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Suorce: sportbusiness.com

The ICC upheld a constitutional amendment to provide for the principle of free elections and the independence of member boards at its annual conference, according to Reuters. The decision means administrative reforms will be required in at least three Test-playing nations, with Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh at the top of the list.

In Pakistan, the cricket board chief is appointed by the country's president while in Bangladesh the government is responsible for naming the head of the governing body. Sri Lanka Cricket has an interim body that requires issues such as team selection to be approved by the Sports Ministry.

“It was agreed that all member boards must implement the provisions before annual conference in June 2012 and a further 12 months (to June 2013) would be allowed before any sanctions would be considered,” read a statement from the ICC. “It was a well-established principle of modern sporting governance that national federations should be autonomous and free from interference from government in the administration of their affairs.”

Non-Test playing nations also expressed disappointment following the ICC’s decision to maintain the 12-team format for the Twenty20 World Cups in 2012 and 2014 in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, respectively. The global body’s initial plan was to restrict the Cricket World Cup to the 10 Test-playing nations while the Twenty20 event would be expanded to 16 teams.

However, following a backlash from associate members, which were due to miss out on the smaller Cricket World Cup, the ICC opted to maintain the status quo of 14 teams for the showpiece tournament, although this in turn has led to the Twenty20 tournament being restricted to 12 teams.

Source: insidethegames.biz | By Duncan Mackay in Durban

July 3 - Charles Beigbeder, the President of Annecy 2018, has hit out at its rivals to host the Winter Olympics and Paralympics amid reports that former chief executive Edgar Grospiron wanted the French city to withdraw its bid more than six months ago because he was so certain that it would be unsuccessful.

Beigbeder, a successful businessman appointed to head the bid in January following the resignation of former Olympic moguls champion Grospiron, has claimed that if Pyeongchang is successful then it will be down largely due to the backing of Olympic worldwide sponsor Samsung while Munich is motivated solely by taking the event back to Germany for the first time since 1936.

"We have a vision that serves the entire world, not one country and one continent," Beigbeder told French news agency AFP in an interview here today without mentioning Munich and Pyeongchang, which would have breached the IOC's strict ethics rules that all bid cities must adhere to.

"We are not here for France, we are here for Olympism.

"Of course there would be a legacy for France, but also there would be a world legacy.

"Our vision is in line with what the Olympic Movement would like to have now.

"We are here to put on an authentic Games.

"We are not there to get a trophy for a company or a country.

"We want to keep the Games at the top.

"Inspire the world."

Beigbeder's comments followed a report in today's edition of French newspaper Journal du Dimanche, which claimed that French President Nicolas Sarkozy was advised not to travel here by Jean-Claude Killy, a triple Olympic gold medallist and one of the most influential members of the IOC.

He, reportedly told Sarkozy, that the most votes Annecy could expect was 25, although a total of 15 was more likely and that they would be unable to compete with Munich and Pyeongchang.

Grospiron had reportedly recommended that Annecy withdraw before his resignation last December and was supported by Guy Drut, the 1976 Olympic 110 metres hurdles champion, France's other member of the IOC, but the idea was vetoed by Sports Minister Chantal Jouanno (pictured), who has insisted that, despite the overwhelming evidence, Annecy can still win.

"Annecy is not far behind," she told Journal du Dimanche.

"There is disinformation.

"The IOC Evaluation Commission has indicated that all three candidates are strong.

"The members are not saying that either [that Annecy is trailing].

"I will fight to the end.

"There is always a way to turn things around at the last minute.

"Recently, the underdogs have won bids.

"The Ryder Cup of golf, we were told not to go, but we won.

"Rio also won the 2016 Olympcis when they did not start as the favourites."

Jouanno also claimed that Sarkozy was fully behind the campaign despite his failure to travel here, leaving Annecy as the only bid not represented by the country's Head of State.

"The Prime Minister [François Fillon] will be there," she said.

"The IOC is guaranteed of the commitment of the Government [if Annecy win].

"The President cannot come because he is busy, but is completely involved in the bid.

"He has backed Annecy 2018 from the beginning and will until the end."

Sarkozy has instead written to all the IOC members claiming that Annecy had "unquestionable qualities" and that it had "something very special".

He said the candidature of Annecy was that "of a town, of a region ready to welcome the Games to an area which carries a deep respect and a passion without equal for winter sports".

"The mountains are the heart of our project," said Sarkozy, who reminded the IOC that the first official Winter Olympics took place in the French resort of Chamonix in 1924.

Last week, Canard Enchaine, a satirical French newspaper, reported that Jouanno had writtent to Beigbeder accusing him of failing to bring on board financial backing for the bid, with her and Lucien Boyer, the boss of Havas Sports having to step in to raise funds.

But she claimed that if Annecy are defeated then everyone had to share the blame.

"The success or failure will be collective," Jouanno said.

"It is the President of the bid, the city, the President of the French Olympic Committee, the French members of the IOC .

"We are all involved.

"Personally, I would have no problem to take defeat.

"Only in France is believed that failure is unacceptable.

"When you do sports, you learn to overcome it."

Beigbeder, meanwhile, claimed that he did not care about the negative publicity that the bid - and him personally - had received in France.

"The French press works that way," he told AFP.

"Remember the 1998 World Cup?

"French coach Aime Jacquet was humiliated and persecuted and then the French won.

"The French press adore what they burn and vice versa.

"At least they are passionate about us!"

Source: insidethegames.biz| By Tom Degun

July 3 - London 2012 revealed today that more than 750,000 Olympic tickets have been sold to nearly 150,000 successful applicants in the "second chance" sales round which closed at 6pm today.

The start of the second of ticket sales, which began on June 24 on a first-come, first-served basis, was open exclusively to applicants who did not receive any tickets in the first round sale which took place earlier this year between March 15 and April 26.

The exclusive second round sale was open for ten-day window but has now ended.

