Football Federation Australia (FFA) has revealed today the appointment of Sam Chadwick as FFA Cup General Manager.

The appointment of Chadwick is another step towards the integration of the grassroots with the elite end of the game. The FFA Cup is due to launch in 2014.

Chadwick, find who has been a member of the FFA Cup Major Project Group, symptoms will report to Head of Hyundai A-League Damien de Bohun and will be responsible for the launch and ongoing operations of the FFA Cup.

Chadwick has spent the last two years at FFA as Legal Counsel (Regulatory) and moves into the FFA Cup General Manager role on the back of strong relationships with the State and Territory Member Federations and Hyundai A-League clubs, who are central to the success of the FFA Cup.

“This is an exciting appointment as we move towards launching the FFA Cup,” said Head of Hyundai A-League Damien de Bohun. “The FFA Cup is an important component of our long term strategy of integrating the different tiers of football in Australia, and converting the growing legion of 1.7million participants into fans.

“Sam has extensive experience in the business of sport, sports law, sports regulation, project management and strategic planning. In addition to his relevant legal and business management experience and qualifications, his leadership will be invaluable to the ultimate success of the FFA Cup.”

Wheelchair basketball team, Galatasaray Abe Lions becoming World Club Champions has boosted Istanbul’s bid for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games as it shows disability sports are prospering in the nation.

Following Turkey’s record performance at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, there has been a surge in Paralympic sports in Turkey. Turkey says its mission is to set new national and international benchmarks in barrier-free living through hosting the 2020 Paralympic Games.

Istanbul 2020 bid committee executive Ali Kiremitcioglu said: “Galatasaray’s success in the World Club Championships in recent years illustrates the growing strength of disability sport in Turkey, as well as ensuring that it remains high on the public agenda and at the forefront of people’s minds. Promoting and supporting disability sport is a fundamental aspect of our bid.

“London 2012 was an inspiration to us and the people of Turkey, and we hope to recreate that effect, particularly among young people. Our delegation grew from 16 athletes in Beijing to 67 athletes in London, and our medal tally increased from two to ten. Turkey can look forward with great optimism to Rio and beyond, because Paralympic sport here is growing and improving all the time.”

Istanbul’s Olympic Training Centre will have dedicated facilities to support Paralympic athletes in 2020. Transport systems will be enhanced for the specific requirements of Paralympic athletes throughout both Games.

All 21 venues nominated for Paralympic competition, as well as the Paralympic Village, will be designed or upgraded to meet international accessibility standards, supporting the development of new accessibility benchmarks in architecture and urban design in Istanbul and Turkey.

United States Olympic Committee (USOC) sponsors Ralph Lauren announced that the uniforms it will make for the U.S. Olympic team’s use at the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia will be manufactured in the USA.

USOC also said Friday that the uniforms for the ceremonies at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games will be made in the United States.

Ralph Lauren said in a statement: “We have committed to producing the Opening and Closing ceremony Team USA uniforms in the United States that will be worn for the 2014 Olympic Games.”

Ralph Lauren’s statement comes after lawmakers raised questions following information that the uniforms for this year’s summer Games in London were made in China.

According to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the controversy over Ralph Lauren making the US Olympics uniform in China put the state of the US fashion industry in the spotlight with members of Congress expressing outrage over the Committee’s decision to allow national team members appear in uniforms manufactured in China.

The fashion company also said: “Ralph Lauren promises to lead the conversation within our industry and our government to address the issue to increase manufacturing in the United States.”

British Olympic Association (BOA) chief executive Andy Hunt has claimed that the media were largely to blame in the bitter financial dispute between his organisation and London 2012 regarding any surplus from the Games, stating that it was unfairly “jumped upon” simply because it was the first major crack to appear in the preparation for the Games.

An agreement on the issue was reached earlier this week after the BOA dropped their case with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), after reaching resolution which is weighted heavily in favour of London 2012.

The organising committee were strongly supported by both the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the British Government throughout.

