World Curling Federation Appoints Hosts for Four Events in 2014-15

The World Curling Federation (WCF) has announced the hosts for a number of events during 2014-15.

The events World Junior Curling Championships, viagra usa European Junior Curling Challenge, cialis European Mixed Curling Championship and World Wheelchair Curling Qualification Event for the 2014-15 curling season. 

Tallinn, ampoule Estonia will host their first World Championship when they welcome the world’s best junior men’s and women’s teams for the World Junior Curling Championships between 28 February and 8 March 2015. 

One men’s and one women’s team will qualify for that event from the European Junior Curling Challenge, with Prague in the Czech Republic confirmed as hosts for the event taking place between 3-8 January 2015. 

Denmark will welcome the world of curling back to Taarnby Curling Club for the European Mixed Curling Championship which will be held from 13-20 September 2014. This is an open invitation event for mixed gender curling teams consisting of two male and two female athletes. 

The World Wheelchair Curling Qualification Event will be hosted by Lillehammer in Norway from 1-6 November 2014. This event sees the top two teams qualify for the World Wheelchair Curling Championship in 2015 which will take place in Lohja, Finland in February. 

The announcements were made following the WCF’s Executive Board meetings which were held at the CPT World Men’s Curling Championship 2014 which are currently taking place in Beijing, China until the sixth of April. 

Speaking from Beijing, WCF President Kate Caithness said: “We are excited to be taking our events to these locations and in particular Estonia who will host their first major international curling event and have shown great ambition in recent years by helping develop our sport in Eastern Europe. We are in no doubt that that each of the local organising committees will put on a great show and we look forward to welcoming everyone to these venues next season.” 

Looking towards the World Junior Curling Championships 2015, President of the Estonian Curling Association, Fred Randver, said: “We are honoured that the World Curling Federation has given us our first opportunity to host a World Championship event. Curling has grown considerably since the sport was introduced to our country more than 10 years ago and this Championship will mark a key milestone in the progress we have made. Over the next few months we will be working hard to prepare for these Championships and look forward to welcoming the world to our country next February.” 

Taarnby Curling Club has hosted several World Curling Championship events in the past, most recently the European C-Group in 2013 and the World Senior Curling Championships in 2012. 

Chairman of the Local Organising Committee for the European Mixed Curling Championship, Johannes Jensen, said: “We are delighted that the World Curling Federation has placed its trust in us once again. Following the success of previous World Curling Federation events in our club, we will look to once again put on a fantastic competition for everyone to enjoy.” 

After being awarded the World Wheelchair Curling Qualification Event, Pal Trulsen, General Secretary of the Norwegian Curling Association, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to test out our venue ahead of the Winter Youth Olympic Games which will be taking place in this same curling venue in February 2016.” 

He continued: “In Norway, we are always looking to increase awareness of the various disciplines of curling and this event will give Lillehammer the opportunity to see wheelchair curling shortly after the hugely successful Paralympic Winter Games held in Sochi earlier this year.” 

The Czech Curling Association will host the European Junior Curling Challenge for the sixth time, having held it as recently as 2013. 

On the host award, President of Czech Curling Association, David Šik, said: “We are honoured to be given the opportunity to host the European Junior Curling Challenge again. It is always a wonderful opportunity for Czech curling fans, to see for themselves, some of the best young curlers in Europe and we strongly believe that it will be a successful event. Of course, we would also like to invite fans from around the world to join us in Prague for this event.”

IMG to Represent 49ers Quarterback Colin Kaepernick

National Football League quarterback Colin Kaepernick will have his marketing, sponsorships and endorsements represented by global sports agency, IMG Worldwide.

In the 2011 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers selected Kaepernick in the second round as the 36th overall pick. In the middle of the 2012 season, he filled in for injured starter Alex Smith and later became the full-time starter as the 49ers advanced to the NFL playoffs for the second straight season. After beating the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship Game, Kaepernick led the 49ers to their first Super Bowl appearance since 1994.

“We are extremely pleased to have Colin as a client,” said Sandy Montag, IMG Senior Corporate Vice President and Managing Director of the IMG Clients Division.  “He’s an incredibly talented and athletic quarterback and has quickly become one of the game’s most exciting players.  We believe he will be of great interest to companies that want to be associated with excellence,” Montag concluded.

“I’m very happy to be represented by IMG for the off-the-field business aspect of my career,” Kaepernick said.  “They represent some of the greatest names in sports and I am very happy to be among the iconic talents they work with.”

