Events

South Korea's preparations for the co-hosting of the 2002 World Cup are well on track to be completed before the December 2001 deadline set by FIFA, according to event co-ordinator Peter Velappan.

The European Commission has exempted the European Broadcasting Union's (EBU) handling of broadcasting rights for sports events under the Eurovision system from normal EU competition rules.

The NBA and TSN, Canada?s most watched sports network, have extended their television agreement for another two years. The new contract will include 26 regular-season games - at least eight featuring Canadian teams - and 18 playoff games.

The British and Irish Lions Committee has appointed Octagon as its sponsorship, merchandising and licensing representatives for the Lions Tour to Australia in 2001.

Americans will see no live television coverage of the Sydney Olympics because of an 18 hour time difference between the two nations, NBC television officials were quoted as telling the Los Angeles Times.

Canadian Airlines has decided to pull out of its 20-year, C$20 million naming rights deal with the Saddledome, home to the NHL?s troubled Calgary Flames.

Bobby Robson, the Newcastle United - and former England - manager, has been named non-executive director of a Sunday newspaper publisher devoted to non?league football, reports the Financial Times.

E-comsport, the online player information agency network, has named Sir Richard Greenbury, the former chairman and chief executive of Marks and Spencer, as non-executive chairman.

Video services company Charlson Broadcast Technologies (CBT) has concluded a buyout with Spector Entertainment, allowing CBT to acquire a number of the video service contract rights and related assets, including production equipment, including those to Churchill Downs, the Louisville Sports Spectrum, Hoosier Park at Anderson, the Indiana Sports Spectrums and the off-track betting facilities managed by Kentucky Off-Track Betting Inc.

Dutch police have unveiled a range of tough measures as a warning to potential hooligans during next month's Euro 2000 soccer championship finals.

The Portland Trail Blazers have received criticism from basketball fans for showing Game 2 of the playoff series against Utah on pay-per-view at a cost $24.95. The game was broadcast nationally by the TNT cable channel, and blacked out within a 35-mile radius of downtown Portland. Responding to the criticism Harry Hut, the Blazers Senior vice-president for marketing said: ``People get the idea there's an obligation on the part of the team to televise a game, but there isn't.? The team, he said, wants ``to protect the home gate ... to provide a sold-out crowd atmosphere'' at the Rose Garden. However, Sunday's Game 1 of the series against the Jazz, shown on NBC, attracted a capacity crowd of 20,351.

The Premier League is to consider a TV rights auction after 75 requests were received for the tender document when the deadline for the broadcasters? initial bids passed yesterday. The number of bids for the next three-year deal was even more than the Premier League had originally anticipated.

The European Broadcasting Union, the association of Europe?s public service broadcasters, said it is satisfied at a decision by the European Commission authorising the joint acquisition and sharing of sports rights by EBU members in the framework of Eurovision.

FirstEntertainment, the multimedia internet entertainment company, has signed a sponsorship agreement with Team USA for the Trans-Atlantic Rowing Race to be held in October 2001.

Bids for the new English Premier League broadcast contract must be submitted today, with analysts suggesting the deal could break the #2bn ($3,2bn) mark.

The Australian government has said it expected this year's Sydney Olympics to give the economy a boost in the September quarter, adding about one percentage point to gross domestic product and cutting the current account deficit.