Olympic Newsdesk - Turkish NOC Aids Quake Relief; Rugby World Cup Final

Turkish NOC on Quake Rescue Efforts

The National Olympic Committee of Turkey tells Around the Rings it's working closely with the government and NGOs on disaster relief efforts in the aftermath of the 7.2 magnitude quake that hit the eastern Van region Sunday.

Around 265 people are known to have died in the quake, with that figure expected to increase. More than 1,000 were injured after buildings collapsed, killing some people and trapping others.

NOC secretary general Nese Gundogan confirmed to ATR that no Olympic officials or athletes had been affected by the tragedy.

She said the NOC had sent its condolences to the victims' families and the injured and was looking at ways to help people in the region in the wake of the quake.

Commenting on Istanbul's bid for the 2020 Olympics, Gundogan said that a new CEO and international consultants would be appointed to the team soon. But that won't be until after next week's seminar for the six 2020 applicant cities organized by the IOC in Lausanne.

Rugby World Cup Successful, Says IRB Chairman

The Rugby World Cup is being hailed as an "outstanding success."

Bernard Lapasset, chairman of the International Rugby Board, says the competition promoted both New Zealand and the sport around the world.

"New Zealand 2011 will be remembered as an exceptional Rugby World Cup. It has been a tournament where New Zealand’s rich culture and heritage has gone hand-in-hand with Rugby’s tradition and values," he said in a statement.

"New Zealanders should be proud of their event. They made it special by embracing the tournament the length and breadth of the country, welcoming all 20 teams and 100,000 international visitors with open arms. It was quite remarkable."

On Sunday, New Zealand defeated France 8-7 in the final while Australia topped Wales on Friday for third place.

A study by Mastercard shows that the six-week tournament brought in more than $605 million to the host country.

"The significant economic benefits demonstrate the true value of Rugby World Cup to a host nation, its government, tourism and business sectors," added Lapasset.

Global Sponsors Boost London 2017 Bid

The London 2017 bid for the IAAF World Athletics Championships is trumpeting the results of a recent survey by IFM Sports Marketing that claims the city offers the best possibilities for attracting commercial partners for sports events.

More than half of the 110 global sponsorship leaders polled believe London offers the best opportunity to increase commercial revenues at the 2017 event.

A total of 84 percent of respondents cited strength of brand presence as one of the reasons why investing in events in London was attractive.Associatedmedia platforms (84%) and the city’s diverse population (74%) were also key drivers for event sponsors.

"This survey echoes the conversations I’ve had with global sports sponsors and the message is loud and clear; London is the preferred destination for major brands," Niels de Vos, chief executive of UK Athletics, said in a statement.

"But this isn’t just about attracting the sponsor dollar for London 2017. A strong sponsorship program combined with full stadium and record TV audiences could provide our sport with a significant legacy and a real foundation on which to build a global commercial platform."

Doha is competing with London in the race to stage the 2017 world athletics championships. The IAAF will select the host city on Nov. 11.

Hungary Dominates Canoe Champs

Hungary dominated the canoe marathon world championships with 15 total medals.

Over the weekend in Singapore, the country took home six golds, three silvers and six bronze. Hungarian Renata Csay won her 10th gold medal at the championships.

"It was a very hard race, my partner and I could have gone at a higher speed and I am very happy to win my tenth gold medal," said Csay.

Spain earned a total of seven medals, three of them gold. Norway rounded out the top three in the medal tally with two golds.

High Stakes for Arab Swimmers

The swimming competition at the upcoming Arab Games will be a qualifying event for the London Olympics.

"Our vision is for an Arab Games swimming competition which will inspire, and offers all participants and nations the perfect preparation for London 2012 or future international championships," said Khaleel Al-Jabir, director of the Arab Games Organizing Committee.

"It will be an ideal platform for all Arab athletes to realise their potential and compete at the highest level. Once again, Qatar sits alongside the leading sporting nations as a trusted partner and renowned sporting hub, showing real leadership in every aspect of hosting major sporting events."

The event was recognized by the international aquatics federation FINA as a qualifying competition, and AGOC is working with other federations to make more sporting events qualifying competitions.

Reported by Mark Bisson and Ann Cantrell

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