The Harlem Globetrotters announced today that Leonard Armato has joined the team’s board of directors.

The former Skechers CMO and agent for Shaquille O’Neal, patient Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, unhealthy and Oscar De La Hoya, anesthetist Armato currently serves as chairman of Leverage Agency, a marketing services agency specializing in accelerating the value of “high growth” brands.

“The Globetrotters are an American treasure,” said Armato. “Steeped in rich basketball and entertainment history, they have always been a positive cultural change agent—and today they are redoubling their efforts as role models to be a positive influence on young people by encouraging them to lead a healthy active lifestyle combined with education and social responsibility.”

Armato, who has distinguished himself as a ground-breaking marketer, brand strategist, and entrepreneur, is the seventh member of the Harlem Globetrotters’ board of directors. Shamrock Capital Advisors from Los Angeles, which acquired 80 percent of the Harlem Globetrotters in September of 2005, oversees the team’s board.

“Leonard is a welcome addition to our board,” said Globetrotter CEO Kurt Schneider, who added that the Leverage Agency will also assist with the team’s outreach to potential sponsors and partners. “He has great business connections and will assist in our overall strategy as we continue to grow and evolve our team and brand into new and complementary revenue streams.”

The Original Harlem Globetrotters are celebrating their 86th consecutive year in 2012, continuing a world-famous tradition of ball handling wizardry, basketball artistry, and one-of-a-kind family entertainment that continues to thrill fans of all ages.

Throughout their history, the Globetrotters have showcased their iconic talents in 120 countries and territories on six continents, often breaking down cultural and societal barriers while providing fans with their first-ever basketball experience. Proud inductees of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the Globetrotters have entertained hundreds of millions of fans—among them popes, kings, queens, and presidents—over more than eight thrilling decades.

pharmacy helvetica, cure sans-serif;”>The inaugural iSportconnect Directors Club took place in Munich on November 17 and the photos and the videos of the event are now available on iSportconnect.

advice helvetica, sans-serif;”>More than 50 sport business representatives took part, received the latest information on ‘Hospitality & the law’ and used the opportunity to make some new contacts. Check it out and be part of the next iSportconnect Directors Club.

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Real Madrid has revealed revenues of US$673.55m for the 2011-12 financial year – a figure it claims is a record for any sports club.

Real’s revenues for the 2011-12 campaign represent a 7 percent rise on last season’s generation. The club said its net debt fell by 26.5 percent to US$163.4m, ed but it also reported a 23.3 percent fall in its yearly profits.

Real’s net profit saw a significant 31.7 percent rise year-on-year to US$41.9m in 2010-11, denture but it has now dropped to US$31.46m.

The club said in a statement: “This variation is due to increased costs arising from securities premiums, changes in tax regulations, hedging of contingencies and risks derived from the evolution of the economic context, and increased amortisation expenses from investments made. It is noteworthy that the financial result of the previous year included a non-recurrent tax financial income.”{jcomments on}

Lydia Nsekera has become FIFA’s first female member of the world governing body’s executive committee. 

Nsekera, president of the Burundi Football Association, has been co-opted onto the executive committee and will be formally installed at the FIFA Congress in Budapest on Friday. 

Nsekera is a member of several FIFA committees – for women’s football, the women’s World Cup and the organising committee for the Olympic football tournaments.

FIFA also announced that Swiss businessman Domenico Scala is to be the independent chairman of the new audit and compliance committee. 

Scala was recommended by the Independent Governance Committee, the body set up to oversee FIFA reforms. 

FIFA also confirmed its ethics committee is being restructured with a new system involving two committees to be established – one to investigate matters and the other to adjudicate on them.

An announcement on who would lead the committees had been expected on Tuesday but one of the candidates was ill so it was deferred.

“In view of this, the executive committee decided to hold an extraordinary meeting to designate both chairmen together once the FIFA Congress has approved the relevant amendments to the FIFA Statutes, which will come into force 60 days after the Congress,” a FIFA statement said.

The meeting will take place in Zurich in the first week of July when the new Code of Ethics is adopted and both chairmen will be named.

