RubaiSport

2009 Sudirman Cup

2009-05-08T16:05:00.000-07:00

The 2009 Sudirman Cup will be held in the Guangzhou, China starting 10 May 2009. The tournament will consist of 34 teams divided into 4 divisions. The final of the tournament will be played on 17th May 2009.

Quick links:
Group I: Fixtures and Results (Denmark, Hong Kong, Korea, Malaysia, China, England, Japan, Indonesia)

Group II: Fixtures and Results (Chinese Taipei, France, Germany, Thailand, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Singapore)

Group III: Fixtures and Results (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Sweden, USA, Australia, India, Scotland, Ukraine)

Group IV: Fixtures and Results (Luxembourg, Philippines, South Africa, Switzerland, Turkey, Iceland, Lithuania, Mongolia, Portugal, Sri Lanka)

2009 Asia Cup Hockey

2009-05-08T15:55:00.000-07:00

The 8th Hockey Asia Cup will start today Kuantan, Malaysia. The tournament will consist of 7 teams. Group A will be contested between Bangladesh, Japan, Korea and Malaysia. While Group B will be contested between India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka with the semifinals and finals contested on the 14th and 16th May respectively.

Quick links: Fixtures and Results

Earth Hour Fail

2009-03-28T03:58:00.000-07:00

Bus stops in Canberra, Australia have failed to follow the Earth Hour initiative even after advertising for the event. This is an illuminated ad on a stop in Belconnen. The photo was taken during the Earth Hour hour.

Virgin to sponsor Brawn GP

2009-03-27T19:46:00.000-07:00

Sir Richard Branson has arrived in Australian this morning after signing a deal with Brawn GP to become their sponsor

Source: Ten/One HD

IOC awards 2010 & 2012 broadcast rights in China

2009-03-26T15:46:00.000-07:00

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced today announced an agreement with China Central Television (CCTV) for the broadcast rights within China for the Vancouver 2010 and London 2012 Olympic Games.

CCTV, the state broadcaster in China, acquired the rights across all broadcast platforms, including free-to-air television, subscription television, internet and mobile phone.

The IOC selected CCTV on its capacity to reach the broadest possible audience, and its commitment to promoting the Olympic Games and the values of the Olympic Movement.

Commenting on the agreement, IOC President Jacques Rogge said: “I am delighted to announce our agreement to continue our partnership with CCTV. The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games were a landmark moment in Olympic history, and both CCTV and CCTV.com did a first-class job of bringing Olympic action into the homes of the Chinese people. We look forward to working closely with CCTV to make this possible for both the Vancouver 2010 and London 2012 Olympic Games.”

IOC Executive Board member Richard Carrión, who led the negotiations, said: “In 2008, CCTV proved once again to be an excellent partner for the Olympic Movement in China, enjoying record audience figures across television and digital broadcast platforms. This is the first time we have worked directly with CCTV to reach an agreement for the television broadcast rights, and I am very appreciative of their commitment to the Olympic Movement. We believe we have set the foundations for an exciting partnership over the next four years.”

ZHAO Huayong, President of CCTV, said: "CCTV has always been a great partner of the IOC and has been promoting the Olympic movement for thirty years. This agreement signifies a partnership between CCTV and the IOC with the common goal of making the Games accessible to 1.3 billion people."

CCTV Vice President SUN Yusheng said: "This is a milestone in CCTV's coverage of the Olympic Games as it is the first time that CCTV signs the agreement directly with the IOC as a separate right-holding broadcaster. I believe it is a win-win agreement, which on our part illustrates our commitment and endeavour to enhance the Olympic Games in the coming years".

2009 IIHF World Ice Hockey Championships

2009-02-26T23:52:00.000-08:00

The 2009 IIHF World Ice Hockey Championships features 46 teams: 16 teams in the main group, 12 teams in Division I, 12 teams in Division II and 6 teams in Division III.

The main group features 16 teams. In the Preliminary round the 16 teams are split into 4 groups (Groups A through D) and the teams play each other in a round robin format, and the top 3 teams in each division advance into the Qualifying round. The Qualifying round is another round of group play with 2 groups of 6; the top three teams from group A and group D are placed together and the top three teams from group B and group C are placed together. In the Qualifying round teams maintain their results from the Preliminary round against other teams who have also advanced, and only play against teams which they have not previously played against. The top four teams in each Qualifying round group advance into the knockout playoff stage. The winners advance to the semi-finals. The winners of the semi-finals advance to the Gold medal game, and the losers advance to the Bronze medal game.

The bottom teams in the Preliminary round play in another group as well; this group will determine relegation. After a round-robin format, the bottom two teams are relegated to Division I.

Below the World Championship group are two 6-team Division I round robin groups, the winner of which is promoted to the World Championship group, while each last place team is demoted to Division II. Division II works similarly to Division I, with two 6-team groups where each last place team is relegated to a Division III group. There is no relegation from Division III.

Quick Links

IIHF World Championship

IIHF World Championship Division I
IIHF World Championship Division II
IIHF World Championship Division III
IIHF Women's World Championship
IIHF Women's World Championship Division I
IIHF Women's World Championship Division II

2009 FIE Fencing World Cup

2008-10-11T04:04:00.000-07:00

The 2009 FIE Fencing World Cup will comprise 56 events in 32 countries on 6 continents in 6 months. The categories to be competed are Men's and Women's Epee, Sabre and Foil.

Full Coverage, including calendar of events: RubaiSport

ICL unveils its 'Ninth' jewel in form of 'Dhaka Warriors'

2008-09-18T01:40:00.000-07:00

New Delhi, September 16, 2008: The Indian Cricket League (ICL) today announced the formal launch of ICL’s Season 2 along with the induction of ICL’s 9th team - Dhaka Warriors at a glittering press conference held in the capital city. Players from the Warriors side will also represent ICL Bangladesh in the forthcoming ICL World Series-Edition 2. The first phase of Season 2 starts from October 10th onwards with ICL 20s Championship featuring 9 teams to be staged over 4 venues - Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Gurgaon and Panchkula, followed by the World Series featuring 4 teams, namely ICL India, ICL Pakistani, ICL World & ICL Bangladesh to be held in Hyderabad.

With the addition of its 9th team - Dhaka Warriors, ICL becomes the biggest and most comprehensive league in the country. The new team, Dhaka Warriors will be led by Habib-Ul-Bashar & coached by Balwinder Singh Sandhu

-ICL
http://www.indiancricketleague.in/news/news-174.html

Khulna Abahani are surprise leaders

2008-09-18T01:24:00.000-07:00

DHAKA: Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra were the only team among last season's top five to win in the opening round of the Bangladesh Professional League (B. League) as their fellow Dhaka heavyweights tumbled against lesser opponents despite all the matches being played at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in the capital.

Russel won a 3-2 thriller against Farashganj with Moroccan striker Touati Youness firing twice including converting a late penalty after Alfaz Ahmed's fifth minute opener.

