Fearing termination, RR distances from Kundra

June 8, 2013

KundraBangalore/New Delhi, Jun 8: Facing termination prospects, an embattled Rajasthan Royals distanced itself from?co-owner Raj Kundra, saying he has no role in the running of the franchise, and would be suspended if found guilty.

The Jaipur-based IPL franchise slipped into deep trouble after Kundra reportedly confessed to betting on his team before the Delhi Police on Thursday. According to IPL rule 11.3 (C), a franchise can be terminated if the owner or owners bring disrepute to the team or the league.

Royals, however, made it clear in a statement that Kundra had no involvement in the functioning of the team. Kundra would have to forfeit his shares in the franchise if he indeed breached any regulation.

“As a franchise, we have always been clear that the same rules apply to the players, management or the owners. As such, our actions will be consistent as in the case of the spot-fixing allegations with respect to our players,” said Rajasthan Royals chairman Ranjit Barthakur and CEO Raghu Iyer in a statement.

“Raj Kundra is a minority shareholder and he has no involvement in the running of the franchise. We believe that Kundra is a law-abiding citizen and would not act contrary to law.

“If however, he is proven guilty, or has breached any regulations, he will be suspended. He will also forfeit his shares. This is a strict governance procedure agreed to by all Rajasthan Royals shareholders and it is consistent with our zero tolerance approach,” the statement said.

Apart from Kundra, who holds 11.7 per cent shares in the franchise along with his wife Shilpa Shetty through Kuki Investment. Manoj Badale (Emerging Media, 32.4 per cent), Suresh Chellaram & family (44.2 per cent) and Lachlan Murdoch (Blue Water Estate Limited, 11.7 per cent) are the other shareholders.

The statement was issued after the Board of Control for Cricket in India convened an Emergent Working Committee meeting in Delhi on Monday to discuss issues related to the spot-fixing scandal, including the Kundra episode. The BCCI meeting will also discuss the report submitted by Ravi Sawani, chief of the

Board’s ACSU, on the fixing charges against three Royals players, S?Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan.

In another development, Kundra has hired noted criminal lawyer Majeed Memon to defend him. “I was called by the Delhi Police since I am a minority shareholder of Rajasthan Royals and a few questions were put to me to which I have satisfactorily answered,” Kundra said in a statement issued through Memon.

“I would like to reiterate that I am innocent and equally anxious to know as to what went wrong within Rajasthan Royals. In case anything is established against me, I shall be willing to forfeit my shares in Rajasthan Royals,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police have claimed that Shetty placed a bet of Rs 1 lakh during this IPL?season and they are planning to question Kundra again.

The police said Shetty placed a bet once during a match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Daredevils in the national capital. However, investigators have to verify the claims.

“Kundra will be questioned again very soon and if need be, Shetty too,” said a senior police officer.

The officer said Kundra, in his statement, claimed to have lost Rs 12.5 lakh in betting during this IPL season, Rs 40 lakh the previous year and Rs 50 lakh in 2011.

The officer, however, declined to “buy this argument.” “He had told us that he placed bets on matches played by Rajasthan Royals. In this season, his team won 11 out of the 16 matches it played and it is hard to believe that he lost money,” said a senior police officer.

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Agencies
May 9,2020

Tokyo, May 9: As the world continues to grapple with coronavirus pandemic, the organisers of Tokyo Game Show have cancelled 2020 showpiece event.

TGS 2020 was slated to be played from September 24 to September 27 at the Makuhari Messe convention center. However, there now talks going on for holding an online event instead.

According to the Verge, this is the first time that TGS has ever been cancelled since it started in 1996.

TGS 2020 gained more attention because of its status as the last major trade show before the launch of the upcoming next-gen consoles, the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5.

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News Network
June 19,2020

Jun 19: The BCCI is open to reviewing its sponsorship policy for the next cycle but has no plans to end its association with current IPL title sponsor Vivo as the money coming in from the Chinese company is helping India's cause and not the other way round, board treasurer Arun Dhumal said on Friday. Anti-China sentiments are running high in India following the border clash between the two countries at Galwan valley earlier this week. The first skirmish at the India-China border in more than four decades left at least 20 Indian soldiers dead. Since then, calls have been made to boycott Chinese products.

But Dhumal said Chinese companies sponsoring an Indian event like the IPL only serve his country's interests.

The BCCI gets Rs 440 crore annually from Vivo and the five-year deal ends in 2022.

"When you talk emotionally, you tend to leave the rationale behind. We have to understand the difference between supporting a Chinese company for a Chinese cause or taking help from Chinese company to support India's cause," Dhumal said.

"When we are allowing Chinese companies to sell their products in India, whatever money they are taking from Indian consumer, they are paying part of it to the BCCI (as brand promotion) and the board is paying 42 per cent tax on that money to the Indian government. So, that is supporting India's cause and not China's," he argued.

Oppo, a mobile phone brand like Vivo, was sponsoring the Indian cricket team until September last year when Bengaluru-based educational technology Byju's start-up replaced the Chinese company.

Dhumal said he is all for reducing dependence on Chinese products but as long as its companies are allowed to do business in India, there is no harm in them sponsoring an Indian brand like the IPL.

"If they are not supporting the IPL, they are likely to take that money back to China. If that money is retained here, we should be happy about it. We are supporting our government with that money (by paying taxes on it)."

"If I am giving a contract to a Chinese company to build a cricket stadium, then I am helping the Chinese economy. GCA built the world's largest cricket stadium at Motera and that contract was given to an Indian company (L&T)," he said.

"Cricketing infrastructure worth thousands of crores was created across country and none of the contract was awarded to a Chinese company."

Dhumal went on to say the BCCI is spoilt for choice when it comes to attracting sponsors, whether Indian or Chinese or from any other nation.

"If that Chinese money is coming to support Indian cricket, we should be okay with it. I am all for banning Chinese products as an individual, we are there to support our government but by getting sponsorship from Chinese company, we are helping India's cause."

"We can get sponsorship money from non-Chinese companies also including Indian firms. We can support our players any way but the idea is when they are allowed to sell their products here, it is better that part of money comes back to the Indian economy."

"The BCCI is not giving money to the Chinese, it is attracting on the contrary. We should make decision based on rationale rather than emotion," he added.

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Agencies
July 31,2020

Northamptonshire, Jul 31: Mexican Formula One driver Sergio Perez has tested positive for coronavirus, and as a result, he will miss the British Grand Prix.

The Racing Point driver was absent from the circuit on Thursday after self-isolating following what his team called an "inconclusive" test. Perez then re-tested later in the day and it returned positive.

Formula 1 is following a strict testing regime as part of the safety protocols put in place when racing resumed earlier this month, and this is the first time a driver has tested positive.

"Perez has entered self-quarantine in accordance with the instructions of the relevant public health authorities, and will continue to follow the procedure mandated by those authorities," Formula 1 and the FIA said in a statement.

"With the assistance of the local organiser of the British Grand Prix, local health authorities and the FIA COVID-19 delegate, a full track and trace initiative has been undertaken and all close contacts have been quarantined," the statement added.

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