Tag: bid

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FIFA introducing World Cup Fan Fest events for Qatar 2022 and could see London bid to stage its own

FIFA has launched 'Fan Fests' for the 2022 Qatar World Cup this winter, which will be outside the host country for the first time, to make the tournament more accessible for football fans

FIFA has launched ‘Fan Fests’ around the world for the 2022 Qatar World Cup to make the tournament more accessible for football fans.

The competition, lasting a little less than a month from October-November this winter, will take place in the remote Middle Eastern peninsula. 

And global football’s governing body FIFA is introducing fan parks outside the host country for the first time, to allow supporters to drink in the World Cup experience outside Qatar – and London could bid to host its own.

FIFA has launched 'Fan Fests' for the 2022 Qatar World Cup this winter, which will be outside the host country for the first time, to make the tournament more accessible for football fans

FIFA has launched ‘Fan Fests’ for the 2022 Qatar World Cup this winter, which will be outside the host country for the first time, to make the tournament more accessible for football fans

If London does secure its own venue, it would be competing with the hugely popular Winter Wonderland in the city centre around the same time. 

Officially licensed Fan Fests began at the Germany World Cup in 2006 and have continued since then. 

There were 11 festival parks across each of the host cities in the competition’s last edition, in Russia in 2018, and the previous four World Cups have seen 40million visitors across five continents.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: ‘To support our mission to make football truly global, accessible and inclusive, we are thrilled to introduce a new vision for the entertainment experience surrounding future FIFA World Cup events.

Official Fan Fests began at the Germany World Cup in 2006 and have continued since then, with 11 festival parks across each of the host cities in the last edition, in Russia in 2018

Official Fan Fests began at the Germany World Cup in 2006 and have continued since then, with 11 festival parks across each of the host cities in the last edition, in Russia in 2018

‘The FIFA Fan Festival provides an incredible opportunity for fans to come together beyond the stadiums and the on-pitch action and experience football in new and unique ways. 

‘We are truly excited about the future of the FIFA Fan Festival and the enhanced entertainment offerings that will bring fans and partners alike closer to both men’s and women’s FIFA World Cups, as well as global football culture.’

The fan parks at the Euro 2020 tournament, held across 11 countries in Europe, were largely successful, and the demand for tickets to the fan park in Hyde Park, London for the 2018 World Cup semi-final between England and Croatia was massive.

Qatar, a smaller country by area than Vanuatu, the Falkland Islands and Moldova , will only host one fan park, a ‘reimagined’ space in Al Bidda Park in Doha, with the capital city’s skyline in the background.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino (pictured) called the fan parks a 'new vision for the entertainment experience' in order to 'make football truly global, accessible and inclusive'

FIFA President Gianni Infantino (pictured) called the fan parks a ‘new vision for the entertainment experience’ in order to ‘make football truly global, accessible and inclusive’

It will feature live broadcasts of every match on giant screen, concerts with top global music artists, a food court with ‘local cuisine and international delicacies’, matches with FIFA Legends, gaming stations and an official FIFA store.

The country is inaccessible compared to previous editions of the World Cup, with costs expected to be high.

If an England fan travels return from London, follow the Three Lions’ to the final (if they get there) and attend all eight matches along the way, sit in the cheapest seats and stay in the least expensive accommodation, the Football Supporters’ Association has calculated you will part with £5,000, before you pay for any food and drink.

However, this has to be caveated with the fact tickets sales have been strong, with nearly 2.5million sold so far.

FIFA will be offering fans a chance to camp at the World Cup in tents costing £350 per night

FIFA will be offering fans a chance to camp at the World Cup in tents costing £350 per night

Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy Secretary General H.E. Hassan Al Thawadi added: ‘It will be the centrepiece of our FIFA World Cup – the first to be held in the Middle East and the Arab world. 

‘When fans arrive in November, they should expect a warm welcome, amazing football and a large number of entertainment options. We look forward to welcoming the world in just over 70 days.’

The Fan Fest will appear at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, held in Australia and New Zealand, for the first time.

In July, FIFA unveiled a ‘tent city’ offering accommodation for the World Cup, which will cost supporters £350 per night as part of a ‘fan village’ camping experience. The tournament, at the time of writing, will take place in 75 days. 

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Singapore ‘committed’ to hosting sporting events despite unsuccessful 2025 World Athletics Championships bid: SportSG

Singapore 'committed' to hosting sporting events despite unsuccessful 2025 World Athletics Championships bid: SportSG

The event will return to the site of last year’s Olympic Games in the year that the Japanese Association of Athletics Federations (JAAF) celebrates its centenary.