The next phase will see ticket sales open to the 700,000 applicants who were successful in all or part of their ticket applications in the first round sale.

It will open on July 8 at 6am and close on July 17 at 6pm but only football, volleyball and freestyle wrestling tickets remain with all other sports sold out.

"We now have at least 150,000 more successful applicants - and they and their friends and families are now going to the Games," said London 2012 commercial director Chris Townsend.

"Our goal is to get as many members of the British public to the Games as possible and we have sold over 750,000 tickets to people who were unsuccessful in the first round."

In total, more than 3.5 million Olympic tickets have now been sold and around 850,000 successful applications have been made for tickets with less than two million tickets remaining.

Around 1.5 million football tickets remain for men's and women's matches at Wembley Stadium, City of Coventry Stadium, Millenium Stadium, Hampden Park, St James Park and Old Trafford.

Meanwhile there are around 40,000 volleyball tickets are available for men's and women's volleyball sessions at Earls Court and around 8,000 freestyle wrestling tickets are available for sessions at the ExCel Arena.

Over 130 price categories across 58 sessions are still available with a full list of available sessions and price categories will be published this week on www.tickets.london2012.com.

Source: insidethegames.biz | By Tom Degun

July 3 - Preparations for the Isle of Man 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games are almost compete with less than 100 days to go until the event for young athletes aged between 13 and 18-years-old gets underway.

The competition, which is due to take place from September 7 until13, will be one of the most prestigious sporting events ever to be hosted on the island, with a total of 69 Commonwealth nations set to attend.

Approximately 1,000 young athletes will be competing in the seven sporting events of athletics, badminton, boxing, cycling, gymnastics, rugby sevens and swimming, while the newly refurbished Bowl Stadium in Douglas will host the Opening Ceremony for what will be the fourth Commonwealth Youth Games.

"We are honoured to be hosting the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games as it is a fantastic opportunity to showcase our beautiful island to the rest of the world," said Allan Bell, the Isle of Man's Minister for the Department of Economic Development.

"With our sporting facilities, performance venues and infrastructure together with our heritage, scenery and the welcome and warmth of the Manx people we have an opportunity to show the visiting nations of the Commonwealth the unforgettable Isle of Man."

Tickets for the Opening Ceremony and the seven sporting events have recently gone on sale to the public with prices ranging from £6 ($10) to £15 ($24), although the cycling events are free to spectators and set to be well attended due to the popularity of Manx racing cyclist Mark Cavendish who won gold at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games in the scratch race and is now the world's top sprinter.

Another British sporting star, world gymnastics champion Beth Tweddle, has given her backing to the event after she competed in the first ever Youth Games in Edinburgh in 2000 and claimed two golds, one silver and one bronze medal at the event.

"Competing in the Commonwealth Youth Games was a massive thing for me and it was great to experience a multi-sport event," said Tweddle, who is aiming for gold at the London 2012 Olympics.

"Having other distractions around you means you have to concentrate even harder on your particular sport.

"Competing in the Commonwealth Youth Games has definitely made me a better athlete.

"For the youngsters competing in this year's Games it will give them a massive boost.

"They will get to experience a major tournament, which I am sure will boost their ambitions and will give them the drive to want sporting success even more."

The Commonwealth Youth Games take place over three days, finishing on September 11, and will be followed by a day of Culture in Castletown on September 12, where the competitors will join in activities specifically linked to the Isle of Man heritage and traditions.

More than 600 volunteers from the island have signed up to help with the Games and they will act as ambassadors for the island as well as assisting visitors with all the necessary information required.

Source: Newsday.

Top seed, Colin Ramasra will face second seed Joycelyn Martin of France in the finals of the St Lucia Squash Open.

The Trinidad and Tobago squash player advanced to the finals after defeating Vincentian, Kevin Bailey in the second semi-final leg on Friday. Ramasra was made to work hard but emerged the first two games 11-7, 11- 7. Ramasra controlled the third game and he sealed himself a spot in the finals with an 11-3 win.

Trinidad and Tobago’s top seed is unbeaten at the tournament and is expected to be crowned champion if he continues his dominant reign.

Finalist, Martin beat St. Lucian Charlie Son Son 11-9, 11-9, 11-3, 11-3, in the first semi-final, to advance.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Women’s Olympic footballers were scheduled to arrive in Santo Domingo last night ahead of their Caribbean Football Union Olympic qualifying matches against Dominican Republic, Bermuda and Dominica. T&T under head coach Richard Hood will face Bermuda in their first match on Tuesday and Hood is quietly optimistic of an opening win.

“We’ve prepared well for the tournament. There have been some obstacles including the lack of international practice games but we’ve managed to work around that. We have some pretty experienced players who have been through this kind of competition before and I think they are keen to show their ability in these games,” Hood said. T&T, captained  by Kennya Cordner, faces Dominica in their second game on July 7 and closes against Dominican Republic two days later.The group winner advances to the Concacaf finals in Vancouver in January.

SQUAD

Players
1. Kimika Forbes (GK)
2. Shalette Alexander (GK)
3. Anastasia Prescott (DEF)  (Vice Captain)
4. Arin King (DEF)
5. Rhea Belgrave (DEF)
6. Tiana Bateau (DEF)
7. Patrice Superville (DEF)
8. Kia Rigsby (DEF)
9. Tineisha Cobham (DEF)
10. Karyn Forbes (MF)
11. Janine Francois (MF)
12. Khadidra Debesette (MF) WWC
U-17 TEAM
13. Patrice Campbell (MF)
14. Tamar Watson (MF)
15. Kenya Cordner (FOR) (Captain)
16. Candace Edwards (FOR)
17. Jo Marie Lewis (FOR) WWC
U-17 TEAM
18. Janelle Mcgee (FOR)

Technical Staff
Richard Hood—Head Coach
Chris Bailey—Assistant Coach
Vernetta Flanders—Manager
Nicole Kistow- Physio Therapist
Glennon Foncette- Goalkeeper Coach
Anthony Walcott—Trainer
Claire George—Equipment Manager

Source: insidethegames.biz By Duncan Mackay in Durban

London_2012_gymanstics_ticket_posterJuly 2 - London 2012 should be congratulated for the success of its ticketing programme, not criticised because it is oversubscribed, the former marketing director of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has claimed.

