TaylorMade Completes Takeover of Adams Golf

TaylorMade Golf company, a subsidiary of adidas, announced on Monday it will acquire rival Adams Golf for about $70 million.

“This acquisition reflects our commitment to continued growth in the golf category,” said adidas Group CEO Herbert Hainer in a statement. “The proposed combination of Adams Golf and TaylorMade-adidas Golf brings together two highly complementary sets of brands, combining Adams’ focus on game-improvement as well as senior and women golfers with TaylorMade-adidas Golf’s focus on the younger and the low-to-mid handicap golfer.”

Barney Adams, interim CEO of Adams, said in a statement he’s pleased TaylorMade-adidas Golf will maintain his company’s headquarters in Plano, Texas.

“The Adams Golf brand will fit nicely into TaylorMade-adidas Golf’s stable of brands, and together we will be able to increase our reach and better serve our customers by leveraging a wider set of resources.”

by Ismail Uddin

Croatia Join List of Formula One Hosting Hopefuls

According to Croatian daily newspaper, Vecernij List, the nation has become the latest in a long line of hopefuls linked with hosting a Formula 1 race. 

The newspaper claimed that the project is being planned for just outside the country’s capital, Zagreb, and has the support of the FIA, Bernie Ecclestone and favoured track designer Hermann Tilke. 

According to the report, the project has an estimated budget of US$346.7m, which will wholly come from private investors, and would take more than 18 months to complete.

Glasgow 2014 Chief Grevemberg to Become Commonwealth Games Federation CEO

The Commonwealth Games Federation have announced today that David Grevemberg will be their new Chief Executive.

Currently the Chief Executive of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, doctor he will take up his new role as head of one of the world’s leading sports organisations in November.

The appointment comes after a meeting yesterday (June 5) of the Federation’s Executive Board in Dubai.

Making the announcement, capsule CGF President, HRH Prince Imran, said: “I am absolutely delighted to have a sports leader of David’s calibre join us at this important time for the Commonwealth sports movement. He has an excellent track record for delivery and shows a real ambition for harnessing the power of sport within the Commonwealth. We look forward very much to the energy, vision and commitment he will bring to the Federation.”

David, 41, has been CEO of Glasgow 2014 since Sept 2011. He joined the OC as the Director of Operations in October 2009 and progressed to the role of Chief Operating Officer in July 2010. Previously he was the Executive Director of Sport and International Federation (IF) Relations at the International Paralympic Committee. He is a former wrestler and sports coach and was born in New Orleans, USA.

David Grevemberg said: “It will be an honour and privilege to lead the Commonwealth sports movement on the next stage of its journey. This is a time of tremendous opportunity for the Commonwealth in which sport has an impactful role to play in empowering, inspiring and connecting nations and people in shared purpose.

“Glasgow 2014 is setting a new benchmark for Commonwealth Games and gives the movement sound foundations from which to build and grow. My immediate focus is on ensuring that – together with our Games Partners – we do Glasgow and Scotland proud and deliver the best Games ever, creating a great global stage for Commonwealth athletes to shine and a wonderful festival of sport the Commonwealth can enjoy.

“I look forward to working with HRH Prince Imran, the Executive Board, and the whole Commonwealth Games family – in particular Samoa and Gold Coast, hosts of the next Commonwealth Youth Games and Commonwealth Games. I’d also like to pay tribute to Mike Hooper for the commitment he has shown to Commonwealth sport over the past 14 years as the CGF’s Chief Executive.”

{jcomments on}

Sochi 2014 Looks to Legacy with RIOU Campus Unveiling

The Russian International Olympic University (RIOU) has unveiled its state-of-the-art campus in Sochi.

RIOU was established in 2009 as a part of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games’ legacy plans, symptoms and aims to train a new generation of sports managers in both the strategic and operational skills needed to manage sports organisations, facilities and events, across the Olympic Movement and the wider sporting world. The campus is located in the centre of Sochi, close to the city’s seaport, and can accommodate 500 students at any one time, with the number of annual graduates totaling 2,000.

