Cologne (Germany) and Paris (France) have been announced as the hosts of the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship.

The German-French bid received 63 votes from the delegates. The other bid with Copenhagen (Denmark) and Riga (Latvia) got 45 votes.

“It was quite a battle but the Danish and Latvian delegation always offered a fair competition. It was a nice experience to work together, sick ” said Franz Reindl, the General Secretary of the German Ice Hockey Association, who is set to assume the same role in the Organizing Committee as he did in 2010.

“We are really proud about the work done and we left a great bid behind us and hope they will bid next year,” said Luc Tardif, President of the French Ice Hockey Federation and an IIHF Council member.

The committee of the Danish-Latvian bid congratulated the winners as it now refocuses to the future.

“Germany and France were strong opponents. Sometimes 100 per cent is not enough. The team behind our bid did an incredible job. We will continue and look forward,” said Henrik Bach Nielsen, President of the Danish Ice Hockey Association and an IIHF Council member.

“We were very close to winning. I wish Germany and France good luck and success,” said Kirovs Lipmans, President of the Latvian Ice Hockey Federation. “We will meet again in Riga. I’m sure about that.”

Germany and France bid together under the slogan “together for 2017”.

Cologne is a well-known venue for international hockey fans. The Lanxess Arena played host to the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships in 2001 and 2010. The 1998-opened arena is the largest venue for indoor sports by capacity in Europe offering 18,500 seats for hockey.

The gold medal game in 2010 took place there in a highly successful World Championship for Germany. Currently placed tenth in the most recent World Ranking, the Germans finished in fourth place with the support of the home crowd. Something the Germans wouldn’t mind to repeat in the city of one million inhabitants.

“Both countries have a long hockey history and the federations are working closely together. A World Championship in Paris and Cologne offers a great chance to develop our sport in France, Germany and Europe,” said Uwe Harnos, President of the German Ice Hockey Association. “We are looking forward to create an outstanding event for all teams and their fans with a unique atmosphere.”

SmartCard Marketing Systems Inc.announced today that its licensed partner in Turkey, Soluspay, has signed a distribution agreement with Fenerbahce Sports Club for the delivery of a prepaid debit card and virtual wallet platform for its millions of fans.

Fenerbahce is the largest sports club in Turkey with over 5 million fans.  The agreement includes an estimated purchase of 5 million cards over the next 3 years.  The agreement also includes a license for Smartcard’s virtual wallet platform, VelocityMoney, and will integrate it into a prepaid debit card platform to provide innovative financial and membership services to its large fan base.  The initial project will be to replace the 310,000 existing membership cards with branded prepaid debit cards.

Mr. Aziz Yildirim, the President of Fenerbahce said that this project will bring an unprecedented level of benefits for its fans   In addition to its paid sports fan members, the club also has a total of over 700,000 paid subscribers to its cellular and internet services.

Sertac Ozinal, president of Soluspay, explained that this project was just the beginning of the cooperation between Soluspay and Fenerbahce to provide first-of-its-kind financial services to its fans.

Major League Baseball (MLB) owners have approved the sale of the San Diego Padres to a group that includes pro golfer Phil Mickelson and the two sons and two nephews of former Dodgers owner Peter O’Malley.

Commissioner Bud Selig announced the endorsement Thursday after the conclusion of the owners’ meetings in Denver.

Under the deal, the group will buy the franchise from John Moores for about $800 million. San Diego businessman Ron Fowler will be executive chairman.

The final closing of the sale will be on or before Aug. 31.

Dereck Chisora could potentially face a lifetime ban from British boxing’s governing body for his behavior before, during and after his loss to WBC champion Vitali Klitschko.

The British Boxing Board of Control said Monday it has opened an investigation into Chisora’s conduct in connection to Saturday’s bout in Munich. Chisora slapped Klitschko at the weigh-in and spat water in the face of his opponent’s brother, Wladimir, before the fight. He then brawled with former WBA champion David Haye at the post-fight news conference, leading to him being questioned at length by German police on Sunday.

The BBBC said Monday that it is investigating Chisora on a misconduct charge.

The body is looking into his behavior “prior, during and after his contest” against Klitschko, BBBC General Secretary Robert Smith said in a statement. “A further statement will be issued once the stewards have decided on what action will be taken.”

And asked whether a life ban was a possibility for Chisora, BBBC general secretary Robert Smith said: “Of course it is. The board have many powers – they can fine, they can suspend and they can withdraw a licence.

“There are many powers to them but let’s just get there first before we speculate what we’re going to do.”

Chisora taunted fellow Londoner Haye about losing the WBA belt to Wladimir Klitchko in July, leading to a heated exchange before the pair came to blows. Haye also fought with members of Chisora’s entourage, and his coach, Adam Booth, was bleeding from a cut on his head.

Haye, though, looks likely to escape sanction by the BBBC because he officially retired after his defeat to Wladimir Klitchko.

“Mr. Haye is not a licensed boxer with the British Boxing Board of Control and therefore no longer under the jurisdiction of the British Boxing Board of Control,” Smith said.

