sport 쐽 THE STRAITS TIMES THURSDAY, MARCH 19 2009 PAGE B10
RACE TRACK: PACE PICKS UP
SSC will be calling for a
proposal soon on the
Changi Motorsports Hub
BY JEANETTE WANG
DEVELOPMENT of the Changi Motor-
sports Hub is set to shift up a gear, after
spending months in neutral.
The Singapore Sports Council (SSC)
will be calling for a Request for Proposal
(RFP) – the precursor to a tender for con-
tracts – by the end of this month, re-
vealed SSC chief executive officer Oon
Jin Teik at last night’s fourth annual SSC
CEO networking session.
And that is one of the signs, according
to Minister for Community Development,
Youth and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan,
that the local sports industry is still opti-
mistic despite the recession.
“Even in times like this, we are still on
the look-out for opportunities and we
will not slow down,” said Dr
Balakrishnan, who was joined at the
four-course CEO dinner function at the
F1 Pit Building by over 100 corporate lead-
ers.
“We’ll just do it more carefully.”
Oon declined to comment on the de-
tails of the RFP. He would only say that
interest from both local and foreign con-
sortiums was “reasonably good”.
The Government had announced plans
in October 2007 to work with the private
sector to build a permanent race track in
Changi on a 20-hectare site next to the
Singapore Airshow grounds by 2011.
Vettori and
Ryder save
New Zealand
WELLINGTON (New Zealand): Daniel
Vettori and Jesse Ryder struck centu-
ries to lead a New Zealand fightback
in the first cricket Test against India
at Hamilton yesterday.
Captain Vettori scored his third
Test century, a superb 118, and Ryder
registered his maiden Test ton – 102 –
to rescue New Zealand from a disas-
trous start and post 279 on the open-
ing day at Seddon Park.
India were 29 without loss in their
first innings at stumps.
The tourists would have been in an
even better position had Vettori and
Ryder not batted through the entire
middle session. They added 186 for
Jesse Ryder hit a century against India. It
was his first ton for New Zealand. PHOTO:
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
the seventh wicket, after India’s fast
bowlers had demolished the New Zea-
land top order.
“If you erase our partnership and
look at the scores, then you would say
India’s on top,” said Vettori.
Paceman Ishant Sharma captured
three wickets in a devastating spell be-
fore lunch and then polished off the in-
nings when he dismissed Ryder after
tea.
Munaf Patel bagged three wickets,
including Vettori and then Kyle Mills
to be on a hat-trick, while Zaheer
Khan triggered the top-order collapse
with two early wickets to vindicate In-
dia captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s
decision to field.
New Zealand limped to lunch in
complete disarray at 61-6, with five
wickets falling to catches behind.
REUTERS
Bedok Kings’ president Yasuyuki dies
BY MAY CHEN
BEDOK Kings Rugby Football Club’s hon-
orary president Onishi Yasuyuki died of
liver cancer on Tuesday. He was 58.
Yasuyuki was diagnosed with the dis-
ease last year during a routine medical
check-up.
He was among a handful of officials
who founded the club in 1996.
The Bedok Kings won the local league
Singapore Sports Council’s sports marketing chief Kelven Tan (left) and Elim Chew, president and
founder of clothes and fashion chain 77th Street, sharing a light moment at the fourth annual
SSC CEO networking session at the F1 Pit Building yesterday. ST PHOTO: MUGILAN RAJASEGERAN
Since then, the date for the RFP, initial-
ly set for last May, had been pushed back
month after month. Completion is thus
likely to be delayed.
“The SSC has spent the last few
months refining the project specifications
to make it a more compelling and attrac-
tive product for potential investors,” Oon
said, in explaining the delay.
“I think what we want to do is get it
right... we’re confident to launch it this
time around.”
He revealed that the SSC and Media
Development Authority were collaborat-
F1 teams bitter over new rules
PARIS: Formula One teams are outraged
by the radical new changes forced
through, claiming they will destroy “the
very essence” of the sport.
Among the most contentious rules
agreed to by motor sport’s governing
body FIA on Tuesday is the move to
award the world championship to the
driver with the most race wins for the
year rather than the most points.
Another controversial change is a dras-
tically slashed budget for teams. It will be
voluntary, although those who comply
will be given greater design freedom and
could thus become more competitive.
Ferrari are leading the opposition
through company boss and Formula One
Teams’ Association (Fota) chairman Luca
di Montezemolo, reported the Sydney
Morning Herald.
Fota’s suggestions for a revised points
system, instead of race wins, and a 50 per
cent reduced budget for teams by next
year were rejected.
The teams feel they have budgetary
constraints under control and are totally
against the new £30 million (S$65 mil-
lion) a year cap on team spending.
The teams now have two choices: Ei-
ther continue to spend freely but adhere
to the existing technical constraints or en-
ITE to train
volunteers
for Games
The Institute of Technical
Education (ITE) was
yesterday named as the
training partner for the 1st
Asian Youth Games (AYG)
and the Singapore 2010
Youth Olympic Games (YOG).
