The European Handball Federation has revealed Cologne, health Germany as the location of Europe’s biggest handball event, erectile the VELUX EHF FINAL4 for a further two years until 2016.

With the current agreement due to expire following the 2014 event, generic event organisers EHF Marketing GmbH, the City of Cologne and LANXESS arena have now reached an agreement that will bring Europe’s top teams to the cathedral city until at least 2016.

Jean Brihault, EHF President, commented: “Cologne and the LANXESS arena have offered us perfect conditions for the organisation of the VELUX EHF FINAL4 right from the first event back in 2010.

“I am sure that handball fans will share my delight at the decision to return to Cologne for a further two years.”

Peter Vargo, Managing Director of EHF Marketing GmbH, said: “Every year tens of thousands of fans travel to Cologne to witness the huge handball and entertainment event which the VELUX EHF FINAL4 has become.

“We are really looking forward to building on what we have already achieved and to provide the fans an even better event in the coming years.”

The Federation Française de Rugby (FFR) has withdrawn its application to host the 2014 Heineken Cup and Amlin Challenge Cup finals, due to the ongoing uncertainty regarding the availability of the Stade de France.

The Board of ERC will now seek proposals from the other participating nations in the tournaments and will aim to confirm the host city and venues by the end of June.

Dublin 2013 was the third successive season that both the Amlin Challenge Cup and Heineken Cup finals were staged in the same city as a part of European club rugby’s showpiece weekend.

A total of 1,068,878 spectators have passed through the turnstiles at the 18 Heineken Cup finals to date. Since 2003, the venue for the Heineken Cup final has been selected before of the start of the tournament, while from 2005, tickets have been on sale from up to 12 months in advance with the objective of maximising attendances and building ERC’s weekend festival of European club rugby.

The LPGA have announced the Wegmans LPGA Championship will return to Rochester, N.Y.at Locust Hill Country Club the week of June 3-9, 2013, marking the fourth-straight year the major championship has been played at Locust Hill Country Club and 37-consecutive summer the LPGA has played in the Rochester suburb of Pittsford.

The summer of 2013 will give golf fans in Western New York the opportunity to witness two major championships on golf’s biggest tours with the women’s LPGA Championship and the men’s PGA Championship played just two months apart.

“We are both proud and excited to bring the Wegmans LPGA Championship back to Rochester, and perhaps the best golf fans in the world“,” said LPGA Commissioner Michael Whan. “Rochester is uniquely positioned as ‘Golf’s Titletown’ next year with the LPGA and PGA Championships played just two months apart, giving golf fans in Western New York a unique opportunity to see the best females – and males – in golf compete on the biggest stage. For the LPGA, the combination of a world-class, top-notch partner like Wegmans and the passionate and knowledgeable fans of Rochester is simply as good as it gets.”

“Rochester is a favorite spot for us and we are happy to return next summer for the Wegmans LPGA Championship,” said 2010 champion Cristie Kerr. “There are no better fans in golf than the thousands who come out to support us each year at Locust Hill. I would like to personally thank Wegmans for their partnership.”

The LPGA Championship has been in existence since 1955. Last year’s winner, Shanshan Feng, made history as the first player from China to win on the LPGA Tour with her two-stroke victory over Rolex Player of the Year contender Stacy Lewis, 10-time LPGA winner Suzann Pettersen, former U.S. Women’s Open champion Eun-Hee Ji, and Mika Miyazato, who went on to become a Rolex First-Time Winner at the Safeway Classic in August.

“It’s great to hear that we are going back to Rochester,” said Pettersen. “It’s a great stop for us and we get awesome crowds. It’s great to keep a long tradition going. I’m looking forward to be playing Locust Hill again in 2013.”

Red Bull have been revealed as the new promoter of the World Rally Championship, link the FIA has confirmed.

The sport has been without a promoter all season after North One Sport tumbled into administration before the 2012 campaign even kicked off – with the FIA left to try and promote the championship itself.

Eurosport were linked with the role having successfully run the Intercontinental Rally Challenge but talks with the FIA failed to lead to a deal being struck.

That left Red Bull as the most likely option, with the World Motor Sport Council confirming a deal has been agreed that will the energy drinks company take up the role from 2013 onwards.

“The WMSC approved for the FIA to proceed with an agreement with The Sportsman Media Group and Red Bull Media House to become the new global Promoter of the FIA World Rally Championship from 2013,” an FIA statement read. “The Promoter will be responsible for investing and developing the WRC with a view to increasing its profile, reputation and commercial value. 

“In particular, the Promoter, working in close collaboration with the FIA, will be focused on introducing live television and an innovative digital media strategy in the next years.”

Formula 1’s stock market flotation in Singapore is still on course according to the man who may oversee the listing.

Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, a board member of Delta Topco, Formula 1’s commercial rights holding company, confirmed in an interview with Austrian newspaper Salzburger Nachrichten progress towards the flotation was ongoing.

“We intend to float F1 in Singapore soon,” said Brabeck-Letmathe, Chairman and former CEO of Nestle. “Some roadshows and presentations have taken place already.

The flotation has been tipped to go ahead in June with around $2-$3billion of shares in Delta Topco due to be offered.

Brabeck-Letmathe also confirmed rumours he may take over Delta Topco, after Nestle’s board of directors gave their approval for his appointment.

“It’s true that I said I would be ready to chair the board in a non-operative function. If F1 goes public it will be important to have an independent chairman.”

It is thought Bernie Ecclestone will continue in his role as Formula 1’s Chief Executive after any flotation but Brabeck-Letmathe knows he has to be prepared for all eventualities.

“We all hope that Bernie stays healthy for a long time and continues. I am impressed by his efforts,” he said.

“However, it is the duty of a board to secure the succession. At Nestle, I always made sure that any executive board member could be replaced within 24 hours. This would also apply to F1 when it becomes a public company.

“We have to consider the future long-term, with new structures, new individuals, possibly both.”

Amul, new sponsor of India’s contingent going to the London Olympics, is considering sponsoring the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket matches.

Amul, which last week announced its sponsorship of the Indian contingent to the London Olympics, may also 

“Since the organisers do not allow sponsors’ names on players’ jerkins etc, we could make ourselves visible through use of our logos elsewhere. We already have created a combined logo with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA)”, Mr R.S. Sodhi, Managing Director, Gujarat Cooperative Mill Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which markets dairy and food products under the Amul brand, toldBusiness Line on Monday.

Asked if Amul, India’s largest food products marketing organisation, would sponsor other games and sports, like hockey, he said it may consider sponsoring major events like the IPL.

However, Mr Sodhi said, Amul has not yet earmarked any funds for its sponsorship of the London Olympics. The decision may be taken in the next financial year starting April 1, 2012.

On February 27, Amul signed an MoU with the IOA, becoming the official sponsor of the Indian contingent in the category of dairy products. It had, in the recent past, been associated with World Cup Cricket and Formula One as well as a means to engage the youth.

Amul will soon launch a series of advertising campaigns for its dairy products to promote its association with games and sports events in the coming months.

by Ismail Uddin

It has been reported that the National Basketball Association Commissioner David Stern has held discussions with executives at IMG Worldwide Inc. about the establishment of a professional basketball league in India.

Stern has stated his wish to build awareness of the NBA brand outside the USA and increase both international audience figures and revenue from  merchandise.

New York based sports-management agency IMG and  Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Ltd formed IMG Reliance in 2010 to foster the development of sports and entertainment in India.

The marriage of NBA and IMG would be a welcome one for both organisations.

IMG Reliance has already signed a 30-year contract with the Basketball Federation of India which allows for the start of a professional league.

Managing director of the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the University of Oregon Paul Swangard explained his understanding of the alliance to Bloomberg.com.

“Like China, denture India will be a long-term key to the NBA’s global growth. Unlike China, look the NBA doesn’t have a century of basketball legacy to leverage. Joining forces with IMG would create momentum for the business the NBA couldn’t have generated by itself”.

It is understood that talks between Stern, Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver and IMGk Chairman Mike Dolan, are still underway.

The NBA has already held grassroots events across India over the past two years, and established Adidas, Nike and Coca-Cola as marketing partners in the region as well as a partnership with Mahindra Group, which supports a community based basketball league.

In addition, this season, six NBA games are being shown live on television every week in India.

IMG Reliance has developed an athletic training academy to develop sportsmen and women in the country. It also has a similar facility in Florida and there are scholarship programmes to share talent.

Pakistani cricketing trio Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif have been committed for trial at Southwark Crown Court on conspiracy charges.

The trio were given unconditional bail ahead of the hearing on 20 May, after appearing at Westminster Magistrates Court on Thursday, March 17.

All three are accused of cheating and conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments following the spot fixing scandal of the fourth test of last summer’s series in England, charges they deny.

Spot fixing charges relate to an alleged plot to deliberately bowl no balls and all three players have already been banned by the International Cricket Council over the affair – Butt for 10 years, with five of them suspended, Mohammad Asif for seven years, and Amir five years – suspensions which they are in the process of challenging at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

District Judge Howard Riddle stated: “There is no doubt the allegations are very serious and I know you recognize that.”

Despite being foreign nationals, the trio are entitled to apply for means-tested legal aid to pay towards the costs of their defence as they are facing charges brought by an English court and reports suggest that one of the three has already done this, with the other tow considering following suit.

They were banned after the News of the World newspaper reported no balls were bowled at specific points in England’s innings after a payment was made to a businessman.