South Dakota Beats Out Mexico City to Host Archery’s 2015 World Youth Championships

The NFAA Easton Yankton Archery Centre was unanimously awarded the right to host the 2015 World Youth Championships by World Archery’s Executive Board in May.

The bid, buy submitted by the National Field Archery Association Foundation, physician met all the Executive Board’s stringent criteria, designed to select the most suitable host for a World Archery Youth Championships.

The South Dakota-situated venue impressed the group enough that they voted unanimously in favour of the NFAA Easton Yankton Archery Centre as hosts of the 2015 event, to run from 8-14 June. Mexico City was among the other locations considered.

An estimated 600 competitors from 60 countries are expected at the event, supported by a similar number of team management and family. The tournament schedule will include an official practice period, three days of qualification and eliminations – and two days of spectator finals.

The NFAA Easton Archery Centre in Yankton was one of the first Easton Centres to be built, and is a Partner centre of the Easton Foundation as well as home to the National Field Archery Association headquarters.

National Field Archery Association President Mr Bruce Cull said: “As the home of the NFAA, Yankton is a centrepiece for archery in the United States. By bringing the young generation of international archers to the Centre, we not only have the chance to give them a great event but display our world-class venue and City to competitors from around the globe.”

World Archery Secretary General Mr Tom Dielensaid: “Yankton 2015 is the next in a series of World Archery events we’ve successfully partnered with the National Field Archery Association Foundation board and staff to deliver. Bruce CULL and his team stage the popular and growing final of the Indoor Archery World Cup at their Las Vegas Shoot, and held the 2012 World Archery Indoor Championships in the same city. I’m wholly confident that these 2015 youth championships will run to the same high level, in one of the most impressive archery facilities in the world.”

2.3 Million Tickets Made Available for Rugby World Cup 2015

Rugby World Cup 2015 organisers have revealed around 2.3 million tickets will be available for the tournament in England.

Tickets for some matches will start from as little as £15 for adults and £7 for children, herbal with the event scheduled to begin on Friday 18 September 2015 at Twickenham. 

Forty one of the 48 games will have child tickets at £7. In contrast, the top-price ticket at the final will cost £715.

The first lot of around 500,000 tickets will be distributed through clubs affiliated to the RFU in May 2014 and will include those for the final.

The general sale launch begins in September, with a ballot system in place for oversubscribed matches.

Any unsold tickets will then be made available through Ticketmaster from December.

The two semi-finals will be staged at Twickenham over the weekend of 24 and 25 October, both starting at 5pm.

The 48th and final contest of the tournament also takes place at the historic west London venue on Saturday 31 October at the same time.

“Our key priority is ensuring we give the teams a balanced and equitable schedule which we believe we have achieved,” said England 2015 chief executive Debbie Jevans.

“We have consulted with all our transport providers, our venues and host cities and we feel that we have put together a schedule that takes into account all of the needs of our stakeholders.

“Now that fans have the final piece of the jigsaw, they can start to plan their tournament, be it in stadia or watching from home, and make this a truly memorable celebration of rugby.”

IRB Chief Executive Brett Gosper added: “This announcement represents a fantastic opportunity for fans around the world to experience what promises to be a very special Rugby World Cup. It is the day that they can start to plan. There are affordable and accessible options to suit every need.”

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Bulova Unveils New Marketing Campaign for Manchester United Partnership

Watch manufacturer Bulova have activated their partnership with Manchester United by launching a new global marketing campaign around the Premier League champions.

Bulova was named as the club’s Official Timekeeper and Global Partner earlier this year.

The multi-million dollar integrated campaign, prostate rolling out now in Asia, medic Europe, North America, South America and Australia, features a high-impact mix of global television and radio spots, as well as digital, out of home, point-of-sale and print ads in key lifestyle, sports and men’s books. Print advertising will highlight current Manchester United players such as Wayne Rooney, Shinji Kagawa and Javier Hernandez, to run in international publications now and throughout 2014.

