The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is set to miss the July 1 deadline stipulated by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) to submit its bid to host the 2019 Asian Games. The IOA, however, will seek a 15-day extension, which they are hopeful will be granted by the continental body.

The IOA and sports ministry have been wrangling over the cost to host the Games, and the issue came to the fore yet again on Monday after sports secretary Ajit Sharan demanded a detailed budget. A source said that in its revised proposal, the IOA gave an estimate of Rs 5,500 crore as a part of the operative cost for the Games.

However, the ministry has asked them to give estimates for the construction of the Games Village as well as various developmental projects that will be undertaken in the build up to the event. The government forecasts an expenditure of up to Rs 25,000-30,000 crore. The bid process cannot move ahead without the permission from the sports ministry, who will present IOA’s case to the cabinet after it is convinced.

Factoring in the costs

“Building the Games Village and creating road connectivity to that place is the most expensive part. We will need those estimates before going ahead with the bid,” a ministry source said. “IOA’s Games-related estimation of Rs 5,500 crore is on par with what we had projected.”

IOA secretary general Rajeev Mehta, who presented the proposal to Sharan, contended that developmental projects do not fall under their purview and hence did not include it in their estimates. He added that the IOA will also seek an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi this week to get his backing.

Non-committal

“The ministry has not given us the permission yet; neither have they denied it. They have asked for further details and we’ll need another five days to satisfy all queries from the government,” Mehta said. “The deadline set by the OCA ends on Tuesday and we won’t be able to submit our bid in time since we haven’t got all the necessary permissions. We began the procedure late so it was always going to be tough to meet the deadline. However, we had given a hint to the OCA before and are hopeful they’ll give us an extension.”

In its proposal, the IOA has said they’ll need to construct just two more indoor stadiums and use the rest of the infrastructure that was built for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

However, those stadiums will need massive renovation work. They have also proposed to hold the watersport events in Uttarakhand. Mehta is also the president of Uttarakhand Olympic Association.

The IOA began the bidding procedure for the 2019 Asian Games just 10 days ago. It faces a stiff competition from Indonesia to host the Games after the original hosts Vietnam backed out citing financial constraints. The OCA will be declaring the winning bid on September 20 in Incheon during this year’s Asian Games.

Title holder Andy Murray neutralised the big-swinging game of lofty South African Kevin Anderson to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals 6-4 6-3 7-6(6) on Monday.

The 27-year-old Briton returned sharply and drew the 2.03-metre (6’8″) Anderson into rallies to impose his game on the Wimbledon grass, where he is on a run of 17 successive victories.

Anderson, a career-high 18th in the world, broke Murray’s serve only once, after rain forced a pause for the Centre Court roof to be closed with Murray 3-0 up in the second set.

But he upped his game in the third set to force a tense tiebreak and even had a set point before Murray won three points in a row to reach his seventh successive Wimbledon quarter-final.

Murray will next meet either 11th seed Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria or Leonardo Mayer of Argentina for a place in the semi-finals.

France ended Nigeria’s hopes of a first World Cup quarter-final appearance when they scored two late goals to beat the Super Eagles 2-0 in a rough second-round match on Monday.

Paul Pogba put France ahead in the 79th minute, heading in at the far post after Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama flapped at Mathieu Valbuena’s corner following a sustained spell of French pressure.

The win was sealed when Joseph Yobo turned a low cross into his own goal in stoppage time and France will play Germany or Algeria in the last eight.

It was a controversial victory, however, as the game had swung France’s way after Nigeria’s influential midfielder Ogenyi Onazi was injured by a late tackle from Blaise Matuidi, who was lucky to escape with only a yellow card.

Nigeria had been defending increasingly desperately in the run-up to Pogba’s goal.

France were centimetres from going ahead when Karim Benzema poked the ball past Enyeama, who managed to partly block his shot and Victor Moses hooked the ball off the line.

Nigeria escaped again when John Obi Mikel cleared Benzema’s shot off the line, then Yohan Cabaye struck the underside of the crossbar with a thunderous long-range strike.

Enyeama then tipped Benzema’s close-range header over the bar, leading to the corner from which France scored their first goal.

The first half had been much more even.

Nigeria made a bright start and thought they had gone ahead when Emmanuel Emenike turned in Ahmed Musa’s low cross at the near post but the effort was ruled offside in an extremely close call.

Pogba was denied when he met Valbuena’s low cross from the right with a flying volley, only to be brilliantly denied by Enyeama who parried the ball away with a tremendous reflex save.

Nigeria produced some neat moves in midfield interspersed with basic unforced errors and Mikel was lucky to escape when he sliced Patrice Evra’s low cross towards his own goal and was relieved to see the ball land in Enyeama’s hands.

