The International Rowing Federation (FISA) has opted against inclusion into the Baku 2015 European Games after it cited logistical problems and improper infrastructure as stumbling blocks.

FISA had visited Baku in Azerbaijan from 24 to 27 June 2013 to see if the venues could facilitate the sport. The first embarked on the city of Mingechevir, ailment a well-known international training location in the centre of the country which offers 17 kilometers of training water on the Kur river just below the large Lake Mingechevir dam. But found too many venue obstacles.

“While the facilities at the training centre in Mingechevir have been recently completely renovated and are world-class, generic several obstacles prevent it from being offered as a possible venue including the flow in the river, insufficient accommodation and its position for international access, 300 kilometres from Baku,” they said in a statement.

The second possible location was Lake Khojahasan on the western edge of Baku. It is a four kilometre long lake very near the city centre, in a newly unincorporated area. This was also disregarded as the infrastructure required would not be in place until after the Games in 2015.

The statement added: “The government of Azerbaijan has confirmed that there is a well-advanced city development plan for this district of Baku, however, it will not be possible to finish the needed infrastructure development in time for the June 2015 date of the Games. The government is very positive about the possibility of including rowing and water sports on this lake for the future.

“Therefore, after extensive investigation and consultation, unfortunately, FISA and the EOC have jointly come to the conclusion that rowing will not be on the programme of the 2015 European Games. However there are good prospects for 2019.”

The Tokyo Marathon will join their prestigious World Marathon Majors (WMM) race series from February 2013, herbal becoming the series’ first Asian race.

Tokyo will join the lineup of Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York City.

It will take place on February 24, making it the first race in the 2013 – 2014 World Marathon Majors scoring period

The higher status benefit the Tokyo 2020 bid to host the summer Olympics because the marathon route will have a higher significance as part of the WMM circuit.

Tad Hayano, Tokyo Marathon Foundation Race Director, said: “Tokyo is honoured to join the World Marathon Majors.

“As the first marathon from Asia, we will continuously make an effort to expand the brand of the WMM in Asia. Likewise, as the one of the World Marathon Majors, we believe that the Tokyo Marathon can make an even more positive contribution to the world marathon scene by working with our new partners.”

The World Marathon Majors was founded in January 2006 by the Boston, Virgin London, BMW Berlin, Bank of America Chicago, and ING New York City marathons and offers a US$1million prize that is split between the best male and female marathoners in the world.

Tom Grilk, Executive Director of the Boston Athletic Association and Boston Marathon, said in a statement with the WMM: “We at World Marathon Majors are delighted to have Tokyo join our group. The Japanese have a magnificent history and tradition in the marathon, and the Japanese people have long embraced the marathon and distance running in general. They are among the finest fans in the world for our sport.”

The first Tokyo marathon was held in 2007 and attracted 95,044 applicants and 30,870 participants. Since then the race has grown to more tan 300,000 applicants and around 36,000 runners.{jcomments on}

 

The National Association of Sports Commissions (NASC) and the Association of Chief Executives for Sport (ACES) announced today a year-long partnership to elevate the education and professionalism of the business of sports, cough sporting events and sports management.

As part of the new partnership both entities will focus on the following initiatives, price as well as others, pills over the next year: Standardization of language and format in requests for proposal, creation of multisport events to be held in member cities and a virtual marketplace allowing ACES members to present their event needs without travelling to a meeting.

“We are very excited about this strategic relationship with ACES on behalf of our members and the industry,” said Don Schumacher, executive director of the NASC. “We feel our combined experience in the business of sports will be of benefit to the entire industry.”

“This agreement forms a partnership to improve the knowledge, professionalism and industry information sharing, along with best practices of each organization,” said Stephen Ducoff, president and CEO of ACES.

Founded in 1992, the NASC is the resource for the sports event industry and represents nearly 600 organizations, including 300 cities within the sports event industry across the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, and more than 125 event owners.

FIFA have finally published their controvesial ISL documents confirming its former president Joao Havelange and executive committee member Ricardo Teixeira received millions of dollars in a World Cup kickbacks.

The report, published by FIFA on Wednesday, stated that Havelange was paid at least 1.5 million Swiss francs and Teixeira at least 12.74 million Swiss francs ($12.74m), and that the pair may have received as much as 21.9 million Swiss francs ($21.9m) million).

Havelange, 96, served as FIFA president between 1974 and 1998, and was also part of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for almost four decades. Former Brazilian Football Confederation president Teixeira, 65, left the FIFA Executive Committee earlier this year.

The Brazilian duo are the only FIFA officials named in the report, with the identities of other members of the governing body kept anonymous.

The revelations come after Switzerland’s Supreme Court ruled that the details of the case should be made available to the media.

The Hurley Surfing Australia High Performance Centre (HPC) was officially opened today by Deputy Prime Minister, Treasurer Wayne Swan and Federal Member for Richmond, Hon Justine Elliot.

