Swimming star Chad le Clos was crowned the Sport Star of the Year at the South African Sports Awards in Sandton on Sunday evening. Last year, he was named Newcomer of the Year.
The 20-year-old, who beat Michael Phelps in the American's favourite event, the 200m butterfly, to win Olympic gold in London, claimed the honour ahead of fellow finalists Hashim Amla, Vernon Philander, Caster Semenya, Natalie du Toit, Oscar Pistorius, and Siyabonga Nomvethe.
Le Clos won a further medal at the Olympic when he finished second to Phelps in the final of the 100m butterfly.
His reward for being named Sports Star of the Year was R1-million and a new BMW.
Sportsman of the Year
Philander, after a sensational start to his test career, in which he became the second fastest player to 50 wickets ever, won the Sportsman of the Year trophy.
The Sportswoman of the year award went the way of Caster Semenya, who won a silver medal in the 800 metres at the London Olympic Games.
The Team of the Year went to the Olympic gold medal winning men's coxless lightweight fours combination of Sizwe Ndlovu, Matthew Brittain, John Smith and James Thompson for their stirring victory at Eton Dornay.
Brittain told the media afterwards: "Team of the Year, I feel like we really do deserve this award. We are a great team and I feel really lucky to be rowing with the guys that are around me, and the great coaching and the great support that we've had." Read More: allAfrica-com: South Africa: Chad Le Clos SA's Sport Star of the Year
Although the lifetime ban and disqualification of the results of Lance Armstrong is now secure, USADA CEO Travis Tygart's work is not nearly done. The arbitration cases for Johan Bruyneel and Jose "Pepe" Martí are still pending, so there may be more details to emerge from the seedy tale of cycling's doping culture. After unearthing the disturbing truths, Tygart sees independent organisations such as his as the only way forward for the sport.
At the same time as the International Cycling Union was turning its back on whistle-blowers such as Jörg Jaksche, Tyler Hamilton and Floyd Landis, USADA was taking notes, taking them seriously and investigating the allegations. Why the UCI failed to do so sooner was due to what Tygart calls the inherent conflict of interest or "fox guarding the henhouse" that is key to cycling's problems.
In fact, if one precedent is established by the Armstrong case, Tyargt hopes it is that clean athletes have greater faith in the anti-doping establishment, and trust that "they're not going to turn a blind eye, regardless of how powerful or influential those who broke the rules may be," Tygart told Cyclingnews.
Compare that with the actions of the UCI, of which Tygart would only say, "they speak louder than words".
"Back in August, they were arguing and telling everybody we were on a witch hunt. They had no idea what the evidence was, but they sued Floyd ... they've called the whistle-blowers scum bags. Those certainly aren't the actions you would take if you truly wanted to move your sport in the right direction on this topic."
Splitting anti-doping from UCI not necessary
There have been those who have called for cycling to create its own independent anti-doping agency in order to remove the conflict of interest from the UCI, but Tygart said that this step was not necessary. But the UCI does need to remove itself from total control and allow better coordination with the independent anti-doping agencies.
This very topic caused conflict between the USADA and UCI ahead of the 2011 Tour of California. USADA wanted to be able to perform targeted testing and receive the results, but while the UCI was ready to allow USADA to simply perform the controls, it wanted absolute results management authority. A similar conflict happened between the UCI and French Anti-Doping Agency (AFLD) before the Tour de France in 2010.
"When you have the UCI sending its own collectors in, and the reports only go to the UCI, that's an inherent conflict. Why you would want to do that as a sport, other than to control each and every aspect of it to your best interest?
"Unlike any other International Federation we work with, they've never articulated why they do it that way. The only conclusion, particularly when they can't articulate any other logical reason to do it, is that they want to control the outcomes. That's where the 'fox guarding the henhouse' just reeks and the perception of that is killing them right now."
That very kind of conflict of interest is what led to the creation of WADA and USADA, but it is a philosophy the UCI has been unwilling to fully embrace.
"You have to give up a little control, but at the end of the day it's the best thing for clean athletes - it may generate some ugly headlines from time to time - some of the top athletes who decide to cheat will be held accountable - but at the end of the day you've taken yourself, as a promoter of sport, out of that inherent conflict of having to bring discipline against one of your own."
Tygart suggests allowing the national anti-doping agencies to perform the testing and decide who gets tested and for what substance - the latter point made more important by the fact that the first Amgen Tour of California did not include doping control tests for EPO, Amgen's key money-making drug, a drug we now know was being widely abused leading up to that first edition in 2006.
"It was terrible for the sponsors, and terrible for clean athletes," said of the failure to perform EPO tests. "If we or any NADA were testing that event, that would never have happened. Did it happen because of incompetence of a foreign entity sending testers into the US? Or did it happen because they intentionally didn't want to have people test positive for EPO? You have to ask that question. I don't know that the proof of that is there, but you have to ask the question: Why, as a sport organiser, would you put yourself in the position to have those questions asked... unless you want to control it for your own self-interested outcome."
Independent Commission
The UCI's Management Committee decided at its emergency meeting last month that it was necessary to form an independent commission to examine the "various allegations made about UCI relating to the Armstrong affair", but Tygart hopes the scope will be broader than just looking into a few key issues such as Armstrong's 2001 Tour de Suisse doping control which was suspicious for EPO.
"It has to have a broad term of reference and look into any and every aspect... to do to some extent what the Mitchell Report did for baseball - not only look into the past and expose the past, but to learn the lesson so you can unshackle yourself from that past. And have tangible recommendations put in place so you can ensure the sport moves in the right direction."
Tygart reiterated that he thinks a "truth and reconciliation" and a willingness to objectively examine cycling's past is the only way for the sport to move on, and does not agree with the Sky team's "zero tolerance" anti-doping policy.
"If you doped, that's basically a lie. So you're going to have no problem continuing to lie. If you're asked if you doped in the past and you know there will be consequences if you finally tell the truth, are you going to tell the truth? No, you're just going to continue to lie.
"That further sustains cheaters within the sport who are living a lie, who have to continue to live the l
CAMILLA, Duchess of Cornwall, doesn't like flying. The jet lag! Why, she jokes to those around her, she gets jet lag simply flying to Scotland.
Imagine, then, the flight to Melbourne, Australia, via the appalling humidity during a stopover in Papua New Guinea and the scorching outback heat of Longreach, Queensland.
