The Kano State Government says it has spent N1 billion to provide facilities at the Sani Abacha Stadium, ahead of FIFA’s inspection of centres for this year’s Under-17 World Cup.
kano state governorGov. Ibrahim Shekarau disclosed this on Tuesday in Kano while conducting Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan round some of the facilities deployed at the stadium.Kano is one of the nine states in the country, bidding to be one of the centres to host the FIFA-organised tournament.Shekarau stated that the government had also awarded contracts for the rehabilitation of sporting facilities in the state to ensure it won the hosting right.He said the state had come to be known not only as home of commerce but gradually becoming home of sports.Jonathan after inspecting the stadium and other facilities said that the FIFA team would arrive in the country on Jan. 25 to inspect the centres bidding to host the event.He said the team would inspect stadia across the country to determine those good enough for the tournament.The Vice-President said that he was happy that Kano was among the nine centres to be inspected by FIFA and expressed the hope it would be selected for the tournament.
source:the vanguard news paper
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Ascot racecourse flourishing despite harsh economic climate
Ascot yesterday lent credence to the maxim that life's finer things are most immune to recessionary times. In sanctioning a £450,000 prize-money increase at Royal Ascot this year, Charles Barnett, the track's chief executive, also hailed a successful jumps season and a rise in group bookings for the royal meeting in June.
The overall picture at the royal racecourse bucks the harsh economic climate in which it is operating. An ongoing review of budget forecasts for 2009, set before the advent of the credit crunch, is expected to be revised downwards only marginally.
Particular encouragement has been drawn from crowd figures at Ascot's recent jumps meetings. “Attendance for the meeting on December 20 was very much up,” Barnett said, “and pre-sales for the fixture on Saturday week [Victor Chandler day] are running well ahead of last year.”
Grandstand tickets for Royal Ascot opened with a flourish in October, and while group bookings run ahead of 12 months ago, individual ticket sales have slowed to the extent that overall ticket sales are slightly below last year's levels. Nevertheless, Barnett is confident that an imminent advertising campaign will restore the momentum.
“We are confident we will be able to match last year's crowd figures at Royal Ascot,” he said. “I am strongly of the view that individuals are leaving it later to book this time. You'd be gloomy if you watched the news every night, but we have plenty to be positive about.”
There has also been an above-average telephone response to letters sent out earlier this week inviting Royal Enclosure members to apply for their badges. “I don't know exactly why they were ringing,” Barnett said. “They could have been inquiring about all sorts of things, but I take it as a good sign.”
The prize-money hike at the royal meeting, a rise of more than 10 per cent on 2008 levels, takes the total fund to £4,450,000. All of it has been allocated to the meeting's seven group one races, with the Golden Jubilee and Prince Of Wales's Stakes each rising by £75,000 to £450,000.
“The majority of our group ones are international races,” Barnett said, “and it is important they retain their status. On ratings, the Prince Of Wales's has been just about the best race in the world for two or three years, while the Golden Jubilee attracts sprinters from all over the world.”
The racecourse's prioritising of the Golden Jubilee underlines its intention to pursue the international theme within Royal Ascot. Only promoted to group one status in 2002, the six-furlong sprint now shares top-billing as the most valuable race at the five-day festival.
Furthermore, Royal Ascot's lure to sprinters trained outside Britain is accentuated by a £50,000 increase to the five-furlong King's Stand Stakes. Most foreign-trained horses travel to Britain with the intention of running in both races. Australia's Takeover Target came close to completing the double in 2006.
source:the london times
The overall picture at the royal racecourse bucks the harsh economic climate in which it is operating. An ongoing review of budget forecasts for 2009, set before the advent of the credit crunch, is expected to be revised downwards only marginally.
Particular encouragement has been drawn from crowd figures at Ascot's recent jumps meetings. “Attendance for the meeting on December 20 was very much up,” Barnett said, “and pre-sales for the fixture on Saturday week [Victor Chandler day] are running well ahead of last year.”
Grandstand tickets for Royal Ascot opened with a flourish in October, and while group bookings run ahead of 12 months ago, individual ticket sales have slowed to the extent that overall ticket sales are slightly below last year's levels. Nevertheless, Barnett is confident that an imminent advertising campaign will restore the momentum.
