Spurs Boss Harry Redknapp on Trial for Tax Evasion

Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp has appeared in court to face trial for tax evasion.

The Englishman touted as a future England manager, denies two counts of cheating the public revenue when he was manager of Portsmouth Football Club.

He appeared behind bullet-proof glass at Southwark Crown Court to face charges alongside former Portsmouth FC chairman Milan Mandaric.

The first charge alleges that, between April 1 2002 and November 28 2007, Mandaric paid $145,000 US dollars (£93,100) into a bank account held by Redknapp in Monaco, to avoid paying income tax and National Insurance.

The second charge for the same offence relates to a sum of $150,000 (£96,300) allegedly paid by Mandaric to the same account between May 1 2004 and November 28 2007.

Redknapp, 64, who underwent minor heart surgery last year to unblock his arteries, is the most successful English manager in the modern game, having led Portsmouth to FA Cup success and Spurs to last season’s Uefa Champions League quarter-finals.

Serbian Mandaric is now chairman of Sheffield Wednesday, having previously worked at Leicester City. The trial is due to last two weeks.

Judge Anthony Leonard told jurors to “leave prejudice or favour behind” as a panel of eight men and four women were sworn in.

“The defendants are two well-known personalities within the world of football,” he said. “It can prejudice if you hold such allegiances or prejudices towards clubs that the defendants were or are presently involved with.”

He said football “almost overwhelms other aspects in life” as he ordered jurors to focus solely on the charges. Jurors were also told to inform the judge if they had listened to episode of TalkSPORT radio on November 17 last year.

Inaugural Indian Grand Prix Sell Only Two-Thirds of Capacity

The inaugural Indian Grand Prix has only sold two-thirds of its 120,000 circuit capacity, race organisers have confirmed ahead of Sunday’s showpiece.

Just over 80,000 tickets have been sold for the new Buddh circuit. Race organisers still expect more tickets will be sold at a discounted rate in order to further fill the circuit.

A spokesman for race promoter Jaypee, said: “We have sold close to 80,000 tickets which is pretty encouraging considering that its the first F1 race ever in the country. Of course we would have been happier had we sold off 90 per cent tickets because ticket sales are the only source of revenue for us. But there are still a few days to go and we are keeping our fingers crossed.”

Meanwhile, drivers and teams have offered mixed reaction after landing in preparation for the weekend’s racing.

“I had a bit of a feeling that the Indians didn’t really want to see us,” Virgin driver Timo Glock told Germany’sT-Online. “I hope the fans take us closer to the heart than the local immigration authorities did.”

It also emerged that fellow German Nico Rosberg was initially denied entry to India and Lotus driver Heikki Kovalainen added that the entry process was unnecessarily complicated.

“I had to fill in about 70 pages of paperwork. It’s unreal how complicated it was,” he said.

IAAF to Test All Athletes at World Championships in Unprecedented Event

The International Association of Athletics Foundation (IAAF) have announced they will be taking collect blood samples from all athletes taking part in the IAAF World Championships in Daegu in an unprecedented anti-doping programme.

It will be the first time that a heterogeneous population of nearly 2000 elite athletes competing in a major sports event will be blood tested under the same optimal conditions, medic within the same time period.

This programme will be managed in close co-operation with the Lausanne WADA-accredited Anti-Doping Laboratory (LAD) and with the support of the World Anti-Doping Agency and a number of local partners including the Daegu Local Organising Committee, capsule the Korean Anti-Doping Agency and the Doping Center of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology.

The samples will mainly be collected at a purpose-built doping control station located in the Athlete’s village starting from 18 August 2011. The samples will be analysed by the LAD on-site in Daegu for a first haematological screening analysis and after the end of the Championships in Lausanne for further analyses.

The analyses by the LAD will focus on measuring relevant parameters (biomarkers) for individual profiling purposes within the framework of the Athlete Biological Passport.

If there are any suspicious results from the on-site screenings then this will trigger follow up tests and if the sample still comes back with a banned substance then they would be in full violation of the anti doping laws.

The new blood testing programme in Daegu is being organized alongside the regular doping controls that are collected at a World Championships. It is thought in Daegu approximately 500 urine sample shall be collected in and out of competition.

Steinbrenner on Hall of Fame ballot

Yankees owner George Steinbrenner will be on the Hall of Fame veterans committee ballot next month for the first time.

Steinbrenner was the owner of the Yankees from 1973 until his death in July.  During his ownership, the team won 16 AL East titles, 11 AL pennants and seven World Series championships.  

Also on the ballot with Steinbrenner will be former New York manager Billy Martin.  Martin had five different stints as Yankees manager under Steinbrenner, who fired him four times.

Also on the ballot will be former union head Marvin Miller, former Toronto, Baltimore and Philadelphia GM Pat Gillick and players Vida Blue, Dave Concepcion, Steve Garvey, Ron Guidry, Al Oliver, Ted Simmons, Rusty Staub and Tommy John.  Some may be surprised to know that Tommy John was not the doctor who invented the popular ligament replacement surgery, but a pitcher who was the first player to undergo the procedure.

