Sports Authority, clinic a US sporting goods retailer, tadalafil has announced it has named Stephen Binkley Chief Merchandising Officer.

He will replace Greg Waters, formerly Executive Vice President, Chief Merchant and Chief Marketing Officer for the company who has decided to depart to pursue personal interests after 24 years with Sports Authority.

During his time with the company, Mr. Waters held several leadership roles, including Executive Vice President, Marketing and Merchandising, Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President of Store Operations.

“Greg has been a great asset to Sports Authority and we thank him for his contributions to the company,” commented Michael Foss, Chief Executive Officer for Sports Authority. “He has played an important role in strengthening company operations and in our brand’s evolution overall. Greg will be spending the next several months aiding in the transition and we thank him for that. We wish Greg the best in all of his future endeavors.”

In his new role, Mr. Binkley will be responsible for managing merchandising and private brands for Sports Authority. Mr. Binkley previously held the position of Senior Vice President of Merchandising and Softlines. He possesses more than 25 years of retail, apparel, sportswear, footwear and hard goods experience. Prior to the position of Senior Vice President of Merchandising, he held positions as Senior Vice President, Misses Sportswear at Kohl’s, and Vice President, Home Store at Macy’s.

Mr. Foss added, “Stephen possesses significant expertise in merchandising and has shown great leadership in his time at Sports Authority. Stephen is an industry veteran with a proven ability to make strategic decisions and execute to drive business results and we are excited to have him in this new role.”

Mr. Binkley, along with Chief Marketing Officer, Paul M. Okimoto, will now report directly to Chief Executive Officer Michael Foss.

European Soccer Giants, Real Madrid, have revealed plans to build a $1 billion holiday resort in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that is due to open in January 2015.

‘Real Madrid Resort Island’ will be supported by the government of the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, the club said on Thursday.

A presentation at the Bernabeu showed plans for sports facilities, a marina, luxury hotels and villas, an amusement park, a club museum and a futuristic 10,000-seat stadium with one side open to the sea.

“It is a decisive and strategic step that will strengthen our institution in the Middle East and Asia,” said Real president Florentino Perez.

The 430,000-square metre facility is expected to attract around one million visitors in 2015.

The nine time European champions said the artificial island’s location put it equidistant between Europe and the Far East, adding that more than half of their estimated 300 million followers were based in Asia.

by Ismail Uddin

London organising committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) chairman Sebastian Coe has insisted there’ll be no airport chaos during the summer sporting extravaganza.

“There won’t be chaos, (London’s) Heathrow airport operates at full capacity all the time,’ he told a press conference. ‘We have a very good operational plan and Heathrow will be operating a very effective service and will be the main port of entry.”

He also noted that a temporary structure was being put in place to “ease some of the capacity during the games.”

Four major airlines – British Airways, British Midland International, EasyJet and Virgin Atlantic – on Saturday urged the British government to take urgent measures to prevent congestion of British air space during the games to be held from July 27 to August 12.

Coe also said there would be no changes to the original budgets for the games – the operating budget of $2.38 billion managed by the organising committee and another of $11.1 billion for infrastructure projects.

“We are in good shape … given the economy we are dealing with globally,” he noted.

Earlier this month, British lawmakers voiced fears that the public money allocated for the Games was close to being used up.

by Ismail Uddin

The Confederation of North Central America and the Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) announced today that IMG has secured an exclusive agreement to market the international media rights for all of the confederation’s events from 2015, cialis including the CONCACAF Gold Cup 2015 and the CONCACAF Champions’ League.

The deal, which also covers the CONCACAF Under-20 and Under-17 Championships in both men’s and women’s disciplines, the CONCACAF Women’s Championship USA 2014 and the UNCAF Central American Cup Tigo 2014 USA, will see IMG distribute worldwide media rights outside of CONCACAF’s pre-existing territories.

Michael Mellor, Senior Vice President, Head of Football, IMG Media, said: “The success of the U.S., Costa Rica and Mexico at the World Cup is testament to the high standard of football in the region and will ensure increased interest in CONCACAF events around the world going forward.

“Our global network and expertise will help grow both revenue and awareness of the tournaments as the appetite for competitive international and top club football events continues to grow.”

CONCACAF General Secretary, Enrique Sanz, said: “It’s great to note the growing interest in viewing our matches on screens not just within the CONCACAF region, but also globally. The new markets set to be reached with this deal are yet another testament to the quality and potential of football in our region.”

The latest edition of the Central American Cup – the first ever to be disputed on U.S. soil — gets underway at the beginning of next month, when Costa Rica and Nicaragua contest the opening game on Wednesday, September 3 at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC. The final is set for September 13 at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

West Ham United FC have confirmed that they have submitted a bid apllication to become tenants of the Olympic Stadium in London after this summer’s Games.

The Hammers won the original bidding process to move to the stadium in Stratford last year, but that deal collapsed following complaints from Tottenham, Leyton Orient and the architect of the stadium who filed a complaint based on European law.

The Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) decided to start the process over again but instead offer the stadium on a lease basis, rather than a permanent one.

A statement on the club’s website read: “West Ham United vice-chairman Karren Brady has today confirmed the club’s intention to submit a bid by lunchtime (Friday 23 March) to be the anchor user of the Olympic Stadium post-Games in line with the OPLC deadline.”

West Ham have applied for a 99-year lease of the stadium, which is reported to have cost £486 million to build.

Brady said: “Having spent the last two years dedicated to this project I am privileged to once more be submitting West Ham United’s bid to become the anchor concessionaire of the Olympic Stadium post the 2012 Games.

“From the outset it has been my firm, unwavering belief that the stadium can truly become a multi-use destination of which east London and the nation as a whole can be proud. I have never lost sight of our vision to play our part, along with the stadium’s major stakeholders, in ensuring it grows into a global asset, the ‘jewel in the crown’ of the (Olympic) Park that will be watched by the world.

“Our vision for the stadium has always been about standing up for the promises made for London back in Singapore in 2005 and what they meant for our future generations. We are honoured to have once more received the support and backing of our friends at UK Athletics.

“I would like to thank the many West Ham supporters who have given their time to share their opinions on our proposed move ahead of this decision and despite the considerable constraints and confidentiality agreements we were required to enter into, I can assure them their feedback has been instrumental in informing the board’s approach to our bid.

“We have not taken this decision lightly and I should be clear that any move to the stadium is conditional on the fact that it must provide an arena that is fit for world-class football and feels like home to our deserving fans.”

by Ismail Uddin

Saudi Arabia are close to sending women athletes to an Olympics for the first time later this year after submitting a list of candidates for the London 2012 games

The Saudis, therapy Brunei and Qatar have never previously included females in their teams and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is eager to see that situation change in London in July.

The IOC said on Monday that Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee officials presented a list of potential candidates for the London Games during a meeting at its headquarters in Lausanne last week.

“After the assessment of the level of each athlete by the IOC and the international federations concerned, medical a formal proposal will be submitted to the next meeting of the IOC executive board in Quebec City in May, ailment ” it said in a statement.

“The IOC is confident Saudi Arabia is working to include women athletes and officials at the Olympic Games in London in accordance with the rules of the international federations.”

Human Rights Watch criticized Olympic organizers last month for what it said was their tolerance of gender discrimination by the Gulf Arab states of Saudi Arabia and Qatar, as well as the tiny southeast Asian nation of Brunei.

Qatar last month agreed to send women to the Olympics in London and Saudi Arabia are eager to join them.

The IOC has offered Qatar wildcard invitations for two female athletes to compete in London, swimmer Nada Arkaji and sprinter Noor al-Malki.

Sport in the patriarchal society of Saudi Arabia has long been reserved as an activity for men, with stadiums prohibiting females.

by Ismail Uddin

Philadelphia 76ers have hired sports experienced sports business executive Chris Heck as the NBA team’s Chief Revenue Officer.

“It was the easiest conversation about a hire I’ve ever had with someone,” said 76ers President Scott O’Neil.

“Chris knows how to run the business side of a team and during his time at the NBA showed an ability to handle a range of issues.”

Heck was last MLS Red Bulls President of Business Operations. Prior to that, he worked at the NBA with O’Neil, serving as Senior VP/Marketing Partnerships and Senior VP/Team Business Operations from 2004-2011.

The torch relay route of the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games has been unveiled on Monday.

London 2012 chairman Lord Coe said: “Today we bring the Olympic Torch Relay to life as organizers hope the 8,000-mile relay involving 8,000 torchbearers will be the point when enthusiasm for the Games ignites across the country.”

Details on the two-day finale to the 70-day torch relay when the Olympic Flame arrives for the lighting of the cauldron for the start of the Games won’t be revealed until closer to the start of the relay at Lands End on May 19.

About 7,000 people, many members of the public who have shown community spirit, courage, and sporting determination, have been named as torchbearers. The youngest is 12. Each torchbearer will wear a white and gold uniform designed by Adidas.

An average of 115 torchbearers a day will carry the flame from May 19 to July 27 to the Opening Ceremony in Stratford, east London.

One torchbearer will carry the flame on a chairlift at the Needles on the Isle of Wight, another will skate with it at the Nottingham Ice Centre, and it will be rowed at Henley-on-Thames and on the River Bann in Coleraine, Northern Ireland.

Lord Coe said: “The flame symbolizes the Olympic spirit and its journey around the UK will bring the excitement of the Games to our streets. Now the people know the route the Olympic Flame will be carried along and the torchbearers for their community, they can start planning how they might celebrate.”

The torch is due to arrive at the Olympic Stadium in London for the Opening Ceremony on July 27 when the last relay runner will transfer the flame to the Olympic cauldron. It will then continue to burn until it is extinguished on the final day of the Games.

by Ismail Uddin