India’s top investigating agency has arrested a top 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games official for alleged financial irregularities.

Treasurer M Jayachandran is accused of forgery and cheating over the awarding of Games contracts, a charge he denies.

He is the third Games official to be arrested over similar charges. All were suspended from their posts in August.

Earlier this month, Suresh Kalmadi, the Games organising committee chief, quit his post in the Congress party.

He has been under investigation over claims of corruption at October’s sporting spectacular, and also denies any wrongdoing.

In August, Mr Jayachandran’s predecessor, Anil Khanna, quit after claims an Australian firm won the contract to lay tennis courts for the Games because his son headed its Indian arm.

Birmingham will welcome top athletes from around the world next summer as the city hosts another big sporting event.

The city council has signed a three-year deal with UK Athletics to bring the Aviva Birmingham Grand Prix to the Alexander Stadium.

It becomes one of 14 venues worldwide to host a meeting as part of the Diamond League.

Organisers say the events can attract 50 million TV viewers.

The Alexander Stadium in Perry Barr will join the ranks of New York, Rome, Shanghai and Monaco in staging the Samsung Diamond League meet in the summer of 2011.

The leader of Birmingham City Council, Cllr Mike Whitby said: “This is another major sporting coup for the city of Birmingham, underlining our status as Britain’s sporting city.”

UK Athletics Chief Executive Niels de Vos described it as “massive” for Birmingham.

“One of the reasons the IAAF, the International Federation, was keen to come to Birmingham was because of its reputation.

“It’s always hosted great meets.”

Commonwealth Heptathlon Champion and Birchfield Harrier Louise Hazel described it as an “amazing opportunity for Birchfield Harriers and the Alexander Stadium.”

Plans for a £12.25m redevelopment of the stadium were given the green-light in September.

They include a 5,000-seater stand with office space.

Council Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Sport Cllr Martin Mullaney said the development would be self-financing.

“What we’ve worked out is that the rent from the office space underneath [the stand] will actually generate enough money to pay back the building costs of the stand overall.”

The ICC has today confirmed that it is in regular communication with the Pakistan Cricket Board and has offered to support the PCB in its current investigations into the reasons behind wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider’s decision to leave the Pakistan team on the morning of the final ODI against South Africa in Dubai.

At the same time, the ICC has also offered Haider, who left the UAE for London, any help he needs. ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said: “Clearly this is in the first instance a team matter for Pakistan cricket but the ICC is willing to provide assistance to the PCB and the player.

“We understand his plight if reports are indeed true, but we can only help if he is willing to engage with us.”

Haider, who played a match-winning knock of 19 not out to take his side to a victory against Proteas to level the series at 2-2 in the just concluded five match ODI series in Dubai, went missing from the team hotel on the morning of Pakistan’s fifth ODI against South Africa in Dubai and resurfaced in London later the same day.

He is planning to seek political asylum in Britain after fleeing from Dubai.

The 24-year-old told Pakistan TV station Geo that he plans to seek political asylum in Britain after confirming he had received death threats for defying match-fixing plans.

Mark Gonnella joins English soccer club, ampoule Arsenal from his previous role as corporate affairs director at Barclaycard.

Gonnella said: ‘The opportunity to bring two great passions of my life – football and communications – together in my day to day work is irresistible. Arsenal has a compelling business plan for the future and effective communications will be a key part of making those plans come to fruition.’

Gonnella spent nearly ten years at Barclaycard, where he was responsible for managing Barclaycard’s reputation across Europe and the US. He also led Barclaycard’s PR activities during their sponsorship of the Premier League.

Gonnella will be responsible for creating communication programmes to extend Arsenal’s brand and reputation around the world. He will lead Arsenal’s corporate, commercial and football communications activities.

His appointment follows the departure of head of communications Amanda Docherty in September.

Bookmakers Ladbrokes has already taken four times as many mobile bets during this summer’s FIFA World Cup in South Africa, compared to the European Championships in 2008, it has been revealed.

The company has used the launch of an iPhone application to break the 100,000 barrier for mobile bets taken on a single event for the first time.

Ladbrokes said the upturn in the market was down to the amount of people who now own smartphones, allowing customers quick and easy access to betting opportunities from any location.

According to the company, its iPhone application has helped mobile internet overtake traditional telephone betting for the first time at a major football tournament.

Betting turnover on Ladbroke’s mobile channels has doubled over the past 12 months, with a six-fold increase in the number of customers that bet exclusively via mobile internet.