To be elected, a candidate must appear on at least 75 percent of the ballots.  Results will be announced Dec. 6 at the winter meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

This year’s veterans committee ballot covers baseball’s expansion era.  Players, managers, executives and umpires whose significant impact was from 1973 on were considered in the first of a three-year cycle.  Under changes announced last summer, the golden era (1947-1972) will be voted on in 2011 and the pre-integration era (1881-1946) will be voted on in 2012.

Anyone elected will be inducted into the Hall of Fame during ceremonies in Cooperstown on July 24

India to Host First Ever Professional Squash Circuit

India is set to host its first professional squash circuit next month, including four Women’s Squash Association World Tour events, it has been revealed today.

The JSW Indian Squash Challenger Circuit, sanctioned by the PSA (Professional Squash Association) and WSA and scheduled for October 2014 across Jaipur, Mumbai and Chennai, marks a significant milestone for the sport in Asia.

“We at JSW have always believed that there is a huge talent pool for the sport in the country and have, through the last many years, made a strong commitment to the sport, having nurtured talent at the Jindal Squash Academy – which now has, to its credit, seven international players, 22 national players and 46 state level players,” said Mustafa Ghouse, CEO of JSW Sport, the tournament’s primary sponsor.

“A challenger series such as this will provide young talent in the sport the appropriate boost and instil in them the confidence needed to perform on an international stage,” he continued.

Tommy Berden, Acting CEO of the WSA, added: “We are delighted to welcome the JSW Indian Squash Circuit to our Women’s World Tour calendar. With the recent success of Indians Joshana Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal, two of the top players on the Women’s Tour, this initiative will go a long way in developing our sport in India and Asia.”

Current Indian squash players are excited by this newest competitive opportunity in their country. Dipika Pallikal, India’s No1 women’s squash player and winner of the country’s first squash gold medal in the Commonwealth Games Women’s Doubles last month, with Joshana Chinappa, said: “The Challenger Series is a great platform for youngsters to hone their game by playing with some of the top players from across the world, and I strongly believe that that the sport will benefit from it.

“I also hope that we are provided with more such opportunities to host international events of such calibre which can only benefit the popularity and exposure required for the growth of the sport.”

IRB Looks for Japanese Franchise to Enter Super Rugby

International Rugby Board chief executive Brett Gosper wants a Japanese franchise as the 18th team in a newly expanded Super Rugby competition.
Super Rugby will become an 18-team competition in 2016. A sixth South African side and an Argentinian franchise are already ­approved for inclusion.

The 18th team is expected to come from Asia. Japan and Singapore, ambulance whose new world-class sports hub is driving the city-state’s bid, health are the frontrunners.

Gosper said the world governing body would prefer the Super Rugby ­licence to go to Japan.

“The IRB, given there is a World Cup in Japan in 2019, we would be very happy with any part of Asia,” Gosper said. “Certainly anything that continues to gain momentum in Japan would be ­appealing for us.

“Our preference is they choose something that makes it work for the competition obviously, but ­anecdotally, Japan would be interesting for us.

“It may provide other challenges from a logistics point of view. Flights from South Africa and so on might not be the simplest option, but look at it from a purely selfish IRB stand, Japan would be interesting.

“It is a strong market. It would create greater interest in the World Cup. It would build the competitiveness of some of the Japanese players who were in that team.

“It would provide interest for the fan base there. It would be good momentum towards the World Cup and eventually the Olympics where sevens will be played next time after Rio.”

MLS Launches New Marketing Campaign ‘For Club and Country’

Major League Soccer (MLS) today announced the launch of its new marketing campaign, “For Club and Country.” 

The campaign, which will include multiple creative elements, television spots, digital advertising, social content and storytelling, will be rolled out throughout the course of the MLS season. The campaign debuted this week with a billboard in Times Square in New York, along with significant online activation. 

“For Club and Country,” created in-house, lets soccer fans know that they can watch many of the American and international stars of this summer’s FIFA World Cup play in Major League Soccer in the lead up to the biggest sporting event in the world. 

The campaign will be supported by all five of MLS’ national broadcast partners: ESPN, NBC Sports, Univision, TSN and RDS, as well as all regional MLS broadcast partners. In addition, MLS digital channels — MLSsoccer.com, MLS+, MLS’ content creation arm, and KICKTV — will play a leading role with the campaign. 

“Soccer is different from other sports in that a player can play for both club and country,” said MLS Chief Marketing Officer Howard Handler. “This campaign speaks to the fact that many MLS stars will be representing their countries this summer in Brazil at the World Cup. To prepare for the world’s most popular tournament, fans only have to look in their own backyard.” 

This campaign captures the true essence of MLS through a patriotic lens in a World Cup year. The visual elements reflect the authenticity, integrity, inclusiveness, possibility and excellence of Major League Soccer, its players and its fans, who combine to characterize the sport in the United States and Canada. 

In addition to the primarily online campaign, the “For Club and Country” thematic will be featured on television, in print and in-stadium across North America, capitalizing on the attention the World Cup will receive from North American soccer fans this summer. Running before, during and after the tournament, the campaign aims to entice fans of the world’s most popular sport to align with and support their domestic league. 