RIOU Rector Prof. Lev Belousov said:“The Olympic family has no boundaries, and RIOU’s creation is a perfect example of this. Building a university from nothing has not been an easy task, but we have accomplished it. Our goal is to train the next generation of sports leaders by drawing on the vast Olympic knowledge and experience that RIOU’s professors, visiting experts and the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee possess.

20 students, including Olympic swimming champion Otylia J?drzejczak of Poland, have been awarded scholarships for the inaugural MSA course by the Vladimir Potanin Foundation.

Vladimir Potanin, chairman of the private investment company Interros, a major investor in RIOU, added: “This is a great day for sport in Russia and for the Olympic Movement in general. It has been a lot of hard work to get the university ready in just four years but I am certain that it will pay off and I look forward to helping RIOU become a globally recognised training centre for specialists in sport management. The MSA course is about to start and I wish all of the Vladimir Potanin Foundation scholars the very best of luck with their studies. They have been awarded scholarships because of their commitment to sport and their talents are exceptional. I have no doubt they will go on to become excellent sports management leaders.”

Dmitry Chernyshenko, President of the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee, said: “RIOU’s state-of-the-art campus, which meets all environmental requirements, is a clear example of Sochi’s Olympic legacy. The RIOU building has become the first Olympic venue to receive the BREEAM international environmental certificate. The University’s Olympic education programme will produce a new constellation of professional sport managers equipped with the right knowledge to stage major sport events. They will become not only top class specialists, but ambassadors of Olympic and Paralympic ideals and values as well.”

RIOU and Microsoft also signed an Agreement on Cooperation to provide the university with up-to-date IT infrastructure to ensure the efficient management of the University’s information flows. RIOU also formalised cooperation arrangements with Coventry University, a British university and sport management experts.

Pakistan to Host 2015 Squash World Cup

Pakistan has been awarded hosting rights for 2015 Squash World Cup.

This development follows Pakistan successfully hosting the 17th Asian Squash Event. Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) had provided top class facilities and security to sportsmen and their representatives from 9 different countries in Asian championship, arthritis 2013. 

A press release said the Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) has been able to show the world that Pakistan is a safe country and can play a leading role in the promotion of the game by arranging such international tournaments on regular basis.

Also AVM Razi Nawab’s election as ASF Vice President has also started paying dividends and the Asian Squash Federation has shown its confidence in the PSF by giving the 17th Asian Individual Squash Championship to Pakistan.

M&C Saatchi Secures Majority Stake in Management Agency Merlin Elite

International advertising agency, M&C Saatchi has acquired a majority 60% stake in UK-based talent management agency Merlin Elite, in a deal worth an estimated £1.5m ($2.4m).

Launched in 2003, Merlin Elite represents a host of sports and entertainment stars including former English cricketer and professional boxer Andrew Flintoff, former English footballer Jamie Redknapp, former supermodel and actress Jodie Kidd and British Olympic athlete Denise Lewis.

Through the deal, Merlin Elite will become M&C Saatchi Merlin and sit within M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment. The agency’s founder Richard Thompson will remain as chairman and report into M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment global chief executive Steve Martin and M&C Saatchi UK head Lisa Thomas.

“With the quality of people I have met, to the level of creativity and professionalism, I have no doubt this merger of talents will help create a new breed of Management Company – the first of its kind anywhere in the world,” says Thompson.

Martin, added:“This is not about selling Merlin’s talent portfolio back to our existing clients. It is a pioneering business model and the combination of creativity with strategic personal management will really freshen up a part of the industry that has been doing the same thing for a long time.”

IOC Seeking Sponsorship Replacement for Acer

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said it is seeking a new sponsor to replace Taiwan-based computer company Acer as a member of the TOP Olympic sponsorship programme.

Gerhard Heiberg, thumb head of the IOC’s marketing team said Acer would no longer sponsor the Olympics and that the success of the London 2012 puts the IOC in a good position to find a replacement.

Heiberg said that Acer would not necessarily be replaced by another computer company.

Acer’s departure from the TOP sponsorship programme is reportedly because of the changing technology landscape and potential for other TOP Olympic partners to encroach on the exclusive computer category.

Heiberg said there may be some changes to the computer sponsorship category.

“We have plans and we are looking at that (computing) category and I hope to see the deal within the year. There are some possibilities with PC producers or some other companies to expand the category a little bit,” he told Reuters.

