Dubai government officials have revealed plans to expand the emirate’s sporting facilities with an eye to bidding for a future Olympic Games.
The National Olympic Committee of the United Arab Emirates previously opted out of a bid for the 2020 Olympic Games with the intention of placing a bid for the 2024 or 2028 Games instead.
Ali Omar, Director of Dubai Sports Council sports development department, recently revealed that those intentions are still in place. “Hosting the Olympics is a dream,” said Omar. “We hope to submit such a bid within the next eight years, God willing.”
Their Gulf Arab neighbours Qatar have been rumoured to also be considering a bid for the 2024 Games, for the city of Doha, following their success in securing the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Omar cited Qatar’s success as an important factor that could help Dubai bring another major global event to the region. “Qatar’s move has brought the world’s attention to professional sports in the whole Gulf Arab region,” said Omar.
Dubai already has a prestigious history in hosting global sports events including the Sevens World Series, the Dubai World Cup thoroughbred horse race, the Dubai Desert Classic golf tournament, the Dubai Tennis Championships and a number of international cricket matches due to political unrest in Pakistan. Dubai will also host Expo 2020, a universal exposition taking place over six months which could set the stage for hosting an Olympic Games shortly afterwards.
The Dubai Sports City, a 50 million square feet purpose-built sports hub, would also add considerable weight to the bid with a 60,000 seated multi-purpose outdoor stadium, a 10,000 seated indoor arena, rugby and hockey stadiums and a golf course all situated within the colossal development.
The National Olympic Committee of the United Arab Emirates estimated in 2011 that 70 percent of the infrastructure needed for a Games in Dubai was already in place. But despite this Dr Ahmed Al Sharif, Dubai Sports Council secretary general, recently told media that more stadiums and facilities would be needed in order to host an Olympic Games in the city.
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Qatar inspires Dubai to bid for Olympics
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Edmonton: we host events for our community
Edmonton, the Canadian city bidding to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games is looking forward to hosting a much smaller event in 2015 – the FIBA Americas Women’s Championships, because it fits with its strategy of attracting events that the community is interested in.
“We are very excited to be hosting the FIBA Americas Women’s Championships in August 2015,” Candice Stasynec, executive director of Edmonton Events told HOST CITY.
“In our event strategy we have identified specific events and activities that make sense for our community. It is gratifying to see the strategy coming to life.”
Basketball has been targeted as a key sport for the city. “What is so satisfying about winning this event is that is part of our larger strategy of further developing Edmonton as a centre of excellence in basketball and the home of basketball in Canada,” she said.
“The Canadian Senior Women’s National Basketball Team calls Edmonton home now. We are hoping to attract all the national teams to do the same.”
The reach of the event is boosted by the fact that the tournament will also serve as the qualifiers for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
“Our Canadian women’s national basketball team now has the opportunity to compete for an Olympic berth with a home-court advantage,” said Michele O’Keefe, Executive Director of Canada Basketball. “Hosting is a strategic priority for Canada Basketball and this Championship is a great step forward.”
Choosing the right event for cities to bid for is a key theme of HOST CITY’s Bid to Win conference in London on 28th October, which provides a unique dialogue between rights holders and cities.
Bal Gosal, Minister of State for Sport said “Hosting international sport events such as the FIBA Americas Championship for Women provides an opportunity for our athletes to achieve their podium goals in front of enthusiastic Canadian crowds and gives a great boost to the local economy.”
The Championships take place on 9-16 August 2015 with 10 teams from the Americas zone competing in the eight-day tournament. All 24 games are being played at the Saville Community Sports Centre (SCSC) at the University of Alberta’s South Campus in Edmonton.
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Indian Super League to be launched in Manchester
Plans for the eagerly anticipated Indian Super League (ISL) and the 2017 U17 FIFA World Cup will be officially presented to the global football industry at the Soccerex Global Convention, held in Manchester on 6-10 September, after the confirmation that a senior Indian delegation will be attending.
The session will begin with Kushal Das, General Secretary of the All India Football Federation, delivering a standalone keynote speech, outlining the explosion of the game in India.
The panel, moderated by Sukhvinder Singh, will see I-League CEO Sunando Dhar, STAR Sports India President Nitin Kukreja, Delhi Dynamos Owner Sameer Manchanda, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry Director Rajpal Singh and DSK Group Executive Director Shirish Kulkarni presenting the latest developments behind the two projects and the multiple business opportunities associated within Indian football, culminating in the release of the combined FICCI-AIFF-Libero Sports knowledge report.
