Colin Moynihan, herbal chairman of the British Olympic Association (BOA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) at a ceremony in Doha yesterday, February 23, attended by UK Prime Minister David Cameron and Prince Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani.

The agreement was signed by Moynihan with Hamad Al-Thani at the Amiri Diwan – the Royal Court – which includes a wide range of mutually beneficial areas of agreement, including co-operation in the development of high performance sport and the promotion of the Olympic Movement.

Under the terms, which will last until at least the end of 2012 with the option of an additional three years, co-operation with their National Sports Federations was confirmed, and the BOA and QOC also agreed to share information relating to best practice in sports administration and discuss opportunities for relevant exchanges schemes and to work out to stamp out drug abuse.

Moynihan stated: “We welcome this opportunity for joint collaboration with the Qatar Olympic Committee.

“Following our meetings today, details of specific areas of cooperation will be discussed between both National Olympic Committees over the coming months.

“Given his strong interest in sport, we appreciate the backing given to this initiative by the Prime Minister, David Cameron MP who attended the signing ceremony here today.

“With the London 2012 Olympic Games fast approaching we are entering the most exciting period in our history as a National Olympic Committee. 

“I welcomed the opportunity to share some of our experiences with our colleagues in Qatar, who have themselves embarked upon their own journey to prepare to host the FIFA World Cup in 2022.”

The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) have announced that broadcaster Sport1 GmbH have acquired the platform-neutral broadcast rights to the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

The tournament will be held from 30 August through to 14 September in six cities across Spain, and SPORT1 will show at least 18 games live on free TV as well as online and mobile. The hot favourites are the defending champions from the USA, who will feature Kevin Durant and many other superstars from the NBA.

SPORT1 Managing Director Olaf Schröder said: “It’s going to be a fantastic fiesta for all basketball fans with wall-to-wall top stars from the NBA and the Turkish Airlines Euroleague – which we also have on SPORT1 US and SPORT1 – battling it out for the world title in Spain’s big arenas in front of a basketball-crazy public. This is the eighth major sports event at the Olympic, World, or European Championship level that viewers will be able to watch on Sport1 in 2014!”

Patrick Baumann, FIBA Secretary General and International Olympic Committee (IOC) Member stated: “We are extremely pleased that thanks to SPORT1, basketball fans in Germany will get to enjoy extensive and exclusive coverage of the FIBA Basketball World Cup across all platforms.”

Leading sponsorship strategy and activation agency M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment has announced the appointment of Jamie Gilbert–Smith as Managing Director, doctor joining the agency on 8 May. 

Gilbert–Smith is a highly credentialed sponsorship and branded content specialist with more than 13 years marketing experience in London, cialis Melbourne and Sydney. He comes to the position from Ensemble Melbourne where, order as General Manager, he was responsible for establishing the business in that market. In his time there he led the business in developing successful strategies and campaigns for Kmart, Officeworks, Essendon Football Club, True Value Solar and Origin Energy. 

Prior to Ensemble, Gilbert–Smith was Strategy Director at Octagon in Sydney where he played a key role in leading campaigns for MasterCard, Unilever, Lion Nathan, Telstra, Coca Cola and ANZ. 

At M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment Gilbert–Smith will look to take the established agency into a new era, focusing on developing big, multi-channel ideas that make their clients’ sponsorship more engaging and effective. 

Gilbert-Smith was appointed by M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment Global CEO Steve Martin, who stated: “We’re really excited that Jamie has decided to come and join us and I am looking forward to him working closely with myself and the Sydney team to take the business forward. 

“We conducted an extensive search and had a number of excellent candidates put themselves forward for the role but what really impressed me about Jamie was his blend of strategy and creativity that I believe is essential to really maximize a brand’s sponsorship. 

“We’ve got a brilliant team and some great clients in the Sydney office and I am confident that Jamie is the final piece of the puzzle.” 

M&C Saatchi CEO Jaimes Leggett added: “Jamie’s appointment represents a key moment in M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment’s evolution. The business has consistently driven programs that have delivered meaningful results for their clients since its inception in September 2009. Jamie’s unique skillset and experience make him the ideal person to build on that and lead the business forward into an exciting new era.” 

Speaking about his appointment Gilbert–Smith said: “I’ve kept a close eye on M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment since they launched in 2009 and have been consistently impressed with the quality of their work. Obviously they have the fantastic M&C Saatchi name, reputation and resources, which is reflected in their creative approach to sponsorship. This approach aligned with a focus on delivering outstanding results is something that sets them apart in this market. The team is in place and they already have some great clients but I believe I can help them to grow even more. I can’t wait to get started and continue to build on the momentum they already have.”

M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment is part of the M&C Saatchi Group. Its key clients include Commonwealth Bank, IAG, Pepsi Max, SKINS, GWS GIANTS and Steggles.

Japan has been awarded the rights to stage the World Figure Skating Championships in 2014, three months after being forced to withdraw from hosting this year’s event because of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated the country.

The International Skating Union (ISU) announced that the event will be held in Tokyo or nearby Saitama. The news comes after this year’s World Championships were postponed form their initial slot in late March in Tokyo at the the Yoyogi National Stadium in the centre of the Japanese capital.

Japanese officials withdrew its hosting capabilities despite the capital being unscathed by the disastrous quake after several teams expressed fears about travelling there. The competition was in turn, awarded to Moscow.

In the meantime, the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) are expected to announce next month that they plan to launch a bid for the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics.

Japanese Olympic officials expect to know within weeks if Tokyo will bid for the Games after JOC president Tsunekazu Takeda told The Associated Press: “We expect a decision will be in late June or early July. Tokyo had a great plan for 2016, and has excellent financing.”

Takeda said a bid by Tokyo for the 2020 Summer Olympics could go a long way in helping Japan rebuild from the devastating earthquake and tsunami in March.

The soccer tournament staged as part of the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games will be staged between five other cities, it was announced yesterday, February 22, by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF).

Sao Paulo, Brasilia, Belo Horizonte and Salvador have all been chosen to share the matches with Rio, spreading the tournament across Brazil. The names of the specific sites have not been announced, but they are expected to be the same as those awarded FIFA World Cup matches in 2014.

The decision was announced during a seminar for host cities in Brasilia attended by Brazil’s Sports Orlando Silva and CBP President Ricardo Teixeira.

This means that Sao Paulo’s Itaquerao stadium, Belo Horizonte’s Mineirao, the Fonte Nova in Salvador and the Mane Garrincha in Brasilia will all play host to games in the early stages of the men and women’s tournament, as well as the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro. 

The famous stadium, which is currently being rebuilt for the World Cup and the Olympics, will also be the site for the finals of both competitions, as well as hosting the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

Major League Lacrosse has signed an agreement with MSG Networks to broadcast regular season matches.

A total of 18 games will be broadcast on MSG+ including eight New York Lizards games. 

“We are thrilled to have MSG carry our games again this year, vcialis 40mg ” said Major League Lacrosse Commissioner David Gross. “Together with our other regional broadcast partners it will ensure that every game of the 2014 season is available to our fans.”

“We are proud to partner with Major League Lacrosse to bring New York area fans professional lacrosse games this season,” said Daniel Ronayne, general manager and executive vice president, MSG Networks. “The sport’s popularity continues to grow, especially on the Lizards’ home turf of Long Island, and we look forward to an exciting lineup of games.”