Jenson Button might have been the victim of an attempted kidnapping in Sao Paulo on Saturday night, according to former Formula One champion Jackie Stewart.

The Formula 1 paddock was in shock on Sunday after it emerged the reigning World Champion’s car had been approached by up to six men with guns whilst returning from Interlagos to his Morumbi hotel.

The specially trained police driver fended off the attack by smashing through traffic, with triple World Champion Stewart worrying that wallets and watches might not have been the target.

“Drug barons don’t go out to kill people but kidnap them because they are linked to rich multinational companies. In Jenson’s case that means Vodafone and Mobil,” the Scot said.

50 years ago, Cuban rebels kidnapped the then reigning World Champion Juan Manuel Fangio at gunpoint and held him for 24 hours.

Button’s father John, who was in the car with his son at the time of the attack, admitted he fears it was not random.

Rumours on Sunday suggested the attackers were alerted a few minutes before the attack that Button’s entourage had left the circuit.

“It was really weird,” said John Button, “because we were in a very small, compact Mercedes, and they couldn’t see in.”

“It looked like they were waiting for someone, so that’s a little bit worrying.”

Button’s attack was not the only security issue at Interlagos this year. A group of photographers had their cameras stolen, a radio producer was relieved of his wallet and car keys, and even the local Lucas di Grassi admitted to being mugged.

“A guy walked up to the car, tapped a gun in his belt and I handed over the watch,” said the Virgin driver.

One certainty is that Button was relieved to leave Brazil on Sunday night.

“I don’t think that’s the way to put it,” he said before the race. “It’s an epic circuit and it holds a lot of good memories. But I’ll be on my way home tonight.”

Race Team Alliance (RTA), pills a not-for-profit business league comprised of race teams participating in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, look has expanded their membership to 18 full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup teams, ampoule comprising 37 full-time entries.

The purpose of the organisation is to create an open forum for the teams to explore areas of common interest and to work collaboratively on initiatives to help preserve, promote, and grow the sport of stock car racing.

“One of the early goals of the Race Team Alliance was to expand our membership, and after only a month in existence, we have accomplished that goal,” said Rob Kauffman, the RTA’s elected chairman. 

“We now have virtually all the full-time teams participating. I think the membership as a whole is enthusiastic to get to work on some of the other items on our agenda, in particular some of the cost areas and marketing opportunities we have already identified.”

The RTA membership includes: BK Racing, Circle Sport, Front Row, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, Germain Racing, Go Green / FAS Lane, Hendrick Motorsports, HScott Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, JTG Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing, Phil Parsons Racing, Richard Childress Racing, Richard Petty Motorsports, Roush Fenway Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing,Team Penske and Tommy Baldwin Racing

The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) in the Americas confirmed that Mexico will host the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship, drugs qualifier for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. 

The FIBA Americas Championship 2015 for Men will be played in the Arena de Monterrey in the state of Nuevo Leon, denture Mexico. 

The Arena Monterrey is a coliseum that houses more than 150 concerts, shows a year, with a capacity of 17,559 spectators. The Arena has hosted two NBA preseason games. 

This continental championship already has nine qualified teams in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Cuba, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Venezuela. The tenth participant, which is a spot located for the USA, that will be locked down definitely after their result in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. 

“It is a great pleasure for us in FIBA Americas to announce Mexico as the home of the next edition of our most important event. It has been proven, with their gold medal win in Caracas in 2013 and the organizational excellence in this 2014 Centrobasket, that there is a resurgence of the sport in Mexico and we are confident that this decision will result in accelerated development of basketball in the country.”, said Usie Richards, President of FIBA Americas. 

“It is important to acknowledge the support of the Mexican Olympic Committee, in the figure of its president Mr. Carlos Padilla, the National Commission of Physical Culture and Sports (CONADE) and its General Director, Mr. Jesus Mena and Mexican national federation (ADEMEBA) that together have made this historic moment possible for Mexican basketball.”, added Alberto Garcia. “We would also of course like thank the Venezuelan Federation and the Brazilian Confederation for their interest and participation in the process.”

Cricket Australia (CA) have announced that Australia’s capital city Canberra will host the Big Bash League final. 

Manuka Oval will host the Twenty20 title decider on January 28, over two weeks before the 2015 World Cup starts in Melbourne.

BBL boss Mike McKenna explained the demands associated with hosting the one-day tournament were part of the decision, but that CA also liked the idea of a neutral venue.