Michael Payne, the man credited with the multi-billion Olympic sponsorship programme and who worked for the IOC for 21 years, believes the huge criticism that London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe and his team have come in for over its ticketing strategy has been unfair and unjust and that ti should be celebrated as the most successful in the 115-year history of the Games.

"I have been intimately involved with the ticketing programmes of some 14 Olympic Summer and Winter Games," Payne told insidethegames here.

"As a former director of the International Olympic Committee, I helped oversee the design and development of these Olympic ticket programmes.

"The international sports community and international media looks on at the London Olympic ticketing programme, with utter amazement and total disbelief.

"They have never before seen an Olympic Games sell out 23 out of 25 sports [not including football], never mind achieve this, with one year to go to the Games.

"This does not even normally happen by the time of the Closing Ceremony."

Michael_PayneThe lottery system employed by London 2012, which saw 700,000 people win tickets, has been harshly criticised but Payne (pictured) claimed that there has never been a fairer method of distributing tickets to the public.

"They never before seen such an open and democratic ticket distribution process implemented in the host country, with new initiatives targeted at special markets, like the youth sector that I am certain will become a model for all future Olympic Games," he said.

"They can not understand how the British media and others might have interpreted the London ticket programme as a problem and failure."

Payne, who is English but now lives in Monaco having spent many years in Switzerland, claims that the fact London 2012 is so oversubscribed is a testament to the IOC's decision to award the Games to Britain.

"Never before in the 115 year history of the Olympic Games has the world ever seen such a successful Olympic ticket programme - validating I believe the IOC's original decision to bring the 2012 Olympics to  London  to ensure full stadia packed with knowledgeable, passionate fans," said Payne, who is now a special advisor to Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone.

"Normally Organising Committees are criticised for empty stadia and building too large venues that then become white elephants.

"Let's be fair, and recognise the tremendous and unprecedented success of the London 2012 ticketing programme – something Britain should be justly proud of."

Source: Trinidad Express By Kwame Laurence

Double Olympic silver medallist, Richard "Torpedo" Thompson has slammed the decision to stage the National Senior/Open Track and Field Championships just two weeks before the World Championships, in Daegu, Korea.

The local meet was originally scheduled for June 25 and 26, but had to be postponed because rain delayed completion of the new track at the Hasely Crawford Stadium. At a June 21 press conference, the National Association of Athletics Administrations (NAAA) announced that the Championships will now be held on August 13 and 14. The World Championships will be staged in Daegu, Korea between August 27 and September 4.

"It's absolute madness," Thompson told the Sunday Express, "to even entertain the thought of having a National Championships two weeks before the World Championships. Two weeks before Worlds, athletes are usually either at their training base fine-tuning for the games, or on their way to the host country. In this case, the World Championships will be held in South Korea, so an ideal situation would be to travel there that weekend–August 13-14--to acclimatise.

"Competing in any Championship for any athlete is mentally, physically and emotionally draining, so to put us through that two weeks before means we will be at a disadvantage in Daegu."

"There's also the possibility," he continued, "of someone getting injured. Any level of injury can mean someone having to stay out of the World Championships because he/she doesn't have sufficient time to recover. For the NAAA to come to such a decision is extremely inconsiderate, and shows utter disregard for the athletes and their preparations to represent the country at the highest level in late August. This has been really bothering me and the other athletes."

The NAAA's decision to postpone the Championships came on June 17, the same day the Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SPORTT) explained in a press release that German contractor Porplastic needed "at least 14 full days without precipitation" to finish laying the new track at the Crawford Stadium.

Thompson, who earned silver behind Usain Bolt in the men's 100 metres dash at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, said the NAAA, SPORTT and the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs (MSYA) should have ensured the track was laid before the weekend of June 25 and 26.

"It is very unprofessional of the NAAA, SPORTT and MSYA, and disrespectful to us as athletes, who train so hard every day to fly the flag, to not have the track ready in time for June–when it should have been–to have our official trials. It is distasteful and even moreso hurtful to see how little they care about us. This would never happen in the US, Jamaica, Canada or any other nation that has Olympic and World Championship medallists who currently represent the country.

"Imagine (world junior champion in the 400m hurdles) Jehue Gordon, who is based in Trinidad but represents T&T, has to train on grass at CIC grounds, while all of his competitors are training with the best facilities. He's at an instant disadvantage.

"I would just like to appeal to the necessary authorities to do something about the way we manage our facilities in T&T. A brand new Mondo track was laid five years ago, both at the Hasely Crawford and Dwight Yorke (stadiums). There is absolutely no reason why it should be in such a state already."

At the June 21 press conference, NAAA secretary and Games Committee chairman Allan Baboolal said switching the Championships to the Yorke Stadium, in Bacolet, Tobago, was not an option.

"Tobago's track is absolutely no good for this type of competition," Baboolal had told the media.

Thompson criticised the use of the Crawford Stadium for concerts and Carnival shows.

"I am an avid supporter of Trinidadian culture and support Soca music like no other, but every time an event takes place it destroys our facility more and more, and the athletes suffer as a result. Just as the Government spent millions of dollars in prize money for these competitions, in 2011, to promote our culture, I suggest that a few extra is allocated for building a facility where Soca Monarch and events of that nature can be hosted in the future."

Thompson, who finished fifth in the 100m at the 2009 Worlds, has declined selection for the July 15-17 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Senior Championships, in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.

