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World Sports News Roundup
USA - America’s Cup Format changed
Organisers of the 34th America’s Cup have changed the
competition in a bid to secure the future of the event for the long
term.
The new America’s Cup World Series, which will start in 2011 will
expand the audience ahead of the 34th America’s Cup scheduled
for 2013. It was also confirmed that the race will be competed
in high-tech wingsail catamarans according to the organisers
Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) of the United States.
Russell Coutts, CEO of BMW Oracle Racing said: ‘During our
six months of planning we spoke to the teams, to commercial
partners, to media and to the fans. A clear and compelling vision
emerged – that to capture and communicate the excitement our
sport can produce, we need the best sailors racing the fastest
boat in the world.’
A Youth America’s Cup will also be introduced in 2012, providing
young sailors a clearly defined path to the America’s Cup and a
chance for the event to engage with a new generation.
A substantial series of cost-cutting measures also introduced will
help teams achieve their global commercial objectives. However,
Britain’s Team Origin will not challenge for the next America’s Cup
after BMW Oracle unveiled a controversial raft of new ideas and
rules.
Meanwhile, San Francisco has moved a step closer to hosting the
34thAmerica’s Cup after city officials agreed a deal with theGolden
Gate Yacht Club. The Golden Gate Yacht Club spokesperson Tom
Ehman confirmed that this year’s host Valencia is no longer in the
running to host the 2013 race – which leaves only San Francisco
and an unknown port from Italy vying to become hosts.
ENGLAND - ECB votes to reduce T20 schedule
The domestic Twenty20 cricket tournament will be cut from 16
group games to 10, after the England and Wales Cricket Board
committee unanimously voted on a restructure for the 2011
season.
The T20 competition will now revert to three groups of six from
two groups of nine to decrease the amount of games as the ECB
cited that the strain on the players is too much.
The new T20 format means that each county will lose three home
fixtures and three away matches and is likely to be welcomed by
the counties after a number of grounds saw dwindling attendances
for T20 matches this season.
County players had to endure the longest season ever in modern
cricket with the County Championship starting as early as 9th
April.
CHINA - Beijing to host 2015
World Athletics Champs
Beijing will host the 2015 IAAF World Athletics Championships, it
has been announced.
London withdrew its bid earlier this month to focus its attention
on bidding for the 2017 tournament. The decision, which has the
backing of the UK Government, ensures UK Athletics can present
a bid with the necessary backing in place and also one which has
clarity over the future use of the Olympic Stadium.
For China, it will represent the most important sporting event that
the country has hosted since the successful 2008 Olympic Games
and a return of athletics to the impressive Bird’s Nest stadium.
Lamine Diack, head of athletics’ world governing body the IAAF
said: ‘To help build up our sport in a country of 1.6bn is a great
opportunity.’
Beijing, whose metropolitan area is home to almost 17m,
will become the fourth Asian city to host the World Athletics
Championships after Tokyo in 1991, Osaka in 2007 and Daegu,
South Korea, the venue for 2011.
INDIA - Commonwealth games corruption probe
In the wake of the apparent mismanagement of the Delhi
Commonwealth game in October, two officials from the Organising
Committee have been arrested and charged with corruption
offences.
TS Dibari and Sanjay Mohindroo have been accused of forging
documents and awarding contracts at inflated prices. They have
been suspended from their positions in the wake of the charges
and they strenuously deny the charges.
Further incidents of corruption are being investigated in a wide-
ranging investigation, which the Organising Committee chief
Suresh Kalmadi claims to fully support.
“The honourable prime minister has appointed a committee to
probe into all matters relating to the Commonwealth Games,”
Kalmadi said in a statement on Saturday. “We welcome the
initiative and hope that it will be comprehensive.
“The organising committee will be happy to provide all support to
the panel,” added Kalmadi, who bore the brunt of public wrath for
the tumultuous build-up to the October 3-14 Games.
ENGLAND - Rugby Football
Union income down due to fewer fixtures
The Rugby Football Union has announced a reduction in pretax
profits, citing the lack of England matches at Twickenham as the
main reason.
Turnover decreased £7.2m from £119.2m to £112m in the year
and RFU Finance Director Nick Eastwood said: ‘Although down
on a strong 2008-09, the past year was in line with expectations.’
‘This was mainly due to having three instead of four Investec
Internationals and two instead of three RBS 6 Nations home
games, which meant a £7.9m decrease in ticket income, from
£29.2m to £21.3m.’
UK - SPORT FACES LARGE BUDGET CUTS
The £9.3bn London 2012 Olympic budget has been spared in the
UK Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review, but sport is
facing cuts of around 30% in total.
Sport England sees its funding cut by 33% over four years, while
UK Sport faces a 28% reduction – but both will benefit from the
reinstatement of a 20% share in lottery money distribution after
2012-13.
Despite the cuts Liz Nicholl, UK Sport Chief Executive, said:
‘This settlement represents a positive outcome in difficult times.
While tough, it recognises that the funding and support we give to
Olympic and Paralympic sport is a crucial element of the nation’s
London 2012 ambition.’