Monday, 20th August 2007

HEADLINE NEWS

Baichung Bhutia kicks off Barclays Premier League on WorldSpace

WorldSpace Inc has announced its alliance with football player Baichung Bhutia and Total Sports & Entertainment India Pvt Ltd, the agency representing the dynamic football captain. The satellite-based digital radio service provider has signed Bhutia for its special soccer editions for the Barclays Premier League for WorldSpace’s morning session ‘Sports Brew’ on its channel ‘Play Channel 520’.

Bhutia’s interviews will be aired live on Monday mornings, whereby he will be sharing his thoughts on the previous weekend’s results.

Commenting on the alliance, Shehzad Haque, Executive Producer-Play Channel 520, WorldSpace Asia Pvt. Ltd, said, “We are proud to announce that Baichung Bhutia, India’s football captain, returns to the channel as an expert pundit. Bhutia was a regular guest with ‘Play’ during the FIFA World Cup 2006, and this time, listeners can look forward to his expert analysis on the Barclays Premier League and forthright views on Indian football.”

Navneet Sharma, MD- Asia, Indian Subcontinent and Middle East, Total Sports, said, “We are happy to be forging an alliance between our client Baichung and WorldSpace for this initiative, which will provide the listeners to listen to Baichung’s view on the Barclays Premiere League as well as his views on Indian football.” Source: Exchange4Media, 18th Aug 2007,

Masters Football Coming to Our Shores

Malaysia’s English Premier League (EPL) fans will able to meet their football legends when Football Focus Sdn Bhd bring in the Masters Football to Malaysia next year. The Masters Football is endorsed by the Professional Football Association (PFA) and the Football Association (FA) of England. Fans will able to meet legends of the English football like John Barnes, Steve McManaman, Chris Waddle, Peter Beardsley, Andrei Kanchelskis, Bryan Robson and Ian Rush.

“Masters Football is massive in the United Kingdom. “It will not be a one-off event, as we currently plan to bring these legends to Malaysia once a month,” its executive director, Gavin O’Luanaigh told a press conference here yesterday. He noted that with legends visiting Malaysia every month, tourism packages will be made available for football fans from England and other countries in the region.

“Their monthly match in Malaysia is expected to attract about 2,000 visitors to the country and it could generate about RM10mil per year initially in tourism revenue,” said O’Luanaigh. He added that all matches played in Malaysia would be telecast for UK viewers via Sky Sports and regional designated channel. Also present at the press conference was legendary Liverpool winger Barnes.

Players chosen for the Masters Football are based on league status and who have contributed tremendously to their respective clubs. Players have to be above 35 years old at the start of each Masters season. Source: The Star MY, 18th Aug 2007


RESULTS

The New Straits Times MY, MY, 20th Aug 2007
LIN Dan’s invincibility on the international stage was underlined yet again when he conquered not only the World Championships for the second time. The top seed proved that his recent loss of form was a blip and showed true grit against Sony Dwi Kuncoro of Indonesia winning 21-11, 22-20 in 50 minutes. Lin Dan’s victory achieved a rare feat in badminton history yesterday, making him only the second player to win back-to-back.

The People’s Daily CN, 20th Aug 2007
China’s women world No 5 Zhu Lin was never in doubt in her final against Wang Chen, downing the Hong Kong sixth seed 21-8, 21-12. Zhu watched her more famous teammates, including world No 1 Zhang Ning and defending champion Xie Xingfang, bounced from the tournament. But Zhu said she felt under no pressure during the match to ensure the coveted crown stay in China's already bulging trophy cabinet.

Official Site, 20th Aug 2007
In the men’s doubles, Indonesians Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan defeated the South Korean pair of Jung Jae Sung and Lee Yong Dae 21-19 21-19 while in the all-China women’s doubles, Yang Wei and Zhang Jiewen beat Gao Ling and Huang Sui 21-16 21-19.

The China Post, The New Straits Times, 20th Aug 2007
In the mixed doubles at the World Championship, Indonesian second seeds Nova Widianto and Lilyana Natsir beat top seeds Zheng Bo and Gao Ling 21-16 21-14 after the Chinese failed to produce their best badminton. With the help of some powerful smashes from in-form Widianto the Indonesian pair ran out worthy winners.

Sports Feature Communications, 20th Aug 2007
Phil Dalhaussser and Todd Rogers lost just three games on their way to the AVP Crocs Tour Boston Open title. On Saturday, they beat third-seeded Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal, 21-15, 19-21, 15-11, then toppled fifth-seeded Anthony Medel and Fred Souza, 18-21, 21-7, 15-9 in the semifinals before cruising in the championship match. Elaine Youngs and Nicole Branagh secured a dramatic victory Sunday in the women’s final beating top-seeded Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh, 15-21, 21-19, 16-14. The victory was the third this season for Branagh and Youngs, seeded second in Boston.

