Russia

International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) president Rene Fasel is hopeful that a deal will be reached “soon” that will bring an end to the ongoing saga regarding the participation of National Hockey League (NHL) players at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

SportAccord Convention has announced that the City Forum 2013 will examine the objectives of cities in hosting sporting events and will explore ways of measuring the performance of events, as part of the Convention itself, which will be held in Saint-Petersburg, Russia, from May 26-31.

International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) president Lamine Diack has urged the Russian government to increase promotion of this year’s World Championships amid concerns over ticket sales for the event at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has named RIA Novosti as the official host national news agency of the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games.

Some of the key investors in Sochi 2014’s Winter Olympic Games are seeking financial assistance from the government in a bid to ease the burden from the event’s estimated US$50 billion price tag, according to Reuters.

Sochi 2014 organisers have revealed they are stockpiling some 450,000 cubic metres of snow in a bid to avoid the potential problems caused by mild weather during the Winter Olympic Games.

The Local Organising Committee (LOC) of Russia’s 2018 World Cup has held a seminar with FIFA to discuss the possibility of staging Fan Fests during next year’s World Cup in Brazil, as a way of building interest in the 2018 tournament.

SportAccord Convention has announced UK Minister for Sport and Tourism, Hugh Robertson, as one of a number of new additions to the programme for the 2013 event, which takes place in Saint-Petersburg, Russia, from May 26-31.

Worldwide Olympic partner Dow has furthered its presence at the Sochi 2014 Winter Games by being named as the official carbon partner of next year’s event.

The International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Coordination Commission has issued a glowing penultimate report of Sochi’s preparations for the 2014 Winter Olympics as organisers unveiled their latest partnership deal for next year’s event.

The SportAccord International Convention has announced a new partnership that will see leading global professional services company PwC become a gold partner of the event.

SportAccord Convention has announced that David Hill, senior executive vice-president of News Corporation, will be a keynote speaker during this year’s event in Saint-Petersburg from May 26-31.

Gazprom chairman Alexey Miller has stated his confidence that the proposed Unified Football League (UFL) will launch next autumn with the full backing of UEFA.

The National Hockey League (NHL) and International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) concluded a two-day meeting on Friday without reaching an agreement on participation in the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, however both parties are hopeful an understanding can be reached ahead of next year’s Games.

Russian Olympic Committee vice-president Akhmed Bilalov will be dismissed from his position after President Vladimir Putin criticised delays in delivering the ski jump facility for Sochi’s 2014 Winter Games.

Russian authorities have rejected claims from a human rights group that migrant workers are being exploited as part of Sochi’s huge infrastructure development drive for the 2014 Winter Olympics.