Hunt stated: “I think the issue got unprecedented media attention mainly because LOCOG and the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) have done a fantastic job on delivering the venues and planning for the Games.

“Therefore, everyone was looking for some little crack, some form of bad news.

“It was then that this row came along and it was jumped upon, perhaps unfairly so, and the crack was really opened up.

“Thing got blown out of all proportion but I maintain that this was a narrow, technical dispute about the interpretation of a contract.

“We have now agreed on the interpretation and we have now agreed on how we are going to work in partnership.

“We are very happy as we got clarification about how the payments will be made after the Games, in terms of if a surplus is created, and we are now working in partnership heading into London 2012.”

During the row, both Hunt and BOA chairman Colin Moynihan, the main driving force in the campaign to raise extra money for their struggling financial accounts, were suspended from the London 2012 Board, but both are now set to be able to resume their positions.

Hunt claims that the row has actually helped strengthen the relationship between the two parties, adding: “We have had a great relationship in with LOCOG over the years but I think all this has really strengthened our partnership whether it is in terms of operational planning for the Games, whether it is getting support from sponsors in planning for the next Olympic cycle or indeed making sure that we can build the best team in London with the best possible support network.

“There was no ‘climbdown’ from us as we now have a better understanding about what was agreed between LOCOG and Government, which was unclear before.

“It is a win-win for both of us and I’m just pleased that we’ve got that dispute over and done with and that we’re all working in partnership heading into London 2012.”

Samsung and Visa, official sponsors of the Olympic Games, announced yesterday, March 31, plans to join forces at London 2012 to make it easier for customers to make contactless payments using their mobile telephones.

The implementation of Near Field Communications (NFC) technology will enable customers to make payments by simply selecting the Visa mobile contactless application, choosing pay and holding the phone in front of a contactless reader at the point of purchase.

Visa is working with banks and retailers worldwide to roll-out acceptance for Visa contactless cards, as well as mobile phones, as part of an industry wide roll-out of contactless technology. 

Peter Ayliffe, the chief executive of Visa Europe, stated: “Visa, like Samsung, shares the vision of leveraging our Olympic and Paralympic Games sponsorship to leave a lasting legacy in the market for banks, retailers, mobile operators and consumers.

“We are not only breaking new ground for Olympic partnerships, we are committed to enabling consumers to connect with mobile and contactless payments technology for 2012 and beyond.

“We look forward to working with financial institutions and mobile operators alongside Samsung to make this initiative a success.”

There are already more than 60,000 locations where contactless payments are accepted during London 2012, and contactless and electronic card payments will be available in the run-up to and during the Games.

A Visa-enabled SIM card will be required for use with the device in order to make purchases at retailers who have the contactless payment system.

Mariano Dima, the executive vice-president of marketing and payment solutions at Visa Europe, added: “Innovation is a key business driver for Visa and mobile payments are one of the main areas we’re focusing on.

“The Olympic and Paralympic Games enables us to accelerate our business goals and this partnership plays a large role in achieving them.”

Samsung has demonstrated its leadership in NFC-enabled phone technology since it launched one of the first commercial NFC phones in France last year and the President and chief executive of Samsung Electronics Europe, Seokpil Kim said: “As a pioneer in mobile technology, Samsung is striving for long term change in the way we use mobile payments.

“In London next year, we regard the greatest show on earth as the perfect opportunity to showcase how this technology can make a positive difference to people’s lives – enabling them to feel closer to the Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

“This mobile payment device will be available in the UK initially, and we plan to expand the service to other countries in Europe and around the world where contactless payment facilities are available in the near future.”

Gyehyun Kwon, the vice-president and head of of Worldwide Sports Marketing at Samsung Electronics added: “This marks the very first partnership between two Worldwide Olympic Partners of the London 2012 Games. 

“We are delighted to be joining forces with Visa to make the Olympic Games more accessible and convenient for everyone. 

“This fits extremely well with our ambition to enable more people to participate in the Games through our smart technology.”