“We are confident we will be able to match last year's crowd figures at Royal Ascot,” he said. “I am strongly of the view that individuals are leaving it later to book this time. You'd be gloomy if you watched the news every night, but we have plenty to be positive about.”
There has also been an above-average telephone response to letters sent out earlier this week inviting Royal Enclosure members to apply for their badges. “I don't know exactly why they were ringing,” Barnett said. “They could have been inquiring about all sorts of things, but I take it as a good sign.”
The prize-money hike at the royal meeting, a rise of more than 10 per cent on 2008 levels, takes the total fund to £4,450,000. All of it has been allocated to the meeting's seven group one races, with the Golden Jubilee and Prince Of Wales's Stakes each rising by £75,000 to £450,000.
“The majority of our group ones are international races,” Barnett said, “and it is important they retain their status. On ratings, the Prince Of Wales's has been just about the best race in the world for two or three years, while the Golden Jubilee attracts sprinters from all over the world.”
The racecourse's prioritising of the Golden Jubilee underlines its intention to pursue the international theme within Royal Ascot. Only promoted to group one status in 2002, the six-furlong sprint now shares top-billing as the most valuable race at the five-day festival.
Furthermore, Royal Ascot's lure to sprinters trained outside Britain is accentuated by a £50,000 increase to the five-furlong King's Stand Stakes. Most foreign-trained horses travel to Britain with the intention of running in both races. Australia's Takeover Target came close to completing the double in 2006.
source:the london times
Andy Murray eases into Qatar Open last eight
Andy Murray progressed to the quarter-finals of the Qatar Open in Doha with a comfortable 6-2, 6-4 victory over Philipp Petzschner, of Germany.
The 2008 US Open finalist was rarely troubled as he remained on course to defend his title and continue his encouraging build-up to the Australian Open, which takes place later this month.
Murray claimed the first break of serve in the third game after unsettling Petzschner with some determined defence.
The key breakthrough, though, came when a Murray set up break-point with his signature drop shot. A Petzschner lob then went long and the Scot held for a 3-1 lead.
Petzschner, 24, threatened at times on his forehand from the baseline, but Murray extended his advantage to 5-2 with a break in the seventh game and took the set on his second set-point when a Petzschner backhand landed wide.
The world No 66 then meekly surrendered his serve to love in game three of the second set, Murray claiming a 2-1 lead as the German sent a forehand long to compound a series of unforced errors that started with a double-fault.
Murray moved 3-1 ahead by holding in game four and served out the match in the tenth game, claiming the second of three match points.
source:the london times
The 2008 US Open finalist was rarely troubled as he remained on course to defend his title and continue his encouraging build-up to the Australian Open, which takes place later this month.
Murray claimed the first break of serve in the third game after unsettling Petzschner with some determined defence.
The key breakthrough, though, came when a Murray set up break-point with his signature drop shot. A Petzschner lob then went long and the Scot held for a 3-1 lead.
Petzschner, 24, threatened at times on his forehand from the baseline, but Murray extended his advantage to 5-2 with a break in the seventh game and took the set on his second set-point when a Petzschner backhand landed wide.
The world No 66 then meekly surrendered his serve to love in game three of the second set, Murray claiming a 2-1 lead as the German sent a forehand long to compound a series of unforced errors that started with a double-fault.
Murray moved 3-1 ahead by holding in game four and served out the match in the tenth game, claiming the second of three match points.
source:the london times
Mark Hughes and Manchester City make move for Santa Cruz
Manchester City intensified their bid to sign Roque Santa Cruz from Blackburn Rovers last night as Mark Hughes looked to reassert his authority over a demoralised squad.
Hughes, the City manager, has been forced to contend with a series of problems in recent weeks, having identified Tal Ben-Haim and Elano among those responsible for a growing sense of disquiet in the dressing-room. But having sent a forceful message yesterday to any disgruntled players, it emerged that City have finally established formal contact with Blackburn as they try to secure the signing of Santa Cruz in a deal worth in the region of £15 million. Reports of an £8 million bid to sign Shay Given, the unsettled Newcastle United goalkeeper, were not confirmed by City officials.
