ITTF President Sharara Elected to New Chairman Position

The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has elected President Adham Sharara to the newly created position of Chairman of the ITTF today at the ITTF Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Tokyo, Japan.

80% of the AGM delegates voted in favour of creating the position, and Mr SHARARA was voted as the first ever “Chairman of the ITTF” with 90% of the votes.

The position “Chairman of the ITTF” is an independent and non-political position without any voting or decision-making power. The “Chairman of the ITTF” will chair the ITTF AGM each year. 

The new position comes into effect on 1 September 2014 at which time Mr SHARARA will retire as ITTF President, a position that he has held for the past 15 years.

At the conclusion of the AGM, the 60 year old Canadian stated: “I am very happy with the outcome. This new position is very well suited to me at this stage, and I will have the time to contribute efficiently in special focus areas needed for the further development of the ITTF. The new plan is designed to move table tennis into the top 5 sports in the world.”

ITTF Deputy President Thomas Weikert (GER) will succeed Mr SHARARA as the ITTF President on 1 September 2014.

“I am honored to be the next ITTF President,” stated Mr WEIKERT, who is also the President of the German Table Tennis Association. I have very big shoes to fill, as Adham has done a fantastic job growing the sport over the past 15 years. However, I am excited about the challenge and I am looking forward to building on the good work Adham has achieved in his Presidency.”

During Mr SHARARA’s 15 years as ITTF President, he has overseen major changes designed to make the ITTF more commercially viable and attractive to TV audiences. 

This included changing the games from “first to 21 points” to “first to 11 points”, and increasing the size of the ball from 38mm to 40mm, just to name a few.

The 2014 AGM was held during the ZEN-NOH 2014 World Team Table Tennis Championships, which is being held between 28 April – 5 May 2014 in Tokyo, Japan.

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Prince William Ice Center to Host U.S. Junior National Short-Track Speedskating Championships

The Prince William Ice Center in Virginia will host the 3-day U.S. Junior National Short-Track Speedskating Championships on January 25-27, therapy 2013.

Sixty-three (63) of the top junior short-track skaters, bronchi ages 13-19, will vie for a berth on the U.S. Junior World Championship team at the event.

The eight U.S.Junior skaters (4 men and 4 women) selected will go on to compete in the World Junior Short Track Championships taking place February 22-24 in Warsaw, Poland .

The Junior Nationals are an important stepping stone to a possible future Olympic Games selection, in a sport where more U.S. Winter Olympic medals have been won than in any other sport. Many of these talented junior skaters have qualified for an invitation to the US Olympic trials for short track speedskating to be held later in 2013.

Presented by Prince William Hospital and the Northern Virginia Orthopaedic Specialists in conjunction with Prince William County, the events are expected to draw nearly 1,000 skaters and families, officials, volunteers from all over the U.S.

The Virginia/Maryland/DC area is a hotbed for short-track speedskating in the U.S., driven in part by the strong local Korean-American community. In world competition, Korean skaters have dominated the sport, but the U.S. team is also regarded as a powerhouse in the sport thanks, in part, to the achievements of Apolo Anton Ohno, J.R. Celski and Katherine Reutter.

Prince William Ice Center to Host U.S. Junior National Short-Track Speedskating Championships

The Prince William Ice Center in Virginia will host the 3-day U.S. Junior National Short-Track Speedskating Championships on January 25-27, therapy 2013.

Sixty-three (63) of the top junior short-track skaters, bronchi ages 13-19, will vie for a berth on the U.S. Junior World Championship team at the event.

The eight U.S.Junior skaters (4 men and 4 women) selected will go on to compete in the World Junior Short Track Championships taking place February 22-24 in Warsaw, Poland .

The Junior Nationals are an important stepping stone to a possible future Olympic Games selection, in a sport where more U.S. Winter Olympic medals have been won than in any other sport. Many of these talented junior skaters have qualified for an invitation to the US Olympic trials for short track speedskating to be held later in 2013.

Presented by Prince William Hospital and the Northern Virginia Orthopaedic Specialists in conjunction with Prince William County, the events are expected to draw nearly 1,000 skaters and families, officials, volunteers from all over the U.S.

