The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) has voted to remove Billy Hunter as executive director, president Derek Fisher announced on Saturday. 

Fisher said he will remain president, and the new executive committee includes Matt Bonner,James Jones, Jerry Stackhouse, Andre Iguodala, Roger Mason , Stephen Curry, Willie Greenand Chris Paul.

Hunter has faced allegations of inappropriate activity stemming from reported instancs of nepotism and a lack of oversight. A report from the independently contracted firm of Paul-Weiss concluded Hunter had failed in his duties and recommended his removal. Among the reported instances of inpropriety, Hunter’s vacation and travel funds were never approved by the union, and he repeatedly used union funds for a variety of inappropriate measures. Hunter’s actions are also under investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Hunter was placed on indefinite leave on Feb. 1 by the executive committee. He finally refuted the claims made against him on a blog on Thursday. He had previously dismissed his daughter, who had worked for him, and severed ties with a financial firm that his son served as director for. 

Hunter served as executive director for the union from 1996 to 2013, overseeing the union’s two battles through lockouts with the NBA. Various NBA agents have shown unrest with Hunter since the 2011 lockout for his refusal to take more aggressive stands against the league in CBA disputes. Former MLBPA head Donald Fehr has been suggested as a possible replacement.

Liverpool FC have expanded their reach globally with the announcement of nine new television partnerships,

The new deals encompass the following: beIN Sport (Hong Kong); Kompass (Indonesia); Sony (India); beIN Sport (Middle East and France); Sommet (New Zealand); TV2 (Norway); Arena TV (Balkans); Go TV (Malta); 365 Media (Iceland).

As part of the agreements millions of fans across the globe to watch the most recent Reds games and enjoy access to exclusive content and behind-the-scenes footage from the club.

Matthew Baxter, chief media officer at Liverpool FC, said: “It’s fantastic that the club has been able to secure the new host of TV partnerships, allowing passionate Reds to watch the heroes they love.

“One of the club’s main aims is to extend engagement through our various media with the millions of fans across the world, so that they feel part of the Liverpool FC family, and these deals are another step in that direction.”

Henri Kamerling, head of sales at Pitch International, said: “We are delighted to be working with Liverpool FC on this project. These wide-ranging deals represent the first steps as we work with the club to deliver their key content to their fans around the world.”

This follows Liverpool revealing they had become the first club to join US sport social media site, Fancred.

{jcomments on}

Raphael Martinetti, has resigned as international wrestling federation president following the IOC’s decision to remove the sport from the 2020 Olympics.

Martinetti’s resignation was announced at the FILA executive committee meeting in Phuket. The Swiss had been in the position since 2002.

On Tuesday, the executive board of the IOC dumped wrestling from the list of 25 sports guaranteed a berth in future Summer Olympics, meaning it must compete with other fringe sports for a spot on the 2020 program.

FILA member Nenad Lalovic, who has assumed an interim presidency role, confirmed at a news conference that Martinetti’s resignation was because of the International Olympic Council’s decision.

“It was difficult for a president who was in power for 11 years when the IOC decided to eliminate his sport from the Olympic Games,” said Lalovic, adding the new president will soon be elected at an extraordinary congress.

Lalovic said the bid to restore wrestling to the Olympic program would begin immediately.

“Everyone of us will have a duty. We have only one goal that is to be back on the Olympics. Lobbying is very important but it’s not something that you can’t determine in advance,” Lalovic said. “We have to prepare a serious presentation that must be prepared by professionals to present the real picture of our sport. This sport has been practiced by millions of people. We will use this fact in order to promote our sport.”

Now wrestling is no longer a core Olympic sport, it must compete with seven other contenders – baseball and softball, squash, wakeboarding, sport climbing, roller sports and the martial arts of karate and wushu -in lobbying to earn the last spot on the program for the 2020 Olympics, which have yet to be awarded to a host city.

The IOC executive board will meet in May in St. Petersburg, Russia, to choose which sports to propose for inclusion in 2020. The final vote will be made at the IOC general assembly in September in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

U.S.A. Wrestling executive director Rich Bender paid tribute to Martinetti but said his departure could boost wrestling’s chances of getting back on the Olympic program.

“This decision provides international wrestling with an opportunity to change and improve,” Bender said in a statement on U.S.A. Wrestling’s website. “The sport will now be able to create a fresh new relationship with the International Olympic Committee and address some of the pressing challenges and opportunities facing wrestling.”

Alexander Mamiashvili, the head of the Russian wrestling federation, wants the FILA extraordinary congress to be held in Moscow in May and said President Vladimir Putin had ordered a committee be formed to contest the IOC decision.

“The group will coordinate and analyze the situation to prove wrestling is worthy of staying in the Olympic movement,” Mamiashvili told the Itar-TASS news agency of a committee that will include the sports minister and all three Russian IOC members. “The leadership of the country, and personally the president of Russia, has expressed to us their support.”

FILA vice president Stan Dziedzic said he knows what wrestling needs to do to win back its place.

“We need to hire a public-relations firm, we need to have a better relationship with the IOC, obviously. Those are right on top of the table,” he said. “We have to tell the world that there is no other sport that is more of a meritocracy than wrestling. No bats, no balls, no gloves; it’s not how fast, how far, how high – but how much better.

“Two equal size wrestlers ground on the mat to determine who the best is, with the wits and the will to win. Nothing could be more fundamental.”

QBE, discount the business insurance specialist, allergist and the Rugby Football Union (RFU) yesterday launched the QBE Coaching Club at Twickenham Stadium. This partnership will see 2, pharmacy viagra 015 new level two rugby coaches recruited and trained by September 2015.

England Assistant Coach, Graham Rowntree, RFU Rugby Development Director, Steve Grainger, La Toya Mason, England scrum-half and RFU Community Rugby Coach, England Women’s Head Coach, Gary Street and QBE ambassador and Harlequins Director of Rugby, Conor O’Shea were among a panel of rugby coaches at the iconic stadium to promote the programme.

QBE will be working with the RFU and its coach educators to train the 2,015 new level 2 coaches, providing a consistent approach across the QBE Coaching Club. This will provide a new valuable resource for the 2,000 clubs across the country.

The QBE Coaching Club forms an integral part of the wider QBE Coaching Programme which aims to improve the quality of coaching in England and bring best practice coaching to grassroots rugby.

Steve Grainger, RFU Rugby Development Director, commented: “Coaching is one of the most crucial factors in developing, sustaining and increasing participation in our sport. Having QBE’s support will help us to invest in community rugby now to improve the quality and quantity of coaches by 2015. We want to use the opportunity of a home Rugby World Cup to deliver the greatest participation legacy for the game.”

QBE Ambassador and Harlequins Director of Rugby, Conor O’Shea, added. “Increased investment in grassroots coaching benefits all areas of the game and plays a key role in developing the sport all the way up to the professional level. I am delighted to be involved in such an important project with QBE.”

Richard Pryce, Deputy Chief Executive Office of QBE European Operations, said: “The launch of the QBE Coaching Club reaffirms QBE’s commitment to supporting rugby at all levels. We are delighted to get behind such a worthwhile initiative.”

For more information on the QBE Coaching Club and for all other QBE rugby activity please visit www.QBERugby.com. To register an interest in the QBE Coaching Club go to www.rfu.com/takingpart/coach/qbecoachingclub