Ladbroke’s managing director of Remote Betting and Gaming, John O’Reilly, said: “Mobile betting and gaming is a significant growth area and smartphones, especially the iPhone, have dramatically improved the user experience.

“We’re delighted to be the first major bookmaker to launch a full betting application in the app store and we’ll follow this World Cup product with a range of other applications tailored to different betting and gaming audiences – the first being a tailored application for the next domestic football season.”

USA Rugby, arthritis the national governing body for the sport of rugby in the United States, today announced a new partnership with the global leader in sports, fashion and media, IMG.

The 10-year agreement with IMG will focus on the branding and marketing of USA Rugby’s Collegiate National Championship weekend as well as USA Rugby’s College 7s National Championship. While USA Rugby has been pleased with the recent improvements in competition, live stream production, and host venues for the Men’s D1A and Division I-AA Championships, as well as Women’s DI and DII Championships, aligning with IMG will further the positive growth and exposure of these events.

“USA Rugby and IMG will make a powerful team in transforming our National Championships into the ultimate competition in the United States for college rugby,” said USA Rugby Collegiate Director Rich Cortez. “IMG’s association with the development of major athletic events speaks volumes of the strategic direction and possibilities of college rugby in America.”

“IMG is thrilled to form a long-term relationship with USA Rugby,” stated IMG Senior Vice President Jay Ogden. “Our global footprint and knowledge of event and commercial management will help strengthen USA Rugby’s presence in the U.S. and ensure student-athletes enjoy the highest level of competition.”

The collaborative marketing and promotion of USA Rugby’s College National Championships will begin immediately, and will aim to positively enhance both the Men’s and Women’s 15s and 7s National Championships beginning in the spring of 2015.

“We are delighted that IMG chose to support rugby at this important and exciting time for the game,” said USA Rugby CEO Nigel Melville. “Combining these strengths will enable us to build a superb National Championship competition in both 7s and 15s – National Championships that are open to all and where the best programs each year can compete for the honor of being crowned National Champions.”

Mixed Martial Arts promotion, viagra Bellator MMA has agreed a partnership with licensing agency, medstore All-American Licensing & Management Group (AALMG), mind to develop a line of uniquely designed lifestyle products including a collection of apparel and accessories; video, interactive and mobile games; sports and fitness equipment; and nutritional products and workout gear.

“As the Bellator brand continues to grow exponentially, securing an innovative licensing partnership was vital,” Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney said. “AALMG’s experience, expertise and industry leading knowledge of sports licensing made them the perfect fit.”

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to be working with Bellator, an organization that is committed to the integrity and purity of MMA making it the most dynamic sporting event company in the industry,” says Michael Gottsegen, co-founding partner of AALMG. “This alliance will bring to a rabid fan base a variety of cool and unique products that they’ve never seen before,” said Gottsegen.

Bellator just completed its highly anticipated ninth season, which featured the Bellator debut of MMA icon Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, along with a host of World Title fights including MMA superstars Eddie Alvarez, Michael Chandler, Daniel Straus and Pat Curran. The season averaged over 750,000 viewers per week, making it the highest rated MMA promotion on cable, trumping the UFC.

“As their recent ratings have shown, Bellator MMA is truly the fastest growing combat sports’ promotion in the world. The product concepts that we’ll be introducing will be perfectly targeted to the growing base of Bellator MMA fans,” stated AALMG Partner Al Ovadia.

UCI World Tour’s Team Sky have been awarded a new three-year licence after the International Cycling Union confirmed the make-up of cycling’s top division for next season and beyond.

Ten teams were already licensed for 2014 and eight more licences have been handed out, with Team Sky, Astana, Movistar and Orica-GreenEdge secured for the next three seasons.

Lampre-Merida have been handed a two-year licence and there was confirmation that Team Europcar are moving up to WorldTour level, also for the next two years.

To round out the 18 top-division teams, Argos-Shimano and Trek Factory Racing, formerly the RadioShack-Leopard team, have been granted registration for the 2014 season.

Ag2r-La Mondiale, Belkin, BMC Racing, Cannondale, FDJ, Garmin-Sharp, Omega Pharma – Quick-Step, Katusha, Tinkoff-Saxo and Lotto-Belisol had already received their licences.

A further 16 teams already knew they would be in the second division of teams, including Cofidis, IAM Cycling and MTN-Qhubeka, and they have been joined by a 17th team – the Bretagne-Seche Environnement squad, from France.