Standing next to a cake to
commemorate the occasion at
the ITE campus at Clementi
were Senior Parliamentary
Secretary (Ministry of
Community Development,
Youth and Sports; and
championship just three years after their
formation.
They were also champions in 2001,
2005 and 2007.
Terence Khoo, 38, who captained the
team from 1998 to 1999, said: “It meant a
lot that foreigners like him were making
contribution to the sport here without
asking for recognition.”
Steve Wilson, the president of the
club, said: “His spirit, energy and hard
ing on a new, 40-episode local sports
magazine series to be telecast on Channel
5 from the middle of this year.
SSC’s sports marketing chief Kelven
Tan spoke of the burgeoning sports cul-
ture here, with increasing participation
and over 600 sporting events this year.
Dr Balakrishnan said that Singapore’s
sports industry projections – a $2 billion
GDP contribution by the sports industry
by 2015, along with the creation of
20,000 sports-related jobs – remained
unchanged despite the recession.
PricewaterhouseCoopers last year fore-
쏆
“The framework runs the risk
of turning on its head the
very essence of F1 and the
principles that make it one
of the most popular and
appealing sports.”
LUCA DI MONTEZEMOLO, Formula One
Teams’ Association chairman
joy a degree of freedom to innovate tech-
nically – but within the cap.
Such a system could lend itself to a
two-tier Formula One, and potentially
split Fota as the teams are likely to side
with either scenario.
“With regards to the decisions taken
by the FIA, Fota would like to express its
disappointment and concern at the fact
that these have been taken in a unilateral
manner,” said di Montezemolo.
“The framework of the regulations as
defined by the FIA, to be applicable from
2010, runs the risk of turning on its head
the very essence of F1 and the principles
that make it one of the most popular and
appealing sports.
Transport) Teo Ser Luck
(right) and Dr Yek Tiew Ming
(ITE College West principal).
work were a major contribution to the
emergence of Bedok Kings as a force in
Singapore rugby.
“He had an infectious attitude and in-
fused the club with a desire to strive for
success.”
Yasuyuki leaves behind a wife, two
daughters and a son.
There will be a funeral service today at
the Singapore Casket at 5pm and a memo-
rial service at the Japanese Club at 7pm to-
morrow.
쏆
“Even in times like this, we
are still on the look out for
opportunities and we will not
slow down. We’ll just do it
more carefully.”
DR VIVIAN BALAKRISHNAN, Minister
for Community Development, Youth
and Sports
cast the Asia Pacific sports industry to
grow 6.5 per cent per year to an estimat-
ed US$17.7 billion (S$38.2 billion) in 2011.
Dr Balakrishnan said Singapore hoped
to capitalise on this growing market by en-
suring it remained “a natural draw for
sports spending by maintaining a friendly
business environment”.
There has been success. A few interna-
tional sports companies have set up camp
here, like media company MP & Silva and
fitness-equipment maker Life Fitness.
“It’s very easy to do business here be-
cause we have lots of support from gov-
ernment agencies,” said MP & Silva me-
dia production and programming execu-
tive director Maurizio Barbieri.
“It’s something that you don’t find in
other parts of the world.”
IBM Singapore managing director Tere-
sa Lim added: “I think the evolvement of
the sporting scene in Singapore is on the
uptake. Despite the challenges, it will sus-
tain itself for the longer haul.”
jwang@sph.com.sg
“We will do everything, especially in
these difficult times, to maintain a stable
framework for the regulations without
continuous upheaval that can be perplex-
ing and confusing for manufacturers,
teams, the public and sponsors.”
Since being founded last July, Fota has
taken an increasingly pro-active role in
debates about F1’s future – culminating
in a high-profile press conference earlier
this month in which it outlined a
wide-ranging “roadmap” for the sport.
Having had a major input into the
cost-cutting measures ratified at the last
World Council meeting in December, it
had urged the FIA to rubber-stamp its lat-
est proposals on improving F1.
Montezemolo said Fota would “study
closely the new situation” and warned
against further regulatory upheaval.
F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone thinks
the budget cap is necessary to shore up
the sport’s future.
“The good thing is most of the teams
have got contracts that will get them
through 2009, and we need to get our act
together for 2010 to make sure we don’t
lose people,” he said. “But better than
that, perhaps we can gain some people.
“I want to see pre-qualifying again. I
want 26 people on the grid, of which 16
are competitive.”
The ITE will help train all
5,000 AYG and 20,000 YOG
volunteers. PHOTO: MY PAPER
Onishi Yasuyuki was key to the Bedok Kings
becoming a force in Singapore rugby. PHOTO:
SINGAPORE JAPANESE RUGBY ASSOCIATION
Next 72 hours
Today
Baseball
World Classic (Live, Ch23, 7am and 11am).
Bowling
National Age Group Championships
(Orchid Bowl @ Orchid Country Club,
Orchid Bowl @ SAFRA Yishun) – 9am.
Cricket
ICC Women’s World Cup (Live, Ch111,
10.45am).