Farashganj twice equalised through Kabir and Yusuf in the 17th and 77th minutes but that was not enough for the Federation Cup's losing finalists as Youness, whose first goal came in the 55th minute, scored again from the spot five minutes from time.

However, Khulna Abahani were the surprise leaders on conclusion of the first round matches on Wednesday by virtue of a better goal difference after the visitors’ 3-1 defeat of Muktijoddha, last year's third placed team who had taken lead through former international Rokonuzzaman Kanchan after 41 minutes.

Despite missing an early penalty, Khulna Abahani rode on goals by 19-year-old Mehdi Hassan, in the 53rd and 78th minutes, who also set the third for Kazi Manjurul in the dying minutes.

After defending champions Abahani's shocking 2-1 defeat to last year's bottom-table side Rahmatganj in the opener, B. League runners-up and this month's Federation Cup winners Mohammedan needed a stoppage time penalty goal by Nigerian forward Alamu Bukola to salvage one point against Chittagong Abahani, who went ahead through Mithun Chowdhury in the 81st minute.

On Wednesday, Brothers Union held touring Chittagong Mohammedan 1-1 with Nigerian Michael Oniya cancelling Guinean forward Raphael Sagno's 34th minute goal on the stroke of halftime.

Brothers fullback Atiqur Rahman Mishu was the first player to be sent off in the 11-team competition where Arambagh did not play in the first round.

-AFC
http://www.the-afc.com/eng/articles/viewArticle.jsp_168100469.html

ICC announces schedule for Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 4

2008-09-17T23:17:00.000-07:00

The ICC today announced the schedule for the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 4 in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

The event, which will take place from 4-11 October, will see six teams attempt to take the next step on the road to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.

Afghanistan and Jersey, who progressed from the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 5 event, will face a tough challenge if they are to finish in the top two qualifying spots as they face Hong Kong, who won the ACC Trophy Elite 2008, Italy, who recorded a win over Netherlands at the ICC European Division 1 Championship earlier this year, Fiji and hosts Tanzania.

The top two sides will qualify for the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 3 in Argentina in January, with the top two sides from that event, completing the line-up for the 12-team ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier which is scheduled to take place in April 2009.

The four leading sides at that event will make it to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 which is being held in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Squad announcements for the Dar Es Salaam event will be released to media on the WCL Div. 4 distribution list in due course (see below for details on how to be included on this list).

Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 4 Tournament Schedule

Thursday 2 October – Opening Ceremony

Saturday 4 October – Hong Kong v Italy (University), Tanzania v Jersey (Anadil Burhani), Fiji v Afghanistan (Gymkhana)

Sunday 5 October – Afghanistan v Jersey (University), Italy v Fiji (Anadil Burhani), Hong Kong v Tanzania (Gymkhana)

Monday 6 October – Rest day

Tuesday 7 October – Hong Kong v Fiji (University), Tanzania v Afghanistan (Anadil Burhani), Italy v Jersey (Gymkhana)

Wednesday 8 October – Italy v Tanzania (University), Hong Kong v Afghanistan (Anadil Burhani), Fiji v Jersey (Gymkhana)

Thursday 9 October – Rest day

Saturday 10 October – Fiji v Tanzania (University), Hong Kong v Jersey (Anadil Burhani), Italy v Afghanistan (Gymkhana)

Saturday 11 October – Final (University), third v fourth playoff (Anadil Burhani), fifth v sixth playoff (Gymkhana)

-ICC
http://icc-cricket.yahoo.com/media-release/2008/september/media-release20080911-33.html

Super Aguri Withdraws From World Championship

2008-05-06T02:04:00.000-07:00

Following weeks of speculation, the Super Aguri F1 team has this morning announced its withdrawal from the 2008 FIA Formula One World Championship.In a brief statement, team boss Aguri Suzuki said: "With the help of Honda, we have somehow managed to keep the team going, but we find it difficult to establish a way to continue the activities in the future within the environment surrounding F1 and as a result, I have concluded to withdraw from the Championship." more

Laos withdraw from AFC Challenge Cup 2008 qualifying

2008-05-02T04:57:00.001-07:00

Laos have withdrawn from the AFC Challenge Cup 2008 qualifying competition. Following the ASEAN country’s pull-out, Group C will now feature only hosts Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

There is no change in the kick-off date and Bangladesh play Afghanistan in the opening match on May 5 at the Bishkek Central Stadium.

AFC will announce shortly the revised match schedule for Group C.

Source: AFC

Bangladesh squad for AFC Challenge Cup

2008-05-02T04:54:00.000-07:00

Bangladesh coach Abu Yusuf on Tuesday announced an 18-member national squad for the AFC Challenge Cup Group C qualifiers to begin in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, from May 5.

Bangladesh, hosts of the inaugural edition of the tournament, are pitted against Afghanistan, Laos and hosts Kyrgyzstan in the qualifying rounds.

The newly elected executive committee of the Bangladesh Football Federation is expected to name the captain before the team's departure on May 2.

"Our aim is to prepare ourselves through the AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers for the SAFF Championship, but we will desperately want to qualify for the finals,” said Yusuf.

“I have picked those players who are capable of playing throughout the 90 minutes in line with my strategy. That is to go for attack and come down to defend all together,” the former national defender added.

In 2006, Bangladesh qualified for the last eight from a group comprising Palestine, Cambodia and Guam, before being ousted by Tajikistan 6-1.

THE SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Aminul Haq, Biplab Bhattacharya

Defenders: Hassan Al Mamun, Ariful Islam, Wali Faisal, Rajani Kanta Barman, Atiqur Rahman Mishu, Mofazzel Hossain Saikat, Arup Kumar Baidya

Midfielders: Arman Aziz, Enamul Haq Sharif, Zahed Parvez, Faisal Mahmud, Maruf Ahmed, Mamunul Islam Mamun

Forwards: Mehdi Hasan Ujjal, Mohammad Robin and Zahid Hasan Emily
Source: AFC

Full coverage: RubaiSport

Beijing 2008 Olympics Torch Relay Fireworks

2008-04-23T02:05:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of the Canberra leg of the 2008 Olympic torch relay

More to follow

FIFA releases pools for Olympic Football Tournament

2008-04-22T04:47:00.000-07:00

The drawing for the women's competition assigned China, Sweden, Argentina and Canada to Group E; the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Nigeria, Germany and Brazil to Group F; and Norway, the United States, Japan and New Zealand to Group G.

In the men's competition, Cote D'Ivoire, Argentina, Australia and Serbia will compete in Group A; the Netherlands, Nigeria, Japan and the United States will contend in Group B; China, New Zealand, Brazil and Belgium will compete in Group C; and the Republic of Korea, Cameroon, Honduras and Italy will clash in Group D.

The draw format was made official by the bureau of the organizing committee for the Olympic Football Tournaments, chaired by FIFA Vice-President Dr. Mong Joon Chung.