"I'm getting ready to head to Europe. I'll be running in a couple races there over the next month. I will not be taking part in CAC. My agent, Emanuel Hudson, wrote them (NAAA) a letter, informing them that I will not be available for the games, as I have already made commitments long in advance to some of the European meets. I will go up against some of the world's best–including Bolt and Asafa (Powell)–and will use these races as preparation to get a feel for my competition at the World Championships."

Thompson, who earned Olympic silver under the guidance of Dennis Shaver, his coach at Louisiana State University (LSU), travelled to Dallas recently to get input from former US sprinter Jon Drummond.

"I have been working with Drummond temporarily as there are a few things that I needed to work on, and I felt as though he was the perfect person to address those errors and get me ready for the World Championships. Everything is working out well so far."

Thompson said he has been putting out a lot in training.

"I know it will pay off when it counts! As usual, a lot of people have counted me out, but I am confident that I will surprise all the doubters. I will be ready by Worlds for sure," the 26-year-old sprinter declared.

Source: Trinidad Express By Kwame Laurence

Keston Bledman struck gold in the men's 100 metres dash, at the Sotteville international meet, in France, yesterday.

Running into a 1.0 metres per second headwind, the Trinidad and Tobago sprinter got to the line in 10.25 seconds, beating Jamaica's Kimmari Roach (10.34) into second spot. Great Britain's Marlon Devonish (10.42) finished third.

Bledman is ninth on the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) 2011 performance list, at 9.93 seconds. He produced that clocking in a winning run, at a meet in Florida, USA, on June 4.

In other news, T&T's Alisha St Louis was in the hunt for gold in the girls' 13-14 heptathlon, at the end of the opening day of the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Age Group Track and Field Championships, in Tortola, on Friday. St Louis was in third spot with 1,805 points, just 27 points behind the leader, Curacao's Nargelis Statia (1,832). Guadeloupe's Laure-Anne Jabin (1,812) was second, while T&T's Ayana Glasgow accumulated 1,724 points to finish day one in eighth spot.

In the boys' 11-12 pentathlon, Tyriq Horsford was in third spot, heading into the second and final day of competition, yesterday. The T&T athlete had 1,967 points. Barbadian Christopher Taitt (2,068) led the field. The other T&T representative, Jahi Hernandez was sixth with 1,882 points.

In the boys' 13-14 heptathlon, T&T athletes Andwuelle Wright and Shane Hector were eighth and 22nd, respectively, after one day of competition. Wright scored 2,153 points, and Hector, 1,954.

In the girls' 11-12 pentathlon, Aquila St Louis was ninth with 1,676 points, while her T&T teammate, Kerneka Waldron was joint-23rd, with Aruba's Toni-Lisa Brown, on 1,432.

At press time, last night, the second and final day of the Championships was still in progress.

Source: insidethegames.biz

I'll be honest, I headed to Sri Lanka and Hambantota with a rather preconceived idea of what I would find. I had just spent a spectacular week in the sun-drenched Gold Coast as I followed the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) Evaluation Commission in their four-day inspection of the Australian city where I could not find a single, tangible fault in their bid for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

I boarded my plane to the Sri Lankan capital Colombo - which is where the Commission were based for the majority of their inspection - armed with what I assumed were some key facts around the Hambantota 2018 bid.

Only one potential 2018 venue, the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium - which is down to host the 2018 Opening and Closing Ceremonies -has been built, the area had been devastated by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the coastal city is one of the most rural parts of Sri Lanka.

In fact, I had been informed that the reason that the Commission would be based in Colombo rather than Hambantota - with only a one day helicopter visit to the latter - was because there are virtually no hotels within 10 miles of the city.

Having arrived at the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games last October shortly before the event began, I remember only too well the manic chaos in the final few days before the competition when the Indian capital, which had fallen a mile behind schedule, had to summon every last resource to get the Games ready in the nick of time.

In Sri Lanka, I thought I would find another India and a 2018 bid concept that would provide far too much of a risk to the CGF just eight years after the Delhi debacle.

However, I will leave with quite another view: Sri Lanka is not India and Hambantota is not Delhi - not even close.

They are very real contenders in this two-way fight for the 2018 Commonwealth Games and they have far more than a punchers' chance against the Gold Coast.

Tom_Degun_waiting_for_helicotper_ride_Hambantota_June_2011_2
Through a very fortunate set of circumstances that saw me call in a few favours - nothing underhanded I assure you - I was invited to join the Commission on their helicopter visit of Hambantota.

I was actually relegated to the "smaller" helicopter that followed the Commission's gargantuan flying machine but one can't complain too much when the alternative would have been a six-hour bus ride from Colombo to Hambantota through the wilderness!

It was not long after taking to the air that we quickly left the metropolitan Colombo behind and flew over the most picturesque and colourful landscape I have ever seen.

The beautiful, largely untouched land below was pierced only by the $600 million (£375 million) highway - The Southern Expressway - which is currently under construction and will open later this year where it will help reduce the drive-time between Colombo and Hambantota to less than two hours.

Some 50 minutes later, we arrived in Hambantota at our first stop which was the piece of land that will be Hambantota International Airport. Even as a building site, it is a highly impressive scene. Construction on the $209 million (£131 million) project is set to be completed by the end of 2012 and it would be by far the most important facility in taking athletes to and from the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

But another way to Hambantota is through the $360 million (£225 million) seaport in Hambantota, which is already in use to service ships travelling along one of world's busiest shipping lines. But the real reason for taking the Commission there was to show that Hambantota is well on the way to becoming an economic powerhouse.

When it came to the discussion of the venues, things were largely made up of presentations - as understandably they had to be.

The plan is to build and complete all the venues, aside from the existing International Cricket Stadium, between 2014 and 2016, ahead of the 2016 South Asian Games.

This includes a 40,000 capacity athletics stadium, a 7,500 capacity international aquatics centre, a 7,000 capacity hockey stadium, a 2,500 capacity exhibition centre, a 5,000 capacity main arena, a multi-sport complex and a velodrome.

