The Spanish football league have begun an investigation into Deportivo La Coruna’s win at Levante last month for a possible case of match-fixing.

Deportivo won 4-0 at the Estadi Ciutat de Valencia on 13 April and League spokesman Juan Carlos Santamaria has confirmed they will look into the fixture.

Levante have issued a statement on their website saying they will “help and collaborate with any investigation.”

Deportivo, who are currently in administration and one point outside the relegation zone, scored three times during the first half.

At the interval, Levante midfielder Javier Barkero reportedly accused his team-mates of not trying, which sparked a dressing room confrontation.

“I have asked for forgiveness from everyone and especially my four colleagues whom I have wrongly accused,” Barkero said on Wednesday.

“I was wrong. I accused them of something that hadn’t happened and I want to make that point.”

Match-fixing is a crime in Spain and can lead to prison time for individuals or expulsion of a club from official competition.

The National Hockey League (NHL) have announced outdoor hockey will return to Chicago when the Chicago Blackhawks host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday, there March 1, 2014, at Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears.

The event is part of the 2014 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series, in which the NHL plans to play a number of regular-season games in outdoor facilities during the 2013-14 season. The NHL intends to announce more outdoor regular-season games in the coming weeks.

“Our fans and our teams love outdoor games and we are thrilled the 2014 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series will present a number of these experiences to a large number of our fans in a variety of National Hockey League markets,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “The Chicago game, at Soldier Field, will be a match-up of two recent Stanley Cup champions at a landmark stadium. We thank the Blackhawks and Penguins, Coors Light, Soldier Field and everyone involved in what will be a memorable, exciting and fun event.”

The Soldier Field game will mark the second time the Blackhawks will host an outdoor regular-season game. At the 2009 Winter Classic, 40,818 packed Wrigley Field, plus thousands of other fans filled the famed rooftop seats across the street from the ballpark, to watch the Detroit Red Wings beat the Blackhawks 6-4.

Former Chinese Olympic gymnast Li Ning has announced that a 25 percent stake in his namesake sportswear brand will be sold to Viva China Holding, a sports talent management and consultancy he also owns.

Li said the decision “was aimed at transforming its business model.” The sportswear company said two of its shareholders, Victory Mind Assets and Dragon City Management (PTC), have agreed to sell their stakes to Viva for US$175M.

Li is the founder of Li Ning, members of his family are the principal owners of Victory Mind Assets and Dragon City Management.

The acquisition will see Li reducing his involvement in the sportswear company.

CIC Industry Research Center’s Xiong Xiaokun said: “Li Ning will probably enter the sports-related real estate sector.”

One of Viva’s major businesses is construction of a “sport community,” which combines sports facilities and residential community development.{jcomments on}

 

A group fronted by former Los Angeles Dodger owner Peter O’Malley, his two sons, two nephews and golf star Phil Mickelson have completed the sale of MLB’s San Diego Padres.

The team declined further comment until the sale is approved by other Major League Baseball owners. The approval could come at the Aug. 16 owners meeting in Denver, according to U-T San Diego.

The purchase price from John Moores and a group of minority owners formed by Jeff Moorad in 2009 to buy the Padres is approximately $800 million, including $200 million in upfront money the Padres received as an advance payment from Fox Sports San Diego as part of a new 20-year television agreement, U-T San Diego reported.

The group includes O’Malley’s sons Kevin and Brian, nephews Peter and Tom Seidler and Ron Fowler, chief executive of Liquid Investments, according to U-T San Diego.

Moores bought the Padres 17 years ago for about $70 million.

The O’Malley family owned the Dodgers from 1950, when they were located in Brooklyn, to 1998.

clinic helvetica, sans-serif;”>The National Basketball Association season is “at risk” because of the ongoing pay dispute, according to NBA Commissioner David Stern.

Top National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) negotiators agreed to meet tomorrow to try reach an agreement. The owners’ full labour-relations committee and the union’s complete executive committee, as well as some key NBA players, will be present. The meetings could stretch into the weekend and the regular season is by no means certain to start on the scheduled date of November 1.

NBA Commissioner Stern said: “There are enormous consequences at play here. I’m focussed on let’s get the two committees in and see whether they can either have a season or not have a season. That’s what’s at risk this weekend.”

Meetings to discuss the pay dispute have been taking place throughout the week. Adam Silver, NBA deputy commissioner, said: “Whatever decisions we are now going to be making would be so monumental given the point of the calendar. I guess it’s always progress to the extent that we’re still talking.”

Indian company TransStadia has signed a ten-year, unhealthy US$5 million deal with World Series of Boxing (WSB). The deal will enable the sports infrastructure company, based in Mumbai, to own and enter an Indian franchise in the international amateur boxing championship, which was launched last year.

