The Hong Kong Open’s failure to acquire a title sponsor has left them no choice but to ask the government to help fill the financial hole.

Local media reported that the 54-year-old event, co-sanctioned by the European and Asian Tours, failed to find a replacement for UBS and for the second year running, would need government assistance to ensure the Nov. 15-18 tournament went ahead. 

“We will be approaching the Mega Events Fund (MEF) in the next two weeks for funding,” Hong Kong Golf Association chief executive Iain Valentine was quoted as saying by Friday’s South China Morning Post.

“We hope we will get financial backing from the government once again.”

The paper said that the MEF had provided organisers with HK$8 million ($1.03 million) last year to help fund the 2011 tournament and help pay appearance money to attract top players.

McIlroy, who holed his bunker shot on the 72nd hole to seal victory last year, has not yet committed to defending his title.

“There is no guarantee Rory will turn up this year,” Valentine warned.

“Of course, his (appearance fee) will have gone up now he has two majors in his bag. But we know he has a soft spot for Hong Kong and we hope he will return. It is pretty traditional for the defending champion to come back.”

The paper said that Swiss watch company Omega had rejected the chance to sponsor the event.

“Our interests have moved on. We are looking at bigger events, especially in China,” Omega president Stephen Urquhart told the paper.

The event has been part of a lucrative run of Asian tournaments at the end of each year that have attracted the best players in the world over recent seasons.

The BMW Masters and the HSBC Champions events in China scheduled for October boast $7 million prize funds and are followed by the $6 million Singapore Open.

However, the co-sanctioned Singapore Open is also looking for a new sponsor for next year after Barclays said they would end their backing following this year’s event in November.

Procter & Gamble, sale a Worldwide Olympic Partner, medstore is teaming with Walmart to bring the “Tour of London” to the United States in honor of American athletes competing in this summer’s Olympic Games.

The 535-square-foot London re-creation will be constructed at the Walmart located at 7011 Main St., cure American Canyon, Calif., and will feature iconic London landmarks and symbols including Big Ben, the London Eye and red double-decker buses.

It is estimated that it will take a crew of eight people 36 hours to construct the display. It will be completed in time for the opening weekend of the 2012 Olympic Games. A formal unveiling ceremony will take place on July 28 at 10:30 a.m. The general public is invited to attend.

“The display celebrates our dedicated athletes and creates a unique in-store shopping event that customers will remember for years to come,” said Stuart Heflin, P&G’s brand manager, Walmart Global Consumer Team. “P&G is behind the Olympic Games and our athletes 100 percent. We want to give people who can’t travel to Europe the opportunity to feel some of the excitement of the Games here at home.”

Once constructed, Big Ben will be 21 feet tall and include a working clock in the tower that chimes every 15 minutes. The replica of the London Eye will stand 18 feet tall and rotates just like the world’s largest observation wheel. There are three eight-foot-tall double-decker buses, two featuring front window-mounted television screens airing P&G Olympic Games-themed commercials. Educational maps featuring facts about the landmarks will be posted and available for self-guided tours.

The London landmarks are surrounded by a variety of Olympic Games-branded P&G products. It will take 25 pallets of product to fully stock this enormous display. 

P&G’s tribute to the London 2012 Olympic Games will remain at the American Canyon store July 28 through Aug. 10. The store is open 24 hours a day. On July 28, a time-lapse installation video will be available through a variety of social media channels: Twitter (#tourlondon); Facebook (P&G) and YouTube (Procter & Gamble).

IndyCar have announced that the IZOD IndyCar Series will not return to Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2012 following the death of British driver Dan Wheldon which has marred the track.

Wheldon died of multiple injuries in a 15-vehicle crash on October 16.  

The series was scheduled to close its 2012 season at the speedway on Oct. 14, here but IndyCar and speedway officials said considerable testing with the new car is needed prior to returning to the facility.

Randy Bernard, CEO, IndyCar, said: “We feel we need to give our technical team ample time to conduct thorough testing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, once we complete our ongoing investigation into the 15-car accident during the Oct. 16 race at the track.”

