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Making a comeback  with a return to the Number One spot. 

Thirty-two year old, Australian, Adam Scott wins the Masters. And Chinese golfer, 14-year old Tianlang Guan gets the first ever one-stroke penalty for slow play.... something that the organizers of the tournament should be very proud of!!! One of the UK's leading Paralympians steps up to the plate in her new capacity as Head of Sport England.  Baroness Tanni-Grey Thompson takes on a leading role in UK sport and it speaks volumes for yet another female lead in the sports industry. But with women's elite football players earning 16,000 pounds a year in the UK vs. 220,000 pounds a week for the male variety, what chance for women's sport around the world?   It should however be said that the Australian men's game pays 740 times the amount paid to the women's elite equivalent. Russia - host country for the upcoming Athletics World Championships is under pressure to actively promote the tournament. After much speculation will IMG be sold or will it be repackaged to better fit the ever-changing sports sector? Following last year's interruption during the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, this year's race looked more like a military operation as Marines were stationed along the course in inflatable boats. But as luck would have it all went smoothly and the London taxpayer was not digging deep for unnecessary security costs.  And just in case it is of interest Oxford won! Fifa, the African Football Association and their domestic Authority have agreed to establish an independent commission to investigate match fixing allegations. Sir Philip Craven is set to be re-elected as President of the International Paralympic Committee for a fourth and final term in Athens in November. UK's Celebrity sports presenter, Claire Balding (you go girl!) is raising the profile of the recently launched Women's Super League soccer tournament with a view to expanding the League to as many as 20 teams... but will anyone watch the games either on TV or at the venues? The Modern Pentathlon launches a Mixed Relay World Series.  Sounds like fun! Rory McIlory has congratulated Tiger Woods following Tiger's return to claim the number one spot.  But does this mean that men's golf will soon become a two-horse race? Looking for a cool winter sport to participate in?  Then why not try ice sledge hockey!  It's three in a row for Vettal as he takes first place in the latest Formula One season.  But will he break the Schumacher record? Following their success hosting the Eurovision Song Contest, Baku have claimed the first prize in the race to host the first European Games in 2015 with 17 sports on the programme. Arsenal FC posts a 15 million pound profit mainly thanks to player sales. The International Olympic Committee's executive board's decision to recommend wrestling for exclusion from the 2020 Olympic Games did not come as a big surprise. Glasgow unveils its vision for 2015 World Gymnastics Championships to include an estimated 500 gymnasts from 80 countries competing across ten days of world-class competition.   Andy Murray and Tim Henman will be playing an all-star doubles match at the Queens Tennis Club in London to raise money for The Royal Marsden Cancer hospital that is currently treating British Tennis player, Ross Hurchins. The match is scheduled for June 2013. 1984 Olympic gold-medallist Peter Vidmar of San Clemente, Calif., will serve a second term as the Chairman of USA Gymnastics Board of Directors. Motor racing’s FIA World Touring Car Championship exceeded a worldwide cumulative audience reach of 500 million viewers for the first time during the 2012 season.  Good news for elite women athletes as well as their fans as the BBC confirms more coverage of Women's sport.  Fifa closes the Bribery Case against Bin Hammam but Officials remain suspended over other allegations.  American Heavyweight, Tony Thompson claims that as doping in sport is so wide-spread that the only way to deal with the problem is to legalize drugs, thereby creating a level playing field. The West Indies Cricket Board has announced plans to launch a new franchise-based Twenty20. At last Wembley Stadium stands up to the competition with plans for a high-end retail centre to attract the "shopping" fans.  Sportech boss plans expansion into the US after Connecticut approval. Nike plan to sign a deal with Re:Store Retail Group who will be opening stores in both Moscow and St Petersburg. Will Floyd Mayweather manage to compete in 5 fights over a 30 month period following his departure from the HBO pay-per-view stable for Showtime?  Sounds like a heavy-weight gig to me! England fans have been reported to Fifa by the European football's anti-racist watchdog 'Fare' for alleged racist chanting regarding absent defender Rio Ferdinand. Friends Life will not be renewing their sponsorship contract re. domestic Twenty20 cricket beyond 2013.  After Frankie Detorri failed a drug test at Longchamp in September is their any elite sport left that is drug free? Catering company Compass - big in the sports industry corporate entertainment sector dished out 400 million pounds to investors after strong growth in N. America and a rise in pre-tax profits in the UK but the unsteady Euro could tip the balance between future profit and loss.   FIFA has announced the appointment of GoalControl as the official goal line technology (GLT) provider for the FIFA Confederations Cup 2013. Private equity firm CVC Capital Partners will cut its ownership stake in Formula One to around 30 percent following the company's IPO (Initial Public Offering). According to Forbes magazine boxer Floyd Mayweather has outstripped Tiger Woods in the earnings stakes. Mayweather comes in at 54.3 million pounds; boxer Manny Pacquiao takes second place at 39.6 million pounds; and Tiger Woods rolls in at third place with 37.9 million. Former Pakistan cricketer, Danish Kaneria is banned for life over spot-fixing. Chelsea FC started the season with seven trophies to play for.  So far they have not held any silverware above their heads... but with one to go: the Europa League there is still a slim chance of no new management ......again? Despite a new rule which would limit the number of years any one person can hold the position of President of the International Cycling Union, Pat McQuaid has secured Cycling Ireland's nomination to stand for a third term.

