By Duncan MackayMarch 21 - Tokyo will not pursue its bid for the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics following the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, it has been claimed today.

that the IOC would have awarded consecutive Games to Asia.In their absence, Pescante has picked out South

Africa and Istanbul as Rome's most dangerous rivals.South Africa has yet to officially commit itself

There is great determination in Africa to put together a strong campaign," said Pescante.He also fears

By Duncan Mackay in MarrakechMarch 20 - Casablanca could be set to launch a bid for the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics, Morocco's Sports Minister Moncef Belkhayat has revealed.

with a population of three million, has long been touted as a possible candidate to be the first in Africa

to becoming a great sport nation that stages great sporting events," Belkhayat said during the Africa

to try to host more major events.They bid for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, losing by only four votes to South

decide to put forward Casablanca, which is located on the Atlantic Ocean, for the 2020 Olympics then South

South African who is a member of the IOC's ruling Executive Board, said here that if Africa decides to

March 18 - At the halfway stage in the 2010/11 season, the HSBC Sevens World Series is on track to break the record levels achieved last year in television broadcast.

across 35 broadcasters.Over the first half of this 2010/11 season, comprising the four events in Dubai, South

Africa, New Zealand and United States, figures published by the IRB's television distribution partner

of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), has been urged to offer as much support to a bid from Africa

for the Olympics as Sepp Blatter gave to the continent's staging of the World Cup in South Africa last

 "We presented the bids by the three·cities·to the [South African] Government and we are awaiting

last year's World Cup in South Africa, where was among the best organised tournaments ever and passed

if a bid was to be successful and follow the lead of Blatter.The FIFA President consistently backed South

insidethegames.bizRelated storiesFebruary 2011: Cape Town pull out of race to bid for 2020 OlympicsFebruary 2011: South

for 2020 Olympic bidsDecember 2010: Rogge tells South Africa it is now in "top league" of organisersSeptember

By Tom DegunMarch 15 - A large number of International Paralympic Committee (IPC) governing Board members and representatives have been included on various International Olympic Committee (IOC) Commissions for 2011 following a review of its membership.

respectively with Annecy, Munich or Pyeongchang set to be awarded the latter event at the IOC session in South

Africa on July 6.Robert Balk, chair of the IPC Athletes' Council and an IPC governing Board member,

March 14 - Beyond Sport has announced Barclays Spaces for Sports has extended its partnership with the sport and development initiative into a third year.

Partner to Beyond Sport, including a prominent presence at the Beyond Sport Summit 2011 taking place in South

Africa later this year.South Africa marks the third destination for the annual Summit following on from

Further sites and projects are already established in South Africa, the United States, the UK, Zambia

We are particularly pleased this year's Summit will take place in South Africa where we launched our

Africa taking place, we look forward to working ever more closely with Barclays Spaces for Sports over

By Duncan MackayBritish Sports Internet Writer of the YearMarch 6 - Britain's football team could begin its preparations for next year's Olympics in London with a match against New Zealand at Wembley Stadium in a special fundraising event for the victims of the Christchurch earthquake if a proposal from the President of the Oceania Football Confederation is accepted.

be the opponents for the All Whites, who were the only undefeated side at last year's World Cup in South

Africa."

Contrast this with South Africa last summer where FIFA had the sort of control a Government may envy.In

South Africa, FIFA behaved as if it was the almighty Vatican of sport.

Africa to use its World Cup franchise, but FIFA was running the show.In effect, for the South African

World Cup, FIFA moved its offices from Zurich to Johannesburg and other cities of South Africa, and

South Africa could argue that the World Cup has boosted its image.In contrast, India with an economy

March 1 - Zimbabwe has withdrawn its bid to host the women's World Cup in 2015 leaving Canada as the only candidate, FIFA announced today.

the barest minimum" to stage the tournament, but hoped FIFA would show the same faith it had in South

Africa to organise a successful men's World Cup last year.

February 26 - Coventry's Ricoh Arena is celebrating after being chosen to play host to qualifying match for the men's Olympic football tournament in April 2012, an event that will be used by London 2012 as a major test event.

The announcement that Coventry will host the play-off between South America and Africa comes after

By Tom DegunFebruary 21 - Twitter workshops are to be held by the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) next month to demonstrate how easy it is to "fall foul of the social media" and prevent athletes following Stephanie Rice (pictured) and getting themselves in trouble at London 2012.

September.After watching boyfriend Quade Cooper, the Australian rugby full-back, and his teammates beat South

Africa she tweeted: "Suck on that faggots."

conducting its inspection visits, I suppose it is possible that some technical lacuna might trip the South

from Abu Dhabi to Singapore, in recent years.The Summer Olympics reached Seoul as long ago as 1988, so South

factors, neither having anything to do with sport, that it seems to me could yet get in the way of South

Africa to be over whether Pyeongchang will be heavily enough backed to win in the first round of voting.At

four months' distance – and given the South Koreans' formidable international sports lobbying skills

February 13 - Three first-half tries lifted South Africa to a thrilling 24-14 victory against Fiji in

earned their place in the final by thrashing New Zealand 26-7.As a result of their win in Las Vegas, South

Africa claim 24 points towards the HSBC Sevens World Series.

February 14 - Former Athletics South Africa (ASA) President Leonard Chuene, has been found guilty by

a disciplinary inquiry panel, 15 months after he was suspended by the South African Sports Confederation

findings.Thereafter the disciplinary inquiry would announce their sanctions.Related storiesAugust 2010: South

secretary escorted from building by policeNovember 2009: Former ICC President to oversee Athletics South

AfricaNovember 2009: Chuene suspension to be investigated by South African Parliament

By Duncan MackayBritish Sports Internet Writer of the YearFebruary 13 - Lionel Messi, the world's best footballer, will miss London 2012 after the two-time defending Olympic champions Argentina failed to qualify for the tournament.

Argentina missed out despite beating Colombia 2-0 in their final match of the South American Under-

the sport there coming less than a year after they reached the semi-final of the FIFA World Cup in South

Africa last year.Uruguay has won two gold medal at the Olympics one in 1924 and the other in 1928.Their