“Singapore congratulates Tokyo for being awarded the host city for the World Athletics Championships for 2025. While the decision did not go Singapore’s way, we believe that through this bid process we have strengthened our relationship with World Athletics and demonstrated the potential for athletics in Southeast Asia,” said the SportSG spokesperson.

“We remain committed to bringing international sporting events to Singapore and will continue to pursue sporting events that are aligned to our strategic interests. We thank World Athletics for the opportunity to participate in this bid and wish them all the best for the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 and beyond.”

World Athletics said in a press release that Singapore, Nairobi and Silesia were all deemed “strong enough and experienced enough to host the event”.

Tokyo, however, scored the highest of the four candidates in the bid evaluation across four areas.

In March, SportSG announced its bid to host the World Championships in 2025. If it had been successful, it would have been the first time the event was held in Southeast Asia.

Singapore previously hosted the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in 2010 and the Southeast Asian Games in 2015. In motorsport, it hosts a Formula 1 Grand Prix.

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PCL Construction wins $57M bid to build new Saskatchewan events facility

PCL Construction wins $57M bid to build new Saskatchewan events facility

PCL Construction’s Saskatoon District has secured a $57 million construction management contract for a new events facility in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan. Photo courtesy PCL Construction

PCL Construction’s Saskatoon District has secured a $57 million construction management contract for a new events facility in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan.

Intended to replace the city’s existing Centennial Civic Centre, the proposed design of Lloydminster Place features a primary arena with seating for up to 2500 people, a second full-size ice surface with seating for 300 to 500 people, and a third outdoor ice surface directly adjacent to the building.

PCL Saskatoon will work alongside design firm TBD Architecture + Urban Planning and construction partner Bexson Construction Ltd.

“We are very excited to be awarded this project which will be a fantastic addition to the Lloydminster community and surrounding area,” says PCL Saskatoon’s district manager, Mike Staines. “We are also looking forward to working together with all of our local partners for this build to ensure a successful facility everyone will be proud of.”

Construction of Lloydminster Place is expected to begin in early 2023, with the grand opening planned for 2025.

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Despite FIFA bid fallout, Explore Edmonton optimistic on hosting other big events | Watch News Videos Online

Despite FIFA bid fallout, Explore Edmonton optimistic on hosting other big events | Watch News Videos Online


Global News Hour at 6 Edmonton

One day after the FIFA chose to sideline Edmonton, those who spearheaded the World Cup bid are reflecting on the loss while also looking to the future. As Chris Chacon reports, we may not have scored this one, but that won’t stop our city from trying to host big events.

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‘That is the Saskatchewan spirit’: Despite unsuccessful world juniors bid, tourism head proud of efforts

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The joint bid by Halifax and Moncton has been awarded the 2023 event, ahead of joint bids from Ottawa/Quebec City and Saskatoon/Regina.

Publishing date:

May 05, 2022  •  29 minutes ago  •  4 minute read  •  Join the conversation

Dejected Canadian players Jordan Eberle (14), left, and Brayden Schenn of Team Canada (10) after losing the gold medal game of the 2010 IHF World Junior Hockey Championships in Saskatoon at Credit Union Centre. Tuesday, January 05, 2010.
Dejected Canadian players Jordan Eberle (14), left, and Brayden Schenn of Team Canada (10) after losing the gold medal game of the 2010 IHF World Junior Hockey Championships in Saskatoon at Credit Union Centre. Tuesday, January 05, 2010. Photo by Greg Pender /Saskatoon Star Phoenix

The CEO of Tourism Saskatoon didn’t try to hide her disappointment, but Stephanie Clovechok was quick to share another emotion after learning the bid by Saskatoon and Regina to host the upcoming world junior hockey championship was unsuccessful.

“I think the big headline here is how powerful it is to bring an entire province together on something like this,” Clovechok said on Thursday, shortly after receiving word that Halifax and Moncton has been awarded the 2023 event ahead of joint bids from Ottawa/Quebec City and Saskatoon/Regina.

Canada is hosting the 2023 championship after the event was pulled out of Russia because of its invasion of Ukraine. Saskatoon previously attempted, and failed, to land the 1999, 2003, 2006 and 2009 championships before succeeding in 2010 with a joint bid alongside Regina. Saskatoon also hosted the world juniors in 1991.

Tourism groups in Saskatoon and Regina spent a frantic week last month getting a bid together, with the International Ice Hockey Federation announcing they were looking to Canada to host on short notice

Chelsea Galloway, chief tourism and visitor growth officer for Economic Development Regina and Tourism Regina, was marvelling on Thursday at how the teams in both cities managed to put together a bid in just 10 days when it can sometimes take months — or even years — to coordinate bids for large events. She said the process was also unique because it played out more publicly than most.

