Wednesday, 18th April 2007

HEADLINES OF THE DAY

Surprise Result as 2014 Asian Games Host is Unveiled

The South Korean city of Incheon will host the 2014 Asian Games in a surprise decision, after seeing off competition from India's capital New Delhi. South Korea also recently staged the 2002 event in Busan, while India has been overlooked since it last played host in 1982. India hosted the games in the inaugural 1951 edition, but New Delhi won just two votes when it applied to hold the 2006 games that eventually went to Doha in Qatar.

New Delhi’s 2014 bid was said to have been undermined by mixed coverage of its preparations for the Commonwealth Games, which it will host in 2010. Delhi’s campaign is also believed to be affected by a perception that it was using the games to further Olympic Games aspirations. Lars Haue-Pedersen, director of TSE Consulting, said ‘No event wants to feel like it is one of a series of events. There’s nothing wrong with the strategy, but India needs to communicate more clearly about its aspirations to hold sports events.’

The Olympic Council of Asia made the decision at its general assembly in Kuwait. OCA president, Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahd al-Sabah, did not reveal how many votes Incheon received from the OCA’s 45 member countries. This confirms South Korea as an emerging force in staging major sports events. The city of Daegu was awarded the 2011 world athletics championships and Pyeong Chang is the running for the 2014 winter Olympic Games. South Korea is one of a few countries capable of hosting major sports events in several different cities. Source: Sportcal, 17th April 2007, The Star Malaysia, China Daily, All Headline News, 18th April 2007

Related Stories: Asia Games Awarded to Incheon

Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) president Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahd Al-Sabah has slammed the door on any hope Australia had of competing in the Asian Games, saying it would not be fair to Oceania. The Sheikh acknowledged the benefits Australia’s inclusion would bring, but said they were outweighed by the damage it would do to Oceania’s other sporting nations. “Australia will add 100% value for money. They have a very high standard of sport and organisation but what about the National Olympic Committees in Oceania? We have to be fair to our colleagues in Oceania.” Source: The Star Malaysia, Sportcal, 18th April 2007

The next Asian Games 2010 in Guangzhou will be even bigger, with cricket the latest inclusion as a new sport. The decision to include cricket was taken at the OCA congress here, with heavyweight nations like India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka expected to field their top teams. The Guangzhou Games will feature 42 sports compared to 39 at the last Asiad in Doha in December. The OCA member nations also shelved plans to dump cue sports and 10-pin bowling. Source: The Star Malaysia, 18th April 2007

“Delhi loses, but it’s “victory” for Mani Shankar Aiyar,” Indian Olympic Association (IOA) chief Suresh Kalmadi said today after South Korea’s Incheon edged Delhi out in the “very close” vote in Kuwait. The allusion was to the Indian minister’s comment last week when he said hosting big games, whether in Delhi or Melbourne, makes no difference to the “state of those living in the colonies opposite the stadium”. Aiyar had opposed India’s bid before the Union cabinet. The government, however, gave the green light five days ago, after which an IOA delegation flew to Kuwait for the vote by member countries of the Olympic Council of Asia. Source: Telegraph India, 17th April 2007


SPORTS SHORTS

* A new board has been elected at the AGM of the Women’s International Squash Players’ Association, including two men. The men are American, Blair Keller and Antony Lee, recent president of Squash Malaysia. The other members are the president, Natalie Grainger (USA), Jaclyn Hawkes (NZ), Ingrid Lofdahl-Bentzer and Jenny Tranfield (both England) and Madeline Perry (Ireland). Linda Elriani of England, a former chairman, has stepped down from the board after 13 years, along with Canada’s Katie Patrick. Source: Sportcal, 16th April 2007

* VOOM HD Networks has inked a carriage agreement with Orbit Communications to launch VOOM HD channel in the Middle East. The agreement sees the launch of the first HD channel in the region. The pay-TV platform will launch this month, reaching subscribers in Middle East and North Africa. Source: Worldscreen, 17th April 2007

* AsiaSat was again voted as the “Best Asian Satellite Carrier” in the 2007 Telecom Asia Awards. In 2006, AsiaSat achieved encouraging growth in overall utilisation with an expanding premium customer base, and an increasing number of video and audio channels delivered by its satellite fleet. AsiaSat's associate and subsidiary companies include its broadband venture SpeedCast, Skywave DTH service, and China VSAT joint venture Beijing Asia Sky. Source: Indian Television, 17th April 2007

