The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has awarded the broadcast rights for the Olympic Games in 2010 and 2012 to Rádio e Televisão Record S/A (TV Record) in Brazil, it was announced today.

The agreement marks a significant revenue increase on the agreement negotiated for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and will include coverage of both the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games and the London 2012 Olympic Summer Games. The IOC negotiated directly with TV Record and not through the Organización de Televisión Iberoamericana pool.

TV Record, a privately-owned, free-to-air channel in Brazil, will offer increased coverage of the Olympic Games across a number of TV channels. The organisation will also acquire the rights to air the games across all media platforms, including TV, cable, satellite, internet and mobile phones.

Speaking about the partnership, IOC President Jacques Rogge said “Free-to-air coverage is a very important principle for the IOC, as set out in our Olympic Charter. By reaching this important new agreement with TV Record, the IOC will ensure that as many people as possible are able to enjoy the Olympic Games and the Olympic experience in Brazil.”

Commenting on the deal, IOC Executive Board member Richard Carrión, who led the negotiations, said “The IOC and TV Record are delighted to announce a new partnership beginning in 2010. TV Record impressed us both in its passion for the Olympic Games and its commitment to the values of the Olympic movement. Brazil is a key market for the Olympic movement in South America and this agreement signifies an exciting new period both in exposure and revenue for the Olympic movement as a whole. We very much look forward to working with TV Record for the first time and to ensuring increased coverage of the games is brought to sports fans in Brazil.”

Speaking about the agreement, Mr Honorilton Gonçalves, CEO of Rede Record De Televisão, said “TV Record is delighted to have been awarded the Olympic broadcast rights for this premium event. We look forward to beginning a new and successful relationship with the IOC and are dedicated to the advancement of the Olympic movement and sport in general. We are committed to providing exciting comprehensive coverage of both the Vancouver 2010 and London 2012 Games in Brazil across all platforms.”

National Beijing indoor stadium taking shape

The National Indoor Stadium (NIS), the venue where some of the most popular spectator sports of the summer Olympic Games will take place in 2008, is nearing completion.

Located in the Olympic Green, the NIS will host the artistic gymnastics, trampoline and handball competitions. Its construction was started in May 2005. The flanges supporting the east and west facades, the main structure, the stand plates and the glide of the steel roof trusses have all been completed. Workers are now installing the glass curtain wall facades and fitting up the interior.

The stadium, which has a land surface of 80,900 square metres and can be used for various kinds of sport competitions and cultural activities, will serve as a multi-functional sporting centre after the Olympic Games.

Athletes’ profiles

Mario Bonello

Age: 33 years

Sport: Athletics

Discipline: 60m, 100m, 200m, 400m

Club: La Salle AC

Started: De La Salle Collage aged 8 years

Job: Graduated as an Architect and Civil Engineer in 1997 and works at the Works Division in the Ministry of Resources and Infrastructure.

Personal bests

• Indoors: 60m – 6.90s, 200m – 22.32s

• Outdoors: 100m – 10.64s, 200 – 21.46s, 400m – 48.78s, octathlon – 4,597pts

• Relays: 4x100m – 40.63s, 4x400m – 3min18.25sec

National records

• 60m, 200m indoors Open

• 100m, 200m, 400m, triple jump, 4x100m outdoors Junior

• 100m, 200m, Octathlon, 4x100m, 4x400m outdoors Open

Achievements

• Sportsman of the Year (1999)

• MAAA athlete of the year (four times)

• 100m and 200m gold medals, La Sallian Games (1993)

• 100m gold medal – Tunisia International (1999)

• Gold and bronze award – MOC (2005)

• 14 medals at the Games of the Small States of Europe: bronze 4x100m, 4x400m – Malta (1993); silver 200m, Bronze 4x100m – Iceland (1997); bronze 200m, 4x400m – Liechtenstein (1999); silver 200m, 4x100m, Bronze 4x400m – San Marino (2001); bronze 4x100, 4x400m – Malta (2003); gold 4x100m, silver 4x400m, bronze 200m, Andorra (2005)

Other

Represented Malta at the following games:

• Olympic Games – Atlanta (1996), Sydney (2000)

• World Athletics Championships – Stuttgart (1993), Athens (1997)

• European Championships – Helsinki (1994), Budapest (1998)

• World and European Indoor Championships – Paris (1997), Valencia (1998)

• FISEC Games – Liverpool (1989), Soria (1991)

• European Youth Olympic Games – Brussels (1991)

• University Games – Buffalo (1993), Fukuoka (1995), Sicily (1997)

• Mediterranean Games – Bari (1997), Almeria (2005)

• European Cup – 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000-2005

Mario Bonello is a member of the MOC Elite Athlete Scheme which is sponsored by the Malta International Airport as part of the company’s Supporting Malta’s Sport sponsorship policy.

MIA Olympic Special – What’s On

On Thursday on TVM at 5pm, Friday on E22 at 9pm (RPT), Sunday on E22 at 10am (RPT) and Monday on E22 at 2.30pm (RPT), the programme will feature the following:

GSSE Section – Judo

The 12th edition of the Games of the Small States of Europe will be taking place from the 4-9 June 2007 in Monaco. Alex Bezzina was Malta’s first judoka and flag bearer at the first edition of the Games of the Small States of Europe held in San Marino in 1985; he went on to win a silver medal in the third edition in Cyprus 1989. Jacqueline Xuereb won Malta’s first gold medal in Judo at the Malta 1993 Games and again at the Luxembourg Games in 1995. John Zammit won Malta’s first gold for the males at the Iceland Games in 1997. Find out more about these athletes’ experiences at the GSSE games.