Unsurprisingly, perhaps, this is the Duchess' first trip to Australia.
Her task yesterday was to present the Melbourne Cup.
Jet lag was put on hold, for the Duchess is enthusiastic about the sport of kings, even if, during a chat before the race with the English jockey Ryan Moore, she inquired anxiously how he handled those long flights and, yes, the lag.
Indeed, as the horses thundered, the Duchess and her Prince, the heir to the throne, Charles, looked positively at home in the front row of the stands above the mounting yard, he following the race through powerful binoculars, she taking it all in on the big screen above the track.
Read more: Sport of kings hosts the heir to the throne
THE scourge of match-fixing will be the focus of a new national integrity of sport unit that will co-ordinate sporting groups and government's efforts to battle corruption in sport, in particular illegal betting.
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The Sports Minister, Kate Lundy, and the Greens sports spokesman, Richard Di Natale, on Wednesday announced the unit, which was agreed to with states at the last heads of government meeting.
With the rise of sports betting, particularly online, the unit will develop a standard for information sharing between sports and the bookmakers as well as ensuring ''a rapid, nationally co-ordinated response when instances of irregular betting are detected''.
Other projects include developing education programs to prevent match-fixing and working with regulators and law enforcement officers to develop nationally consistent criminal legislation.
''The scourge of match-fixing and illegal betting undermines the integrity of sporting events and competitions and only cheats the participants and sport fans,'' Senator Lundy said.
''Co-operation between the state and territories governments and collaboration with the betting industry is critical to improving standards and protecting the integrity of sport.'' The integrity unit will work also with other countries and international sports.
Senator Di Natale said the intersection of sport and gambling could be corrosive.
''The Greens also believe that much more needs to be done to combat the growth of gambling sponsorship and advertising during sport broadcasts. That is the next phase of this debate,'' he said.
Racing NSW's chief steward, Ray Murrihy, said a move like this had to be ''applauded because it is a starting point. It will co-ordinate and give a central point for the collection of intelligence,'' he said.
''However, it is still up to the sporting organisations to have structures in place to catch cheating and that means monitoring of betting and betting trends.
''Racing as a sport that is built on gambling spends millions of dollars on its integrity.''
The Coalition of Major Professional & Participation Sports executive director, Malcolm Speed, said the group - AFL, NRL, cricket, rugby, tennis, netball and soccer - were very supportive of the unit and had helped government in the unit's development.
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Mr Speed said the majority of members already had comprehensive anti-corruption policies in place and there would continue to be information sharing between sports and government.
Many betting agencies already have information sharing agreements with sports. Major online bookmaker sportsbet-com.au welcomed the unit, saying it had a zero tolerance policy on corruption in sport. ''Which is why we strongly favour harsher penalties for those who break the rules and that illegal betting should be shut down,'' chief executive Cormac Barry said.
''One of the most effective ways of minimising corruption in Australian sport is to ensure the majority of bets on Australian sporting events are placed with reputable Australian-based companies and not the thousands of unregulated foreign websites that offer odds on Australian sport,'' he said.
Sports unite in fight against corruption | Walcha News
Jessica Ennis rounded off a vintage year for women's sport by winning the Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year Award.
It says much for the depth of quality in women's sport that Victoria Pendleton won Olympic gold in the keirin this summer but did not collect an award in London on Thursday night.
But the retired cyclist told BBC Sport: "There's such a range of female role models out there.
"That can only be a positive thing and as the years tick by - after 2012 there will be a lot more positive female athletes really making the headlines. Going into 2012 I thought this would be the year for the girls and it definitely was. We must capitalise on this."
Jessica Ennis, Sportswoman of the year
What she did: World champion in 2009 and European champion in 2010, Ennis, 26, was the poster girl in the build-up to her home Olympics. She set three personal bests in the first six events to lead the way to gold despite remarkable pressure.
What she said: "It means so much. It's been fantastic year. It was an amazing feeling to step out in front of 80,000 people and win. It was a brilliant year for women's athletics and female sport, so to win this award with so many amazing women out there is an amazing honour."
BBC Sport - Britain's female sporting stars can build a lasting legacy
The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association will take no disciplinary action after completing an investigation into betting patterns in a Players Tour Championship match between Steve Davis and Thepchaiya Un-Nooh.
Six-time former world champion Davis won the match under scrutiny, a third-round contest in Gloucester on September 8, by a 4-0 margin.
The WPBSA, which is snooker's regulatory body, was made aware of odds on Asian betting exchanges moving considerably in the hours before the match, with Thai player Thepchaiya initially an odds-on favourite.
By the time the match began, he was odds-against. At the time, WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson warned any breach of rules by a player would have meant a likely life ban.
It is understood Davis was not under any suspicion.
After contacting various bodies including the Gambling Commission, the WPBSA determined there was no proof of wrongdoing.
The WPBSA said in a statement: 'The WPBSA have conducted enquiries into the unusual betting patterns surrounding the match between Steve Davis and Thepchaiya Un-Nooh that took place at UKPTC3 on September 8 2012, where Steve Davis won the match 4-0.
'The WPBSA process of making enquiries is very thorough and has included liaising with the Gambling Commission and a number of other partners in the betting industry. The WPBSA have found that there is insufficient evidence to show that there has been any breach of the WPBSA members rules and will take no further action regarding this matter.'
Read more: World snooker drop betting case surrounding Steve Davis match | Mail Online
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'We’re not in the business of buying everything that comes through the door,” says Marc Watson, chief executive of BT Vision. “We have a strategy, and we’re being very selective. We’re building a sustainable brand.”
Watson’s disavowal of a scattergun approach to sports rights acquisition is made from his office on the “leadership” floor of the telecoms giant. On the same day BT announced its second-quarter results. There are reasons for some cheer among investors. Although second-quarter revenues may have fallen by 2pc, to £4.4bn, cost-cutting has enabled the group to maintain full-year forecasts for earnings, and profits are up 7pc before tax to £608m.
But while the figures speak for themselves, what remains a matter for conjecture is BT Vision’s game plan. It is the division that has overseen BT’s surprising scoop – for £738m – of the broadcast rights to 38 live Premier League football matches from 2013 to 2016, as well as the rights to Aviva Premiership Rugby for £152m from 2013 to 2017.