“Bulova’s partnership with Manchester United is a tremendous opportunity to grow our brand internationally,” said Eric Hofmann, VP of Marketing, Bulova Corporation. “When searching for a partner that truly resonated on a global scale, we recognized Manchester United as a perfect fit, and anticipate that consumers will be just as excited as we are to see us come together to celebrate precision, innovation and craftsmanship, all driving principles for both brands.”

The campaign includes a robust online presence and social media strategy along with targeted public relations efforts. These marketing endeavors complement the appearance of retired Manchester United legends at select consumer and trade events, such as Baselworld in March 2014, as well as Bulova branding on the club’s scoreboards at Old Trafford stadium, on the stadium’s digital advertising boards during all Premier League home matches and via daily commercials on Manchester United Television (MUTV).

As part of the campaign, Bulova will gift all Manchester United players and coaches with custom co-branded and engraved timepieces in 2014. 

MotoGP Begins with a Bang with New Audience Surge

The opening race of the 2013 MotoGP season saw major audiences figures for a number of broadcasts.

Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo won the race in Qatar, capsule followed by teammate Valentino Rossi and Repsol Honda Team rookie Marc Márquez.

Spanish TV saw its Tele5 broadcast increase by a whopping 44.6% over last year’s audience for the race with 4.5 million viewers, with a peak of 5.2 million, taking a 25.2% of the country’s audience share. Meanwhile, Italian television, bolstered by the highly anticipated return of Valentino Rossi on his beloved Yamaha M1, saw audiences go up to 5.28 million – peaking up to 6.63 million – for the race under the floodlights with a 17.5% broadcast share.

Cal Crutchlow’s early pre-season form looked to have triggered a humungous increase in British audiences, as nearly 75% more people tuned in over the previous year, with 1.7 million viewers witnessing the action, during which figures peaked at 2 million. Germany turned up in force once again as well, as 410,000 MotoGP fans saw their local hero Stefan Bradl unfortunately crash out after the tough battle with nine-time world champion Rossi.

In addition to the regular TV broadcast, the MotoGP season-opener was also available on over 40 planes featuring Sport24, the 24/7 live sports channel produced and distributed by IMG Media exclusively for the in-flight and in-ship markets, bringing MotoGP Live coverage to selected flights operated by Gulf Air, Lufthansa, Emirates & Turkish Airlines.

Dunes Golf Club & Grande Dunes Resort Club to Host 2014 PGA Professional National Championship

The Dunes Golf & Beach Club of Myrtle Beach, S.C., the historic jewel among the famed 60-mile “Grand Strand” in the Palmetto State, will be joined by the popular Grande Dunes Resort Club as co-hosts of the 47th PGA Professional National Championship presented by Club Car, Mercedes-Benz and OMEGA, June 22-25, 2014.

It marks the second visit to South Carolina by The PGA of America’s showcase event for PGA Professionals.

The Championship will bring a field of 312 to Myrtle Beach, acclaimed as “the Golf Capital of the World” for its roster of 120 golf courses. The PGA Professional National Championship was last conducted in South Carolina in 2005 at The Ocean Course in Kiawah Island.

“The PGA of America is very proud to be taking our National Championship in 2014 to Myrtle Beach, a resort destination that has embraced the game of golf unlike few other sites in the world,” said PGA of America President Ted Bishop. “The Dunes Golf & Beach Club and Grande Dunes are outstanding venues to test our best-playing PGA Professionals. When you think about the history of golf in Myrtle Beach and how many members of our Association made an impact upon that region, you could not ask for a better setting for this Championship.”

Designed in 1948 by legendary Robert Trent Jones Sr., the Dunes Golf & Beach Club will serve as the primary host course in the National Championship, including the final 36 holes. All contestants will compete the first two rounds on The Dunes and Grande Dunes Resort Club.

The site of the Senior Tour Championship from 1994-1999, The Dunes also has hosted the final stage of the 1973 PGA Tour Qualifying School that yielded such golfers as Ben Crenshaw, Gary McCord and Gil Morgan.