spotlight on:   
Macau in November 2013

The Macau Grand Prix Committee has announced an unprecedented programme for two weekends of racing in celebration of the 60th running of the Macau Grand Prix.  It will feature two weeks of city-wide celebrations including shows, parades, an international fireworks contest and its famous cosmopolitan food festival.

The second of the two weekends, running from Thursday November 14 through to Sunday November 17, will feature three prestigious headline races: the Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix, the final rounds of the FIA World Touring Car Championship and the 47th running of the unique Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix.

Making its debut at the Guia circuit will be the Lotus Greater China Race and the Master Challenge. The Lotus Greater China Race is a one-make invitational race, featuring a limited edition Lotus Elise 1.6 Club Racer for drivers from China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Macau and Asia; The Master Challenge will see some of the greats racing at the Macau Grand Prix and Asia’s most successful drivers compete in Volkswagen Scirocco R racing cars, the same model used in the Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup China series.

The weekend of November 9-10 will feature six races around the legendary Guia circuit including the Macau Touring Car Cup for 36 of Asia’s leading competitors and the MAC/HKG Interport Race.

Joining the top races are three sportscar races showcasing three iconic marquees, including the Audi R8 LMS Cup, the Lamborghini Super Trofeo and the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia.

The Macau GT Cup has firmly established itself as an important international sportscar invitational and attracts prestigious automotive marquees.  Star drivers will join the Macau Road Sport Challenge for modified road cars.

Finally, the Formula Masters China Series will make its debut at Macau. The junior single-seater series will start its inaugural season in May for young talent across China and Asia, with an invitational season finale to be held at Macau. The one-make series uses a Tatuus FA010 carbon composite monocoque chassis, powered by a Formula Evo 2.0 FSI engine from Volkswagen group.

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hot spot: the "big" legacy question around the world

The Pan American Sports Organization have named La Punta (Argentina), Santiago (Chile), Lima (Peru) and Puerto Ordaz (Venezuela) as the four cities bidding for the 2019 Pan Am Games.

Each city is vying for its first Pan Am hosting duties, (although Venezuela and Argentina have each hosted the event before).

While the cudos of The Pan American Games has decreased in value over the past 30 years, as the United States and Canada have shied away from sending their best swimmers to the meet, the continent has a higher profile as a result of Brazil hosting the World Cup and the Olympics.  And water polo is the one sport that consistently features top-flight competition at the Pan American Games.

In terms of the host city race Santiago and Lima appear to have the edge over La Punta and Puerto Ordaz.  Both are capital cities, with better infrastructure and transportation and access to more financial resources for funding the construction of venues.

The Games have been held in Central and South America 12 of 17 times, with the United States last hosting the event in 1987 in Indianapolis. Canada is set to host the event for the third time in Toronto in the next iteration of the Pan American Games in July 2015. That event will likely not feature the top aquatic sports stars, as the FINA world championships in Russia will start in the middle of the Pan American Games festivities.

hot shot:the last "hurrah!" ?

British Athletics will host three days of world-class athletics action from 26 to 28 July 2013, on the anniversary of the London 2012 Opening Ceremony, at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The London Anniversary Games will span three days of athletics, with IAAF Diamond League action on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon, featuring the return of many Olympic champions.

A third day of action on the Sunday will be dedicated to showcasing the Paralympic champions of 2012.