Then came the announcement of more deals: French, Italian, Brazilian and North American football leagues have also been signed up by BT, taking its total outlay on sports rights to date to an estimated £1bn.
Last week, BT also announced a distribution deal with the Eurosport channels, which will bring tennis, cycling and snooker coverage to its customers. Acquisition of the Premier League rights, especially, is a watershed moment in British sports broadcasting. “It’s the first time that anyone other than BSkyB has got the first pick of games sold by the [Premier League],” Watson says.
But slick as the out-manoeuvring of Sky may have been – BT’s bid, let alone its victory, only became public knowledge on the day the Premier League revealed who had won its rights auction – the essence of BT Vision’s vision is, to outsiders, unclear. Does it intend to supplant Sky, for example? What will it do with its range of newly acquired sports content? Are other major sports, such as Formula One, in Watson’s sights?
I should declare an interest here. Some 14 years ago, Watson and I worked together. Back then, I was Richard Desmond’s head of legal at Northern & Shell. I hired Watson, a barrister, to work with me on deals for OK! such as a $1m (£627,000) contract for images of Michael Jackson’s first baby.
We also dealt with the full range of legal issues arising from Desmond’s publishing and broadcasting interests. Exotic as some of those interests were, we found ourselves written about in the legal trade press in a feature headlined “Some Like It Hot”. Watson says he “learnt a huge amount from Richard. He’s a great businessman”. Now, though, while I ply a trade as a writer, Watson is at the helm of BT Vision. At first blush, he has not changed. Always dapper – he was once described by a client in his Northern & Shell years as “the best-looking man in London” – Watson is trim and immaculately dressed. He is all smiles and bonhomie as we shake hands, and ebullience itself as he sets about giving me a demonstration of BT’s new YouView set-top box, which was formally launched on September 20.
“I’ve been involved in YouView since the conceptual stage,” says Watson, who joined BT in 2007.
“I wouldn’t claim ownership of it. Its development was an iterative process and very much a team effort. But I am very proud of it.” Watson flicks through YouView’s programming guide, enthusing that “users can go back in time and watch shows from last night or the week before”.
“They can record, pause and rewind live TV,” he continues. “And there’s also a search facility that allows them to find on-demand content by programme or genre. It’s early days but feedback from industry and consumers has been brilliant.”
We get to the central question. The sports rights that have landed on BT’s books are a signal of intent, but of what?
“It’s more about BT’s vision than BT Vision’s vision,” replies the 42-year-old who, prior to being headhunted
by BT, worked as a director with London-based sports rights consultancy, Reel Enterprises.
“BT operates in over 170 countries globally and has a big retail business in the UK. The UK business is the one the public knows, and it’s a vital part of the BT Group.
“Our programme of sports broadcast rights acquisition is intended to drive revenue and deliver profits for the UK business, and sport is a great way to do this. Sport really matters to people. It arouses passion in a way that other content can’t. It has a real impact on decision-making, because it creates an appointment to view.” Watson’s appointment to view is not, though, dependent on people being tied in exclusively to BT Vision.
“We will be making our sports rights available on satellite, and we’re open to wholesaling if the terms are right,” he says. “People won’t have to swap set-top boxes or subscribe to BT broadband to watch our football matches.”
That said, the rights are intended “to drive our own platform. Subscriber numbers are currently 750,000 but we expect that number to increase significantly. We’re looking for retail relationships, which includes deals with bars and clubs, too.”
The newly created BT Sport will host two dedicated sports channels – BT Sport 1, its flagship channel, and BT Sport 2. Its Premier League rights are for Saturday lunchtime, midweek and bank holiday games (and include the first game of the 2013-14 season), so these, along with English rugby games and overseas football leagues, will populate Sport 1.
“It’ll be a must-have channel for sports fans,” says Watson, while Sport 2 will be used for scheduling conflicts.
Other sports are being sought – indeed, announcement of another deal is imminent, “certainly before Christmas”, Watson reveals. Could it be cricket, or Formula One? “Those rights are tied up for years to come,” says Watson. He says he can’t reveal what’s coming because “the ink isn’t dry on the contract yet”. However, market rumour suggest
Hard to believe it's been nearly two years since the new-generation Ford Explorer rewrote the rules for the nameplate that became probably the most synonymous with the acronym "SUV." The 2011 Explorer took the tried-and-true, body-on-frame Ford SUV that for more than a decade was America's station wagon and turned that formula on its head. The new unibody Ford Explorer became a crossover.
With the Explorer's transformation came definitively more acceptable road manners and ride quality. But nobody was going to accuse the three-row, wide-body — and nearly 2.5-ton — Explorer of offering any sort of enthusiast appeal. And why should it? Because there are Hemi-powered Jeep Grand Cherokees and Range Rover Sports, that's why.
Hold People, Haul Stuff, Go Fast — Pick All Three
Our point is not to question the rationality of a "high-performance" crossover. They're oxymoronic, yes, but they exist. They exist because people — mostly fairly affluent people — want to buy them.
An even more puzzling proposition is the high-performance, three-row crossover. This is an even rarer bird, and with the exception of the Dodge Durango, you have to look to V8-powered European stuff, thus the reason Ford's people have the temerity to mention the Range Rover as a competitor for the just-released 2013 Explorer Sport.
The 2013 Ford Explorer Sport certainly is less costly. Base price is $41,545 (including destination) and even though the one you'd want will bring you close to $50 grand, that's still $35,000 less than the three-row Mercedes-Benz GL550 and probably $20 thou less than five-seater Mercedes MLs, BMW X5 and the Range Rover Sport.
Then again, you say, a Ford is not a BMW.
Fair Enough
Consider, then, that the 2013 Explorer Sport, with the same 365 horsepower/350 pound-feet 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 we know from the Taurus SHO, doesn't hold up too shabbily to the high-powered Euro competition, whose V8s churn out significantly more power but also are markedly porkier on the scales. If you consider the Sport's most likely competition to be domestic, the EcoBoost is 5 horses stronger (though down 40 lb-ft) than the Hemi-powered Dodge Durango RT and Jeep Grand Cherokee. The Explorer Sport is 75 hp mightier than the standard V6-powered Explorer and produces fuel economy ratings of 16 city/22 highway mpg — just 1 mpg thirstier than that vehicle and still near the top of this not especially environmentally concerned class. The Explorer Sport's chief engineer proclaims it to be "the most fuel-efficient gasoline-powered high-performance SUV out there."