The centre, located in Casaurina in northern New South Wales, is reported to have cost between $(AU)2million and $(AU)4million of goverment funds and is the world’s first facility dedicated to the development of elite surfers and coaches.

The centre of excellence will be equipped by Harvey Norman and will include state-of-the-art education facilities, equipment and accommodation.

Treasure Swan said: “Having spent my summers surfing the breaks along this part of the coast, it’s a huge pleasure for me to be here with some of our all-time surfing legends as well as Justine Elliot to open this fantastic facility,” Treasurer Swan said.

“While funded by the Federal Labor Government, it’s also taken the vision and foresight of Surfing Australia to make this happen.

“A world first, it brings a new wave of opportunities for not only Australian surfing but also for the local economy of northern New South Wales.”

Justine Elliot believes the facility will provide training and educational and economic benfits for the local community.

“Australia is one of the most successful surfing nations and investments like this will help maintain that legacy,” she said.

Surfing Australia CEO Andrew Stark lauded the day as very significant.

“This is a monumental day for Surfing Australia and for our sport,” Stark said. “The new Hurley Surfing Australia High Performance Centre will provide the edge and competitive advantage that our athletes in Australia need to be able to compete on the world stage.”{jcomments on}

Spanish soccer giants FC Barcelona has reportedly acquired Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor as it’s brand ambassador for India as it looks to compete in a populated market dominated by English Premier League clubs.

According to the india based Economic Times the deal will be officially announced next month and will involve the actor promoting the club in India.

Kapoor said: “It is a huge fan moment for me. To be associated with a team that boasts of names like Messi and Xavi is just awesome. My role is to do my bit as a Barca fan. In fact, I was too tongue-tied, when Messi spoke to me.”

The Catalans also plan to tie up with brands that Kapoor endorses – Pepsi, Tata DoCoMo, Panasonic, Nissan, John Players and Hero Moto-Corp, the report added.

The European champions are entering a market that already includes English teams like Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea who are also looking for an India impact, aimed at profiting from the growing interest in the sport in the country.

FCB had recently tied up with Delhi-based Conscient Football to launch the FC Barcelone Soccer Camps, a talent-scouting project that is scheduled to kick off in January next year in the National Capital region.

As final preparations take place at Yas Marina for the Formula One Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix the teams, order final equipment, media and people from all over the world are now arriving in Abu Dhabi, ready for the Grand Prix weekend.

“With such a logistical event such as Formula 1, there are many deadlines to meet to ensure everything is covered and runs according to plan,” said Richard Cregan, Chief Executive Officer of Yas Marina Circuit. “With the combined support and expertise of Abu Dhabi Police, Customs, ADAC, TRA and a range of other stakeholders, we are working hard to make sure it goes as smoothly as possible, with what is set to be a climactic weekend.”

Over the last month, the various logistics teams at Yas Marina Circuit have been receiving freight deliveries from around the world. Each of the F1 teams has a wide variety of equipment that follows the schedule of races around the world, with some equipment being sent ahead via sea travel. In the last 24 hours five 747 cargo planes have arrived from Brazil carrying team cars  and equipment.

Within five hours of arriving, the Formula 1 teams will need to rebuild their cars, unpack all of their equipment, settle their teams, and prepare for the arrival of their guests.

Cregan continued: “We have been working hard to ensure that the transition from Brazil to Abu Dhabi is as seamless as possible for all the teams.  Our aim is to provide the infrastructure so that the teams can set up their equipment and be ready to race as soon as they touch ground.”

To ensure everything is in place when the fans arrive, Yas Marina Circuit has more than 200 people working across logistics, maintenance, landscaping and cleaning. This team of people is on hand all weekend to ensure it is a successful event for everyone.

ExteNet Systems, medstore Inc., viagra  a provider of distributed networks for the wireless industry, see has announced today that it has signed an agreement with AEG, one of the world’s leading operators and managers of sports and entertainment facilities, to design, build, own and operate distributed networks in multiple AEG venues located across the United States.

AEG affiliated arenas, clubs, convention centers and other facilities have received global accolades and recently dominated Pollstar’s 2013 mid-year rankings, securing 2 of the top 5 and 22 of the top 94 arena rankings for the first half of 2013.

ExteNet’s distributed networks are designed to enable participating wireless carriers to provide superior coverage and capacity to meet the extraordinary mobile connectivity and bandwidth demands in and around sports and entertainment facilities before, during and after the game, concert or other event. 

The partnership between AEG and ExteNet is to provide all guests at each selected venue with access to a communications platform capable of delivering new and exciting mobile applications.

“AEG prides itself on operating some of the most technologically advanced facilities in the world and our ability to provide our guests superior and reliable mobile and wireless connectivity is an important way for us to greatly enrich their entertainment experience,” said Denise Taylor, Chief Technology Officer, AEG. “ExteNet Systems was the clear choice for AEG because of their track record with prominent sports and entertainment venues along with their relationships with all the leading wireless carriers.”