Chisora faces a charge of simple assault in Germany but was released Sunday after nearly seven hours of questioning by police. His coach, Don Charles, also faces a charge of assault for his involvement in the melee.

The pair have returned to England.

Chisora and Charles were detained at the Munich airport at 10:30 a.m. Sunday and taken for questioning to Munich police headquarters. Chisora was initially held on suspicion of assault, causing grievous bodily harm and of making a threat. Chisora was heard vowing to shoot Haye.

More serious charges were reduced when police were unable to find Haye despite searching for the boxer at his hotel.

Wladimir Klitschko said Monday he was “shocked and deeply embarrassed” by Chisora and his team.

Klitschko says “these kinds of actions …

by Ismail Uddin

To have your view on the British boxers shambolic actions, click here.

 

More people attended British horse racing events than ever before in 2011 as total attendance at race courses topped 6.15 million for the first time according to the Racecourse Association.

The previous record was set in 2004, with a more stable economy, but the latest results exceed it by 100,000 visits. 

The latest figures were reportedly helped by good weather and more aggressive promotion of the sport by racecourses, along with other initiatives designed to take racing to a broader audience.

The sport saw its highest attendances in July when over a million adults went racing to 147 fixtures. 

Children are not included in the numbers as they are allowed in free at almost all race meetings.

Of the 60 racecourses around Britain, 37 saw a rise in average attendance and improvements were witnessed in most months of the year.

In April 2011, 26 racecourses participated in a ‘try racing for free’ offer organised by Racing for Change, an industry promotional body. 

The activity resulted in an additional 63,000 adults through the turnstiles, many of whom were new customers or lapsed race goers.

In October, Ascot hosted the first-ever QIPCO British Champions Day, attracting over 26,000 visitors and saw competition between many of the best horses in the world, including Frankel. 

The sport’s growing popularity on the track was also been mirrored in TV viewing figures with both Channel 4 and the BBC reporting increases in their audience numbers. 

In 2011, 9 million viewers saw the Grand National, an increase of one million on the previous year.

Stephen Atkin, Chief Executive of the Racecourse Association commented: “I am very pleased to see racecourse attendance on the up for a third year in a row and to break the previous record is fantastic.

“Financially it is a very difficult time for people at the moment, so it is a vindication of the exemplary work being done on Britain’s Racecourses that more and more people are enjoying a day out at the races.”

Allegations of excessive pricing for construction materials for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics are to be investigated under orders from Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

The Russian Government’s Chief Auditor, cialis Konstantin Chuichenko, symptoms published a report that revealed that some prices of raw materials such as sand, crushed stone and pebble had doubled in the space of a year, forcing Medvedev to order the inquiry.

Sochi has already splashed out more than US$30bn on construction projects ahead of the Games, but fears of possible cost over-runs have prompted Medvedev to take a closer look.

Medvedev spoke of the investigation: “Apart from giving the order to the Prime Minister (Vladimir Putin), it is necessary to give the order to the Prosecutor General (Yury Chaika). 

“I would like ongoing control of this kind over the use of funds for the Olympics. Such facts must be consistently dragged out and made public.

“Discipline is one thing, and a criminal offence is another. Let them investigate.”

English rugby league club Warrington Wolves have singed a sponsorship agreement with UK-based bookmaker Betfred.com which will see the company receive significant exposure through signage advertising around the sides Halliwell Jones Stadium home ground.

David Hutchinson, Wolves’ sales and marketing controller said of the deal: “We are delighted to have Betfred.com as our partners here at the club, a major player here in the market place. It fulfils the requests of many supporters here at Warrington Wolves at this very exciting time.”

Mark Pearson, a spokesman for Betfred.com added: “It’s fantastic to have an association with the Wolves and let’s hope we are paying out a few quid to their supporters this season. One thing for sure this Super League season is going to be extremely exciting and very very close.”

mayor of Newham borough, Sir Robin Wales has stated that the cuts to council services announced by the Government could jeopardise the London 2012 Olympic legacy after labelling the settlement as “savage, wreckless and callous”.

Every council in England will have to reduce spending from April with Hackney, Tower Hamlets, and Newham – three of the five Olympic boroughs – taking the maximum cut of 8.9% along with 33 others.

Sir Robin Wales stated: “These are savage cuts being implemented by the coalition government. We are having to plan huge reductions in expenditure over the next few years.’

“The Government themselves have admitted that their cuts will be directed mainly against poorer people which means that Newham is being hit more fiercely than better off areas of the country.

“London’s Olympic bid book said the most enduring legacy of the Games must be the regeneration of an entire community for the direct benefit of everyone who lives there.

“For centuries London’s East End has been one of the poorest areas in Europe. The Games have provided a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform the lives of residents and nothing should be spared in ensuring that a lasting legacy is achieved.”

It is believed that unprotected services such as play parks, leisure centres and swimming pools most at risk from the inevitable cuts made clear surrounding the funding settlements.

“We are doing everything we can to protect our residents and the services they need and value. We want the Olympics to inspire people and raise their ambitions to be healthier and more prosperous,” he added.

