FIFA have announced match-fixing bans on 58 Chinese football players and officials will be extended worldwide.

The 58 were banned by the Chinese Football Association on February 18 follow a three-year clean-up of corruption in Chinese sport. 

In a statement, sale viagra FIFA said: “The chairman of the FIFA disciplinary committee has extended the sanctions to have worldwide effect. In taking those sanctions and notifying FIFA of them, buy cialis the CFA has emphasised its on-going commitment to stamping out all forms of match-fixing and corruption in the game.” 

Twenty-five of the guilty parties will receive five-year bans while the remaining 33 are banned from all football activities for life. All were cases related to incidents of match-fixing taking place in the 1990s and early 2000s. 

The former head of Chinese football, Nan Yong, was sentenced to ten-and-a-half years for taking bribes worth more than 1.48 million yuan (£157,000) while his predecessor Xie Yalong received the same sentence and was fined 200,000 yuan (£21000). 

Former deputy head of the CFA Yang Yimin and World Cup referee Lu Jun were also among the 33 banned from football for life. 

Four former Chinese national team players have been jailed for up to six years as part of the investigations and trials conducted between 2010 and 2012 by Chinese judicial authorities.

decease sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;”>Following on from last year’s success, iSportconnect are delighted to announce an event partnership with the Annual Conference on International Sports Law 2013.

iSportconnect the world’s leading sports business platform will become official social media partners for the event taking place at the home of Chelsea Football Club in London on the 28^th February 2013.

Following a presentation on the important developments from the preceding 12 months, a panel of experts from the sports industry will consider the key legal and business issues in four separate panel sessions on Integrity in Sport, Digital/Social Media in Sport, Doping in Sport, and Making Sport Pay.

Management Forum’s Marketing Manager Nick Pycraft said “The International Sports Law Conference attracts a global audience keen to hear the opinions and insights of our panel of sports industry experts. We are therefore pleased to be working with iSportconnect again, as delegates are able to discuss the issues pre- and post-conference in our Annual Sports Law Conference group on the iSportconnect website, adding to the conference experience.

iSportconnect’s Marketing and Partnership Manager Xavier Cureau added “The International Sports Law Conference draws in some big names and has proven to be a top class event, so it is great to be working with Management Forum again and hopefully we can continue to develop the relationship between iSportconnect and Management Forum.”

About iSportconnect

iSportconnect is an exclusive online platform that brings together thousands of sports business professionals worldwide.

The site provides news, market data and analysis, columns and features, forums, listings of events and jobs and great opportunities for online networking.

There are no introductory fees and no limits on communication.

The site is complemented by events where attendees can network face-to-face and discuss relevant topics with a panel of experts.

About Management Forum

Now entering its 30th year, Management Forum has built its reputation on providing the highest quality conference, seminar and knowledge-based experiences around the world. The latest updates on key issues and new areas of importance are covered by speakers from regulatory authorities, industry and academia. The same expert speakers are also used to deliver the same high standard of experience for in-house training. Management Forum also provide event management services to relieve organisations of the stress of organising and administrating their own events. For more information, visit www.management-forum.co.uk , e-mail info@management-forum.co.uk or tel. +44 (0)1483 730071.

Zaha Hadid Architects has been announced as the winner of the bid to design the Japan National Stadium which will become Tokyo’s 2020 Olympic stadium should they win the bid.

Eleven international teams were shortlisted for the project but the London-based studio headed by the world’s most famous female architect has triumphed over the competition with a classically ambitious concept which glides over the site in Tokyo.

Due to open in 2018 and host the 2019 Rugby World Cup, the 80,000-seater stadium will also play a key role in Tokyo’s bid to host the 2020 Summer Olympics. Zaha’s concept will not come as a surprise to those familiar with her work as its smooth lines and soft curves are highly recognisable components of the architect’s style.

Respected architect Tadao Ando was the Jury Chair for the competition and stated: “The New National Stadium must provide a solution to many difficult problems. The site conditions pose a challenge in requiring an enormous facility for eighty-thousand people to be composed spatially into a narrow site. The project is expected to not only organize the surrounding traffic, manage the circulation of large bodies of people, and offer an exciting experience for spectators, but also to demonstrate the technology of the highest level to support an operable roof and adjustable seating that will be needed to facilitate a multilayered programme comprising of both sporting events and cultural activities.”

Hadid’s latest project is planned for the site where the Mitsuo Katayama-designed stadium now sits in Kasumigaoka, replacing the original building with an updated structure. Critics are sure to compare this new concept with Hadid’s recently completed Aquatics Centre for the London 2012 Olympics, an equally elegant form whose flowing roofscape bears some resemblance to that of the new Japan National Stadium.

