London 2012 Olympics: Culture secretary Jeremy Hunt confident that Olympics will come under budget

The Government is “more confident than it ever has been” that the Olympics will come in under budget, with a contingency reserve of around £500 million intact just 150 days before the opening ceremony, culture secretary Jeremy Hunt has told Telegraph Sport.

On Tuesday the latest Olympic budget update will be published and is expected to show that there has been no additional call on contingency in the three months to December 2011.

In December the National Audit Office warned that it was likely that the £9.3  billion budget would be exceeded, but Hunt said the latest figures made that unlikely.

He also said the financial position justified his decision to recommend the doubling for the ceremonies budget with an additional £41 million injection, money he says has been clawed back through savings elsewhere.

“There has been unbelievably tight financial control across the project,” Hunt said.

“We still need an unallocated contingency because there are things that could come up, but we can be much more confident that we will be within budget than we have ever been. 

Read more »

Posted in: London 2012 Olympics

London 2012 Olympics: Luol Deng injured after becoming first Briton to play in All-Star game

Luol Deng became the first Briton to take part in an All-Star basketball game, but he was injured after only six minutes of action, and appeared to court controversy by wearing a T-shirt honouring Africa during the pre-game introductions.

Record-breaker: Luol Deng, shown on the right, became the first Briton to feature in an All-Star basketball game, but was injured after only six minutes Photo: REUTERS

The 26-year-old Chicago Bulls forward, originally from South Sudan, stepped on to the platform ahead of the exhibition match on Sunday in wearing a black T-shirt carrying an outline of the African continent and drew attention to it when his name was announced.

The gesture could be judged to violate the dress code for the game, but Deng was relaxed over any possible sanction from the NBA.

"If I get fined, I'm okay," he said after his Eastern Conference side lost 152-149 to the West in Florida. "To me, what I did is worth it for me. I wouldn't do something that's negative. I'm not advertising anything.

"I just felt like being where I'm from and where I came from, it's something that I always wanted to see as a kid. I'm sure there's a kid out there, or a lot of kids, who really enjoyed it and made them happy to see that."

Deng played less than six minutes of the game after injuring his left wrist and was one of only three players not to score a point.  He added: "For me, being selected and recognised as an All-Star meant a lot more to me than what I was going to show or do tonight on the floor." 

Read more »

Posted in: 2012 London Olympic,London 2012 Olympics

Not made in Britain: Official Olympic scarf is latest in long line of souvenirs made outside of UK

It would appear to be the perfect way to show patriotic support for our sportsmen and women – and also keep the sun off.

But the official Olympics scarf, unveiled yesterday, has become the latest in a long list of souvenirs for the London Games to be revealed as made outside of the UK.  

The initial run of 500,000 of the bandana-style cotton sheets will be produced at a Next factory in India, with subsequent orders made in either Portugal or Turkey.

Unpatriotic: The official Olympic scarf for London 2012 (above) will be made in a Next factory in India

It comes just days after the Daily Mail revealed just 9 per cent of the 2012 memento collection is made here.

The scarf will be available in Next stores in May, costing £5 for a 20in one or £10 for a 35in version.

All proceeds will go to the British Olympic Association and British Paralympic Association and it is hoped it will raise up to £10million for the athletes.

The cotton voile scarves feature the Team GB logo or the British Paralympic Association logo on a background of more than 2,000 black ‘hieroglyphs’ – symbols representing the Olympic sports and London.

Flying the flag: Five-time Olympic gold medal rower Sir Steve Redgrave, Olympic silver medalist Sharron Davies and para-equestrian Lee Pearson unveil the two designs of scarves at the Saatchi Gallery in London yesterday

The symbols include 900 figures to represent the 900 Team GB and Paralympics GB athletes, 900 hearts ‘to express the nation’s special love’, 900 stars ‘to recognise that every one of our athletes is a true star’ and 60 hands to symbolise 60million GB supporters.

English roses, Welsh daffodils, Northern Irish flax and Scottish thistles also feature on the heavily-patterned scarf as well as national landmarks and the date of the opening ceremony.

The scarf has been described as ‘an iconic memento of the London 2012 Games’ and the BOA has agreed for Olympic sponsor Next to manufacture an initial run of 500,000 scarves.

Adidas, another sponsor, will have its logo on the scarves and help sell them through its outlets.

The scarves are one of two pieces of Olympic merchandise which the BOA are allowed to keep net profits from, following an agreement with the London 2012 organising committee.

Rich tapestry: The cotton voile scarves feature the Team GB logo or the British Paralympic Association logo on a background of more than 2,000 black ‘hieroglyphs’ – symbols representing the Olympic sports and London

The second item, a ‘collectable’ produced in partnership with BP, will be launched at the end of May.

The association has spent more than two years working on the design for the scarves, which come with a letter from five-time gold medallist Sir Steve Redgrave, encouraging people to ‘wear it, wave it and help Team GB WIN with it!’

The BOA hopes to sell at least one million of the scarves, which some have described as looking like tea towels, in an attempt to mirror the success of the 2010 Vancouver winter Olympics – where 4.3m pairs of red mittens were sold, raising millions for the organising committee.

BOA chief executive Andy Hunt said the scarves were vital for building support for the games.

He said: ‘We would love it to be a massive success. Here is an item you can take to show you have gone out and supported the team.’

The scarves will be available online WHEN and in Next stores from May – but may not be on sale in any of the official London 2012 merchandise stores in Olympic venues, due to a row between the BOA and Locog, which controls the shops.

The BOA will have to share profits from any sales in initial shops with Locog, which needs merchandise income to meet the £2.2bn running costs of the Games.

The BOA also announced that it will be opening a museum close to the main stadium and aquatic centre in the Olympic Park after the Games. The £10m project will celebrate London’s status as the only city to have hosted the Olympics three times, and could include memorabilia from every member of Team GB at this summer’s event.

Read more »

Posted in: British Olympic Association,British Paralympic Association,London Olympics 2012,London Olympics Sports

2012 London Olympics beckons team India

New Delhi: On a day when their favourite cricketers let them down in the tour Down Under, Indian hockey stars turned it into a Super Sunday for the fans after winning the final of the FIH Olympic qualifier.