Athletics Chair, Ed Warner said: We are excited that The National Lottery will be partnering with us on the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games and it is entirely appropriate that the event will offer an opportunity to recognize the unique role of lottery players in delivering an incredible summer of sport last year. Beyond that, athletics has never been so well supported as it is now through the lottery-buying public and we look forward to ensuring that investment is recognized over the coming years, through our long term partnership.

But will this be the last reminder of the 2012 Games? Well if you are still in the fray you have a chance to be "an Angel" (culture speak for funding an arts project) by making a contribution to an upcoming  movie telling the story of a First World War veteran who became an Olympic Boxing Champion.  Harry Mallin won gold in the 1920 and 1924 Games.  And the budget for the five-minute film is a mere 50,000 pounds

 
sidelines: the Grand National Winner as a 3-year old

The subject of the Grand National, the world's best known steeplechase has been under increasing scrutiny over recent years as horses and riders have been seriously injured and a number of horses put down as a result of the demands of participating in this very challenging race.  Even before the race has stated accidents had happened at the meet; and the obvious concerns of the organizers as to whether they had made enough changes to the race to avoid any tragedies were still open to question. 

Thankfully the race went with any dramas other than the favorite drama - a 66-1 unexpected winner and a first time rider at this dream race.

However, it was not all good news for the surprising Grand National Winner. Ryan Mania.   Following his Grand National success on Auroras Encore he fell in another UK race the next day.  Fortunately he made a quick recovery in time for his victory party

Taking on board the input of many organizations in the racing world, in 2013 the jumps have been designed to minimize significant injuries and the course has been made more accessible for horses and riders. 

Key to the changes is keeping the forty riders in the race (as opposed to the thirty preferred by many in the horse riding fraternity); and with a happy and unexpected ending to the big day many can claim that this year's Grand National was a great success... despite the fact that before the race there had been two tragedies.

But with Irish jockey, JT McNamara paralyzed due to a neck injury at the Cheltenham Festival meeting earlier this year, the big races will always face criticism!

Of course it   may be said by many that the Dubai World Cup - the richest race in the world will be snapping at the heels of the Grand National for both excitement and status.

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fashion icon..... 
David Beckham

After a very successful stint at LA Galaxy in the States style icon and Mr Nice Guy turns his back on the US to return to Europe and to play for the Paris Based team, Paris Saint-Germain. At thirty-seven Beckham may be past his best but he proved to be an inspirational addition to the team in the US and will now probably do the same in France. The former England Captain who joined PSG on a five month deal came off the bench during his debut match in the 76th minute and helped seal a victory for his team. Tres bien!

With his fashion designer wife at his side and three young good-looking sons and a young daughter fit to headline the fashion tots sector - all bodes well for the Beckhams.

Having sailed through his medical Becks was spoilt for choice with 12 formal offers to join a series of clubs around the world. But it was the opportunity to compete in the Champions League in the knockout phase of the European Cup next month that sealed the deal.... alongside the draw of living and working in the world's most design conscious city

The global brand 'Beckham' had received twelve formal and lucrative offers from clubs in South America, South Africa, Russia, China, the Middle East, Australia and North America. The French second division club Monaco had made a tentative inquiry, but he has ultimately been swayed by the prospect of claiming a title in another major European league as well as competing again in the Champions League. PSG are of Ligue 1 from Lyon on goal difference as they seek a first French title since 1994 and will meet Valencia in the knockout phase of the European Cup.

 

home and away: And the nominees for the 2013 Laureus World Sports Awards are:

The Nominations were announced in Rio de Janeiro by Laureus World Sports Academy Chairman Edwin Moses and fellow Academy Member Emerson Fittipaldi, the legendary Brazilian Formula One driver.

The Laureus World Sports Awards, which recognize sporting achievement during the calendar year 2012, are the premier honors on the international sporting calendar. The Nominees were decided through a ballot by the world’s media. The winners, as voted by the Laureus World Sports Academy, the ultimate sports jury, made up of 46 of the greatest sportsmen and sportswomen of all time, was unveiled at a globally televised Awards Ceremony staged in Rio de Janeiro on March 11.

