The promotional activity of Badminton has risen after the Badminton World Federation (BWF) President Dr Kang Young Joong and the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) President Mike Fennell signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)..

Collectively known as “CGF/BWF – Partners Uniting the Commonwealth through Sport”, the MoU will see the two organisations working together to showcase and promote world-class badminton competition in the CGF’s 71 member countries and territories.

Joong said: “The dialogue with the CGF to get to this point has been very good and we see the MoU as being very constructive in helping us widen the appeal of our sport throughout the Commonwealth.”

The MoU focuses specifically on improving participation levels among able-bodied and disabled athletes, particularly in the Commonwealth’s developing nations.

It will also see the CGF consult with the BWF on ways to further enhance the overall Games experience for competitors and officials at the Games.

In addition, the CGF and BWF will jointly develop a media and communications plan around each edition of the Commonwealth Games and, where applicable, the Commonwealth Youth Games in order to spread the word across the Commonwealth.

Mike Hooper, CGF Chief Executive, said: “Badminton is a very popular sport within the Commonwealth and we are delighted to work with the world body to promote the game to our member nations and to establish a robust framework for the operation of the sport at the time of each Games.”

Badminton is one of the “Core Sports” on the Commonwealth Games programme, meaning that all host cities must include the sport in their competition schedule.

Glasgow’s Bid to host the 2018 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) today demonstrated its commitment to help sports become more attractive to youth as Glasgow Rocks stars joined young primary school players for a ‘three on three’ basketball match on the same floor used by the sport’s biggest names at London 2012.

Scottish Secretary Michael Moore MP joined the Glasgow 2018 Bid Team as the city launched an initiative to promote the version of basketball which enjoyed its worldwide debut at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Singapore.
Pupils from St Anne’s Primary School joined the Glasgow Rocks stars for the match on one of the courts now in use at the £113million Emirates Arena as a result of a London 2012 Olympic Games legacy initiative. 

The London 2012 Basketball Arena was one of the largest temporary venues built for London 2012. On completion of the Games the arena was dismantled and reused at facilities across the country, including at the Emirates Arena. 

Today’s session was the first time that ‘three on three’ basketball was played on the court. 

Although the YOG has the same sports as The Olympics, it has a reduced number of events per sport and has the ability to introduce exciting new formats such as ‘three on three’ basketball, mixed National Olympic Committee events and mixed gender team events. 

‘Three on three’ basketball is played on a half court with one basket. Each team has three players, with the game divided into two periods of just five minutes each. The first team to score 33 points wins.

The Emirates Arena is already home to a world-class sporting events programme. It will be a flagship venue for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games when it will host the badminton and track cycling events and is at the heart of the city’s bid to host the YOG in 2018 when it will host ‘three on three’ basketball and badminton. 

Glasgow 2018 Bid Director, Paul Bush, said: “Glasgow’s expertise in staging world-class sporting events means we now have a chance to really concentrate on working with international sporting bodies to find innovative news ways to present sport and make sure we engage young people as we work to encourage them to lead healthier, more active lives. Winning the right to host the 2018 YOG will give us a chance to demonstrate that commitment in an unprecedented way.”

The Secretary of State pledged his support for the city’s Bid to host the 2018 YOG as he was welcomed to the Emirates Arena by Glasgow City Council Leader, Councillor Gordon Matheson and Scottish Minister for Sport and Commonwealth Games, Shona Robison.

Michael Moore said: “Bringing the Youth Olympic Games to Glasgow in 2018 would be a huge opportunity to build on the UK’s recent sporting legacy. London 2012 showed we could hold world-class events which exceeded all expectations and we continue to build on that success in Scotland and throughout the UK. I know the Glasgow 2018 team will pull out all the stops to bring the event to the city which is well-equipped to host it, and I look forward to supporting the bid as it develops.”

Shona Robison, said: “Glasgow’s bid for the 2018 Youth Olympic Games could bring another world class event to Glasgow and the Emirates Arena. Hosting the Games will inspire the next generation to get active and different events, like ‘three on three’ basketball, are great for encouraging young people to try new sports, adding to their enjoyment of sport.”

