President of the Badminton World Federation (BWF), arthritis Dr Kang Young Joong, has hailed Sir Craig Reedie’s election as Vice-President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Sir Craig, 71, who played a key part in bringing the Olympics to London, was a former president of the International Badminton Federation, the precursor to the BWF. He played a pivotal role in getting badminton into the Olympics in Barcelona 1992.

Dr Kang was quick to recognise the important role Sir Craig has played in sports and said: “We at Badminton World Federation are particularly proud to witness the election of one of our own to this prestigious position within the Olympic movement. It is an honour of which he is indeed worthy.

“We extend sincerest congratulations to Sir Craig and we are certain his vast reservoir of knowledge and experience will continue to stand him and the IOC in admirable stead.”

The Executive Board of the IOC is responsible for ensuring the observance of the Olympic Charter, overseeing the administration of the IOC, organising the Olympic Games and other duties.

Sir Craig was knighted for his efforts in bringing the Olympics and Paralympics to London.

 Sir Craig Reedie and Dr Kang Young Joong both feature in iSportconnect’s Olympic Special E-Magazine, available to read here.

The unfancied blue clay surface used for the first time at the Madrid Open last month has been abolished by the ATP, the governing body of men’s tennis.

World numbers one and two, Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal, led the complaints against the new surface, saying it was too slippery.

“After careful consideration I have decided blue clay courts will not be allowed next year,” ATP executive chairman and president Brad Drewett said in a statement.

“I very much believe in innovation and exploring ways to enhance our sport.

“While the blue clay may have offered better visibility on television, there were clearly issues with the quality of the courts in Madrid this year which were not acceptable at an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament,” Drewett added.

“Regardless of colour we must first ensure that courts are safe and fair for players.”

Drewett was keen to stress, however, that he did not want to put a break on new ideas.

“(Madrid tournament owner) Ion Tiriac has been a great supporter of the game for many years and I continue to encourage his ideas including the testing of blue clay at non-ATP World Tour events,” he added.

“At this time however it’s clear that further development is required before it can be considered for use at ATP World Tour level.”

Grand Prix Sports, a subsidiary of Grand Prix Entertainment, LLC, a Los Angeles-based sports and entertainment company, has announced the acquisition of The American National Rugby League(“AMNRL”), the governing body for the development of Rugby League in the USA.

The AMNRL is exclusively sanctioned by the Rugby League International Federation (“RLIF”).

“We’re very pleased to add the sport of Rugby League, led by our new partners at Star Group Communications, to Grand Prix’s sport investment portfolio,” said Alan Rothenberg, Chairman of Grand Prix Sports. “The AMNRL has been making great strides in the development of Rugby League across America. Acquiring the exclusive rights to Rugby League is a major Grand Prix score on and off the field.”

Seen by many as a move to consolidate its growing influence on the “Father of American Football,” Grand Prix Founder William Tatham said: “Clearly International Rugby Board (“IRB”) Union Rugby is the NFL of world rugby, but RLIF Rugby League is a formidable foe both on and off the field and growing stronger every day. Thus, we felt this expansion was a very important move for Grand Prix in our efforts to package the “Contact Sport of the World” and compete in the United States “Sports Market of the World.”

Grand Prix is most known in rugby world for its pioneering efforts to organize professional Rugby Union Sevens through its strategic and exclusive joint venture partnership with USA Rugby. USA Rugby, an official member of the Unites States Olympic Committee as well as the Rugby World Cup’s International Rugby Board, recently extended through 2018 Grand Prix’s exclusive U.S. sanction, license and global broadcast rights to own, operate and globally broadcast the professional sport of Rugby Sevens. Rugby Sevens will debut as a new Olympic sport at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Games.

Former President of CBS Sports Neal Pilson, endorsed the move, stating, “While maintaining the independent integrity of the Rugby Union and Rugby League operations, yet folding them under one production umbrella, we at Grand Prix felt from a broadcast perspective this transaction was a smart move to avoid unnecessary confusion in a U.S. media market at a very critical time in rugby’s growth.”

