Ironman has confirmed that it has acquired New Zealand’s largest road race, anesthetist the Auckland Marathon.

The race, abortion which dates back to 1936, attracted more than 16,000 participants last year. The 2014 Auckland Marathon will take place on 2 November.

“Ironman operates several events outside of the popular Ironman and Ironman 70.3 race series in the Asia Pacific region both in triathlon and multisport,” said Geoff Meyer, Chief Executive Officer of Ironman Asia Pacific.

“We are always looking for opportunities to further develop our brand and have been looking to do more in New Zealand. Adding the Auckland Marathon does just that. This is an iconic sporting event that we believe we can help grow and develop further.”

The British Darts Organisation (BDO) has inked a global distribution deal with Pitch International.

The Championship is the longest running tournament of its kind. Held every year since 1978, clinic in its storied history it has featured every single one of the sport’s most famous names, watched by live audiences in their thousands and television audiences in their millions, both in the UK and overseas. 

The BDO’s Chair of the Board of Directors, Sue Williams said: “We believe that this new agreement with the team at Pitch International is an excellent opportunity to grow the distribution of the BDO World Professional Darts Championship around the world. We very much look forward to working with the team at Pitch International.”  

Jonathan Rogers, Managing Director of Pitch International said of the new deal: “We are delighted to be entering into this new partnership with the BDO and look forward to bringing the BDO World Professional Darts Championship to new territories around the world.”

United SportsCar Racing, ampoule the racing series formed by the merger of Grand-Am Road racing and American Le Mans has announced a global strategic agreement with french automobile group ACO.

The first part is a specific licensing agreement that will allow selected competitors in United SportsCar Racing to have entries in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The agreement also allows the use of the name ‘Petit Le Mans’ for the Road Atlanta event. 

The second part is a Strategic Alliance agreement between the ACO and United SportsCar Racing to explore and develop new avenues and horizons for endurance racing together in North America. 

Jim France, GRAND-AM founder and United SportsCar Racing board member, said: “A key component in the unification of the GRAND-AM Rolex Series and the American Le Mans Series was the ability to continue a relationship with Le Mans and the ACO. My family has admired the 24 Hours of Le Mans for decades, and we hold it in the same high regard as the Rolex 24 At Daytona. The opportunity to maintain a link to Le Mans is as important to me as it is to all United SportsCar Racing manufacturers, teams and drivers.” 

Pierre Fillon, President of the ACO, said: “The ACO is delighted through this alliance partnership that goes beyond a simple licensing agreement, to continue our collaboration that started 14 years ago, with Don Panoz and the creation of ALMS, and that has been of great benefit to both partners. This Strategic Alliance will lead to a close collaboration between the ACO and United SportsCar Racing to promote, develop and reinforce endurance racing in North America. Through this global agreement, I am convinced endurance racing will continue to be in safe hands in North America for many years to come.” 

United SportsCar Racing begins its inaugural season in 2014 and while the ACO is the governing body of Le Mans-style racing, United SportsCar Racing remains independent from the ACO’s group of sanctioned series around the globe.

The Great Waterway Classic has been added to the 2013 PGA TOUR Canada schedule.

The event will take place August 19-25 at Upper Canada Golf Course in Morrisburg, viagra order ON.

The Canadian Junior Golf Association (CJGA) will be the host organization conducting the event, there which will see players deep in the race for the five Web.com Tour cards that will be handed out at the end of the season.

“We’re extremely pleased to add The Great Waterway Classic to this year’s schedule, viagra 40mg ” said PGA TOUR Canada President, Jeff Monday. “This tournament is going to showcase some of the great golf in the region, and the players will be spoiled by the area’s activities and scenery.”

Laced together by the sparkling St. Lawrence River, Rideau Canal, Bay of Quinte and Lake Ontario, this stunning region serves up all the ingredients of a perfect golf getaway. On its shores you’ll find fascinating history, quaint villages, inspring art, live theatre and gastronomic delights at every turn. On its waters, enjoy world-class sailing, scuba diving, pristine beaches and leisurely cruises.

“The Great Waterway Tourism Region is pleased to be back for a second year as the title sponsor of The Great Waterway Classic,” said Stephen Paul, Chair of The Great Waterway. “We are excited to be partnering with PGA TOUR Canada and the Canadian Junior Golf Association to produce an event that will highlight our beautiful region and our fabulous golf courses.  This year promises to be even bigger and better and will most definitely be the highlight of the golf season in The Great Waterway.”