Kaepernick will be represented by a team under IMG’s Talent Marketing division.

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Gloucester Rugby Reveal Profit for Third Successive Year

Gloucester Rugby has announced the Aviva Premiership team has recorded a financial profit for the third year in a row.

For the period leading up to 30th June, Gloucester had increased both profit and turnover year on year. The club filed its latest set of accounts this week, revealing a pre tax profit of £305,336 against a turnover of £11.6m.

This strong financial performance has been achieved despite significant investment in the playing side of the business.

Gloucester Rugby CEO Stephen Vaughan confirmed: “Our strategy has been around investing in the playing department environment to achieve success on the field of play.

“As a business, that has meant working extremely hard to ensure we have the income to offset the investments being made.

“I would like to think we are proving that our model works, although we are in a competitive environment with rival teams working to different financial models to ourselves.

“It’s fantastic the way that things are moving forward. Director of Rugby, Nigel Davies and his staff are doing a terrific job and are very focused on where they want to take the team.

“Our squad has an impressive look about it with four players in Stuart Lancaster’s Elite Playing Squad, a number of Saxons and Under 20 players and some real talent coming through the ranks from our Academy. We are committed to supporting the playing effort going forward.

In addition, the club have embarked on a number of projects to improve the supporter experience including introducing access control ticketing, upgrades to a number of areas of the stadium and are reviewing and rolling out enhanced food and drink options.

Chairman Ryan Walkinshaw echoed Vaughan’s comments: “Everyone connected with the club has worked terrifically hard over the past few years to help us get where we are today, a professional rugby club that is successful both on and off the field.

“We’ve shown that, with effective leadership and by utilizing good business practices, it is possible to compete at the highest level in English club rugby and still deliver an operating profit.

“This wouldn’t be possible without the hard work of everyone at the club, and also the terrific support we receive from our supporters and also our Partners and Sponsors.

“We’ve gone into this season with a number of new corporate partners on board, including a brand new main sponsor in ADEY Magnaclean, which is a really exciting partnership.”

“We also welcome a number of new partners to the club including Olbas, Stub Hub and Stowford Press. 

“It’s an ongoing challenge and we’ve still a lot of hard work ahead us to establish Gloucester Rugby as one of Europe’s elite clubs. But I’m confident we’ve got the right people on board to embrace that challenge and take us forward.”

Heineken Activates US Open Sponsorship with Heineken House Debut

Heineken, the nation’s leading upscale beer importer, have announced they will debut the Heineken House at the US Open in its 22nd year of sponsorship.

The new installation will provide a unique oasis at the grounds with live screenings of the biggest matches, VIP service, food, entertainment and ice-cold Heineken. Along with the return of the Red Star Cafe and launch of “Crack the US Open,” an innovative interactive digital game, the destination marks Heineken’s return to the tournament and will be the must-see experience at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

“The US Open is one of the world’s premier sporting events and a time to come together to celebrate world-class tennis.  I can’t wait to unveil my awesome creations to fans during the first year of the Heineken House,” said Tyler Kord, Chef/Owner, No. 7 Sub. “The new panini and sandwich are even more delicious with a cold Heineken in hand, as fans enjoy the tennis and eat and drink with friends.”

Fans can engage with Heineken through numerous contests and giveaways, as well as a first-of-its-kind interactive photo hunt on Instagram, “Crack the US Open.” Resourceful and clever fans will be rewarded with a chance to win tickets to the US Open Men’s Final, as they hunt for photos that provide clues to hidden tickets.  Users 21 or older can visit @Crack_the_US _Open on Instagram and flip their phone to scroll through a giant panoramic view of a stadium to begin the hunt, starting September 3.

“The experience for fans at the US Open should be unforgettable, as they enjoy the energy and excitement of watching the world’s finest tennis players in the spotlight,” said Pattie Falch, Brand Director, Sponsorships & Event Marketing, Heineken USA. “We’re thrilled to debut the Heineken House at the US Open and have created premium experiences both on-site and online to engage fans in new and different ways.” 

Wrigley Field Renovation Plans Approved

Chicago Cubs’ Wrigley Field is set to be renovated after the City Council approved a $500 million redevelopment of the historic ballpark, according to a report from the Associated Press. 

The upgrades will include a 5,700-square-foot electronic Jumbotron, improved facilities for the 99-year-old park and a hotel across the street. The Jumbotron, which will be located in left field above the ivy-covered walls, will be approximately three times the size of the manual scoreboard currently situated in center field.

