New hosts for 2013 SEA Games?

Delays in construction of Singapore's $1.3 billion Sports Hub may cost the city-state its hosting rights for the 2013 Southeast Asian Games, said the republic's Sports Minister, Vivian Balakrishnan.

Revealing that work on the project could be further delayed, the Minister added: "Frankly, I think it's unlikely that it will be ready for the 2013 SEA Games.

"We will not be rushed into this, and I'm quite prepared to postpone our offer to host the SEA Games to a later date," he told reporters in Singapore Thursday.

"The key point is, we want to make sure that when we... put an offer on the table, it is a good offer, and something that we can deliver."

The Singapore Sports Hub Consortium won the contract to build and operate the Sports Hub on a 25-year lease. It includes a 55,000-capacity National Stadium with a retractable roof and 41,000 sqm of business, commercial and retail floor space.

The project has been repeatedly delayed due to high construction costs and the global economic downturn. Construction is now expected to begin early next year and will take four years to complete.

The 25th staging of the Southeast Asian Games takes place later this year in Vientiane, Laos, from Dec. 9-18.

The 11 competing nations are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, hosts Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, East Timor and Vietnam.

Indonesia are due to stage the 2011 Games in Bandung and Semarang with Singapore due to host the 27th Games.

Brunei FA suspended

The Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (BAFA) has been suspended due to governmental interference in its affairs, which started with a decision by the authorities to dissolve the association and replace it with a new federation in December 2008.

FIFA's Executive Committee, at its meeting in Rio de Janeiro Tuesday, announced that the suspension applies with immediate effect and its club DPMM will no longer be permitted to play in the Singapore S-League. The suspension will run untill BAFA is reinstalled by the government.

The Executive Committee also supported the creation of a normalisation committee for the Grenada Football Association and an interim committee for the Syrian Football Association. FIFA is also closely monitoring the sutuation of other association, including Iraq, Kuwait, Togo, El Salvador and Peru.

The meeting was chaired by FIFA President, Josef Blatter.

Full speed for Selangor hockey league

Brian Fernandez conducting the seminar on Saturday at the Pandamaran Sports Complex.


The Selangor League begins 3 October and preparations are into full speed, said Selangor Hockey Association (SHA) Vice President, Kuganeson Poologasingam.

A week before the league begins the Competitions Committee Chaired, by Deputy President Dato' Subahan Kamal successfully organized and carried out the following
activities:

1. Technical Office's Seminar Sept 26th at Dewan Kuliah Pandamaran Sports Complex.

The seminar was conducted by MHF Representative, course facilitator/instructor Brian Fernandez. Over 24 people attended the Seminar and 16 of them who are new will be doing their practical during the Selangor League.

The purposes of this seminar was to create uniformity and bring participant on the same page with the latest policy and procedures relating to match management and handling situations. All these will be implements during the Selangor league.

2. Sept 27 morning a fitness test for all the Umpires involved in
the League followed by a briefing done by the SHA Umpires Board Chairman, Surjit Singh.

3. Sunday Sept 27 morning and evening the Match Officials Briefing & Team
Managers Meeting to trash out any issues and bring all to the same page
on running of the league.

The meeting was chaired by Kuganeson Poologasingam and the President Dato' Salamon Salamat was present to do the welcoming and opening speech of these meeting.
Also present was Tournament Director T.Paramalingam

F6 wants 50 percent stake in Liverpool

A Saudi prince wants to buy half of Liverpool football club in a deal worth up to $560 million.

If the deal goes through, it would mark the latest buy-in by Gulf investors in an English Premier League team.

However, Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks is only willing to allow 25 percent of the club to be sold, an executive familiar with the situation said on condition of anonymity

Prince Faisal bin Fahd Abdullah al-Saud (picture), who is chairman of sports investment firm F6, was quoted by the Saudi Al-Riyadh newspaper on Sunday as saying that “we are seeking, at present, to own a 50 percent stake in the club.”

“The value of the transaction, which is nearing resolution, will be between 200 million pounds [$318 million] and 350 million pounds,” the prince said.

