British horseracing is to stage an unprecedented one-day strike on Sept. 10 to protest a proposed rise in taxes on race betting.
The four scheduled meetings that day — at Carlisle, Uttoxeter, Lingfield and Kempton — would not take place after agreements between the owners of the courses and the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), making it the first time the sport in Britain has voluntarily refused to race in modern history.
The BHA set up the “Axe the Racing Tax” campaign in response to proposals to replace the existing three-tax structure of online gambling duties with a single tax, with fears the current 15 percent duty on racing could be increased to the 21 percent levied on games of chance.
Photo: Reuters
BHA chief executive Brant Dunshea said the strike intends to “highlight to [the] government the serious consequences of the treasury’s tax proposals which threaten the very future of our sport.”
“British racing is already in a precarious financial position and research has shown that a tax rise on racing could be catastrophic for the sport and the thousands of jobs that rely on it in towns and communities across the country,” he said.
“This is the first time that British racing has chosen not to race due to government proposals. We haven’t taken this decision lightly, but in doing so we are urging the government to rethink this tax proposal to protect the future of our sport which is a cherished part of Britain’s heritage and culture.”
The British government said it was bringing the “treatment of online betting in line with other forms of online gambling to cut down bureaucracy.”
“It is not about increasing or decreasing rates,” the government said. “We welcome views from all stakeholders including businesses, trade bodies, the third sector and individuals.”
Greek swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev was the only athlete to “beat” a world record on Sunday at the Enhanced Games, winning the men’s 50m freestyle at the divisive competition where athletes were free to take performance-enhancing substances. His time of 20.81 seconds — which is not considered official — came in the final event of the night in Las Vegas, sparing the blushes of organizers who made claims that multiple world records would be surpassed due to a sophisticated doping regime. Gkolomeev, who was wearing a synthetic “supersuit” long banned at events such as the Olympics, outpaced Australia’s Cameron McEvoy’s 20.88 set in
Fred Kerley is competing unaugmented against drug-fuelled athletes at this weekend’s Enhanced Games and still hopes to race in the 2028 Olympics, the suspended former 100m world champion said on Friday. Arguably the biggest name at the divisive event in Las Vegas, where doping is permitted, the US sprinter said he had chosen not to take any of the banned substances including testosterone and steroids that his competitors have been using. “I don’t need it. God gave me fast feet for a reason. And I’m here to showcase my talent,” Kerley said. Kerley last September became the first US competitor and first track
VICTORY ABROAD: The team took home a fistful of medals and secured spots for the autumn’s Asian Games, scheduled for September in Nagoya Taiwan’s women’s team captured the overall title at the Asian Taekwondo Championships in Mongolia on Sunday, finishing with two golds, one silver and one bronze medal. The strong showing, led by gold medalists Wang Chieh-ling and Chang Jui-en secured the full quota of available spots for Taiwan at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, in September. Wang opened Taiwan’s medal run by winning gold in the women’s under-46kg class on Thursday, the first day of competition. Liu Yu-yun later earned a silver in the under-49kg class. On the final day on Sunday, Chang won Taiwan’s second gold medal in the under-62kg event, and
The manager of the Yomiuri Giants, one of Japan’s most popular baseball teams, resigned yesterday after he was arrested for allegedly physically attacking his teenage daughter. Shinnosuke Abe allegedly grabbed the 18-year-old and forced her to the floor at their home in central Tokyo on Monday evening, reported national broadcaster NHK and Kyodo News, citing unnamed police sources. “Leaving like this really means I’m causing you a lot of trouble, and I feel truly sorry about that,” Abe told a hastily arranged news conference, his eyes red with tears. The former star catcher, who is among baseball-obsessed Japan’s most recognized sports figures,
RSS