The Virginia/Maryland/DC area is a hotbed for short-track speedskating in the U.S., driven in part by the strong local Korean-American community. In world competition, Korean skaters have dominated the sport, but the U.S. team is also regarded as a powerhouse in the sport thanks, in part, to the achievements of Apolo Anton Ohno, J.R. Celski and Katherine Reutter.

Thomas Cook Sport Appoints Sales Agents to Sell ‘Match Break’ Package

Thomas Cook Sport, the UK’s leading sports tour operator, has appointed 39 international sales agents to sell its popular Match Break product to football fanatics across the world. 

With Thomas Cook Sport being the official travel partner of nine Premier League clubs – Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool FC, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and West Bromwich Albion – fans in 29 different countries, from the U.S. to Indonesia, can now buy an official package. A Match Break includes a guaranteed match ticket, overnight accommodation in a choice of hotels, match day programme and a tour of the stadium.* Flights are sold separately by each agent.

Huw Wigley, Business Development Manager of Thomas Cook Sport, said: “Over recent years, UK Premier League football has gone from strength-to-strength and we have seen a significant increase in demand from overseas to secure official tickets.”

Premier League football is the most watched sport in the world, with recent stats from VisitBritain revealing that nearly one million overseas visitors watched a game of football here in the UK last year, spending £706million in the process – a welcome boast for the economy.

Mark Di-Toro from VisitBritain said: “The Premier League is known as the most international and exciting league in the world, so it’s no surprise that people from across the globe want to visit and catch a game. Our world class football is a vital tool in enticing visitors at traditionally quieter periods and at the same time helps international fans explore more than just London – boosting the regional tourist economy.”

UCI Yet to Receive Details of Armstrong’s Lifetime Ban

The International Cycling Union (UCI) has not yet received details of Lance Armstrong’s lifetime ban from the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

USADA said last month that the cyclist would be banned for life and his results since 1998 – including seven Tour de France titles won during 1999-2005 -would be expunged due to “numerous” alleged violations.

But UCI President, Pat McQuaid, said the file still has not been sent to them, despite requesting it as soon as the decision was announced on August 24.

“The dossier which USADA has certainly prepared will allow for clarification on points which remain open in this affair,” McQuaid said.

McQuaid said one of the points that requires clarifying iswhich agency has jurisdiction when it comes to sanctioning Armstrong.

McQuaid said, barring any major unforeseen issues, “the UCI does not intend to appeal” the USADA sanctions to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

“But we need verification” of wrongdoing, McQuaid said.

Armstrong said he would not seek to clear his name through the CAS, but he continues to deny doping during his career.

USADA claimed it has several witnesses prepared to testify that Armstrong is guilty of doping.{jcomments on}

Ukraine’s Donbass Arena Listed in World Football’s 50 Best Stadiums

American digital sports network, Bleacher Report has named the Donbass Arena stadium one of Eastern Europe’s crown jewels, featuring it on the Power-Ranking of the World Football’s 50 Best Stadiums.

In fact, two Ukrainian football venues were on the list, with the second one being Olimpiyskyi Stadium, located in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv.

Singaporean stadium The Float opens the Power-Ranking by Bleacher Report. It is the only venue in the world equipped with pitch which is surrounded by water.

Other venues that made it to the list include Sweden’s most known stadium Rasunda(number 4 on the list), Greek Georgios Karaiskakis (6 position, opened in 1896), Johannesburg’s FNB Stadium (number 33), and Uruguayan Estadio Centenario (number 48) – the only stadium honored by FIFA as a monument of the game.

Ukrainian stadium Donbass Arena takes the 16 spot on the list. “With an ever-improving club hosted by the venue, it is certain to continue to be recognized throughout the world,” writes the author of the Bleacher Report feature, columnist Thomas Atzenhoffer.

The stadium in eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk had a chance to live up to the praise on June 15, 2012. Five minutes into the match between EURO 2012 contestants – French and Ukrainian national teams the referee Bjorn Kuipers took the players off the field due to severe thunderstorm. This is when ultramodern drainage systems helped rapidly dry out the field, allowing to resume the match 57 minutes later.

Donbass Arena is followed on the Bleacher Report list by Russia’s largest stadium Luzhniki. A little further down the line isKyiv’s Olimpiyskyi Stadium – at number 21. Opened in 1923, it was originally named Red and later – Republican, the venue took its current name from the Summer Olympic Games the stadium hosted in 1980. Renovated in 2011, Olimpiyskyi has been equipped with most recent technological advancements, including fire-resistant seats and largest in Ukraine LED screens.

