Fast Track, no rx an International sports agency, sample pills has been selected by the European Tour to develop and execute the marketing communications programme for The EurAsia Cup.

The competition is a new team matchplay golf tournament that pits Europe’s leading golfers against the best players Asia has to offer.

Fast Track, part of the CSM Sport & Entertainment group, which has enjoyed a series of golf business wins recently in Asia that includes the Venetian Macau Open, Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, Indonesia Open and Thailand Golf Championship, will be tasked to raise awareness of the biennial event in the build-up to and throughout the tournament.

Scheduled for March 28-30, 2014, the inaugural EurAsia Cup will take place at the Glenmarie Golf & Country Club in Malaysia. DRB-HICOM, which is one of Malaysia’s largest conglomerates with businesses in the automotive, services, and property, asset and construction sectors, is making a significant mark in the world of golf through its support of the inaugural tournament, which is styled after The Presidents Cup.

Tim Hunt, European Tour Marketing Communications Director, said: “Fast Track is recognised internationally as a top sports marketing agency and has an impressive list of golf tournaments in its growing portfolio, particularly in Asia. They are the ideal partner for us to ensure the EurAsia Cup is inaugurated with a bang across the globe.”

Dan Parr, Director at Fast Track Asia thrilled with the appointment: “Fast Track Asia has rapidly built a very strong reputation for excellence across the region.  We’ve grown from two people in 2010 to 14 today, with a broad client base across a number of sports and brands.  Our appointment on the EurAsia Cup is a huge win for the business and will involve our Fast Track offices in Hong Kong, London and Abu Dhabi delivering a full, international campaign for one of the most exciting new events to come onto the international golf calendar for some time.  We are thrilled to be involved and look forward to bringing our extensive golf expertise to the event and making it huge success.”

Fast Track’s Asian operations opened in Hong Kong in November 2010. Over the past three years, Fast Track Hong Kong has worked with some of the biggest players in the sports industry and boasts of clients such as HSBC, Ballantine’s, adidas, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, Land Rover and Vibram.

South African Rugby Union (SARU) President Oregan Hoskins is adamant Super Rugby must have six South African clubs from 2016 or it will ‘look north’.

“If we don’t have six teams, we might as well shut doors,” Hoskins was quoted as saying by the South African Press Association and the Pretoria News in probably the strongest comments yet that SARU is willing to break up the 17-year-old southern hemisphere agreement that has been in place since rugby became openly professional.

South Africa was forced to relegate one of its teams in favour of another in 2012 after SANZAR, which sanctions international rugby in South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, refused to expand the three-nation, 15-team Super Rugby competition. All three countries have five clubs in Super Rugby.

That opened up SARU to fierce criticism at home when it dropped the Johannesburg-based Lions at the last minute after promising the new Port Elizabeth-based Southern Kings a Super Rugby place for 2013 without any guarantee of an expansion from SANZAR. The Kings lost a promotion-relegation playoff with the Lions at the end of this season, with the teams changing places again for next year.

Hoskins said South Africa won’t accept anything less than six teams when a new deal and a restructured format is expected after the 2015 season.

“As far as I am concerned, it is not even an issue for us, it is six or nothing when the new broadcast deal comes into effect,” Hoskins told SAPA and the Pretoria newspaper on Monday. 

“People didn’t believe us when we said how serious it was until we had to forsake one of our provinces out of the Super Rugby,” the SARU president said. “We have to do everything it takes to ensure our teams play in whatever competition. If it is not SANZAR then we have to look north.”

South Africa hinted at breaking away from New Zealand and Australia in 2009, when negotiations began on the current five-year TV rights deal starting in 2011. For the new 15th club, an arbitrator was needed to choose the Melbourne Rebels to satisfy Australian TV rights over a stronger bid from the Southern Kings.

Hoskins’ threat could carry more impact this time with developments in the northern hemisphere, where English and French clubs are leading efforts to leave the European Heineken Cup competition and form another tournament. Welsh clubs last week backed the move.

Hoskins also said South Africa brought more money to Super Rugby than its southern hemisphere partners, therefore enforcing its worth.

“South Africa is the partner and the brand which is the biggest in the southern hemisphere in terms of commercial value, brand value, bums on seats, television viewership, the number of players we have, et cetera,” Hoskins said. “So I am hoping that we are being accommodated within SANZAR. We are being told that we are being accommodated.”

Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd has secured a deal with MotoGP rights holder Dorna Sports SL to supply YZR-M1 engines on an annual lease basis to teams participating in the MotoGP Championship.

Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd announced on Saturday at Doha, ahead of the Commercial Bank Grand Prix of Qatar qualifying sessions, they would offer an engine lease supply for teams competing in the MotoGP World Championship, in an effort to increase the options of competitive engines in the premier class.

The agreement comes as a result of Yamaha’s work with Dorna and the sport’s governing body, the FIM, to further promote the MotoGP World Championship; the Japanese manufacturer engine lease program will initially operate for the 2014, 15 and 16 seasons.

 

Sir Nick Faldo will expand his golf development efforts in the Middle East with the launch of a new Faldo Series tournament in the United Arab Emirates. 

The Middle East Championship will be held at the Al Ain Equestrian, viagra Shooting and Golf Club in Abu Dhabi for the next three years, starting this year on April 17-18.