The 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series season opens March 25 with the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The complete schedule will be announced in the coming weeks.

According to Formula One racing’s Renault CEO Dany Bahar, the team intends to keep its black and gold design, adding that its renaming as Lotus will not happen until at least 2013.

Last year Lotus agreed a title sponsorship deal with the team until the end of the 2017 season, with the aim of becoming co-owners with Genii Capital after the French car maker sold its remaining stake in the team to Genii last year.

Bahar said: “We enjoy a very good relationship with our partners Genii, we are very much involved in their business, we are happy with how it’s run and as things are run properly and (are) well managed there is no reason for us to do any move.

“If we decide to go for the long term (ownership) then a renaming would be an issue. But at the moment it’s out of the question and it’s not something we are pursuing. Out of the question until 2013.”

Under the terms of the confidential Concorde Agreement governing the sport, team name changes have to be agreed by all teams, something that is likely be an obstacle until the current version expires at the end of next year.

Regarding the news that the team will also continue with its Black and Gold theme, Bahar added: “I think you need consistency. We like the livery in the black and gold, we use it in many road car limited editions on our side.      

“It’s a nice livery that is perceived well by the people, especially on the road car side, so I see no reason why we should change it.”

The England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) Management Board has approved a reduction in the volume of domestic cricket from 2012, during a meeting at Lord’s yesterday, March 22.

The Board agreed that the Friends Provident t20 competition will be reduced from 16 pool  matches a season to ten pool matches a season played in a dedicated ‘window’ during June and July.

A package of financial measures was agreed during the meeting to ensure that Counties will not suffer adverse economic impact from the reduction in the amount of One-Day cricket.

In other news, the decision was made to retain the LV= County Championship as two divisions of nine teams playing 16 matches a season.

With regard to the Clydesdale Bank competition, the Board expressed concern that the proposed addition of a quarter-final round could lead to no guaranteed one-day cricket for Counties during August and September and therefore determined that two options be independently reviewed before the next Board Meeting in May.

A system of either; Four pools of five teams with a quarter-final, semi-final and final giving eight guaranteed matches, or the retention of the current structure of three pools of seven teams with semi-finals and final, will be introduced.

The Board reviewed proposals to enhance and support County Business operations and approved a four year strategy to assist with the development and marketing of domestic cricket.

Additionally, the Board further strengthened the regulations concerning anti-corruption and approved the terms of reference and structure of a dedicated ACCESS unit (Anti-Corruption Commission for Education, Standards and Security)

ECB Chairman Giles Clarke said: “We are pleased to have agreed a range of measures today which we believe will be to the long term benefit of the County game in England and Wales.

“The changes to our domestic structure are the product of an extensive and rigorous consultation process which has encompassed Team England, County players and coaches, County members and other key stakeholders within our domestic game.”

A deal has been agreed by the Manchester City Council which will see The National Basketball Association (NBA), Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and USA Basketball matches played in the city in the coming years.

The first game to be played in Manchester will take place on 29th May this year featuring the 2010 WNBA finalists the Atlanta Dream. ‘WNBA Live – Manchester 2011’ will represent the first time that WNBA teams have played in Europe and only the second time an international game has been staged in the league’s 15 year history.

As part of the Global Community Cup tour, USA Basketball’s men’s and women’s national teams will both play a game in Manchester in July 2012 as part of their preparations for the Olympics in London next summer.

All the games will be played at the 18,100-capacity Manchester Evening News (MEN) Arena. The NBA is looking to capitalise on the success of the last four consecutive years in which friendly games at London’s O2 arena have all sold out. On 4-5 March the first -ever regular season games to be held in Europe will take place between the New Jersey Nets and the Toronto Raptors at the O2 Arena.

NBA Europe senior vice president Sophie Goldschmidt stated: “We are delighted to bring NBA, WNBA, and USA Basketball games to the internationally renowned sports city of Manchester. This comprehensive schedule of premier basketball events will help grow the sport for years to come. This partnership shows our ongoing commitment to deepen basketball’s footprint in the country.”