The full list of Nominees for the 2013 Laureus World Sports Awards are below:

Laureus World Sportsman of the Year
Usain Bolt (Jamaica) Athletics – won 100m, 200m and 4 x 100m Olympic gold medals in London
Mo Farah (United Kingdom) Athletics – won 5,000m and 10,000m double in Olympic Games
Lionel Messi (Argentina) Football – Barcelona star who scored 86 goals in the calendar year
Michael Phelps (United States) Swimming – became most decorated Olympian with 22 career medals
Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Motor Racing – won third straight Formula One World Championship
Bradley Wiggins (United Kingdom) Cycling – won Tour de France and Olympic Time Trial gold

Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year
Jessica Ennis (United Kingdom) Athletics – won Olympic heptathlon gold medal in London
Allyson Felix (United States) Athletics – won 200m, 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m Olympic gold medals
Missy Franklin (United States) Swimming – at 17, won four gold medals and a bronze at Olympics
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (Jamaica) Athletics – successfully defended her 100m Olympic title
Lindsey Vonn (United States) Skiing – won fourth overall skiing World Cup in five years
Serena Williams (United States) Tennis – won Wimbledon, the US Open and two Olympic gold medals

Laureus World Team of the Year
China Olympic Table Tennis Team – won all the medals they could in London - four gold and two silver.
European Ryder Cup Team (Golf) – beat American team after amazing final day fightback at Medinah
Miami Heat (United States) Basketball – beat Oklahoma Thunder to win their second NBA title
Red Bull Formula One Team (Austria) Motor Racing – won third straight Constructors Championship
Spain Men’s Football Team – won European Championship to add to World Cup 2010 and Euro 2008
United States Men’s Basketball Team - won their 14th Olympic basketball gold medal in London

Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year
Yannick Agnel (France) Swimming - at 20, in his first Olympics, won two gold and a silver medal
Gabby Douglas (United States) Gymnastics – first woman to win Olympic individual and team all-around gold
Kirani James (Grenada) Athletics – at 19, won 400m in London for Grenada’s first ever Olympic medal
Andy Murray (United Kingdom) Tennis – won first Grand Slam at US Open, plus Olympic gold and silver
Neymar (Brazil) Football – often compared to the great Pelé, he scored his 100th goal at age 20
Ye Shiwen (China) Swimming – at 16, she won both Olympic 200m and 400m individual medley gold

Breakthrough Nominees
Laureus World Comeback of the Year
Tirunesh Dibaba (Ethiopia) Athletics – won Olympic 10,000m after coming back from 16 months injury
Ernie Els (South Africa) Golf – won The Open ten years after his previous Major Championship
European Ryder Cup Team (Golf) – on last day turned match against US around for historic 14½-13½ win
Anna Meares (Australia) Cycling – four years after breaking her neck in cycle crash, she won Olympic gold
Felix Sanchez (Dominican Republic) Athletics – at 34, won 400m hurdles gold again, eight years after Athens
Germany Men’s Olympic Eights Team (Rowing) – won Olympic gold medal for first time since 1988

Comeback Nominees
Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability
Patrick Anderson (Canada) Wheelchair Basketball – came out of retirement to inspire Canada to gold medal
Johanna Benson (Namibia) Athletics – in T37 200m sprint, she won Namibia’s first ever gold medal
Daniel de Faria Dias (Brazil) Swimming – won six Paralympic gold medals in London all in world records
Alan Fonteles Oliveira (Brazil) Athletics – beat favourite Oscar Pistorius to win Paralympic T44 200m gold
David Weir (United Kingdom) Wheelchair Racing – won four gold medals as ‘home’ hero of Paralympics
Alex Zanardi (Italy) Hand Cycling – won two gold medals and a silver at his first Paralympic Games

sport culture: for those who love paralympic sports

The Greek capital of Athens, the host city of the 2004 Paralympic Games and home of the Games, will stage the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) General Assembly and Conference in November 2013.

Located at the Athenaeum Intercontinental Hotel, the IPC Conference will take place on Friday 22 November, whilst the General Assembly will be held over the weekend of 23 and 24 November.

On Sunday 24 November elections for the IPC Governing Board will also take place. Up for election will be the position of IPC President, Vice President and 10 members at large.

The General Assembly is the supreme authority of the IPC which meets every two years. It last met in December 2011 in Beijing, China whilst the last elections took place in 2009 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Xavier Gonzalez, the IPC's Chief Executive Officer, said: "We're very excited and looking forward to heading back to Athens for this year's General Assembly.

"The venue will be familiar for many as it acted as the Paralympic Family Hotel during the 2004 Paralympic Games.

"This year's event has extra significance due to the Governing Board elections and we will be communicating the nominations process to all members in due course."

More than 300 attendees are expected at the event and all National Paralympic Committees, international Federations, Regional Organizations, International Organizations of Sport for the Disabled and friends will be invited to attend.

