October 9 - An investigation into the handling of the Caster Semenya (pictured) by South Africa's leading

The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) expect the hearings to continue

The committee is looking into the role of Athletics South Africa (ASA) in the gender testing of Semenya

irrelevant to the current matter, which relates to the failure of corporate governance at Athletics South

Africa.

October 9 - An investigation into the handling of the Caster Semenya (pictured) by South Africa's leading

The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) expect the hearings to continue

The committee is looking into the role of Athletics South Africa (ASA) in the gender testing of Semenya

irrelevant to the current matter, which relates to the failure of corporate governance at Athletics South

Africa.

What do the rugby sevens World Cup, tennis’s Sony Ericsson Championships and football’s Club World Cup have in common?   Right, all were – or are about to be – staged this year in the Middle East. Add to the list the Dubai World Cup, two Formula One grands prix and the European Tour’s season-ending golf championship and you get a sense of how important a venue for elite sport this politically sensitive but hydrocarbon-rich region has become.  

83rd in the world as I write this (admittedly only 10 places behind next year’s World Cup host South

Africa).

in the way that a number of Middle Eastern countries have brought in top athletes, particularly from Africa

or a Spain, it is on the same footing as them – and indeed five other bidders (Belgium, Japan, South

only 83rd in the world as I write this (admittedly only 10 places behind next year’s World Cup host South

Africa).

in the way that a number of Middle Eastern countries have brought in top athletes, particularly from Africa

England or a Spain, it is on the same footing as them – and indeed five other bidders (Belgium, Japan, South

By Duncan Mackay in Copenhagen Eduardo Paes is a youthful looking 39. He will be hoping that the next few years will not age him too fast. Paes is the elected Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, a prominent figure in the Brazilian city’s successful campaign to host the 2016 Olympics and Paralympics. The hangovers of the Cariocas - as local residents are known - from the massive party held on Copacabana Beach to celebrate Rio’s choice as host ahead of Chicago, Madrid and Tokyo last weekend are beginning to clear and now the real work must begin. 

  There is no doubt that taking the Olympics to South America for the first time is a popular

But if it fails then it could slam the door shut in the face for cities in Africa and the rest of the

By Duncan Mackay in Copenhagen Eduardo Paes is a youthful looking 39. He will be hoping that the next few years will not age him too fast. Paes is the elected Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, a prominent figure in the Brazilian city’s successful campaign to host the 2016 Olympics and Paralympics. The hangovers of the Cariocas - as local residents are known - from the massive party held on Copacabana Beach to celebrate Rio’s choice as host ahead of Chicago, Madrid and Tokyo last weekend are beginning to clear and now the real work must begin. 

  There is no doubt that taking the Olympics to South America for the first time is a popular

But if it fails then it could slam the door shut in the face for cities in Africa and the rest of the

October 6 - The NBA is still planning to play a regular-season game in London before the 2012 Olympics, although commissioner David Stern (pictured) said today that no schedule has yet been set.

Britain and beyond, but Stern also said that he would likely follow up the 2010 football World Cup in South

Africa with expansion on that continent.

By Duncan Mackay in Copenhagen October 6 - Rio de Janeiro's successful campaign to host the 2016 Olympics should encourage an African city to bid for the 2020 Games, Frankie Fredericks (pictured) said here today.

Fredericks told insidethegames: "South Africa has already hosted a successful Rugby World Cup

and any of the big cities in South Africa would be capable of hosting the Olympics.

"That could be South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt or Morocco.

"We are already seeing it with the World Cup in South Africa next year and it would be the same

Related stories August 2009: Durban continue to push 2020 Olympic bid July 2009: South Africa

By Duncan Mackay in Copenhagen October 6 - Rio de Janeiro's successful campaign to host the 2016 Olympics should encourage an African city to bid for the 2020 Games, Frankie Fredericks (pictured) said here today.

Fredericks told insidethegames: "South Africa has already hosted a successful Rugby World Cup

and any of the big cities in South Africa would be capable of hosting the Olympics.

"That could be South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt or Morocco.

"We are already seeing it with the World Cup in South Africa next year and it would be the same

Related stories August 2009: Durban continue to push 2020 Olympic bid July 2009: South Africa

By Duncan Mackay in Copenhagen October 6 - Rio de Janeiro's successful campaign to host the 2016 Olympics should encourage an African city to bid for the 2020 Games, Frankie Fredericks (pictured) said here today.

Fredericks told insidethegames: "South Africa has already hosted a successful Rugby World Cup

and any of the big cities in South Africa would be capable of hosting the Olympics.

"That could be South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt or Morocco.

"We are already seeing it with the World Cup in South Africa next year and it would be the same

Related stories August 2009: Durban continue to push 2020 Olympic bid July 2009: South Africa

October 4 - Leonard Chuene should have continued lying knowing about controversial gender tests being carried out on world 800 metres champion Caster Semenya (pictured), African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) President Julius Malema has claimed.

The President of Athletics South Africa (ASA) was forced to admit last month that he had lied

stories October 2009: ANC threaten to boycott bank over withdrawal of sponsorship September 2009: South

threatened to call for a nation-wide boycott on Nedbank if they do not retain its sponsorship to Athletics South

Africa.

Youth League's threat comes after the bank cancelled its five-year sponsorship deal with Athletics South

Africa (ASA) a year early.

Shivambu said: "The Youth League will mobilise all patriotic South Africans, corporations, institutions

Shivambu said: "Athletics development in South Africa should not be undermined because of slight mishaps

Related stories September 2009: South Africa company reconsidering sponsorship after Semenya scandal

October 3 - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on world sports and Olympic officials to lend support to a global climate deal which he called a "race against time".

#160; Ban said he had "sounded the alarm from Antarctica to the Arctic Rim, from the dry plains of Africa

last month to press for a climate deal, but he said citizens' efforts were also needed.   The South

October 3 - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on world sports and Olympic officials to lend support to a global climate deal which he called a "race against time".

#160; Ban said he had "sounded the alarm from Antarctica to the Arctic Rim, from the dry plains of Africa

last month to press for a climate deal, but he said citizens' efforts were also needed.   The South

October 1 - Caster Semenya, the world 800 metres champion at the centre of a row over her gender, has been given R20,000 (£1,600) by a strip club in Johannesburg after they were reported for a giant billboard which appeared to poke fun at her expense.

  Complaints about it were made to the country's Advertising Standards Authority by Athletics South

Africa (ASA).