The Malaysian state of Penang has been announced as the delayed host of the 2013 Women’s World Squash Championship.

The Women’s Squash Association (WSA) failed to bring in a host city during the 2013 calendar year despite rumours Egypt and Hong Kong were potential venues.

The event, boasting a $120,000 prize-fund, will get underway on 17 March at the Nicol David International Squash Centre – with the later rounds staged on an all-glass showcourt at the 10,000-seater Penang International Sports Arena.

It will be the third time in the 35-year history of this World Squash Federation (WSF) title that the WSA’s premier event has been staged in Malaysia – but the first time in Penang, the home of defending champion Nicol David, the world number one.

WSA Chairman Ingrid Lofdahl-Bentzer added: “It is fantastic news for the WSA to be able announce this event. We very grateful to Penang and everyone involved for their dedication and continued support. I have no doubt that the players share my excitement and will be looking forward to a fantastic World Championship.”

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said: “WSA’s agreement to permit Penang to host this event is recognition that Penang has the facilities, amenities and infrastructure of a fitting location for a world class event as well as the experience and expertise to organise a world championship.

“The Penang state government felt it was a real shame that Penang’s very own world squash queen will not be able to add to her already impressive collection of seven world titles earned in 2005, 2006, 2008-2012,” continued the Minister. 

“Malaysians, especially Penangites, are eagerly awaiting her to defend her title for a record eighth time.”

According to reports, European football governing body UEFA has saved the day by supporting Football Association of Ireland with debt repayments for the Aviva Stadium.

UEFA has dipped into its development fund for several million Euros – providing the FAI with a “solidarity payment” for its main creditors, Danske Bank.

Finance director Josef Koller told the Irish Sunday Times after meeting with FAI chief executive John Delaney: “It is a really difficult situation, because of the economic crisis, and we said ‘Okay, we can advance certain solidarity payments.’

“I just said to John Delaney that if you want me to be there and I can assist by explaining it from UEFA’s point of view, I will do it.

“Danske felt very comfortable to have somebody from UEFA there, especially the finance director. It was really worthwhile to explain to Danske how important this is for us.”

National Rugby League’s Gold Coast Titans have revealed a new marketing campaign unveiling  an exciting new club anthem aimed at provoking a sense of pride and togetherness with the club’s fans and the Gold Coast community as a whole.

Unveiled in front of 350 fans and corporate supporters at tonight’s season launch at Jupiters Hotel & Casino, the club’s new ‘Need YOU Now’ campaign features an emotive and original music track written and produced by rising Queensland-based indie rock band Holland.

The “Need YOU Now” track and accompanying advertising campaign, which will begin airing from March 3, is supported by a montage of images highlighting the club’s community work, the Gold Coast lifestyle and the blood, sweat and tears that the players shed on and off the football field.

World Champion Gold Coast surfer and Titans 4 Tomorrow ambassador Joel Parkinson and his family feature in the campaign along with images of Titans players, the club’s fans, children, cheerleaders and fellow T4T ambassadors Preston Campbell and Clinton Toopi.

In a spine tingling performance at tonight’s season launch, Holland performed the song live for the very first time as the iSelect Titans’ class of 2013 was introduced on stage to officially mark the start of the season.

The “Need YOU Now” music track will be available for download through iTunes in the coming weeks, with all proceeds made from the track to be donated back to the club’s Titans 4 Tomorrow community programs.

iSelect Titans Chief Executive Officer David May said the “Need YOU Now” campaign was designed to showcase what the Titans means to the Gold Coast.

“The aim of this campaign is to capture all the great things that this club stands for and the pride we all feel being a part of the Gold Coast community,” said May.

“The emphasis in the title of the campaign is on the word ‘YOU’? communicating to individual fans that they can feel part of the team and can make a difference by being proud and passionate supporters of this club.

“The Titans have a proud reputation for meaningful community work and on top of that we have endeavoured to make attending Titans matches in 2013 the most affordable it has ever been for Gold Coast families so we wanted to showcase these messages in an all-encompassing campaign.

“We commissioned Holland to write and produce an emotive track to accompany this campaign and we believe that they have done an outstanding job.”

Renovation plans have been confirmed for the Old Course to help maintain its challenge for the world’s top golfers ahead of the return of The Open Championship to St Andrews in 2015.

Renowned golf course architect Martin Hawtree was commissioned by St Andrews Links Trust, cheao cheap which manages the Old Course and the other six courses at the Home of Golf, and The R&A Championship Committee, which organises golf’s oldest major championship, to assess potential changes which would enhance the challenge for elite players without unduly affecting club and visiting golfers while remaining true to the special character of the Old Course.

Martin Hawtree’s recommendations have now been agreed by the St Andrews Links Trustees and Links Management Committee and The R&A Championship Committee.

The work is planned to take place in two phases over this winter and next. The first phase involves work on the 2nd, 7th, 11th and 17th holes. The second phase will take place in winter 2013/14 with work on the 3rd, 4th, 6th, 9th and 15th holes.

The work will widen the Road Bunker on the 17th hole by half a metre at the right hand side and recontour a small portion of the front of the green to enable it to gather more approach shots landing in that area.

A new bunker will be created on the right of the 3rd fairway and another on the left of the 9th fairway 20 yards short of the green. Bunkers will be repositioned closer to the right edge of the 2nd green and the right of the 4th green. A portion of the back left of the 11th green will be lowered to create more hole location options.