The Dunes Golf & Beach Club is ranked among “America’s Greatest 100 Public Courses” by Golf Digest and Golfweek, and Golf Digest’s“Best in State.” It is listed by GOLF Magazine among “The Best You Can Play” 100 courses in the U.S. The par-72 Dunes Golf & Beach Club extends to 7,195 yards and the only layout in Myrtle Beach with ocean views. Prior to the 2014 National Championship, Rees Jones, son of the late Robert Trent Jones Sr., will lead renovations that include converting green surfaces from bentgrass to Champion Bermudagrass, and modifying tees and bunkers.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to welcome the country’s most skilled club professionals for their most prestigious annual event,” said Dunes Club PGA head professional Dennis Nicholl. “We have been fortunate to host a number of high-level professional and amateur golf tournaments in the past and are excited to serve The PGA of America.”

Caterham Get 50% Stake in F1 Engine Supplier Renault

Caterham and its Formula One engine supplier Renault have joined forces to design develop and build future sports road going sports cars.

This agreement reflects a similar passion and expertise in sports and motorsports vehicles.

The future vehicles will be distinctive, differentiated, and carry the respective DNA of Alpine and Caterham Cars, the automotive division of Caterham Group. They will be built at the Alpine plant in Dieppe, Normandy, in France.

Caterham Group will own 50% stake in the Automobiles Alpine Renault company, currently 100% held by Renault SAS. The Societe des Automobiles Alpine Caterham, which will be resulting from this partnership, shall be created in January 2013. It will be managed by Bernard Ollivier

This project, which ensures the Dieppe Plant a sustainable future, was made possible thanks to the incentive and to the substantial support and commitment provided by the French State and the Région Haute Normandie which also involved the contribution of Dieppe Maritime.

“I have not felt as excited about a new venture since I launched AirAsia in 2001 and I want to thank Carlos Ghosn and Carlos Tavares and everyone in our new Renault family for having the belief in Caterham Group to create this partnership,” said Malaysian entrepreneur Fernandes.

He added at a press conference: “If you look at Formula One, there’s only Ferrari and McLaren, which are extremely expensive. We’ll produce a car that many more people can afford with F1 technology.”

Carlos Ghosn – Chairman and CEO of Renault: “This innovative partnership with Caterham embodies a long standing ambition, the creation of a sports car with the Alpine DNA. It carries both opportunities for the Dieppe plant and the development of its historic know-how.”

Carlos Tavares – COO Renault, said: “Our ambitions of reviving Alpine depended on our ability to find a partner in order to ensure the economic profitability of such an adventure. Right from the start, we wanted to place the Dieppe plant at the heart of the project. Today, through our partnership with Caterham Group, we can enter a new phase,  the design of a vehicle that will embody the very essence of Alpine, a vehicle that will rekindle sporting passion once more. It could become a reality within the next three or four years.”

Kamarudin Meranun – Caterham Group Deputy Chairman, added: “Formula 1 was always our entry point into the car business. Our original plans to develop a partnership with Lotus were put aside in spectacular and well documented style, but now we have a far better chance to develop Caterham Cars in partnership with Renault, working with Caterham Technology who are also integrally involved in this new venture. Our F1 team has already been working successfully with Renault Sport F1 since the start of the 2011 F1 season and I am thrilled that now we are adding to our track partnership by joining forces with Renault on the road. Together with Renault we have now created an opportunity for Caterham Cars to grow into the next stage of its development from a very well respected niche brand into a serious player on the global motoring map.“

Bernard Ollivier – CEO of Societe des Automobiles Alpine Caterham, commented:
“I’m very proud of the trust placed in me by both shareholders. The road map for each car is clear and simple, respect the DNA of both Alpine and Caterham Cars. With the passion and expertise of the staff dedicated to this project, we are sure of meeting this aim.”

Lebanon to Host FIBA Asia Qualifying Event

Lebanon have been awarded the FIBA 2013 edition of the biennial meet which serves as the regional qualifier for the 2014 World Championship beating competition from Philippines.