John Williams, the Blackburn chairman, was quoted as saying yesterday lunchtime that he had yet to receive a formal offer from City for Santa Cruz, but contact has since been made between the clubs at boardroom level, with Hughes hoping that a deal for the Paraguay forward can be concluded sooner rather than later.
Hughes has spoken to Paul Aldridge, the City chief operating officer, to express frustration over the time taken to complete the proposed signings of Santa Cruz, Kolo Touré, the Arsenal defender, and Scott Parker and Craig Bellamy, the West Ham United duo. City have been frustrated by West Ham’s intransigence and have indicated that they will be forced to look elsewhere if the London club, having sought to sell Calum Davenport to Bolton Wanderers and Matthew Etherington to Stoke City, do not play ball.
The City manager has other targets, having identified Joleon Lescott, of Everton, as an alternative to Touré, and, with the signing of Wayne Bridge from Chelsea completed, Hughes maintains that his squad will be far stronger by the end of the month. He hopes to offload players such as Ben-Haim and Elano, but, in the meantime, has urged the malcontents in his squad to speak directly to him.
“All the players know if they have any complaints, they can knock on my door,” Hughes said. “That is how it has always been. You are going to get these kind of stories when things are not going as well as you would like.”
Hughes, the City manager, has been forced to contend with a series of problems in recent weeks, having identified Tal Ben-Haim and Elano among those responsible for a growing sense of disquiet in the dressing-room. But having sent a forceful message yesterday to any disgruntled players, it emerged that City have finally established formal contact with Blackburn as they try to secure the signing of Santa Cruz in a deal worth in the region of £15 million. Reports of an £8 million bid to sign Shay Given, the unsettled Newcastle United goalkeeper, were not confirmed by City officials.
John Williams, the Blackburn chairman, was quoted as saying yesterday lunchtime that he had yet to receive a formal offer from City for Santa Cruz, but contact has since been made between the clubs at boardroom level, with Hughes hoping that a deal for the Paraguay forward can be concluded sooner rather than later.
Hughes has spoken to Paul Aldridge, the City chief operating officer, to express frustration over the time taken to complete the proposed signings of Santa Cruz, Kolo Touré, the Arsenal defender, and Scott Parker and Craig Bellamy, the West Ham United duo. City have been frustrated by West Ham’s intransigence and have indicated that they will be forced to look elsewhere if the London club, having sought to sell Calum Davenport to Bolton Wanderers and Matthew Etherington to Stoke City, do not play ball.
The City manager has other targets, having identified Joleon Lescott, of Everton, as an alternative to Touré, and, with the signing of Wayne Bridge from Chelsea completed, Hughes maintains that his squad will be far stronger by the end of the month. He hopes to offload players such as Ben-Haim and Elano, but, in the meantime, has urged the malcontents in his squad to speak directly to him.
“All the players know if they have any complaints, they can knock on my door,” Hughes said. “That is how it has always been. You are going to get these kind of stories when things are not going as well as you would like.”
Chelsea want Ballack to take pay cut
Chelsea have provided further evidence of their determination to become self-sufficient by entering into negotiations over a performance-related contract extension for Michael Ballack. The Germany midfield player’s deal expires at the end of the season, but it includes an option to extend for another year that both sides would like to take up.
Ballack’s contract is worth £121,000 a week irrespective of his contribution on the pitch, but such is the determination to control costs at Stamford Bridge that any extension is likely to include a significant performance-based component. It is understood that initial talks between the club and Ballack’s advisers have focused on a much lower basic salary, but with large bonuses based on the 32-year-old’s number of appearances, goals and the performance of the team.
Ballack is believed to be happy with such a deal, because he received a significant signing-on fee when he arrived on a free transfer from Bayern Munich 2½ years ago and is confident of continuing to deliver match-winning displays. In addition to sorting out the fine detail, the main sticking point is the length of the proposed contract, with Ballack keen to sign a two-year extension that would keep him at the club until 2011. Negotiations began in earnest before Christmas and should be concluded by the start of next month.
Chelsea’s tentative move towards incorporating performance-related pay into their wage structure forms a part of their drive to become self-funding, but it also represents a targeted response to the problem of maintaining an ageing squad.
