Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has called on the nation’s Football Union (RFU) to act on the violence and ethnic tension that exists amongst Russia’s soccer supporters ahead of its staging of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Hooliganism and racism remain real issues within its domestic game and in the days after securing the tournament in December, up to 7,000 fans and nationalists rioted in central Moscow after a Spartak Moscow supporter was shot dead in clashes with natives of Russia’s mainly Muslim North Caucasus.

Putin has insisted that such incidents cannot occur in a nation staging a World Cup, stating: “I’m convinced that the Russian Football Union needs to actively interact with the public and football fan associations and organisations. We have given a promise to FIFA and the entire international community to hold the World Cup properly, based on the principles of tolerance and benevolence, and we must deliver on this promise.”

Speaking on Wednesday during a government meeting addressing preparations for the World Cup, Putin added: “I met with supporters of Russia’s leading football clubs last December. We need to involve these public organisations in the preparations for the World Cup to use their energy and positive creative potential.”

Meanwhile, Putin has ordered the Finance Ministry to report on the costs of staging the World Cup by June 1 after admitting that stadia preparation is likely to provide the major challenge.

He continued: “One of the biggest issues is the construction of stadia. It is not an exaggeration to say that this is the fundamental task in preparing for the World Cup in Russia. For some stadia, including those in Moscow, St Petersburg, Sochi and Kazan, their status is pretty much clear in terms of what needs to be done. In other regions the organising committee, along with local authorities, will have to choose sites for building future stadia that meet all FIFA regulations.”

It has been announced today, March 31, that a total of 41 projects are to benefit from a £10m (US$16.1m) lottery fund to get more university students playing sport, in a project named Active Universities.

Sport England have claimed that the projects are part of the “mass participation legacy” of the London 2012 Games, while Hugh Robertson, the UK’s Minister for Sport said it would encourage students to continue playing sport following their studies.

The highest amount awarded went to the University of Hertfordshire who received £359,579 ($578,841).

The university will use the money to get its students and those at the Royal Veterinary College and local colleges involved in a range of sports.

Sport England chief executive Jennie Price stated: “Young adults who are still playing sport when they leave university are likely to stick with it for life, so this is a good investment in the future.

“These projects have been chosen because they really listened to what students wanted, so we are confident they will succeed in increasing participation.”

Conservative MP Mr Robertson added: “This funding for 41 different sport projects across the country is exactly what our Olympic legacy promise is about – offering more opportunities for people to get involved.”

The funds have been awarded to projects across England and cover a wide range of sports.

Jacques Rogge, IOC President, stated earlier this month that sports bodies should receive a cut of betting revenues and also insisted that governments should impose tighter controls on gambling in sport, speaking ahead of a summit with government ministers, Interpol, UN representatives and betting operators.

The PFSC, chaired by UEFA president Michel Platini and comprising representatives from the European Club Association, European Professional Football Leagues, FIFPro and UEFA, released a statement via the official website of European football’s governing body yesterday, March 10, to confirm its members had “agreed a united position regarding the issue of betting”.

The statement added: “Financial solidarity depends on redistribution of revenue from the commercial exploitation of top professional football to the grassroots…(and the PFSC) expresses concern at the growing unauthorised commercial use of football competitions for betting purposes.

“(The PFSC) considers that competition organisers/clubs should have the right, including intellectual property right, to consent to their events being used by betting companies and that such companies should pay fair financial compensation,” added the statement on UEFA.com. “Such financial compensation is also essential for funding grassroots football as well as fighting match-fixing and sports fraud.”

The PFSC also stated it would urge “political authorities to adopt a concrete national and/or European-wide legislation to address these matters and to ensure a fair financial return to football”.

The Middle Eastern gulf nation of Qatar launched a new non-profit organisation yesterday, erectile March 9, price buy aimed at sharing information about security at major sports events around the world and helping them prepare to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Helmut Spahn, a former German policeman who was in charge of security at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, will head up the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) operating under an Advisory Board that includes Lord John Stevens, Peter Ryan and Rick Parry, former chief executive of the Premier League and Liverpool

The ICSS idea came Mohammed Hanzab, president of the organisation and Royal Air Force-trained former Colonel in the Qatari Air Force.

Hanzab stated: “No-body has really looked into this really seriously.

“We are concerned not to lose the people who were on board for previous events.

“In this centre our primary objective is to take the knowledge and share it with the world of sport, including federations, Governments, organising committees and event organisers.”

Hanzab went on to promise that it will be independent and not affiliated to any organisation, stating: “We want to encourage them to interact and to seek innovative and research.

“The message from Qatar is that we want to contribute.

“We are used to organising big international events here in Doha.

“We will try to get the best talent to work for the ICSS to show that we are serious.”

Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise Atlanta Braves have signed a first-of-a-kind naming rights deal with air carrier Delta Air Lines which will see the world’s second largest airline, receive branding on the parking lot closest to the Braves’ ballpark, Turner Field.

The partnership will last for three-years and under the terms of the deal, Atlanta-based Delta will re-brand the old Green Lot, just north of the stadium, home to the franchise since 1997, as the Delta Medallion Lot. A Delta Air Line marquee along with banners featuring Delta’s logo will be erected, differentiating the lot from the other colour coded parking lots around Turner Field. Additionally, the airline will have widespread branding inside Turner Field.