Motorsports.com, 20th Aug 2007
Vauxhall's Fabrizio Giovanardi snatched glory from the brink of disaster in the third Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship race at Brands Hatch this afternoon. The Italian VX Racing driver made a tremendous start from fifth on the grid to run in second place, behind Mike Jordan, by the first corner. Facing fierce pressure from Colin Turkington in third, Giovanardi made his bid for the lead on lap 12, but the move sent the Vauxhall Vectra into a pendulum skid coming out of Paddock Hill Bend. The multiple champion drew on all his expertise to pull off an incredible save, losing just two places in the process. He ran in fourth to the end, reducing Jason Plato's championship lead to just four points with six races to go.


COURTSIDE: THE BADMINTON WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2007

Mangalorean, 18th Aug 2007
Anup Sridhar's two big wins have seen everybody - from the public to the more hardened veterans of the game - speak highly of the Indian badminton player. TV coverage of his matches has seen him become a popular figure, newspapers have splashed his pictures, and some long-timers were even heard commenting that he could win the World Championships. "He's a replica of Prakash Padukone. I've seen Padukone. Handsome and stylish." Sridhar had the crowd backing him so vocally it seemed as if a Malaysian was on court. Lin Dan pulled through a tight first game, and Sridhar did not have enough in reserve to trouble the top seed in the second. It is likely, though, that the Malaysians will keep a fond eye out for him the next time he plays here.

The Star MY, 18th Aug 2007
THE TV court number four is the hottest topic in the on-going world championships after almost all the top seeded players lost on it. Yesterday, the latest casualty was Denmark’s Peter Gade-Christensen, who went down to Indonesian Sony Dwi Kuncoro 20-22, 18-21. The previous losers on the court were Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia, Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia and China’s Xie Xingfang. But China’s Bao Chunlai, who defeated Singaporean Ronald Susilo on the same court, yesterday, quashed the superstition. He said: “It is not about the court but about the mental preparation of a player. I did not lose here today.”

The Star MY, 19th Aug 2007
A VOTE of no-confidence was passed on the Badminton World Federation’s president Dr Kang Young-joong during a council meeting yesterday which further exposed a serious division in the administration of the world body based in Malaysia. The BWF confirmed that a motion of no-confidence was taken against the president in a press statement yesterday. One of the issues addressed by the council, after the president walked out of the meeting and handed over the chair to Gunalan, was the relocation of the headquarters. According to the statement: “Council recognised members need to be assured about the process and the issue surrounding the letter (on the BWF headquarters' relocation). It appointed a Committee to examine the merits of the issues and to report with recommendations on future actions.”

The People’s Daily CN, 20th Aug 2007
On the no-confidence vote, BWF Asia chairman VK Verma said:"It does not mean that the BWF has fallen apart. He (Dr Kang) has to respect others. The council consists of 24 members and they run the international body with their individual wisdom." On Saturday, Kang said that the crisis in BWF could even jeopardize badminton's status as an Olympic sport after 2012. But Gunalan rejected it, saying "Now the Olympics has around 25 core sports and badminton is placed in the middle. Its status is secured."

The New Straits Times MY, 20th Aug 2007
BADMINTON World Federation (BWF) has gently reminded Sports Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said that the Olympic charter clearly states that the government should not interfere with international associations. Azalina had met BWF deputy president Datuk Punch Gunalan and the federation’s former chief operating officer (COO) P. Ganga Rao on Thursday and it was reported that Azalina had asked Gunalan to resign. There were also rumours that the Malaysian Government may cancel its annual grant of RM500,000 to the BWF and that Azalina had apparently asked the world body to relocate its office. The minister denies making the statements.


THIS WEEK

Sun, 19th Aug 2007
AVP Crocs Tour 2007: Final Day – Brooklyn Open
WWE Summerslam: Meadowlands, USA


SPORTS SHORTS

* PCCW Mobile announced the launch of now Sports service to deliver live Barclays Premier League action from Now TV to handsets, with a viewing experience based on H.264 QVGA 320x240-pixel video streaming. PCCW mobile is delivering a lineup of exclusive live soccer action from the Barclays Premier League starting August 11, together with live coverage of Italian Serie A, J League and EURO 2008 Qualifier matches. Sports fans will also enjoy viewing of live action from other events, such as the World Volleyball Grand Prix, World Snooker Tour and Asian Bowling Tour. Source: Digital Media Asia, 17th Aug 2007

* FIBA has agreed television deals with Ten Sports and Zee Sports for Eurobasket 2007, the men's European basketball championships. Ten and Zee will broadcast live and delayed coverage of the tournament, to be held in Spain from September 3 to 16, to over 40 million homes across the Indian sub-continent. Coverage on Ten and Zee will include all four quarter finals, the semi finals and the final. Both broadcasters televised the FIBA Asia Championship last month. It was the first time that basketball had ever been shown on Ten Sports. Source: Sportcal, 17th Aug 2007