FIBA Asia secretary general Hagop Khajirian, and a Lebanese, thumb said the Philippines would be on line to get the 2013 hosting rights should Lebanon later declare it’s not ready to stage the event as it did in 2011.

It’s a sad news for the Philippine cage officials who thought they were able to make a good case for the country in a 20-minute audio-visual presentation before the FIBA Asia executive board.

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Manny V. Pangilinan, executive director Sonny Barrios, former ABC secretary general Mauricio Martelino and PBA commissioner Chito Salud made the presentation for the Philippines.

Pangilinan and Salud were already with the national team making a courtesy call on Ambassador Manolo Lopez in the Philippine Embassy when they heard of FIBA Asia’s decision.

Dirty politics might have come into play with Lebanon looking so confident, sending only star player Fadi El-Khatib to present their bid.

“I think I covered everything,” said El-Khatib, in casual wear, after his presentation.

The Philippines was the first to present, and Filipino officials were of the impression that they would get the nod of the board.

“They’re very friendly and they’re all very open. Their only question was the schedule. We said we’re flexible,” Pangilinan said.

The PBA commissioner assured the group that the PBA would free up its schedule the whole months of August and September.

In the end, the board chose to bring the event Lebanon.

Indian Businesses Show SLPL Interest

Indian businesses bought all seven Sri Lanka Premier League franchises in the recent auction.

Wadhawan Holdings bid US $5M for the Wayamba Wolves and Number One Sports Consulting offered US $5M for the Kandurata Kites.

The Uva Unicorns and Ruhuna Rhinos went to Success Sports and Pearl Overseas respectively for US $4.6M Indian Cricket Dundee bought the Basnahira Bears were bought for US $4.3M.

The Uthura Oryxes at $3.4M went to Rudra Sports and Varun Beverages spent US $3.2M on the Nagenahira Nagas.

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UEFA Financial Fair Play Chairman to Speak at Leaders Debate

The chairman of UEFA’s Financial Fair Play Control Panel, Jean-Luc Dehaene, will participate in a discussion about football finances at the fourth annual Leaders in Football conference later this year.

Dehaene, the former Belgian Prime Minister, has been labelled by UEFA president Michel Platini as the man in charge of the economic destiny of European football, as the Financial Fair Play system is to be phased in over the next three years.

Dehaene joins several big name signings for Leaders in Football, with Football Association chairman David Bernstein and Greg Clarke, chairman of the Football League, having been confirmed as speakers in recent weeks alongside FIFA Executive Committee members Dr Michel D’Hooghe and Jim Boyce.

Leaders in Football will take place within the Leaders Sports Summit, which brings together five leading conferences including Sponsorship, Digital Sport, Performance and the business of Horse Racing, over two days on October 5-6 at Stamford Bridge, the home of Barclays Premier League soccer club Chelsea.

Neptunus Awarded Contract for London ’12 Hospitality Venue

Temporary structures specialist Neptunus has announced that it has been awarded a major contract by Prestige Ticketing to supply a corporate hospitality venue for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Neptunus structures will provide 11,500 square metres of space over three floors with an impressive three-storey high glass atrium entrance and construction of the 3,000 capacity venue in the Olympic Park will begin early next year.

The hospitality venue will be situated only metres from the Olympic Stadium and Prestige Ticketing’s operations director, Sue Creed said: “We were impressed by Neptunus’ ability to meet LOCOG’s stringent sustainability policy, in the design and construction of their structures, as well as deliver the project at a competitive price.”

Neptunus has provided structures for high profile events including The Wimbledon Tennis Championships, Royal Ascot, Twickenham and Masterpiece Fair, London.

April Trasler, UK managing director at Neptunus, added: “We are delighted to have won such a major contract and look forward to being part of a world renowned event. 

“It is testament to the hard work that goes in to continually developing our product portfolio and ensuring it meets changing industry needs.

“Our structures are designed with modern recyclable components which means that at the end of any hire period the equipment is checked, cleaned and returned to our hire stock for the next use, providing a highly sustainable solution.”