Russia's Corruption Builds $7.8 Billion Road

Corrupt practices in Russia have greatly ballooned the costs of simple road projects ahead of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, according to a recent article from the Russian edition of Esquire magazine.

Corruption in Russia has made road-building so expensive that the same stretches of highway could be coated in an eight-inch thick layer of foie gras for the same price, a study has found.

The decision to publish the bizarre calculation in the Russian edition of Esquire magazine was designed to embarrass the Kremlin, which has failed to tackle endemic corruption in the industry. The magazine used one road, being built for the 2014 Winter Olympics in the southern town of Sochi, as an example. The price tag for the 50-kilo-metre long road is $7.8 billion Cdn, more than the entire costs of the Vancouver Olympics including the upgrades to the Sea to Sky Highway.

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/road+Sochi+costs+billion+corruption/3308038/story.html#ixzz0uQmjuj5a

One road in Sochi costs $7.8 billion due to corruption
Daily Telegraph via The Vancouver Sun
July 22, 2010

Sochi Road-Rail Project Quickens Pace

Work is being expedited in Russia to complete a combined rail and road link to improve connectivity to remote host city Sochi.

Russian Railways is speeding up construction of the main infrastructure project for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi – the combined road and rail route linking Adler and the Alpika-Service mountain resort.

In line with requirements set down by the International Olympic Committee, Russian Railways’ contractors are carrying out tunneling work at six tunnel complexes on the mountain route. To date, servicing-evacuation tunnels have been created at complex No. 1, complex No. 5, and rail tunnel No. 2. Work on the other tunnels is proceeding on schedule.

$1.34 bln invested in combined road for Olympics during first half of year
Rail-News.com
July 21, 2010

Stadium Competition in Sao Paulo Ahead of 2014 World Cup

Officials representing Sao Paulo's Palmeiras soccer club have officially submitted their documentation to be considered as a host pitch during the 2014 World Cup.

The Arena Palestra is under construction and is expected to be ready by the end of 2011. Corinthians' Pacaembu stadium needs renovation that would cost nearly 200,000 U.S. dollars and Morumbi has been repeatedly criticized by FIFA for fan visibility problems and accessibility.

Palmeiras makes official bid to host 2014 World Cup games
Global Times
July 21, 2010

London 2012 A Long-Term Impact on City's East End?

This piece wonders whether the UK's £8-billion investment in London's 2012 Summer Olympics will have the intended effect of transforming the city's East End into a vibrant part of the metropolis.

While parts of East London have been transformed — as any visitor to the financial centre, Canary Warf or the 02 Concert Arena will testify — large parts remain huge pockets of poverty. Newham, where around 60 per cent of Olympic events will take place, is among the poorest — and most ethnically diverse — boroughs in the UK, according to the government indices of multiple deprivation, with high rates of joblessness, homelessness, child poverty and infant mortality. Around 15 per cent of adults lack employment, according to the Trust for London charity, while the rate of infant mortality stands at 7 in 1,000.

Can the Olympics turn East London to prosperity?
Business Line
July 20, 2010

Questioning the Economic Wisdom of the U.S. World Cup Bid

The New York Times's Freakonomics blog asks whether it's really a good idea for the U.S. to try to host another World Cup, especially given the fact that the event is not a money-maker for the host.

The truth, however, is that most such events don’t provide much economic stimulus, and often turn out to be money losers. This isn’t to say that cities or countries shouldn’t try to host these events — but, as the Soccernomics authors argue, they should at least realize that what they’re doing is paying for the right to host a big party. The same is generally true for public funding of new sports arenas, as the economist Dennis Coates made clear not long ago.

Should the U.S. Really Try to Host Another World Cup?
The New York Times
July 19, 2010

Brazilian Cities Allowed Higher Debt Ahead of 2014 World Cup

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has announced that his government will invest more than $3.5 billion in port upgrades ahead of the 2014 World Cup, and that the country's 12 host cities will be allowed to rack up higher levels of debt to make sure they are prepared.

During the ceremony to launch the decree, the president announced that 3.545 billion will be allocated to upgrade airports and ports in the twelve cities hosting the soccer tournament in 2014.

"Things are going very quickly," said Lula, countering criticism of his government for delays in works, which he attributed to the "folly" of people who have no patience with the ritual required to put projects into practice.

Brazil tighten steps for 2014 World Cup, 2016 Olympics
People's Daily Online
July 20, 2010

Nelspruit Worries About Future of its World Cup Stadium

Concerns are growing in Nelspruit that the $183 million stadium the province built for the 2010 World Cup (of which it hosted 4 matches) will be able to find a permanent user or sustainable business model.

“No team has yet been approached to make the stadium its home base, and this matter will be dealt with when the business model is finalised,” said interim manager for the stadium, Roelf Kotze, on Monday.

...Kotze said the pitch is suitable for soccer and rugby matches and has the same dimensions as the pitch at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto, where the Super 14 Final Rugby Match was played recently. Kotze said organisers of other events had, however, shown interest in using the stadium.

