Following a "hugely popular debut" at the London Games, women's boxing has been included in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Int'l Boxing Association President Ching-Kuo Wu said, "This inclusion demonstrates the continued growth in popularity of women's boxing that I wish to continue promoting even further" (REUTERS, 10/2). ... Dorna Sports and Infront Sports & Media have reached an agreement to bring both their motorcycle racing interests under a single umbrella organization. Dorna is the organizer of the FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix, while Infront organizes the eni FIM Superbike World Championship through its subsidiary, Infront Motor Sports. MotoGP and WorldSBK will be integrated within the Dorna Sports group but managed as separate events with a view to enhancing the two distinct championships (Infront).
READY FOR RACING: Thailand Tourism and Sports Minister Chumpol Silpa-archa said that he was confident the country would host its first F1 race in '14, with talks "already at an advanced stage." Silpa-archa said, "It's unlikely we'll have any problem." He said that the country was still "looking for a suitable venue as an existing track in the seaside resort of Pattaya," about an hour's drive from the capital Bangkok, is "not perfect" (AFP, 10/2). ... The first leg of the FINA/ARENA World Cup 2012 will take place in Dubai and feature 130 swimmers from 32 nations. The 25m series will stop in eight locations this year: UAE, Doha, Stockholm, Moscow, Berlin, Beijing, Tokyo and Singapore (FINA). ... Refugio Aboim Ascensão and the Portuguese Association of Parents and Friends of Mentally Handicapped Persons will be the two official charities of the 2012 Portugal Masters to be played at Oceânico Victoria Golf Course, Vilamoura, from Nov. 15-18. The European Tour Players Foundation will focus on various initiatives during the week to support the two charitable bodie. All proceeds from this initiative will be shared equally between Refugio Aboim Ascensão and the APPACDM (European Tour).