Australia
MORE OLYMPIC CUTS LIKELY
Sydney's chief Olympic organiser has predicted more spending cuts for the 2000 Games despite a likely injection of around A$100 million (US$66 million) into the Games' operating budget.
GAMES GO HI-TECH
The Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG) has foreshadowed an efficient, workable display of technology for the Sydney 2000 Olympics, to avoid repeating the extravagant debacles of the Atlanta 1996 Games.
OLYMPICS-DRUGS WARNING FOR SYDNEY 2000 GAMES
The Sydney 2000 Olympics are in danger of becoming the
MELBOURNE $65M ARENA GETS GREEN LIGHT
The Victorian Premier, Jeff Kennett, has announced that a $A65.4m "super stadium" would be constructed in Melbourne's Yarra Park precinct, in time for the 2000 Australian Tennis Open.
VISA WARNS AGAINST CHEAP TICKET SUBSIDIES
One of the Sydney Games' major sponsors, Visa, has warned that it will vigorously campaign against moves to make sponsors provide substantial subsidies for low-priced tickets.
SPORTS AND OUTDOOR MEDIA FLOTATION RAISES #3.2M
The recently formed Sports and Outdoor Media International Plc will be valued at #23.4m when it floats on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) in London.
MELBOURNE TO GET TRAINING VELODROME
The government of Victoria, Australia, is to build an A$5million indoor-training velodrome in the suburbs to complement its $65million multi-purpose velodrome planned for Melbourne Park.
IRB IS FAILING DEVELOPING NATIONS SAYS CAMPESE
World rugby's governing body has failed to promote the sport outside its traditional strongholds and is in dire need of a serious shape-up, former Australian hero David Campese has said.
MALAYSIA ACCEPTS AUSTRALIA TEAM BOSS’S REPLY
The Commonwealth Games organising committee has said that Australian team boss Perry Crosswhite had denied questioning Malaysia's ability to manage the games next month.
CHINA CONSIDERS 2008 OLYMPICS BID
Five years after its bitter defeat to Sydney in the race for the 2000 Olympics, China looks ready to bid for 2008.
GOODS TAX PUTS SQUEEZE ON OLYMPICS BUDGET
The controversial goods and services tax (GST), due to be introduced just before the 2000 Olympic Games, could blow a A$110 million (HK$522 million) hole in the budget for the event, organisers have warned.
LIONS TO CONTINUE TOURS EVERY FOUR YEARS
International rugby union officials have agreed that the British Lions will continue to tour every four years.
AUSTRALIA REJECTS BAN ON CHILDREN BOXING
Australian sports ministers have rejected a plan to ban children under 14 from competitive boxing, arguing such a ban would be impossible to enforce and was also unnecessary.
HODLER SAYS AGENTS ARE VILLAINS, NOT BIDDING CITIES
Leading Olympic official Marc Hodler said he had gone public with his allegations that agents tried to rig votes on the hosting of Games because he did not want Salt Lake City to be seen as "villains".
MCDONALDS `CONSIDERING OLYMPICS PULL-OUT?
The Salt Lake City Olympic bribery scandal could be on the verge of costing the International Olympic Committee (IOC) one its biggest sponsors, according to reports in Europe.
TV PACKAGES SELLING WELL – DESPITE SCANDAL
The Seven Network in Australia has revealed it has sold half of the eight $14 million two-year Sydney Olympic telecast sponsorship packages on offer, with demand potentially outstripping supply.
AUSTRALIA WARNS AGAINST IOC DRUGS SELL-OUT
Australian sports officials and coaches have reacted with dismay to news that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) might back down on its commitment to get tough on drugs in sport.
SUPER 12 – NO EXPANSION ‘FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS’
The southern hemisphere's Super 12 competition will not be expanded for at least two years, the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) has announced.