The comments come on the heels of an F6 statement released on Saturday that said Prince Faisal had signed a memorandum of understanding with one of Liverpool’s American co-owners, George Gillett Jr., as well as Richard Petty Motorsports. That deal envisions in part setting up sports academies in the kingdom and the broader Gulf region.

The comments by Prince Faisal about acquiring half of Liverpool took the club by surprise.

Hicks, who owns half of 18-time English champion Liverpool with Gillett, is only prepared to sell a 25 percent stake in the club to raise 100 million pounds and was not aware of the prince’s claims, the executive familiar with the situation said.

Hicks has had investment bank Merrill Lynch scouring the Middle East for investors for more than a year to help find funds to reduce the club’s debt and build a new stadium.

Gillett would not be able to act independently of Hicks and sell his 50 percent stake without the permission of the Texan.

Hicks and Gillett have been looking to reduce Liverpool’s 245-million pound debt. They paid off 60 million pounds of the debt when the loan used to buy the club in 2007 expired in July.

If Prince Faisal was to acquire a stake in Liverpool, it would mark the latest investment in football by investors from the oil-rich Gulf region.

Sheik Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a member of Abu Dhabi’s ruling family, bought Manchester City for 210 million pounds. Sulaiman al-Fahim, the Emirati businessman who helped broker the Manchester City takeover for Sheik Mansour, has also taken control of his own Premier League team ­­— Portsmouth. - Agencies.

Stars from Singapore move to ISL

When the Indonesian Super League decided to adopt the Asian Football Confederation’s “3 plus 2” rule, players from Singapore’s S-League couldn’t jump ship fast enough.

And ISL teams, looking to fill three unrestricted roster places for foreigners and two spots for players from AFC member nations, are doing everything they can to accommodate S-League talent.

The Jakarta Globe reports, the latest Singaporean star to sign with an ISL club is Singapore Armed Forces FC striker Aleksandar Duric (picture, above), also a member of Singapore’s national team.

Reports that the 39-year-old would travel to Palembang, South Sumatra, on Thursday to join Sriwijaya FC were confirmed by the club on Monday.

“We have reached a deal for a one-year contract and Duric will sign the papers in Palembang on Thursday,” said Sriwijaya vice president Hendri Zainuddin. “But he will join us in November after the S-League ends and his contract with SAF expires.”

Yugoslavian-born Duric began his professional career in 1992 with Sloga Pozega and played for 15 clubs, including several in Australia, China and Singapore, before joining Singapore Armed Forces FC in 2005.

He earned Singaporean citizenship in 2006 and made his debut for the national team in 2007.

Duric was the S-League’s 2008 Player of the Year and also its top scorer with 24 goals. He tops the league’s scoring chart for this season with 26 goals, helping SAFFC to lead the standings.

In Sriwijaya he will join compatriot Precious Emuejeraye, a defender. Hendri said that negotiations with Duric and his agent, Rici Nelson, had gone smoothly.

Hendri refused to reveal the exact amount of the deal, but a source close to the club said the striker would earn Rp 1.1 billion ($113,000) for a yearlong contract, plus accommodation and transportation allowances.

Duric’s move is only part of the ongoing influx of players from Singapore to Indonesia.

In the last month, Geylang United’s Baihakki Khaizan and Mustafic Fahrudin of Tampines Rovers have joined Persija Jakarta, while Arema Malang snapped up Tampines duo Noh Alam Shah and Ridhuan Muhamad.

And another ISL club, PSM Makassar, is reportedly trying to sign Sengkang Punggol and Singapore national team striker Indra Sahdan Daud.

Duric’s arrival will end Sriwijaya coach Rahmad Darmawan’s search for foreign players as the club has now used up its quota. Besides Duric and Emuejeraye, the Copa Indonesia champion has two other imports, striker Keith Kayamba Gumbs (St. Kitt & Nevis) and midfielder Zah Rahan (Liberia). And the club is still waiting for the arrival of Nigerian midfielder Richard Anoure Obiora, who has agreed to extend his contract with Sriwijaya.

