Watkins, denture who is a Director of Lancashire County Cricket Club, unhealthy brings invaluable sporting knowledge to the role having served 28 years on the board of Manchester United and represented a number of other high profile sporting bodies at home and abroad.

The Joint Senior partner of law firm Brabners Chaffe Street also works as their Head of Sport and is a director of the British Association for Sport & Law.

This will be Watkins first experience of Olympic and Paralympic Sport and on his role he said: “I am delighted to have been asked to become Chairman of British Swimming. It is an honour and a privilege. I look forward to working alongside people who are an inspiration in such an outstanding sports.”

Watkins also holds a number of charitable roles including Chairman of the Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Charity and Breakthrough Breast Cancer North West Appeal.  He is currently Interim Chairman of the Rugby Football League having recently carried out a Governance Review.  He is also Chairman of the Greyhound Board of Great Britain.

British Swimming Chief Executive David Sparkes said: “I am delighted Maurice has agreed to accept the role of Chairman of British Swimming. He brings a wealth of experience in sport to the Board and his leadership will, I am sure, enable the Board to be more focused as we take on the lessons from London and prepare for Rio to achieve medal success across the sport.

“We face some challenges and I am sure Maurice will drive forward our plans and I look forward to working with him over the next four years.”

Soccerex is delighted to announce that Irvin Khoza, diagnosis chairman of the South African Premier Soccer League (PSL), will be attending the Soccerex African Forum in Durban, 23-24 October.

As well as chairman of the PSL, Mr. Khoza is the Vice-President of the South African Football Association and chairman of Orlando Pirates Football Club. He was part of the team who secured the right to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup^TM in South Africa, for which he later became the chairman of the South African Local Organising Committee. As the chairman of the PSL, Mr. Khoza will be able to give an expert view on league governance in South Africa and what needs to be done to develop the national leagues.

Commenting on his announcement, Irvin Khoza said:

“I’m looking forward to attending the Soccerex African Forum. We are at an important stage in South African football and the Forum is a great opportunity for us to determine the next step in developing our national league and as a whole within the African football community.”

Speaking on Mr. Khoza’s involvement, Soccerex CEO Duncan Revie said:

“It is fantastic that Mr. Khoza will be attending the Soccerex African Forum; he has a long and established connection with football in Africa, having helped bring the 2010 FIFA World Cup^TM to the continent, as well as a great relationship with Soccerex, where his club the Orlando Pirates has always been a regular attendee. His position as chairman of the PSL means he will be able to offer an expert opinion on the development of football in Africa.”

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), are set showcase sport in-flight after agreeing to add the Sport 24 to their TV lineup along with a few other channels.

Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways said passengers will be able to access live BBC World News, BBC Arabic, euronews and Sport 24 programming from tomorrow.

CNBC, Japanese service NHK World Premium and CNN services will follow throughout November, with Sky News Arabia to come in the coming months.

The final three races of the Formula 1 season will also be broadcast live on-board Etihad Airways services, beginning with Sunday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from the futuristic Yas Marina Circuit.

“We are delighted to broadcast this weekend’s Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on many of our aircraft, ensuring that passengers who are flying on race day won’t miss any of the action,” Etihad Airways’ chief commercial officer Peter Baumgartner said.

The Formula 1 action will be followed by other live sports coverage, including the English Premier League, German Bundesliga, Grand Slam tennis, Winter Olympics, FIFA World Cup and US Masters golf.

The service will be available on 21 widebody aircraft by November 7 and will increase to 37 widebody aircraft by the end of 2014.

“In-flight entertainment is a key part of the guest travel experience and the introduction of the eight live channels … will be a fantastic addition to Etihad Airways’ flights,” Mr Baumgartner said.

One of the largest airlines in the Middle East, Etihad Airways flies to 95 passenger and cargo destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas, using a fleet of 82 Airbus and Boeing aircraft.

– See more at: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/etihad-airways-adds-live-sport-channels-to-inflight-entertainment/story-e6frg6n6-1226750250926#sthash.hdt7xQv5.dpuf

The Lawn Tennis Association Limited (LTA) has appointed David Gregson as independent Chairman of the LTA Board.

The appointment was approved at a special meeting of the LTA Council on 12^th December.

David is the Chairman of Precise Media Group, order and of CRI, a leading UK health and social care charity.  He is also a Director of the London Legacy Development Corporation, which is transforming the Olympic Park following the 2012 Games, and a member of the Advisory Board for the Sutton Trust, promoting social mobility through education.  Previously, David was a co-founder and Chairman of Phoenix Equity Partners, a leading UK mid-market private equity business, and remains a senior advisor to the firm.

