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Zurich – Goal-line technology will be used at the 2014 World Cup and two more systems could be considered in addition to the existing pair, soccer’s world governing body FIFA said on Tuesday.

Two systems, Hawkeye and Goalref, have so far been licensed by FIFA and both were used at last year’s World Club Cup in Japan, one in each of the two stadiums, where goal-line technology was employed for the first time.

FIFA said a third system, developed in Germany, had already passed examinations and that the providers were in licensing discussions. A fourth system, also German, has also been tested with the results due this week.

FIFA confirmed goal-line technology was “successful” at the World Club Cup, although there were no incidents where it had to be used.

It intends to install goal-line technology at all 12 venues at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

“After a successful implementation of goal-line technology (GLT) at the Club World Cup in Japan in December 2012, FIFA has decided to use GLT at the Confederations Cup Brazil 2013 and 2014 World Cup,” FIFA said in a statement.

“The aim is to use GLT in order to support the match officials and to install a system in all stadia, pending the successful installation, and pre-match referee tests.

“With different technologies on the market, FIFA has launched a tender today, setting out the technical requirements for the two forthcoming competitions in Brazil.”

FIFA said Hawkeye and Goalref would have to join the selection process.

Goal-line technology providers had been invited to join an inspection visit to the six Confederations Cup venues in March. Those venues will all be staging matches at the following year’s World Cup.

The use of goal-line technology, to help match officials in cases where it is not immediately clear if the ball has entered the goal, was approved by soccer’s rule-making body, the International Football Association Board (IFAB), last year.

The use of goal-line technology had previously been rejected by FIFA, which performed a U-turn following the controversy over Frank Lampard’s disallowed goal for England in the 2010 World Cup match against Germany.

Replays clearly showed that the ball had crossed the line after bouncing down off the underside of the crossbar, but match officials did not award the goal. Germany, 2-1 ahead at the time, went on to win 4-1.

However, goal-line technology is not favoured by European soccer’s governing body UEFA, which instead prefers to employ two extra linesmen, one on each goal line.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has already said that extra linesmen are unlikely to be used at the World Cup.

Many critics think that football should go further and allow the use of video replays to help referees make decisions concerning offside, handball and fouls.

Referees have to make split second judgments with the naked eye while millions of television viewers are treated to slow-motion replays, from different angles, which often show clearly whether the official was right or wrong.

Johannesburg – Orlando Pirates will not underestimate a strong Platinum Stars outfit, according to Buccaneers coach Roger de Sa, as they look to regain the Premiership lead when they host the Rustenburg side at Orlando Stadium on Wednesday.

“We’ve gone 11 (league) games now without a loss and the team are the current champions so we’ve got to be confident,” De Sa said ahead of the midweek clash.

“But we’ve got to be wary too and respect them and they’ve earned the respect from everybody in the league this year.”

Both teams have been prominent in the race for the league title.

The Soweto side, holding a game in hand, are level with Stars on 37 points, but they hold a narrow advantage on goal difference. Kaizer Chiefs are two points clear at the top of the standings.

“The mood’s always been good from the first day I arrived here,” De Sa said.

“We’ve come through a tough period and they’re a very good bunch of players, very motivated and ambitious.

“But it’s going to be a very tough match. They (Stars) have turned this league into a three-horse race and they’re playing good football. They’ve been very good, I’ve watched them.

“They play to their strengths and are very disciplined and organised and it’s very good for the game.”

De Sa said they would not focus on any specific Stars player as the opposition were a well oiled unit.

“When a team has done that well, it’s very much a collective effort, everybody is contributing, there’s a lot of good players.

“They’re well balanced and it’s definitely been a team effort from them, without a doubt.

“We’ve got to match them for effort otherwise we get could a negative result as well.”

Pirates are fresh off a 5-0 thumping of semi-professional Comoros side Djabal in their Caf Champions League preliminary round first-leg fixture at the weekend, and De Sa admitted the Premiership title holders were facing a busy schedule.

“There are a lot of games, one after the next, and it looks quite scary with all the travelling,” he said.

“We’ve got to try and rotate and go game by game, as we can’t really plan too far ahead. It can change drastically with one or two injuries or suspensions.”

Pirates were facing injury concerns, with Benni McCarthy, Rooi Mahamutsa and Robyn Johannes unavailable for the match, while a call was expected to be made on the fitness of Siyabonga Sangweni on Tuesday.

In other games on Wednesday, Free State Stars face Maritzburg United in Phuthaditjhaba, University of Pretoria host Moroka Swallows at Tuks Stadium, Black Leopards play Kaizer Chiefs in Polokwane, AmaZulu are at home to SuperSport United in Umlazi and Wits square up against Chippa United at Bidvest Stadium.

For more details go to www.news24.com

Pretoria – Paralympian Oscar Pistorius‘ application for bail was postponed until Wednesday after the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court heard that he had not intended to kill his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

“You will remain in custody until the court reconvenes at 09:00 tomorrow,” Magistrate Desmond Nair said on Tuesday afternoon.

The postponement was to give the legal teams time to respond to affidavits presented to the court, and to ask questions, Nair said.