Whether all this will impress the seat of your pants is for now subjective, as we've yet to test it. But, when pressed, engineers say there might be as much as a 2-second reduction in 0-60-mph time — a handy thing given the noncommittal 8.3 seconds we got from the conventionally aspirated Explorer Limited.
What the seat of our pants told us: The Explorer Sport's EcoBoost propulsion makes a huge difference when midrange thrust is what you seek. Passing back road dawdlers will have all occupants (as many as seven) checking the tightness of their seatbelts far less than in, say, the Scion FR-S.
That's gotta be good for something, right?
Higher Performance Through the Steering Wheel, Too
Stop us if you've heard this before, but the engine may not be the best part. The Explorer Sport's chassis upgrades are at least as gratifying as the extra engine grunt, even though we'll allow that they don't make the 4,921-pound Sport the slot car of crossovers.
Ford engineers know the standard Explorer's electrically assisted power steering isn't the paragon of tactility, but the Explorer Sport's steering gear is solidly mounted to the front subframe and the steering's programming has been retuned. Then they did something nobody typically associated with improving steering precision or turn-in ever does: They replaced a bushing at each rear-wheel knuckle with a bearing.
Result: steering that's at least responsive and locked in on center, if still not particularly alive with feedback. We wouldn't call the Explorer Sport's steering radically better than the standard Explorer's, but it's close — close enough that the chassis gang got the hard-mounted steering gear and the rear suspension revision approved for all Explorers as a running change.
It Won't Float
What we like about the Sport's improved handling is that Ford engineers didn't stiffen the stabilizer bars or go overboard in jacking up the spring rates in pursuit of sports-car cornering. There are Sport-specific springs and dampers, but the result is merely better body control, such that low-frequency humps taken at high speed on a back road are pleasingly and efficiently absorbed, never affecting the steering or allowing the Sport to get floaty. Yet there's still a large degree of comfort orientation: Without overly stiff tuning, the wheels don't crash and your head doesn't toss when the road gets rough. There still could be more assertive rebound damping, though, and the Sport continues to exhibit uncomfortable body lean in more-abrupt corners.
The Explorer Sport's front brakes are beefed up by 1 inch to 13.8 inches and are thicker, too — yielding a 53-percent increase in thermal mass — but the rears remain at 12.8 inches and we still think there's work to be done here. Why does everybody but the Germans chintz out on something so vital yet so essentially cheap as brakes? The Explorer Sport's 9-inch-wide 20s replace 8.5-inch jobs for the standard Explorer, although the 265/45 rubber is only marginally wider. Don't want fuddy-duddy all-seasons? Summer rubber is optional.
All Explorer Sports are fitted with a specially tuned all-wheel-drive system that includes the standard Terrain Management selections. A paddle-shifter six-speed automatic transmission remains as well. The Sport rides so marginally lower at the front your eye will never notice.
Simon Timson, who takes over as UK Sport's performance director in January, has said those sports that delivered during the Olympic period will be rewarded with funding.
UK Sport is in charge of allocating lottery and public money to the different Olympic sports.
The new breakdown of how the money will be distributed will be published in December, and sports like handball and volleyball, which relied on host-nation places to compete in London, could be affected.
The future performance director said: "Our aim is to reach down to the genuine medal potential athletes for Rio 2016 and give all of them the right support and resources they require to be successful.
"It's been the sport's job over the past few months to demonstrate to us which ones have that medal potential. We will make our investment decision based on athletes with medal potential for Rio."
Timson will be charged with carrying on from Team GB's best performance in 104 years, and he is already looking well into the future.
"So what each sport gets is determined by the potential in their pipeline and their opportunity to medal in Rio, but also their podium potential for their athletes in the future in 2020 and beyond," he explained.
"We have a very fair equitable system that means all of the athletes that have the potential to deliver will be supported with the right resources."
However, he did not rule out any sport from receiving funding.
Timson added: "If we compare sports, at times, we are comparing apples and oranges. We also recognise the potential in all sport. If they say a certain athlete could medal in four years' time, we are going to try and reach down and help them."
The Senate is currently considering Bill C-290, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (sports betting), introduced by NDP MP Joe Comartin, which would legalize betting on single sports games, an activity that is currently banned here and in all but four U.S. states.
The Senate should defeat this bill.
This legislation comes as governments across Canada are changing the landscape of gambling. Ontario, for one, has outlined numerous measures to expand online gambling, as well as build new casinos throughout the province. Coupled with these provincial changes, it is easy to understand why this bill could increase gambling revenues by hundreds of millions of dollars a year. If governments are seeking to increase revenues, doing so through conventional means would be far more efficient and progressive. In 2009, it cost governments across Canada $7.1-billion to collect $13.8-billion in gambling revenues, with the remaining $6.6-billion for government coffers. This is a very inefficient and costly revenue stream.
This revenue also comes at a great social cost. Children, lower-income families and people with compulsive personalities are disproportionately affected. The Canada Safety Council has estimated that over 200 suicides a year are attributable to gambling-related problems.
The argument that the gambling industry creates good jobs is unfounded. Statistics Canada shows that compared to non-gambling industries, gambling industry jobs are lower paying and require fewer skills. These are not the highly paid, skilled jobs governments say they want to create.
Some who argue for this bill say single game betting already takes place either illegally or off-shore, via the Internet. This argument fails to recognize that provincially regulated casinos will never be able to offer the same odds as off-shore or illegal operations. The solution to eradicating off-shore betting lies in giving enforcement agencies the tools necessary to deal with this illegal activity.
Still others argue that gambling is provincial jurisdiction and that the federal government should cede more control to the provinces. This fails to acknowledge that gambling falls under the federal criminal code power. Furthermore, the provinces are not unanimous in their support for this bill, something that was a prerequisite for the 1985 federal-provincial agreement on gambling.
Finally, single game betting undermines the integrity of professional and amateur sport. There has not been a major betting scandal in North America since Major League Baseball created the Commissioner of Baseball in response to the Black Sox Scandal of 1919. In Europe, where single game betting is legal, sport is rife with game-fixing scandals. Professional leagues, along with the NCAA (of which Simon Fraser University is a member), will take a tough line on Canada if this bill passes. The NCAA bans all championships in jurisdictions where single game betting is legalized.
