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World Sports News Roundup
China:
Nanjing to host Youth Olympics 2014
Nanjing has been elected host city of the Summer Youth
Olympic Games in 2014, receiving 47 votes to edge out
Poznan, Poland, which received 42 votes at an IOC meeting in
Vancouver. 3,600 athletes ranging in ages from 15 to 18 are
expected to compete at the Summer Youth Olympic Games.
USA:
Plan to introduce New York F1 race by 2012
Bernie Ecclestone has stated that he would like to host a grand
prix in New York by 2012, sighting the New York skyline as the
perfect backdrop: ‘I’m trying for 2012, opposite Manhattan in
New Jersey with skyscrapers in the background. Fifteen minutes
from the centre of New York to the circuit.’ he said.
Nine circuits have previously staged an F1 race in the United
States – the last one being Indianapolis in 2007.
UK:
London to bid for 2015 World Champs
London is among three cities in the running to host the 2015
World Athletics Championships, the International Association
of Athletics Federations have revealed. The other two cities to
challenge for the right to stage the IAAF’s flagship event are
Beijing and Polish city Chorzow. The chosen city will be revealed
in November. The World Athletic Championships is held biannually
and will be hosted by Daegu in South Korea next year and in
Moscow, Russia in 2013.
Africa:
2010 Africa Cup of Nations UNINSURED
The UK’s Sunday Times Newspaper has reported that most of the
footballers that played at the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations were
uninsured by their national associations for “catastrophic” events
such as terrorist attacks and kidnapping.
The responsibility for that type of insurance would therefore fall on
individual clubs. In the event of an incident such as the one when
gunmen shot at a bus carrying the Togo squad — killing three
people and injuring six others, including two players — Premier
League players would not be able to claim compensation from
their associations. Neither, in the event of a fatality or a career-
ending injury, could their clubs claim for the loss of assets, worth
large sums of money.
The tournament of 16 nations was held in Angola, where it
began on 10 January 2010 and concluded on 31 January. The
withdrawal of Togo after the terrorist attack reduced the number
of participating nations to 15. Egypt won the tournament, their
seventh ACN title in history and an unprecedented third time in a
row, beating Ghana 1–0 in the final.
The English Football Association are believed to be the only
governing body in the world who routinely cover all of their
players on international duty. If a player is injured or otherwise
incapacitated while with England, the FA’s policies allow payments
to the club of up to £100,000 a week for up to 100 weeks.
India:
2010 Commonwealth Games Security
Australian Olympic triple gold medallist Stephanie Rice may not
go for gold at the Commonwealth Games in India because of
security fears. The swimmer has deferred her decision on whether
to defend her two Commonwealth titles until she has a better idea
of the security arrangements.
“It’s something that I have to give serious consideration to,” Rice
told the Herald Sun newspaper, “And if there is any serious or
credible risk, then that will prompt a rethink. I just want to see
what transpires in coming months.”
Meanwhile England’s team chief Ann Hobgin also denied they will
pull out of the event over security concerns, instead saying, “Our
strong intention is to field a team in Delhi next year.”
Organisers are preparing for nearly 8000 athletes and officials from
71 nations and territories for the October 3-14 Delhi Games.
Australia:
Payout for injured cricketer
A former Australian junior who sued Cricket Australia over a
shoulder injury nine years ago has been compensated out of
court. Matt Berriman was 16 when he dislocated his shoulder at a
cricket academy water polo training match in Adelaide. He claims
the injury ruined his promising career.
It was reported by the Sunday Herald Sun that Cricket Australia
agreed in the past week to pay Mr Berriman several hundred
thousand dollars. Cricket Australia spokesman Peter Young
confirmed the matter had been settled out of court, but would
not say how much money had gone to Mr Berriman, now 26.
In a Supreme Court affidavit in 2007, Mr Berriman claimed he
injured his shoulder when he was 15, but was encouraged to
keep playing, resulting in the dislocation that caused long-term
damage. He claimed the Adelaide branch of the Australian Cricket
Academy knew about his previous shoulder injury and could have
prevented him from playing water polo. The talented junior said
he was reduced to household tasks as his shoulder eventually
worsened, dashing his sporting ambitions.
India:
IPL offers renewed security plan
Security concerns were threatening to overshadow the current
season of the Indian Premier League but the organisers of the
major cricket tournament have given new commitments over
ongoing security.
Security fears reached a peak when media reports published a
message reportedly from the 313 Brigade, an operational arm
of Al-Qaeda, that threatened the IPL, Commonwealth Games
and Hockey World Cup. This followed a threat against Australian
players competing in the IPL from the right-wing Hindu group
Shiv Sena.
This led to the threat of mass player withdrawals from the lucrative
tournament until players’ unions received assurances that the IPL
security plan will be implemented at each venue.
TimMay, chief executive of the Professional Cricketers Association,
had warned there could be a host of withdrawals, while a number
of players admitted they were having second thoughts about
attending.
May said: ‘We have a significant amount of information we did
not have previously, which will assist players making far more
informed decisions about whether to go or not. ‘We haven’t
reached utopia yet, but the new information has given us greater
confidence.’
New Zealand:
Match fixing rocks lawn bowls
Four members of a New Zealand lawn bowls team have been
found guilty of match-fixing. The NZ four of Gary Lawson, Shayne
Sincock, Shannon McIlroy and Jamie Hill were been found by a
judicial panel to have deliberately lost a match against Thailand
at the Asia-Pacific Champions in Malaysia last August. Their
17-15 loss to Malaysia resulted in Canada’s elimination from the
championship playoffs and gave the NZ team what may have
been a beneficial draw in the playoff rounds.
South America:
Argentina to join Tri-Nations
Argentina will join the Tri Nations in 2012 after the International
Rugby Board confirmed that it will provide a funding package of
around US$2 million for the project. The funding remained the
final obstacle in Argentina’s bid to join the tournament that
consists of South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.
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