Indian Hockey Row; Billion Dollar Impact from RWC; Lewis Cleared for Election

New Zealand Awarded Top Hockey Tournament

Auckland will stage the 2011 Champions Trophy following India’s loss of hosting rights last week.

"It is always tough to move an event out of any country, but I have to say that the silver lining is the bid from New Zealand," International Hockey Federation (FIH) president Leandro Negre said Tuesday in a statement.

FIH initially stripped Delhi of December’s eight-team round-robin last Monday due to the presence of competing national federations. According to the Indo-Asian News Service, hockey leaders then reassigned hosting rights to New Zealand four hours prior to a Tuesday meeting with Indian sports officials.

"I have requested [Negre] to reconsider the decision," Indian Olympic Association president V.K. Malhotra told IANS. "He said it was impossible with only nine weeks left for organizing the event."

All signs point to Auckland staging the tournament from Dec. 3 to 11, but what remains unclear is whether India will retain the rights to hockey’s Olympic qualifiers scheduled for February.

"It has still some time and we hope to find out a resolution before that," FIH Kelly Fairweather told Press Trust of India.

"All the meetings were positive, but we made it clear that what FIH wants is a single body for hockey in the country."

Hockey India and the Indian Hockey Federation each claim that distinction, a conflict that also caused FIH to bump the country to the second-tier Champions Challenge to be held in South Africa in November. New Zealand took its place in the Champions Trophy.

Global Impact for Rugby World Cup

New research indicates the Rugby World Cup just underway in New Zealand could pump as much as $1.67 billion into the global sports economy.

That includes an estimated $654 million generated by the 95,000 international visitors expected to attend matches over the 45-day finals.

"We have no doubt the tournament will be both successful and memorable," International Rugby Board CEO Mike Miller said Tuesday in Auckland after the presentation of a report on the potential impact of the ongoing Cup.

"Aside from seven weeks of spectacular rugby, New Zealand 2011 will benefit New Zealand and New Zealanders and it will benefit the global game. The commercial revenues generated from the tournament drive the growth and development of rugby worldwide across our 117 member unions in order that more men, women and children can enjoy the sport and that more teams can compete to qualify for Rugby World Cup and ultimately challenge to lift the Webb Ellis Cup."

The study – appropriately titled "Global Rugby Part IV: Rugby World Cup 2011" – was the fourth in a series commissioned by MasterCard and conducted by the Centre for International Business of Sport.

Carl Lewis Rejoins Race for New Jersey Senate Seat

A federal appealscourt ruled on Tuesday that Olympian Carl Lewis can be on the ballot for the New Jersey state senate election.

The Associated Press reports that the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals voted in a 2-1 decision to allow Lewis to run, potentially ending a battle over his New Jersey residency.

Republican Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno said Lewis, who filed a petition to run as a Democrat, was ineligible because he did not meet the state’s requirement that candidates live in New Jersey for four years.

Last week, a federal judge upheld Guadagno’s decision, saying Lewis’s constitutional rights were not violated by being prohibiting from running.

With this ruling, Lewis could be back on the ballot for good.

According to the AP, Mark Sheridan, who represents a Republican group trying to keep Lewis off the ballot, said he will appeal the decision to either the entire 3rd circuit or to the U.S. Supreme Court – both of which do not accept all the appeals made to them.

Chris Russell, the campaign consultantfor the GOP Committee in the county, called the decision a "miscarriage of justice."

"By allowing Mr. Lewis on the ballot, two of the three appellate judges today ignored longstanding legal precedent and tossed aside New Jersey's constitution. Their decision effectively eliminates residency requirements to run for office in order to allow a wealthy celebrity on the ballot," Russell was quoted by the AP.

Preview of Youth Olympic Games Collectibles

The IOC is offering a preview of 2012 Youth Olympic Games collectibles, available when the online shop opens next month.

The preview includes a t-shirt, an Innsbruck 2012 beanie and a limited edition Yoggl mascot collectible.

The online store will open Oct. 5, 100 days to the YOG.

Media Watch

Under Moammar Qadaffi, Libyan sports suffered, according to this Reuters report. He was apparently afraid of sport superstars emerging and stealing the national spotlight from him.

Slate looks at Qatar’s Aspire Academy and wonders if the Qataris may be using the complex to recruit African footballers to change nationalities –to Qatar.

WADA director general David Homan discusses performance-enhancing drugs in football on English radio station Chanel 4.

British triathletes dominated the Triathlon World Championship series, and the British Broadcasting Corporation’s Ollie Williams has a report explaining their recent success.

Kiwi Olympians from the 1948 Olympics recall the difficult experience of the Games, including a five-week ship’s journey to reach London.

Written by Matthew Grayson.