“It was fun for people to be part of the process. Everyone’s disappointed, but I think it’s also an opportunity for us to be really excited about hosting major events again,” Galloway said.

The two cities are often competing against each other to host major events, Clovechok pointed out. The teamwork Saskatoon and Regina showed as they worked together — from city council to the tourism groups, the business community to citizens offering to volunteer — is something that gives Clovechok “enormous pride and shows we’ve got something very magical on our hands.

“That is the Saskatchewan spirit that connects us all … We need to definitely lean into that when we want to bring hockey back to Saskatchewan.”

Tourism Saskatoon CEO Stephanie Clovechok
Tourism Saskatoon CEO Stephanie Clovechok Photo by Michelle Berg /Saskatoon StarPhoenix

The last world juniors to be held in the Maritimes was in 2003. The event has been held several times since then in the west, and the 2022 championship — which was called off in December due to the COVID-19 pandemic — is being held in August in Edmonton and Red Deer. Clovechok said she was never told directly from Hockey Canada about that being a factor, only hearing the narrative in the media. Part of Saskatchewan’s appeal, Clovechok said, was because of its openness for business and willingness to host events over the past two years.

She said there were “a lot of things likely in play” and that she hopes to learn more about the process and decision making during a follow-up call in the near future.

With the hospitality sector still feeling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism representatives from Saskatoon and Regina said they hoped to land an event the magnitude of the world juniors. Both Saskatoon and Regina’s city council approved $350,000 in funding to support the joint bid.

After two years of cancelled and postponed events, Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark said last month that welcoming the hockey tournament would put people in hotel beds and boost the local economy.

“Our hotels need hope. Our restaurants need hope. Our venues need that hope and optimism,” he said.

Clovechok last month before Saskatoon city council estimated the economic impact of hosting the event at $50 million. She predicted it would attract 300,000 fans, 15,000 room nights for hotels and 20,000 out of town travellers.

Canadian fans in Saskatoon celebrate Team Canada’s second goal during the gold medal game between Canada and the U.S.A. at the IIHF World Juniors Hockey Tournament at Credit Union Centre in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan January 5, 2010. (Gord Waldner/ Saskatoon StarPhoenix)
Canadian fans in Saskatoon celebrate Team Canada’s second goal during the gold medal game between Canada and the U.S.A. at the IIHF World Juniors Hockey Tournament at Credit Union Centre in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan January 5, 2010. (Gord Waldner/ Saskatoon StarPhoenix) Photo by Gord Waldner /The Star Phoenix

As disappointing as the outcome of the bid is, Clovechok feels energized by the process.

“It’s one thing we were saying: this put us back to work in the way we love to work,” she said.

“Now that this momentum is felt by the community … we’ve got a fire in us to keep hunting for these events hosting in Saskatchewan.”

Whether it’s soccer or curling, baseball or the North American Indigenous Games, “we’ll be making sure we’re present in the world … This, again, speaks to the strength of the community and connectivity of the community.”

The next opportunities to bid to host the world junior hockey championship are for the 2026 or 2028 event.

Said Clovechok: “We will be sure that Hockey Canada hears from us.”

— With Leader-Post files from Jennifer Ackerman

The news seems to be flying at us faster all the time. From COVID-19 updates to politics and crime and everything in between, it can be hard to keep up. With that in mind, the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has created an Afternoon Headlines newsletter that can be delivered daily to your inbox to help make sure you are up to date with the most vital news of the day. Click here to subscribe.

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ICC To Allow One Bid For TV, Digital Rights For ICC Events – Reports

ICC, T20 World Cup Trophy, ICC

The International Cricket Council is reportedly said to allow a single bid for media rights for the ICC events. Usually, the global body gives the deal for eight years but this time they will initiate a four-year deal.

The ICC is preparing to introduce the broadcast right for the next cycle of ICC events, every year one event – World Cup, T20 World Cup or Champions Trophy – is likely to take place.

ICC officials visited Mumbai to collect viewership data from top Indian broadcasters – Reports

According to a Cricbuzz report,  Sunil Manoharan, vice-president, of broadcast rights of the ICC, and Anurag Dahia, the chief commercial officer at the Dubai office of the world body, visited Mumbai and gave a presentation to the potential bidders of their plan.

Both the ICC officials have obtained the viewership data of a few broadcast giants like Disney + Hotstar (current broadcaster for ICC events), Sony Sports Network, Network 18 (they recently launched their channel Sports 18) and Fan Code.

