NEW DELHI: V S Sampath, who succeeded S Y Quraishi as the eighteenth Chief Election Commissioner of India, today called on media to play a key role in providing the Commission with timely and accurate information and ?constructive criticism of our actions?.

Noting that Information is the currency of democracy, he said he looked forward to "your (media?s) continued support in the days to come?.

Listing as checking use of money power in elections as one of his priorities, he said legal expenses including those on publishing posters should be kept within the ceiling limits, while simultaneously ensuring that illegal expenses like bribing the voters with cash or kind is effectively prevented.

MUMBAI: Hockey India, which is creating a rival league against the one that Neo Sports is in control of, has signed up 28 Indian national players for its nascent hockey league as it gears for the January 2013 launch date.

Among those who have signed contracts with HI include Shivendra Singh, Tushar Khandker, and Yuvraj Walmiki.

?The league will help India unearth new talent as the Indian youngsters will be playing alongside top international stalwarts,? HI secretary general Narendra Batra said in a statement.

Batra also informed that more than 200 Indian and international players are expected to sign up for the league, which will be held in partnership with International Hockey Federation.

?Till now 28 Indian players have made themselves available for the league. In total around 140 to 150 Indian players and 80 to 100 foreign players will sign up,? Batra added.

HI is currently engaged in a bitter tussle with World Series Hockey promoters Indian Hockey Federation and Nimbus Sport, the sports marketing arm of Nimbus Communications, which owns and operates Neo Sports and Neo Prime channels, through its subsidiary Neo Sports Broadcast.

The inaugural season of the Hockey India League will consist of six franchise-based teams in six cities across India. Each team will have 24 players including 10 foreign and 14 Indians.

?These players will be then put up for auction in September. Since it is a six team league, so in total 144 will represent six franchises,? Batra added.

The first edition of the mega-league will be played in January-February 2013 involving 33 matches.

"There will be a live telecast of all 33 league matches on a leading international sports channel," said FIH.

MUMBAI: Infront Motor Sports has signed an agreement with Jaypee Sports International, a subsidiary of the private Indian engineering and construction conglomerate Jaypee Group, to host a round of the FIM Superbike World Championship calendar at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC).

Infront Motor Sports, a subsidiary of Infront Sports & Media, is the owner of the Championship and provides full promotional, marketing, hospitality, sales and broadcasting services to the events. The series is governed by the FIM.

The contract, which runs for four years from 2013 to 2016, is set to open up a new frontier for World Superbike in India as it becomes the first international bike racing championship to be hosted at the Hermann Tilke-designed track at Greater Noida.

The Indian Round of the championship is scheduled to take place on 10 March next season.

Infront Motor Sports CEO Paolo Flammini added, "The inclusion of the Indian round in the 2013 FIM Superbike World Championship calendar represents a great achievement for our series and reflects our continuous target to further extend its international presence. India today is one of the most important motorcycle markets in the world, not only in terms of existing bike sales numbers but also growth and the upgrading of the range offered to the consumer. Undoubtedly the inclusion of this event will greatly benefit all the protagonists of our series and will create significant added value for the motorcycle manufacturers."

India will become the 27th country to host a round of the FIM Superbike World Championship, which in 2013 will celebrate the 26th year of its existence since it started in 1988.

After signing the agreement, JPSI MD and CEO Sameer Gaur said: "We are extremely happy to announce that besides holding the Formula One and FIA GT1 motor racing series, we will also hold a thrilling motorcycle race, the World Superbike Championship, at BIC early next year. There are many in India who are passionate about bikes. I am sure they will love to watch famed motorcycle riders compete against each other here at their own world class racing circuit."

MUMBAI: The anti-corruption unit of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has completed its probe into the allegation of corruption leveled against five uncapped players during the IPL.

BCCI anti-corruption unit chief Ravi Sawani has handed over the report to BCCI president N Srinivasan who along with other senior BCCI functionaries Arun Jaitley and Niranjan Shah is expected to study the report before taking a decision on the matter.

The BCCI had last month ordered a probe following a sting operation by India TV news channel claiming that cricketers Shalabh Srivastava, Mohnish Mishra, TP Sudhindra, Amit Yadav and Abhinav Bali were involved in spot fixing and seeking lucrative deal in contravention of IPL rules.

Following the revelations, the BCCI suspended the five cricketers pending inquiry and also announced that all uncapped Indian players will be auctioned henceforth. Under the current rules uncapped players are divided in four slabs with Rs 3 million being the highest slab.