The interesting fact is that all of them, except the velodrome, will be developed regardless of the outcome of the Hambantota 2018 bid for the South Asian Games.

The compact nature of the concept is also a huge plus as 90 percent of competition venues are within one kilometre of the Games Village and training venues are either in the Games Village or 0.2 kilometres away in the adjacent training village meaning that athletes will have both training and competition venues on their doorstep.

You may be getting the impression that Hambantota is a city under construction with the 2018 plan currently a virtual bid.

Well you would be right.

But the key fact is that Hambantota correctly see that as a positive.

Due to the amount of work needed, the 2018 Commonwealth Games is set to generate $8 billion (£5 billion) for the economy and create up to 100,000 jobs in the region.

And with the venues set to be complete by 2016, it doesn't appear there will be the same problems seen in Delhi as two years gives a rather large margin of error.

Mahinda_Rajapaksa_International_Stadium_01-07-11
The presentations that followed during our stay in Hambantota were largely of a technical nature but the bid team had intelligently saved their trump card and secret weapon until last as our helicopters landed in the middle the perfect pitch at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium (pictured).

This awe-inspiring stadium is not only the crown jewel of Hambantota but the very symbol of the 2018 Commonwealth Games bid.

Not because it will potentially host the 2018 Opening and Closing Ceremonies, not because it has a 35,000 capacity which will be expanded to 60,000 when the Twenty20 Cricket World Cup comes here next, but because it is stands gleaming brightly in the sun as proof of what can be done.

In order to host matches at the 2011 Cricket World Cup, it was built from scratch in just 11 months and it was fascinating when no less than Namal Rajapaksa, the son of the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and also the MP for the Hambantota District, explained this to me.

"I remember well when people said that Hambantota couldn't host matches in the 2011 Cricket World Cup," he explained.

"But we built this fantastic stadium which was praised by everyone and hosted one of the most memorable games of the whole competition when Sri Lanka beat Canada. I think that this shows what we can do in Sri Lanka and why we can stage a magnificent 2018 Commonwealth Games here."

Tom_Degun_with_Sri_Lanka_Presidents_son
What I found particularly interesting is that the President's son (pictured above) was happy to call Hambantota a "jungle" when I thought it was a negative connotation. He actually embraced the term and saw it as a huge benefit.

He explained that "Hambantota is a simple, clean area" which means there is no problem with planning permission, no problem with existing housing to manoeuvre around and quite simply, as Namal puts it, no "red tape", which was the Achilles heel of Delhi in their attempt to renovate old stadiums.

Delhi 2010 is clearly a tag that infuriates the Hambantota 2018 bid team and for good reason.

During my stay here, I have continually heard Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Sri Lanka's Sports Minister and co-chairman of the Hambantota 2018 bid, passionately state that: "We are not like other countries. We are Sri Lanka and we always deliver."

The words are said with such conviction and force that they are hard not to believe.

Aluthgamage himself, and his fellow co-chairman Ajith Nivard Cabraal, the Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, have actually been the shining stars of the Commission's inspection.

Despite their high-ranking positions and hectic schedules, they have been with the Commission for every step of the four day inspection, with the charming President's son also spending a large chunk of his time with them.

It shows tremendous political support right from the very top for the Hambantota 2018 bid and it is an advantage over the Gold Coast who could never be in a position to have their country's highest ranking political figures follow the Commission round and have police and armed escorts clearing their every step.

Quite simply, the backing of the Sri Lankan Government for the bid couldn't be higher.

The closing press conference saw Scotland's Louise Martin, the chair of the five-person Commission, praise the Hambantota 2018 bid as she stated: "We have been impressed with the vision for Sri Lanka and Hambantota and now have a clear view of where the hosting of the Commonwealth Games could fit within that vision."

She finished by stating that the Commission "have no doubt about the resolve to deliver the necessary infrastructure by 2016".

The Commission didn't say it publically, as clearly they are not in a position to, but I get the strong impression that they were, like me, far more impressed with the Hambantota 2018 bid than they thought they would be.

The Commission now tasked with producing a report on the two bids which will be published before October 11 this year. I assure you that neither city will fail it that but it will be interesting to see how they articulate their views in the report.

However, the real crunch time comes when the CGF meets at its annual meeting in St Kitts and Nevis on November 11 to vote on the host city.

So where would my vote go?

Last week, it was with the Gold Coast without hesitation. Now, I might just toss a coin as I genially find the two complete contrasting concepts so hard to separate.

The Gold Coast offers a tried and trusted safe option; Hambantota offers the option of the Commonwealth Games in a brand new country with a brand new style.

Do I see the Gold Coast as favourites?

Probably.

But this is no walkover - this is a contest between two heavyweights with very different styles.

And with the voting delegates themselves set to visit the two cities between now and the November 11 vote, the opening bell has only just rung.

Tom Degun is a reporter for insidethegames

Source: insidethegames.biz | By Tom Degun in Colombo

July 1 - Sri Lankan Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage (pictured) has moved to stamp out the increasing use of illegal doping by the country's athletes by setting up a special regulatory body to prevent the use of illegal performance enhancing drugs which he describes as "a cancer in the Sri Lankan sports arena".

One of Sri Lanka's biggest drug scandals emerged after the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games last October when Manju Wanniarachchi, who won Sri Lanka's first Commonwealth Games gold medal in boxing for 72 years with victory over Wales' Sean McGoldrick in the bantamweight final in India, was stripped of his title after being found guilty of taking the illegal performance enhancer nandrolone in a long drawn-out case.

The case was a setback for Sri Lanka, particularly as one of their major cities Hambantota is currently locked in a tight race with Australia's Gold Coast to win the right to stage the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

There was further embarrassment last month for the country when Chinthana Vidanage, who carried the country's flag in New Delhi last year and is a member of Hambantota's Athletes Commission to help provide advice during the campaig, tested positive for a banned stimulant and is facing a suspension.