Greg Barclay
ICC chairman Greg Barclay. Credits: RCB

The current value of ICC rights is approximately USD 1.9 billion for the duration of eight years but given that there will be a global competition every year, the overall value of the package is expected to double.

“They seem to be more interested in four-year deals but the bidders will be given the choice to opt for eight years too. They have their processes on how to calculate the appreciation for eight years,” an industry executive said, as reported by Cricbuzz.

ICC to allow Indian broadcasters to claim the media rights under one bid

The ICC will allow Indian broadcasters to grab the media rights for Television (TV) and Digital under one bid unlike the Board of Cricket for Control in India (BCCI) planned to sell the IPL rights for the next cycle under separate bids for TV and online streaming.

ICC Women's ODI World Cup 2022
ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2022. Image Credits: Twitter

The process of the issue of media rights including the announcement of the tender is expected to be completed by the end of July.

Also Read: IPL Media Rights For Next Cycle Likely To Take Place In June – Reports

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Elon Musk-Twitter: From Revealing Shareholding To Making Takeover Bid, Know Events So Far

Elon Musk-Twitter: From Revealing Shareholding To Making Takeover Bid, Know Events So Far

The saga going on between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Twitter is seeing many turns, back-to-back. The story started with Musk disclosing a 9.2 per cent stake in the social media company last week and has now taken a turn where the Tesla CEO has offered a hostile takeover bid. Here’s the timeline of what’s happened so far:

On April 4: Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk disclosed his passive stake of 9.2 per cent in the micro-blogging platform, according to a US SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) filing on April 4. In the filing, Twitter Inc also disclosed that Elon Musk owns Twitter shares numbering to 73,486,938 as shares of common stock in his personal capacity.

On April 5: Twitter Inc on Tuesday said it is appointing its top shareholder and Tesla CEO Elon Musk to its board, a day after the billionaire disclosed his 9.2 per cent stake in the microblogging site. Musk will serve as a Class-II director, with the term expiring at Twitter’s 2024 annual meeting of stockholders.

Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal said in a tweet, “I’m excited to share that we’re appointing @elonmusk to our board! Through conversations with Elon in recent weeks, it became clear to us that he would bring great value to our Board.”

April 11: Musk Offered Twitter Board Seat, Rejected

Musk Offered Twitter Board Seat: Parag informed that Tesla CEO Elon Musk is not joining the board of Twitter. “The board and I had many discussions about Elon joining the board, and with Elon directly. We were excited to collaborate and clear about the risks. We also believed that having Elon as a fiduciary of the company where he, like all board members, has to act in the best interest of the company and all our shareholders, was the best path forward. The board offered him a seat,” Agrawal said in a tweet.

Musk Declines Offer: Parag later said “Elon shared that…that he will no longer be joining the board. I believe this is for the best. We have and will always value input from our shareholders whether they are on our Board or not. Elon is our biggest shareholder and we will remain open to his input.”

April 14-15: Musk Makes Takeover Bid, Events Triggered 

Billionaire Elon Musk offered to buy Twitter for USD 43 billion, a regulatory filing showed on April 14. The 50-year-old tycoon announced the offer in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday. According to the filing, the billionaire will shell out USD 54.20 per share in cash, a 54 per cent premium over the January 28 closing price.

After launching the hostile takeover, the Tesla boss said on April 14: “Twitter has extraordinary potential, I will unlock it.”

“I invested in Twitter as I believe in its potential to be the platform for free speech around the globe, and I believe free speech is a societal imperative for a functioning democracy,” Musk wrote in a letter to Bret Taylor, chairman of Twitter board.

Musk said he wants to transform Twitter as a private company. “However, since making my investment I now realize the company will neither thrive nor serve this societal imperative in its current form. Twitter needs to be transformed as a private company.”

The Tesla CEO said he has a ‘Plan B’ if Twitter’s board decides to reject his offer of buying out the social media company. Musk also said he will endeavor to keep as many shareholders in privatised Twitter as allowed by law.

After acquiring 9.2 per cent stake in Twitter, Musk ran a poll asking his followers, “Do you want an edit button?” An edit button to get rid of typos while tweeting has been a long-standing demand of social media users.

Musk No Longer The Largest Shareholder: With funds held by the Vanguard group taking a 10.3 per cent holding in Twitter, the group has now become the largest shareholder in the San Francisco-headquarter social media major.

Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal sought to reassure employees during an all-hands meeting on Thursday that the company was not being “held hostage” by news of Elon Musk’s offer to buy the company.

Read all the Latest News , Breaking News and IPL 2022 Live Updates here.