The company will oversee, host and manage all commercial rights of the team, which will be named Mumbai Fighters, under guidelines set out by the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA), the apex body of the sport worldwide.

Udit Sheth, managing director and chief executive of TransStadia, said the company’s “plan in India is to nurture talent, create sustainable infrastructure, contribute to the sports industry and revolutionise the perception of Sports in India.”

He added: “Indian boxers are capable of competing at the world level and we are sure our franchise will produce results. As team owners our goal is to create a culture of fitness and safety through picking up the art of boxing. TransStadia is proud to be a member of this prestigious event and we will be working very closely with AIBA and IBF to ensure the success of the Indian boxing team. The first bout is in November 2011 and we are prepared for this season.”

WSB chief operating officer Ivan Khodabakhsh said: “I am delighted that we have a Mumbai-based team competing in the WSB. From the very beginnings of the idea for the WSB, we were convinced that there is huge potential for the tournament in India. Furthermore, the global dimension of the series is an excellent platform for TransStadia to showcase its image and innovative sports solutions on the international stage.”

AIBA president Dr Ching-Kuo Wu said: “I am confident that boxing in India has a great future. The fact that India now has a franchise in the World Series of Boxing will act as a fantastic incentive for these youngsters to hone their skills, in the knowledge that a secure future awaits them in the world of AIBA boxing.”

Wu concluded: “I would like to thank TransStadia for their commitment to the World Series of Boxing. I believe that they have understood that this is a long-term project and I am convinced that their expertise in the sports industry in India will help to make this new venture a success.”

With the addition of the Mumbai Fighters and a German team, the next World Series will consist of 14 franchises across three conferences in America, Asia and Europe.

Horse racing’s largest commercial organisation, The Jockey Club, saw turnover rise by 8 per cent last year to £138m (US$226.6m).

The organisation has claimed that having provided £13m ($21.3m) in prize money in 2010, it will increase this to a record £15.7m ($25.7m) this year.

The Jockey Club’s assets include the leading group of racecourses in the UK, as well as the famous estates of Newmarket, Lambourn and Epsom Downs.

The hugely popular sport has been hit by bookmakers moving offshore and not having to pay the horse racing betting levy on the right to take bets on British races, which goes towards veterinary science, prize money, training and breeding programmes.

Simon Bazalgette, the group chief executive of the Jockey Club, admitted that this was the biggest hurdle the industry faced, saying: “Gambling’s pretty resilient. It tends to not go down as much as the rest of the economy during recessions so that’s gone well.

“The main problem for us is that although there’s £1bn ($1.64bn) that the bookmakers make out of British horse racing, they’re not paying their share of the levy to racing to keep the prize money up and that really is where legislation from the government is required.”

Last winter’s unusually bad weather also affected the sport, leading to cancelled meetings but Bazalgette claimed that, ignoring the impact of the cold weather, racecourse attendances were well up on the previous year and other areas of income, such as hospitality revenues, were also bouncing back.

Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor hosted a dinner for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Evaluation Commission yesterday, March 3, despite being forced into a cabinet reshuffle earlier in the day.

Much of the main news in the nation in recent days has been regarding allegations made against Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg that he had plagiarised sources in his PhD thesis, and he was forced to quit as a result.

Merkel made the decision to replace Guttenberg as Defence Minister with Thomas de Maiziere, previously the Interior Minister, a role which has now been taken up by Hans-Peter Friedrich. The two newly appointed cabinet members joined Merkel, along with Foreign Minister, Guido Westerwelle, in hosting the dinner – a high-powered message that the German Government are behind the bid.

“We have every chance, after the summer fairy tale we have with the 2006 World Cup to now have a winter fairy tale,” said Merkel.

The Chancellor has always been behind Munich’s bid and has also given the necessary Government financial guarantees. 

Merkel added: “I think the world would be overjoyed if we got to host the Games.

“We all – the city, the region and the nation – support the bid for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Munich and Garmisch-Partenkirchen.”

Defending Formula One world champions Red Bull Racing, have agreed a contract extension with Casio Computer Co., meaning the Japanese company will continue as an official partner in 2011.

Casio are set to use the sponsorship renewal to promote its motor sport-themed Edifice male watch range. In addition to being designated as the official watch of the team, Casio logos will appear on the overalls of world champion Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber during the season.

Casio will also feature on the nose of the car itself, believed to be a slight change from its 2010 agreement. A small logo was visible when the team launched its RB7 car in Valencia at the start of February.

Red Bull Racing’s team principal, Christian Horner said: “We are delighted to continue the partnership between Red Bull Racing and Casio, and to build an even stronger cooperative relationship than last year. We pursue a high level of technology development, innovative ideas, and speed in everything we do. I’m confident that collaborating with a brand that embodies these concepts will bring benefits to both Casio and the Red Bull Racing team.”