Pistorius will spend another night in a police cell in Pretoria, following his emotional day in court.

The application for him to be detained in the Brooklyn police station’s holdings cells, instead of in a prison, expires on Wednesday.

“We will extend the application if we don’t finish,” said his attorney Kenny Oldwage.

Steenkamp’s funeral was held in Port Elizabeth, about 1 100km from Pretoria, on Tuesday morning.

Visit www.taungdailynews.wordpress.com for Oscar Pistorius Special Report.

Pretoria – Friends of Oscar Pistorius testified on his relationship with his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at his bail application in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.

“They really complemented each other,” said Daytona group CEO Justin Divaris.

He said he thought Steenkamp could be “the one” for Pistorius, who could not stop crying after his affidavit of what happened on the night Steenkamp was shot dead was read into the court record.

Pistorius has been charged with the murder of Steenkamp in the early hours of Valentine’s Day.

The State has said it would reject his explanation that he had mistaken her for a burglar when he shot four times into a bathroom, hitting her three times.

Divaris said the two had met at a track day he had hosted.

Pistorius had described Steenkamp as a fantastic person who understood him.

“Oscar and Reeva really loved one another,” said Divaris.

In another statement, by Samantha Greyvenstein, Divaris’s girlfriend, Pistorius was described as “the epitome of a true gentleman”.

“Reeva told me Oscar treated her like gold,” Greyvenstein said in the statement.

She said if Pistorius asked her to marry him, she would probably have said yes.

This was in spite of him “moving a bit fast” and “being a bit intense”.

She said: “In my experience Oscar and Reeva had nothing but love for each other.”

Earlier, Pistorius said he was not a flight risk, and would hand over his passports if necessary.

He did not know who the witnesses would be in the murder trial, but would not interfere with them.

If he was released, he would not disturb public order, he said in an affidavit read by his lawyer Barry Roux.

He would also not interfere with investigations.

He said that after the shooting he did not attempt to flee, and that he was not “disposed to violence”.

The court heard that his assets included a vacant stand at Langebaan in the Western Cape, movable assets and vehicles worth R500,000 and income of around R5.6 million per annum.

He had no intention to relocate. – Sapa

Six men accused of the murder of ANC North West official Obuti Chika appeared in the Klerksdorp Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, the Hawks said.

Captain Paul Ramaloko said the matter was postponed to February 27 for bail application.

He said one of the men was arrested on February 14, three were arrested on Saturday, and two others handed themselves over to the police on Monday.

“They were detained. We are confident we have arrested the right people and we hope to make further arrests.”

He said the accused were community member Jeffrey Letuka, 28, North West provincial ANC Youth League chairman Papiki Baboile, ward secretary Paul Molomonyane, 33, councillor Itumeleng Molebatsi, 50, municipal worker William Malefo, 46, and taxi driver Kgotso Kali, 36.

They all faced a charge of premeditated murder and two charges of conspiracy to commit murder.

Ramafoko said the arrests made so far were the result of the Hawks’ efforts.

“A R200 000 reward is still hanging to anyone with information that could lead to the arrest and conviction of the suspects,” he said.

Chika, 33, was shot at point-blank range in the driveway of his home in Alabama, Klerksdorp, on December 14. He died at the Klerksdorp Hospital shortly after his arrival there.

He was the ANC’s regional secretary in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality.

-Sapa

Pretoria – Murder accused Oscar Pistorius should be denied bail, Women’s Minister Lulu Xingwana said outside the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday morning.

Xingwana joined a group of women protesting outside the court where Pistorius, who is accused of murdering his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, was applying for bail.

“We are here as the [ANC] Women’s League, community and NGOs [non-governmental organisations] to say ‘No bail’,” said Xingwana.

“It does not matter what standing Pistorius has in society.”

Double-amputee Pistorius was arrested shortly after Steenkamp was fatally wounded at his home in Pretoria on Thursday.

“We want him to be treated like other criminals that have been charged with murder or abuse of women,” Xingwana said.

Those found guilty of such crimes should be punished with the “stiffest sentences”.

She called the on government to tighten firearm regulations and to ban guns in homes.

“These guns, most of the time, are used to kill women and children in homes,” Xingwana said.

“Our plan is to say: ‘No guns in our homes’. We want to feel safe and secure in our homes.” – Sapa

The SAFA Development Agency has set its priority on increasing the base of coaching educators in South Africa to see as many as 15 000 coaches throughout the Local Football Associations (LFAs) licensed by the end of the 2013.

There are currently 30 licensed coaching educators in South Africa and the vision is to increase the base of instructors to 150 to carry out this bold new plan.

The starting point is to train the present Level 3 as well as Level 2 coaches who are interested in being coaching educators.

One coach will be assigned to oversee the training two LFA’s.

Last year SAFA launched its Technical Master Plan designed to rebuild the structures of football from the grassroots in order to create sustained international success for its national teams.

A key element of the plan is the ambitious goal to achieve a coach: player ratio of 1:20 in the next ten years.