But Aluthgamage has pledged to wipe out the doping problem that has plagued the image of the country's top athletes.

"The Sports Medical Unit should take full responsibility for the banned drug issue," he said during the visit of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) Evaluation Commission here to inspect Hambantota's bid.

"No sportsman or sportswoman who took part in international sports events were tested for drugs till I became the Sports Minister of Sri Lanka.

"When I questioned as to why it was not done, the authorities said the test was expensive and that is why they did not conduct drug tests.

"The use of banned drugs has become a cancer in the Sri Lankan sports arena.

"Steps have already been taken to curb this problem and discussions are on-going to introduce a permanent and practical national plan."

This plan is set to see a special regulatory body set up and established out of perimeters of the National Sports Medical Institute to make it more efficient.

The Ministry are also set to carry out more doping tests on athletes who excel at national level and are selected for the international sports events, while they have also informed sports associations in the country that athletes need to obtain their medical and nutritional needs thoroughly under the guidance of the National Sports Medical Institute.

No time scale has yet been set to establish special regulatory body but Aluthgamage is hopeful it can be done before the end of the year.

He added that there are also major issues with Sri Lanka's sport bodies who are creating problems for sportsmen and sportswomen rather than assisting them but said that he plans to correct them.

"There are problems in sports federations," Aluthgamage stated.

"Now we are in the process of formulating a National Sports Policy.

"The National Sports Policy will provide solutions and strategies to all problems related to sports such as sportsmen and women federations etc.

"Our intention is to turn sports into one of Sri Lanka's main income generating avenues under the guidance of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

"The worst politics in the country is sports politics.

"It is not something new or developed recently, it was there all the time.

"There is a lot of mudslinging, throat cutting, destroying sportsmen's and sportswomen's talents and discrimination in the sports field in Sri Lanka.

"It will take a long time to eradicate this from the field.

"A Sports Minister cannot be famous and unbiased at the same time.

"Therefore, I will be the most unpopular Sports Minister in Sri Lankan history but I will do my duty and end sports politics and all other discriminations in sports.

"There will be many hazards but all of them will be overcome."

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Source: insidethegames.biz | By Duncan Mackay

John_Scott_pictured_with_Sir_Chris_HoyJuly 1 - John Scott (pictured right) resigned as chief executive of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games because he received free tax advice worth £6,000 ($8,750) from accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), it has been reported.

The Herald in Glasgow claimed that a third party alerted the board of Glasgow 2014 to the "gift" from the company that forced Scott to leave his £179,000 ($286,000) job on Monday (June 27).

The Organising Committee have a strict policy that employees are not allowed to such any gifts or gratuities above the value of £100 ($145).

PwC have refused to confirm or deny it was the firm at the centre of the affair and Glasgow 2014 also declined to elaborate on the claims.

PwC had a two-year contract with Glasgow 2014 that ended in May, a role that included reviewing the Games' budget.

"Glasgow 2014 has received legal advice which is clear," a spokesman for Glasgow 2014 told The Herald.

"We are not in a position to go into the details of what was a personal matter between an ex-employee and the third party concerned.

"The Organising Committee put out a statement on this situation and has nothing further to add to that statement."

Contact the writer of this story at duncan.mackay@insidethegames.bizThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it


Related stories
June 2011: Exclusive - Commonwealth Games Federation wants explanation over Scott resignation
June 2011: Scottish politicians demand to know reason for Scott resignation at Glasgow 2014
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Source: The Guardian Trinidad

The National Association of Athletics Administrations (NAAA) will be sending a very strong team to the CAC Senior Championships. The event is being held in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, in the same stadium that was used for the CAC Games last year. Heading the list is Keston Bledman and Richard Thompson who will both compete in the men’s 100 metres. Also in the line up will be Renny Quow in the men’s 400m and Jehue Gordon in the men’s 400m hurdle.

THE COMPLETE LIST

Men
100m Keston Bleadman, Richard Thompson; 200m Rondell Sorrillo, Emmanuel Callender;
400m, Renny Quow, Lalonde Gordon; 110m Hurdles, Mikel Thomas; 400m Hurdles, Jehue Gordon

Long Jump, Kyron Blaise; Shot Put, Robert Collingwood; Discus, Quincy Wilson; Javelin, Keshorn Walcott

4x100m Relay—Keston Bledman, Richard Thompson, Rondel Sorrillo, Darrel Brown, Emmanuel Carter & Mikel Thomas

4x400m Relay—Renny Quow, Lalonde Gordon, Zwede Hewitt, Jarrin Solomon, Ade Alleyne-Forte, Jehue Gordon

Women
100m, Kelly-Ann Baptiste, Semoy Hackette; 200m, Semoy Hackette, Kai Selvon; 1500m, Pilar Mc Shine

10000m, Tonya Nero; 100m Hurdles, Aleesha Barber; 400m Hurdles, Janeil Bellille, Josanne Lucas

3000m, Scarla Nero; Triple Jump, Ayanna Alexander; Shot Put, Cleopatra Borel-Brown, Annie Alexander; Discus, Annie Alexander, Ashlee Smith.

4x100m Relay, Kelly Ann Baptiste; Semoy Hackette; Michelle-Lee Ahye; Kai Selvon; Aleesha Barber; Ayanna Alexander.

4x400m Relay—Afya Walker, Janeil Bellille, Sparkle Mc Knight, Alena Brooks & Magnolia Howell.

Officials
George Comissiong—Manager
Coaches—Dr Ian Hypolite, Gunness Persad, Ian Carter, Joyce Thomas, Robin Brereton
Medical—Dr Anil Gopeesingh, Verne Alleyne & Fitz Alleyne

Source: The Guardian Trinidad.