* Pakistan's field hockey chief today met the Australian High Commissioner in Islamabad in an attempt to convince Australia to reverse its decision to withdraw from this year's Champions Trophy. Hockey Australia pulled out of the event, to be held in Lahore in December, over security concerns based on advice from the Australian foreign ministry not to travel to Pakistan. Despite Pakistan's efforts, the tournament itself could still be moved, although the FIH, field hockey’s world governing body, this week delayed a decision on the matter. Pakistan's neighbour India has formally approached the FIH to offer to take over the hosting of the tournament, scheduled for December 1 to 9. Source: Sportcal, 17th Aug 2007

* Beijing banned more than a million cars from its roads in a test run to improve air quality ahead of the 2008 Olympic Games. More than 6,500 traffic police were on duty to make sure owners of private cars with registration plates ending in even numbers were kept off the road. The test will last for four days. International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge said that some events may be rescheduled if pollution is extremely bad next August. The OC also have to contend with warnings from meteorologists that there could be a high number of lightning strikes during the games. Source: Sportcal, 17th Aug 2007

* The internet is heading for a crash unless it increases its bandwidth capabilities. A study by ABI Research claims that cable firms face the biggest challenge as their technology will reach saturation point first. Uploading bandwidth is going to have to increase, and the cable providers are going to get killed on bandwidth as HD programming becomes more commonplace. The solution to the problem is to change to digital switching and move to IPTV. Cisco found that American video websites currently transmit more data per month than the entire amount of traffic sent over the internet in 2000. It estimates that file-sharing makes up at least one-third of today's internet traffic. The Cisco report predicted that video streaming and downloads will increase to 30% consumer internet traffic in 2011, up from the 2006 figure of 9%. Source: Ken Radio, 17th Aug 2007


MORE NEWS

Asia/World/Rights: ESPN Star Sports Finds There is a Ready Demand for Twenty20

The disappointing reception for this year’s problematic Cricket World Cup has not deterred broadcasters of that event from signing up to televise next month’s World Twenty20, the first national teams competition to be based on the short format of the game. ESPN Star Sports, the pan-Asian sports broadcaster which holds the rights to International Cricket Council tournaments for the next eight years, today announced the initial deals in place for the coverage of the event, including a ground-breaking agreement in China. The inaugural World Twenty20 takes place in South Africa from September 11 to 24.

The ICC is hopeful that Twenty20 will prove just as popular with international audiences as it has in England, Australia and South Africa and ESS has now secured broadcasters covering 105 countries, including most of the major cricket markets, for next month’s competition. These include pay-television operators Foxtel in Australia and Sky Network Television in New Zealand. Both showed matches at the World Cup. In the host nation, pay-television broadcaster Supersport, another World Cup partner, will provide coverage alongside public service broadcaster SABC.

As the rights holder, ESS and its affiliates are guaranteed live coverage in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Thailand and China. It will be the first time that an ICC event will be shown live on television in China. In the Middle East, the World Twenty20 will be shown by pan-Asian sports broadcaster Ten Sports, while the rights in North America, which has a large Asian expatriate population, have been picked up by US satellite broadcaster DirecTV and Canadian cable and satellite broadcaster Asian Television Network.

ESPN Star Sports won the global media rights to ICC tournaments between 2007 and 2015 with a bid of $1.1 billion and has demonstrated its commitment to cricket with the launch of the Star Cricket channel in India, which has been showing matches on the national team’s current tour of England. The World Twenty20 will involve 12 national teams and comprise 27 games in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg. The final takes place at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on September 24. Source: Sportcal, Worldscreen, Rapid TV News, Indian Television, 17th Aug 2007

China/Broadcaster: Approvals for Foreign TV Channels in Hotel Broadcasts

China's broadcasting regulator has increased the number of foreign television channels authorized to offer programs in some hotels to 34, from 31 at the end of last year. Two of the channels are ESPN and STAR Sports, suggesting an easing of curbs on foreign media ahead of the Olympics next year. In late May, the regulator also offered a Korean TV channel, KBS World, rights to broadcast to hotels of three stars or more.

But an official at the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television's general office said Friday the additions don't represent a change to a policy set in 2005, when Beijing said it would stop granting such licenses to foreign TV channels and tighten control over existing foreign channels. The official declined to be named.

ESPN and STAR Sports, both channels offered by News Corp. (NWS) unit Star Group Ltd., were removed from the list of approved channels earlier this year. At the time, the regulator added two other channels - EAST TV and Cuba Vision International - but kept the total number of approved channels unchanged at 31.

The regulator said in a statement posted on its Web site Thursday it has authorized ESPN and STAR Sports to resume broadcasts. The official declined to explain the move. The official said KBS World had applied for such broadcast rights before the 2005 policy was introduced. In addition to ESPN and STAR Sports, News Corp. has four other channels approved for broadcast to hotels in China. News Corp. is in the process of buying Dow Jones & Co., the publisher of this newswire. Source: CNN, Market Watch, 17th Aug 2007