Events

FIFA president Sepp Blatter spoke of his confidence in Russia’s hosting capabilities after signing a formal declaration to confirm the country as the destination of the 2018 World Cup on Sunday.

Victoria Premier Ted Baillieu has refused to rule out scrapping Melbourne's Formula One grand prix when the contract expires in four years’ time after the city’s Mayor, Robert Doyle, called for the state to dump the race because of rising costs and lack of local interest.

The PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic bid committee has announced the completion of its sustainability research report, while the rival bid of Munich has recruited Deutsche Bahn as a commercial partner.

FIFA has insisted there are “no concrete plans” to stage the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in the winter – a move that would cause huge disruption to the European football calendar.

Organisers have announced that the second Leaders in Sport gathering at the luxurious La Manga Club resort in Spain has sold out.

Orange has strengthened its presence in Eastern European football by securing the sponsorship rights in the telecommunications category for the UEFA Euro 2012 tournament in Poland and Ukraine.

The Volvo Ocean Race has unveiled its new youth sailing initiative, the Volvo Ocean Race Academy, which will involve children from each of the sailing event’s host ports through a series of activities.

Soccerex has announced that the upcoming European Forum will include a series of stadia-specific presentations hosted by the European Stadium and Safety Management Association (ESSMA).

The SportAccord Convention has confirmed that all five of its gold sponsors from last year’s event in Dubai will again be in place for the 2011 edition in London.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) discussed the possibility of tabling a joint bid to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup during the organisation’s Foreign Ministers meeting.

CONCACAF, the football body that represents North, Central American and Caribbean countries, has called for FIFA to award the region an extra place at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Getty Images has been signed up as a global content distribution provider to the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge has asked FIFA to hold talks with the governing body before making any decision on whether to stage the 2022 FIFA World Cup in the winter.

Rome’s hopes of hosting Formula One in the near future appear to have faded after the city’s Mayor revealed he had been told Italy would only be able to stage one Formula One grand prix.

The International Football Arena (IFA) has announced its 2011 Zurich conference will take place on November 7-8 at the Dolder Grand Hotel.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) executive director Gilbert Felli has revealed the body has the power to postpone the 2014 Formula One Grand Prix in Sochi if it feels the race could hamper preparations for the Winter Olympics in the same year.