MENA

Barcelona has withdrawn from the bidding process for the 2017 International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) World Championships, leaving London and Doha as the only candidates.

The Qatari capital of Doha has entered the running to host the 2020 Olympics after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) agreed to consider the Games being staged between September and October.

Budapest has withdrawn its bid for the 2017 World Athletics Championships to leave a three-way battle between London, Barcelona and Doha, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) confirmed on Monday.

Dubai has announced it will forgo a bid for the 2020 Olympics in favour of concentrating its efforts on the 2024 Games, while South Africa has again emerged as a serious contender for the former event.

Mohamed bin Hammam refused to co-operate fully with FIFA’s investigation into match-fixing, according to a report compiled for the Ethics Committee of world football’s governing body.

The International Motorsport Federation (FIA) has ratified the cancellation of this season’s Formula One Grand Prix after giving its backing to a revised calendar on Wednesday.

Jean Todt, the head of the International Motorsport Federation (FIA), has insisted it was Formula One rights-holder Bernie Ecclestone’s responsibility to carry out “due diligence” on the now-doomed Bahrain Grand Prix.

Formula One rights-holder Bernie Ecclestone admitted on Wednesday that the Bahrain Grand Prix is set to be dropped from the 2011 calendar after all.

The fate of the Bahrain Grand Prix is once again shrouded in uncertainty after Formula One rights-holder Bernie Ecclestone raised fresh concerns about the safety situation in the troubled Middle Eastern country.

Qatar is planning to complete construction of its first stadium for the 2022 FIFA World Cup by 2015, according to the Gulf state’s news agency.

Max Mosley, the former president of the global governing body of motorsport, has criticised the decision to reinstate the Bahrain Grand Prix to this year’s Formula One calendar.

A Qatari investment vehicle has acquired a majority stake in leading French Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke has rubbished claims that he asked Mohamed Bin Hammam to withdraw from the presidential race against incumbent Sepp Blatter.

The Indian Formula One Grand Prix could be shifted to a season-ending December slot if Bahrain is reinstated on the 2011 calendar, according to the Championship’s rights holder, Bernie Ecclestone.

Iran has tabled an unlikely bid to host the FIFA Club World Cup in 2013 and 2014, world football’s governing body has announced.

The Qatar Football Association (QFA) has categorically denied fresh allegations that FIFA Executive Committee members received payments to vote for the country’s successful bid to host the 2022 World Cup.

Motorsport’s governing body, the FIA, has given organisers of the postponed Bahrain Formula 1 Grand Prix a further month to decide whether they will be able to stage the race later this year.

Formula One rights holder Bernie Ecclestone has insisted he is ready to give organisers of the postponed Bahrain Grand Prix more time to decide whether the race can take place later in the season.