Major League Soccer have partnered with D&E Entertainment in providing marketing support for the theatrical premiere of the inspirational sports documentary “RISE & SHINE: THE JAY DEMERIT STORY, adiposity ” set for nationwide release by D&E Entertainment beginning Nov. 3.

Produced by Truth2Life Productions, “RISE & SHINE” follows DeMerit’s riveting career arc from undrafted high school and collegiate athlete to internationally respected soccer star.

“RISE & SHINE is an inspiring story that reflects the passion people have for the sport of soccer, and it was a natural fit for Major League Soccer and D&E to provide marketing support for each other in promoting the national release and MLS Cup 2011,” MLS marketing manager Charlie Shin says.

Major League Soccer, which concludes its 16^th season with the MLS Cup game in Los Angeles on Nov. 20, is featuring a “RISE & SHINE” trailer in its Jumbotron programming at several stadiums. The league also is helping with social-media outreach, while D&E will feature a special introduction from MLS before every screening of “RISE & SHINE.”

D&E principals Evan Saxon and Doug Kluthe touted benefits of MLS’ support.

“MLS’ promotional support during its much-watched playoffs is the perfect setting to reach families and fans,” Saxon says. Kluthe adds, “The promotional partnership with MLS complements the extensive grassroots marketing provided by AYSO, Truth2LIfe and D&E.”

“RISE & SHINE: THE JAY DEMERIT STORY” is set to open in more than 130 theaters nationwide. That includes distribution in top-25 markets such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, St. Louis and all cities boasting an MLS franchise. 

Co-directed by filmmakers and Truth2Life partners Nick Lewis and Ranko Tutulugdzija, the 92-minute film traces the Green Bay, Wisc.-native’s journey from failed pro tryouts through early frustrations in English football’s lowest divisions. DeMerit ultimately triumphs in soccer glory, becoming a captain for England’s Watford FC and joining Team USA as a hard-charging center halfback at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Today, he captains MLS’ Vancouver Whitecaps.

Financed through crowd-sourcing site Kickstarter, “RISE AND SHINE” features game footage from worldwide competitions including cameos by soccer greats Wayne Rooney, Didier Drogba and Landon Donovan.

As per a survey conducted by KPMG golf participation in Europe has changed since a few years now.

Europe’s golf market had experienced a significant growth in both demand and supply since the 1980s. The number of golfers had more than tripled in the last 25 years, doctor and golf course supply had doubled in the same period. While the number of registered players grew by 5% annually until 2005, research suggests that since then demand growth has slowed down in the second half of our decade to 1-2% per year

From 2000 to 2010, England and Wales have experienced a decrease in the number of golfers.

The leading countries in golf participation growth were Germany (+254,000 = 74% growth), the Netherlands (+204,000 = 146% growth) and Spain (+187,000= 124% growth).

The Czech Republic, despite having the most developed golf market in Eastern Europe, has experienced an 650% growth in the last 10 years, which was also significant in absolute terms: almost 40,000 new golfers have been registered in the country.

Golf demand and supply within Europe is concentrated in a relatively small number of countries. In fact, 92% of all golfers are located in only 10 countries, with the majority in the UK & Ireland. Similarly, the 10 countries with the largest golf course supply provide 90% of all golf courses in Europe.

Golf is especially popular in the Nordic countries, where participation rates are far higher than in the rest of Europe. This is paralleled with a well-established supply in Northern Europe, i.e. a lower number of inhabitants per golf course.

In most European countries, demand is dominated by male golfers. On average, 65% of all golfers are men, 25% are women and 10% are junior golfers. In the UK & Ireland, Europe’s largest golf market, three-quarters of the players are male. In terms of female golfers, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Benelux are the leaders. In these countries, female participation is above 30%. Germany and the Netherlands are also in the top fi ve in absolute terms, with 209,000 and 110,000 female golfers, respectively.