Goal machine Sandeep Singh netted five and completed the second hat-trick of the tournament in the process to give India a perfect evening and a ticket to 2012 London Olympics. Tactical accuracy and the lightning pace displayed by Michael Nobbs men undone a sorry France. The scoreline of 8-1 in favour of the hosts said it all.

India attacked from the word go but were deprived of space as the French fullbacks defended stoically. Their frustrations were furthered when French custodian Matthies denied a sure shot goal in the 15th minute. But two minutes thereafter India scored the decisive goal. A cross from Manpreet found a taker in the form of Birendra Lakra in the French goalmouth who fired it in swiftly with a reverse flick. The atmosphere was electric.

Vociferously cheered by the crowd, Indians went searching for another goal. Sandeep stepped in to increase the lead in the 19th minute. It was Sandeep’s 12th goal in the event, a figure he had set as his target. He scored four more and was adjudged Player of the Match.

India’s pace and their crowd’s loud cheer troubled French players but silenced them for once when Simon Martin-Brisac deflected off Sebastian in the 23rd minute. Sreejesh, who came in place of Bharat Chetri, looked stunned. India retaliated in the 26th minute, a typical Sandeep converted a short corner to up the ante for the hosts while France caved in.

After leading by three goals to one at the end of first half, the men in ‘white’ made it 4-1 in the 38th minute through Sandeep. The referee had a field day as the final saw tension flare between the two sides and a number of referrals, most of which benefitted India. India’s penalty conversion rate was near perfect on Sunday as six out of eight goals came through penalty corners. On sparse occasions they were tested, Indian defense held fort tenaciously.

Apart from Lakra, Raghunath and SV Sunil got themselves into the score sheet, which was monopolized by Sandeep. 

Read more »

Posted in: 2012 London Olympics,FIH Olympic qualifier

London 2012 Olympics: Corporates like Hero MotoCorp, Bharti Airtel flock to hockey on rising public interest

NEW DELHI: Indian marketers are joining the 'Chak de India' brigade going to London Olympics. A day after the Indian hockey team qualified for the Olympics in spectacular style, advertisers such as Hero MotoCorp, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone plan to associate with the team and the event while Coca-Cola and Samsung may look to cash in on their official partnerships for the event, say people involved in their media buying plans.

Media planners say official broadcaster ESPN Star Sports hopes to earn Rs95-100 crore by selling advertisement spots during the 17-day event in July-August as well as related programmes that will be spread over five months starting March.

This amount is several times more than Rs5-7 crore that Doordarshan had raked in during the Beijing Olympics in 2008, but experts say three factors will help ESPN Star Sports reach its revenue target.

These are, Indian cricket team's disastrous performance in recent times that has pushed the sport's television viewership to new lows; the fact that the Olympics is being shown on a private channel for the first time, leading to aggressive marketing of the event; and, a strong revival in interest in hockey and other sports.

"The hockey team qualifier has changed things. Many companies are now seeing the Olympics as an opportunity to cash in on their global partnerships," says Navin Khemka, senior vice-president at media buying firm Zenith Optimedia, which buys media for Reckitt Benckiser.

ADVERTISERS GAME FOR LONDON

ESPN Software Executive VP Sanjay Kailash says there is significant interest among Indian brands to advertise on the Olympics. "With the Indian team qualifying for hockey, the interest and buzz around the Olympics among Indian viewers and advertisers will only increase," he says.

ESPN Star Sports plans to rope in eight partners for the event. Consumer electronics giant Samsung is an official partner of the Indian delegation to the London Olympics while dairy products brand Amul on Monday announced a deal to sponsor the Indian contingent.

"The hockey team's performance has added muscle to our sponsorship plans," says RS Sodhi, managing director of Amul brand owner Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, which will provide Rs1 crore for athletes qualified for the London Olympics.

A Samsung spokeswoman said the company is yet to work out the specifics of its Olympics campaign. The firm is supporting training expenses of six players. Two-wheeler manufacturer Hero MotoCorp, the title sponsor for the Olympics qualifying tournament concluded in New Delhi on Sunday, is also expected to pick up broadcasting spots. 

Others such as telecom services providers Bharti Airtel and Vodafone too have evinced interest in associating with the Indian team, either on ground or on television, say media planners. Sahara Group, which renewed its fiveyear sponsorship deal with Hockey India earlier this month, too may pitch in.

CRICKET'S LOSS HELPS

In a strange turn of the wheel of fortune, the Indian hockey team, by merely qualifying for an event it has missed only once since the country's Independence, has stolen the limelight from the national cricket team that won the World Cup less than a year ago.

Television rating points for India's ongoing series in Australia have plunged to less than 2, now that India has lost all the Test matches and is almost certain to finish last in the three-nation one-day international tournament.

The downturn started in England last year, when the Indian team lost all its matches and meekly surrendered its top ranking in Tests to the host country. Yet, ESPN Star is expected to have earned about Rs300 crore in advertising revenues from the three-month Indian tour to Australia.

"Family viewership for cricket has dropped and rates are now out of reach of certain brands," says Shripad Kulkarni, chief executive officer of Allied Media, part of sports entertainment company Percept. 

Read more »

Posted in: London 2012 Olympics,London Olympics 2012

London Olympics 2012: Ethiopia's former world marathan record holder Haile Gebrselassie could miss Games

The former world record holder had entered the Japanese race to achieve the required Olympic qualifying standard of 2hr 15min and to run quickly enough to secure his place in the three-man Ethiopian team for London.

But his time of 2hr 8min 17sec means he is only the 14th fastest Ethiopian over 26.2 miles this year, while three of his countrymen ran under 2hr 5min at last month’s Dubai Marathon — performances that would make them medal contenders in London.

It raises the possibility that fans lining London’s streets this summer will be denied the chance to see one of the true legends of the sport, whose record includes two Olympic 10,000 metres gold medals, four world 10,000m titles, nine marathon victories and the distinction of being the first man in history to run a sub-2hr 4min marathon.