The football competitions of the Games of the 29th Olympiad will be held from August 6 to 23, 2008, in five cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Shenyang and Qinhuangdao. The finals for the men's and women's tournaments will be held in Beijing, where three football venues are located: the Workers' Stadium, the Olympic Sports Center Stadium and the National Stadium. The venues outside Beijing are: Shanghai Stadium, Tianjin Olympic Center Stadium, Shenyang Olympic Sport Center Stadium and Qinhuangdao Olympic Sports Center Stadium.

FIH releases pools for Men's Olympic Hockey Tournament

2008-04-22T04:44:00.001-07:00

After the completion of the final Men's WorldHockey Olympic Qualifier, the International Hockey Federation announces the pools for the Men's Hockey Tournament of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Based upon the current ABN AMRO World Rankings, the 12 participating nations have been allocated to the following Pools (current world ranking shown in brackets):

Pool A: Germany (1), Spain (4), Korea (5), New Zealand (10), Belgium (12), China (17)
Pool B: Australia (2), Netherlands (3), Pakistan (6), Great Britain (8), South Africa (13), Canada (15)

The pools for the Women's Hockey Tournament of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games will be released shortly after the last Women's WorldHockey Olympic Qualifier, to be played in Victoria, Canada from 26 April until 4 May 2008.

The match schedule for both the Men's and Women's Hockey Tournament of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games will be released mid May 2008.

RubaiSport TV: Basketball

2008-04-08T05:25:00.000-07:00

The following games will be shown live on RubaiSport TV in the next few days. Links to the games will appear closer to the start of the game

Friday 11/4/08:
ULEB Cup: Besiktas vs Galatasaray 02:30 AEST (16:30 UTC, Thursday)
ULEB Cup: DKV Joventut vs Pamesa Valencia 05:00 AEST (19:00 UTC, Thrusday)
German Bundesliga: Artland Dragons vs WALTER Tigers Tubingen 04:15 AEST (18:15 UTC, Thursday)
NBA: Denver Nuggets vs Golden State Warriors 10:00 AEST (00:00 UTC)
NBA: Utah Jazz vs Dallas Mavericks 10:30 AEST (00:30 UTC)
NBA: Los Angeles Lakers vs Los Angeles Clippers 12:30 AEST (02:30 UTC)

RubaiSport TV: Baseball

2008-04-08T05:14:00.000-07:00

The following games will be shown live on RubaiSport TV in the next few days. Links to the games will appear closer to the start of the game

Friday 11/4/08:
MLB: Chicago Cubs vs Pittsburgh Pirates: 09:05 AEST (23:05 GMT, Thursday)
MLB: New York Yankees vs Kansas City Royals 10:00 AEST (0:00 GMT)

Saturday 12/4/08:
MLB: New York Yankees vs Boston Red Sox 09:00 AEST (23:00 GMT, Friday)
MLB: Oakland Athletics vs Cleveland Indians 09:05 AEST (23:05 GMT, Friday)
NPB (Japan): Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles vs Orix Buffaloes 15:00 AEST (05:00 GMT)

PCB invites Bangladesh after Australia postpones tour

2008-03-12T03:58:00.000-07:00

Islamabad, Pakistan: The Pakistan Cricket Board has invited Bangladesh to play a home limited-overs series next month after Australia announced Tuesday it will postpone its scheduled tour for security reasons.

"The dates of the ODI series will be finalized within the next few days because Bangladesh is the only test-playing country which has no international commitments next month," PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf said.

Cricket Australia chairman Creagh O'Connor's announcement of Australia's decision to postpone its tour came just hours after two bombs killed at least 15 people and injured many more in the eastern Pakistan city of Lahore.

The tour, which had been scheduled to start March 29, had been in jeopardy due to security concerns expressed by Australian players and officials amid a wave of violence that swirled around the Feb. 18 elections in Pakistan.

"This was a difficult decision based on independent review of the circumstances prevailing in Pakistan at the moment," O'Connor said. "We wish no loss to Pakistan Cricket Board and look forward to undertaking this tour in the near future."

The chairs of the Australian and Pakistani cricket boards will meet at International Cricket Council headquarters in Dubai next weekend to further discuss possible dates for the postponed tour.

Source: ICC

B-League 2008

2008-03-10T14:34:00.000-07:00

Playe Registration: 15 March-14 April 2008
First Match: 17 April 2008
Fixtures: formulated but not yet published. wil be published after draw.

NOKIA became Bangladesh National Football Team sponsor

2008-03-10T04:13:00.000-07:00

Multinational Mobile phone manufacturer company NOKIA became the Exclusive Sponsor of Bangladesh National Football Team for the first time in Bangladesh Football History.

It agreed to the offers of Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) to support the national team for the two coming international tournaments, the AFC Challenge Cup and the SAFF Championship. "We are happy to have Nokia with us. But we won't give you the financial details for the sake of football," said BFF president SA Sultan at a press conference at the BFF House yesterday.

The future relationship between Nokia and the BFF, however, will depend on how good mileage it gets from its involvement with football in Bangladesh. If things go the right way, Nokia will get involved in development programmes into the grassroots, especially at school level. "The world loves football and the Bangladeshis are no exception. And we at Nokia take pride in having our logo and name being carried by the team while they represent not only the country but the love of game," said Prem Chand, managing director of Nokia Emerging Asia. He also added that "I have seen young boys play football in the villages and also the craze during the World Cup football. Nokia wants to utilise this passion for football."

The national team will get financial support and use the Nokia logo on their gear although they would not be allowed to show the sponsor's name on their jersey during matches.

Yestersday in the press conference BFF President Mr S A Sultan, BFF vice president Mr Abdur Rahim, Mr Sirajul Islam Bachchu, VP-BFF & GS-SAFF, BFF acting general secretary Mr Manzoor Hossain, NOKIA Emerging Asia Ltd managing director Mr Prem Chand, Nokia marketing Manager Mr M Nowfel Anower & BFF communication manager Ahmed Sayed Al Fatah was present.

Bangladesh will take part in the AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers from May 5-10 in Kyrgyzstan where they face Laos, Afghanistan and the hosts.

In the 5th SAFF Football Championship, 2003 winners and 2005 runners-ups Bangladesh are pitted against hosts Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Bhutan in the group stages to be played in Colombo. The SAFF Championship 2008 will be hosted jointly by Sri Lanka and Maldives from June 3-14.

SAFF Cup Draw

2008-03-10T00:23:00.000-07:00

The draw for the fifth edition of the South Asian Football Federation Championships (SAFF Cup) was held at the Paradise Island Resort in Maldives and defending champions India are placed in Group A.

Ranked 145, India are in a relatively tougher group with Maldives (155), Pakistan (164) and Nepal (188) as compared to Group B which comprises of Sri Lanka (170), Bangladesh (171), Bhutan (199) and Afghanistan (188).