As part of the CJGA’s management of the event, a select number of junior golfers will gain entry into the tournament through a series of qualifiers across Canada.

The CJGA operates a competitive development program that focuses on all areas of the sport including clinics, tournaments, mentoring programs with Tour professionals and sending teams to represent the CJGA and Canada in international competition.

“The CJGA is delighted to be involved with The Great Waterway Classic and to be affiliated with the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Canada,” said Brad Parkins, Chief Operations Officer of the CJGA.  “Bringing a first class event to The Great Waterway Region will showcase not only the some of the TOUR’s top players, but it will enable some of the country’s top junior players to gain an invaluable experience during tournament week.”

Kamui Kobayashi is fearing for his Formula One seat after revealing an inability to get sponsors.

Sauber is yet to name its 2013 driver lineup, but Japanese Kobayashi was considered likely to stay because his current teammate, Sergio Perez, is heading to McLaren.

Kobayashi also boosted his chances with an impressive podium at Suzuka last Sunday.

But he admitted in Korea on Thursday: “At the moment I have no sponsors to be here. It’s a very strange feeling.

“Getting a sponsor is very important for the future,” he is quoted by Sapa-AFP news agency.

Kobayashi admitted that having to find sponsorship in order to stay in formula one is a frustrating task for an established driver.

“Driving and thinking about the car is the driver’s job, but now we have to think about sponsors. It’s not what a driver should have to do,” he said.

“I’m a little bit surprised, but I will try to stay in formula one for the next few years.”

The 26-year-old said even his breakthrough podium on home turf in Japan last weekend has not opened the sponsorship floodgates.

“At the moment I have been very busy, but I will need to look (for sponsors),” said Kobayashi. “I really need to think about this. It’s a pity.”

Former Houston Rockets player, medstore Yao Ming and Caron Butler of the L.A. Clippers  Caron Butler will lead campus activities and clinics this weekend as the NBA focuses on earthquake-stricken areas in Sichuan province in the lead up to the China Games this fall.

Butler will work with students at a mini camp at Mount Qingcheng High School in Dujiangyan- a city destroyed in the Wenchuan earthquake in May 2008.

Yao will join Butler on Saturday in Leshan to attend the final of the Yao Foundation Hope Primary basketball season.

Yao and NBA China aim to work with sports authorities to develop a high school coaches training programme, story a basketball training centre in Shanghai for both amateur and professional players, and an annual basketball camp that will focus on developing elite young players. {jcomments on}

There is plenty of enthusiasm for the privatisation of cricket in Sri Lanka, adiposity with a number of potential investors expressing interest in the Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL).

A Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said they have issued 13 bid applications for the seven franchises to date.

“The last date for submitting the bids is June 25, medstore so we could see as many as 15 or 16 applications being bought,” the official said.

The base price for the franchises has been set at $(US) 3 million, far less than $(US) 50 million the IPL set for the first team auction in 2008, but the SLPL franchises are being being leased for seven years, rather than sold outright. After seven years, the franchisees would have to agree new deals.

The deadline to submit bids for the franchises is 2pm on June 25 and the tournament starts on August 10.

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NFL’s Buffalo Bills have reduced their trips north of the border after announcing Tuesday that they won’t be playing their scheduled preseason “home” game at Toronto this summer.

The game will instead be played at Orchard Park as a result of what the team described as “scheduling conflicts” at Toronto’s downtown Rogers Centre. It was unclear what the conflicts are.

It was supposed to be the third and final preseason game the Bills were scheduled to play in Toronto as part of a five-year, $78 million agreement the team reached with Toronto-based Rogers Communication in 2008. The deal, which expires after this year, was supposed to include three preseason games and five annual regular-season games.

In announcing the preseason game being switched, the Bills said they will still play their annual regular-season game at Toronto this year. The date and opponent of that game will be determined once the NFL releases its schedule in the next two months.

Bills CEO Russ Brandon said the team is in negotiations with Rogers to extend the series beyond this year.

“Our core goal is to continue to regionalize our franchise and continue our series in Toronto, which has served us so well,” Brandon said. “We will provide more information once terms are finalized.”

Bills owner Ralph Wilson told The Associated Press in December that he was optimistic the deal would be renewed.

The Bills also announced Tuesday that there will be no increase to their season-ticket prices, and have dropped prices for certain sections by as much as $15 per seat for the upcoming season.

by Ismail Uddin