T&T swimmers Joshua Mc Leod and Dylan Carter won their fourth individual gold medal each when the 27th Central American and Caribbean Swimming Confederation (CCCAN) Championship continued in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico on Thursday night. The 20-year-old Mc Leod, who had already splashed to gold in the 18 & Over boys’ 50m butterfly and 50m backstroke in CCCAN record time, and the 100m freestyle, stopped the clock on 54.95 seconds in the 100m butterfly. It was a new personal best, just 0.01 second off the CCCAN record held by Joshua Ilika since 2003. Second was Nicaragua’s Victor Lopez (56.77) and third, Suriname’s Marcelino Richaards (56.85).

Earlier on, Carter picked up his fourth gold medal when he touched the wall first in the 13-14 boys’ 100m butterfly in 58.10 seconds. Guatemala’s Alfaro Jorge took silver in 58.37 and Mexico’s Daniel Balado, bronze in 59.96.The local swimmers also bagged two 400m freestyle relay gold medals, two silver and one bronze.
The 15-17 boys’ relay quartet of Sean Roget, Jonathan Cabral, Kareem Baptiste and Joshua Romany won gold in 3:36.72 ahead of Puerto Rico (3:37.47) and Mexico (3:41.66). Mc Leod earned a fifth gold of the meet when he combined with his 18-year-old brother, Abraham, Anthony Edwards and Caryle Blondell for the top spot in the 18 & Over boys’ 400m freestyle relay in 3:31.60, with Bahamas a distant second in 3:39.30 and Mexico, third in 3:46.61.

US-based Kimberlee John-Williams and the 13-14 boys’ freestyle relay team added silver while the 15-17 girls relay quartet got bronze. John-Williams stopped the clock in 1:04.88 in the 15-17 girls’ 100m butterfly to trail Puerto Rico’s Solyvelle (1:04.35) while Christbelen Ayala of Mexico got bronze in 1:05.79 and T&T’s Kadeja Phillip, seventh in 1:07.29. In the 13-14 boys’ 400m freestyle relay, Puerto Rico won in 3:42.09 ahead of the T&T quartet of  Carter, Jabari Baptiste, Jeron O’Brien and Johnathan Gonzales (3:45.68) with Guatemala, third (3:45.68). John-Williams also teamed up with Rejan Chin, Phillip and Simone Maundy for third in the 15-17 girls relay in 4:13.35. First was Mexico (4:06.62) and second, Puerto Rico (4:06.85).

After four days of competition T&T had a total of 34 medals (16 gold, 13 silver, five bronze), to hold third place with last night and today’s finals to be completed. Puerto Rico leads with 58 (18 gold, 19 silver, 21 bronze) while Mexico is second with 40 (14 gold, 11 silver, 15 bronze). Guatemala is fourth with 23 (four gold, ten silver, nine bronze) and, Aruba, fifth with 21 (eight gold, six silver, seven bronze). The team returns home tomorrow at 11.10am.

Source: The Guardian Trinidad.

The T&T Guardian lost one of its most senior and popular reporters when Gregory Trujillo succumbed to his illness, pancreatic cancer at San Fernando General Hospital on Thursday night. He was 60. Trujillo had been diagnosed with the illness in 2009 and subsequently had surgery the same year. In December, he travelled to the United States to have a PET/CT Scan, which is not available in T&T. He is survived by his son, Dario, daughter, Rosario, brothers, Brian, Paul and David, and sisters, Charmaine, Carol and Joan. Trujillo joined the Guardian’s Evening News staff in the 1980s and later returned to contribute to the sports desk in 2007.

A graduate of Belmont Intermediate, now Belmont Secondary School, he played football for Colts Sports Club, Falcons Sports Club and Queen’s Park Cricket Club in the 1960s and 70s. Speaking to the Guardian yesterday, Trujillo’s son Dario said that his father was a generous and caring man. “He was an individual who touched many lives and showed love for everybody. I would say he would do anything to help anybody. That’s how he will be remembered by his friends and family.”

Guardian sports editor Valentino Singh added that he was a hard working employee who put the newspaper first.“Although he was ill, he remained committed to his job. Even towards the end, he found time to be in the office because he had the paper at heart. He was an allround writer who covered every sport and will be sorely missed by his co-workers.” His funeral will be held at Clark and Battoo Chapel, Tragarete Road on Thursday at 10 am.

Last Saturday rugby enjoyed its fair share of attention  at the T&T Olympic Committee(TTOC) Olympic day festival at Chagville, Chaguaramas . Trinidad and Tobago Rugby Football Union(TTRFU) president Leslie Figaro was in attendance and  visited over fifteen exhibition areas said he was very pleased with the interest shown by the children  some of whom were seeing and touching a rugby ball for the first time in their  life.
" The decision taken by the TTOC to expand Olympic day into a  Olympic type festival gave  NSOs a chance to expose their respective sports to a new audience. I am happy that we (TTRFU) accepted the invite. It was a real pleasure watching children enjoy their introduction to the non contact form of the game."
Karl Muckette, the TTRFU assistant secretary was responsbile for  conducting the rugby activity.He also expressed satisfaction with the reception rugby received.

This year’s Trinidad and Tobago  Olympic Day, celebrated on Saturday 25 June, was the largest ever as over 1500 children ,young people and adults turned up at the Chagville, Chaguaramas to participate in the T&T OC Olympic day festival.there were a number of activities including dragon boat racing,mountain biking, power lifting ,rugby,football,cricket,archery,hockey, to name a few along with the traditional relay run.
This year’s Olympic Day, celebrated world wide  on and around 23 June, got more people active than ever before. Millions of people in all corners of the world put their trainers on to participate in events or accomplish their individual sporting goals. For the first time, everybody was able to share his or her Olympic Day experience via text messages, photos and videos on various social media platforms.

