Weekly sports agenda: FIFA World Cup, 24hr Le Mans, Royal Ascot

(AFP PHOTO /ARIS MESSINIS)

Among major upcoming sporting events: The month-long 2010 FIFA World Cup starts on June 11 in South Africa, Le Mans in France hosts the famous 24hr motor racing endurance event, and one of the world's most prestigious horse racing meetings, Royal Ascot, takes place in the UK.

Motor sports: Red Bull Air Race
June 5-6
Windsor, Ontario, Canada

Marking the series' half way point, 2009 champion Paul Bonhomme flies into Ontario airspace leading the field while fellow Brit Nigel Lamb in second place looks set to better his total points tally from 2009. Twelve points for a win mean the fifteen-pilot tournament is far from over. General admission is $25 CAD (€19) for two days, with reduced rates of $10 (€7.5) for children and the military, or $20 race day only on June 6. As ever, there are extensive hospitality options from $330 to $600.
http://www.redbullairrace.com

MotoGP: Italian Grand Prix
June 6
Mugello, nr Florence, Italy

Early days in the 2010 MotoGP with this, the fourth of eighteen races. Casey Stoner took the chequered flag in 2009, breaking Valentino Rossi's record seven year run. A three day ticket costs €160 ($200) for general admission from the Mugello website, and around 2/3 more for a grandstand seat. Race day only is €90 to €205 ($110-$255).
http://www.motogp.com or http://www.mugellocircuit.it

Basketball: NBA Finals
June 6, 8, 10, (13, 15, 17)
Boston and Los Angeles, USA

Another classic match-up between two familiar finalists: the LA Lakers and Boston Celtics have over half the total NBA Championship titles between them. Including this years' series, they will have contested the Final ten times (including LA's spell in Mineappolis). The last time they did so was in 2008 when Boston came away with the Larry O'Brien trophy after winning 4-2. Matches start at 9pm EDT (UTC-4), apart from the June 6 and 13 games which are at 8pm. ABC and TCN have North American broadcast rights.
http://www.nba.com

Soccer: International friendly matches
June 5 - June 9
Worldwide

Fifty six international friendlies take place over a twelve day period as teams participating in the FIFA World Cup, June 11 - July 11, make final preparations and adjustments for the tournament. Though each of the World Cup's 32 participating nations submitted their 23-man squads by June 1, these friendly matches and any injuries sustained during them can still have an impact on last minute team selections.
Fixtures calendar: http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/results/male.html

Ice Hockey: Stanley Cup Finals
June 6, 9, 11
Chicago and Philadelphia, USA

A seven game series decides whether the Chicao Blackhawks or Philadelphia Flyers will become the 2009/10 NHL all-conference champions. Home advantage goes to the Blackhawks for fifth and seventh games of the series (June 6 & 11), should it take that long for four victories to be gained. CBC and RDS carry the Canadian broadcasts, while NBC and Versus share the United States' coverage. ESPN America is among those showing the games outside of North America.
http://www.nhl.com

World Series of Poker
Until July 17
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Despite a panopoly of WSOP-authorised tournaments throughout the year, this is the real deal, with a huge variety of poker rule sets in force for the world's best, luckiest, and most stubborn players to test their mettle against each other for a slice of the pie. The tournament culminates in the twelve day No-Limit Hold'em Championship starting on July 5, before a three month break when the top 9 players will reconvene in November for the Final Table.
http://www.wsop.com

FIFA World Cup 2010
June 11-July 11
South Africa

32 teams from around the globe, and their travelling support, will set up camp in South African cities for the four week tournament that occurs once every four years. Brazil and Spain must be counted as favorites, currently ranking first and second in FIFA's World Rankings, and while European nations account for 13 of the competing sides, Africa itself is the next best represented region. Half a million match tickets were held back for this, the final ticketing phase that started on April 15 and runs until the Final on July 11, should any remain unsold for that long. Prices range from $80 (€65) for Category 3 seating in group matches to $900 (€730) for Category 1 tickets for the final. There are discounts available for wheelchair users, South African residents, and there are also Team Specific Tickets that enable holders to follow a team of their choice throughout the tournament.
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup

European Tree Climbing Championship
June 12-13
Nr. Prague, Czech Republic

Top tree climbers from around Europe flock to the forested Pruhonice Park in the continental championships that also act as qualifier for the International Championship , the 'world cup' of tree climbing, in Illinois, July 24-25. As well as speed climbs and rope climbs, there are points up for grabs as contestants show off their technique in more task-oriented categories such as the Aerial Rescue.
http://www.eurotcc.org

Motorsports: 24 Hours of Le Mans
June 12
Le Mans, France

The 78th Grand Prix of Endurance will see competitors from Peugeot, Audi, Aston Martin, BMW, Corvette, Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, Ford and Jaguar join the prestigious rally, which is the world's oldest. The Le Mans Classic also takes place June 11-13, and Le Mans Legend is June 9-12. Tickets to the main event are from €65 for the weekend, with a Pitwalk Pass available at €470.
http://www.lemans.org

Formula One: Canadian GP
June 13
Montreal, Canada

Eighth in the nineteen race season, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve welcomes the swift and stylish of Formula One for the 27th time after its brief absence from the calendar in 2009. General admission on race day is from $75 CAD (€58), Grandstand tickets from $225 (€173).
http://www.formula1.com or http://www.circuitgillesvilleneuve.ca

Water sports: Mediterranean Freediving World Cup
June 14-20
Kalamata, Greece

The 3rd Mediterranean World Cup Competition, accredited by the AIDA governing body, is a five-day event that welcomes contestants to go the distance in three disciplines: Constant Weight (CWT), Constant Weight without fins (CNF), and Free Immersion (FIM). Thanks to AIDA's support, competing divers are also eligible for world record status should their performance merit it.
http://www.freediving-club.gr

Horse racing: Royal Ascot
June 15-19
Ascot, England

One of the world's most well-known events in horse racing, the meeting at Royal Ascot is as much social and fashion event as it is sporting. As is tradition, the Queen arrives in a horse-drawn carriage for each day of the festival. Ticketholders for the Grandstand are subject to a formal dress code in keeping with Royal Ascot's reputation for the smart and stylish. Grandstand admission is £56 at the start of the week rising to £66 for the end (€66-€77). Similarly, Silver Ring tickets are £17 to £22 (€20-€26) but sell out fast. Group discounts are available.
http://www.ascot.co.uk

Golf: US Open
June 17-20
Pebble Beach, California, USA

Being part of the year's schedule for both the PGA Tour and European Tour, and the second of four major championships, the US Open attracts plenty of attention due to the prestigious nature of the players granted automatic entry. The last ten US Open champions are guaranteed an invite, as are the last five from the Masters, British Open, and PGA Championship, among others. Tickets are selling out and range from $110 for grounds access up to $175 for pavilion access.
http://www.usopen.com

MotoGP: British Grand Prix
June 20
Silverstone, UK

The 2010 season gathers steam at Britain's historic circuit, and this is race is the first in a five year deal with the MotoGP that saw the addition of a new infield section to the track. Sunday tickets start at £55 (€65), and there are options for more enviable views at £85 and £105 (€105, €125).
http://www.silverstone.co.uk or http://www.motogp.com

Tennis: The Championship (Wimbledon)
June 21 - July 4
Wimbledon, UK

Though the ballot for public tickets closed in December 2009, and the majority of tickets therefore already allocated, the All England Lawn Tennis Club state that around 6,000 ground passes are available per day, and 500 for the Centre, No.1 and No.2 courts. Those who manage to snag a ground pass but not a seat gather on Aorangi Terrace, known as 'Henman Hill', to watch on a huge television screen placed adjacent to No. 1 Court and join the cheers and celebrations from there. Ticket payments are to be made in cash only: ground passes cost between £8 and £20, while court passes are between £34 and £85, depending on the day. Centre court tickets for the last four days of play (Jul 1-4) will not be available for purchase at the turnstiles.
http://www.wimbledon.org

Golf: Arctic Open
June 24-26
Akureyri, Iceland

Held at the world's most northern golf course at the Akureyri Golf Club, this tournament is scheduled at a time of year when the sun hardly dips below the horizon - though round times are a little more restrained with tee-offs at 4pm. While the Club have links with travel agents in the USA and northern Europe, there are also more locally based travel agents happy to organise tours of the country's arresting scenery for those looking for a pre-tournament jaunt. Entry to the Arctic Open costs $385, including the opening reception and closing dinner.
http://www.arcticopen.is