The International cricket Council (ICC) has officially launched its Global Cricket Academy based at Dubai Sports City.

Present at the launch was ICC President Sharad Pawar, ICC Vice-President Alan Isaac and several members of the ICC Board as well as ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat. There on behalf of Dubai Sports City were its founding partners while Dubailand was represented by its Chief Executive Mohammed Al Habbai.

Pawar said: “This outstanding academy will provide a pathway for the world’s current and emerging international players to excel. It will also become the centre of excellence for cricket’s best and brightest administrators, coaches, umpires and curators.

“With its state-of-the-art programmes, facilities and coaches, the ICC GCA will provide a home for a wide range of our stakeholders from both the traditional Full Members and the developing Associate and Affiliate Members. We believe the ICC GCA is key in making our great sport, even greater.”

Abdul Rahman Bukhatir, Managing Director of Dubai Sports City said: “This is indeed a historic and momentous occasion for world cricket and another significant milestone in the evolution of Dubai Sports City. This academy project has come about through our excellent partnership with the ICC.

“It is the philosophy of Dubai Sports City to create partnerships and be associated with the best of breeds in all sports. Pivotal to this philosophy is the development of sportsmen and women at all levels – from amateur to professional. We firmly believe that we are creating an environment in which this ambition can be fulfilled. Dubai Sports City is delighted to have the ICC Global Cricket Academy as part of our offering.”

Technology solutions provider Tickets.com have announced a long-term ticketing services partnership with Niagara IceDogs of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).

Starting with the 2014-15 season, the IceDogs will utilize the ProVenue platform for all ticket sales at the new 5,300 seat Meridian Centre, in St. Catharines, Ontario.

The agreement expands upon Tickets.com’s presence and support of the Canadian Major Junior market, where it already serves the Sudbury Wolves (OHL), Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL) and Erie Otters (OHL) as well as their host facilities. ProVenue’s roots in professional sports provide these franchises with a best-in-class feature set to manage complex inventory and fan relationships.

“We could not be happier to partner with the Burke family and the IceDogs,” said Dan Archabal, Tickets.com Vice President of Business Development. “Moving from the Gatorade Complex to the Meridian Centre next year, the franchise wanted to upgrade all components of the fan experience. ProVenue will allow the team to offer fans significantly expanded online self-service options; including an automated kiosk and online account management tools. We understand that OHL franchises need to stay lean. Our tools and services will let the IceDogs focus more on fan contact and less on the transactions.”

IceDogs Owner and Governor Bill Burke emphasized the importance of the services and marketing relationships that Tickets.com will bring to the partnership. “Tickets.com has such a strong base of operations just like ours in the Niagara Region and we hope to take advantage of the facilities and franchises in this network. They have proven themselves in the OHL and we are excited to move forward with them in our new home at the Meridian Centre.”

German Bundesliga club, medicine Bayer Leverkusen have renewed a four-year marketing deal with Sportfive, with their stadium BayArena becoming the 1.Bundesliga’s first Wi-Fi enabled stadium.

Their partnership began in 2007 with the establishment of Bayer 04 Marketing. The agreement will now extend until 2019, with the club stating the two parties have agreed to make the BayArena the 1.Bundesliga’s first venue with a digital signage system complete with “extensive Wi-Fi connection”. The initiative has been designed to drive new marketing opportunities.

“The last five years in collaboration with Sportfive has seen the marketing of Bayer 04 develop in new dimensions,” said Bayer Leverkusen managing director Wolfgang Holzhäuser. “Against the backdrop of increasingly demanding challenges, we want to set further goals together in the future. We are firmly convinced that our partnership will continue very positively.”

Philipp Hasenbein, managing director of Sportfive, added: “Bayer 04 Leverkusen has been one of the top clubs in the German Bundesliga for many years and is very professionally run. In addition, our cooperation has been very positive. It is therefore very pleasing that we could extend the agreement well in advance. Together with Bayer 04, we want to continue the marketing successes.”

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown has announced the selection of HARBORcenter Development, clinic | LLC (the development company affiliated with the Buffalo Sabres) as the preferred developer of the Webster Block to create a state-of-the-art ice rink.

He also released the term sheet, discount outlining the plan to create two new ice rinks, help which coupled with the existing rink, makes this facility the “first of its kind” in the United States. The project also calls for a hotel, retail, a restaurant and new parking, for a total estimated project cost of $123 million.

