Mexico Secretary of Tourism Miguel Torruco said that the country's Formula 1 Grand Prix and regular season NFL game "are guaranteed" through at least '19. Torruco added that he will have a meeting with F1 Mexico GP President Alejandro Soberón to "review the footprint the race leaves on the country's tourism" (LA AFICIÓN, 12/11).
The NFL Jacksonville Jaguars, L.A. Chargers, L.A. Rams, Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will each stage a home game outside the U.S. in '19. Four of those games will be played in London, including two at Wembley Stadium and two at Tottenham Hotspur, with Mexico City staging another game. Full details of matchups and locations will be confirmed at a later date (NFL).
ICC CEO David Richardson said that he is confident of a corruption-free 2019 World Cup as the sport "works overtime to disrupt criminals who attempt to fix matches." He also called on national governments to "do more to tackle match fixing, which has affected lucrative Twenty20 leagues" as well as int'l matches. He said that the ICC anti-corruption unit "is trying to be much more proactive in first of all disrupting these criminals who are traveling the world trying to corrupt the game" (AFP, 12/12).
The British Horseracing Authority published a series of recommendations on Wednesday "designed to improve the safety and welfare of horses and riders in National Hunt racing as a whole" and at the Cheltenham Festival in March in particular. The proposals are the result of a review of the Festival, which was launched "after seven horses died as a result of injuries sustained at this year’s meeting," including three in the final race, the two-mile Grand Annual Chase. The review made a total of 17 recommendations (London GUARDIAN, 12/12).
Utrecht will become the first city to host stages of all three Grand Tours after being chosen as the location for the start of the 2020 Vuelta a España. The Dutch city will stage the tour-opening team time trial, "as well as the finish of the second day's racing." The third day of action will also be staged in the Netherlands, taking place in Noord-Brabant (BBC, 12/12).
Europe will take on the U.S. in a "Ryder Cup-style track and field clash" in Minsk, Belarus, next year, European Athletics announced on Tuesday. The event, scheduled for Sept. 9-10, will serve as a warmup for athletes to prepare for the World Championships starting in Doha on Sept. 28 (REUTERS, 12/11).