The tournament will be hosted jointly by Maldives and Sri Lanka. On paper, India look favorites to retain the trophy though Bangladesh and Maldives cannot be ruled out.

The top two teams from each group qualify for the semifinals which shall be held in Male and Colombo.

The finals will be played in Colombo on 14th June.

For fixtures see www.rubaisport.com/football/1540/2008.php

Singapore, Socceroos set friendly

2008-03-10T00:01:00.000-07:00

SINGAPORE – Singapore and Australia will warm-up for the next round of FIFA 2010 World Cup qualifiers with a friendly match scheduled to take place in Singapore on March 22.

The two sides last met in the Lion city back in June 2007 as Australia prepared for their AFC Asian Cup debut with a 3-0 win over Raddy Avramovic’s side.

Hosts Singapore are using the match at the Jalan Besar Stadium to fine tune ahead of their second Group 4 match, which is against Lebanon at the same venue four days later, and Australia are taking on the three-time ASEAN champions to prepare for their Group 1 clash with China.

The Socceroos will be looking to build on their 3-0 opening round win over 2011 AFC Asian Cup hosts Qatar while Singapore are hoping to bounce back form their 2-0 loss to four-time World Cup qualifiers Saudi Arabia.

Source: AFC

Chance for South Africa to dethrone Australia at the top of LG ICC ODI Championship Table

2008-03-08T22:30:00.000-08:00

South Africa has the opportunity to dethrone Australia and secure the top spot in the LG ICC ODI Championship Table at the 1 April cut-off if it sweeps the three-match series against Bangladesh starting in Chittagong on Sunday.

Australia and South Africa are currently both sitting on 127 ratings points but Graeme Smith’s side is behind Ricky Ponting’s side by just 0.529 of a point when the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point.

If the Proteas wins the series 3-0, they will stay on 127 ratings points but will finish ahead of Australia by 0.191 at the cut-off. This date is significant because the sides that lead the Test and ODI ladders on 1 April, pocket US$175,000 each for its achievements, while the sides that lie second collect US$75,000 each.

Last year, South Africa snatched the title just before the 1 April cut-off date, relegating Australia to second, and no doubt Smith and his men will be using the possibility of repeating that feat as a motivational tool for the series.

If Bangladesh manages to win just one game, Australia will retain its top position opening up a two-point gap with South Africa dropping to 125 ratings points.

In the longer version of the game, Australia is sure of collecting the cheque for US$175,000 and of retaining the mace by finishing on top of the LG ICC Test Championship Table at the cut-off date.

Australia leads the field by 30 clear ratings points.

As far as the runner-up to Australia is concerned, India is currently placed second and can only slip to third place if England makes a clean sweep of its three-Test series.

Although Sri Lanka will have completed its first Test against the West Indies (starting in Guyana from 22 March) and India will have played its first Test against South Africa (starting in Chennai from 26 March) before the cut-off date, the LG ICC Test Championship table is only updated after the conclusion of a series.

IOC awards 2010 & 2012 broadcast rights in Italy

2008-02-25T23:15:00.001-08:00

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced an agreement with SKY Italia for the broadcast rights within Italy for the Vancouver 2010 and London 2012 Olympic Games.

SKY Italia, Italy’s leading digital satellite television network, acquired the rights across all broadcast platforms, including free-to-air television, subscription television, internet and mobile phone.

SKY Italia will be responsible for ensuring the broadest possible audience is able to access the Olympic Games across all of these platforms, including a guaranteed continuation of free-to-air television coverage. To achieve this commitment, SKY Italia will shortly begin seeking a partnership with a free-to-air network in Italy.

Singapore to host first edition of the Youth Olympic Games in 2010

2008-02-21T14:20:00.000-08:00

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced that Singapore will host the first Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2010. The result was unveiled by the IOC President, Jacques Rogge, at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne. Singapore beat Moscow in the final by 53 votes to 44.

The 105 IOC members entitled to vote⁽¹⁾ had cast their votes by post over the last few weeks. The sealed envelope with the name of the winning city was delivered to the IOC President during the announcement ceremony by the independent and certified notary who oversaw the process to guarantee confidentiality.

SPORT DOMINATES 2007 TV RATINGS

2008-02-19T17:26:00.000-08:00

The enormous popularity of sport on Free TV is proven by the year-to-date program ranking, with the Rugby League, Tennis, AFL and Cricket securing the top 5 spots (refer to table below).
The highest rating program on television so far this year was the Rugby League Grand Final, attracting a combined average audience of over 3.7 million Australian viewers.

Top programs on Free TV so far this year
Rank Program Description Combined Average 000s
1 Rugby League Grand Final 3,748
2 Tennis: 2007 Aust Open - Men's Final 3,399
3 AFL Finals 2007: Grand Final Geelong V Port Adelaide 3,320
4 Twenty/20 Match - Australia V England 3,319
5 State Of Origin Rugby League QLD V NSW 1st - Match 3,251

Over 57.3 per cent of viewers in metro areas alone tuned into the Rugby World Cup on Free TV, despite Australia not making it to the semi-finals. Looking at all sports over the year, the major sporting codes (AFL, NRL, Tennis, Cricket and Motor Sports) each reached at least 85 per cent of the Australian population.

Eindhoven Team Time Trial to be replaced by a new event

2008-02-19T17:13:00.000-08:00

After three years of investment in the Eindhoven Team Time Trial, the Mayor and municipal representatives of the Dutch city decided yesterday to end their involvement in the organisation of the event. As a result, the event will be withdrawn from the 2008 UCI ProTour calendar.

The UCI regrets the decision by the city of Eindhoven, but takes it into account and thanks the authorities for their commitment to the race over the last three years.

The UCI will consult the teams and with them examine whether the race should be replaced by another team time trial or other type of event.

Several candidates from different continents have already expressed their interest in organising a UCI ProTour race to replace the Eindhoven Team Time Trial.

Russia replaces Bangladesh at WorldHockey Olympic Qualifier

2008-02-19T17:02:00.001-08:00

Following the withdrawal by Bangladesh from the Men’s WorldHockey Olympic Qualifier to be played in Santiago, Chile from 1 until 9 March 2008, Russia has been accepted by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) as the replacement team to participate in this event.

FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) in 2012: Four candidates in the final race

2008-02-19T16:44:00.001-08:00

The National Federations/Cities of Argentina (city of Mar Del Plata), Austria (city of Vienna), Hong Kong (city of Hong Kong) and Turkey (city of Istanbul) confirmed their formal bid to the organisation of the 11th edition of the FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) in 2012.

These two cities were part of a group of six potential bidders that also included: Australia (city of Sydney) and Brazil (city of Rio de Janeiro)

The host of the 11th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) 2012 will be decided and announced by the FINA Bureau on April 12, 2008 with the occasion of the 9th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) in Manchester (GBR).

After Great Britain and before 2012, the 10th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) will be held in Dubai (UAE), from April 7-11, 2010.

UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour

2008-02-19T16:27:00.000-08:00

The UEFA Champions League Trophy is to visit four Latin American countries in the coming two months as part of a tour to celebrate Europe’s premier club competition.

Europe’s most prized club trophy will be touring Latin America for the first time when the UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour presented by Heineken kicks-off in Sao Paolo, Brazil, with a media day on Friday 15 February. It will then go on to Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Santiago, Mexico City and Monterrey.

The full schedule of the UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour is as follows: Sao Paolo 16/17, Rio de Janeiro 23/24 February (Brazil), Buenos Aires 6 March (Argentina), Santiago 15/16 March (Chile), Mexico City 5/6 April and Monterrey 12/13 April (Mexico).

Commenting on the rationale behind the Trophy Tour, Philippe Le Floc’h, UEFA’s Director of Marketing, said: “The UEFA Champions League is a truly global brand attracting the world’s best players, many of whom are from Latin America. In fact in the Group Stage of the 2007/08 UEFA Champions League there were some 85 Brazilian players registered as eligible to play for the competing clubs, that’s more than 1 in 10 of all registered players.

UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup 2009-12 media rights deal

2008-02-19T16:16:00.000-08:00

UEFA announced that it has awarded the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup media rights for 2009-12 in the Middle East and North Africa to Al Jazeera.

Substantial offers from several of the major media groups and broadcasters in the region were received, providing further evidence of the increasing strength of both competitions. An extremely competitive sales process produced a very significant increase in the rights fee for the UEFA Champions League and set a new benchmark for the UEFA Cup. Despite intense competition among bidders, Al Jazeera’s offer set them apart as the clear winner of both sets of rights at the conclusion of the first round of bidding.

Al Jazeera is committed to providing extensive coverage on its Pay TV channels which will deliver UEFA’s club competitions to a wide audience throughout the Middle East and North Africa. In addition, Al Jazeera will sub-licence live matches to a number of free-to-air broadcasters across the region. The platform-neutral approach means that Al Jazeera has also been granted Internet and mobile exploitation for all games.

The UEFA Champions League media rights for 2009-12 will also include the UEFA Super Cup 2009, 2010 and 2011.

Fixtures set for Caribbean Futsal Qualifying Tournament

2008-02-19T16:08:00.000-08:00

CONCACAF has announced the fixtures for the Caribbean Futsal Qualifying Tournament that will take place from 5-9 March at the National Sports Hall in Georgetown, Guyana.

The six-team Caribbean tournament, which will qualify two squads to the 2008 CONCACAF Futsal Championship, has two groups of three. Haiti and Sint Maarten join the hosts, Guyana in Group A, while Group B consists of Puerto Rico, Surinam and Trinidad & Tobago.

The two Caribbean qualifiers will join Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA and the host, Guatemala at the 2008 CONCACAF Futsal Championship at the Domo Polideportivo in Guatemala City from 2-8 June.

The CONCACAF Championship will also progress three teams to the 2008 FIFA Futsal World Cup in Brazil from 1-19 October.

2008 CONCACAF FUTSAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Caribbean Qualifying Tournament
Georgetown, GUYANA; National Sports Hall
Group A
05.03: GUYANA – SINT MAARTEN (20:00)
06.03: HAITI – SINT MAARTEN (18:00)
07.03: GUYANA – HAITI (20:00)

Group B
05.03: TRINIDAD & TOBAGO – PUERTO RICO (18:00)
06.03: PUERTO RICO – SURINAM (20:00)
07.03: SURINAM – TRINIDAD & TOBAGO (18:00)

Third Place
09.03: A2 – B2 (18:00)

Final
09.03: A1 – B1 (20:00)

IOC to announce host city of first ever Youth Olympic Games

2008-02-18T12:50:00.000-08:00

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will reveal on Thursday 21 February (at 11:00 GMT) whether Moscow or Singapore will host the very first edition of the Youth Olympic Games in 2010.

The announcement will be made by IOC President Jacques Rogge at the Olympic Museum. The event will be webcast live on www.olympic.org and fed live from Lausanne.

George W Bush quotes, Bush Blunders, Bush Gaffes

2008-02-13T16:25:00.000-08:00

Yes, believe it or not, these are all genuine quotes from the man the people elected as the 43rd US President:

Families is where our nation finds hope, where wings take dream.

I admit it, I am not one of the great linguists.

For every fatal shooting, there were roughly three non-fatal shootings. And, folks, this is unacceptable in America. It's just unacceptable. And we're going to do something about it.

I am a person who recognizes the fallacy of humans.

I have opinions of my own, strong opinions, but I don't always agree with them.

I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully.

I know how hard it is to put food on your family.

I know what I believe. I will continue to articulate what I believe and what I believe - I believe what I believe is right.

I promise you I will listen to what has been said here, even though I wasn't here.

I recently met with the finance minister of the Palestinian Authority, was very impressed by his grasp of finances.

I think anybody who doesn't think I'm smart enough to handle the job is underestimating.

I think war is a dangerous place.

I understand small business growth. I was one.

I wish I wasn't the war president. Who in the heck wants to be a war president? I don't.

I'm not a very good novelist. But it'd make a pretty interesting novel.

If the terriers and bariffs are torn down, this economy will grow.

If this were a dictatorship, it would be a heck of a lot easier - so long as I'm the dictator.

I'm also not very analytical. You know I don't spend a lot of time thinking about myself, about why I do things.

I'm the master of low expectations.

I'm the commander - see, I don't need to explain - I do not need to explain why I say things. That's the interesting thing about being President.

It would be a mistake for the United States Senate to allow any kind of human cloning to come out of that chamber.

Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?

Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people and neither do we.

The problem with the French is that they don't have a word for entrepreneur.

There's an old saying in Tennessee, I know it's in Texas, probably Tennessee, that says 'Fool me once [pause], shame on…shame on you. [Long pause] Fool me. [Pause] You can't get fooled again.'

They have miscalculated me as a leader.

They misunderestimated me.

This foreign policy stuff is a little frustrating.

We cannot let terrorists and rogue nations hold this nation hostile or hold our allies hostile.

We need an energy bill that encourages consumption.

We ought to make the pie higher.

We're concerned about AIDS inside our White House - make no mistake about it.

Will the highways on the Internet become more few?

Do you have blacks, too? (To Brazilian President Fernando Cardoso)

When I was young and irresponsible, I was young and irresponsible.

You're free. And freedom is beautiful. And, you know, it'll take time to restore chaos and order - order out of chaos. But we will.

This is still a dangerous world. It's a world of madmen and uncertainty and potential mential losses.

I think there is a Trojan horse lurking in the weeds trying to pull a fast one on the American people.

This is a world that is much more uncertain than the past. In the past we were certain, we were certain it was us versus the Russians in the past. We were certain, and therefore we had huge nuclear arsenals aimed at each other to keep the peace. That's what we were certain of…You see, even though it's an uncertain world, we're certain of some things.