LTA President, Peter Bretherton, said of the appointment: “David brings a wealth of experience as a leader in the fields of business, the voluntary sector, sport and government. His appointment as independent Chairman of the LTA Board is another significant step in the modernisation of governance of British tennis, for which the LTA Council must take great credit.”

David Gregson said: “This is a really exciting challenge for me at a fantastic time for British tennis, when we’re seeing more people playing, and more success at the highest level. I look forward to working closely with the LTA President, CEO and Board to ensure that we make the most of this opportunity, and continue to grow the sport.”

David has a lifelong passion for tennis, and will start in his role in January 2013.

Future Sponsorship is taking place on 27-29 November at the Ulker Arena, clinic Istanbul. Supported by Host Partners, Turkish Airlines and Euroleague Basketball, Future Sponsorship will address the major challenges in the sponsorship world and will debate and discuss some of the most innovative partnerships from sport, culture, media and entertainment.  The conference gathers over 200 high level representatives from brands, rights holders and agencies, who come together to shape the future of the sponsorship industry.

Download Conference Brochure

Who Is Speaking?
The speaker line up includes some of the top sponsors and rights holders in the industry who will share their insights and experiences:

• Michael Payne, former Marketing Director, International Olympic Committee
• Sally Hancock, Director of Olympic Marketing and Sponsorship, Lloyds TSB
• Jordi Bertomeu, CEO, Euroleague Basketball
• Temel Kotil, CEO, Turkish Airlines
• Ragip Balciogu, MD, BEKO UK
• Iain Edmonson, Head of Major Events, London and Partners
• Laurent Colette, CMO, FC Barcelona
• Marc Audrit, VP Global Brand, Western Union
• Stewart Kellett, Recreation and Partnerships Director, British Cycling
• And many more…

Please check online for further speakers!

Register before 23rd October for early bird discounts

Become a partner at the 7th edition of Future Sponsorship and benefit from:

•    Pre Conference branding and exposure through Informa Sports Groups database of 25,000 contacts
•    Exposure through the local Turkish Press
•    Exposure through our international media partners
•    The chance to meet with over 200 international sponsors and rights holders in one place at one time

For more details about the different opportunities that are available, please contact Richard Arrowsmith on +971 4407 2602 or at sponsorship@informasportsgroup.com

The Collegiate Development Football League (CDFL) has announced today that Prodigy Launch Sports will provide broadcast production services for the Euro-American Challenge International Scout Bowl, drugs and three CDFL collegiate showcase games; the D3 Senior Classic, the FCS Senior Scout Bowl and the D2 vs. NAIA Senior Bowl.

All games will be played in December 2013 and will be broadcast live to a worldwide audience. 

Matt Burkhead, CEO of Prodigy Launch Sports stated, “We’re excited to be working with the CDFL again this year. They’re an outstanding organization and each of their showcase games provides a great opportunity for exceptional football players to showcase their talents.”

Prodigy Launch is a sports multimedia development, marketing and management business. Prodigy provides personalized services to large and small organizations through strategic partnerships and individual projects.

George St Lawrence, Co-Founder of the CDFL stated: “In addition to the outstanding services provided by Prodigy Launch, the CDFL has retained DaCast, a San Francisco based, platform service provider, to work with the CDFL and Prodigy Launch in providing live, worldwide broadcast access for the CDFL games. St. Lawrence further added,” The ability to view these games live worldwide, gives added value to our players. It provides exposure to overseas opportunities for our players and our organization. International football clubs who wish to sign top American players for next season will have the ability to view, evaluate, and contact players via the CDFL”.

Issa Hayatou, current Confederation of African Football (CAF) president has been given a free run at staying in his position for a further four years following the news his rival was not allowed to run against him.

The news sets up Cameroon’s Hayatou to lengthen his tenure at the helm of African football to almost 30 years since his election to the post in 1988 but there is still a chance he may face a rival in the elections next year.

CAF have disallowed the candidacy of rival Jacques Anouma because he does not meet new criteria for presidential candidates but the Ivory Coast politician is expected to launch a legal bid to overturn the decision and be allowed to stand at the CAF Congress in Marrakech, Morocco, on March 10.

The 66-year-old Hayatou, anticipating Anouma’s bid, engineered a change in the organisation’s statutes to permit only voting members of its executive committee to run for the presidency.

The change was overwhelmingly approved at a special CAF Congress, arranged solely for the purpose of amending the rules, in the Seychelles in September.

Anouma is a member of CAF’s executive committee only because he serves as one of the continent’s representatives on the FIFA executive and he has no voting powers in CAF matters.

The success of recent major sporting events has highlighted the valuable impact that these can have on a city, herbal a region or a country. Many cities have therefore been inspired to bid for and host the many sporting events that become available in 2013. For this reason, herbal City Events 2012 will focus on the theme “Preparing to bid and bidding to win”. City Events is the only conference connecting host cities, doctor International Federations and event organizers, and will be held in Lausanne, the Olympic Capital, on November 14-16.