The five-year deal signed by Frank Lampard last summer was a significant move away from a system of fixed contracts, because the wages of the England midfield player, 30, are understood to rise until the third year of the deal before falling in the final two. The contract outlined for Ballack would be the first of its kind at the club. Such deals could become more common for older squad members at Chelsea because they offer the club protection from incurring huge liabilities when players are injured or lose form. It will not have gone unnoticed that Didier Drogba, the 30-year-old striker who has had several knee operations and has frequently spoken of his desire to leave, is due to hold talks on a new deal in the summer.
Chelsea’s new stance appears good business practice, although it is a considerable departure from recent policy — Andriy Shevchenko joined on a five-year deal worth £130,000 a week just before his 30th birthday — and it reflects the desire to move away from reliance on the largesse of Roman Abramovich. The club insist that it is unconnected to the owner’s huge losses on the Russian stock market and the general economic downturn.
Chelsea view the recession as an opportunity to adopt a more rigid cost structure in the hope of emerging as a more efficient business in a couple of years, with transfer spending and players’ wages obvious areas in which to make savings. All other contract talks have therefore been put on hold, with Drogba, Joe Cole and John Obi Mikel being told to wait until the end of the season to discuss new terms despite having only 18 months remaining on their deals.
Luiz Felipe Scolari, the manager, has also been told that he will have no money to spend during this transfer window unless Chelsea suffer an injury crisis or receive an offer that is too good to refuse for a fringe player, leading to the need for a replacement. The club hope to refresh the squad in the summer without asking Abramovich for money, using the £12 million received from Manchester City for Wayne Bridge and any other transfer income from the sale of unwanted players such as Florent Malouda and Salomon Kalou.
Ballack’s contract is worth £121,000 a week irrespective of his contribution on the pitch, but such is the determination to control costs at Stamford Bridge that any extension is likely to include a significant performance-based component. It is understood that initial talks between the club and Ballack’s advisers have focused on a much lower basic salary, but with large bonuses based on the 32-year-old’s number of appearances, goals and the performance of the team.
Ballack is believed to be happy with such a deal, because he received a significant signing-on fee when he arrived on a free transfer from Bayern Munich 2½ years ago and is confident of continuing to deliver match-winning displays. In addition to sorting out the fine detail, the main sticking point is the length of the proposed contract, with Ballack keen to sign a two-year extension that would keep him at the club until 2011. Negotiations began in earnest before Christmas and should be concluded by the start of next month.
Chelsea’s tentative move towards incorporating performance-related pay into their wage structure forms a part of their drive to become self-funding, but it also represents a targeted response to the problem of maintaining an ageing squad.
The five-year deal signed by Frank Lampard last summer was a significant move away from a system of fixed contracts, because the wages of the England midfield player, 30, are understood to rise until the third year of the deal before falling in the final two. The contract outlined for Ballack would be the first of its kind at the club. Such deals could become more common for older squad members at Chelsea because they offer the club protection from incurring huge liabilities when players are injured or lose form. It will not have gone unnoticed that Didier Drogba, the 30-year-old striker who has had several knee operations and has frequently spoken of his desire to leave, is due to hold talks on a new deal in the summer.
Chelsea’s new stance appears good business practice, although it is a considerable departure from recent policy — Andriy Shevchenko joined on a five-year deal worth £130,000 a week just before his 30th birthday — and it reflects the desire to move away from reliance on the largesse of Roman Abramovich. The club insist that it is unconnected to the owner’s huge losses on the Russian stock market and the general economic downturn.
Chelsea view the recession as an opportunity to adopt a more rigid cost structure in the hope of emerging as a more efficient business in a couple of years, with transfer spending and players’ wages obvious areas in which to make savings. All other contract talks have therefore been put on hold, with Drogba, Joe Cole and John Obi Mikel being told to wait until the end of the season to discuss new terms despite having only 18 months remaining on their deals.
Luiz Felipe Scolari, the manager, has also been told that he will have no money to spend during this transfer window unless Chelsea suffer an injury crisis or receive an offer that is too good to refuse for a fringe player, leading to the need for a replacement. The club hope to refresh the squad in the summer without asking Abramovich for money, using the £12 million received from Manchester City for Wayne Bridge and any other transfer income from the sale of unwanted players such as Florent Malouda and Salomon Kalou.
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