Nigeria should have gone ahead just before halftime when France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris parried Emenike’s fierce shot back into his area but Moses handled as he attempted to control the rebound.

Uruguay striker Luis Suarez has finally apologised for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during a World Cup match and vowed there would never be a repeat of the incident.

After initially denying that he bit Chiellini, Suarez issued a carefully worded statement on Monday admitting his offence and remorse for his actions.

F

“After several days of being home with my family, I have had the opportunity to regain my calm and reflect on what occurred during the Italy-Uruguay match on 24 June,” he said in a statement published on his Twitter account.

Suarez was banned for Uruguay’s next nine competitive international matches and from any involvement in football for four months by FIFA after biting Chiellini in Uruguay’s 1-0 Group D win over Italy.

“Independent from the fallout and the contradicting declarations that have surfaced during these past days, all of which have been without the intention of interfering with the good performance of my national team, the truth is that my colleague Giorgio Chiellini suffered the physical result of a bit in the collision he suffered with me,” Suarez added in his statement.

“For this: I deeply regret what happened; I apologise to Giorgio Chiellini and the entire football family; I vow to the public that there will never again be another incident like.”

Former Brazil playmaker Kaka will sign for new Major League Soccer team Orlando City after terminating his contract with AC Milan by mutual consent.

“I’ve always said I wanted to play in the USA and now I have reached an agreement to play there,” he told Milan’s TV channel on Monday.

Kaka will initially move on loan to Brazilian side Sao Paulo where he spent the first two years of his career before being sold to Milan in 2003.

“Orlando City is a new team with a good project and the owner (Flavio Augusto da Silva) is Brazilian,” added Kaka.

“I’m also happy to return to Sao Paulo. It’s really satisfying for me.”

Earlier, Milan announced they had terminated Kaka’s contract by mutual agreement.

The 32-year-old had long been tipped to sign for Orlando and, as the Kaka interview was being broadcast, the American club posted a silhouette on their Twitter feed of him celebrating a goal in their purple and white colours.

The Brazilian pledged to never again wear 22 on his back, his Milan shirt number.

“I want to leave that memory with the Milan fans. I think I will wear number eight for Sao Paulo and number 10 for Orlando,” he said.

REAL SPELL

Kaka returned to Milan in 2013 after four injury-hit seasons at Real Madrid.

The Italians finished eighth in Serie A last season and missed out on Europe for the first time since 1998 after a wretched campaign during which they sacked two coaches, Massimiliano Allegri and Clarence Seedorf.

Former Milan great Filippo Inzaghi, who played alongside Kaka during the Brazilian’s first spell at the club, has now taken over at the San Siro after impressing as youth team coach.

“Inzaghi and I are friends and I wish him all the best for next season. He loves Milan and therefore he could have a great season,” said Kaka.

The former World Cup winner’s Serie A comeback was viewed as a gamble but despite picking up a thigh strain in his first match he eventually had a solid season.

In seven years at Milan he scored 104 goals and amassed 307 appearances, winning a Serie A title, the Champions League and a Club World Cup.

“It was wonderful for me to return to Milan and reach 300 matches and 100 goals for the club. Everything that I am is because of this club and it wasn’t easy to leave,” said Kaka who helped Brazil win the World Cup in 2002.

The playmaker missed out on a place in the host nation’s squad for the 2014 World Cup.

“When I was at Madrid I had almost no chance of a Brazil place but it was different at Milan,” said Kaka. “Last season gave me a lot even if I wasn’t picked in the end.

“Coming back was important for me, it was a special season for me as a man and the fans have always been by my side. I will be a Milan fan forever.”

Uruguay’s incensed President Jose Mujica has lambasted FIFA bosses as “sons of bitches” who meted out “fascist” treatment to striker Luis Suarez for biting an Italian defender at the World Cup.

Mujica has led national outrage at the world governing body’s sanctioning of Suarez who received a nine-match ban from playing for Uruguay and a four-month prohibition from all football-related activity for biting Giorgio Chiellini.

“At FIFA, they are a bunch of old sons of bitches,” the 79-year-old president said when meeting the Uruguay team off the plane from Brazil on Sunday afternoon.

“They could have punished (him), but not with fascist sanctions,” added Mujica, an always colourful character and former leftist guerrilla who has a cult following in some quarters due to his blunt language and humble style of life.

The video was all over Uruguay media on Monday.

Realizing he was being filmed at the airport, Mujica jokingly covered his mouth before saying: “Publish it”.

His wife, Lucia Topolansky, added her agreement.

Uruguay’s national football association is appealing the punishment against Suarez, who was also fined 100,000 Swiss francs ($112,000) and will miss the start of the Premier League season with Liverpool unless his appeal works.

A brilliant but temperamental player, Suarez has kept a low profile since returning to Uruguay, with just one public message to thank compatriots and fans for their support.