The Professional Squash Association (PSA) has appointed BDS Sponsorship as the official sponsorship agency for the PSA Men’s World Squash Championship 2013 that will be held in Manchester from 26 October to 3 November.

A sponsorship strategy has recently been completed along with a business plan for the championship and BDS are now undertaking sponsorship sales for the event.

BDS Sponsorship have extensive experience in sponsorship dating back to the early days of the industry and are now one of the leading sponsorship consultancies in the UK, acting for both rights holders and sponsors.

The PSA Men’s World Squash Championship 2013 will involve the world’s top 112 players – including players from all five continents – and presents an extremely exciting opportunity for world squash to position itself as the world’s “number one sport for getting and staying fit”. 2013 also brings an additional opportunity as squash is in the running to join the Olympic Games programme in 2020.

“The PSA Men’s World Squash Championship 2013 will be a fantastic event for all concerned, with some exciting opportunities from a sponsor’s point of view,” says Chief Executive of BDS Sponsorship Richard Busby. “We look forward to working with the key stakeholders over the coming months.”

Nick Rider, the CEO of England Squash & Racketball, said: “The Event Partners are looking forward to working with BDS Sponsorship to find partners to help us to ensure this year’s World Championship is bigger and better than ever. We’re hoping squash is selected as an Olympic sport for 2020 too – this is set to be a great year.”

Football’s lawmakers, the International Football Association Board (IFAB), has agreed to broaden consultation within football to help the body’s decision-making process.

The IFAB, which comprises world football’s governing body and the four British national associations – England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales – met for its 127th annual general meeting in Edinburgh on Saturday.

“Following the IFAB being asked to ‘self-reform’ as part of FIFA’s governance reform proposals at the FIFA Congress 2011,” a statement said after the meeting, “a lengthy and detailed review has taken place, involving the four British associations, and FIFA.

“Whilst the IFAB composition will remain unchanged, it was agreed that greater levels of consultation with the game are required to inform and improve decision-making, and provide greater transparency. A presentation was made to the six confederation general secretaries in Zurich on 26 February, and this will be presented to the FIFA Congress 2013 in Mauritius on 30-31 May.”

As a means of improving consultation, the IFAB agreed to the formation of two new advisory panels – a technical panel comprising refereeing experts from across the world, and a football panel, composed of approximately 20 former players and coaches, current coaches, FIFPro and confederation technical directors.

English lower league soccer club, Stockport County have announced that they have reached an agreement with Cheshire Sport and will now run Edgeley Park on a day to day basis. 

Stockport County Chairman Lord Peter Snape said: “By reaching an agreement with Brian Kennedy and Ian Blackhurst  this is a great day in the history of Stockport County Football Club. Both Brian and Ian could not have been more helpful or accommodating in affording us the deal to run Edgeley Park. We as a football club can now move forward in the knowledge that all monies generated at Edgeley Park are ours. The generous rent reduction we have negotiated with Brian and Ian is so important to helping the football club. On behalf of the Board of Directors of Stockport County I would like to place on record our thanks to Brian and Ian and wish them and Sale Sharks all the best in the future.” 

Ian Blackhurst, Co owner of Sale Sharks and Chairman of Cheshire Sport added: “We have reached an agreement with Stockport County and hopefully with the deal in place the club will go on from strength to strength and ultimately regain their place in the Football League. Brian Kennedy and I have given the football club what we believe to be a very generous deal by reducing the rent by 65%. Stockport County now  have full control of the ground including the conference and banqueting facility.

“The club and their loyal supporters have wanted to run the stadium for a long time and with the affordable rental agreement the club’s future is looking bright. We are reassured by the Board of Stockport County that they have a business model that works. Both Brian Kennedy and I wish the club all the very best in the future.”

Worcester are scheduled to host the LV= Cup final for the second season running when the showpiece match is played at the Sixways Stadium on 17 March, 2013.

Leicester defeated Northampton 26-14 in this year’s final in front of a crowd of 11,895 at the 12,024-capacity venue.

Worcester Warriors managing director Charlie Little told the club’s website: “To be able to host the LV= Cup final for a second consecutive year and for a third time in the last four years is a huge achievement for the Warriors.

“We are delighted that the tournament organisers and title sponsors LV= feel Sixways is the ideal venue to host the final and that we are continuing to build a reputation for successfully hosting major cup finals and representative fixtures.”