A very different, and perhaps the most important, reason for the Senate to defeat this bill is process.
The Globe and Mail reported that “this bill was passed unanimously by the House.” In fact, a number of MPs, myself included, are opposed to this bill.
In a highly unusual occurrence, debate on this bill collapsed and it passed through all stages without a standing vote. To my knowledge, no opposition private members’ bill has ever passed through the House of Commons in this manner. For this reason, a defeat of this bill would not be inconsistent with the wishes of the House, as those wishes were never properly recorded in a vote.
The Senate normally exercises great caution when deciding to amend or defeat legislation sent from the elected House of Commons. Defeat of this bill would be a measured and appropriate application of the Senate’s constitutional duty of “sober second thought.”
Michael Chong: Why the Senate should defeat the sports-betting bill - The Globe and Mail
Citing the "unbelievable" support of the corporate sector, the Canadian Olympic Committee announced Wednesday it will inject nearly $100 million into high-performance sport over the next four years, double that of the previous four-year period.
"We've strengthened the sport system for today and, for sure, for the future," COC president Marcel Aubut said on a conference call.
Canadian sport sustained tough financial body blows after home Olympic Games in Montreal in 1976 and Calgary in 1988 when corporate support dropped off dramatically.
And while some winter sport federations recently talked about struggling to find financial partners to fund critical development programs because of sponsorship fatigue and a faltering economy, the COC said it managed to "succeed against the book" by working extremely hard to keep long-term partners and to find new ones.
Not doing so, said the colourful Aubut, would have left amateur sport like "the Titanic facing an iceberg.
"The book says everyone (corporate sponsors) leaves," he added. "We worked so hard with the right people, the right knowledge, the right competency that we succeeded with most of them."
Aubut said the COC was able to re-up with companies like the Bay, RBC, Suncor, General Mills, Bell Canada and Air Canada and announcements about new sponsors will be made in the coming weeks.
He said a detailed breakdown of which sports will receive money will also have to wait, but he did say the $100 million will be for both summer and winter sports and will be directed at four key priorities -- high-performance sport, Olympic and other multi-sport games preparation, "best-in-class" national sport federation development and a specific envelope for the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto.
The announcement was welcomed by leaders of Canada's national sport federations, some of whom were on the call.
"After Vancouver (2010), we know that it's okay to participate, but it's a very good feeling to win and to be part of the top countries in the world," said Marie-Claire Rouleau of Speed Skating Canada. "Money makes it possible."
Peter Giles, president of CanoeKayak Canada, said it was amazing to watch the job the COC has done in raising the profile of Canadian athletes.
"A very inspirational connection and bond has been forged and it's exciting to see the private and corporate sector step up to the plate with this extra support," he said.
The money generated by COC sponsorships supplements an annual $62-million federal government commitment to sport that is funnelled through Own the Podium.
Peter Judge, CEO of the Canadian Freestyle Ski Association, praised the COC for raising funds that are critical to the success of high-performance sport. But in an interview Wednesday, he reiterated comments made last month that winter sport federations like his have had to cut development programs that deliver athletes to the high-performance level.
"The (COC) can't be all things to all people," said Judge. "And moving along, we still have an important part of the equation to fulfil and that takes money, developing the athletes and developing the systems to create the best infrastructure and a sustainable source of athletes."
He did acknowledge, however, that the COC and OTP are starting to "revise their mission" by looking longer term and "carving out what (an athlete development system) might look like, whether it's academies or special training centres."
Judge said the COC's aggressive pursuit of corporate sponsors in the last year has had some effect on the ability of winter sport federations to sign up their own sponsors.
"Although we are targeting different groups and different partners," he added. "It's just a matter of finding a good match dot-com or one of the other alternatives out there. We're very encouraged by what we're hearing back."
Aubut also said on the call that the COC will work hard to create an environment where revenue generation becomes "automatic ... that there is some money every year, regularly, and it's not related to good or bad economy or good and bad humour (on the part of Canadian companies)."
Judge said OTP helped ensure Canadian sport did not "fall off the cliff" after 2010 and the COC has clearly picked up that message.
"They're talking a multi-pronged approach to ensure sustainability," he said. "You couldn't ask for a partner to do more."
Read more: Amateur sport gets $100-million boost, COC announces
The only comeback Leisel Jones could entertain was as a 2016 Olympic tennis player after confirming her retirement on Friday.
But even that was in jest as a content Jones, 27, promptly ruled out returning to the pool like ex-training partners Geoff Huegill and Libby Trickett.
"I am not one for comebacks," Australia's most successful female swimmer said.
"I have got nothing left to achieve or prove to myself. "I have taken up tennis. I felt like a five-year-old at my first lesson this week - I was absolutely horrible.
"Maybe in 2016, I will come back as a tennis player."
Australia's first four-time Olympic swimmer said her body would have handled a fifth Games but not her mind.
"I would be getting up every morning not knowing why," she said.
There were highs - Beijing 100m breaststroke gold.
And lows - her perceived petulance in Brooke Hanson's shadow at Athens 2004.
But there were no regrets.
"It was nice to finish the way that I did. I didn't want to finish not making a team," Jones said.
The champion breaststroker claimed 4x100m medley relay silver in London - her ninth Olympic medal, equalling Ian Thorpe's record for most won by an Australian.
But her larger physique was the talking point.
Jones said there was "nothing to forgive" when asked about the London media coverage.
"Media is the game we play," she said.
"And in the end, I was the one who came out with a silver medal."
Her media conference in Brisbane was attended by her mother Rosemary who introduced her to swimming at the age of two.
And just like her daughter, there were no tears - just plenty of smiles.
"It was a long time coming," Rosemary said.
At 15, Jones became Australian swimming's youngest Olympic medallist by winning two silvers at the Sydney Games.
Twelve years later, Jones felt like a teenager again.
"I have to discover what my passions are," she said.
Shane van Gisbergen's website says he was "born to race''. That might not now be the case amid widespread rumours the Kiwi will quit V8 Supercars at the end of the season because he is disillusioned with the sport.