Mbombela white elephant?
Sport 24
July 12, 2010

Lobbyists' Potentially Corrupt Practices for Australia's 2022 World Cup Bid

The Age provides some background on the potentially corrupt practices of two lobbyist who are working with Australia on the country's bid to host the 2022 World Cup.

Two controversial European lobbyists hired to help bring the soccer World Cup to Australia stand to receive up to $11.37 million in fees and bonuses - one-quarter of the taxpayer-funded bid - according to secret Football Federation Australia files.

The files include a spreadsheet that suggests the federal government was not told specific details about how taxpayers' money was to be spent on the lobbyists and grants to overseas football bodies headed by powerful FIFA officials.

World Cup money trail: lobbyists to make millions
The Age
June 30, 2010

Potential Corruption in Australia's 2022 World Cup Bid

Another detailed post from Pitch Invasion looking into the past of one of the consultants working with Australia on the country's bid to host the 2022 World Cup.

Radmann’s links to the global game and the World Cup go back decades, and reach to the highest levels of the sport.

In 2000, Radmann was selected by Franz Beckenbauer to play a key role on the Organising Committee for the 2006 World Cup to be held in Germany, touted as a “marketing and PR expert”. He had previously been the co-ordinator of Germany’s successful World Cup bid, one tainted by allegations of bribes paid to FIFA officials to secure the vote.

Australia’s 2022 World Cup Bid and Fedor Radmann: Buying FIFA Connections
Pitch Invasion
July 4, 2010

Suspicious Activities Mar Australia's 2022 World Cup Bid

This detailed post from Pitch Invasion looks at one of two shady characters working behind the scenes on Australia's bid to host the 2022 World Cup, and the light that shines on FIFA's bidding process.

A couple of days ago, we commented on the revelations coming out in the Australian press about the suspect manner in which their World Cup bid was being made. That piece was on how Australia’s governing body, Football Federation Australia (FFA), and its bid team were taking advantage of FIFA’s lax and inadequate rules on gifts to FIFA Executive Committee members (the 24 of whom will decide on the hosts of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in December).

Today, we will look at another of the revelations to have come out in Australia’s press that once again affirms the entire process of World Cup bidding is all about who you can buy to get the tournament.

Sadly, it means paying $11.37 million (AUS) to two of world soccer’s least pleasant leeches, Peter Hargitay and Fedor Radmann.

Paying Peter Hargitay: The Price Of A World Cup Bid
Pitch Invasion
July 1, 2010

Zimbabwe Sets Sights on South Africa's 2020 Olympics Bid

Officials in Zimbabwe look at the prospective bid from South Africa to host the 2020 Olympics as another opportunity to cash in on its neighbor's international attention -- an opportunity some say the country didn't take advantage of during the 2010 World Cup.

Zimbabwe – which is in an ideal geographical position to benefit from South Africa’s hosting of the Olympic Games – failed to capitalise on the just ended World Cup in a development that saw the country losing out on the financial benefits that result in being directly associated with football’s premier event.

Critics say Zimbabwe government failed to aggressively market the country’s tourist attractions like the Victoria Falls and Great Zimbabwe Ruins and that this resulted in very little people visiting the country during the tournament.

SA Olympic bid may benefit Zimbabwe
The Zimbabwean
July 16, 2010

South Africa Tourism Hike Expected After Cup

Tourism experts expect international tourism to South Africa to pick up as a result of the 2010 World Cup.

Gillian Saunders, director of Grant Thornton Strategic Solutions, said careful targeting could increase the number of overseas visitors to SA by 1.2million over the next five years, instead of the current 2.4million.

Annually, about 9.9million tourists visit SA, of which 7.5million are from the rest of the continent. Overseas visitors mainly come from the UK, US, France and Germany, but they could now also be coming from non-traditional markets like Brazil and China, she said.

World Cup success can open new tourism doors for SA
The Times
July 18, 2010

A Peek at Sochi

Skiing magazine First Tracks!! talks with United States Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) Vice President, Athletics Luke Bodensteiner about his recent visit to Sochi, Russia, host of the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Q: What's new in Sochi?

Bodesteiner: When I went there two years ago, it was a really small little mountain town up a pretty narrow mountain valley. I swear there must have been about 800 people living there with old houses and without any kind of resort at all up there. Now, going back, you can see it's going to be a huge transformation. There's tons of construction going on right now everywhere you go with thousands of workers and trucks. They're building a world class ski resort which is going to have great skiing. The mountains are all being connected by peak to peak gondolas on two sides of the valley. Down along the river they're doing great development of about two dozen high-end hotels. That's going to basically be the heartbeat of the Olympics because along the river corridor are the mountain venues up at the top of the ski area, then the resort village and down at the bottom of the river valley in Sochi are the ice arenas. They're actually at the end of Sochi, about an hour from downtown in normal traffic. So really I think the action is going to be up in skiing and snowboarding venue at Rosa Khutor.