The LV= Cup features the 12 Aviva Premiership teams and the four Welsh regions.

Australian Football League (AFL) club Collingwood has a reputation for being the most supported club in Australia and is on the way to achieveing a global following- it has more than 71, there 000 members and across 88 countries.

The club has invested heavily in its own studios to create digital media content. Collingwood CEO, site Gary Pert, therapy said: “We have invested a lot of money in the website, online, radio and TV and I think the whole appreciation of the Collingwood supporter base is bigger.”

The club plans expand its international sponsors. It already has deals with Emirates, Russian anti-computer virus company Kaspersky Lab and adidas.

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Royal Troon has been revealed as the next location for the British Open in 2016, it was confirmed on Wednesday.

The Ayrshire course will be hosting the Open for the ninth time and the first since 2004 when America’s Todd Hamilton beat South Africa’s Ernie Els in a playoff.

Other Open winners at Royal Troon are Arthur Havers (1923), Bobby Locke (1950), Arnold Palmer (1962), Tom Weiskopf (1973), Tom Watson (1982), Mark Calcavecchia (1989) and Justin Leonard (1997).

South Ayrshire Council leader Bill McIntosh said: “This is great news – not just for Troon, but for the whole of Ayrshire.

“As well as giving us a chance to showcase the fantastic golf in this area, our stunning scenery, culture and heritage, The Open will also bring a terrific economic boost with a 100 million benefit to its host economy.

“This is vital investment for our area that will help create a lasting and positive legacy for generations to come.”

The selection of Royal Troon means the Open – one of golf’s four major titles – will be held in Scotland three times in four years.

Royal Lytham in northwest England will host the Open next month before it heads to Muirfield in Scotland in 2013, then onto Hoylake’s Royal Liverpool in 2014 and the famous Scottish course at St Andrews in 2015.

Infront Motor Sports has signed Yakhnich Motorsport as a partner, giving it the right to organize the Russian round of FIM Superbike World Championship as well as the TV and marketing rights of the event for the Russian market.

Infront Motor Sports CEO Paolo Flammini stated: “We are very satisfied with this agreement and we wish to thank Mr Yakhnich for his warm welcome and for the truly professional work carried out by his team. Russia is one of the most important nations in the world, with a rapidly-growing economy.

“We think that the Superbike World Championship is the most suitable way to help develop the Russian motorcycle market, together with a plan that foresees the growth of young Russian riders on an international level in our four categories.”

Yakhnich Motorsport CEO Alexander Yakhnich added: “We are honoured to have reached this prestigious target. Thanks to the vital support of the Russian Government, specifically the Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov, Russian motorcycling is getting ready to play host to the Superbike World Championship and in this way help the growth of the sport in our country in the best possible way.”

Australian government officials claim that the Formula One Grand Prix in the nation will stay in Melbourne’s Albert Park precinct, health as long as the race continues to be held in the state of Victoria. 

The officials made the announcement after recent reports had suggested that the race could be moved away from the street circuit in Melbourne, therapy to a purpose-built track in Avalon. 

Louise Asher, the government’s major events minister, said that moving the race from Albert Park to the dedicated track would cost nearly US$325m, stating: “The Grand Prix is going to stay at Albert Park. One of the reasons the branding of Melbourne has been so successful is that the GP is at Albert Park.”

The events minister said the new conservative state coalition would push F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone when negotiations for a new contract begin in late 2013, adding: “The contract that the previous government signed is an expensive contract. I think taxpayers could get a better deal if the contract had less in it for my good friend Mr Ecclestone and more in it for Victorian taxpayers.”

The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) and BCCI flagship events, the Cricket World Cup and IPL IV are being insured for similarly huge figures. Between the BCCI and ICC broadcast rights holder ESPN Star Sports, the total sum assured for CWC 2011 is a reported US$185m while for IPL IV it is in the region of $175m.

According to pink paper Business Standard, the BCCI has taken an event cancellation cover, in addition to one against terrorism, with a total sum assured of $53.8m. The sum assured includes a separate $27m policy for protection against terrorist attacks. 

The policy would kick in if BCCI’s revenues were affected due to adverse weather. Also, in case of non-appearance of teams, it would not lose out, a senior executive of the National Insurance Company told BS.

As for IPL IV, ESPN’s SportsCenter reports that the media rights alone would be getting an insurance cover of $109m while sponsorship rights will get an umbrella of $42.2m along with other insurance covers.