Given Ethiopia’s fierce rivalry with neighbouring Kenya, currently the dominant force in marathon running, it is unlikely there will be any room for sentiment in the Ethiopian selectors' deliberations, which means Gebrselassie’s dream of an Olympic swansong may require him to run another marathon in the spring.

With a mere five or six weeks’ recovery time, that would be a tall order for any athlete let alone a 38 year-old whose body has shown signs of wear and tear in recent years, though it was something he did not discount after yesterday’s race. 

“I could run another marathon in two weeks,” he said. “I felt fantastic here for the first 30 kilometres, then had some problems at the end of the race.

“Sometimes you are too ambitious. This can happen. My target was 2-05 today but it didn’t work out that way. On the last downhill, I started to get some pain in my back. The last 5km was the worst I’ve ever run.”

Gebrselassie had led the race with three miles to go before he was caught by Kenyan Michael Kipyego, who surged ahead to win in 2-07-37. He was also overtaken by Japan’s Arata Fujiwara and Ugandan Stephen Kiprotich.

Kipyego could hardly believe he had upstaged the great Ethiopian, saying: “I won but you can never compare anyone with Haile. He’s the king of the marathon. I salute him.”

But Gebrselessie’s reign already looks over after a race that provided further evidence of his diminishing powers.

In November 2010, he failed to finish the New York Marathon after being troubled by a knee problem and at a tearful press conference afterwards he announced to the world that he was quitting the sport.

That decision was swiftly reversed, though he was forced to withdraw from last year’s Tokyo Marathon through illness and then he failed to finish the Berlin Marathon last September after developing breathing problems.

The loss of his status as the world’s greatest marathon runner was underlined in the German capital as Kenya’s Patrick Makau triumphed in a world record of 2-03-38, obliterating Gebrselassie’s previous mark of 2-03-59.

Should Gebrselassie consider a final throw of the dice by running a spring marathon to secure an Olympic spot, it is highly unlikely he will choose the Virgin London Marathon on April 22.

He suffers from acute hay fever and has said previously that he would never again run in London in the spring after the high pollen count in 2007 provoked a strong allergic reaction and forced him to pull out mid-race.

Read more »

Posted in: London Olympics 2012

Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium

Ace drag-flicker Sandeep Singh slammed five goals, including a hat-trick, as India qualified for London Olympics men's hockey after missing out the 2008 edition by spanking France 8-1 in the final of the qualification tournament on Sunday.

Coming into the game with the memories of Santiago debacle four years ago still fresh in their minds, the Indians ensured that there was no repeat of the blunder this time around and toyed with the French defence throughout the 70 minutes to score the goals at will.

Sandeep, who witnessed the Chile debacle from close quarters, continued his goal-scoring spree to not only help eight-time Olympic champions India keep its date with London, but also emerged as the highest scorer of the tournament with 16 goals.

The 18th ranked Frenchmen proved to be a mismatch for the erstwhile giants of the game as India scored three and five goals respectively in both the halves to dash the European team's London dreams.

The Indians were right on the money with their game plan on Sunday as France found it impossible to counter the home team's consistent attacks.

The difference between the two teams can be gauged from the fact that both India and France earned as many as seven penalty corners each, but the visitors failed to utilise a single one while the hosts converted six.

The rout started with Birendra Lakra's field goal in the 17th minute after which it was a one man show as Sandeep (19th, 26th, 38th, 49th and 51st) converted five successive penalty corners for India to floor France.

SV Sunil (43rd) and VR Raghunath (56th) were the other goal-getters for the hosts, while Simon Martin-Brisac (24th) scored the consolation goal for France.

With eyes firmly set on London, the Indians started the proceedings on the right earnest and controlled the game from the onset.

As their world rankings suggest, India were by far the better side on display for most part of the match and mounted continuous raids on the rival citadel from the very beginning.

India got their first scoring chance as early as in the third minute when they were awarded a penalty corner but Sandeep failed to convert it.

Manpreet Singh then came tantalisingly close to giving India the lead in the 16th minute but his reverse shot from top of a very crowded circle was blocked by an agile French goalkeeper Mathias Dierckens.

India then scored two goals within a span of two minutes to take control of the match.

India finally broke the deadlock in the 17th minute when Lakra scored with a reverse hit after being fed by Manpreet's cross from the right.

Sandeep then made the scoreline 2-0 from India's second penalty corner following a video referral after Shivendra was brought down inside the French circle.

Down 0-2, the Frenchmen came up with a stunning field goal just five minutes later when Martin-Brisac beautifully deflected home Sebastien Jean-Jean's quick cross from the right flank.

But France's joy was shortlived as Sandeep scored his second goal of the match two minutes later from India's third short corner.

If the first half saw somewhat a keen contest between the two teams, penalty corner conversion was the order of the day after resumption of play as Sandeep ripped apart the French defence with his precision drag-flicking.

Sandeep showed why he is considered as one of the best penalty corner specialists in the world, converting three consecutive set pieces in a span of 14 minutes to pocket the match and book India's place in the London Olympics.

In between, an unmarked Sunil scored a field goal after he was set up by Tushar Khandker and Danish Mujtaba.

Raghunath drove the final nail on France's coffin, converting India's seventh short corner with a powerful flick to the top of the French goal.

It was completely a one-sided affair and India could have won the match by a bigger margin had they not wasted numerous scoring opportunities that came their way.

The win not only ensured India's place in the London Games, but also made all the players richer by Rs 2 lakh each, while members of the support staff will pocket Rs one lakh each as promised by Hockey India and Lalit Group of Hotels. 

Read more »

Posted in: 2012 London Olympic,Indian Hockey Team,London Olympics 2012

Hockey: Sandeep Singh leads India to London Olympics 2012

Eight-time champions India are back in the Games with a 8-1 drubbing of France in the final of the 2012 London Olympic men's hockey qualifiers at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium here on Sunday.

