Asia

Fourteen cities have submitted bids to host matches when Japan stages the Rugby World Cup in 2019, organisers announced today (Wednesday).

Beijing’s bid committee for the 2022 winter Olympic Games has said a plan is in place to address concerns over air quality in the Chinese city.

The Royal Dutch Skating Association (KNSB) has entered into a wide-ranging partnership with South Korean counterpart the Korea Skating Union (KSU) that aims to generate more investment in the sport, among other initiatives.

The Singapore Rugby Union (SRU) has reportedly clinched a four-year deal to host a leg of the International Rugby Board’s (IRB) Sevens World Series national team tournament at its new National Stadium from 2015, with Paris and Vancouver set to join as fellow new entrants on the calendar.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has issued the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) with a $41.97m (€32.8m) damages claim in the wake of the West Indies’ withdrawal from its tour of India last month.

Singapore has retained its co-hosting rights to the Asean Football Federation’s 2014 AFF Championship national team tournament after concerned organisers were placated regarding fears over the standard of the pitch at the new National Stadium.

Jerome Valcke, secretary general of football’s global governing body Fifa, has responded to the furore surrounding the use of artificial surfaces for the 2015 Women’s World Cup by stating the men’s edition could be played on such pitches “sooner rather than later,” while France and Korea have submitted bid documents for the 2019 edition of the women’s showpiece.

The Seven46 campaign and content agency has moved to strengthen its position in the Japanese market by opening a new office in Tokyo.

PyeongChang 2018 has said all six of its new competition venues for the winter Olympic Games are on course to stage test events on schedule after construction began on the final facility.

Will the already-maligned world of football transfers turn even murkier when FIFA scraps the official football agent’s licence next spring?

Antonio Zea, director for global football innovation at adidas, writes exclusively for SportBusiness International about being at the forefront of football’s technological revolution.

The long-awaited International Premier Tennis League, the latest franchise-based sports competition inspired by the successes of cricket’s Indian Premier League, begins this month. Star players are signed up, but with radio silence from its organisers, a similar competition launching at the same time and tickets still not on sale in one of the host countries, could it be doomed for failure?

The Japanese government has unveiled plans to create a new ministerial post dedicated to overseeing preparations for the Tokyo 2020 summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Cycling’s WorldTour will no longer end in Beijing, but Brian Cookson believes a presence in China will continue regardless. Elisha Chauhan reports.

India cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has agreed a deal to become a co-owner of the new Ranchi franchise in the Hockey India League.

Japan is set to host Super Rugby’s 18th team when the pan-regional club competition expands in 2016 after organiser Sanzar confirmed today (Friday) that the Japan Rugby Football Union (JRFU) had edged out a rival bid from Singapore.