“Newham has been working hard to expand participation in sport and activity through investment in our sports facilities and our promise to continue offering free swims to young people. We are providing the largest programme of free sport and activity in London. We will do our utmost to defend these pioneering initiatives and support hard working low income families.

“Inevitably, however, as we are having to make massive cuts our ability to do that will be limited. The government is already taking the axe to our school sports funding. We fear the coalition’s cuts may have jeopardised the Olympic legacy. I’m shocked at the extent of their callousness. They don’t care about the people.”

Outgoing Chief Executive of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), Nic Coward is to return his interests to soccer and the English Premier League (EPL). Coward will become the EPL general secretary and will take his position in the second quarter of 2011.

After spending the last 4 years at the BHA, Coward announced on Tuesday 14 December, that he would be leaving his post for pastures new and just a day later it was revealed that he will make the switch in sports to back to soccer.

Before becoming chief executive at the BHA, Coward had spent 5 years at the Football Association (FA). In his time at the FA, Coward held a number of senior roles including acting chief executive and corporate and legal affairs director.

It will now be the new general secretary’s duty to manage relationships with his former employers at the FA and the Football League, as well as with the world’s leading soccer governing bodies, FIFA and UEFA.

Richard Scudamore, Cheif Executive for the Premier League stated: “We are extremely pleased to have recruited someone of Nic Coward’s calibre for what is a key role on the Premier League’s senior management team.

“His wealth of experience will make him an extremely valuable asset.”

 

 

The International Rugby Board has confirmed that Georgia will host the IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy 2011 from May 24 to June 5.

It is the first time that the hosting rights to a major IRB tournament have been awarded to the Georgian Rugby Union and the selection underlines the outstanding progress that the Union has made in driving the development of the Game throughout the country since Rugby World Cup 2007.

The tournament format will follow the model that successfully delivered a compelling Trophy in 2010. The eight participating teams will be split into two pools of four with two match venues in the capital Tbilisi hosting double-headers on May 24, prostate May 28, order June 1 and June 5.

Canada, Japan, Russia, Samoa, Uruguay, USA, Zimbabwe and hosts Georgia will all be looking to lift the coveted Trophy and secure promotion to the IRB Junior World Championship in 2012.

“The IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy has grown to become a major fixture on the annual Rugby calendar, providing the participating Unions with an invaluable competition and development platform. Yet the tournament is not all about exposure for the teams, it is also about taking a major international Rugby tournament to new territories, to leave an administration legacy with the hosting Union and to deliver a golden opportunity to grow the Game,” said IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset.

“I am delighted that the Junior World Rugby Trophy 2011 will be hosted in Georgia and would like to thank the Georgian Rugby Union and the Georgian Government for their enthusiasm, dedication and commitment to hosting a tournament that will not just be successful on the pitch, but will leave a lasting legacy for growth and participation off it.”

For Georgia, the awarding of the international tournament is a ground-breaking move and will deliver the platform for the sport to continue to grow – a trend that began with the senior national team’s performances during Rugby World Cup 2007 in France which captured the hearts of the nation.

Last month Lapasset was in Georgia to open the IRB funded state-of-the-art National Academy, a centre that will oversee the development of future international stars, while the Georgian Government has committed £6 million in funding for the growth of Rugby across the country.

“These are certainly exciting times for Rugby in Georgia, which is enjoying unprecedented interest off the back of a tremendous Rugby World Cup 2007 and a successful Rugby World Cup 2011 qualifying campaign. Hosting the IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy next year will further accelerate development, administration and legacy programmes,” added Lapasset.

Georgian Rugby Union President George Nijaradze said: “This is a very exciting time for Rugby in Georgia with Rugby World Cup qualification secured for a third successive tournament creating huge interest in the country’s number one team sport. Government and IRB funding have provided two Rugby Academies in Tbilisi and Kutaisi where age grade players can get advice on conditioning, nutrition and professional sport as part of our Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD).”

“We are very pleased to host a major tournament as part of our ongoing development and look forward to welcoming the eight teams here next summer for a wonderful festival of age grade Rugby.”

IRB Tournaments Manager Philippe Bourdarias, in Tbilisi for the official launch, added: “Georgia is a wonderful setting for this key tournament which is essential for the development of players, coaches and match officials. With just 160 days to go until the tournament starts, it is shaping up to be the most competitive IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy to date and has the added incentive of being a little under four months before Rugby World Cup 2011.”

“I am sure the Georgian Rugby Union will deliver a unique festival of Rugby that will help spread awareness and interest in the Game throughout the country, attracting new players, coaches, referees and fans to the Rugby family.”

The venues, pools and match schedule will be confirmed in January 2011.

Italy won the IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy in 2010 and were promoted to the IRB Junior World Championship 2011 which they will host in the Veneto Region. The Azzurri have already given full international caps to players who won the title, including the exciting outside centre and captain Tommaso Benvenuti who made his full Test debut against Argentina in November. Benvenuti joins an illustrious list of players and match officials who have graduated from both the IRB Junior World Championship and IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy to full international test status.