Ace drag-flicker Sandeep Singh, who was a part of the team that lost the qualifiers in 2008, starred scoring five goals - including a hat-trick - all from penalty corners (19th, 26th, 38th, 49th and 51st). Birendra Lakra (17th), S.V. Sunil (43rd) and V.Raghunath (55th) scored goals apiece. (Related: Match in pics)

Sandeep, who had promised to score at least 12 goals in the tournament, remained the top scorer with 16 goals. (Related: Sandeep, the stick magician)

France scored their solitary goal completely against the run of play in the 24th minute through Simon Brisac-Martin.

Having missed an Olympics (2008 Beijing), for the first time in 80 years, India were this time determined not to suffer the same disaster. They did so with a dominating performance as Sandeep ripped apart the French team with his furry, converting five of the seven penalty corners that came his way.

There was never any doubt over the outcome, but the result still surprised. France, who had held Canada 1-1 in their last match to qualify for the final, were expected to put up a fight but in front of a 15,000 crowd they found the going tough. The scoreline was bigger than their 2-6 loss to India in the pool match.

France did their best to tightly mark the Indian forward but in 10 minutes, they found that it was of no use. India used both the flanks brilliantly with Tushar Khandekar and S.V. Sunil combining well with the link-men.

India had their first chance in the 16th minute but Manpreet Singh's slap-shot from the top of the D was saved well by goalkeeper Matthias Dierckens. In the next minute, Manpreet, however, played a key role in giving India the lead. His precise pass found and unmarked Lakra, who slotted it in.

Two minutes later, India forward Shivendra Singh successfully appealed for a penalty corner after he was pulled in the D and the video umpire ruled in favour of India. Sandeep struck as India went 2-0 up.

France pulled one back completely against the run of play in the 24th minute. Sebastian Jean-Jean made a quick run into the defence and passed it to Simon, who deflected it into the net.

But in the next minute, Sandeep slammed again from a penalty corner as India went into the break leading 3-1.

For France all hell broke lose in the second half as India pumped in five more, one from field goal and four from penalty corners to complete the scoreline.

Read more »

Posted in: London Olympics 2012,Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium

2012 London Olympics beckons team India

New Delhi: On a day when their favourite cricketers let them down in the tour Down Under, Indian hockey stars turned it into a Super Sunday for the fans after winning the final of the FIH Olympic qualifier.

Goal machine Sandeep Singh netted five and completed the second hat-trick of the tournament in the process to give India a perfect evening and a ticket to 2012 London Olympics. Tactical accuracy and the lightning pace displayed by Michael Nobbs men undone a sorry France. The scoreline of 8-1 in favour of the hosts said it all.

India attacked from the word go but were deprived of space as the French fullbacks defended stoically. Their frustrations were furthered when French custodian Matthies denied a sure shot goal in the 15th minute. But two minutes thereafter India scored the decisive goal. A cross from Manpreet found a taker in the form of Birendra Lakra in the French goalmouth who fired it in swiftly with a reverse flick. The atmosphere was electric.

Vociferously cheered by the crowd, Indians went searching for another goal. Sandeep stepped in to increase the lead in the 19th minute. It was Sandeep’s 12th goal in the event, a figure he had set as his target. He scored four more and was adjudged Player of the Match.

India’s pace and their crowd’s loud cheer troubled French players but silenced them for once when Simon Martin-Brisac deflected off Sebastian in the 23rd minute. Sreejesh, who came in place of Bharat Chetri, looked stunned. India retaliated in the 26th minute, a typical Sandeep converted a short corner to up the ante for the hosts while France caved in.

After leading by three goals to one at the end of first half, the men in ‘white’ made it 4-1 in the 38th minute through Sandeep. The referee had a field day as the final saw tension flare between the two sides and a number of referrals, most of which benefitted India. India’s penalty conversion rate was near perfect on Sunday as six out of eight goals came through penalty corners. On sparse occasions they were tested, Indian defense held fort tenaciously.

Apart from Lakra, Raghunath and SV Sunil got themselves into the score sheet, which was monopolized by Sandeep. 

Read more »

Posted in: 2012 London Olympics,Indian Hockey Team,London Olympics 2012

Olympic Closing Ceremony to be ‘A Symphony of British Music’

The London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) has announced that the Closing Ceremony of the Olympic Games will be titled ‘A Symphony of British Music’.

The Olympic Closing Ceremony Creative Team will create the grand finale of the Olympic Games. L-R: David Arnold (Music Director), Es Devlin (Designer), Kim Gavin (Artistic Director), Patrick Woodroffe (Lighting Designer)

The theme will celebrate the fact that music has been one of Britain’s strongest cultural exports over the last 50 years.

 

Organizers will work with some of the country’s most globally successful musicians, along with some of the industry's stars of tomorrow.

The worldwide broadcast of the Ceremony will start at 9.00pm and feature more than 4,100 performers, including 3,500 adult volunteers and 380 schoolchildren from the six east London Host Boroughs. The 10,500 athletes who have competed in the Games will also be in attendance, while there will be an expected worldwide television audience of around 750 million people.

Ceremonies soundtracks

It has also been revealed that the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) have been appointed to record the soundtracks for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Widely regarded as one of the world’s leading orchestras, the LSO draws on an enviable roster of soloists and conductors, including Principle Conductor Valery Gergiev.

LOCOG Chair Seb Coe said: ‘The London 2012 Ceremonies are an opportunity to promote the UK’s world leading culture and creative industries to over four billion people around the world. We’re delighted that one of Britain’s world-leading orchestras will be recording the orchestral music for the shows.’

'Honoured and thrilled'

Formed in 1904, the LSO performs over 140 concerts a year to audiences in London and abroad. LSO Managing Director Kathryn McDowell said: ‘The London Symphony Orchestra is honoured and delighted to be the Orchestra of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

'The experience of world sport and music brings people of all nationalities and backgrounds together with a common purpose, and we are thrilled to be part of the Olympic and Paralympic Ceremonies here in London.’

Read more »

Posted in: 2012 London Olympic,London 2012 Olympic,London Opening Ceremony

London Olympic ticket rush as thousands take advantage of new window

Some of the best seats at this summer’s games will go on sale during a special 24 hour window only in mid-April to people who failed to get tickets at last year's first two sales windows.