* Steady growth of IPTV subscriber and service revenue continues on an upward trend in Europe, Asia and North America, according to the new MRG report IPTV Global Forecast Report April 2007. Driving its success is fast growth in Europe; in Asia, particularly China, Japan, and Hong Kong; and in North America, and Canada. Forecasts show service provider revenue growing globally from $3.6 billion in 2007 to $20.3 billion in 2011. Source: Advanced Television, 17th April 2007

* Three bid committees are vying to host the 2012 European Championship. Italy is up against joint bids from Poland and Ukraine, and Hungary and Croatia. All three have made final presentations and 12 members of UEFA's executive board will choose the host Wednesday. The Italians are favored to win the vote despite last year's match-fixing scandal and recent outbreaks of violence. But if Italy doesn't win, the continental championship will head to the former eastern bloc for the first time since Yugoslavia in 1976. Source: UEFA Official, International Herald Tribune, 17th April 2007

* Time Warner is said to be considering reducing cable-TV holdings over time. They regard the long-term future of cable as doubtful as Internet emerges as alternative networks for TV and are considering getting out of cable and investing more in the Web. Time Warner already owns AOL and may seek to purchase another major Internet company. The issue will be put before the board as part of an annual strategic review. Time Warner is the second biggest MSO in the U.S. based on subscribers. Source: Advanced Television, Total Content + Media, 17th April 2007

* Nokia and Samsung agreed to work jointly to boost open standards in mobile television, based on Nokia’s DVB-H technology. A Reuters report quoted a statement from Nokia as saying that the two wanted to encourage greater adoption of broadcast mobile TV services. Mobile phone makers and operators are keen to tap the potentially lucrative market in phones that receive television, but take-up has been held back by fragmentation of the technologies on offer. Nokia and Samsung plan to work on using OMA BCAST standard for mobile operators. Source: Telecom Asia, 17th April 2007


MORE NEWS

India/Broadcaster: TRAI Chides ESPN, Orders Restoration of Signal to LCO

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has directed ESPN to restore immediately the signal to a Maharashtra LCO and held that the disconnection that ESPN had undertaken was illegal. ESPN had been directed to restore the ESPN and Star Sports channels and file compliance within two days. The regulator has disallowed ESPN's contentions in the case and has chastised it, demanding that it follows regulation before disconnecting signals.

Responding to the initial complaint, ESPN told TRAI that the agreement would supply feed only to private residences but LCO was also feeding the signal to hotels, which was in contravention of the agreement. ESPN had also told TRAI that it amount to piracy and despite being asked to desist, LCO continued with their alleged illegal activity.

However, TRAI maintains that regulation dictates that no broadcaster or MSO can disconnect signals without a three-week notice and TRAI found the clause for disconnection had not been followed by the sportscaster. ESPN asserted that there was no need to issue a public notice since there was no agreement with LCO giving signals to hotels and commercial enterprises, which is why it had stayed clear of violating the Regulation. Source: Indian Television, 17th April 2007

Elsewhere/General: Top Tennis Players Strongly Oppose ATP Changes

Roger Federer is the latest tennis figure to criticise governing bodies the ATP and the International Tennis Federation over proposed changes to the sport. The Swiss star is particularly upset with plans to downgrade the Monte Carlo clay court tournament. Backed by other top players, including Rafael Nadal, he said yesterday: ‘The ATP is moving really fast at the moment. We've had a letter sent several times to the ATP and the ITF about certain issues.’

Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic believes the ATP is acting in the interest of US tournaments at the expense of the European players. He said of the Monte Carlo event: ‘It's disappointing to see it's going to be downgraded. Are they afraid of US tournaments? It was never an idea to touch anything over there. European players are the ones paying the price.’ Ljubicic also criticised US players for their lack of support. James Blake and Andy Roddick have both pulled out of the Monte Carlo event. Source: Sportcal, 17th April 2007


ARTICLES, COMMENTS & OPINIONS

5 Reasons Why English Clubs Dominate Europe

To some English press, it's open-and-shut. If there are three English clubs in the semi-finals of the Champions' League, there can be only one reason: the Premiership is the best league in the world. Of course, this thinking is riddled with inconsistencies. But if three semi-finalists is all it takes, then the Serie A would have been the best league in the world in 2003.