Managed by IMG-Reliance, the ISL has attracted investment from India’s biggest companies and celebrities, with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, DEN Network, PVP, John Abraham and Ranbir Kapoor becoming team owners, as well as partnerships with leading European giants such as Atlético Madrid and AFC Fiorentina.
The 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup will be the first global football tournament hosted by “football’s sleeping giant” and will play a crucial role in developing youth football in India. With FIFA earmarking a potential US$38m investment for the tournament, there are numerous business opportunities for suppliers from across the football spectrum, to engage with the key decision makers from the AIFF to learn about the multiple commercial opportunities the tournament will create.
Das and the Indian delegation join a growing list of international industry leaders who will be speaking at the Global Convention including FIFA President Joseph Blatter, four-time Olympic gold medallist Michael Johnson, MLS Commissioner Don Garber, FIFA Vice-President Jim Boyce, La Liga President Javier Tebas, RFU CEO Ian Ritchie and England and Manchester United legend Sir Bobby Charlton.
The Convention kicks off with the Football Festival on 6-7 September, with the Conference starting on Monday 8 September. A major international exhibition and a programme of networking and social events complete the schedule for this world leading football business event.
Source: Soccerex. For more information about Soccerex please visit http://www.soccerex.com/global // call +44 (0)20 8987 5522 // email enquiry@soccerex.com
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Ryder Cup fans to benefit from innovative technology
The 2014 Ryder Cup will break new ground for technological innovation after organisers announced that high-tech wristbands will be offered to fans at the Gleneagles golf course.
The wristbands, which will be handed out with course tickets at the Perthshire venue in Scotland, will utilise Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to allow spectators to access information, share experiences through social media and tap into fan-focused activities provided by the event’s commercial partners.
The RFID technology, embedded in the wristbands, will contain information about the wearer that can be uploaded to the tournament’s website when they register via a tablet or smartphone.
Ryder Cup Europe, which is operating the tournament, is also working with the Scottish government and mobile phone providers to provide ultra-fast 4G wireless connections across Gleneagles for the tournament between two teams representing the USA and Europe.
“Ryder Cup Europe and the key stakeholders wanted to deliver the best possible spectator experience,” Antonia Beggs, operations director for the 2014 Ryder Cup, said.
“As social media, smartphones and mobile internet have become a part of everyday life, the RFID technology seemed a natural choice to lift the event beyond the standard set previously.”Serge Grimaux of Intellitix, the company behind the wristband technology, added: “Our RFID wristbands will mark the 2014 Ryder Cup out as something completely different to what has gone before in terms of interaction with spectators, media and indeed anyone visiting the course.
“The technology is totally secure and has been proven at a number of large scale events across the world.”
Some of the options available through the wristband include a ‘Walk the Course’ initiative, with prizes offered to spectators who check in at points around the course, and a simulated team competition with live scoreboards around the venue.
The wristbands, which will serve as a method of cashless payment at certain areas of the course, will also enable fans to show support for their team, offering a virtual ‘high five’ for the Europe or USA team.
The 2014 Ryder Cup, which will be supported by global power and temperature control specialist Aggreko, will take place from September 26-28. -
Applications flood in for Rugby World Cup volunteer scheme
Organisers of the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England have revealed that 20,000 applications have been received for 6,000 volunteer positions for the rugby union tournament.
With the application deadline having closed, organisers will sift through the contenders by holding a series of selection events between now and December.
About 4,500 volunteers will be recruited from English and Welsh rugby clubs with the remaining 1,500 places to be given to members of the public.
The host cities for the tournament are now in the process of staging the try-outs, with the successful applicants to join the volunteer team, which will be known as ‘the pack’.
The host cities are Birmingham (Villa Park), Brighton (Brighton Community Stadium), Cardiff (Millennium Stadium), Exeter (Sandy Park), Gloucester (Kingsholm), Leeds (Elland Road), Leicester (Leicester City Stadium), London (Twickenham, Wembley Stadium and Olympic Stadium), Manchester (Manchester City Stadium), Milton Keynes (StadiumMK) and Newcastle (St James’ Park).
“The pack will be made up of 6,000 volunteers so we had approximately 20,000 applications and we are going to interview 10,000 of those. That will break down into 6,000 that will make up the volunteers,” try-out team manager Mary Cahill said.
The volunteers will perform various roles during the six-week tournament, including working in transport and accreditation services.
The UK public’s appetite for major sporting events has been whetted by the recent 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland and the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London, England.