Tickets up for grabs will include athletics, track cycling and, most prestigiously, the Danny Boyle-directed Opening Ceremony itself. 



The Olympic ticketing process, though intended to give everyone equal opportunity to get hold of tickets for the events they want, has left many people empty handed. Those who were unsuccessful in both of the two first sales windows though get priority at this exclusive 24-hour opportunity. 



Any remaining tickets will be on sale for five days to 1.2million people who missed out in the first ballot but did not apply in the second. 



An Olympics organiser Locog spokesman has said: “When tickets go back on sale in April, we always said that our priority would be the 1.2million who applied and were unsuccessful in last year’s ticketing process.  



So if you got tickets in either one of the first two ballots though, or didn’t apply at all during them, then your luck is out. 



Read more »

Posted in: London 2012 Olympics,London Olympics 2012

London 2012 Olympics: British Swimming chief executive David Sparkes follows coach in criticising Tom Daley

The head of British swimming is the latest key figure to reveal his alarm that diving star Tom Daley could blow the chance of his young life if he does not work harder on his Olympic preparations.

Under fire: Tom Daley needs to focus more on his Olympic preparations, according to the head of British Swimming Photo: PA

David Sparkes, chief executive of British Swimming, has also offered full backing to the criticisms aimed at Daley ahead of the Olympics by his diving performance director Alexei Evangulov following the teenager’s poor performance in the World Cup test event at the Olympic Aquatics Centre.

Insisting that he and other officials had been flagging up their concerns to Daley’s handlers for 18 months about the youngster failing to find the right balance between training and media commitments, Sparkes said he was still concerned that the 17 year-old was not in optimum shape.

He also hinted that Evangulov’s criticism, culminating in his suggestion that Daley was in danger of failing to fulfil his talent and of becoming diving’s answer to Anna Kournikova, stemmed only from the Russian’s increasing frustration that the youngster was not heeding his advice.

After Evangulov’s latest tirade following Daley’s seventh-place finish with Peter Waterfield in the synchro event, Sparkes admitted that “in an ideal world” the debates surrounding the poster boy’s commitment would have been thrashed out behind closed doors.

But Sparkes added pointedly: “You might come to the conclusion there’s a hint of frustration here.  "Here is a world-beating coach who sees a world-beating athlete not committing sufficient time to the task and in turn perhaps not listening as intently as he should be to what Alexei has been telling him about the need to focus on training and be away from the media circus.”

Asked if he agreed with Evangulov, Sparkes insisted: “100 per cent. The danger here is that Tom doesn’t get the work under his belt and isn’t able to perform to the degree we believe he can.

"Our prime interest has to be to make sure this incredible young man gives himself the best opportunity to achieve what could be a life-changing result in London.

“We can only admire the way Tom handles the media — he’s incredibly good at it — but it’s impossible to win medals now on just talent alone; you have to do the hard work.

“We know that when he is prepared and at his best, Tom can beat the world’s best but what is equally clear is that he has some way to go to get into tip-top condition.

"We’ve expressed concern now for about 18 months with Tom’s agents and coach about the need to get that balance right.”

On Thursday, Daley said that he could not train any harder without his body breaking down but Sparkes responded: “We fully understand that and nobody want his body to break down.

"But there are many aspects of training which don’t cause bodies to break down.

“And now it’s all about putting in sheer hard work up to London. I still believe if Tom does knuckle down, he can inspire the nation in the summer.”

Read more »

Posted in: 2012 London Olympic,London 2012 Olympics,London Olympics 2012

Hindes in late sprint for London Olympics after teenager named in GB squad

German-born Philip Hindes has been included in Great Britain's squad for April's Track Cycling World Championships in Melbourne.

The 19-year-old, who was born in Krefeld in northern Germany but qualifies for Britain through his father, has been included in the men's sprint squad as they seek to resolve the problem surrounding the team sprint.

High hopes: Philip Hindes

Ross Edgar has been omitted from the team following last weekend's Track World Cup event at the  Olympic Velodrome in London.

Britain have struggled to fill the crucial starting spot since the retirement of Jamie Staff. Edgar took on the role in London, but it is likely Jason Kenny will start as man one at the World Championships, which take place from April 4-8 at the Hisense Arena. Hindes, who specialises in the  man one role, is likely to travel for experience as a reserve behind Kenny, Sir Chris Hoy and Matt Crampton.

After representing Germany at junior level, he joined British Cycling's Olympic academy  programme in October 2010. 

British Cycling performance director Dave Brailsford said: 'In London, Ross Edgar was in the early stages of recovering from an injury and we think the best option for him now is to focus on his training in the gym and on the road over the next few months and as such he won't travel to Australia.

'This doesn't mean we have ruled him out of selection for the Olympics. The sprint coaches also feel Philip Hindes has shown great potential in training and therefore it would be good for his development to shadow the World Championships team this year.'

Britain won seven medals from 10 Olympic events at the Olympic Velodrome, but the men's team sprint squad have ground to make up on Germany and France if they are to retain their Olympic title. 

Encouragingly, Hoy, the totem of the entire team, was back to near his brutal, uncompromising best last weekend. 

The 35-year-old put on a  masterclass, storming to gold medals in the men's keirin  and sprint.

British squad for Track Cycling World Championships: Sprint: Matt Crampton, Philip Hindes, Sir Chris Hoy, Jason Kenny; Victoria Pendleton, Jess Varnish; Endurance: Steven Burke, Ed Clancy, Peter Kennaugh, Ben Swift, Geraint Thomas;  Wendy Houvenaghel,  Dani King, Joanna Rowsell, Laura Trott.

Read more »

Posted in: 2012 London Olympic,London Olympics 2012

British In London Olympic Property Tax Warning

Property owners serving the demand generated by the London Olympic Games have received a somber warning from the British Tax body (HMRC) Her Majesty Revenue & Customs.

The Games come to London in 2012 and with them bring millions of foreign visitors.  And, these visitors will be looking for accommodation during their visit.  Many London home owners are now considering renting their homes to make some extra cash

A large number of property letting websites are encouraging homeowners to rent their homes during the Games.  And, many of you are likely to be lured by the opportunity to make some additional money.  But what about the tax implications of renting out your home?  Our guide explains more.