“This is an exciting day for Downtown Buffalo and its waterfront,” said Mayor Brown. “I want to thank HARBORcenter Development, LLC and the Buffalo Sabres for putting before us a remarkable proposal that will re-make this prime piece of city-owned land, and bring tremendous economic impact to the community.”

“We are proud to be named the preferred developer of the Webster Block,” said Terry Pegula, owner of the Buffalo Sabres. “This project will further enhance the current development at Canalside and in the process, create a destination attraction to draw hundreds of thousands of people to Buffalo’s waterfront on a yearly basis. Canalside has seen a rebirth the past few years and we expect our project to act as a catalyst for future development on the waterfront.”

The Webster Block, a 1.7 acre city owned site located directly across from First Niagara Center, is considered a prized downtown parcel due to its location in downtown Buffalo, its proximity to Canalside, two major sports venues, and the Peace Bridge. The HARBORcenter Development project is expected to provide approximately 1,500 construction jobs. Once complete, the facilities are expected to create 350 full-time jobs, and generate $4.1 million in state and local taxes, $48 million over the next ten years.

“The City received two excellent and competitive proposals for the Webster Block, and there was strong support for each plan,” said Mayor Brown. “In the end, the Selection Committee recommended the project it believed would be best for the City of Buffalo, and selected HARBORcenter Development and the Buffalo Sabres.”

Australian Waratahs Rugby and the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union have reached an agreement that both parties believe will have mutual long-term benefits.

The agreement was facilitated by  HSBC, a major partner to both organisations, and is aimed at helping Hong Kong RFU develop its rugby operations and developing the Waratahs Rugby brand in Asia.

Waratahs Rugby CEO, Jason Allen, said: “There are great synergies between our businesses, and we are delighted to be able to formalise our arrangement.”

Last month, three of Hong Kong’s potential future rugby, Cado Lee , Kenneth Wong Kit-leung and Terry Tsang Kai-cheuk stars, spent a week in Sydney training with the HSBC Waratahs as part of the agreement between the two parties.{jcomments on}

The English Football League is attempting to expand its commercial output by promoting its head of marketing  David Malkinson to a new strategic partnerships role in a bid to step up its chase for global sponsors.

The League is building a commercial team to drive revenue for its clubs through sponsorship of grassroots initiatives and digital campaigns with global commercial partners.

Activity is being led by chief commercial officer, online Richard Heaselgrave, clinic who will work alongside former head of marketing David Malkinson who was promoted to head of strategic marketing and partnerships.

It is the latest phase of the League’s push to court commercial partners that are not purely UK-centric, such as its current roster of sponsors, which include Npower, Carling and Johnstone’s Paint.

The Football League, which distributes money it collects from sponsors to member clubs, hopes the increase in headcount will help it to accrue some of the £23m it will lose when its new television rights deal with BSkyB launches at the start of the 2012/13 season.

The governing body of the Championship, League One and League Two is also close to finding a sponsor for the Football League Cup to replace Carling, which has come to the end of its three year exclusive deal, according to Richard Heaselgrave, who was appointed commercial director in October.

The League wants to talk to brands with “global aspirations”, which it says the UK-centric Carling does not have, to take advantage of the competition’s increased exposure overseas.

by Ismail Uddin

After talks of a partnership agreement between the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) and the PGA arose again this week, no rx the former have denied any such negotiations.

Spokesman David Higdon spoke on behalf of the LPGA Tour on the topic of a PGA Tour/LPGA Tour partnership: “We are pleased with our on-going strong relationship with the PGA Tour. Our Commissioners talk regularly, we serve on committees together, we’re in step with them on the introduction of golf to the Olympics in 2016, and we share the same interest in growing the game.

“We certainly have discussed ideas on even more collaborative efforts, but there have been absolutely no discussions with the PGA Tour about any sort of business agreement or ownership stake in the LPGA.”

Edmonton might remain on the IZOD IndyCar schedule after all. The race appeared dead earlier this month when the city and promoter could not agree to terms. The Edmonton City Council approved a plan involving an additional $3 million in parking revenues and private partnerships.

That is expected to pave the way for Montreal-based Octane Motorsports Events Inc. to serve as race promoter for the next three years.

The Edmonton Sun has also reported the race is expected to held in late July, health but the promoter still has to re-work a deal with IndyCar.

Octane also runs the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix and NASCAR Nationwide races in Montreal.