Exeter Chiefs have secured extra funding for next season after Leeds Carnegie’ shares in the Premiership of £5million.

The Chiefs became one of 13 holders of ‘P’ shares which will entitle them to £600,000 per season after buying from Premiership Rugby’s central funding. Exeter chairman and chief executive Tony Rowe says the extra money will go to head coach Rob Baxter to strengthen the playing squad.

“As much of the extra income as possible will go into the playing budget. I’m sure Rob will have targets in mind to sign,” he told the Rugby Paper. For the second successive season Exeter posted a profit and they are one of only four clubs to be in the black. They also hope to have plans approved next month to redevelop Sandy Park into a 20,000-seater stadium.

Exeter had the option to secure ‘P’ shares from either Leeds or Bristol as both clubs have been outside the top flight for more than a year.

Leeds chief executive Gary Hetherington said: “We didn’t want to sell our ‘P’ shares but we had no choice in the matter. If we go back in the Premiership we will need the ‘P’ shares, which is why we will ring fence that money until such time as we return to the Premiership. Then we’ll look to repurchase those shares from the relegated club.”

Im Rahmen einer aufwendigen Bühnenshow präsentierten Nike und der Deutsche Leichtathletik-Verband die neue Wettkampfkollektion, here mit der die Athleten bei dem Sport-Highlight im Sommer auf Rekordjagd gehen werden. 200 Gäste aus Sport, herbal Wirtschaft und Medien waren in der beeindruckenden Kulisse des Industriedenkmals Zeche zu Gast, generic als Hochspringerin Ariane Friedrich, Sprinterin Verena Sailer und Diskusweltmeister Robert Harting erstmals Ihr neues Outfit für den Saisonhöhepunkt präsentierten.

„Mit der Vorstellung des neuen Wettkampfoutfits hat jetzt endgültig die heiße Phase der Vorbereitung begonnen. Schwarz, Rot, Gold zu tragen ist immer etwas ganz Besonderes für mich und ich fiebere meinem großen Saisonziel entgegen,“ so Diskuswerfer Robert Harting. Auch DLV-Präsident Clemens Prokop ist begeistert von der neuen Kollektion. „Gemeinsam mit den Athleten blicke ich voller Vorfreude dem Saisonhöhepunkt entgegen. Nike als langjähriger Partner des DLV hat all sein Know-how eingebracht und vereint das Thema High- Tech und Nachhaltigkeit auf eine sehr innovative Art und Weise,“ so der DLV-Präsident.

Die Nike Produktdesigner haben für das absolute Saisonhighlight all ihre Innovationskraft eingebracht, um den Athleten des DLV das optimale Equipment bieten zu können. Martin Lotti, Creative Director bei Nike, stellte den Gästen den neuen Nike Pro TurboSpeed vor, dem es wie keinem Sprintanzug zuvor gelingt, den Luftwiderstand auf ein Minimum zu reduzieren. Analog zu den kleinen Vertiefungen eines Golfballs, die dazu dienen, den Ball weiter und schneller fliegen zu lassen, verfolgt NIKE einen ähnlichen Ansatz mit dem Ziel, den Luftwiderstand des Athleten zu minimieren.

Der Anzug spiegelt zudem NIKEs Engagement für ressourcenschonende Designgrundsätze wider. Ein Nike Pro TurboSpeed wird zu 82% aus recyceltem Polyester-Gewebe hergestellt, welches aus ca. 13 PET Flaschen gewonnen wird. Revolutionär ist auch der neue Nike Flyknit Racer, mit dem die Langstreckenläufer an den Start gehen werden. NIKE hat ein neues leistungsstarkes Strickgewebe entwickelt, wodurch Laufschuhe in einem völlig neuen Verfahren hergestellt werden können. Dank des Einsatzes einer ganz neuen Technologie, NIKE Flyknit, ist es möglich, unterschiedliche Garne und Gewebe nur dort präzise einzusetzen, wo sie benötigt werden, um so ein federleichtes, passgenaues und nahezu nahtloses Obermaterial herzustellen. Dadurch kommt der Schuh auf ein Gewicht von lediglich 160 Gramm (US 9) und ist damit 19 Prozent leichter als das beliebteste Langstreckenmodell von Nike.

Marathonläuferin Irina Mikitenko ist begeistert von Ihrem neuen Laufschuh: „Der Schuh ist unglaublich leicht und mit Abstand der leichteste Marathon Schuh den ich je am Fuß hatte. Das spart viel Kraft. Außerdem fühlt es sich an, als ob man nur eine Socke trägt, gleichzeitig ist er aber trotzdem sehr stabil und gibt einem den richtigen Halt“, so die Marathonhoffnung des DLV.