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Nagaland to bid for more international, national sports events

Nagaland to bid for more international, national sports events

After South Asian, national cross-country championships, Nagaland to bid for more
Kohima: Following Nagaland’s biggest sporting event on Saturday with the second South Asian Athletic Federation (SAAF) Cross-Country Championships and 56th National Cross-Country Championships in Kohima, the state is now looking forward to bidding for more international and national sports events.

During the Grand Finale of the Championships hosted by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio at the Kohima Cultural Hall on Saturday night, Rio said that as suggested by top sports officials, Nagaland will consider bidding for national games to boost sportspersons and sports infrastructure in the state.

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Euro 2028 bid: ‘One of the greatest sporting events ever held in Ireland and the UK’

Euro 2028 bid: 'One of the greatest sporting events ever held in Ireland and the UK'

The FAI today took another step closer to co-hosting EURO 2028 after they officially submitted a joint “Expression of Interest” to host the tournament along with the Football Associations of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

The submission follows a feasibility study which evaluated the hosting opportunities and local benefits of organising major international football events.

News of the bid had been met with mixed views among football fans. Some question the wisdom of hosting an international tournament when the football infrastructure in the country has been described by Damien Duff as “horrific”.

However, FAI Chief Executive Jonathan Hill is adamant there will be knock-on benefits for the domestic game from an event the expression of interest touts as “one of the greatest sporting events ever held in Ireland and the UK”.

Hill said: “The sporting and economic benefits that hosting such a tournament present would, we believe, be of major significance across all levels of our game and for many years to come.” 

“We will now work with UEFA, Government and all our stakeholder partners to present a bid that makes real sense for Ireland and for Irish football.”

Ireland manager Stephen Kenny yesterday cautiously welcomed the potential bid: “That is a good news story. I am sure the Irish supporters will look forward to having a lot of games in this country. But it is quite a distance away.

“The football infrastructure in this country is nowhere near where it needs to be and it needs serious Government investment.” 

The Governments of Ireland, the UK, Scotland and Wales have confirmed their support for the Expression of Interest submission.

 Minister for Sport Jack Chambers said: “We missed out on a lot of things during the pandemic and Ireland hosting games during EURO 2020 was one of those things. I welcome another opportunity to bring this fantastic tournament to Ireland, should a decision be taken to make a formal bid.

“We now look forward to receiving further tournament requirements from UEFA and we will continue to work with our football and government partners to develop our hosting proposal over the coming months.”

Details of the joint bid will now be worked out over the coming months.

The FAI statement says: “We will develop our proposals further, subject to the publication by UEFA of the full technical specification. This includes engaging in discussions with possible host cities and stadia to define the optimum tournament model, and conducting a full costs and benefits analysis. The Ireland & UK bid will offer an unrivalled tournament from a technical perspective – with modern, well-connected stadia and excellent infrastructure – that makes our partnership ideal to host EURO 2028.”

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U.S. figure skaters are rejected in a bid to be awarded their team medals.

U.S. figure skaters are rejected in a bid to be awarded their team medals.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport on Saturday rejected an effort by nine American figure skaters who were seeking to receive their silver medals from the ill-fated team competition at the Beijing Olympics before they left China.

The skaters — Evan Bates, Karen Chen, Nathan Chen, Madison Chock, Zachary Donohue, Brandon Frazier, Madison Hubbell, Alexa Knierim and Vincent Zhou — asked the court to order the International Olympic Committee to award medals in the team event, the results of which have been in doubt for nearly two weeks since a Russian skater, Kamila Valieva, was found to have tested positive for a banned drug.

A separate CAS panel on Monday had allowed Valieva, 15, to continue competing in the Games despite her positive test, saying the uncertainty about the eventual outcome of her doping case — which might lead to only a reprimand given her age — meant she would face “irreparable harm” if she were to be barred from competing.

The American skaters had sought a ruling that would overturn, at least for them, the I.O.C.’s decision to not award any medals in any event in which Valieva placed in the top three. That decision applied only to the team competition in the end; Valieva, cleared to skate, went on to finish fourth in the women’s singles event, crumbling in the long program amid a swirl of accusations, innuendo and pressure.

The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee was not a party to the application, the court said in dismissing it with a single sentence.

“The decision of the I.O.C. Executive Board of 14 February 2022 not to hold the medal ceremony for the figure skating team event during the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 stands,” the court’s panel of three arbitrators wrote.

The court said the panel would publish a fuller explanation of its decision in the coming days, presumably well after the closing ceremony on Sunday. By then, the Americans — and the rest of the Olympians — will be on their way home.