It is clear our nation is reliant upon big foreign oil. More and more of our imports come from overseas.

I think we agree, the past is over.

And there's no doubt in my mind, not one doubt in my mind, that we will fail.

The important question is, how many hands have I shaked.

General…I can't name the general.(When asked to name President of Pakistan)

We spent a lot of time talking about Africa, as we should. Africa is a nation that suffers from incredible disease.

The war on terror involves Saddam Hussein because of the nature of Saddam Hussein, the history of Saddam Hussein, and his willingness to terrorize himself.

When I was a kid I remember that they used to put out there in the Old West a wanted poster. It said, Wanted: Dead or Alive.

My answer is to bring them on. (On Iraqi militants attacking US forces)

Major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed. -- May 1, 2003

World's Worst Predictions

2008-02-13T14:58:00.000-08:00

“Theoretically, television may be feasible, but I consider it an impossibility--a development which we should waste little time dreaming about.”
- Lee de Forest, 1926, inventor of the cathode ray tube

“I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.”
- Thomas J. Watson, 1943, Chairman of the Board of IBM

“It doesn't matter what he does, he will never amount to anything.”
- Albert Einstein's teacher to his father, 1895

“It will be years - not in my time - before a woman will become Prime Minister.”
- Margaret Thatcher, 1974

“This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.“
- Western Union internal memo, 1876

“We don't like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out.”
- Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles, 1962

“Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?”
- H. M. Warner, Warner Brothers, 1927

“640K ought to be enough for anybody.”
- Bill Gates, 1981

“Louis Pasteur's theory of germs is ridiculous fiction.“
- Pierre Pachet, Professor of Physiology at Toulouse, 1872

“Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons.”
- Popular Mechanics, forecasting the relentless march of science, 1949

“We don't need you. You haven't got through college yet.”
- Hewlett-Packard's rejection of Steve Jobs, who went on to found Apple Computers

King George II said in 1773 that “the American colonies had little stomach for revolution.”

An official of the White Star Line, speaking of the firm's newly built flagship, the Titanic, launched in 1912, declared that the ship was unsinkable.

In 1939 The New York Times said the problem of TV was that people had to glue their eyes to a screen, and that the average American wouldn't have time for it.

An English astronomy professor said in the early 19th century that air travel at high speed would be impossible because passengers would suffocate.

“Airplanes are interesting toys, but they have no military value.”
- Marshal Ferdinand Foch in 1911

“With over 50 foreign cars already on sale here, the Japanese auto industry isn't likely to carve out a big slice of the U.S. market.”
- Business Week, 1958

“Whatever happens, the U.S. Navy is not going to be caught napping.”
- Frank Knox, U.S. Secretary of the Navy, on December 4, 1941

“Stocks have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau.’
- Irving Fisher, Professor of Economics, Yale University, October 16, 1929.

SAFF football championship put off to May 2008

2008-01-29T13:24:00.000-08:00

The South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship, scheduled to be held in December 2007, has been postponed to May 2008 following a decision taken by the SAFF executive committee which met in Colombo.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) had requested for the postponement as the 2010 World Cup qualifiers as well as the professional and national football leagues in India would clash with the SAFF football event.

The eight-team event for the South Asian countries was scheduled to be hosted jointly by Maldives and Sri Lanka. The two countries will continue to be the hosts. The draw for the event will now be held in Maldives on Feb 26, 2008.

The executive committee has also cleared one under-16 tournament for SAFF member countries in India and one under-16 girls event in Sri Lanka.

The meeting was chaired by SAFF president Ganesh Thapa, with representatives from Bangladesh, Maldives, Pakistan, India, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka present.

AFC President's Cup 2008:

2008-01-25T14:16:00.000-08:00

11 country's national legaue champions clubs are taking part in AFC President's Cup 2008. The 11 teams are grouped in 3 groups for the qualifying round. The 3 group champions & the best runners up from the three groups will fight in final round. The date & Groupings for the qualificiation round are as follows:

Group A: Venue-Nepal, Date: 20-24 April, 2008
Teams: NL Champion (Nepal), Regar-Tadaz (Tajikistan), NL Champion (Pakistan), Abahani Limited (Bangladesh)

Group B: Venue-Chinese Taipei, Date: 12-16 April, 2008
Teams: Dordoi Dynamo (Kyrgyzstan), Nagacorp FC (Cambodia), Taiwan Power (Chinese Taipei)

Group C: Venue-Sri Lanka, Date: 23-27 April, 2008
Teams: Ashgabat (Turkmenisan), Ratnam SC (Sri Lanka), Transport United (Bhutan), Kanbawza (Myanmar)

Final Round: The Venue & date is not yet decided.

AFC Challenge Cup 2008:

2008-01-25T14:14:00.000-08:00

A total of 20 national teams are taking part in AFC Challenge Cup 2008. DPR Korea, Turkmenistan, India & Myanmar will take part only in the final round of the tournament. The other 16 teams are grouped in 4 groups for the qualifying round. The four group champion will take part in the final round with DPR Korea, Turkmenistan, India & Myanmar. The date & Groupings for the qualificiation round are as follows:

Group A: Venue-Chinese Taipei, Date: 2-6 April, 2008
Teams: Sri Lanka, Chinese Taipei, Pakistan, Guam

Group B: Venue-Phillipines, Date: 13-17 May, 2008
Teams: Tajikistan, Brunei, Phillipines, Bhutan

Group C: Venue-Kyrgyzstan, Date: 5-10 May, 2008
Teams: Kyrgyzstan, Bangladesh, Afganistan, Laos

Group D: Venue-Nepal, Date: 10-15 May, 2008
Teams: Nepal, Palestine, Cambodia, Macau

Final Round: The Venue & date is not yet decided.

Match schedule draw for European Groups 2 and 5

2008-01-24T23:55:00.000-08:00

A draw to determine the fixture list for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ preliminary campaigns of European Groups 2 and 5 will take place in Zagreb, Croatia on 30 January (16:00 CET), the eve of the XXXII Ordinary UEFA Congress.

As the respective member associations of Group 2 (Greece, Israel, Latvia, Luxembourg, Moldova and Switzerland) and Group 5 (Armenia, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Estonia, Spain and Turkey) were unable to come to an agreement concerning their respective fixture lists, the draw will assign the home and away matches within a schedule spanning from September 2008 to October 2009.

Groups 1, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8 all came to collective agreements on their respective schedules and FIFA has thus approved and finalised these fixture lists, which can be found in detail on FIFA.com. Group 9 (FYR Macedonia, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway and Scotland) also agreed in principal upon their fixture lists, although due to a possible amendment, FIFA will formally confirm the group's schedule in the coming days.