Unter dem Gesichtspunkt der nachhaltigen Produktion bietet die neue Nike Flyknit-Technologie den Vorteil, dass Abfälle und Verschnitt minimiert werden, da die Schuhoberfläche aus einem Stück gearbeitet wird und nicht, wie bei der herkömmlichen Herstellung von Sportschuhen üblich, vielfältige unterschiedliche Materialien und Zuschnitte verwendet werden.

Nicklaus Companies launched Nicklaus-China through a partnership with Beijing-based private equity firm Finergy Capital following a deal that became official at Pasadera Country Club in Monterey, unhealthy California.

Finergy Capital will help the growth of golf in China by aiding developers with golf course and residential development. The venture will also explore other business opportunities.

Nicklaus Design has nineteen exisiting courses operating in China, twelve that are under development and ten projects that are signed and in the planning process.

The Nicklaus-China venture will be based in Beijing, the office will include both Chinese and American executives.{jcomments on}

 

 

 

Private equity firm Archer Capital has agreed to buy a controlling stake in the Australian V8 Supercars auto-racing championship in a transaction that values the series at about US$316m.

A 60 per cent stake in the championship will now be owned by Australian Motor Racing Partners Pty Ltd., health funded by Sydney-based Archer, with the racing teams and management holding the remaining 40 per cent, V8 Supercars said in a statement.

Australian Motor Racing Partners Director Andrew Gray claimed that Archer Capital will take on “a moderate amount of debt” to become the majority owner of Australian motor sports’ premier series. Sports and Entertainment Ltd. had held a 25 per cent share in the sport and the teams the other 75 per cent.

Gray said at a news conference in Sydney, broadcast on the V8 Supercars website: “We are long-term investors and we’re patient investors. The business has grown exponentially over the last decade. There’s a lot of growth to come.”

V8 Supercars Chairman Tony Cochrane will continue in the role and oversee the day-to-day management of the sport, which takes in races in Australia, Abu Dhabi and New Zealand and attracted an average of 126,000 trackside spectators per race last season.

Cochrane said the new ownership structure will enable V8 Supercars to proceed with plans to add two to three new events at international venues from 2013, adding: “This gives us a strong foundation to move on. There will be more racing out of this decision today.”

Formula One team Williams has seen profits for 2010 rise by 28 per cent after what it says was a “solid” financial year accumulating pre-tax profits of £5.8m (US$9.5m) after the cost of investing £1.9m ($3.1m) in energy firm Williams Hybrid Power and the Williams Technology Centre in Qatar.

Team Principal Sir Frank Williams said 2010 had been one of the toughest years for attracting sponsorship and as part of the firm’s plan “to take the business forward”, it listed on the Frankfurt stock exchange in March.

Chairman Adam Parr said its initial public offering and listing had “secured the team’s long-term future by providing a sustainable ownership structure”.

Part of the new Williams’ strategy this spring was to secure a partnership with a leading car manufacturer and last week, plans to build a hybrid supercar in conjunction with Jaguar were announced.

Sir Frank Williams, who remained majority shareholder and team principal despite the stock market launch, stated: “Commercially, 2010 has given Williams a solid foundation from which to grow.”

Williams are one of the most successful teams in F1 history but they have not won a championship since 1997 and last won a grand prix in 2004. In recent years, they have struggled to raise the budget required to compete at the front.

Williams decided to take on the Venezuelan rookie Pastor Maldonado whose presence is linked to a multi-year, multi-million pound sponsorship deal with his country’s state oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA).

Williams said: “Amidst one of the harshest sponsorship environments for a long time, we signed PDVSA and upgraded and extended existing partners, Randstad and Oris.”

English Championship club Middlesbrough are offering shirt sponsorship deals on a monthly basis after it failed to attract a season-long offer which met its expectations.

The sponsorship offer, named ‘Tailored for You…’, expects to attract local, national and international attention.

The club’s chief operating officer, Neil Bausor, said: “For some months now we have also been proactively engaged with numerous organisations for the club’s front of shirt sponsorship rights from the start of the new season.

“Those conversations have ultimately not progressed to a satisfactory conclusion for us, and whilst it is important to recognise we are in a turbulent economic climate, I must also protect the best interests of the club commercially.”

Middlesbrough’s head of commercial partnerships, Matt Smith, added; “We are all genuinely excited in taking this new approach to the market. Sponsorship in football is long established now but this will definitely offer something different.”

The club will offer packages for each of the ten months for the upcoming 2010/11 season.