HMRC monitoring rental websites to check income being declared

Olympic events are taking place across the country including London, Windsor and Weymouth.   If you live in one of these areas you may be considering letting out your home.  However, a leading accountant is warning that you could end up facing large penalties if you don’t pay the tax on this income.

And, if you’re planning to use a website to let your home, you could be leading HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to your door.

Nick Parker of RSM Tenon said: “HMRC actively monitor rental accommodation websites and adverts during major events, and we suspect they will be more vigilant than ever during the Olympics.”

Rent a Room scheme allow some untaxed income

Under the HMRC’s Rent a Room Scheme, you can receive up to £4,250 a year tax-free for letting a furnished room.  That would equate to around £1,000-£2,000 per week for the Olympic period.

However, if you are considering offering visitors additional services such as laundry or providing meals, these will need to be added to the rental payments received.

And, if you have received more than £4,250, you’ll need to declare it to HMRC.  If you move out of your home and let it in its entirety, you may also have to pay tax on this rental income.

Read more »

Posted in: 2012 London Olympic,London Olympic Games,London Olympics,London Olympics 2012

London Olympics to boost UK music scene

As the newly reformed British act Blur is set to take the stage at this summer's London Olympic Games, not much else is known about what to expect at the opening and closing ceremonies -- but whatever it is, experts say that the event will put UK musicians (at least some of them) on the map for the rest of the world.

The Olympic Games, July 27 through August 12, will be watched by an estimated 4 billion viewers worldwide, according to the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

As a result, the UK's music industry can expect a bump in sales, according to a Billboard.biz report. Plus with more than 16 million people involved in the events of the Cultural Olympiad, the event has a total funding of £97.6 million ($155 million) to play with -- of course, how much of that goes to musical artists is yet to be determined.

For those in the UK or traveling for the event, planned programs include the River of Music, taking place July 21-22 on six stages along the River Thames. So far the lineup features a few international artists, including pop band Scissor Sisters, trumpeter and composer Wynton Marsalis, and Grammy Award-winning Beninoise singer Angelique Kidjo, with more to be announced.

Also in the works is a free music event as part of Music Nation, on March 3-4 in 45 UK locations with more than 65,000 tickets available.

For those enjoying the event from the couch, Billboard.biz reports that the exposure could be "great news" for British singer-songwriter and Elbow frontman Guy Garvey. The band has written the BBC's theme music, a six-minute track to be played across the channel's coverage throughout the Games, stated Billboard.biz.

Also British producer Mark Ronson recorded the theme for Coca-Cola's international television ads, featuring a variety of British artists, including pop singer Jesse J.

Source: Yahoo

Read more »

Posted in: 2012 London Olympics,London Olympics,London Olympics 2012

Olympic hockey qualifiers: Indian men, women in finals

The Indian men's and women's teams Friday night made it to the finals of the 2012 London Olympics qualifiers, the former with a come-from-behind 4-2 win over Poland and the latter scraping past Italy 1-0 at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium. The women's team will take on South Africa

in Saturday's final while the men will square off with France Sunday.

For the men's team, ace drag-flicker Sandeep Singh (26th, 70th) was again the star of the night slamming in two from penalty corners while Shivendra Singh (59th) and Vokkaliga Raghunath (65th) scored one goal apiece. Sandeep is the leading goal scorer in the tournament with 11 goals.

Poland took an early lead through Tomasz Dutkiewicz in the 13th minute and Mirsloaw Juszczak helped them make it 2-2 in the 63rd minute but the winning goal remained elusive.

With France brightening its hopes for a place in final after a 1-1 draw with Canada earlier in the day, India needed just a draw to book a final berth.

But India, as promised by chief coach Michael Nobbs, were in no mood to play for a draw. After the first half ended 1-1, India forced themselves in the second-half with three goals and also assured France a place in Sunday's final.

India found it tough to breach the solid Polish defence and had to rely on penalty corners for scoring. They earned as many as nine penalty corners and converted three. 

 India pushed hard and earned four penalty corners in a space of eight minutes and Sandeep clinically converted the fourth to equalise for the hosts.

Shortly after the break, Shivendra came close to breaking the deadlock but his shot from top of the D missed the goal by a whisker.

India built the pressure on Poland from both the flanks and Sandeep had his drag-flick saved in the 41st minute while two attempts went begging in the 57th minute as Shivendra failed to trap the ball.

Just before the hour mark, Shivendra made it 2-1 deflecting in a brilliant pass from Sarwanjit Singh.

The lead, however, was short-lived as Mirsloaw converted the third penalty corner for the Poles to make it 2-2.

But India came back strongly in the last six minutes through drag-flickers Raghunath and Sandeep to dash Polish hopes.

For the women's team, Ritu Rani struck the winner in the 55th minute off a rebound from Jaspreet Kaur's drag-flick.

India have to blame themselves for waiting too long to break the deadlock. They wasted five penalty corners before getting their act together in the sixth.

It was a crucial match for both teams. India needed a win while a draw was enough for the Italians to take them through. With the win India finished second behind World No.12 South Africa (13) with 10 points.

India were lucky to win as the Italians adopted a defensive approach and tightly marked the forwards inside the circle.

India, World No.13, had to toil hard against Italy, 19th in FIH rankings. Despite pressing hard from the start, they were scrappy as the links failed to combine well with the forwards.

Read more »

Posted in: London Olympics 2012

Olympic Stamps on Sale Now and Diamond Jubilee Stamps Coming Soon

If you’re looking to boost your stamp collection, 2012 is the year to do it!

Royal Mail is issuing some interesting new collections featuring London events and figures this year, starting with the Olympic “definitive”, or everyday stamps, which go on sale today.

Olympic and Paralympic Stamps

The new stamps feature the Olympic and Paralympic logos, as well as an image of the Queen’s head, and are set to brighten up millions of letters.

After the Games, Royal Mail will issue a set of Gold Medal stamps to honour all Team GB victories.