“We look forward to bringing the Faldo Series to Abu Dhabi for the first time and to continue giving opportunity to golfers across the Middle East,” said Faldo. “I thank Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Golf Club for sharing our vision and also the Emirates Golf Federation for its support.”

“We are delighted to have been chosen as the Middle East venue to host the Faldo Series,” said Michaela Forrester, Golf Manager of Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club. “We look forward to welcoming talented young golfers from the UAE and neighbouring countries to Al Ain in April.”

“It is fantastic that Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club have decided to host the prestigious Faldo Series tournament for the next three years,” added Khalid Mubarak, Secretary General of the Emirates Golf Federation.  “It is very much in line with our mandate to provide opportunities for young golfers in the UAE to learn more about golf and play in the top competitions against the best golfers in the region.”

Supported by The R&A, ISPS and the European Tour, talented golfers aged 12 to 21 will compete over 36 holes for the Faldo Series Middle East Championship at the Al Ain Golf Club on April 17-18.

Chicago Bulls point guard, Derrick Rose has entered the business world by becoming the new equity owner for Giordano’s pizza.

Beginning this month, Rose will appear in ads and promotions and at charitable event on behalf of the chain, which was acquired late last year by Chicago-based private equity firm Victory Park Capital Advisors LLC, led by Richard Levy. 

“I’ve grown up with my family eating Giordano’s pizza,” the Bulls point guard said in a press release. “I’ve always loved Giordano’s, so this was a uniquely personal opportunity for me.

“I’m working right now on my own signature pizza that we plan to introduce very soon. I’m actually pretty good in the kitchen,” Rose added.

Giordano’s has enlisted Rose as it begins rebuilding, including adding menu items, after a contentious period that included a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing and lawsuits among members of the family that owned the chain, claiming malfeasance.

The ICC board failed to after the ICC Board failed to ratify the universal mandatotry application of the Direct Review System (costs permitting) following India’s opposition .

The matter was discussed at the ICC’s executive board meeting, but was not put to a vote even though most member nations appeared to support the mandatory DRS.

The DRS will continue to be used in mutually-agreed arrangements in bilateral series.

The CEC had said it was pleased with the developments of DRS in its fourth year , which included new ‘hot spot’ cameras as well as independent ball-tracking research. {jcomments on}

Michel Platini has spoken back after the threat of a breakaway European Soccer League. ‘What they suggest is impossible’, ‘if they go ahead with it they will be thrown out’.

The possibility of a breakaway European Super League emerged again last week from members of AC Milan and Bayern Munich  and also by the European Club Association (ECA) after they voiced their anger at match scheduling and revenue sharing.

The ECA wants the issues addressed before its current deal with FIFA and UEFA expires in 2014. After this date clubs will no longer be legally bound to compete in the Champions League or release their players to compete in internationals.

Last week, AC Milan’s Umberto Gandini, an ECA Board member, was quoted as saying that players may have to choose between club and country in future.

“We are the ones who invest the money, we are the ones who develop the players, we are the ones who give the players a reason to play,” Gandini, a director of Serie A champion AC Milan, told Bloomberg.

“Without the clubs, what do you think they are going to do?”

Two FIFA Executive Committee members have been unveiled as speakers at the Leaders in Football conference later this year.

Dr Michel D’Hooghe and Jim Boyce will participate in a session entitled “Where now for the global game?”

D’Hooghe is Belgium’s Committee member, having held the role for many years. He is highly respected within the industry, holding the position of honorary president of the Belgian Football Association. Boyce is honorary president of the Irish Football Association and recently replaced Englishman Geoff Thompson on the Executive Committee.

David Davies, former Football Association executive director, will moderate the Q&A session. D’Hooghe and Boyce will be joined by Football Association chairman David Bernstein, who has confirmed he will be giving a one-to-one interview. Leaders recently announced the combination of five leading conferences covering Football, Performance, Sponsorship, Digital Sport and Horse Racing to create the “Leaders” Sports Summit at the home of Barclays Premier League club Chelsea FC on October 5-6.

The Football Association (FA) has increased ticket prices by up to 22 per cent on last year for next month’s FA Cup final, apoplectic the most expensive of which will cost as much as £115 (US$188.2), rather than £95 ($155.5) in 2010.

The cheapest tickets available stand at £45 ($73.6), a £5 ($8.2) increase from last year, while other tickets will be available at £85 ($139.1) and £65 ($106.4).

Both teams that reach the final on 14th May will receive 25,000 tickets each, with the remaining tickets going to members of Club Wembley, organisations affiliated to the FA and volunteers from grassroots football clubs across the country.

This weekend’s semi-finals have matched fierce Manchester rivals United and City together at Wembley on Saturday, before Bolton face Stoke the following day. The winners of each will compete the final in May, with Bolton or Stoke earning a place in the Europa League with victory.

According to media reports, the FA could expect to face criticism for the price hike, with the recession still having a major effect, especially as all four semi-finalists must travel down from the north of England – making the trip all the more expensive for soccer fans.

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has predicted chaos in the capital this weekend, with an army of fans from all four teams traveling to London, as well as the Virgin London Marathon also taking place – with up to 50,000 runners expected to take part, plus spectators.