Taking a First Look at Sochi
First Tracks!!
July 17, 2010

Gautrain Takes Taxis Business

Johannesburg's new regional rail system Guatrain has usurped much of the business of metered taxis and minibuses traveling the route between OR Tambo International Airport and Sandton.

With their hopes of making a killing during the World Cup dashed, meter-taxi drivers now face the reality that the Gautrain has fundamentally changed travel for good on this route.

The Gautrain has transported 400 000 people since it launched last month, some of whom just wanted to experience this mode of transport.

Meter taxis charge up to R500 for a single trip on this route, while the journey costs R100 on the Gautrain.

Gautrain pushes taxis off profit track
Fin 24
July 18, 2010

Johannesburg's World Cup in Numbers

This piece from Sport 24 offers a few facts and figures from Johannesburg's hosting of the World Cup.

- Eighty-eight informal traders were registered to provide food to staff and volunteers.

- A total of 1 042 160 people attended matches in Johannesburg.

- Of those, 479 517 used public transport.

Joburg Cup in numbers
Sport 24
July 15, 2010

Inside the Site of London's Olympics

This detailed piece from the Telegraph takes a look at the history, the infrastructure and the current state of the site of London's 2012 Olympic Games.

To the north of Stratford International station sit 3,000 brand-new, unoccupied apartment homes across 91 acres: the Olympic Village. To the south sits a shiny shopping centre, a new Westfield, or Eastfield perhaps, waiting to open next year. It abuts another station, Stratford Regional, on the southern tip of the site, which is being expanded to process 125,000 people a day. Both stations will, in two years’ time, disgorge these kinds of numbers on to this island for four weeks of partying in the summer of 2012 for both the Olympics and Paralympics, all at the British Government’s expense. It will cost about £9 billion, more than three times the original figure.

The island, like the homes and the shopping centre, is not yet open for business. The Olympic Park site is pregnant with cranes, diggers – and promise. The language of promise is written in hyperbole and coat-hook statistics on which any builder here will happily hang his hi-vis jacket: £5 billion worth of engineering contracts; 120 miles of electrical cabling buried in underground tunnels; 4,000 trees being planted; 350,000 plants; 2,000 newts relocated; a quarter of a million loaves of bread needed over two weeks. It will take a miracle of baking coordination.

London 2012: Kevin McCloud reports from inside the Olympic site
Telegraph
July 17, 2010

Student Organization Calls World Cup a Waste

The South African Students Congress (SASCO) is calling the 2010 World Cup a waste of money.

"Instead of wasting money on stadiums and other related luxurious infrastructure, we could have used the same money, energy, zeal and enthusiasm to provide water, electricity, houses and free education for millions of poor South Africans,' said Sasco president Mbulelo Mandlana in a statement.

Mandlana said apart from the pride and joy Sasco felt because the country hosted the event successfully, it was "ashamed that we spent billions of public funds on stadiums that will immediately turn into white elephants after the World Cup and whose maintenance will be costly for years to come".

Cup a waste of money: Sasco
Sport 24
July 14, 2010

Ownership Questions Threaten Future of London's Olympic Stadium

THe UK Government is reportedly stalling the handover of ownership of the 2012 Olympic Stadium in London to the Olympic Park Legacy Company, which is in charge of securing renters and users for the stadium after the 2012 Olympics end. BBC Olympics Correspondent Adrian Warner says this could cause business entities interested in operating the stadium after the Olympics to walk away.

The problem is that the last Government promised to hand over ownership of the Olympic Park to the OPLC, debt-free, so that it could do the financial deals to sell or rent out the venues to the private sector after 2012.

It's a pretty fundamental action to take. Would you be able to sell your house if you didn't have ownership of it or possess the deeds? No chance.

But the new coalition Government has now put that decision on ice, while the Treasury reviews financial decisions taken by Labour.

Delays will make 2012 'white elephant' fear a reality
BBC
July 6, 2010

Half of Joburg's World Cup Fans Used Public Transit

Roughly half of the people attending soccer matches in Johannesburg during the 2010 World Cup used public transit, according to officials. Much of that figure can be attributed to park-and-ride services set up on match days. The city's new Rea Vaya bus rapid transit system moved about 100,000 people, while the city's pre-existing Metrorail service transported about 118,000.

A total of 1 042 160 people attended the 15 matches in Johannesburg and of those, 479 517 used public transport.

More than 260 000 people used the park and ride system while just under 178 000 used the park and walk system.

Public transport was popular
Sport 24
July 15, 2010

China Eyes Bid for 2026 World Cup

Chinese officials have announced their interest in bidding to host the 2026 World Cup. This is the next World Cup that will be up for bids, with both the 2018 and 2022 Cups already deep in the bidding process.

The Chinese Football Association (CFA) would soon submit a request to the General Administration of Sports (GAS), the sports ministry, for approval to proceed with a formal bid, according to the CFA head Wei Di.

"We are so impressed by the great benefits the World Cup has brought to South Africa," Wei told the Beijing Youth Daily. "In South Africa, I saw how a World Cup could unite a country and improve its football."

China keen to bid for 2026 World Cup
Reuters
July 16, 2010