Manchester Councillor Michael Amesbury, executive member for culture and sport, added: “Manchester has a rich sporting heritage, so it is fitting to be welcoming the NBA to the city for this ground-breaking series of events.

“The matches will fit into our varied and innovative sports events calendar and we are sure that they will not only bring thousands of visitors to the city and create huge media interest, but will also inspire Mancunians to participate, officiate, spectate and volunteer in their chosen sports.”

In an interview with Bloomberg Television, apoplectic NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said labor uncertainty is affecting National Football League revenue as the U.S.’s most-watched television sport negotiates a collective bargaining agreement with its players.

“The impact of not having a labor agreement is already starting, cough ” Goodell said. “It will continue to grow. It will continue to have a greater and greater impact and my point is that there will be lost revenue opportunities. And when revenue is reduced, allergist it’s even harder to reach an agreement.”

Goodell said uncertainty makes it difficult for sponsors to plan effectively. Electronic Arts Inc.’s EA Sports unit has asked the NFL for a $30 million reduction in scheduled payments because of labor uncertainty, the Wall Street Journal reported this month citing unnamed people familiar with the talks. Without a labor deal, the league may lose $125 million from existing corporate partners by March and another $400 million that month from fans not renewing season tickets, the newspaper said, citing two unnamed senior league officials.

Tony McGrath has been appointed to the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) board, it has been revealed.

A former partner at global giants KPMG, McGrath set up Sydney-based boutique insolvency practice McGrathNicol in 2004.

He also sits on the boards of QBE Insurance (Australia) Limited, the National Foundation for Medical Research and Innovation and Special Olympics Australia.

McGrath replaces Peter Gregg, who retired from the Commission in February and Smith, who worked alongside him in his role as Lloyds Bank International CEO, said he was delighted to have him on board.

NRL chief Dave Smith told AAP: “He is a great guy and a superb operator. He’s got great skills; he’ll make an excellent addition to the commission.

“He’s very committed to the game as well as a number of other sports and he’s a terrific addition to the team.”

ARLC chairman John Grant added: “He has advised on a number of high-profile corporate restructures and will bring valuable experience to the business of rugby league,” Grant said.

“He has also proven to be a successful businessman in his own right in his leadership of McGrathNicol over the last 10 years and, as we found in our discussions with him, he has a great feel for the game of rugby league.”

Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise San Jose Earthquakes announced today that the club has signed a sponsorship agreement with Ruckus Wireless, doctor Inc. that will provide a free, sale cheap public Smart Wi-Fi network for fans attending games at the team’s new stadium.

Ruckus Wireless will design and deploy the state-of-the-art Smart Wi-Fi network at the club’s new 18,000-seat venue on Coleman Ave., which is scheduled to open in 2015. The network will include over 150  Ruckus ZoneFlex access points (APs) to provide fans with a high-quality Wi-Fi experience throughout the stadium grounds.

“This is an exciting project that our fans can look forward to utilizing at our new stadium,” said Earthquakes president Dave Kaval. “We want our stadium to reflect our community, and technological innovation is a key component of Silicon Valley. Ruckus Wireless is a great fit because of their local roots and experience working not just with Silicon Valley Wi-Fi network deployments, but with these types of deployments around the world.”

Ruckus Wireless has pioneered the development and delivery of Smart Wi-Fi technology. Using patented adaptive antenna technology (BeamFlex), Ruckus access points are able to dynamically adapt to the ever-changing RF environment and ensure an optimal Wi-Fi signal to every connected device, such as smartphones and tablets.

“We love being able to ‘cause a Ruckus’ with San Jose Earthquakes fans, and hope they’re looking forward to this partnership as much as we are,” said Rob Mustarde, VP of Marketing at Ruckus Wireless. “Today we have a significant and growing number of stadium deployments both within the MLS and at other famous sports arenas all over the world, including two of Brazil’s largest soccer stadiums, which will be hosting FIFA World Cup matches in 2014. We look forward to completing this exciting project with the Earthquakes and having a state of the art Smart Wi-Fi network ready for action by the start of their new season.”