Throughout June, Twitter and Facebook users took part in exciting contests. People who tweeted what they had been up to in terms of sporting activities were eligible to win a trip to the London 2012 Olympic Games, while the IOC’s Facebook fans could win a trip to Lausanne and The Olympic Museum. On YouTube, users who uploaded videos of themselves doing sport were eligible to win a trip to the Winter Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck in 2012. Finally, in China, a call to action was also sent out on the IOC Weibo microblogging account and the Youku video channel, with various prizes being awarded. Tens of thousands of contributions from people being active were and are still flying in and the winners of the various contests will be announced later in July.

The homepage of the IOC’s web site www.olympic.org highlighted all the activities taking place around the globe via a world map, including tweets from high-level athletes like Michael Phelps, and displaying events organised by around 170 National Olympic Committees (NOCs). The map received 150,000 views. For instance, the Australian NOC sent 100 Olympians, including Susie O’Neill (swimming) and Georgia Bonora (gymnastics) to schools to talk about their Olympic experiences. In Gambia, several sporting activities were organised for school children with and without disabilities. Chile staged events in all parts of the country and offered many opportunities to discover new sports such as surfing, beach rugby sevens, BMX and paragliding. Japan, which was hit by a devastating earthquake and a tsunami in March, organised a charity concert for more than 2,000 people. The proceeds will benefit projects that use sport as a vehicle to bring relief and hope to the Japanese population. Finland integrated Olympic Day into “Your Move”, a huge mass event that involved 42,000 young people.

The organisers of the London 2012, Sochi 2014 and Rio 2016 Olympic Games used Olympic Day to get active and excite more people in the country. In Great Britain, 1,900 children, school staff and Team GB athletes joined together in a bid to set a record for the largest number of people to form Olympic rings. Moscow and Sochi were the focal points for the Olympic Day festivities in Russia. In Sochi, the activities included Olympic morning exercises, an Olympic class with the ambassador of Sochi 2014 and Russian bobsledder Aleksey Voevoda, sport contests, and a swimming race of students from sports schools. Around the Sochi beach, a graffiti festival was organised for young people to promote the Olympic values. In Brazil, lectures, sports practice, seminars and cultural presentations were organised in several cities across the country, and about 800,000 people joined in a virtual Olympic Day Run.

The eight annual Harvard Club rugby clinic will get going on Sunday at 9am on the King George V Park.Coordinator of the rugby clinic Nicholas Martinez,manager of the packaging division at Anthony P Scott Ltd, said its the  smiles on the kids faces that inspires the club.
Rugby became part of the Harvard Club family in 1998. Established in 1943 ,One of the activities that Harvard is known and respected for in T&T is its football and cricket clinics.  West Indian cricket great Brian Lara and former T&T and West Ham goal keeper Shaka Hislop are two of a number of sporting greats who would have graduated from Harvard.
Martinez pointed out that while the rugby clinic itself  has already produced a number of  first team,national under 19 and senior national teamrugby  players. The focus of the clinic is on fun  and enjoyment.
" The clinic allows us to break down barriers and make positive educational inputs through the sport of rugby.The engagement with the clinic participants allows Harvard to introduce the game of rugby but more importantly the positive values of friendship, fair play, doing your best and healthy lifestyle . The emphasis is on community and participation."

The Harvard rugby clinic will be held every Sunday morning from 9 am to 11 am until September  and there is no registration fee.
" We will provide insurance coverage for participants. refreshments, a jersey ,medals and a participation certificate. Our rugby clinic  players,coaches and parents are the heartbeat of the sport . We try to do everything possible to make participating enjoyable,safe and hassle free." said Martinez

According to Martinez   the rugby clinic is without the backing of a major corporate sponsor, but through the generosity  of the Harvard members, parents and well wishers the quality and standard of clinic improves  every year.

The Trinidad and Tobago Rugby Football Union(TTRFU) donated International Rugby Board(IRB) branded rugby balls to the clinic. Contributions were also received from the Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago and Anthony P Scott  & Co Ltd.

Source: The Guardian Trinidad

Anya Adams won T&T’s first medal on Monday at the Special Olympics World Summer Games being held in Athens, Greece. Anya bagged the bronze in the 50 metres breaststroke in a time of 57:86 seconds. The mood in the Special Olympics T&T (SOTT) camp was very upbeat as the other athletes move from the divisioning stages to competition in their various disciplines.

Nikolai Lalla was hoping to follow Adams in achieving his personal best when he was scheduled  to compete in the 25m breaststroke later yesterday. Adams was also set to return to the pool for 50m freestyle while Curt Clarke was to line-up for the 25m backstroke. In other action, SOTT basketball team was bettered by Panama in its first match of the group stages of competition on Monday. The team was to play the host yesterday.

Source: The Guardian Trinidad

Fourteen-year-old Shaddai Simon copped Special Olympics T&T’s (SOTT) first ever gold medal when she won the B1-5 division of equestrian dressage atop Esmeralda at the Special Olympics World Summer Games at the Markopoulo Olympic Equestrian Centre in Athens, Greece yesterday. She was one of the three T&T riders to medal in equestrian yesterday. SOTT missed a double medal placing in the B1- 6 division where Christel Perkins copped the silver medal riding Signal. However, Chantel Julien, who was leading at the time, was  disqualified for stepping out of bounds aboard  Copona in the same event. Judy Ann James won a bronze medal atop Dancing in the C1-5 division to give T&T its third medal.

In addition, Gisselle Benjamin placed fourth in the  B1- 3 division while Shaquella Rapier placed fifth in the C1- division. SOTT basketball was defeated 37-17 by Greece despite a valiant effort against the host. Nikolai Lalla touched the wall first in the 25m breast stroke but was disqualified for a stroke violation. Today, Anya Adams will return to the pool for the 50m freestyle and Curt Clarke goes in the 25m backstroke. SOTT Football will begin competition in the  seven-a-side competition at the Agios Kosmas Sports Centre on Wednesday against South Africa. SOTT has been grouped with Brazil, South Africa, Latvia and Poland. In Group action yesterday, Brazil defeated South Africa 3-0 while Latvia beat Poland 4-3.