More than 50,000 people applied for 15,000 volunteer positions for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, while more than 240,000 applications were received for the 70,000-strong volunteer programme at London 2012.
The 2015 Rugby World Cup will run from September 18 to October 31.
The 2019 edition of the event will take place in Japan, with the host of the 2013 Rugby World Cup yet to be decided. -
Bach says Nanjing 2014 can boost Beijing 2022 bid
Beijing, which staged the 2008 Summer Olympics, is up against the Norwegian city of Oslo and Almaty in Kazakhstan for the right to host the 2022 Games, with the IOC set to select the host city on July 31, 2015.
The second edition of the Summer Youth Olympics will conclude on Thursday, and Bach told the Xinhua news agency that Nanjing’s organisation of the event had been “seamless”, echoing the thoughts of Chinese IOC member Yang Yang, who said that Nanjing’s success would lift Beijing’s hopes of becoming the first city to stage the Summer and Winter Olympics.
“Of course it can help,” Bach said. “Nanjing has shown again the excellent way in which China has been able to organise a big event, as well as the friendliness and hospitality of the Chinese people.
“It is a good showcase for China and will, of course, support Beijing’s bid.
“The organisation here [in Nanjing] is flawless. We haven’t had any kinds of problems to solve so we have just been able to enjoy the Games with the athletes, the volunteers and the people of Nanjing.
“It has been a great combination of friendliness and efficiency at the same time. If you have the two together, you are guaranteed to have a successful Games.”
Former IOC President Jacques Rogge said earlier this month that, if Beijing were to be awarded the 2022 Games, he is sure they would “do a very good job”.
Bids for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games will be among the topics discussed by IOC Vice President Sir Craig Reedie and others at the HOST CITY: BID TO WIN conference, which will take place in London on 28th October. Visit www.bidtowin-hostcity.net for more information. -
NFL asks musicians to pay for Super Bowl spot
American football’s NFL has proposed that musicians should have to pay to perform at the coveted Super Bowl Halftime Show.
The proposal received a “chilly reception” from Coldplay, Katy Perry and Rihanna, the three musicians under consideration for the 2015 show, according to the Wall Street Journal newspaper.
Traditionally the NFL has not paid a performance fee to the stars of the show, although it does cover expenses for the act and the entourage.
The Halftime Show, which takes place on the pitch in the break between the second and third quarters in the NFL’s showpiece game, always attracts one of the largest global television audiences of the year.
A record audience of 115.3 million viewers tuned in for the 2014 Halftime Show on February 2 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, with the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Bruno Mars taking to the stage.
According to data measurement company Nielsen, musicians who perform at the Halftime Show regularly experience a significant spike in album sales and paid digital downloads due to the exposure of the performance. Several acts have used the Halftime Show as a platform to launch a new album.
It has been reported that the NFL has proposed a revenue-sharing arrangement whereby the league would receive a portion of additional album sales income as an alternative to a flat fee from the performers.
NFL spokeswoman Joanna Hunter said that the league’s priority was to “put on the best possible show” for fans.
“When we have something to announce, we’ll announce it,” she added.
In June, Variety magazine reported that the NBC network is asking advertisers to pay $4.5m for a 30-second spot during the 2015 Super Bowl – a record figure and a 12.5-per-cent increase on the Fox network’s advertising rate card for the 2014 game.
The Super Bowl Halftime Show has attracted the biggest names in the music business over the years, with performers including The Who, Bruce Springsteen, Prince, The Rolling Stones, U2, Tina Turner, Phil Collins, Aerosmith, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Paul McCartney, Madonna and Michael Jackson.
The 2015 Super Bowl Halftime Show will take place on February 1 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. -
Berlin to hold Olympic 2024 referendum as Mayor confirms exit plan
Berlin and Hamburg are interested in bringing the Summer Olympics to Germany for the first time since Munich hosted the 1972 Games, and the former has confirmed that it will submit its answers to a questionnaire sent out by the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) by the end of this week.
“We will answer the questionnaire of the DOSB and will then unveil our concept on September 1,” Wowereit told a press conference. “I am confident that we will answer those questions well. After that there will be a vote for all Berliners to decide. We want the widest possible support for this.”
The DOSB questionnaire contains 13 questions covering aspects such as venue locations, event goals, finances and transport infrastructure.
However, Wowereit will not oversee the possible realisation of Berlin’s Olympic ambitions after confirming at the press conference that he will step down as Mayor on December 11 after 13 years in office.