The 23-year-old and Stone Brothers Racing team boss Ross Stone have refused to comment on the speculation that is the talk of pitlane for this weekend's penultimate round in Winton, north of Melbourne. It comes just six months after he signed a new three-year deal with Stone Brothers but that was before the team announced its switch from Ford to Mercedes-Benz for 2013.
"It's a pretty cool feeling to be able to keep all our relationships going,'' he said at the time. "I definitely think I can win a championship with SBR, that is the main reason I wanted to stay. I wouldn't have stayed if I didn't think that.
"Everything is really exciting now and I'm looking forward to continuing to work with SBR and SP Tools.''
Reports suggest the change in manufacturer and management structure allows Van Gisbergen to activate a get-out clause in his contract and others have said Van Gisbergen wants to spend more time at home - his family live on the outskirts of Auckland.
It could open up the possibility he will race in the V8 SuperTourers in New Zealand currently in its inaugural season but speedcafe-com reported he was more likely to "dabble'' in quad biking, karting and drifting. He first started on a Suzuki ATV at age five before racing a quarter midget on speedway ovals and karts. He also had a year in Formula First (entry level single seaters), won the New Zealand Formula Ford Championship in 2006 and was second in the 2007 Toyota Racing Series before jumping into tin tops.
The news of Van Gisbergen's imminent departure is something that has caught many, including Kiwi motor ace Greg Murphy, unaware.
"It's quite bizarre and very interesting,'' Murphy told Newstalk ZB. "I haven't heard of anything like this but certainly it's one out of left-field, that's for sure.''
Reports last week suggested Van Gisbergen wanted to remain loyal to Ford and was looking for a switch of teams but it's since emerged he has lost his passion and wants a more relaxed lifestyle.
Despite his tender years, he has been racing V8s since 2007 when he was just 17. He first teamed up with Team Kiwi Racing but his potential was soon recognised and won promotion to Stone Brothers Racing's main team in 2008.
He finished his first full season in 15th and improved to 12th in 2009, sixth in 2010 and fourth in 2011, when he notched his first career win at Hamilton.
He's had another good season in 2012, with four podium finishes and a career-first pole position at Sandown, and was fifth on the points table behind clear leader Jamie Whincup with two rounds remaining.
Motorsport: Van Gisbergen set to quit V8s - Sport - NZ Herald News
AUSTRALIANS still love watching sport and reality TV more than anything else. And they love locally made series most of all.
This year's ratings show series such as The Voice, My Kitchen Rules and The Block have dominated our TV screens along with premiere sporting events such as the AFL Grand Final, Melbourne Cup and rugby league State of Origin matches.
The clear winner for the year has been Nine's juggernaut, The Voice.
A whopping 3.32 million viewers not only tuned in to watch Karise Eden claim the series - making the gripping final the most-watched show of the year - but consistently tuned in often enough to ensure that other episodes of The Voice were among six of the top 20 shows of year.
With just two weeks to go before the end of the official ratings period, Nine as declared itself an early winner in the battle for TV supremacy.
In a closely fought battle, the two commercial networks have secured all the top 20 shows of the year, according to the OzTAM figures for all people in the five capital cities.
Though Seven will probably win the year overall, Andrew Backwell, Nine's director of programming and production, said it had more weekly wins in key demographics than any other network and delivered 14 out of the top 20 programs, including the highest rating program in prime time with The Voice: Winner Announced.
Nine also had success with Howzat! Kerry Packer's War and its London Olympics coverage, while Seven now has the top-rating TV cooking show in My Kitchen Rules along with consistent crowd-pleasers such as Downton Abbey, Winners & Losers and The X Factor.
Channel 10's top-rating show was the MasterChef Australia grand final, which was the 21st most-watched show this year.
The cooking show has not been attracting the viewing figures of its first two record-breaking series yet remains one of Ten's most consistent and successful programs.
Underground: The Julian Assange Story was another bright spot in an otherwise disappointing year for Ten, blighted by flops such as Everybody Dance Now, I Will Survive and The Shire. The fly-on the wall series, Brynne: My Bedazzled Life, promised laughs and glamour but delivered neither.
The ABC's top show was an episode of New Tricks that attracted 1.2 million viewers.
Read more: Sport and reality shows big hits in TV ratings | News-com.au
India dismissed any chance of a famous England escape by wrapping up a nine-wicket win on day five of the first Test in Ahmedabad.
Alastair Cook (176) and Matt Prior (91) kept England alive on day four, but when they both fell to Pragyan Ojha, the tourists were on the way to defeat.
England were bowled out for 406 before lunch as Ojha finished with 4-120.
Set 77 to win, India lost Virender Sehwag, but Cheteshwar Pujara took them to victory inside 16 overs.
Pujara, opening in place of the absent Gautam Gambhir, added 41 to his first-innings double century as he and Sehwag raced towards their modest target. Sehwag was well held by Kevin Pietersen at long-on off Graeme Swann, leaving Virat Kohli to drive Swann down the ground and seal England's seventh loss in 12 Tests this year.
The home side fully deserved their lead in the four-match series, having had the better of all but two sessions in the match, while England must improve in all departments when the second Test in Mumbai begins on Friday.
The efforts of Cook and Prior, who shared a sixth-wicket stand of 157, just about kept England competitive after their first-innings collapse to 191 all out.
Between them, the captain and wicketkeeper scored 356 runs in the match, while the rest of England's frontline top seven - Pietersen, Nick Compton, Jonathan Trott, Ian Bell and Samit Patel - managed only 114.
The failure of the majority of England's top order had echoes of the 3-0 Test series defeat by Pakistan and the failed defence of the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, when they struggled to deal with high-quality spin on slow, Asian pitches.
The visitors can at least take heart from the way Cook and Prior dealt with India's slow bowlers in the second innings - Ravichandran Ashwin went 53 overs without taking a wicket - but 15 England wickets in the match fell to spin.
That fact seems to suggest that England's selection of only one frontline spinner in Swann was a mistake, while the pace trio of James Anderson, Tim Bresnan and Stuart Broad failed to find any of the reverse swing exploited by Indian pair Zaheer Khan and Umesh Yadav. Cook's men can justifiably argue that their bowlers created chances - four catches were missed on a first day when India racked up 323-4 - but this highlights that fielding is another area that requires improvement.