The team, which was bought by the Ricketts family in 2009, had initially sought funding for the project from the public but after that plan failed, the front office decided that the franchise would fund the entire renovation on its own. An additional large advertising sign to be placed in left field will help generate revenue to pay for the project, said the report.

According to the Chicago Tribune, “The owners plan to spend $300 million for renovations to the historic ballpark and an additional $200 million on neighborhood development including the hotel at Clark and Addison streets.”

On Tuesday, a day before the city council cast the final vote, Chicago’s zoning board had also approved the $500 million plan. 

The park has been standing since 1914, and the Cubs have been playing at Wrigley for the past 97 years.

Brand expert and director for brandRapport, Nigel Currie highlighted the unique history of the stadium and said the stadium should have been developed earlier.

Speaking exclusively to iSportconnect, Currie said: “It’s an overdue development for this legendary stadium.  Wrigley Field is reported to be the first Stadium in the world to use a commercial brand as its name.

“There were a couple of other (corporate) examples before this but Wrigley was the first FMCG brand used and it became fairly commonplace in the USA after that.”

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LPGA Returns to North Texas for First time in 20 Years

The LPGA have announced its return to a region rich in golf history with the announcement of the North Texas LPGA Shootout, there to be held April 25 to 28, therapy 2013 at Las Colinas Country Club in Irving, Texas.

The tournament is the Tour’s first in the North Texas region in more than 20 years, though the LPGA last made headlines in the area when LPGA and World Golf Halls of Fame member Annika Sorenstam teed it up at the PGA TOUR’s Colonial Invitational in 2003.

The North Texas LPGA Shootout will also provide a unique opportunity for amateur players in the area to earn spots in the field through qualifying. Tournament exemptions will be awarded to the winners of a high school and collegiate “shootout” played in advance of the event. More information on the format of the qualifier will be announced at a later date. Tournament proceeds will benefit The Nexus Club which primarily supports and raises funds for the LPGA-USGA Girls Golf in North Texas.

Many of the LPGA’s current players were junior golf stars in Lone Star state including 2012 Rolex Player of the Year Stacy Lewis, five-time LPGA winner Angela Stanford, 2012 Rolex First-Time Winner Brittany Lang and Katie Futcher.

“I am extremely excited for the opportunity to play in my home state again,” said Stanford, a four-time member of the U.S. Solheim Cup Team and native of Saginaw, Texas. “North Texas is a community with a passionate golf fan base and I know they will love having the Tour in town.”

The $1.3 million North Texas LPGA Shootout will host a full-field of 144 players playing 72 holes of stroke play over four days of competition. The tournament will be the Tour’s first stop in the state of Texas since the 2009 LPGA Tour Championship Presented by Rolex, played outside Houston. It will also mark the Tour’s first stop in North Texas since the 1991 U.S. Women’s Open, won by 2013 U.S. Solheim Cup Team Captain Meg Mallon at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth.

“Irving has a deep history of hosting premier golf events,” said Irving City Manager Tommy Gonzalez. “We roll out the red-carpet and provide athletes the comforts and amenities they need while competing.  On top of that, we also have top-notch facilities that are accustomed to servicing large and passionate groups of sports fans. The LPGA will find Irving convenient, friendly and fun.”

“We are truly thrilled to return to the great state of Texas and to bring the LPGA Tour back to a region where we have a great history and passionate fans,” said LPGA Commissioner Michael Whan. “It makes sense for the LPGA to be in North Texas and we look forward to showing golf fans in the region why it’s different on the LPGA.”

Turner Motorsports Rebranded as Harry Scott Increases Involvement

Harry Scott Jr., longtime minority owner of Turner Motorsports, will expand his involvement with the team, partnering with Steve Turner as co-owner of the newly rebranded Turner Scott Motorsports.

Scott began his involvement with the team as both a minority owner and sponsor in 2009, first partnering with Braun Racing, which was later acquired by Turner Motorsports.

Scott’s decision to increase his stake in the racing organization was driven by his desire to be more involved in the operations of the team. In addition to sharing the duties of overseeing the organization, Scott will manage the team’s marketing, public relations and business development efforts, while Turner will manage the competition side of the multi-series team.

