British Government Looking To Private Sector To Raise 2012 Funds
 |
Burnham Leading U.K. Effort To Fund
2012 Games By Selling Athlete Access |
The British government's Department For Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) is planning to ask the private sector to "make good the [US$186.78M] shortfall in athletes' funding ahead" of the 2012 London Games, according to Paul Kelso of the Manchester GUARDIAN. The DCMS proposal "is to sell access to British athletes as they prepare for London 2012 to local, regional and national sponsors." DCMS also will "examine the sale of post-Games naming rights to the new venues that are being constructed." U.K. Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Andy Burnham: "The offer is an association with the athletes preparing for the Olympic Games. There is also the possibility of naming rights of some of the Olympic venues (post-Games) and this is something that needs to be explored with other stakeholders." Kelso writes "despite Burnham's confidence, the [DCMS] faces a challenge," as it "owns no rights to the valuable Olympic brand -- it resides within London 2012, which is using it to raise [US$1.214B] towards the cost of running the Games -- and has limited access to athletes who might be attractive to sponsors" (Manchester GUARDIAN, 8/21). In Manchester, Matt Scott writes the government's announcement is "preposterous," and government hopes "that the marketable Beijing medal-winners will participate in promotional programmes look equally forlorn" (Manchester GUARDIAN, 8/21).
COMING ATTRACTIONS: LOCOG Chair Sebastian Coe said that LOCOG "would focus on providing sustainable venues and not just 16 days of spectacular sport." Coe: "It's a mistake to think that Games model themselves on previous games. Every Games I've been to has been very different" (REUTERS, 8/21). In Vancouver, Jeff Lee reports Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan yesterday began a 20-day tour of Beijing and China, "hoping to bring just a little more attention to his city as the next Olympic host." Sullivan said that he will "spend 'five or six days' in Beijing on business, hosting a city reception at the BC-Canada Pavilion and meeting with economic development officials who might be able to drive some business towards Vancouver" (VANCOUVER SUN, 8/21).
PEOPLE'S CHOICE: In Chicago, Lewis Lazare reports the Chicago 2016 Committee yesterday announced it is "reaching out to all the city's citizens and asking them to create their own video take (60 seconds or less) on why Chicago is the best place to host the 2016 Olympics." At the Committee's web site, www.Chicago2016.org, "a special channel has been established ... that will allow video makers to post their finished efforts online." The public "will vote for their favorite among the posted films, and the best of the lot will be 'highlighted for special recognition.'" Lazare notes there is "no word yet on what that means." The announcement follows last week's release of the "considerably less-than-stellar 'Chicago Surprises' video," which was shown to IOC members in Beijing (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 8/21).
BAD TIMING: In San Diego, Mark Zeigler notes a U.S. protest that disqualified Netherlands Antilles sprinter Churandy Martina from the men's 200m final for stepping on the lane line has "international incident written all over it," and "comes at a time when the [USOC], lobbying hard for Chicago to host the 2016 Summer Games, has gone to great lengths to restore America's deteriorating image in the international sports community." Martina crossed the finish line in second place behind Jamaica sprinter Usain Bolt and would have been the Netherlands Antilles' first medalist at the Beijing Games, and Netherlands Antilles sports officials "were infuriated, less with why Martina was disqualified than how it happened." Netherlands Antilles Sports Minister Omayra Leeflang: "It's a pity for such a big country like the [U.S.] to make such a small statement." Ziegler writes there is "no telling what sort of damage, if any, the ... incident will have" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 8/21).
|