Notably, both Ukrainian stadiums featured in the Bleacher Report just finished hosting EURO 2012 – the European football championship. Another EURO 2012 host stadium on the Bleacher Report list is the National Stadium in Warsaw, Poland. It is ranked number 23. The famous Wembley Stadium in London closes the list.

2012 IRB Junior World Championship Set to Receive Record Coverage

medstore sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgba(255, ed 255, 255, 0.917969);”>The IRB Junior World Championship 2012 in South Africa will enjoy record broadcast, online and social media coverage for an Age Grade Rugby tournament.

The premier age grade event for international teams at Under 20 level, which runs from June 4-22 in Stellenbosch and Cape Town, will be screened live or as live to more than 240 million homes in 162 territories by 17 leading broadcasters, a 14 per cent rise in coverage from last year.

The cumulative total of live coverage for the three-week tournament is projected to exceed 300 hours for the first time.

The IRB Junior World Championship 2012 Host Broadcaster SuperSport will produce live coverage of all 30 matches, the first time the whole tournament has been broadcast.

Around the world, broadcasters showing live action for the first time include NBC in USA and ESPN Star in Asia, reflecting the strong growth of the Game in these territories, alongside leading sports broadcasters such as Fox Sport in Australia, Eurosport, France TV, RAI in Italy, Sky Sports UK, Bandsport in Brazil, Fiji TV and OSN across the Middle East. For the first time Maori TV in New Zealand and TG4 in Ireland will cover the tournament.

Procter & Gamble to Introduce New Marketing Campaign for London 2012

Procter & Gamble will announce a new marketing campaign for their London 2012 sponsorship by targeting mothers through a Thank You Mom’ campaign.

The ‘Thank You Mom’ campaign will help improve the everyday lives of athlete’s moms around the world.

The announcement will come through a live webcast on friday during the kick off of the Youth Olympic Games at Innsbruck. Tennis star and gold medal Olympian, Roger Federer, will video in from Australia together with Paula Radcliffe, Women’s Marathon world record holder, who will also video in from a high altitude training camp in Kenya.

IOC chief, Dr. Jacques Rogge, and Marc Pritchard, Global Marketing and Brand Building Officer, P&G will lead the announcement.

Procter & Gamble will allow thousands of moms of Olympians to really experience the Olympic Games with their children by providing services and event tickets in London.

The company also commits to help the lives of children by establishing and sustaining youth sport programs around the world.

Sky Deutschland Extends Formula One Broadcast Rights

A one-year broadcast rights renewal will see Sky Deutschland air the Formula One across Germany, allergist Austria and Switzerland for the 2011 season.

The extension will carry the broadcasting contract into its 16th successive campaign and the company has guaranteed to show all the footage of the three practice sessions, cheap qualifying and the final race, generic without advertising interruptions.

The German F1 fans will be pleased about the deal which will enable them to watch fellow countryman Sebastien Vettel attempt to retain his title as well as legendary driver Michael Schumacher.

“This is a great Christmas gift for motorsport fans in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Only we can guarantee the real Formula One experience to viewers.” said Carsten Schmidt, director of the pay-TV platform’s commercial arm.

Formula One Group CEO Bernie Ecclestone added: “We are very satisfied to continue with Sky, which has been a long-term partner for us.”

German Golf Receives Medicom Backing

A three-year deal has been struck between the German Golf Association (DGV) and pharmaceuticals company, Medicom Pharma to become a major sponsor as of 2011.

The contract will see the company’s logo emblazed upon the membership cards of 620,000 affiliated German golfers. Medicom will now be involved alongside the DGV in promotional activities, providing an array of special offers for the association’s members. The deal is reported to be wort a mid-six figure sum each year according to sponsors.de. The company joins the likes of Vodafone and Audi AG as major sponsors of the association.

“Through our commitment, we want to show that with our supplements, made using the latest scientific evidence and in accordance with German law, anyone can improve his golf game. Our products help every athlete improve his general well-being, which is a substantial advantage before, during and after the game. As an avid golfer, I look forward to working with the German Golf Association.” said Medicom Pharma managing director Daniel Rexhausen.