Wowereit, who has been widely criticised for delays and the spiralling cost of developing the unfinished Brandenburg Airport in Berlin, added: “I am leaving voluntarily and I’m proud to have made my contribution to the positive development of this city.”
It is unclear whether the departure of Wowereit may influence Berlin’s potential bid for the Games, but a spokesperson for his office told HOST CITY: “It was unexpected. We are all very surprised here.”
Berlin previously staged the summer Olympics in 1936, but failed in a bid for the 2000 Games after being eliminated in the second round of voting, with Sydney in Australia ultimately emerging victorious. The DOSB also opted to support Leipzig rather than Berlin for a tilt at the 2012 Olympics, although London in Britain eventually secured the hosting rights.
Other potential bidders for the 2024 Games include Baku (Azerbaijan), Doha (Qatar), Dubai (UAE), Istanbul (Turkey), Paris (France) and Rome (Italy) with South Africa also mulling over a possible bid and the US set to select an applicant city from a shortlist comprising Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington DC. -
Mauritius to host ‘groundbreaking’ tri-sanctioned golf event
A new golf tournament in Mauritius will become the first tri-sanctioned event to be endorsed by the sport’s European, Asian and Sunshine Tours.
The three Tours, which are all founding members of the International Federation of PGA Tours, have confirmed that the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open will take place at the Heritage Golf Club on the island from May 7-10, 2015.
The 138-man field, comprising at least 40 professionals from each of the participating Tours plus qualifiers and local invitees, will compete in a 72-hole stroke play championship, with the results counting towards the individual Tours’ orders of merit and world ranking points.
The tournament illustrates the improving relationships between various Tours, which have increasingly explored co-operations since the European Tour began co-sanctioning tournaments with the Sunshine Tour – then called the South African PGA Championship – in the mid-1990s.
Next month, the European Tour and PGA of America will co-sanction the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles in Perthshire, Scotland.
One of the benefits of co-sanctioning events is that such an approach can boost a tournament’s prize fund, and the total €1 million ($1.34 million) purse on offer for the Mauritius Open is likely to attract a string of top golfers.
Selwyn Nathan, executive director of the Sunshine Tour, described the deal as “groundbreaking” while Asian Tour Chief Executive Officer Mike Kerr said that the tournament would represent a “milestone” for the Tours.
European Tour chief operating officer and director of international policy Keith Waters said: “Golf is a major part of Mauritius’ tourism strategy and through the support of the sponsors the tournament will showcase the island to a worldwide television audience as part of the 2015 Race to Dubai.”
The Heritage Golf Club, which will host the event, is operated by Rogers Group, which operates extensively in the local tourism industry and has about 4,000 employees.
AfrAsia Bank has signed up as the title sponsor of the event. -
Rio 2016 appoints Eventim as ticketing provider
The company was selected following an international tender process.
Under its partnership with Rio 2016, Eventim will provide a ticketing platform for Brazilian and international customers. The company has previous Olympic experience having served the 2006 and 2014 winter Games, in Turin, Italy and Sochi, Russia, respectively.
Rio 2016 runs from August 5-21, with the Paralympic Games following from September 7-18. A total of nine million tickets are expected to be issued across the event’s sporting programme.
Eventim said: “In its partnership with Rio 2016, Eventim will continue to contribute to the Olympic and Paralympic movement by providing a robust, state-of-the-art ticketing platform, building on those which have been delivered for Torino 2006 and Sochi 2014 and embracing technological and operational know-how.
“Through their cooperation, Eventim and Rio 2016 shall ensure the delivery of a fair and transparent system for the distribution of tickets for Brazilian and international customers.”
Rio 2016 last month marked the two-year countdown to the opening of the Olympic Games by vowing that the delays and cost overruns which hit preparations for the 2014 Fifa World Cup will not be repeated.
Brazil’s staging of the World Cup was widely judged to be a major success, but the build-up saw significant delays in the delivery of stadia and price increases in preparing the venues.
This led to fears over Rio 2016, but local organising committee chief executive, Sidney Levy, told the Bloomberg news agency: “The time has come for the Brazilian people to deliver something on time, on budget, with full transparency. We can always fail, but that’s what we are willing to do.”
Rio 2016 said construction across the four competition zones stood at 55 per cent completion on August 5.
In advance of his presentation at HOST CITY: Bid to Win, Carlos Nuzman says Rio’s regeneration will outshine that of any previous host city.
For more information about attending HOST CITY: Bid to Win, visit www.bidtowin-hostcity.net