The European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) and the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) have signed an continental affiliation agreement during the European Championships.

Newly elected ETTU President Ronald KRAMER signed the affiliation agreement with ITTF’s Deputy President Thomas WEIKERT during a special ceremony in Schwechat, Austria.

ITTF President Adham SHARARA stated after the historic occasion: “I am personally very happy and proud that the European Table Tennis Union has decided to sign the ITTF-Continental Affiliation agreement. This is an indication that the ETTU and its newly elected President, Mr Ronald KRAMER, have understood the benefits of this agreement and have decided to work closely with the ITTF for the development of our sport in Europe and in the World. This is a very positive step forward and I am sure that our work together will reap benefits for Europe and will bring the ITTF family closer together for the benefit of our sport.”

“To sign such an agreement does mean that it is not just a financial benefit for Europe, additionally it means that Europe can implement development projects as well as plan with the ITTF marketing activities to generate more income for the ETTU.”

“The ITTF and both its Development Plan staff and Marketing Division staff will now work together with the ETTU to catch up on time lost in 2013, and make sure that the ETTU is back on track with its development plan and open new frontiers with new marketing initiatives” concluded the ITTF President.

ETTU President shared the excitement of President SHARARA: “I am very pleased that, so soon after being elected, the new ETTU Executive Board, has agreed to this very important Continental Affiliation Agreement. It is a basis for productive cooperation for ITTF and especially for ETTU in the near future. It will help present our lovely sport in a more uniform way in Europe and in the World.”

The Annual General Meeting of the ITTF held in Dortmund (Germany) on 27 March 2012 approved a Resolution stating that Continental Federations be affiliated to the ITTF according to established criteria proposed by the Development and Continental Council, and that the application for affiliation be renewed every 4 years in the year of the Olympic Games.

This affiliation system links continental events to the ITTF world title events and also gives the continental federation the right to access ITTF development plan funds, as well as share in ITTF marketing income for specific events and have official recognition from the ITTF.

In addition to full recognition, continental federations receive funding directly from the International Table Tennis Federation for development purposes; there is a confirmed increase of 30 per cent over the previous quadrennial, and close to USD 700,000 is available for ETTU for the period 2013 to 2016 by signing the agreement.

ETTU President KRAMER explained some of the criteria for affiliation: “We encourage and support the development of our sport in a sustainable, structured, progressive and professional manner and we will work with the ITTF on a quadrennial development plan basis. In addition, we agreed to respect the principles of the ITTF: unity of action, mutual respect of associations in their dealings with one another, and the inadmissibility of discrimination against associations or individuals on racial, political, religious or other grounds.”

ETTU will link continental events for qualification to the ITTF world title events, specifically World Championships, World Cups and Olympic Games to reinforce greater marketing value and to ensure the participation of top players through specific agreements with the ITTF Competition Program, including the prerequisite that associations wishing to participate at the World Championships must first participate at the Continental Championships.

Former NFL quarterback Terry Bradshaw has signed with IMG for the global sports company to provide worldwide management and representation in broadcasting, marketing, sponsorship, endorsements and new business ventures.

In making the announcement, Sandy Montag, Senior Corporate Vice President and Head of IMG Clients division, said: “IMG is proud to work with some of the most talented and recognizable athletes and broadcasters in the world. Terry Bradshaw is an American sports institution with a larger-than-life personality. He is a hardworking, dedicated, likeable professional that has a universal appeal that we can leverage to further expand his personal brand through strategic marketing partnerships.”

Bradshaw is a four-time Super Bowl champion NFL quarterback, an Emmy award-winning broadcaster for FOX on “Fox NFL Sunday,” New York Times best-selling author and popular film and television actor.

Terry Bradshaw said, “I’m so excited to be joining the IMG family. I’ve accomplished so much in my career already, but I truly believe that IMG can offer me the opportunity to tap into and create unique business opportunities with their unrivalled resources and access to diverse industries across the world.”

Bradshaw’s career in the NFL began in 1970 and spanned more than 13 years playing for only the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Robert McNeil, of the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA), has announced the formation of MDC Global Golf to serve the growth of the game of golf in Asia, Europe and the Americas.

Robert has been providing comprehensive Golf Course Design Services for over 20 years in the golf industry, and as Principal of The Northeast Golf Company and McNeil Design Collaborative (MDC) since 1996.

MDC Global Golf is built upon a productive and innovative collaboration executed in practice since establishing the McNeil Design Collaborative and The Northeast Golf Company. MDC Global Golf provides full service golf course design, agronomic consultation and golf course construction management.

MDC has nurtured many long standing international strategic alliances. Pod Designs, a Landscape Architecture and Land Planning firm based in Shang Hai, China, leads MDC into the Asian market providing golf course design, resort and land planning services.

Green Consulting, based in Ljubljana, Slovenia provides maintenance and construction management services. MDC and GC have been working together for many years pursuing and providing golf design and development services throughout Central and Eastern Europe. Currently, MDC Global Golf is in the early stages of a new course development in Cluj, Romania at Sun Garden Resort.