IOC launches 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games Bid Process

2008-01-23T20:59:00.001-08:00

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today launched the bidding process to host the 1st Winter Youth Olympic Games in 2012. A letter was sent out to all National Olympic Committees (NOCs) informing them of the procedure and documentation available for cities interested in bidding for the Games.

The schedule for the election of the Host City of the 1st Winter Youth Olympic Games in 2012 is as follows:

6 March 2008:NOCs to inform the IOC of the names of their candidate cities
19 June 2008:Submission to the IOC of the cities’ Candidature Files
August 2008: Panel of Experts to propose a shortlist of Candidate Cities
October 2008: IOC Evaluation Commission to submit its report to the IOC Executive Board
November 2008:IOC Executive Board to submit its recommendation to the IOC members for a postal vote
December 2008: Announcement of the Host City of the 1st Winter Youth Olympic Games in 2012
The Winter Youth Olympic Games – age group 14 to 18 - will bring together approximately 1,000 athletes and 500 officials. The sports programme will include the seven Winter Olympic sports on the programme of the 2014 Games in Sochi, with a limited number of disciplines and events by sport which are of particular interest to the younger generation.

Moscow and Singapore to run for election to host the first Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2010

2008-01-23T20:58:00.001-08:00

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today unveiled the names of the cities from which a final winner to host the 1stSummer Youth Olympic Games in 2010 will be voted on by the IOC membership. Moscow and Singapore were chosen through a postal vote by the Executive Board last week, and will now be submitted to a postal vote by the IOC members. The winning city will be announced by IOC President Jacques Rogge in a live web cast on www.olympic.org provisionally scheduled for 21 February.

The EB decision’s on the two 2 finalists was based on an IOC Evaluation Commission report:
Please click hereto download the report of the IOC Evaluation Commission
Chaired by Sergey Bubka, the Commission assessed the five shortlisted Candidate Cities’ projects - Athens (Greece), Bangkok (Thailand), Moscow (Russia), Singapore (Singapore) and Turin (Italy). The report focused on the risks associated with the organisation of the Games with only two-and-a-half years remaining to plan and prepare to host the first edition of this new event.

Voting by post will take place over the coming weeks, with all IOC members, except those from the Russian Federation and Singapore, entitled to vote. An independent and certified notary based in Lausanne, Switzerland, will oversee the process to guarantee confidentiality. The city with the most number of votes will be elected as the Host City of the 1st Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2010, marking the conclusion of a candidature process that started in August 2007 and involved nine cities: Athens (Greece), Bangkok (Thailand), Debrecen (Hungary), Guatemala City (Guatemala), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Moscow (Russian Federation), Poznan (Poland), Singapore (Singapore) and Turin (Italy). In the event of a tie, the IOC President will consult the EB members entitled to vote and will make the final decision based on this consultation.

All seven 2016 Applicant Cities return responses

2008-01-23T20:51:00.001-08:00

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced that all seven cities applying to host the Games of the XXXI Olympiad in 2016 have returned their Application Files, which contain their responses to the IOC Candidature Acceptance Procedure questionnaire.

Chicago (USA), Prague (Czech Republic), Tokyo (Japan), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Baku (Azerbaijan), Doha (Qatar) and Madrid (Spain)* - had until midnight on 14 January to submit their files to the IOC in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The Application File, which marks the first phase in the procedure leading to the election of the host city of the Olympic Games in 2016, should, through the responses to the 25 questions asked and guarantees requested, provide the IOC with an overview of each Applicant City's project. For details of the 2016 bid process, please visit our website at the following address: www.olympic.org/2016.

The responses will now be studied by an IOC-appointed working group and by the IOC Executive Board, the latter meeting in June to decide which cities will be accepted as Candidates Cities.

The cities selected as Candidates will take part in an Observer Programme at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games this summer.

The election of the 2016 host city will take place in Copenhagen on 2 October 2009.

* the cities are listed in the order of the drawing of lots

IOC awards Internet and Mobile rights for Beijing 2008 in China

2008-01-23T20:48:00.000-08:00

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced an agreement with CCTV.com for the internet and mobile platform exhibition rights within China for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

The IOC selected CCTV.com on its capacity to guarantee full exploitation of the digital broadcast rights over a variety of platforms, by working in close cooperation with its television broadcast team. The IOC was also impressed by CCTV.com’s commitment to promoting the Olympic Games and the values of the Olympic Movement in China.

Over-the-air TV rights for the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 were acquired by CCTV, as a member of the Asian Broadcasting Union, in 1998. The IOC considered interest from several companies for the internet and mobile platform broadcast rights in the Chinese mainland, having launched a tender in March 2007.

Jacques Rogge, IOC President, said: “The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games will be a landmark moment in Olympic history, and is obviously an event of huge national interest in China. When this is coupled with China's digital media potential, it means our agreement with CCTV.com represents a very exciting partnership for the Olympic Movement. We look forward to working with our broadcast partner CCTV and its digital arm, CCTV.com, to bring the excitement of the Olympic Games to a new generation of fans in China.”

IOC Executive Board member and member of the IOC’s TV Rights and New Media Commission Richard Carrión said: “The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games will break new boundaries in terms of digital Olympic broadcast. It was important for the IOC to make sure that all potential partners understood the value of the rights and demonstrated that they would fully exploit these rights in mainland China, whilst also providing satisfactory guarantees of anti-piracy and security measures. By granting digital rights to CCTV.com, the IOC believes CCTV.com’s digital team will work closely with the broadcast team at CCTV to develop joint executions across media platforms. This will ensure Chinese Olympic fans have access to the best possible Olympic coverage in 2008.”

CCTV.com’s General Manager, Mr. Wang Wenbin, said: “The 2008 Olympic Games is both a milestone for new media broadcast in China, and also a milestone for the new media broadcast of the Olympic Games.”

IOC awards 2010 & 2012 broadcast rights in New Zealand

2008-01-23T20:45:00.000-08:00

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced an agreement with SKY Network Television (SKY) for the broadcast rights within New Zealand for the Vancouver 2010 and London 2012 Olympic Games.

The IOC selected SKY together with its free-to-air channel, Prime, on their capacity to reach the broadest possible audience on a variety of broadcast platforms, including free-to-air television, subscription television and digital media, and their commitment to promoting the Olympic Games and the values of the Olympic Movement.

Commenting on the agreement, IOC President Jacques Rogge said: “We are delighted to be working with SKY who came to us with a complete package that will allow not only increased coverage of the Olympic Games, but also the promotion of Olympic sports and Olympic values beyond the 16 days of competition.”

IOC Executive Board member Richard Carrión, who led the negotiations, said: “The IOC and SKY are delighted to announce a new partnership beginning in 2010. SKY’s ability to deliver content across a variety of media platforms, including free-to-air television, subscription television and digital media, will be invaluable in allowing sports fans unrivalled coverage of the Olympic Games in New Zealand.”

