Events

Thousands of people who bought tickets for next year's Sydney Olympics will be offered refunds following the International Olympic Committee's decision to change the athletics timetable.

An on-going dispute between the English soccer Premier League and two former executives of broadcasters BSkyB has taken a new twist after a writ was issued against the 20 Premiership clubs which cost the League millions of dollars.

Fox Sports Net and Southwest Sports Group, the Dallas-based sports and entertainment company controlled by Tom Hicks, have entered into a comprehensive long-term broadcast partnership agreement that will keep the Stanley Cup champion Dallas Stars and American League West Division Champion Texas Rangers on Fox Sports Net Southwest and add the Mesquite Championship Rodeo to the network's programming line-up.

Sydney Olympic organisers have conjured up an extra half-million tickets to the 2000 Games to defuse a public outcry over a ticketing policy that has left the Australian public scrambling for seats.

NBC Quokka Ventures, has announced that Randy Falco, the president of NBC Television Network and chief operating officer of NBC's Olympic broadcast group, has joined its board of directors.

The World Cup of Golf will become the fourth World Golf Championship next year with a change in format, it has been announced.

Soccer's international governing body FIFA has unveiled a trio of computer-animated fantasy mascots for the next World Cup in what it said was a move to reflect the high-tech reputation of co-hosts Korea and Japan.

EMC Corporation, a global provider of enterprise storage systems, software and services, has signed with the International Federation of PGA Tours to become the title sponsor of golf's World Cup and an umbrella sponsor of the World Golf Championships.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) will visit Ghana and Nigeria early next month for a final look at stadium and television facilities for the African Nations Cup finals. The CAF inspection team's visit comes after concern was raised by several television broadcasters last month over the state of preparations for filming the 16-team finals, which start on January 22.

The owner of the New Jersey Devils has tentatively agreed to sell the NHL team to the joint venture holding company of the New York Yankees and New Jersey Nets, The Star-Ledger of Newark has reported.

Cameroon's Issa Hayatou won a new term as president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), easily defeating Angolan Armando Machado at a CAF congress.

The 365 Corporation ? best known in the sport industry for its string of successful web sites ? has launched a new programming division.

The Australian Rugby Union team, the Wallabies, have a new sponsor's name emblazoned on their jerseys. Vodafone Network, which is the third Australian mobile phone group, has paid about $A7 million in a naming rights sponsor deal.

Deloitte & Touche corporate Finance has been appointed as exclusive Corporate Advisor to the Natal Rugby Union (NRU).

South Korea's unification ministry has said it was considering a plan to play some 2002 World Cup soccer matches in North Korea.

BT has announced the 1998 football World Cup has generated #2 million worth of business for BT Broadcast Services.