March to Brazil and the hashtag #ItAllStartsHere are additional elements to the new campaign designed to launch the season. 

“We’re at an inflection point at MLS – we’ve got magical stadiums, we’re investing in world-class players and we’re on a path to becoming one of the best leagues in the world,” said Handler. “In a World Cup year, all of these things are coming together. The World Cup will captivate hundreds of millions of fans. MLS players represent the foundation of the U.S. Men’s National Team headed to Brazil – Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan and several other stars from around the league. We’re launching a campaign and creating a lot of content to connect with as many of these fans and prospective fans as possible.”

MP & Silva Launches New Taiwan Office, Appoints New Management Team

Leading sports media company MP & Silva have announced today the expansion of its presence in the Asia-Pacific with the launch of its inaugural Taiwan office.

The new developments come after MP & Silva look to capitalise on their partnership with Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) following last month’s appointment as its exclusive advisor for all media rights sales, order as well as the production of all games.

In conjunction with the opening of its Taipei office, treat MP & Silva has appointed Country Director Jammie Chen to head the Taiwan market, in addition to Anthony Yu as Executive Producer to oversee its sports production initiatives.

Jammie is primarily responsible for overseeing MP & Silva’s relationship with CPBL, developing new commercial opportunities, in addition to business functions related to sales, marketing, production and operations. Jammie will be based in Taipei and will report directly to Beatrice Lee, Managing Director of MP & Silva, Asia-Pacific. Highly regarded for his sports production experience, Anthony’s appointment highlights MP & Silva’s commitment to partner the CPBL to showcase the league in the best possible manner with high production values.

Beatrice Lee said: “MP & Silva is focused on growing the Taiwan market, and we are delighted to have someone with Jammie’s and Anthony’s experience and expertise in the sports broadcast industry.

“We’re confident their insights will contribute to expanding our presence in the market. The availability of expanded CPBL media rights in Taiwan will introduce a new competitive edge to the sports media industry, and we believe fans will ultimately benefit from this as the real winner. With an optimistic outlook of the CPBL, we look forward to reaching new heights in partnership with the league.”

Sepang Signs New Malaysian MotoGP Deal Until 2016

MotoGP rights holder Dorna Sports has announced Sepang International Circuit will be hosting the MotoGP World Championship for a further three years, view ensuring the race will be held in Malaysia until at least 2016.

Sepang has been on the MotoGP calendar since 1999, generic will play host to the premier-class, along with Moto2 and Moto3, until 2016 for certain.

Last year the Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix attracted record spectators of 125,000 over the three days with Dorna, the exclusive rights holder acknowledging the event as The Best Grand Prix of the Year. This year, with extensive regional promotions and the unprecedented representation of six Malaysian riders, this premiere motorcycle event is expected to attract an even larger crowd with 95% of the available 80,000 tickets for Sunday’s race day already sold.

Dorna CEO, Carmelo Ezpeleta, commented: “To sign this agreement for the next three years is fantastic news for all parties involved in MotoGP. The Sepang International Circuit is a great facility that is a favourite for many reasons, and is invaluable on the race calendar. It is one of the cornerstones of the Championship’s push into new markets, and continues to draw ever-greater number of fans. I hope for many more years of exciting racing to come.”

SIC Chief Executive Officer, Dato’ Razlan Razali, was clearly delighted with the development: “The announcement of the extension could not have arrived at a better time, as SIC has been in the midst of much progress of late with the launch of the South East Asian Motorcycle Business Forum as well as the Shell Advance ASIA Talent Cup.”

Liang Wen-chong Becomes Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship Ambassador

Liang Wen-chong, sickness China’s most successful professional golfer, pills has been confirmed as the official Ambassador for the upcoming Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC), medic which will be held at Nanshan International Golf Club 24 – 27 October 2013.  As the event’s Ambassador, Liang will help promote the event across the region.

Inaugurated in 2009 as an annual event to help develop golf in the region, the AAC has rapidly become the preeminent amateur golf competition throughout all of Asia-Pacific, attracting the top amateurs from the 35 member organizations of the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC). Developed jointly by the APGC, the Masters Tournament and The R&A, the AAC’s winner receives an invitation to the Masters and, along with the runner(s)-up, advances to International Final Qualifying for The Open Championship.

Since turning pro in 1999, Liang has collected 18 career victories and in 2008 made his major championship debut when he played the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.  

“I am honoured to be the Ambassador for the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship this year,” said the Zhongshan native.  “I hope I am able to inspire the competitors to continue improving and reach their full potential in golf. This event provides a great platform for the best amateur golfers in the region as they continue to develop their skills.  No such pathway existed until a few years ago, and I hope they are able to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to further their golfing career.”

Liang, who is also a Working For Golf Ambassador for The R&A, added, “This is the fifth year of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship and competitors who have performed at the tournament are beginning to make a mark on the world stage. Hideki Matsuyama won the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship twice.  In his rookie season on the Japan Golf Tour he has already won twice this season and is in the world’s top 50. This is a tremendous achievement, and I am sure the world-class competition at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship played a part in his early professional success.”