Football
S-League: Gombak United v Young Lions
(Jurong West), Balestier Khalsa v DPMM
(Toa Payoh) – 7.45pm.
Uefa Cup: Galatasaray v Hamburg (Live,
Ch27, tomorrow, 3.25am), Aalborg v
Manchester City (Live, Ch21, tomorrow,
4am).
Golf
Transitions Championship: Day 1 (Live,
Ch26, tomorrow, 3am).
Tennis
ATP/WTA Indian Wells tournament: Last
16 (noon). Q-final 1 (tomorrow, 4am) –
Live, Ch22.
Tomorrow
Baseball
World Classic (Live, Ch23, 9am).
Basketball
NBA: Golden State Warriors v LA Lakers
(Live, Ch24, 10.30am).
Bowling
National Age Group Masters Final (Orchid
Bowl @ Orchid Country Club) – 9am.
Football
S-League: Geylang United v Tampines
Rovers (Jalan Besar, 7.30pm. Live, Ch5,
7.25pm).
Uefa Champions League: Q-final &
Semi-final Draw (Live, Ch23, 7pm).
Tennis
ATP/WTA Indian Wells tournament: Q-final
2 (10.30am). Q-finals 3 & 4 (Saturday,
6am) – Live, Ch22.
Saturday
Basketball
NBA: Miami Heat v New Jersey Nets (Live,
Ch23, 7.30am).
Football
S-League: Albirex Niigata v Home United
(Jurong East, 7.45pm).
English Premier League: Portsmouth v
Everton (Live, Ch27, 8.40pm), Tottenham
Hotspur v Chelsea (Live, Ch27, 10.55pm),
Manchester City v Sunderland (Live, Ch22,
10.55pm), Blackburn Rovers v West Ham
United (Live, Ch21, 10.55pm), Newcastle
United v Arsenal (Live, Ch27, Sunday,
1.25am).
Netball
NSL: Sharks v Mannas (6pm), Stingrays v
Vipers (8pm) – Jurong East Sports & RC.
Rugby
Six Nations: Italy v France (9.10pm),
England v Scotland (11.25pm) – Live,
Ch24, Wales v Ireland (Live, Ch23,
Sunday, 1.30am).
Tennis
ATP/WTA Indian Wells tournament:
S-finals (live, Ch22, Sunday, 4am).
“When you’ve been
around for a while as a
player, all you want is a
bit of respect and to be
treated the way you feel
you deserve to be.”
Tottenham Hotspur skipper
Robbie Keane on how he felt he
had been treated by Liverpool
manager Rafael Benitez during
his short-lived nightmare stint
at Anfield. Keane, 28, joined
Liverpool from
Spurs last July,
but was
constantly given
the cold
shoulder and
dropped from
the first 11
by Benitez.
He was
resold
to Spurs
in
January
Scoreboard
Basketball
NBA Atlanta 119 Sacramento 97,
Cleveland 97 Orlando 93, San Antonio 93
Minnesota 86, Dallas 103 Detroit 101,
Chicago 127 Boston 121, Utah 103
Washington 88, Philadelphia 94 LA Lakers
93, Golden State 127 LA Clippers 120.
Cricket
First Test In Hamilton, New Zealand, first
day: New Zealand 279 (J. Ryder 102, D.
Vettori 118; I. Sharma 4-73, M. Patel
3-60). India 29-0.
Football
English FA Cup Q-final: Arsenal 2 Hull 1.
Tennis
ATP/WTA tournament In Indian Wells,
California: Men’s 3rd rd: Novak Djokovic
(Srb) bt Tommy Haas (Ger) 6-2 7-6 (7-1),
Juan Martin del Potro (Arg) bt Jurgen
Melzer (Aut) 6-2 2-6 7-6 (7-2),
David Nalbandian (Arg) bt Viktor Troicki
(Srb) 6-4 6-2, John Isner (USA) bt Marat
Safin (Rus) 6-4 6-4, Rafael Nadal (Esp) bt
Dmitriy Tursunov (Rus) 6-3 6-3, Stanislas
Wawrinka (Sui) bt Sam Querrey (USA) 2-6
7-5 7-6 (10-8), Andy Roddick (USA) bt
Nicolas Kiefer (Ger) 6-4 7-6 (7-4), David
Ferrer (Esp) bt Jeremy Chardy (Fra) 3-6
6-4 6-4.
Women’s 4th rd: Vera Zvonareva (Rus) bt
Li Na (Chn) 6-4 6-4, Victoria Azarenka
(Blr) bt Shahar Peer (Isr) 7-5 6-4, Caroline
Wozniacki (Den) bt Urszula Radwanska
(Pol) 7-5 6-3, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
(Rus) bt Nuria Llagostera Vives (Esp) 6-3
3-0 ret, Dinara Safina (Rus) bt Jill Craybas
(USA) 7-5 6-4, Agnieszka Radwanska (Pol)
bt Agnes Szavay (Hun) 6-0 5-7 6-3,
Sybille Bammer (Aut) bt Daniela
Hantuchova (Svk) 6-3 6-2.