The public sector (cities, regions, and countries), National, and International Sport Federations, event organisers and numerous key stakeholders in this market will have the unique opportunity to share knowledge and experience in the three-day conference, with world class speakers.

Starting on Wednesday, November 14, Martin Kallen from UEFA, CEO of three UEFA EURO tournaments and Michael Payne, the first ever Marketing Director of the IOC will share their experience and address the challenges of organising international sport events.

The following day, Thursday 15, under the theme “Preparing to bid”, the first Plenary Session will allow three cities to share their bidding experience: the City of St-Moritz, host of the 2017 FIS Alpine Skiing World Championships, represented by Hugo Wetzel, the City of London, host to the 2012 Olympic Games, represented by Ian Edmondson of London & Partners, and the City of Istanbul, one of the most active bidder and host in the world, represented by Ugur Erdener, President of the Turkish NOC and IOC Member.

In the afternoon, the second Plenary Session “Bidding to win” will start with UEFA EURO 2012 in Poland-Ukraine, which will share key learnings on their bid to host the tournament after having recently hosted it, followed by Vladimir Leonov from the City of Kazan, host to the 2015 FINA World Championships, and Annika Malhotra from the City of Stockholm, Candidate City for the 2004 Olympics who will share what was the great positive legacy of this bid which did not win. In addition, two hours will be dedicated to one-to-one meetings with International Federations who will come to meet future host cities, international sporting events organisers and key stakeholders, to lay the foundation for future major sport events.

The third and last Plenary Session will take place in the morning of Friday 16, and will focus on the tools used to win sport event bids. The latest trends and updates from the world of hosting and bidding will be revealed exclusively at City Events. A presentation from the AISTS, will be preceded by “alternative” events organisers such as the Iron Man Series, X-Games, Festival International des Sports Extrêmes (FISE), and the Homeless World Cup, who will share what it takes to get and host them.

Each plenary session will be followed by a break-out session in smaller committees involving additional stakeholders. Additionally, five International Sport Federations, the International Ski Federation (FIS), the World Masters Games Association (WMGA), the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), World Archery Federation (WA), and the International University Sport Federation (FISU) will share their thoughts on what really matters in a bid.

Finally, many networking opportunities will be available during coffee breaks and lunches, and two receptions are offered on Wednesday and Thursday evening where participants have the opportunity to meet and talk with International Sport Federations, cities and stakeholders.

Additionally, FISU have the pleasure of inviting you at the Rolex Learning Center for a reception that promises quality exchanges, followed by a “relaxed” party offered by City Events to make this third edition a memorable one.

Information and Registration are available from now on: www.cityevents-sport.com

Cricket Australia have announced today a five-year radio deal with Fairfax Radio Network.

Under the agreement, herbal cricket fans will be able to tune in to Fairfax Radio Network broadcasts of the Commonwealth Bank Boxing Day and Sydney Pink Tests, health the Carlton Mid One Day International Series, pills the KFC T20INTL Series, and the KFC T20 Big Bash League.

As part of the radio rights agreement, Commonwealth Bank Test Series, Carlton Mid One Day International Series and KFC T20INTL Series  will air across 3AW Melbourne, 2UE Sydney, 4BC Brisbane and 6PR Perth, while most KFC T20 BBL matches will be aired to the markets of the teams taking part in each match as well as nationally via DAB+ digital radio. Fairfax Radio Network will engage regional stations and is working to provide coverage in Adelaide.

Cricket Australia Executive General Manager – Media, Communications & Marketing Ben Amarfio commented on the new deal: “The radio rights agreement between Cricket Australia and Fairfax Radio Network marks an exciting new chapter for cricket in Australia and offers followers of the game even more ways to enjoy the cricket action this summer.”

“We hope it is the first of a number of radio rights agreements to be announced in the lead up to a huge summer of cricket. Our work with all of our broadcast partners is designed to take the game to the widest audience possible and to help make cricket Australia’s favourite team sport. Today’s announcement certainly helps us with this goal and we look forward to working with Fairfax Radio Network over the coming seasons.

“We are also looking forward to Cricket Australia’s sponsors leveraging their association with cricket through this new radio rights arrangement.”

The radio rights deal represents an opportunity to deliver compelling cricket content to fans around Australia, according to Fairfax Radio Network Managing Director, Adam Lang.

“We are excited to be broadcasting a sport that plays such an integral role in the Australian way of life. Cricket has a rich history of sporting success for our nation and we are delighted to be a part of its future,” said Adam Lang.

“We want to create destination content for the sport across summer for our audience and our advertisers. It’s an exciting day for us all and an honour for us to be a part of such a respected and much loved sport.”