Featured event

This season’s National Duathlon Championships took place on Sunday at 8.00. This is the season-opener and it will be followed by the triathlon calendar later on in the year, when the sea will have got warmer. The race, consists of: run – 5km, cycle – 30km and run – 3km, and was held at Birzebbuga, outside the Freeport Terminal. It was organised by the Malta Triathlon Association. Find out in this feature what happened at this event.

MOC director

Vince Scicluna is director of relations with the government and is responsible for improving relations between the MOC and the affiliated associations/federations and government departments, entities and authorities (e.g. Inland Revenue, VAT, Environment and Tourism). Other duties include being assistant director of finance, assistant director for recruitment of athletes residing abroad, director for Sports for All, Culture and Education, Environment. He also oversees the Olympic Grove. Find out more about Mr Vince Scicluna’s role within the MOC in this short interview.

Highlight events

This week’s highlights will focus on the Easter Fun Race involving AX Drivers/AX Helpers/AX Ladies/BAN Drivers/BAN Helpers/BAN Ladies/Moto-cross/Mini Car Demolition organised by the Motor Sports Association on the Sunday and an Athletics Track & Field Aggregate Meeting which took place at the Marsa Athletics Track on Saturday, organised by the MAAA.

Schedule available every week on www.nocmalta.org and on The Malta Independent every Tuesday. Produced in collaboration with E22.

Brent Law

Age: 22 years

Sport: Judo

Category: –60kg (M)

Club: O-Nami – Martial Arts Centre (Pembroke)

Started: St Patrick’s Salesians Judo Club (Sliema), 1994

Main achievements

Local:

• Gold medal – Malta National Championships: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2007

• Gold medal – Malta Open (2007)

Foreign:

• Bronze medal – Torneo Internazionale, Siena (2000)

• Bronze medal – Torneo Di Regione, Messina (2000)

• Silver medal – Torneo Internazionale, Siena (2001)

• Gold medal – Torneo Internazionale, Tolmezzo (2007)

Aaron Bezzina

Age: 16 years

Sport: Judo

Category: U/66 (Brown Belt)

Club: O-Nami

Started: Dragon Espoir, aged 6

Status: Form 5 student attending St Elias’ College

Achievements

• Bronze medal – XXI Malta International Judo Open (2005)

• Gold medal – XX Cadet Youth Judo Open (2004)

• Silver medal – Fra Andrew Bertie Easter Promotional Tournament (2006) (–60kg)

• Gold medal – Fra Andrew Bertie Easter Promotional Tournament (2006) (–65kg)

• Silver medal – Malta Judo Open Promotional Tournament March (2006) (–60kg)

• Gold medal – Espoir National Championship (2005)

• Gold medal – Malta Judo National Championship (2002)

• Gold medal – Malta Judo National Championship (2003)

• Fifth place – Sicilia X Jeux Des Isles (2006)

• Silver medal – Maltacom Judo Championships (1999)

• Maltacom Promotional Tournament (2001)

National Regatta Association

Joseph Serracino

Some of the researchers on folklore consider the boat races as one of the oldest Maltese traditions. These boat races are older than the religious processions which we are so familiar with in our cities, towns and villages around and most of the other traditions which we love and treasure.

Nowadays only the 8 September and 31 March regattas are held annually in the Grand Harbour. But there was a time when other boat races were held annually in the two harbours as part of the external festivities celebrated to honour their patron saint. Obviously, the oldest regatta is 8 September Victory Regatta, better known as It-Tigrija Tal-Vitorja and was introduced in 1822 by the barklori (boatman) of the city of Senglea.

This regatta is a lively continuation of traditional boat races, which according to documentary manuscripts, go back to the beginning of the 17th century. It was the enthusiasm of the barklori and sajjieda (fishermen) that kept this tradition alive through these years.

The Freedom Day Regatta, known better as It-Tigrija ta’ Jum il-Helsien was first held late in the evening on 30 March 1979. Originally, the introduction of this race, apart from being the main sporting event of this historical day, was to promote and encourage local enthusiasts, especially the barklori relatives.

Due to the endless rivalry and pique which continue to exist among the crews of the three cities and the Marsamxett district, the 31 March Regatta, as usual, through the five categories of races, will retain an exciting confrontation among the best local oarsmen which form part of the best-known crews from the participating localities.

The traditional participating crews come from Senglea (red and yellow), Vittoriosa (red), Cospicua (light blue), Valletta (yellow), Marsa (blue and red) and Kalkara (green). Birzebbuga (red/blue/white) the last district to participate in these races took part in the last two editions. Each regatta has five traditional events: the Fancy Boats (20-12-6), Frejgatini and Caiques (12-8-4), Two-Oared Pass Boat (20-12-6) and the Four- Oared Pass Boat (24-16-8). Finally the district which throughout the regatta obtains the highest number of points wins the shield.

Another traditional regatta is scheduled for Saturday at the Grand Harbour. Races are to start at 2pm. There are going to be five races in Category ‘A’ and another five races in the ‘B’ category. After each race, cups, medals and the traditional palju will be presented to the first three classified oarsmen crew of each race. The participating clubs are Birgu, Birzebbuga, Bormla, Kalkara, Marsa, Marsamxett, and Senglea.