Councillor Matheson, said: “Glasgow’s bid to host the 2018 Youth Olympic Games seeks to continue the UK’s Olympic journey, building on the success of the London 2012 Olympic Games. That inspirational journey was evident today as we watched local school children play ‘three on three’ basketball on one of the courts that was used by some of the biggest names in the sport at London 2012. We want young people from across the world to experience what we have to offer as a city in 2018.”

The Organising Committee for the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games have announced today the beginning of the selection process for partners in the Beer and Packaged Foods Industries, impotent both will be considered tier 2 partners as part of the Olympic Games Business Plan.

In a statement Rio 2016 said: “Companies must operate in Brazil and have a large distribution capacity to participate in either category.

“The required documents may be requested from the Rio 2016 headquarters (Avenida das Américas, 899, Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro-RJ, CEP 22631-000) until this Friday the 26th.”

At present, Rio 2016 has five Tier One Partners – Bradesco, Bradesco Seguros, Claro, Embratel and Nissan – and one Tier Two Supporter in Ernst & Young Terco.

Phizzle, Inc., a leading technology provider of advanced mobile marketing products and digital advertising solutions, today announced an agreement with James Madison University Athletics to power its digital marketing campaigns designed to foster closer relationships with their fan base and increase revenue streams for collegiate sponsorships.

Front Row Marketing Services, the multi-media rights holder for James Madison Athletics and one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing sports and entertainment marketing firms, assisted in the negotiation of the agreement. The comprehensive mobile marketing campaigns, designed exclusively to drive loyalty and engagement with the collegiate audience, involve in-stadium fan engagement, score and stats alerts as well as social media integration.

Phizzle’s proprietary technology, Broadcaster iX™ produces real-time, interactive HD graphics for James Madison home games, enabling fans to interact with the team and corporate sponsors via their wireless devices on the stadium’s scoreboard. Phizzle’s digital marketing solutions connect brands to fans and help corporations leverage their sponsorship investments to generate brand exposure, collect valuable customer insights and encourage fan engagement. Making mobile an instrumental aspect of the live event experience, Phizzle will be working with James Madison Athletics to provide data-driven tools to engage JMU’s sports fans across multiple communication channels.

Phizzle has successfully implemented similar strategies for high schools and a myriad of professional sports organizations including some of the largest entertainment venues like Madison Square Garden. This partnership will mark the debut of Phizzle’s platform in the collegiate sports arena, reinforcing its position as the leader in mobile and digital marketingtechnology for the sports and entertainment industry.

“Now that so many fans utilize mobile devices to consume football and other spectator sports, we believe there is an opportunity for our corporate sponsors to reach lucrative demographics through advertising and marketing campaigns directed at the mobile consumer,” stated Keith Bradshaw, Director of Corporate Partnerships at James Madison University and the on-site representative for Front Row Marketing. “We are committed to making Bridgeforth Stadium one of the premier football venues in collegiate sports and by integrating Phizzle’s state-of-the-art technology into the stadium, we are engaging with our fans through mobile devices, while simultaneously receiving relevant statistical information which will enable our sponsors to leverage their association with all of the sports within James Madison Athletics. Part of Front Row’s initiative for our properties is to generate additional revenue streams through innovative platforms at the property level and this partnership with Phizzle accomplishes that.”

“We are excited to partner with James Madison Athletics,” said Ben Davis, Chief Executive Officer of Phizzle. “Our digital marketing solutions are designed to meet the demands of today’s collegiate sports brands. Phizzle is providing JMU with both the opportunity to implement a suite of emerging technology solutions into their marketing efforts that are integrated with statistical data, and a results-driven platform designed to deliver deeper fan loyalty and increased advertising revenue.”

The South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) announced today that it had extended its agreement with its exclusive partner World Sport Group (WSG) until 2017.

Singapore-based WSG, doctor Asia’s leading sports marketing, ambulance media and event management company have been the exclusive commercial partners of SAFF since 1996, order when they established an agreement to market South Asian football’s marketing and television rights for the first-time ever.

The new agreement commences this year and covers four SAFF Championships – 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017 – the regional governing body’s flagship competition, which is held biennially.  Together, SAFF and WSG have successfully delivered six SAFF Championships since the event was first launched in 1997.