MDC’s long time Agronomic Consultant Mr. Melvin B. Lucas, has been active throughout Europe for over 25 years, providing leadership for growing the golf course maintenance industry in many countries from the ground up.
GolfConsult, led by MDC collaboration member, Mr. Terry Riordan, brings international golf course construction management experience to our team with commissions throughout both the Asian and European markets.

McNeil states, “Golf is a global endeavor for our team. We understand the broad reach of the game and embrace the cultures that have embraced it. The MDC Global Golf team has a philosophy built on growing the game and bringing the best out of projects and sites based on the indigenous landscapes presented, sustainability and business success.”

“We enjoy working on sites throughout the world, both existing and new courses, that provide the opportunity for us to learn from the people we work with and find the uniqueness and sometimes hidden character within the landscape. Ultimately our objective is to develop long lasting, productive relationships and along the way provide our clients with great vision and excitement to help them realize and exceed their goals.”

Havas Sports & Entertainment (HSE Group) have officially opened a new office in Moscow, ambulance Russia.

Havas Sports & Entertainment Russia’s roots stem from an internal group within Havas Group, that had been working in the country for the past seven years, with clients including LVMH, Heineken, Reckitt Benckiser, Hyundai, Kia, MTS and Lexus.

Having led the internal group, Maria Gavrilova has been appointed Managing Director of Havas Sports & Entertainment Russia.

She said: “The opening of Havas Sports & Entertainment Russia comes at a very strategic time, as Russia continues to attract an increasing number of international events.

Crucially we have the local insight and can benefit from the support of the global Havas Sports & Entertainment network to help both local and international brands develop meaningful and long-term relationships with Russian consumers.”

Dmitry Konstantinov, President, Havas Sports & Entertainment Russia added: “Havas Sports & Entertainment Russia brings a unique offer of specialty services to the Havas Goup which reinforces Havas’ leading position in Russia and the CIS, and strengthens our capabilities in sports and entertainment,” said Konstantinov.

Lucien Boyer, President and Global CEO of the Havas Sports & Entertainment concluded:  “Russia will be hosting several major global sporting events in the coming years.

“Our experience working for 10 Olympic sponsors around London 2012 combined with our global track record with major sports and entertainment stakeholders and brands, notably with the FIFA World Cup, gives us the expertise to advise clients looking to connect with consumers around these big events.”

Mount Panorama motor racing circuit, located in the Australian city of Bathurst, will receive a $(Au) 3million boost from the federal government.

Regional Australia Minister Simon Crean has announced that the $(Au)3 million has been granted to the Bathurst Regional Council for the $(Au)6.07 million Mount Panorama Infrastructure Project.

Mount Panorama will celebrate the 50 years of  the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, also known as ‘The Great Race’, in October.

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Force India’s principal owner Vijay Mallya has denied a media report that speculated he is planning to sell his stake in the Formula One team to Sahara India.

The report quoted sources as saying that multi-business conglomerate Sahara India was in talks to take over from Mallya, who co-owns Force India with Dutch businessman Michiel Mol. It further said a “deal is on the verge of being finalised and that an announcement to the effect is expected in a couple of days”.

The sucessful businessman issued a statement in response to the report, “I take great pride in having been able to put an Indian team on the Formula One World Championship grid and have worked very hard to greatly improve the performance of the team. Now that India is finally on the Formula One World Championship calendar, my commitment to Force India only gets even stronger. As Team Principal, I will continue to run the team and I have no plans whatsoever to exit.” 

Force India was formed in October 2007 when a consortium (Orange India Holdings) led by Mallya and Mol picked up the struggling Spyker F1 team for Euro 88 million ($118m).

The National Basketball Association (NBA) have made no new progress in their first meeting on a new labour contract since the lockout which began one month ago.

David Stern, NBA Commissioner, said after yesterday’s three-hour meeting that the union isn’t negotiating in good faith. This was reciprocated by the players against the league in a filing with the National Labour Relations Board in May.

Stern said: “I don’t feel optimistic about the players’ willingness to engage in a serious way, “We’re at the same place as we were 30 days ago.”

The main issue is how to split money from a league that generated about $4.3 billion in revenue last season. Yesterday’s talks didn’t focus on how much revenue each side should receive, union President Derek Fisher of the Los Angeles Lakers said:

“You can only go so long discussing non-economic or system issues,” Fisher told reporters. “It eventually all brings you back to, ‘What’s the split?’”

National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), Executive Director, Billy Hunter has said that a proposal given to the players prior to the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement leaves the sides more than $7 billion apart over the 10-year life of the contract.

The parties have agreed to meet once more in the next two weeks and perhaps twice before the end of August, Fisher said.

New Jersey Nets All-Star guard Deron Williams is among the players who intends to compete in Europe during the work stoppage.

The NBA is trying to follow in the footsteps the National Football League (NFL). On July 25 they announced the end of its own lockout after agreeing with the NFL Players Association on a 10-year contract.

“We’re looking at a league that was the most profitable in sports that became more profitable by virtue of concessions from their players, and with an average salary of $2 million,” Stern said about the NFL settlement. “Our average salary is $5 million and we’re not profitable. And we just can’t seem to get over the gap that separates us.”