Diamond Jubilee Stamps

Royal Mail will celebrate the Diamond Jubilee with three new stamp sets:

• House of Windsor stamps featuring the five monarchs from the start of the 20th century, issued 2 Feb
• A miniature sheet with six portraits of the Queen taken from banknotes, coins and stamps issued during her reign, including a 1st class diamond blue definitive, which replaces the standard 1st class gold definitive during the Jubilee Year, issued 6 Feb
• A set of eight stamps featuring images of the Queen during the six decades of her reign, issued 31 May

More London Stamp News

That’s not all! Look out for special Charles Dickens stamps in June to mark the 200th anniversary of the author’s birth, and an upcoming collection on British Fashion Designers (hope there’ll be a few Londoners there too).

While you await these new collections, keep your inner philatelist occupied at the British Postal Museum & Archive, where you can see stamps from all over the world.

Read more »

Posted in: 2012 London Olympic Games,2012 London Olympics,2012 Olympic Games,2012 Olympic Logo

Duchess of Cambridge’s Wedding Dress and Olympic Torch in Design Museum Exhibition

The Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding dress, the Olympic Torch and the London 2012 Velodrome all feature in the longlist for Designs of the Year at the Design Museum.



A wind-propelled landmine detonator, virtual Tesco store and pop-up cinema (Folly for a Flyover in Hackney, East London) were also selected for the longlist.

The nominated products will be on show at the Design Museum from next month. The winners will be selected by a jury and announced on 24 April.

• Designs of the Year is at the Design Museum from 8 February to 15 July 2012

Read more »

Posted in: London 2012 Olympics,London Olympics 2012

Indian women, men hockey teams enter Olympic qualifier final

The Indian men's and women's teams on Friday night made it to the finals of the 2012 London Olympics qualifiers, the former with a come-from-behind 4-2 win over Poland and the latter scraping past Italy 1-0 at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium.

The women's team will take on South Africa in Saturday's final while the men will square off with France on Sunday.

For the men's team, ace drag-flicker Sandeep Singh (26th, 70th) was again the star of the night slamming in two from penalty corners while Shivendra Singh (59th) and Vokkaliga Raghunath (65th) scored one goal apiece. Sandeep is the leading goal scorer in the tournament with 11 goals.

Poland took an early lead through Tomasz Dutkiewicz in the 13th minute and Mirsloaw Juszczak helped them make it 2-2 in the 63rd minute but the winning goal remained elusive.

With France brightening its hopes for a place in final after a 1-1 draw with Canada earlier in the day, India needed just a draw to book a final berth.

But India, as promised by chief coach Michael Nobbs, were in no mood to play for a draw. After the first half ended 1-1, India forced themselves in the second-half with three goals and also assured France a place in Sunday's final.

India found it tough to breach the solid Polish defence and had to rely on penalty corners for scoring. They earned as many as nine penalty corners and converted three.

India pushed hard and earned four penalty corners in a space of eight minutes and Sandeep clinically converted the fourth to equalise for the hosts.

Shortly after the break, Shivendra came close to breaking the deadlock but his shot from top of the D missed the goal by a whisker.

India built the pressure on Poland from both the flanks and Sandeep had his drag-flick saved in the 41st minute while two attempts went begging in the 57th minute as Shivendra failed to trap the ball.

Just before the hour mark, Shivendra made it 2-1 deflecting in a brilliant pass from Sarwanjit Singh.

The lead, however, was short-lived as Mirsloaw converted the third penalty corner for the Poles to make it 2-2.

But India came back strongly in the last six minutes through drag-flickers Raghunath and Sandeep to dash Polish hopes.

For the women's team, Ritu Rani struck the winner in the 55th minute off a rebound from Jaspreet Kaur's drag-flick.

India have to blame themselves for waiting too long to break the deadlock. They wasted five penalty corners before getting their act together in the sixth.

It was a crucial match for both teams. India needed a win while a draw was enough for the Italians to take them through. With the win India finished second behind World No.12 South Africa (13) with 10 points.

India were lucky to win as the Italians adopted a defensive approach and tightly marked the forwards inside the circle.

India, World No.13, had to toil hard against Italy, 19th in FIH rankings. Despite pressing hard from the start, they were scrappy as the links failed to combine well with the forwards.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/indian-women-men-hockey-teams-qualifier-final/1/175196.html

Read more »

Posted in: Indian Hockey Team,London Olympics 2012,London Olympics Qualifiers

Olympic Games gearing up with London Cultural Olympiad 2012

EVERYONE KNOWS that the Olympic Games are scheduled to start from 27 July and end on 12 August 2012. Let’s not talk about the Games for now, which are going to be of topmost quality, no doubt. Hence, let us focus on things that would be considered to be very important for the people of England. Here, London Cultural Olympiad 2012 would take the centre stage. It would be showcasing the traditions, cultures and arts in various forms during the event.

It is one of the largest cultural celebration as far as the modern Olympic and Paralympics are concerned, as stated in the official website of the London Olympic Games, 2012, london2012.com. Hence, the event is surely going to be a huge one, where people from all over the world would be able to witness their culture. It could be a big trailer for what is to come during the mega event, London Olympics, 2012.

 Hence, the Olympiad would be giving a chance for each and everyone to become a part of this mega festival. The festival has been taking place since the year 2008. Around 16 million people from the UK have taken part in it, where 8,300 workshops also have been conducted so as to make the festival a grand one, as stated in the official website of the Games. It has become a great hit among the masses and is expected to find more success in the upcoming days.

For those people who would love to be a part of this festival, they still have some major events that they can watch. These events can be found in different categories, such as arts, culture, music, dance, opera, literary event etc. So, one could choose according to his liking. Some events that are lined up in the coming days or months, as 100 portraits by Lucian Freud would be on display from 9 February 2012 to 27 May 2012. London's British Museum would also showcase the world and works of William Shakespeare 19 July 2012 to 25 November 2012.

Another mega event would be the Big Dance 2012 across various venues in London, which would entertain everyone. Radio 1's Hackney Weekend 2012 would go on from 23 June 2012 to 24 June 2012, which might be one of the biggest free music festivals in London, as per the information on a website, visitlondon.com. Not all of these events could be watched free of charge, but there are also some events which are free.