Kazi Salahuddin, President, SAFF, said: “Our partnership with World Sport Group has been instrumental in securing the financial stability that ensures our sport’s sustainable growth in the region over the long-term.  Their commitment over the past 15 years has helped us to establish the administrative foundation and infrastructure that is necessary for us to govern and develop the sport effectively.

“Today, football in South Asia is developing rapidly.  We are seeing increased standards of competition among our member nations and we are proud that the SAFF Championship is now South Asia’s top football event.  We look forward to continue growing the sport and building its profile with WSG, not just in South Asia, but across Asia.”

Since the partnership was established in 1997, WSG has signed-on an impressive roster of sponsors and broadcast partners who are some of the world’s leading companies and media giants.  They include Emirates Airline, Toshiba and Nike among others.

Ian Mathie, Senior Vice-President, Football, Asean, Australia and South Asia, said: “In just over a decade and a half, football in South Asia has experienced tremendous growth both on and off the field.  During this time, we have enjoyed a unique partnership with SAFF that has positively impacted football in the region. SAFF has a distinguished group of marketing and media partners, and a great event – SAFF Championship – which is widely watched and growing in popularity across the region. 

“We are excited about continuing our work with SAFF and our partners to deliver top-class football from the region.”

Manchester City Football Club has submitted a planning application for a proposed youth development and first team Academy in the Openshaw West area of East Manchester following a 6 week period of public consultation with local residents, fans and other interested parties.

The Club’s exhibition, which showcases the proposals and was a central component to the public consultation, attracted in excess of 7000 visitors online and in person and revealed a 97% approval rating from respondents. Opinions of the residents of East Manchester helped to shape the Club’s planning application, the completion of which is expected towards the end of the year.

The proposed development of up to 80 acres of brown field land diagonally opposite to the Etihad Stadium and acquired by the Club over the past two years, would, should planning permission be granted, form part of the Etihad Campus as announced in early July this year.

The Club have release new visual images of the proposed facility, which form part of the application submitted to Manchester City Council and which are available for public viewing from today.

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) have stripped India’s right to host the Champions Trophy in December after problems with the administration of the sport in the country.

The FIH took the decision to move the event from New Delhi after India failed to find a solution to problems with the administration of the sport in the country.

A replacement host for the event is expected to be named within a week, the FIH have confirmed.

The schedule and line-up of the 2011 Champions Trophy will be determined when the host is announced, however the event will take place during the same window of December 3-11. 

As a result of no longer hosting the Champions Trophy, India has been invited to play in the Champions Challenge to be held in South Africa in November.

Leandro Negre, FIH President, said: “We regret that we have to move the Champions Trophy from India. It is difficult for the teams, the organisers and the fans. But we feel that this is the only way to maintain the integrity of our sport.”

The main issue is the governance structure of the sport of hockey in India. 

The FIH recognised Hockey India as the national governing body following the suspension of the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) following a bribery scandal.

But IHF’s status was restored by an Indian court last year.

India had been threatened with losing the World Cup last year over the same issue. 

“It is a fundamental and non-negotiable requirement of the Olympic Charter and the FIH Statutes that there is only be one governing body for any one sport in any country with exclusive authority and responsibility to govern, organise national competitions and to enter national teams in international competitions,” the FIH said in a statement.

The Champions Trophy, which was launched in 1980, is the FIH’s most prestigious annual tournament.

It features the world’s top-ranked teams competing in a round robin format, and this year’s event is particularly significant as it will be an important part of the build-up to next year’s Olympics in London.

The tournament has been won for the last three years by Australia.

Michael Green, who played for Germany in two Olympics and is now chairman of the FIH Athlete’s Committee, backed the decision.

“The first priority has to be the athletes, and while this was a tough decision for the FIH to make, I feel that they have ultimately made the choice that is best for the athletes involved,” he said.

The FIH is in the final stages of reviewing bids from other nations that are willing and able within the scheduled time-frame to host an event of the magnitude of the Champions Trophy.

The FIH will continue to monitor the governance structure in India and hopes that a resolution can be found before it begins to affect future events set to be held in India, Negre said. 

The next event scheduled to be hosted in India is the Olympic Qualification Tournament in February.