The Paralympic Sport and Media Awards, in conjunction with Allianz, will also take place in Athens, coinciding with the IPC General Assembly and Conference. This year's awards will recognize and honour the performances of athletes, teams, officials and the media from the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

The IPC has confirmed that it will live stream all of the events from the 2013 IPC Nordic Skiing World Championships, which will run from February 25 to March 5, 2013 in Solleftea, Sweden. The events will be shown on the IPC's YouTube channel: www.YouTube.com/ParalympicSportTV, with footage provided by Finnish broadcast company Videpe.

Craig Spence, the IPC's Director of Communications and Media, said: "With nearly one year to go until the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games, live streaming the IPC Nordic Skiing World Championships provides us a great platform to increase awareness for the sport worldwide and raise the profile of some of the sport's leading athletes by putting faces to names for viewers."

Around 150 athletes from 15 countries will compete in the fifth event of its kind.

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And supporting the Winter Games are Ottobock, Official Technical Service provider for the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Games.  Thirty orthopaedic technicians from across 11 countries will form the technical service team for the Games. It is expected that the technicians will conduct hundreds of repairs to equipment and complete approximately 3,000 working hours during the Games, which take place 7-16 March 2014.

Two technical service workshops will be set up during the Games, one in each of the athletes’ villages, and will open on 1 March 2014, one week before the opening ceremony. On the opening day of competition three satellite workshops will begin operating at the venues, together with a mobile unit for flexible support. Computer-controlled logistics developed specifically for the London 2012 Paralympics will ensure replacement parts are always available in Sochi.

Ottobock has participated in all Paralympics since 1988. In 2005, this resulted in a cooperation agreement with the International Paralympic Committee, extended during London to include the Rio 2016 Games.

A container of workshop equipment and replacement parts will leave Ottobock’s headquarters in Duderstadt, Germany, later this year and head for the Black Sea. Representatives from Ottobock have already visited Sochi to inspect areas where the workshops will be based. Ottobock will have only two days between the Olympics and the Paralympics next year to set up the workshops in full.

starting blocks: 

The announcement that Rio de Janeiro authorities were forced to temporarily close the Joao Havelange Stadium after structural problems were detected in the roof is not the best of news for the host city of both the Fifa World Cup and the Rio 2016 Games.  But as we all know from experience..... the Games must go on and the host cities and their stadia have to deliver!

The Rio stadium was built for the Pan American Games in 2007 at a cost of US$188m.  It opened six years ago, late and over budget and it is scheduled to host the track and field events at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

The capacity of the facility will be increased from 45,000 to 60,000 (the same capacity as the Olympic Stadium in London) and there are plans for extensive urban improvements around the stadium precinct.

Discovering any "cracks" in the infrastructure are best identified asap. The stadium - that is currently leased to local football club Botafogo is being utilized as the city’s main football venue while the Maracana stadium undergoes redevelopment for the Fifa World Cup in 2014.

“They informed me that the roof has structural problems,” said the mayor of Rio, Eduardo Paes, at a recent press conference. “I asked whether this represented a risk for spectators and they told me it did, depending on the wind speed and temperature. On that basis, I immediately decided to close the stadium until we receive more information. It’s simply unacceptable that a stadium which was inaugurated such a short time ago now has to face this sort of situation.”

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) are said to be monitoring the situation.

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life after: "when fair play is not fair play"

When Sebastian Vettel ignored orders not to overtake team mate Mark Webber at the Malaysian Grand Prix and went on to win the race, Webber was less than pleased. And this game play was also mirrored in the same race when Rosberg ignored an order not to pass his team-mate Lewis Hamiliton.

Of course, we can debate the fact that F1 drivers should be able to race for both the driver's individual ranking at the same time as competing for the contractors' rankings but does this make sense as the two are often in conflict?

This topic should rear its head in a more professional fashion, for is it fair to ask a sportsman/woman to 'give up gold' for the team?

The answer lies in a yet to be discovered mathematical solution that permits Formula One to create a level playing field that will satisfy every possible scenario.

And it is not only F1 that has to consider these "moments of conflict"   after all athletes are trained to win ... not compromise. 

And there are other sports that have the same issues to consider..... among others, road race cyclists work as a team as well as individuals; and when Team Sky British cyclist, Chris Froome appeared to challenge Bradley Wiggins he was later 'reeled in' and the incident was put down to confusion.

Whether these explanations are satisfactory to all is a matter of debate, but certainly as the stakes get higher and higher it is up to management to draw the line between fair play and opportunism.
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