One enforced change will be made, with Bell returning home for the birth of his child, while left-arm spinner Monty Panesar and pace bowler Steven Finn - if fully recovered from a thigh injury - could come into the reckoning.
Whatever tweaks England make to their attack, this match was lost by their first-innings batting.
Cook and Prior saved them from an innings defeat on the fourth day and needed to do the bulk of the work on day five if the tourists were to avoid defeat.
They survived the first half an hour, only for Prior to miss out on a deserved century when, playing back, he tamely patted a return catch to left-armer Ojha.
Cook had defied India for more than four sessions on his way to the highest score by an England batsman following on, but his resistance was broken four overs after Prior fell by one that turned and kept low.
England's demise was only a matter of time, especially with Broad offering a leading edge back to Yadav.
The counter-attacking Swann was bowled attempting to reverse-sweep Ravichandran Ashwin, before Bresnan drove Zaheer to cover.
BBC Sport - India v England: Hosts win first Test in Ahmedabad
The cancer charity founded by Lance Armstrong has now dropped the name of the disgraced cyclist.
This is the latest in a series of announcements about the man the United States Anti-Doping Agency has accused of operating "the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program" cycling has ever seen.
The news has shaken up the cycling in the US, no place more so than in Boulder, Colorado.
Boulder, Colorado is the America's hub for cyclists of all levels and ages. Former pro-cyclists Channel NewsAsia spoke to there said that for many years, everyone was pressured to use performance-enhancing drugs.
Clark Sheehan, a former US Postal Service pro-cyclist, said: "It was available if you wanted it… During the stage races, you would often hear: 'Hey, this is just for your recovery.' And then you would ask: 'Recovery? What exactly is it?' (They would reply😁 'Oh, it's vitamins.' And it didn't seem quite right."
Lance Armstrong is credited with having brought cycling to a whole new level of popularity, and profitability, in the US. However, with his downfall, the future of the sport has become uncertain.
Bike shop owner Brandon Dwight, who is also an elite cyclist, said: "I worry that all this momentum we've gained because of Lance, we could lose it because of him as well."
It is not just about losing sponsors and profits -- it is also about losing a hero in the sport.
Kris Thompson, founder of 303Cycling-com, said: "It's kind of like that moment when you find out there is no Santa Claus… But you kind of want to keep on believing and hoping."
The Armstrong scandal has forced cycling to undergo a sudden and drastic clean-up, but trainers admit that the doping culture cannot be eradicated overnight.
Dr Jason Glowney, medical director of the Boulder Sports Medicine Training Center, said: "I think with the younger culture, things have really really changed. But one of the issues is the people who mentor them -- they have to really make a change. And a lot of times, it's those 'techniques' that they kind of pass down to them. And that's something that we have to weed out and make sure that doesn't happen."
Insiders to the sport said that cleaning up cycling will involve taking the sport down a notch: in order to keep pace with doped-up riders, courses had become unrealistically hard, and times were unnaturally fast.
Post-Armstrong cycling may have easier courses and slower times for now. But there is also a renewed level of trust -- a confidence that the new generation climbing its way to the top is doing so drug-free.
Cycling: Armstrong drug scandal shakes up the sport - Channel NewsAsia
VOLUNTEERS IN SPORT: High profile, low profile, no profile, it didn’t matter yesterday in the Aviva Stadium. As the awards season kicks off, the unsung heroes of the sporting world were honoured. The back room foot soldiers, the people who ensure the referee turns up, the grass on the pitch is cut, the lights come on and that the clubs and federations do not fall into chaos lined up to be told perhaps for the only time that their efforts have not gone unnoticed.
From women’s hockey and Special Olympics to martial arts, boxing and hurling, largely unknown men and women stepped forward to accept awards for their challenging and generally unrewarded work in sport across 10 national bodies. In the Irish context there are over 500,000 volunteers in Ireland and Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Michael Ring presented awards across the 10 sports.
A collaboration between the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, the Irish Sports Council (ISC) and the Federation of Irish Sports (FIS), the Adult Manager of the Year award went to Sally Ann Fanagan, manager of the Irish women’s hockey team for the past six years. The women’s team almost qualified for the Olympic Games this year but Fanagan’s long-time input reaches way back to her Loreto days as a player and manager.
Somewhat closer to the Olympics was Oliver O’Neill, father of the Irish boxing team captain Darren. A lifelong supporter and coach in Paulstown BC, Oliver won the Youth Coach of the Year award.
Other winners came from the Special Olympics, swimming, soccer, athletics, basketball, martial arts, gymnastics and the GAA. Shelagh and Colm Leech, who have been volunteers with the Special Olympics for 15 years, won the Disabilities Sports Award.
The winners were selected by a committee chaired by 1956 1,500m Olympic gold medal winner Ronnie Delany with representatives of FIS, ISC, The Irish Times, RTÉ and the Department of Transport Tourism and Sport.
“Irish Sport would not exist without the efforts of the 500,000 people who volunteer so freely with their time every year. This voluntary investment has been estimated to have an economic value equivalent to somewhere between €350 to €580 million each year,” said Sarah O’Connor, chief executive of the FIS.
There were several top sporting names at the ceremony including Darren O’Neill, who captained Ireland’s most successful boxing team to a gold, silver and two bronze medals at London 2012, swimmer Melanie Nocher, international hockey players Lisa Jacob and Alex Speers, as well as Tipperary hurling star Pádraic Maher.
As a top intercounty player, Maher has had close-at-hand knowledge of Liam Sheedy, who was given a Special Recognition award for his energy in coaching under age players in his home club Portroe.
“His record over the last 10 years speaks for itself,” said Maher. “What he’s done for Tipperary hurling is fantastic. For my career he brought us all into the minor team in 2006 and we managed to win the All-Ireland. Then he brought us all into the Tipperary senior panel in 2009 and had a bit of success there too.”
“It’s an effort we should not take for granted,” added O’Connor. “Without these volunteers, not only would we cease to enjoy the successes achieved on the international stage but there should also be serious implications for public health at a time when obesity and other lifestyle induced diseases are on the rise.”
National Volunteers in Sport 2012 Award winners
Adult Coach of the Year : Maria Fenton (Swimming) – Involved in the sport for 40 years, her sister Anne was the first woman to beak 60 seconds in the 100m freestyle and her brother David competed in the Moscow Olympics.