Euan Loudon, Chief Executive of St Andrews Links Trust, said: “The Old Course is renowned as one of the great Open venues and its continued prominence on the Open roster is crucially important to the economy and reputation of St Andrews. The Old Course has evolved over time and the Links Trust is delighted to be working with the Championship Committee in order to maintain the challenge of the course for elite tournament players and the thousands of golfers who play here each year.”

Peter Dawson, Chief Executive of The R&A, said: “We have considered the challenge presented to the world’s top golfers by each of The Open Championship venues and carried out a programme of improvements over the last ten years. While some holes have been lengthened on the Old Course in recent years it has otherwise remained largely unaltered. The Championship Committee felt there was an opportunity to stiffen its defences in some places to ensure it remains as challenging as ever to the professionals. The proposals from Martin Hawtree should place more of a premium on accuracy and ball control while retaining the spirit and character of the Old Course.”

Organisers of the Korean F1 Grand Prix have to revive its finances after two of the race’s main sponsors have withdrawn leaving an alleged deficit of $27m.

Last year, the race lost $54m. The contract to hold the F1 competition runs until 2016, but its future remains uncertain.

A senior official from the organising committee defended the grand prix, saying its “long-term effects are more important than its bottom line.”

Korean F1 Grand Prix Organizing Committee Secretary General, Park Jong-moon, said: “Having worked in the sports industry for more than 30 years, I learned that operating a big sports event at a loss is inevitable. Even the 1988 Seoul Olympics was a money-losing event. It is worthwhile, considering other effects that were far greater than profit.”{jcomments on}

Porsche gehört in die Formel 1. Dieser Meinung sind 71 Prozent der 5.506 Motorsportfans, die sichan einer Umfrage der Motor Presse Stuttgart zum Thema Automobilrennsport beteiligten. Außerdemglaubt die Hälfte der Motorsport-Community an die Motorsport-Gene der Marke Opel: 50 Prozentder Befragten wünschen sich die Rüsselsheimer in die Deutsche Tourenwagen-Meisterschaft (DTM)zurück. Mit der Rückkehr in die DTM Ende April 2012 erfüllte BMW bereits einen heißen Wunschder Renn-Community: 76 Prozent der Befragten der Motorsport-Studie hatten sich schon vor dem Bekanntwerden des erneuten BMW-Engagements dafür ausgesprochen.

Die Studie belegt, dass die Faszination am Motorsport ungebrochen ist. Vor allem die Erfolge von Sebastian Vettel und das Comeback Michael Schumachers steigern das Interesse an der Formel 1. So bleibt die Königsklasse des Motorsports mit 74 Prozent Zustimmung vor dem 24-Stunden-Rennen (56%) am Nürburgring die populärste aller Rennserien. Doch die 24-Stunden-Rennen aufdem Nürburgring und in Le Mans haben in den letzten Jahren besonders an Attraktivität gewonnen.Das junge Publikum bis 29 Jahre begeistert sich besonders für die Formate und wählt die Serien auf Platz zwei und drei. Die DTM hat wie die Formel 1 nach Meinung von 52 Prozent der befragtenTeilnehmer “gewonnen” bzw. “stark gewonnen” und belegt Platz vier unter den interessantesten Rennserien.

Im direkten Vergleich von Formel 1 und DTM zeichnen sich in der Studie terschiedlichePositionierungen ab: Beide Veranstaltungen bringen die Teilnehmer gleich stark mitFahrzeugtechnik sowie Spannung und Unterhaltung in Verbindung. Wettkampf, Atmosphäre und Motorentechnik werden jedoch ausgeprägter der DTM zugesprochen. Die Formel 1 steht dagegen eher für hochentwickelte Technik, Innovationen sowie für die Faktoren Prestige,Aufregung und Exklusivität. Allerdings hält auch das Thema Umwelt Einzug in das Bewusstsein derMotorsportfreunde: Bereits 61 Prozent der Befragten geben an, dass sich der Motorsport aufgrundder Umweltdiskussion “möglicherweise” (45%) oder auf “jeden Fall” (16%) ändern muss.

Für die Sponsoren wird ebenfalls ein positiver Effekt deutlich. Fast die Hälfte der Befragten gibtan, dass ihnen Werbung von Unternehmen insgesamt mehr auffällt, wenn diese im Motorsport aktiv sind. Bei 18 Prozent der Teilnehmer fällt die Kaufentscheidung nach eigenen Angaben sogar bevorzugt auf Produkte dieser Hersteller. Besonders wirkungsvoll erweisen sich die Aktivitäten des Energy Drink-Herstellers Red Bull. Mit 35 Prozent ungestützter Nennung, die in der Marktforschunghärteste Abfrage, liegt Red Bull weit vorn. Die Verfolger Vodafone und Deutsche Post erreichen mit 16 respektive 12 Prozent zwar noch hervorragende Werte, liegen aber klar zurück.

An der Motorsportstudie der Motor Presse Stuttgart nahmen 5.606 Leser ihrer Automedien teil. Mit 86 Prozent “interessierten” bzw. “sehr interessierten” Personen, steht diese Stichprobe stellvertretend für eine hoch affine Motorsport-Zielgruppe. Die Motorsportstudie liefert Erkenntnisse über Gründe und Entwicklung des Motorsport-Interesses, die wahrgenommenen Motorsport- Engagements von Unternehmen und deren Einfluss auf das Kaufverhalten. Ergebnisse zu Sympathiewerten der Automobilhersteller sowie Antworten auf die Frage, welchen Einfluss Erfolg imMotorsport auf die Markenwahrnehmung hat, runden die Untersuchung ab.