This would mean licensing 15,000 coaches a year for the next ten years. “Given that since 1997 we have licensed almost 9,000 coaches, the scope of the plan is revolutionary”, says Fran Hilton Smith, Acting Technical Director. “In order to achieve it, we will have to run two CAF “C” Licence courses in every one of our 311 LFAs each year, as well as one “B” Licence course in every Region, and one “A” Licence course in every Province” she added.

“This is a big task but we must set goals and try to achieve them. For this to happen, we need more coach educators as at present we only have 30. This is where the Level 3 and 2 coaches come in- to be trained as educators in their regions.”

“This will give us the necessary number of coaches that we require to achieve the levels of international success that we aspire to” says Dennis Mumble, Acting CEO of SAFA. The newly formed SAFA Development Agency will be assisting SAFA to set up the necessary project plans for this roll-out, as well as to raise the necessary funding to make it possible.

SAFA Development Agency CEO, Dr Robin Petersen, says that each one of these coaches to be trained will also be trained as a Life Skills Educator, as it is scientifically demonstrated that all-round coaching is necessary to create successful teams.

“Having these coaches as life-skills educators will also give us a network of trained people to get across crucial social programmes in health, gender, skills development, leadership formation and other key issues” says Petersen.

There will be no cost to the willing candidates but they will be remunerated for their efforts.

Coaches will be communicated with to see who is interested in taking up this opportunity or they can contact Ms Christina Phafane in the Coach Education department.

Boston – Scientists are still sorting out the details of last year’s discovery of the Higgs boson particle, but add up the numbers and it’s not looking good for the future of the universe, scientists said on Monday. 

“If you use all the physics that we know now and you do what you think is a straightforward calculation, it’s bad news,” Joseph Lykken, a theoretical physicist with the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, Illinois, told reporters. 

Lykeen spoke before presenting his research at the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in Boston. 

“It may be that the universe we live in is inherently unstable and at some point billions of years from now it’s all going to get wiped out,” said Lykken, who is also on the science team at Europe’s Large Hadron Collider, or LHC, the world’s largest and highest-energy particle accelerator. 

Physicists last year announced they had discovered what appears to be a long-sought subatomic particle called the Higgs boson, which is believed to give matter its mass. 

Work to study the Higgs’ related particles, necessary for confirmation, is ongoing. 

If confirmed, the discovery would help resolve a key puzzle about how the universe came into existence some 13.7 billion years ago – and perhaps how it will end. 

“This calculation tells you that many tens of billions of years from now, there’ll be a catastrophe,” Lykken said. 

“A little bubble of what you might think of as an ‘alternative’ universe will appear somewhere and then it will expand out and destroy us,” Lykken said, adding that the event will unfold at the speed of light. 

Scientists had grappled with the idea of the universe’s long-term stability before the Higgs discovery, but stepped up calculations once its mass began settling in at around 126 billion electron volts – a critical number it turns out for figuring out the fate of the universe. 

The calculation requires knowing the mass of the Higgs to within one percent, as well as the precise mass of other related subatomic particles. 

“You change any of these parameters to the Standard Model (of particle physics) by a tiny bit and you get a different end of the universe,” Lyyken said. 

Earth will likely be long gone before any Higgs boson particles set off an apocalyptic assault on the universe. Physicists expect the sun to burn out in 4.5 billion years or so, and expand, likely engulfing Earth in the process. – Reuters

The State cannot prove that paralympian Oscar Pistorius knew his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp was on the other side of the bathroom door when she was shot, his lawyer said in court on Tuesday.

Evidence would also be brought if needed, of men who had shot their wives or children thinking they were burglars, advocate Barry Roux said at Pistorius’ bail application in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court.

Roux said he would also bring evidence of burglaries and robberies at security complexes, if necessary.

Pistorius is charged with the murder of Steenkamp at his home in the early hours of St Valentine’s Day last week.

A teary-eyed Pistorius watched while Roux countered the State’s indication at his first appearance on Friday that it intended arguing that Steenkamp’s death was premeditated murder.

“We submit it’s not even murder,” Roux said.

“There’s no agreement there, not even concession that this is murder.”

Earlier, State prosecutor Gerrie Nel repeated that the State’s case was that her death was premeditated, and that it rejected that she may have been mistaken for a burglar when she was shot three times through a bathroom door.

“We say this in itself constitutes premeditated murder of a burglar,” said Nel.

“Pistorius put on his prosthetic legs, walked to his bathroom and fired four shots, three of which hit his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp”, State prosecutor Gerrie Nel said.

“He prepared. He armed himself. The motive was, he wanted to kill,” Nel alleged in Pistorius’ bail application.

Nel said Pistorius, a double amputee who became an Olympic athlete, walked seven metres to the small bathroom.

“He fired four shots. Three hit Steenkamp. “It is those cold facts that makes this a premeditated murder,” alleged Nel.

He said the bathroom door was broken down and, according to blood spatter analysis, Pistorius picked up Steenkamp and carried her downstairs.

Pistorius kept looking at his feet, his jaw clenched, as submissions on Steenkamp’s final moments were made to magistrate Desmond Nair, who has to decide whether to grant him bail. 

While this was taking place, a private family funeral service for Steenkamp was being held at the Victoria Park Crematorium in Port Elizabeth on Tuesday morning. – Sapa