Adult Manager of the Year : Sally Ann Fanagan (Hockey) – Manager of the Irish Ladies Hockey Squad for six years and a constant figure in the sport, as a player with Loreto and as an administrator for over 30 years.
Youth Coach of the Year : Oliver O’Neill (Boxing) – Father of Irish boxing team captain Darren, Oliver has been the heart beat of the Paulstown Boxing Club in Co Kilkenny. Under his guidance the club has produced 25 Irish champions , including Darren.
Youth Manager of the Year : Stephen Leigh (Basketball) – Has ensured basketball has survived in Co Clare and has worked tirelessly to establish under age basketball leagues at under 13 and under 15 levels.
Community Administrator: Rose Devine (Soccer) – Has worked as a volunteer since the 1970s, when she played and helped found the county board in London. Returning to Kildare in 1996, she continued to found clubs in GAA and soccer.
National Administrator : Brendan Dowling (Martial Arts) – One of the pioneers of Martial Arts, he took much of the responsibility for the administration and record keeping. An activist in the promotion of “inclusion in sports”.
Disability Sports Volunteer : Colm and Shelagh Leech (Special Olympics) – Volunteers for 15 years and have worked at club, regional and national level. Shelagh managed the 2003 Special Olympics World Games in Dublin.
Sporting Official: Mary Murray (Gymnastics) – 20 years a volunteer, largely as coach and judge. An energetic worker for the sport, she has organised and co-ordinated all of the women’s National Championships for the past three years.
Lifetime Award : Ronnie Long (Athletics) – Served athletics in every role from grassroots up to president of the association. A one time Olympic Games manager, his passion for the sport remains undimmed as he enters his 78th year.
Special Recognition : Liam Sheedy (Hurling) – Nominated by his club Portroe for his “tireless commitment to coaching the club’s underage hurling teams.” Has coached the Tipperary minor and senior All-Ireland hurlers.
Unsung heroes honoured at awards ceremony - The Irish Times - Wed, Nov 21, 2012
FIRST vice-chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa will chair the Organising Committee of the Sport for All Festival, to be held next month in Bahrain.
President of the Bahrain and International Sports for All Federations and chairman of the Executive Committee of the International Sport for All Festival Issa Abdulrahim thanked Shaikh Khalid for accepting his invitation to chair the organising committee, which he described as an incentive for all the organisers to work hard in their bid to make the event a success.
This came during the third meeting of the Executive Committee of the festival, which will run until December 6 with the participation of several representatives from all over the globe.
Abdulrahim said that this patronage of Shaikh Khalid also reflects the interest of leading sports officials in the country to support the Bahraini athletes.
He stressed the importance of quality in the organisation process for this festival, which will be attended by a group of senior sports officials from the Arab region and in Asia, adding that a special programme has been set during the five-day gathering.
Abdulrahim thanked all government bodies and the private sector for their positive response to the Bahrain Sports for All Federation's invitation to make the event a great success.
The event will be also supported by the Bahrain Olympic Committee, Physical Education at the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Municipalities and Urban Planning, the Ministry of Health and the Information Affairs Authority.
The executive committee of the festival have been discussing many of the issues on its agenda, including the programme of the opening ceremony and the activities to follow on the sidelines of the festival.
Gulf Daily News » Sports News » Shaikh Khalid supports Sport for All Festival
Alonso is 13 points behind Vettel ahead of the final race of the season, and must finish at least third to have any chance of overhauling the German.
"We need to try to be on the podium and wait for the result of Red Bull because it is not in our hands," said Alonso.
"We have nothing to lose. We can only win, and we will try to do our best." For Alonso to win the championship, he needs to win the race at Sao Paulo's Interlagos circuit with Vettel no higher than fifth, be second with Vettel lower than sixth, or be third with Vettel 10th or lower.
The Spaniard said the pressure was more on Vettel because of their respective positions.
"In F1 there is always pressure," Alonso said. "Definitely we have less than some occasions and less than if we were leading the championship.
"We arrive in second position after five or six qualifying sessions dominated by Red Bull when we were around positions seventh [or] eighth, so recovering 13 points looks like a very difficult achievement.
"If everything is normal we will be maybe seventh [on the grid] and if something happens we can win the championship. As it is not in our hands the pressure is much less."
And although Ferrari have some upgrades here in Brazil, Alonso said there was little hope of the team improving their car enough to challenge Red Bull and McLaren for a position at the front of the grid. "There is no magic part we can put in the car in five days, so we were seventh [on the grid] in Abu Dhabi [three weeks ago], we were ninth in Austin [last week], so those positions are normal here, but hopefully we can do a better job."
Reigning champion Vettel said he would try not to think about this race as being the title decider.
"The secret is to take it as any other," he said. "You get the same amount of points as any other race and we are here to attack. We are in a good position but we have to be sharp and ready to attack.
"It is sport and anything can happen. We need to look after ourselves, go step by step and try to do everything to make sure we do the maximum result. Historically we have been quick here but is also a place where lots of things can happen, so we need to be sharp in the moment and take away what we can get."
The forecast is for rain over the weekend, especially on Sunday.
"Weather-wise it is Sao Paulo," Vettel said. "It is the same as if you go to Spa - things can happen quickly, the weather changes a lot.
"I spoke to some locals and [they said] two days ago there was some big rain that wasn't expected.
"Probably for Saturday and Sunday there is some rain on the way but we don't know how much and when.
"I asked [tyre supplier] Pirelli yesterday if they have all the containers with the rain tyres and that's the case, so I don't think we have to be concerned."
Brazilian Grand Prix, day one
Friday, 23 November: First practice: midday GMT, 11:55 on Red Button, 5 live Sports Extra and online. Second practice: 16:00 GMT, 15:55 on Red Button, 5 live Sports Extra and online.
Brazilian Grand Prix, day two
Saturday, 24 November: Final practice: 13:00 GMT, 12:55 on Red Button, 5 live Sports Extra and online. Qualifying: 16:00 GMT, 15:00 on BBC One and online.
Brazilian Grand Prix, day three
Sunday, 25 November: Race: 16:00 GMT, 15:00 BBC One, 15:45 5 live Sports Extra and online. Race highlights: 19:00 GMT, BBC Three.
BBC Sport - Brazilian GP: Fernando Alonso has 'nothing to lose' in Vettel battle
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