That said, there is a theme to the English success this season. One can clearly look at five areas in which Premiership sides have outperformed the opposition and for which, to varying degrees, they deserve praise. This is the season when English club football finally grew up, when it finally lived up to the hype. And here are the reasons why:

1. Healthy finances

The top four English clubs have more money than the top four in any other league. Barcelona and Real Madrid in Spain, Inter and Milan in Italy, Lyon in France and Bayern Munich in Germany may all match England's big clubs but no other league comes close to having as many clubs with of the same depth of pocket in one League. Money allows the attraction and retention of talent. Cristiano Ronaldo extended his deal at Manchester United, becoming one of five highest paid players in the world. This does not guarantee that he'll stay, but it does make it much harder. English clubs can now hang on to their big guns like never before.

The Premiership is the best run league in the world from a commercial standpoint. It surpasses every other European domestic competition in terms of marketing, revenues and hype although it has taken some time for the balance sheet to match the quality on the pitch. But the former has inevitably raised the level of the latter and English clubs are reaping the benefits.

2. Faltering opponents

It helps when your adversaries self-destruct and this has been a nightmare season for Europe's footballing royalty outside the Premiership. Juventus are stuck in Serie B for the season, so they could not even compete in top-tiered continental club competitions. Bayern Munich are in a dismal fourth place in the Bundesliga and have had to make an acrimonious mid-season managerial change, ditching Felix Magath and bringing back Ottmar Hitzfeld.

After storming to the top of the Dutch Eredivisie, PSV Eindhoven fell apart just as they met Liverpool in the Champions League competition. The same can be said for Spain’s Valencia, which began the season with a furious (and very public) row between the manager, Quique Sanchez Flores and the club's sporting director Amedeo Carboni. They currently sit in fifth place.

At Real Madrid, Fabio Capello has been on the brink of getting the sack for most of the year, with very public airings of his rows with almost the entire team of Galacticos. Supporters of Real Madrid turned so viciously on some of his signings that Capello had to stop playing the likes of Emerson at the Bernabeu, to spare himself the boos. Down south at Barcelona, Frank Rijkaard endured criticism from Samuel Eto'o, while dealing a tricky situation with Ronaldinho (the Brazilian's agent was flogging him all across Europe) which may yet see him dropped. Compounding matters, this year has seen the tightest La Liga race in years. The domestic title chase has proven so exhausting that Spanish clubs necessarily paid a price in Europe.

3. Managerial excellence

Rafa Benitez, Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho are arguably all among the top five managers in the world right now. They've all won the Champions' League before (as has Milan’s Carlos Ancelotti) and all have served up tactical masterpieces on the way to the semis. Whatever one thinks of these three men, only a fool would doubt that they are among the very best in football management.

4. Stability

Of the 16 clubs who advanced to the knockout phase of the Champion's League, seven are led by managers who have been in charge for two seasons or more. And, of those seven clubs, four are English. The fact that Mourinho, Ferguson and Benitez have had time to mould their squads into a cohesive unit which fully comprehends what is required of them on-pitch cannot be underestimated. Today, each of the English sides left in the competition has a distinctive style and philosophy which is deeply ingrained in the players and that can only be a result of managerial stability.

5. Luck

Or, if you think this is a pejorative term, you can call it "happenstance". But reality is that one does not win major silverware without a spot of good fortune.
When United played Lille away, the French side had a perfectly good goal disallowed, while referee Eric Bramhaar controversially (if correctly) allowed Ryan Giggs' quickly taken free-kick score to stand. A different official, on a different night, might have acted differently.

The point here isn't to suggest that these sides are "lucky". Rather, they are, on balance, not "unlucky". Football is, ultimately, a sequence of individual episodes, some of which can change the course of the game. Had Bramhaar made a different decision, we might be looking at four different Champions' League semi-finalists right now and drawing entirely different conclusions. Gabriel Marcotti comments on The Sunday Herald, 15th April 2007