In Turkey an extensive youth program, the ‘Golf Junior League’ initiative, proved so successful that in the last three years over 2,000 junior golfers were registered in the country.

Although participation growth in Europe has already started slowing down from 2005 onwards, last year there was in fact a 4% decrease in the number of golfers in Europe’s largest golf market, the UK & Ireland, and eight other countries have experienced a decrease in participation. This suggests significant efforts are needed in order to maintain and further grow participation in the game. Increasing media attention and the popularization of a new breed of ‘golf celebrity’ are all important in raising interest in the game. Young Tour stars, including Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell and the Molinari brothers, Francesco and Eduardo, are bringing a fresh, reinvigorated outlook to the professional game, which is also being supported by the inclusion of golf in the Olympics.

Governments, tourism bodies, as well as golf federations and associations have a crucial role in encouraging the industry to join forces, for the good of the game. The potential for educating the youth, promoting the game among the female population, and making golf a ‘family activity’, has been recognized by many. However, only a few stakeholders have, in fact, taken action, and the industry is still missing the structured programs required to generate participation to the game.

National Hockey League’s (NHL) Columbus Blue Jackets announced today a new multi-year partnership with Skyview Networks to serve as official radio network provider.

With Skyview, mind the franchise aims to streamline its broadcasts by using one platform, AdView Inventory Management, to schedule and track all advertisers in its play-by-play broadcast and coach’s show.

“We’re very excited to be entering into this partnership with Skyview Networks and we look forward to a long, successful relationship with one of the country’s most dynamic sports broadcasting companies,” said Russ Mollohan, Director of Broadcasting for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The franchise will utilize Skyview’s latest software release for inventory management: AdView. The application is web-based, allowing real time access to commercial logs from anywhere an internet connection is available. Now the franchise will be able to manage its play-by-play and ancillary programming in one complete system. Other features include automatic system updates, auto-rotation of advertisers for contract fulfillment, and immediate generation of affidavits, quickening the receivables process.

“We are proud to partner with the Blue Jackets and pleased to welcome the team to our family of NHL partners,” said Matt Stys, vice president business development for Skyview Networks. “We feel our package of services will provide a high quality broadcast to its network affiliates. We look forward to working closely with the franchise and to the Blue Jackets season.”

Windsor (Ontario, sale Canada) will host the 2016 FINA World Swimming Championships (25m), ed FINA Bureau have announced. 

The Canadian location beat out competition from Hong Kong (Hong Kong, drugs China), Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) and Ashgabat (Turkmenistan).

“I warmly congratulate the city of Windsor, the Aquatic Federation of Canada and Swimming Canada! I am sure we will have a great FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) in 2016,” declared FINA President Dr. Julio C. Maglione, when announcing the decision of the Bureau.

This news was enthusiastically received by the Mayor of Windsor, Eddie Francis, present in Istanbul to introduce its city bid. “We are aware of the FINA strength in the world of sports and this fantastic outcome will help transform our city and strengthen our passion for sport”, stated Mr. Francis. “When the world comes to Windsor for these championships, all the visitors will be positively surprised by the vitality of our city and region, the diversity of her communities and her generous hospitality. These characteristics were essential in our successfully bid and will serve us well as we get ready to host a great World Championships in 2016,” he concluded.

Also thrilled with this result was Pierre Lafontaine, CEO of Swimming Canada. “We like to bring the world to us, and this will be a privileged occasion to have the best among the best in Canada. This kind of events truly inspires the country and its youth – and this was our main goal behind this bid”, said Lafontaine. “The energy and dynamism of Mayor Francis in creating this dream for his community was essential in this positive result. In terms of the impact for swimming in Canada, it will be also amazing,” he concluded.

Before the 2016 edition in Windsor, the 12th FINA World Swimming Championships, in 2014, will take place in the city of Doha (QAT).