John Fellet, CEO of SKY Television NZ commented, “We are pleased to be awarded the Olympic Games broadcast rights for 2010 and 2012, and we look forward to beginning a new and successful relationship with the IOC. We are confident that New Zealanders will be extremely well served by the widest-ever offering of Olympic coverage across a variety of media platforms.”

1st Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2010

2008-01-23T20:43:00.001-08:00

Athens (GRE), Bangkok (THA), Moscow (RUS), Singapore (SIN) and Turin (ITA) were today selected by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as Candidate Cities to host the 1st Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2010. The cities were selected unanimously from a total of nine Cities, which also included Debrecen (HUN), Guatemala City (GUA), Kuala Lumpur (MAS) and Poznan (POL).

The selection was made on the basis of a study of the Cities’ Candidature Files and related documents submitted to the IOC on 26 October 2007. The study and subsequent report were conducted by a panel of experts including representatives of the Olympic Movement and specialists. The panel assessed the risk associated with each city’s project based on the timeframe of two and a half years available to host the 1stSummer Youth Olympic Games. It also appraised the robustness of each project in terms of the capability to host successful Youth Olympic Games in 2010. Based on this analysis, the IOC Executive Board unanimously validated the panel’s proposal of short listed Candidate Cities.

IOC Awards Broadcast Rights in Australia

2008-01-23T20:38:00.000-08:00

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced an agreement with Nine Network (Nine) and Foxtel for the broadcast rights within Australia for the Vancouver 2010 and London 2012 Olympic Games.

The IOC assessed the bids it received and selected Nine Network and Foxtel on their capacity to reach the broadest possible audience on a variety of broadcast platforms and their commitment to promoting the Olympic Games and the values of the Olympic Movement.

Commenting on the agreement, IOC President Jacques Rogge said “This is an excellent deal. Our aim is to ensure that as many people as possible are able to enjoy the Olympic Games across the world and we look forward to working closely with both Nine Network and Foxtel to make this possible in Australia”. IOC Executive Board member Richard Carrión, who led the negotiations, added “We are very happy with the outcome of this process, and look forward to building a relationship with Nine Network and Foxtel after the Beijing Games.”

Nine Network Australia Chief Executive Officer-Elect David Gyngell said: “The bid for the Olympic rights underscores the longer term commitment to the Network and the preparedness to invest in content. We believe the London Olympic Games will be a great event - London is a solid cultural fit with our viewing audiences and it is likely to achieve strong ratings, particularly with the historical links in sporting and cultural terms between Australia and the United Kingdom.

Foxtel Chief Executive Kim Williams AM added: “FOXTEL will compliment Nine’s comprehensive free-to air coverage of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and 2012 Summer Games by delivering our subscribers an expanded coverage that will provide an unparalleled choice of whole live strands of Olympic competition and an entirely new viewing experience fitting for the finest of all international sports events.

Live Scores: Football

2008-01-09T13:13:00.000-08:00

Carling Cup: 10/1/08 (AEDT)

2154: FULL-TIME Arsenal 1-1 Tottenham
Full-time in the match, half-time in the tie. Tottenham can count themselves very unlucky not to be taking a lead back to White Hart Lane.

0846: What a miss. Dimitar Berbatov threads a perfect pass through for Aaron Lennon who sets up Jermain Defoe. The striker, on two minutes to go, blazes over - will that prove crucial?

0840: GOAL Arsenal 1-1 Tottenham Look away now Spurs fans. Denilson finds Eduardo who threads the ball through for Theo Walcott. As he goes to shoot, Lee Young-Pyo gets a tackle in but the ball comes back off Walcott's chest and bounces into the net. A real heartbreaker for Spurs but they pay for not taking their chances.

0837: Here come Arsenal and Bacary Sagna crosses for Abou Diaby, but his fierce shot is bravely blocked by Michael Dawson.

0836: Arsenal have a free-kick in a promising area out on the right which Armand Traore takes... and puts straight out of play near the opposite corner flag. Terrible.

0832: Aaron Lennon gets to the byeline and cuts the ball back for Dimitar Berbatov but it's behind the Bulgarian and he can't get his shot away. Arsene Wenger cuts a very frustrated figure on the touchline, which is not something you see very often.

0822: Jermaine Jenas pings the ball through for Dimitar Berbatov but the Bulgarian can't control and Arsenal escape. The Gunners' defence is still looking very shaky.

0819: Most of the Tottenham fans who could promise their team is certain to concede. Most Arsenal fans are convinced their team will score. Not much sign of it so far...

0738: GOAL Arsenal 0-1 Tottenham
You can't say that wasn't coming... Dimitar Berbatov plays a perfect cushioned pass through for Robbie Keane, who squares it for Jermaine Jenas to slot in. Arsenal's defence looks very, very shaky.

RubaiSport Twenty20 World Championship

2008-01-09T01:29:00.000-08:00

Here are the RubaiSport Twenty20 World Champions so far

T20 Match ID	Team	Date	Match	Days
1	Australia	17/02/2005- 24/02/2006	Australia def New Zealand	372
6	South Africa	24/02/2006- 1/12/2006	South Africa def Australia	280
10	India	1/12/2006- 16/09/2007	India def South Africa	289
32	New Zealand	16/09/2007- 19/09/2007	New Zealand def India	3
39	South Africa	19/09/2007- 20/09/2007	South Africa def New Zealand	1
43	India	20/09/2007- present	India def South Africa	111

Current Champions: India

Next title fight: 1 Feb 2008 India v Australia at Melbourne

RubaiSport Twenty20 World Championship: What is it?

2008-01-09T01:18:00.000-08:00

The RubaiSport Twenty20 World Championship works in a similar fashion as the boxing world championship. The winner of the first ever twenty20 internation is the first champion, then the next team to defeat this team is the champion. The team that defeats the champion team becomes the next champion.

Live Scores: Cricket

2008-01-08T22:35:00.000-08:00

10 Jan 2008: ACT Invitational XI v Indians at Canberra (10:30 AEDST, 23:30 GMT)
South Africa v West Indies at Durban 3rd Test (10:00 SAST, 18:00 AEDST, 8:00 GMT)
Queensland v Tasmania at Brisbane KFC Twenty20 (18:30 AEDST, 8:30 GMT)

Time Zones

NFL Playoffs 2007-08

2008-01-08T20:46:00.000-08:00

Wildcard Playoffs
NFC: Seattle Seahawks 35 def Washington Redskins 14
New York Giants 24 def Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14
AFC: Jacksonville Jaguars 31 def Pittsburgh Steelers 29
San Diego Chargers 17 def Tennessee Titans 6

Divisional Playoffs
NFC: Seattle Seahawks @ Green Bay Packers (12/1/08)
New York Giants @ Dallas Cowboys (13/1/08)
AFC: Jacksonville Jaguars @ New England Patriots (12/1/08)
San Diego Chargers @ Indianapolis Colts (13/1/08)

Hello

2008-01-08T19:40:00.001-08:00

this is the first test post for the RubaiSport blog