The Hyderabad Cricket Association is "all set to sign" a 1.6 crore ($241,000) agreement with 21st Century for "in-stadia rights" for the India-Bangladesh test at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium next month. HCA Secretary K. John Manoj said that "there was no question of backing out from hosting the Test." Manoj: "Let me reiterate that even if we don't get the Board of Control for Cricket in India funds we are not going to back out. We deem it a prestigious event as it happens to be Bangladesh's first-ever Test in India" (THE HINDU, 1/10).
Sydney's Moore Park will "undergo its biggest combined sporting events in history when it hosts expected sellouts" in Saturday night's A-League and Big Bash League derbies. Around 80,000 fans are "expected to converge on the precinct" in what will be a "battle of the hearts, minds," money and patience of the city's sporting public. Three days before the Sydney Sixers' "clash with cross-town rivals the Thunder" at the Sydney Cricket Ground, tickets were already "exhausted" for the 44,000-capacity venue (STUFF, 1/10).
Jeff Horn is "likely to get the go-ahead for a Suncorp Stadium bout" against Manny Pacquiao that will be "the most expensive ever staged in Australia." As Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum sat down with Horn's backer Dean Lonergan in Las Vegas to "thrash out the deal," Arum declared that as far as Pacquiao's next fight was concerned, "Right now, we are only looking at Australia" (Brisbane COURIER-MAIL, 1/10).
Australian tennis player Brandon Walkin was "granted a potentially lucrative wildcard entry into a Canberra tournament by the nation's ruling tennis body, despite the player being the subject of an ongoing probe by the sport's global anti-corruption unit." The decision by Tennis Australia to award Walkin a wild card in the days leading up to this week's A$101,000 ($74,400) Canberra Int'l has "stunned rival players" and raised further concerns about the "scourge" of match-fixing. He is the fourth Australian player to be "linked to match-fixing" in the past week, with the sport's "vulnerability to corruption exposed" days before the Australian Open, as it was a year ago (THE AUSTRALIAN, 1/11).
The FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup 2017 will take place in Shenzhen, China, from Nov. 24-26. Private promoter SunsSports will stage the second edition of the 3x3 competition for national teams in Asia. The inaugural edition was held in Doha, Qatar, on May 15-16, 2013 (FIBA).
Indian officials are "in discussions with FIA World Rally Championship" organizers to host a round in the country by '19. Asia-Pacific Rally Championship Working Group President Vicky Chandhok has confirmed that "talks are being held with WRC" Managing Dir Oliver Ciesla over a "possible round in India" (MOTORSPORT, 1/10).