News Corp. (NWS) is set to increase its presence in Australia’s subscription-television market after Consolidated Media Holdings Ltd. (CMJ.AU) shareholders approved its 1.94 billion Australian dollar (US$2.01 billion) bid for the company. 

The deal will see News Corp., owner of The Wall Street Journal, double its stake in Australian subscription-TV provider Foxtel to 50%, and gain full ownership of sports-channel Fox Sports. Australia’s largest telephone company Telstra Corp. (TLS.AU) owns the remaining 50% of Foxtel.

The deal has to go to Australia’s Federal Court for approval on Friday, something investors see as a formality, before being completed on November 19.

Foxtel and Fox Sports are to be included, along with News Corp.’s Australian newspaper assets, in the company’s publishing arm–which is being split from the entertainment businesses that is to include other broadcasting networks, as well as film and TV production studios.

Foxtel, which last reported A$2.2 billion in annual revenue, will be an important earner for the publishing business at a time when newspaper readership is declining as consumers switch to digital platforms.

Angus Gluskie, managing director of fund manager White Funds Management, which holds News Corp. shares, said he looked forward to Foxtel’s inclusion in the publishing business.

“It’s important for them (News Corp.) to have a very dominant offering across that media space,” he said.

Foxtel is Australia’s largest subscription-TV provider and earlier this year bought rival Austar in a deal valued at A$2.5 billion.

Foxtel had 2.3 million households signed up to its service as of June 30 in a country where pay-TV penetration is only 26%, according to Citigroup research–well behind countries like the U.S. and Germany.

News Corp.’s Australian arm, News Ltd., said in a statement Wednesday that it welcomed the vote by Consolidated Media shareholders to support the takeover.

There was little doubt about the outcome given Consolidated Media’s two largest shareholders already backed the deal. James Packer’s Consolidated Press Holdings Ltd. owns 50.1 of Consolidated Media, while Seven Group Holdings Ltd. (SVW.AU), owned by fellow billionaire Kerry Stokes, has 25%.

The deal follows a A$3.45-a-share bid by News Corp. for Consolidated Media in September, lower than an original non-binding proposal of A$3.50 made in June. Consolidated Media’s shares closed at A$3.43 in Sydney on Wednesday, while News Corp. ended up 0.3% at A$23.66.

While Consolidated Press Holdings was an early supporter of the takeover, Seven Group came on board only this month when the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission, or ACCC, rejected its own proposal to take over the whole of the company.

The ACCC said at the time it was concerned about the impact on competition in the free-to-air TV market if Seven Group–which owns 33% of broadcaster Seven West Media Ltd. (SWM.AU)–took over Consolidated Media.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) have dished out severe penalties against Penn State’s football program Monday in the wake of the child sex-abuse scandal involving former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, ed whose abuses were covered up for years by top university officials.

The sanctions included a four-year postseason ban for the football team, a scholarship reduction from 25 to 15 for four years, a five-year probation for all Penn State sports, a $60-million fine and the vacating of all football wins from 1998 through 2011.

The fine will serve as an endowment to serve victims of child abuse nationwide, NCAA President Mark Emmert said when he announced the penalties at a press conference at NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis along with Ed Ray, chairman of the NCAA’s executive committee.

The NCAA’s actions are unprecedented in that Emmert received special approval from the NCAA’s Division I Board of Directors, which comprises college presidents and chancellors, to personally levy the penalties, a first in NCAA history for a president.

“This is a very distinct and very unique circumstance,” Emmert said.

By issuing the penalties in this way, Emmert and the NCAA bypassed the tedious and often years-long infractions process — forgoing a formal NCAA investigation into Penn State in favor of swift action.

Tthe sanctions are considered to be by far among the harshest the NCAA has handed down in its history and certainly among its harshest since issuing USC’s football team in 2010 a two-year postseason ban and the loss of 30 scholarships over three years.