“Harry [Scott Jr.] becoming a co-owner is very positive for this organization as a whole,” said Turner. “This team has grown and accomplished so much in the last few years, and it is still continuing to grow. Harry has been committed to our racing program, its drivers and our sponsors for several years, and he is a vital part of our organization. He is passionate about our sport and our employees, and has proven himself as a very successful businessman, so putting him in charge of our marketing and business efforts is a natural and perfect fit. We have always considered him to be an integral part of the Turner Motorsports family, and this is an opportunity for him to formally take over some of the reins as we continue to build this organization into one of the most successful teams in NASCAR. I am very optimistic that Turner Scott Motorsports will build upon our solid base and achieve continued success.”

The organization, which captured the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) championship in 2012 with James Buescher behind the wheel of the No. 31, has already announced that Buescher, Miguel Paludo and Jeb Burton will all pilot trucks under the Turner Scott Motorsports banner in 2013. In addition to the NCWTS championship, Turner Scott Motorsports tallied seven wins and five pole awards in the Truck Series in 2012. In the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS), the team scored three wins and three pole awards last season. Details regarding the team’s driver and sponsor lineup for the 2013 NNS program are forthcoming.

“I am very excited to be taking on this new role within the organization,” said Scott. “As a Carolina native, NASCAR racing is something that has always been in my blood, and my passion for the sport has only grown since I began my involvement with Steve Turner a few years ago. He has built a very strong organization with incredibly talented people in place, and I can’t thank him enough for the opportunity to be a co-owner of this team. This race team has already experienced so much early success at many different levels, and a lot of that has to do with the fact that everyone here is committed to working together toward a common goal. We are fortunate to have some of the best sponsors, partners and team members in the sport, and I look forward to continuing those relationships, as well as building new ones. I foresee a very bright future for Turner Scott Motorsports.”

Several F1 Teams Receptive to Prospect of Budget Cap

Several Formula One teams have expressed an interest in a budget cap after FIA president, erectile Jean Todt, viagra recently warned  teams could be lost if costs were not reduced by 30 percent over three years.

Talks are ongoing between the governing body and teams to attempt to find a solution and some of the teams are expressing a willigness to agree to a budget cap.

“We for a while have been proposing a budget cap, drugs which we are still convinced about because it will allow everyone to make use of their strengths,” Sauber CEO, Monisha Kaltenborn, said. “It would be a level playing field and everyone could go the way they wanted to, which I think would make the sport very exciting. But we should not start at a level that is even beyond what people are doing right now. Fans want to see competition between teams, and what strategic decision you take on the development side as well as on track.”

Mercedes team principal, Ross Brawn said: “I think we welcome any fair and proper constraint on resources.”

“There is no attraction to spending more than you have to, to have a successful and competitive F1. Most teams on the grid are perhaps not operating to those limits, but there are five or six teams on the grid who do operate to the upper limits.”

Lotus team principal, Eric Boullier, added: “There are three ways: budget caps, maybe a more conservative technical and sporting regulations because I am sure there are changes to be made in sporting one to save money, and the RRA. But what happens is going to have to suit all the teams. There is not just one way: there are three ways to make sure we can control costs in F1.”{jcomments on}

 

Lin’s Agent Hopes for Asia Sponsorship Deals

Jeremy Lin’s new marketing agent, Jim Tanner, said he would begin sorting through potential opportunities from corporations interested in endorsement deals with Lin, particularly companies based in Asia.

“Our main charge at this point is to get our arms around the many opportunities available to Jeremy,” said Tanner.

“He has an extreme amount of interest from any number of companies, including companies in Asia.”

Tanner would not name any of the companies interested in Lin. Lin currently has endorsement deals with Nike and Volvo.

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PCB decides “in principle” on UAE as venue for series with Australia

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided “in principle” on the UAE as the venue for Pakistan’s limited overs series against Australia this year.

PCB officials will visit the UAE next Wednesday to meet officials from the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) and finalise details of the short tour.

The series will include three one-day internationals and three Twenty20 internationals and likely to be held in late August.

Following Sri Lanka’s withdrawal as a potential host, the PCB’s director for international relations, Intikhab Alam, visited Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia before the UAE.

Officials with inside knowledge of the negotiations said: “In principle, the decision has been taken to stage the series in the UAE, to be held after Ramadan and before the World T20 starts [in Sri Lanka on September 18], beginning from around August 22.”

An official announcement is expected after next Wednesday’s committee meeting.
The PCB was reportedly not satisfied with cricketing infrastructure in Malaysia because of inadequate seating and lack of electronic scoreboards.

Despite the heat and humidity in the UAE in late August, the PCB believes it is the best option because it is already equipped to host international series and has previous experience of doing so.
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