Events

Till Lufft, general secretary of the European Athletic Association has declared the organisation `very pleased? with the level of sponsor support for the European Championships which start tomorrow.

The National Hockey League and Walt Disney Co.'s ABC broadcast and ESPN cable television networks Tuesday unveiled their five-year, $600 million TV deal, which dramatically boosts the cost of airing hockey even as ratings are falling.

South Korea's ruling party is pushing for a unified soccer team with North Korea and for the Stalinist country to host some of the matches in the 2002 World Cup finals, according to a party document released today.

Advertisers, invited for the first time to a sports trade show here, have warned sporting event organisers that they should not milk their events for money.

In a two day meeting the FIFA Executive Committee has expressed its extreme concern over the trend for entities outside the football establishment becoming involved in the organisation of football competitions.

Contract problems have stalled the $A200 million construction of one of the feature venues of the Sydney 2000 Olympics.

Bernie Ecclestone's proposals to revolutionise tennis are no more than a copy of plans already in place, organisers of the men's game has said.

Ticket sales are causing concern for organisers of the Asian Games, opening December 6th.

Swedish construction company Skanska AB has said it has won a contract worth 560 million crowns ($69 million) to build a sports centre in St Petersburg for the ice hockey world championship in 2000.

Computer services company Sema Group Plc has said it had been chosen to run information techology for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for the years 2001 to 2008.

Billy Payne, who headed up Atlanta's bid for the 1996 Olympics and became chief of its organising committee, has rejected any suggestion that Atlanta paid for votes in its campaign to stage the Games.

Reinforcing its image as South Florida's pre-eminent sports carrier, Barry Diller's local programming station WAMI-TV has bought a six-year exclusive broadcast rights to baseball's Florida Marlins.

The head of marketing at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has revealed allegations of bribery swirling around the organisation had not deterred sponsors of the world's top sporting event.

The bribery scandal now rocking the Olympic movement would scarcely have shocked its ancient Greek founders.

The England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced a major new contract with Sports and Outdoor Media International (SOMI).

Britain's broadcasting watchdog has urged the competition regulator to block BSkyB Plc's planned 623 million pound takeover of Manchester United soccer club, said a report in the Financial Times on Friday.

New Zealand Rugby League vice chairman and former prime minister David Lange has stood down after three years involvement at management level.

The on-going debate over the bidding countries for the 2006 soccer World Cup will spill over into a conference to take place at the home of English Premier League club Chelsea next month.