“There are developments in this technical category. You have producers of TVs, PCs and other IT gadgets. There is such a revolution here.”

The IOC currently has 10 top sponsors signed up to the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, including technology firms Samsung and Panasonic, and has set a maximum limit of 12 sponsors.{jcomments on}

 

SNTV to Open New Bureau in Rio for 2016 Olympics

SNTV, allergy | the joint venture between IMG Media, capsule a division of IMG Worldwide, the sports, entertainment and fashion company,  and The Associated Press, announced it will open a new bureau in Rio de Janeiro.

The world’s leading television sports video news agency will locate its new bureau at AP’s office, as the city readies itself for the 2016 Summer Games, a major event in the country’s sporting history.

Ahead of hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and the Summer Games in 2016, the city will also welcome the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, as well as the Soccerex Global Convention later this year and the Sportel Rio conference, the international sports program market for television and new media, in March 2013.

The Rio de Janeiro bureau will be the fourth permanent location SNTV has outside London.  Its other offices are located in New York, Beijing and Singapore.

Martin Kay, managing director of SNTV, said: “Rio de Janeiro will consistently provide the biggest news stories in sport in the run-up to the next Olympic Games so it is essential that we have a presence on the ground as the stories break. Opening the Rio bureau will make sure we continue providing the unrivalled sports news service that our customers expect.”

Founded in 1996, SNTV has become an indispensable service for more than 400 international broadcasters. In January, the company became the first and only sports news agency to operate in high definition.

London Wasps Takeover to be Completed ‘imminently’

Mark Rigby, London Wasps chairman has revealed the sale of the club will be concluded “imminently”.

The terms to sell the former Heineken Cup champions to a consortium headed by former Wasps player Ken Moss were agreed back in June. 

The deal was due to finalised at the end of July – however there were fears the takeover was close to collapsing as an official announcement was delayed.

However on the eve of the new Aviva Premiership season, Rigby has revealed the sale process is set to be completed.

“As we approach the first game of the season, it is an important time to assure all of our supporters and stakeholders of the on-going nature of the sale process behind the scenes” Rigby told the club’s official site.

“As communicated in recent months, terms were agreed on the sale earlier this summer but it is fair to say that there have been some complex financial issues to resolve since that time which has prolonged the process much longer than anyone involved would have liked; but such is the nature of this transaction.

“I am pleased to say that we are nearing the end of the process now and we anticipate that we will complete imminently and a further statement will be issued at that time.”

iSportconnect Directors’ Club Announces New Dates

iSportconnect Directors’ Club have announced three new dates for its London, ambulance New York and Munich Directors’ Club events, erectile returning to London on 3rd October and Munich on 17th October. New York will also host the event for the first time on the 5th November.

iSportconnect Directors’ Club London, in partnership with Generate Sponsorship and Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP, continues to secure high profile speakers with Roger Draper, Chief Executive of the Lawn Tennis Association, and Barry Hearn, Chairman of Matchroom Sport, the Professional Darts Corporation, World Snooker and Leyton Orient Football Club, already signed up to take part in the panel discussion.

“The iSportconnect Directors’ Club provides a high quality forum for a challenging and open debate amongst some of the leading people in British sport about the opportunities and issues facing our industry, as well as a great networking platform, and so I’m delighted to be part of the panel for this event,” said Roger Draper.

Founder and CEO of iSportconnect, Sree Varma, said, ‘Following the success of our inaugural London and Munich events, we are pleased to announce further dates as well as New York as a new venue. We’ve received an excellent response from the first events, attracting high profile speakers from across the industry.  Many guests said the Question Time-style discussion panel was a unique feature and something that the sports industry has lacked.  We’re also delighted Roger Draper and Barry Hearn are able to join us for our next London event and we’re looking forward to making further speaker announcements in the coming weeks.”

iSportconnect Directors’ Club is an exclusive event for sports industry leaders to share market insight and best practice and invites senior decision makers in the sponsorship industry to share high level insight and opinion on business trends and relevant industry news.

A specially invited audience of premium iSportconnect members will offer questions to speakers through a ‘Question Time’ style panel, followed by a networking opportunity in a relaxed environment.

Further panellists will be announced in the coming weeks.