According to Ross W. Manire, ExteNet Systems President and CEO: “We are excited to work with a leading sports and entertainment company like AEG to deploy our wireless networks and services in some of the world’s most prominent venues and facilities.”

“From the outset, our goal has been to partner with an advanced and forward thinking company that shared our vision to deliver a superior fan experience through technology platforms that are developed with both the fans and the venue in mind and, ExteNet clearly is that company,” said Nick Baker, Sr. Vice President, AEG Global Partnerships. “We are thrilled to begin work with a partner that can help us cater to today’s rapidly evolving technology and communications needs.”

The International Triathlon Union (ITU) today announced a trio of host cities for three Multisport World Championships in 2014 and 2015. 

The 2014 ITU Cross Triathlon World Championships were awarded to Zittau, Germany. In 2015, the ITU Duathlon World Championships will be hosted by Adelaide, Australia, while the ITU Long Distance Triathlon will be held in Motala, Sweden. 

“Multisports are an integral part of our organisation,” said Marisol Casado, ITU President and IOC Member. “They provide an important avenue to grow our sport amongst an international audience. We are excited to bring these championships to new cities in countries with rich histories of hosting races.” 

In just its fourth edition, the ITU Cross Triathlon World Championships will travel to the small border town of Zittau, Germany for the first time. While cross triathlon normally consists of a 1km swim, 25km mountain bike and 6-8km cross-country run, Zittau has proposed a 1.5km swim, 36km bike, 9km run course through the mountains. Next year, ITU’s premier cross triathlon event will be held in The Hague, Netherlands. 

Adelaide, Australia will debut as the host of the 2015 ITU Duathlon World Championships. Though the race will be a first for the beachside city known for its sports culture and festivals, Australia previously hosted the 2005 ITU Duathlon World Championships in Newcastle. The coveted duathlon event is slated be split between Ottawa, Canada and Cali, Colombia in 2013 and will return to Spain in 2014. 

The biggest event on the ITU long distance triathlon calendar will be staged in Motala, Sweden in 2015. Situated between larger cities Stockholm and Gothenburg alongside beautiful Lake Vattern, Motala will become the second Swedish city to stage the ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships, with Sater having hosted the 1999 and 2004 championships. 

Event organisers have proposed a 2-lap 4km swim, 3-lap 120km bike, and 3-lap 30km course for the 21st edition of one of the most grueling events on the ITU schedule. Next year, the long distance world champions will be decided in Belfort, France, while Weihai, China will host in 2014.

IMG Worldwide, the global sports, fashion and media company, has bought a majority share in Enetpulse, the global provider of live sports data.

Enetpulse is the exclusive worldwide distributor of official live scoring data for the ATP and the WTA, the organizers of the top men’s and women’s professional tennis tours.

This follows IMG’s recent strong minority share in a new joint venture with Bloomberg Sports to provide enhanced marketing, sales and production assistance for both the existing Bloomberg Sports analytics products, as well as a new series of projects.

Michel Masquelier, President of IMG Media, said: “IMG Media continues to adapt to the demands of the media landscape in order to maintain our position as the only sports agency that can service every aspect of media distribution on behalf of our clients.”

“The supply of data to the sports business world is becoming increasingly important and Enetpulse, with their progressive vision, excellent technological infrastructure, key federation relationships and industry expertise, is a company who are at the forefront of this market.”

“We have strong relationships within tennis, in particular with the ATP, so this is a good fit for IMG and our clients. We believe strongly that governing bodies, promoters or personnel should share in any revenue that involves data used for digital entertainment platforms and predictive analytics from their sport.”

Leo Noer, CEO of Enetpulse, said: “After 12 years of operation I am delighted to confirm that my team and I will now become part of the IMG family. This announcement marks an exciting next step in the history of Enetpulse and we are looking forward to fulfilling a key role within IMG Media.”

“As the exclusive worldwide distributor of live scoring tennis data for the ATP & WTA, Enetpulse are already at the forefront of an exciting and dynamic time for the global sports data market. As such, we welcome the opportunity to now being part of a company that shares our vision and desire to be the market leader in this space.”

Murray Swartzberg, Senior Vice President, ATP & WTA Tour, added: “We are delighted that IMG Media and Enetpulse will be working as one to maximize the potential of data from the ATP and WTA. IMG is a company that has a long and successful history in the world of tennis and I’m sure the expansion of its media operation into sports analytics will be a huge success as well.”

Since announcing the five-year ATP and WTA contracts in September 2011, Enetpulse have secured agreements with several major leading operators for the supply of its data.

Enetpulse will become the data arm of IMG Media, where its purpose will be to service data exploitation within the scope of the IMG broad media representation agreements with governing bodies.