“Obiora will be here as soon as the administrative requirements, including the Kitas [temporary residence permit] and ITC [international transfer certificate], are complete,” coach Rahmad said.
The ISL is scheduled to start its new season on Oct. 11.

Kembalikan keharmonian PBKL

Pengasas Persatuan Berbasikal Kuala Lumpur (PBKL) Daud Abu Kassim meminta semua pihak supaya menghormati keputusan Pejabat Pesuruhjaya Sukan Malaysia (PPSM) yang mengisitiharkan Mesyuarat Agung Tiga Tahun Sekali pada 25 Julai lalu sebagai tidak sah.

"Saya baca di blog Fair Play News dan dapat tahu tentang keputusan tersebut. Saya juga dimaklumkan bahawa pihak PPSM telahpun kirim surat ke pejabat PBKL di Velodrom KL melalui faks dan pos.

"Surat itu, saya difahamkan lagi, mengandungi garis panduan yang perlu dilaksanakan sebelum mesyuarat agung diadakan semula," kata Daud (gambar), Ahli Seumur Hidup PBKL.

Daud lahirkan rasa kecewanya dengan sikap orang-orang seperti Haji Jaafar Sidek yang tidak mempersoalkan kesahihan Notis Mesyuarat Agung bertarikh 10 Julai 2009, yang dikeluarkan tanpa persetujuan majlis.

"Sebagai Naib Pengerusi, dia seharusnya mempersoalkan notis itu, sebaliknya dia bertindak mempengerusikan mesyuarat berkenaan dan seterusnya mengumumkan bahawa mereka yang tidak hadir tetapi dipilih, telah memaklumkan melalui SMS bahwa mereka setuju terima jawatan.

"Saya kecewa dengan Haji Fazin Saad kerana berdolak-dalik atas keterangannya berhubung kait Laporan Kewangan dan Aktiviti Tahunan. Namun semua "ahli segera" yang hadir hanya mengundi dan diundi pada mesyuarat itu," kata Daud lagi.

Menurut Daud, Haji Fazin masih memegang jawatan Setiausaha Persatuan Lumba Basikal Alor Setar, Kedah ketika memangku Setiausaha Kehormat PBKL dari Januari hingga Jun 2009.

Daud seterusnya menasihatkan pihak-pihak yang terlibat supaya mengambil iktibar daripada peristiwa ini dan telah membongkar politik dalaman kotor yang menggadai maruah PBKL.

"Tindakan tergesa-gesa melantik Setiausaha Eksekutif dan Pengurus Velodrom mahukan Setiausaha Kehormat oleh Presiden, Datuk Malik Mydin, sedangkan statusnya sebagai Ahli Segera, amat melucukan."

Daud seterusnya menyeru kepada Ahli-Ahli yang mencintakan PBKL mengembalikan konsep demokrasi dan keharmonian dalam persatuan itu, yang terjalin sejak 1979.

"Saya ucapkan ribuan terima kasih dan penghargaan kepada PPSM atas keputusan ini," kata Daud yang kini memegang semula jawatan selaku Timbalan Presiden PBKL.

Malaysian ref at U 20 World Cup

Malaysian referee Subkhiddin Mohd Salleh (picture) and Yuichi Nishimura from Japan are representing Asia at the on-going FIFA U20 World Cup in Egypt.

Subkhiddin’s first match in charge was the Group A clash between Paraguay and Italy on Friday, September 25. Nishimura officiated the United States versus Germany in Group C, the following day.

Both referees are among five AFC officials who are candidates for the FIFA World Cup 2010 finals in South Africa.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) assistant referees in Egypt are Thamon Borikut (Thailand), Heong Hae-sang (Korea Republic), Mu Yuxin (China) and Toru Sagara (Japan).

This is a special year for referees in Asia with AFC designating 2009 as Asian Referees Year. On September 1, Member Associations across the continent marked Asian Referees Day.