The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), the world governing body for baseball and softball, has distributed media rights to the 2014 15U Baseball World Cup, within the Americas, to AYM Sports.

The most elite selection of 15-year-old baseball players in the world will be representing their countries in the II U-15 Baseball World Cup — the highest level of competition in baseball for this age group — from today (31 July) to 10 August across Sinaloa, Mexico.

The new agreement will also see AYM Sport produce the majority of the U15 Baseball World Cup’s eighty-three contests for broadcast across AYM Sports’ six television channels and online digital/mobile platforms, which have a potential broadcast reach of more than 62 million households and online/mobile users across the Americas.

Coverage of the U15 Baseball World Cup will be made available globally on a subscription basis via AYM SPORT’s online platform.

AYM Sports will also provide in-game commentary and post-match highlights of the youth international baseball showcase.

“The WBSC is very pleased to partner with AYM Sports to showcase the 2014 U15 Baseball World Cup,” said WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari. “This is a very exciting time for WBSC, as international competitions that feature National Teams continue to drive spectator interest and growing consumer demand. AYM Sports’ know-how, platforms and innovation will not only guarantee that U15 Baseball World Cup content is delivered to key markets within the Americas, but also to a worldwide audience.”

AYM Sports produces and broadcasts live events and streams to and from anywhere in the world through Over-the-Top (OTT) content.

President of AYM Sports, Benjamin Hinojosa, said: “AYM Sports is proud to partner with the WBSC to bring the U15 Baseball World Cup to a global viewership. At the present time, we are expanding into other markets and territories, and that’s why securing the rights of high-quality, globally attractive events like this one is critical to AYM Sports’ growth strategy.

“We are experiencing positive audience growth and demand in elite international competitions and world championships like the U15 Baseball World Cup, and that’s why are we are particularly excited to be able to provide even more content that is relevant and attractive to AYM Sports’ new and loyal viewers.”

The London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) is investigating claims over poor pay and conditions at a Chinese factory where toy Olympic mascots are being made.

A Shropshire-based firm Golden Bear is making Olympic products based on Wenlock and Mandeville – the official mascots of the Olympics and Paralympics.

But an inquiry has been launched into allegations that workers at the Chinese factory which is making the toys for Golden Bear is breaching workers’ rights.

Both the London Games organisers and Golden Bear are investigating claims that workers are labouring for up to 11.5 hours a day for as little as STG0.26 ($A0.39) per hour.

A London 2012 spokesman said it placed a high priority on ‘environmental, social and ethical issues’ when securing goods and services and was taking the allegations ‘extremely seriously’.

The spokesman said: “We have asked our independent monitor to carry out a comprehensive investigation and review of these allegations.

“The outcome of this investigation will be made public as soon as it is concluded.

“We have contacted all of our licensees to reiterate to them the importance we place on the sustainable sourcing code they have each signed up to.”

Golden Bear said it was also conducting an immediate investigation, but confirmed the factory in question had passed inspections by the International Council of Toy Industries.

The company’s statement said: “Golden Bear is extremely concerned about recent reports that a factory involved in a small amount of the production of the company’s Olympic product could be in breach of workers’ rights.

“We are a family-run business that takes these issues very seriously indeed and has in place certificates of compliance at all factories used to produce our products.

“We are therefore in the process of conducting an immediate investigation and will be able to comment on these findings as soon as they are known to us.”

Rogers Communications has today signed a 10-year broadcast and multimedia agreement with WWE, allergist making Rogers the exclusive distributor of WWE’s flagship programming in Canada through 2024.

The deal extends WWE’s current programming on Sportsnet 360 and includes the right to distribute WWE Network as a premium linear channel, cialis with a preview beginning August 12. 

Rogers will be the exclusive distribution partner of all WWE pay-per-view events throughout Canada and will sponsor an application to the CRTC to bring the popular WWE Network to Canada. Starting August 12, a preview of WWE Network content, including live WWE pay-per-view events, groundbreaking original series, live in-ring action, reality shows and a video-on-demand library, will be available on a subscription basis on Rogers Channel 512. Rogers will offer this WWE Network content preview subscription to all cable, satellite and IPTV providers across Canada. 

Fans in Canada will receive more WWE programming than ever before through Rogers’ cable and digital assets. Highlights from the new deal also include national rights for Raw, SmackDown and Main Event on Sportsnet 360, Sportsnet NOW and Rogers Anyplace TV. 

“This landmark deal is a win-win for WWE fans in Canada,” said Scott Moore, President of NHL & Sportsnet, Rogers. “The premium WWE content offers our customers more of the programming they want, on any platform of their choosing.  We are thrilled to continue our partnership with WWE, and deliver exclusive content to its passionate fan base in Canada for the next decade.” 