Derek Schiller, the Braves’ executive vice president of sales and marketing, stated: “It’s a great way to differentiate one of the best lots we have.”

Although financial details of the deal have not been officially disclosed, well-placed industry sources estimate the sponsorship to be worth around US$250,000 to $300,000.

The sponsorship deal has been agreed to coincide with a promotion of Delta’s SkyMiles frequent-flyer programme. The Medallion lot’s 600 parking spaces will be reserved for Delta Air Lines customers who have accumulated up to 25,000 frequent-flier miles in a year.

Customers who qualify to park in the Medallion lot will pay a parking fee of US$830 for a season pass, which works out to an average of US$10 per game over the course of the MLB season.

COMMONWEALTH Games Bronze medal winning weightlifter Zoe Smith has had her funding temporarily suspended by the sport’s governing body British Weight Lifting.

The 16-year-old London-based lifter has had her personal funding withdrawn until at least the end of January – although she will continue to have available support services such as physiotherapy and nutritional guidance.

British Weight Lifting staff became concerned about her commitment after she arrived at a recent training camp overweight and with no training programme.

Her lack of commitment to a structured programme was one of the key reasons why she did not take part in the European Junior Championships in November.

After careful consideration, ailment the BWL World Class Programme decided they could not continue to support an athlete who was not committed to following a structured training programme or ensuring they stabilised their body weight.

BWL Performance Manager Fiona Lothian said: “Zoe is an amazing talent but we all know that any athlete with talent still has to work hard if they are to realise their true potential.

“On World Class Programmes athletes are funded not only because they are good, unhealthy but because they are willing to work hard to become even better.”

The decision to withdraw her personal funding will be reviewed after the Tri-Nations Tournament on 12th February, ampoule and will be reinstated if training has been consistent and she has been working with the nutritionist.

Additionally, Zoe is required to commit to five training sessions per week of at least 90 minutes, and work with the World Class Programme nutritionist to ensure an optimal body weight, and be back lifting agreed weights at the Tri-Nations Tournament on February 12.

The proposal to move the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to the winter months has been backed by the world footballers’ union, FIFPro. The suggestions have been supported by various FIFA officials, including FIFA president Sepp Blatter, due to summer temperatures potentially reaching 50C in the Middle Eastern Gulf.

In a statement, FIFPro said it “does not foresee any insurmountable problems in this regard”. The event which is traditionally held in June and July may well be hosted in January for the 2022 edition.

Tijs Tummers, secretary of FIFPro’s technical committee, did however question the decision to award Qatar the tournament based on it still being held in the summer. “It is not sensible in a country with an average temperature of 41C in June and July, a midday temperature of 50C and, above all, extremely high humidity”.

“Tourists are advised not to travel to Qatar in the summer months and inhabitants leave the country en masse during this period” added Tummers. “The summer months in Qatar also do not provide suitable conditions for a festival of football such as the World Cup should be, including for the supporters.”

However Tummers did support a switch to winter in order to counter the climate issues and also stated that the player’s may well be in better condition than usual after a long European season.

“Space will have to be made for the tournament, even though many countries already have a winter break,” added the secretary of FIFPro’s technical committee. “In Europe, competitive matches will have to be played in August and the second half of May and the first half of June.

“If you look at what happened last weekend with weather problems in Europe because of heavy snowfall, you could see this as an advantage rather than as a problem. And it might, perhaps, turn out that the players will be fitter at the start of a winter World Cup than was the case last summer at the World Cup in South Africa” concluded Tummers.

Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium has appointed Nathalie Cook as its new vice-president of marketing and partnerships, it has been announced.

Cook was previously director of partnerships for the organisation, which delivered multi-platform coverage and consumer choice of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games.

Adam Ashton, president of the consortium, said: “Nathalie’s experience and passion for the Olympic Games shines through in all that she does.

“She is both a team player and born leader, whose ideas and foresight push limits to achieve maximum results in the best interest of her clients and partners.”

Cook added: “Having worked in amateur sports for the majority of my career, I truly believe in the spirit and goodwill of the Olympic Games on a global level and am proud to contribute to its legacy.

“Vancouver 2010 was a watershed moment in the media industry and I look forward to working with much of the same team and continuing the momentum for London 2012.”

Organisers of the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games have said they expect the opening ceremony to be a 60,000 sell-out, despite tickets costing up to US$1,000 each.

Chairman of the Games’ organising committee, Suresh Kalmadi, has said all tickets priced at 1,000 rupees (US$22) and 5,000 rupees (US$110) are sold-out, and he was predicting that all tickets costing 25,000 rupees (US$555) would be gone by the end of yesterday.

The opening ceremony will take place at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on 3 October and will showcase 5,000 years of Indian culture. It will include dance from across the country as well as a giant helium balloon which will float above the stadium.

Kalmadi also insisted the Games would be a success, despite widespread criticism its preparations. He said he believed the event would act as a springboard for an Indian Olympic Games bid on the not too distant future.