Events

Sports Minister Richard Caborn has promised that the UK will demonstrate it is capable of hosting the Olympics in case the Government bids to bring the Games to Britain in 2012.

Premium TV, the sports rights and content internet and broadcast subsidiary wholly-owned by UK cable firm NTL, has launched Footee.net – a soccer-based educational website.

Australia is seeking an international trotting carnival with Harness Racing Victoria this week launching a new look December showpiece in a bid to attract northern hemisphere competitors in the long-term.

A multi million-dollar sponsorship arrangement between Australian brewer Tooheys and an Australian horse racing club is under increasing pressure with Tooheys claiming it has not gained the naming rights it was promised.

Video game giant Electronic Arts has signed a three-year deal with Talladega Superspeedway, naming the famous NASCAR Winston Sup Series autumn race the EA SPORTS 500.

US virtual imaging company Princeton Video Image (PVI) has signed a two-year deal with NFL team Philadelphia Eagles to provide virtual advertising in all Eagles pre-season games.

An unidentified athlete has tested positive for the blood-boosting drug EPO (erythropoetin) at the World Athletics Championships, Istvan Gyulai general secretary of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) said on Thursday.

Germany's state broadcaster ARD and media group Kirch have ended their row over German soccer broadcasting rights by reaching a joint agreement.

BBC television has withdrawn from negotiations with promoter Don King over the rights to broadcast the world heavyweight title rematch between Lennox Lewis and Hasim Rahman in November.

The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) has cancelled the European leg of the World Championship Tour after US surfers decided against travelling to Europe after the attacks on New York and Washington.

The UK government has rejected a report calling for greater restrictions on the sponsorship of sport by alcohol companies, fearing that it could cause financial problems for teams and events and prove unpopular with the fans.

Chelsea Village, owner of English Premier League soccer club Chelsea, has appointed Peter Bewsey - formerly of recruitment firm the Corporate Services Group - as its new chief executive.

EA Sports, the leading interactive entertainment software company, has joined forces with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority ( LVCVA) as the co- title sponsor of Las Vegas Bowl VIII, college football's first post-season bowl game of 1999. The sponsorship agreement will become effective immediately and run through December 31, 2000.

The BBC has held preliminary talks with Don King with the aim of securing the television rights to the Evander Holyfield/ Lennox Lewis fight on November 13.

Austrian Chancellor Viktor Klima and his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban have underlined their support for a joint bid to host the European soccer championships in 2004.

Credit Suisse Group has said it would no longer sponsor the Tour of Switzerland or the Swiss team because of the sport's declining popularity following a spate of doping scandals.