation camp.

Former Rugby World Cup winning coach Sir Clive Woodward, who many thought may take the role when Simon Clegg quit the BOA in late 2009, is one of three deputy chef de missions for sport.

He will be joined by Tanya Crook, the BOA’s recently-appointed head of summer sport engagement and Jan Paterson, the chief executive of the British Olympic Foundation and the chef de mission for this year’s Youth Olympic Games in Singapore.

Britain finished fourth on the medal table in Beijing and have long stated that is also their aim for London 2012, where the team is expected to be nearly 500-strong.

“It gives me great confidence to be surrounded by such a strong and talented leadership team – all experts in their fields,” said Hunt.

“There is a tremendous depth and wealth of Olympic Games and sports performance focused experience across the team. The distinct roles that we have developed will provide performance benefits that come from perfecting every aspect of delivery.

“We are not underestimating the challenges and benefits of competing in an Olympic Games on home soil.

“As an organisation we have oriented ourselves to Games delivery mode already now in order to create a seamless transition from pre-Games to Games time in 2012, when Team GB’s ambition will be to make the nation proud and inspire future generations with their performances.”

Prize money for the US Open tennis championship will top US$22.6 million this year, an increase of US$1 million compared to 2009, the US Tennis Association has announced.

Both the men’s and women’s singles champions will collect a record US$1.7 million, as well as an additional bonus of up to US$1 million based on their performances in the US Open Series.

This year’s competition includes a 6.7 per cent increase in men’s and women’s singles prize money over 2009.

The US Open begins on 30 August at Flushing Meadows, New York.