So, London is gearing up for the games with such kind of activities. Tourists travelling across the length and the breadth of the globe would be expecting the Games to be of even higher standards.

Read more »

Posted in: 2012 London Olympics,2012 london olympics tickets,London 2012 Olympics,London Olympic Games,London Olympics,London Olympics 2012,London Olympics Tickets,london olympics travel package

Olympic Games to hit tourism industry

PEOPLE INVOLVED with the tourism industry would suffer heavy losses due to the London Olympic Games, 2012, which are scheduled to start on 27 July and end on 12 August 2012. One trade association also feels that during the time, income would be dropping down to 3.5 billion pounds, as reported by ANI. This would probably happen as the organisers of the games have increased the hotel rates.

If this indeed happens, it would seriously be a great setback for the hoteliers as they have been looking up to the games, which was supposed to provide them with lots of revenues. They had even been trying to provide the best of facilities for the tourists. But, what is the use if there is no tourist inflow into their hotels.

It was also expected that the revenue earned form the Tourism industry would cover up for the losses that were suffered by the LOCOG, during or before the games. All their hopes also have been dashed.  It was so foolish of the LOCOG to book more than what was required. The Independent reports that 600,000 nights had been booked by them for the mega spectacle for various media, sponsors, delegates, etc. But, they have now returned 120,000 of those bookings. With just a few months away, it could have been better if they had given this information before hand, so as to give the hotelier’s time to recover their losses and hire these rooms to other tourists.

It may be a case, where ‘one man’s loss is another’s gain’, as tourists may head to other cities so as to get an affordable accommodation. The Independent also states that the hotel rates have gone up three times and around one million beds would be empty during the games.

Read more »

Posted in: 2012 London Olympics,2012 london olympics tickets,London 2012 Olympics,London Olympic Games,London Olympics,London Olympics 2012,London Olympics Tickets,london olympics travel package

Locog To Take Action If Allegations Against Olympic Resellers Proved Correct – London Olympics 2012

The London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games has warned that it will be proceeding with tough measures against two of its official ticket re sellers in the event that allegations against them are proven to be true.

The allegations hold the official London 2012 Olympic Games resellers responsible for offering usage of the VIP lanes to the Olympic venues to their clients as part of their hospitality package.

However, according to the agreement between the London 2012 organizers and their ticket resellers, the provision of VIP lanes to the customers was not to be allowed.

The two hospitality companies that have been brought to the limelight in the illegal allotment of VIP lanes to their customers are Thomas Cook as well as Jet Set Sports. The information became public on Monday when former employees from both the companies gave statements on Channel 4’s Dispatches programme that access to the VIP lanes was available to the company’s clients during the time of the Olympic Games that are scheduled to start from July 27 and last until August 12.

However, LOCOG stated its stance on the same night as the interviews that it had not given permission to the re sellers to offer access to the VIP lanes as part of their packages. The LOCOG has sold an estimated amount of 200,000 Olympic tickets to the resellers for the upcoming Games.

A spokeswoman from LOCOG expressed the organiser’s stance in the following manner, “We are really clear. If we have evidence they are selling things they can’t sell we will take immediate and appropriate action. Neither Thomas Cook nor Jet Set Sports can sell access to Games lanes. They don’t have the right to do it.”

According to the allegations made against Thomas Cook, the clients are being offered access to the VIP lanes irrespective of the fact that they would be attending the Olympic event or not.

The cost of one such package that includes other privileges like six-night stay for 23 people and coach travel was told to be £450,708. The package was made available for the men’s 100m final and the cycling events.

Read more »

Posted in: Jet Set Sports,London Olympic 2012,London Olympic 2012 Logo,London Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games,Thomas Cook

London 2012 Olympics: Usain Bolt's agent plays down injury fears after sprinter visits German doctor

Bolt flew to Munich last week to visit one of Europe’s most controversial doctors less than a week after pulling out of the Camperdown Classic in Kingston on Saturday, the Jamaican's first scheduled race of the season. Bolt had been expected to launch his season at the National Stadium but was spotted instead in Germany late last week, so the track was buzzing with rumours that he might have a recurrence of the back trouble which has required treatment from Munich-based specialist 'Healing' Hans Müller-Wohlfahrt.

According to reports, Bolt secretly visited the expensive clinic of Muller-Wohlfahrt, a 69-year-old doctor who is known for using unorthodox methods which include injecting patients with calf’s blood. Bolt missed the end of the 2010 season with a back injury and was treated by Muller-Wohlfahrt so it is possible that the triple gold medallist is nursing a fresh injury.

His agent Simms has moves to quash any rumours, however: "People can put two and two together and make five. Any speculation is ridiculous."

"He is not injured. He trained fully up to leaving Jamaica and is training fully again." Coach Glen Mills was also quick to play down reports that his star pupil was struggling with injury, insisting that his visit to Europe was for a business trip. "Bolt is not injured," said Mills. "He trained up to the day before he left the island for his business trip."

Bolt’s biggest challenger, Yohan Blake, revealed that the defending 100m champion has been in flying form when they sprint together in training and believes that they could push each other to barrier-breaking peaks this summer. Blake insisted that Bolt looked as good as ever after his slightlyhit-and-miss 2011. “Usain is getting back to his old self,” he said.

“He’s not frightened of me. He’s the world’s fastest man and he knows what he can do.” At the end of last season, Blake clocked 19.26sec for 200m, a time bettered only by Bolt’s world record 19.19sec.

Asked if he felt they could push each other to crack the 19-second barrier, Blake said: “It’s possible. Given the right day, no breeze, anything can happen.”

Despite his unusual treatments being criticised as a "Frankenstein-type experiment" by the head of the US Anti-Doping Agency, Muller-Wohlfahrt is a favourite of top athletes struggling with debilitating injuries. Michael Owen, Steven Gerrard, Paula Radcliffe, Ronaldo and Boris Becker have all seen the German physician.

Source: Telegraph

Read more »

Posted in: 2012 London Olympic,Bolt,London 2012 Olympic