“Manuka Oval has undergone significant work in recent times to upgrade facilities for fans,” McKenna said in a statement.

“We think it can provide a great backdrop to the biggest match of the tournament, while exposing a new market to the excitement of the league.”

The WACA has hosted all three BBL finals to date due to the Perth Scorchers’ success.

WACA chief executive Christina Matthews suggested her organisation was content with the change announced by CA.

“They have chosen a truly neutral venue and not another team’s ground,” Matthews said.

“It was maybe the only way for CA to have the match played on the other side of the country and it is a credit to WA cricket that they weren’t willing to take the risk for the fourth year in a row.”

Allrounder Dan Christian pointed out the potential downfall of the decision, using the example of Melbourne’s two teams playing off in the decider.

“Instead of Stars vs Renegades in front of 70k at MCG, Finch v KP will be in Canberra??,” Christian posted on Twitter.

Ticketing platform provider Paciolan has entered into a partnership with DePaul University (DePaul).

DePaul will leverage Paciolan’s online ticketing and marketing solutions, as well as the company’s Customer Relationship Management (CRM) technology for the university’s 15 intercollegiate team sports. 

“First and foremost, our goal is to provide DePaul fans the best possible technology and deliver an ideal fan experience,” said Jean Lenti Ponsetto, Athletics Director at DePaul University. “We are excited to partner with Paciolan, the industry leader in college athletics, to help achieve this vision.”

Paciolan’s online ticketing system will provide DePaul with a completely branded and hosted online box office at DePaulBlueDemons.com that enables the university to manage its individual brand and efficiently sell tickets. By leveraging the system, DePaul will provide their fans with online services and user-friendly account management, as well as ticketing features including electronic ticket transfers, the ability for fans to pick their own seat via an interactive seat map, and print their tickets from the comfort of their homes.

DePaul will leverage Paciolan’s Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution which provides a 360 degree view of each customer’s interaction with the university, including ticketing and purchase history, to enhance ticket sales at each venue and maximize relationships with each individual fan. 

“We are delighted with the ability to leverage Paciolan’s CRM system to enhance customer services each time we communicate with DePaul season ticket holders, fans and students,” said Peter Tombasco, Associate AD of External Affairs, DePaul University. “The opportunity to personalize conversations and services will help us to build lifelong relationships with our passionate fans.”

“Offering new features like online account management, pick your own seat technology, and PACMail helps to enhance the ticket buying process,” said Jay Finnerty, Director of Ticket Sales and Operations at DePaul University. “Paciolan’s ticketing and marketing technology provides us with powerful tools to better communicate and conveniently interact with our fans online.

“We are thrilled to partner with DePaul University to provide them with the technology to enhance their fan relationships and deliver superb customer service,” said Dave Butler, chief executive officer of Paciolan. “Paciolan remains dedicated to delivering industry-leading and fan-friendly technology to college athletics institutions.”

Match fixing has hit a new low after three Lebanese football referees pleaded guilty to accepting free sex from a gambling-linked global syndicate in return for rigging a match in Singapore.

A district court judge jailed assistant referees Ali Eid, 33, and Abdallah Taleb, 37, for three months, but deferred sentencing, referee Ali Sabbagh till Tuesday for whom state prosecutors said was the most culpable.

Turning to Ali Sabbagh, 34, the judge said: “I need time to consider your sentence. I don’t, for the moment, accept that you should be sentenced to six months.”

Deputy public prosecutor Asoka Markandu described Ali Sabbagh as ‘the most culpable’ among the three as he was the one approached by the syndicate and the one who persuaded the two linesmen to accept the sexual bribe.

The three men were arrested for accepting sexual favours in exchange for agreeing to fix an Asian Football Confederation Cup match on April 3 between Singapore-based club Tampines Rovers and India’s East Bengal.

They were abruptly pulled out before the match began.

The three were denied bail and have been detained at Singapore’s Changi prison since April 4.

Eric Ding Si Yang, 31, a Singaporean businessman who allegedly supplied the prostitutes, has also been charged with corruption and granted bail.

The judge lashed out at the FIFA-accredited referees for bringing disrepute to the sport, saying they were probably the first international football match officials to be charged with corruption in Singapore.

“That alone, the fact that you are international officials, in my view, is already an aggravating factor,” he said.

“The Singapore public has an interest in preserving football as a professional sport in Singapore. This is because it has social, recreational and economic value,” he added.