Basic HTML Version
touchline
RUSSIA - F1 race added to calendar from 2014
A Russian race has been added to the F1 calendar after Sochi
agreed a deal to host a Grand Prix from 2014-2020. The seven
year deal, reportedly worth $200m, was announced by Prime
Minister Vladimir Putin.
Russian officials said the plan is for the race track to be built
near the Olympic park that would host most of the Winter
Olympic Games events in February 2014. Prime Minister
Putin added: “It fits perfectly with the Winter Olympics as it
could use all the hotels and other infrastructure that would be
built here by 2014.”
INDIA - IPL teams thrown out over ownership
Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab have been thrown out of
the lucrative Indian Premier League over ownership issues, the
tournament organisers have announced.
The governing council of the Twenty20 event, owned by the Board
of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), also issued notices to the
new Kochi franchise to resolve their ownership disputes.
The BCCI did not specify the alleged breaches committed by the
franchise owners.
The six other original franchises are Kolkata Knight Riders,
Chennai Super Kings, Bangalore Royal Challengers, Deccan
Chargers, Delhi Daredevils and Mumbai Indians.
Two new franchises, Kochi and Pune, are to be added to the 2011
edition with a fresh auction of players to be held later this year.
Kundra, co-owner of the Rajasthan Royals, reacted strongly to
the BCCI’s move and threatened legal action. “I don’t see IPL 4
happening if the BCCI treats other teams like this,’ commented
Kundra. The termination of the contract by BCCI is shocking. We
are seriously thinking of legal action. We need to see a copy of
the termination notice and study it.”
Rajasthan Royals, captained by former Australian spinner Shane
Warne, won the inaugural tournament in 2008. The Punjab
team included Sri Lankan stars Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela
Jayawardene, Australian pace bowler Brett Lee and
India’s Yuvraj Singh.
2010 Turkeys of the Year
Sports Illustrated has released its annual roasting for sports men
and women who have succeeding the area of publicly disgracing
themselves.
Topping the list is Tiger Woods, which comes as no surprise.
The golfing star’s world began to unravel in a Thanksgiving car
crash that ended with his adulterous ways being made public.
He lost over $35 million in endorsements and suffered through a
divorce.
In second position is Brett Favre, who “sent text message come-
ons (and allegedly photos of a part of his anatomy) to comely Jets
sideline hostess Jenn Sterger in 2008.”
Chelsea’s John Terry comes in at Number 12, having slept with
a French underwear model and ex of his former colleague at
Chelsea, Wayne Bridge. Bridge, resigned from the English team
rather than be in the same dressing room as his former friend.
The England captain was demoted and the British tabloids had
a field day.
Cycling gets a place in the list with Mark Renshaw at 23rd. The
cyclist “was tossed from the Tour de France for trying to headbutt
Julian Dean three times during a bunch sprint finish in the final
400 meters of the 11th stage.” He was immediately disqualified.
Coming in last is the Commonwealth games. A fraught build-up
ended in some wonderful sport, but the conditions in some areas
were below standard. The athletes’ village was pronounced “unfit
for human habitation” by teams from Scotland, Canada, New
Zealand and Ireland.
World Sports News Roundup
F
UGANDA - Bid to end sports hunting
National Geographic reports that Uganda will put an end to
sports hunting to arrest the alarming reduction in the numbers
of its native animals.
According to The Uganda news site The New Vision, this
follows a resolution from the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA)
to cancel hunting concessions offered years ago to the wildlife
reserves.
“We are concerned about the dwindling numbers of wild
animals in the wildlife reserves. Hunting is prohibited,’ said
Mark Kamanzi, the acting director of UWA.
The move is likely to be challenged by the game tourism
lobby.
Insight