Let's have cricket in Olympics: London Mayor

Tuesday, December 9, 2008 (London)
London Mayor Boris Johnson has strongly backed cricket's inclusion in Olympics and wants the Twenty20 format to make its debut when the city hosts the 2012 edition of the Games."It is high time we install in the Olympic T20 cricket," Johnson said at a high level business reception by Think London, an organisation that connects international businesses to the city.Many top players like retired Australian stumper Adam Gilchrist have also backed cricket's inclusion in Olympic Games.Cricket has never been a feature of multi-disciplinary events with an exception of 1900 Paris Olympic Games and the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games.

Indian terror attacks could affect cricket economy

The terror attacks in India can have serious repercussions on world cricket's economy because India generates 70 percent of the game's revenues.

England cut short their seven-match ODI series in India, leaving their next month's two-Test series in doubt. The Twenty20 Champions League has also been postponed after the Mumbai mayhem.England's decision not to play the last two one-dayers may trigger a compensation issue.

"If you look at Pakistan and Sri Lanka, they quite clearly have their own political difficulties. India has always floated just below the surface," Jonathan Ticehurst, a sports insurance expert and director of Long Reach insurers, was quoted as saying by The Times.

"I think what the last 24 hours has shown us is that, all of a sudden, India is right in the frontline when it comes to terrorism. As a consequence, the insurance market will significantly increase the premium rate they require to cover the cancellation of sporting events in India.

"The revenue of the postponed Champions League was estimated at $15 million and one Indian insurance company won the bid to insure the tournament for a meagre $30,000.

"The London market quoted $60,000 for the abandonment for the entire tournament. That shows you how they regarded the Indian risk. It isn't going to be $60,000 next year," Ticehurst said.The cancellation of the league has also burnt a hole in Australian cricket's pocket.

Western Australia and Victoria will miss out on the minimum $250,000 for competing teams, while Cricket Australia (CA) - a 25 percent stakeholder in the tournament - estimates that its losses are in the millions. The winners would have bagged a whopping $3 million.

"CA is losing quite a lot. It's millions of dollars. Again, this whole issue and all of the problems in Mumbai are bigger and greater than cricket. We fully understand that these things happen. Unfortunately that's how it is.

There are a lot of people worse off than us," CA chief executive was quoted as saying by the Sydney Morning Herald.Andy Sutherden, managing director of sports marketing and sponsorship for Hill & Knowlton, said sports tourism will be hit hard.

"The loss of revenue for those staying at home will be significant. I think there will be a crisis of confidence in attending sport in this part of the world and confidence is quite a difficult thing to win back at speed," Sutherden said.

Andrew Wildblood, a senior vice-president and corporate director for India at IMG and one of the architects of the Indian Premier League (IPL), hoped that things would return to normalcy.

"It's too early to say but generally when these things happen, the world returns to normality, otherwise the world would stop. But normal now is not what normal was pre 9/11. These circumstances cannot be planned for," he said.

World record holder Narang eyes London Olympics

New Delhi: India's first and only individual gold medal in Olympics, Abhinav Bindra, could not shoot a perfect score at the Games but compatriot Gagan Narang shot a perfect 600 and then smashed another world record as he won the 10 meter Air rifle world cup final in Bangkok last week.

Narang has returned home after winning his biggest title till date - the World Cup final.
The field comprised of only the top 10 performers of the year including the Olympic medallists.
Narang won shooting 600 out of 600 to equal the world record in the 10 meter air rifle qualifiers and then a 103.5 in the final to create a new world record for overall score.

"It feels marvellous. I feel on top of the world to achieve what I have always though about. I have done it in training, I have done it in competitions but never officially so it is good," says Narang.

It's been a dramatic turnaround for the Hyderabadi shooter. He was the man in form but famously missed out on the Olympic final on a technicality and watched from the stands as Bindra created history in Beijing.

"It was quite disappointing for me at the Olympic Games. a lot of people who thought very highly of me weren't thinking highly because I missed narrowly," he says about Beijing Olympic Games.

The loss in the Olympics has made Narang more determined and he's already got London in his sights.

"I have to sit down and chalk out a plan as to which competitions I want to attend and which competitions I would want to peak at, which are the important competitions for us," he reveals his future plans.

Beijing was a blip in the radar for Gagan but unfortunately recognition in India is more or less dependent on Olympic glory and it's a wrong he is determined to correct.

Posted by

Anbu.