Oceania
Events

Official sponsor of this summer?s Sydney Olympic Games ? the airline Ansett ? has succeded in forcing the Sydney Organising Committee to not use a well-known song associated with its rival.
Business

New South Wales Opposition leader, Kerry Chikarovski, has called on the State Government to allow the Auditor General to conduct public hearings into the Sydney Olympic organising committee (SOCOG).

The United States Olympic Committee is to sell merchandise on-line in a deal with NBC which will also include official SOCOG merchandise.
Business

SFX Sports Group, a unit of SFX Entertainment, has acquired Speakers of Sport, one of the leading US baseball talent representation agencies.
Events

Australia has put forward Perth as its choice to host the IAAF?s 2005 World Championship. Perth, like bidding rivals London, does not yet have a suitable venue. But, while London has the promise of government backing, the Perth challenge has no such guarantees.
Business

Sydney Olympics organisers are set to receive a funding boost worth more than A$50 million (US$32 million).
Sponsorship & Marketing

The Wall Street Journal has revealed the extent of sponsors' concerns in the wake of corruption investigations into the Olympic movement.

The IOC has confirmed that ten cities have submitted preliminary bids for the 2008 Summer Games.

Kevan Gosper, the International Olympic Committee vice-president has asked the IOC's ethics committee to investigate a visit to Salt Lake City by his own family.
Media

Wasim Akram has been reinstated as Pakistan cricket captain after being given the all-clear following a judge's inquiry into match-fixing.

A Singapore cricket official has said an apparent match-fixing attempt in last week's Singapore International Challenge final between India and West Indies was shocking and may have come from abroad.
Business

Adam Crozier, boss of advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi, is set to become the English FA?s new chief executive, according to press reports.
Media

Head of IMG, Mark McCormack, has discussed the future of his company in an interview with the UK's Sunday Business newspaper.
Media

The Rugby World Cup third-place playoff between South Africa and New Zealand will be shown live on terrestial television in Wales, but nowhere else in Britain.
Events

The beleaguered organisers of the Rugby World Cup have criticised ITV's coverage of the event as a "disgrace" according to a report in the UK?s Guardian newspaper.
Events

South Africa's 2006 World Cup bid committee will concentrate on the "nuts and bolts" of staging the event in its campaign rather than an emotional appeal for Africa.
Business

IT Capital Ltd, a New Zealand venture capital concern and private investor Lindsay Fergusson, have paid NZ$1.9 million for a 68% stake in Virtual Spectator Ltd, the web site established to deliver real-time footage from the Louis Vuitton Cup, the challenger series for yachting's America's Cup.

Dick McGruther, the Australian Rugby Union chairman criticised the English rugby establishment yesterday, demanding that they pull their clubs into line after three years of inertia