“We are excited to expand our partnership with Rogers as we look for innovative ways to grow our brand and further the reach of our programming in Canada through their vast distribution channels and marketing platforms,” said Gerrit Meier, WWE Executive Vice President, International. “The structure of this new agreement demonstrates WWE’s commitment to growing our brand internationally through integrated partnerships as well as the flexibility we have in rolling out WWE Network around the world.”

LOCOG (London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games) has unveiled the anti-doping laboratory which will operate during the 2012 Games this summer.

More samples will be taken at this year’s Olympics than at any other Games, case with up to 400 samples requested each day, sick and over 6,250 samples analysed in total.

Throughout the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the laboratory will be in operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) approved facility has been provided by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and will be operated by anti-doping experts from King’s College London as well as being supported by scientists from across the globe.

Professor David Cowan from the Drug Control Centre at King’s College London will lead a team of 150 anti-doping scientists who will carry out the testing.  Over 1,000 LOCOG staff will also work within the Anti-Doping process

Cowan emphasised the unprecedented quality of the laboratory in its ability to detect banned substances.

“These laboratories are the most high-tech labs in the history of the Games, analysing more samples than ever before. We have developed, with GSK support, super-fast and super-sensitive technologies to be able to detect use of prohibited substances. Our role is to ensure the efficient and effective operation of the lab to deliver robust anti-doping testing for the Games”.

Hugh Robertson, Minister for Sport and the Olympics, was given a tour of the facility based in Harlow, Essex yesterday and stated that he hoped the laboratory would act as a powerful deterrent to potential drug cheats.

“We are doing all we can to ensure that there is no place to hide for drug cheats at London 2012. Our message to any athlete thinking about doping is simple – we’ll catch you. This lab, from GlaxoSmithKline and King’s College London, is at the forefront of the fight against doping. It will be populated with scientists at the top of their field during the Games who will carry out an exhaustive testing process”.

London 2012 chief executive, Paul Deighton, added, “Today is an important milestone in the countdown to the Games. Working with one of the world’s best pharmaceutical companies and one of the country’s leading universities we have been able to create a facility to successfully and efficiently process 6,250 tests during the Games which has never been done before.

“As we unveil the anti-doping lab we recognise the importance of a robust testing system and continue to show that London is ready to stage a successful Games”.

Lebanon have been announced as the hosts of the 13th Arab Games in 2015 at the 16th general assembly meeting of the Union of the Arab National Olympic Committees (UANOC) on Saturday.

Earlier, medic Morocco had been appointed to organize the 2015 Arab Games. But due to domestic affairs, it withdrew. Lebanon proposed its interest in hosting the event and the UANOC welcomed the bid.

Nawal El-Moutawakel, International Olympic Committee member and president of the evaluation commission for the selection of the host city for the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympic Games, was assigned to head the team that will follow up with the organizing committee to ensure the success of the 13th Arab Games.

President of the Arab Games Organizing Committee Sheikh Saud Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani was praised for hosting the 12th Arab Games. The event is now taking place in Doha until Dec. 23. The president has documented all Arab athletes’ records in Arab tournaments to get them recognized by international federations. He recommended the continuation of this process.

The UANOC members agreed a team should visit all Arabic countries to gage how many would host sports activities and tournaments and the opportunities they might provide to sports development.

Syria will receive a letter, the members decided, about the country’s interest in hosting the first Arab Games for youth in 2013. If Syria would want to withdraw, other countries would be willing to host the event.

The UAE proposed to host the 1st Arab Women Sports Tournament at Sharjah Ladies Club in Sharjah. The competition in five sports will be held Feb. 2-12, 2012.

The newly formed UANOC’s Arab Olympic Academy Committee is based in Jordan and will be headed by President Atif Odaibat. The recently established Arab Federation for Heritage and Traditional Sports is based in Lebanon. President Maroun Khaleel will lead this 64th Arab sport federation.

Pan-European television spots network Eurosport has inked an exclusive live TV and digital rights deal for this year’s Tour of Poland cycling races.

The rights are exclusive in all of Eurosport’s 70 international territories across Europe and Asia-Pacific, allergist except Poland.

The deal completes Eurosport’s UCI World Tour offer this season which is comprised of 24 out of the 29 possible races on the calendar, link including the three Grand Tours and all the great Classics.

The 71^st Tour of Poland will start on Sunday 3 August from Solidarity Square in Gdansk and will end on Saturday 9 August with a time-trial in Krakow. All stages will be broadcast live on Eurosport and Eurosport 2. Fans can also watch the race live on PC, mobile, tablet and connected TV on Eurosport Player, Eurosport’s simulcast online TV service.