In other matters, FIFA said its players’ insurance programme was being extended to cover the Olympic tournament.

It also named six cities to host next year’s Confederations Cup in Brazil, the warm-up tournament for the 2014 World Cup finals.

Brasilia, Belo Horizonte, Fortaleza, Rio de Janeiro, Recife, and Salvador have been approved as venues, but FIFA said it has contingency plans and match schedules in place based on only four or five cities being fit to host games because of continued worries over stadium rebuilding.

Kosovo also took a major step towards full membership of FIFA with other nations given approval to play friendlies against the eastern European nation.

TSN and RDS have agreed a multi-year deal to become the official broadcasters of Rugby Canada.

As part of the deal, TSN and RDS will broadcast several international events each year, including Rugby World Cup qualifiers, international friendlies, and the upcoming Rugby World Cup Sevens 2013.

TSN and RDS are also the exclusive Canadian broadcasters of the RUGBY WORLD CUP 2015 in England.

“As we saw during the recent World Cup, more and more Canadian sports fans have fallen in love with rugby and are specifically drawn to the grit and determination of Canada’s national team,” said Shawn Redmond, Vice-President of Programming, TSN. “We are incredibly proud to become the exclusive home of Rugby Canada and look forward to showcasing Canada’s men’s rugby team as they prepare to take on the world at the RUGBY WORLD CUP 2015.”

“Rugby Canada is proud to partner with TSN and RDS as the official broadcasters of Canadian Rugby,” said Graham Brown, Chief Executive Officer, Rugby Canada. “With Canada competing in the world’s top rugby events, including the men’s and women’s Rugby World Cups, Pan-American Games and summer internationals, we’re excited to have an exclusive, multimedia rights agreement with Canada’s leading specialty channels to bring world-class rugby to our dedicated supporters and a legion of new fans across the country.”

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TSN and RDS have agreed a multi-year deal to become the official broadcasters of Rugby Canada.

As part of the deal, TSN and RDS will broadcast several international events each year, including Rugby World Cup qualifiers, international friendlies, and the upcoming Rugby World Cup Sevens 2013.

TSN and RDS are also the exclusive Canadian broadcasters of the RUGBY WORLD CUP 2015 in England.

“As we saw during the recent World Cup, more and more Canadian sports fans have fallen in love with rugby and are specifically drawn to the grit and determination of Canada’s national team,” said Shawn Redmond, Vice-President of Programming, TSN. “We are incredibly proud to become the exclusive home of Rugby Canada and look forward to showcasing Canada’s men’s rugby team as they prepare to take on the world at the RUGBY WORLD CUP 2015.”

“Rugby Canada is proud to partner with TSN and RDS as the official broadcasters of Canadian Rugby,” said Graham Brown, Chief Executive Officer, Rugby Canada. “With Canada competing in the world’s top rugby events, including the men’s and women’s Rugby World Cups, Pan-American Games and summer internationals, we’re excited to have an exclusive, multimedia rights agreement with Canada’s leading specialty channels to bring world-class rugby to our dedicated supporters and a legion of new fans across the country.”

Related News:

TSN Extends PGA Tour Broadcast Deal

TSN & RDS Renew Broadcast Rights for Canadian Football League

Sportsnet & TSN Get Premier League Rights in Canada

The 2014 World Cup mascot is a Brazilian armadillo whose name is yet to be decided.

FIFA said Brazilians will have until mid-November to choose the name from three choices: Amijubi, Fuleco and Zuzeco. The announcement was made Sunday on a television show that included an appearance from Ronaldo.

“I’m delighted to welcome such an important member to the 2014 team,” Ronaldo said. “The mascot will play a key ambassadorial role in the next two years. I’m sure he will inspire many young football fans in Brazil and all over the world with the great passion which he has for the sport and for his country.”

“The fact that the three-banded armadillo is a vulnerable species is very fitting,” FIFA Secretary general, Jerome Valcke, said in a statement. “One of the key objectives through the 2014 FIFA World Cup is to use the event as a platform to communicate the importance of the environment and ecology.”

FIFA said Amijubi is a “representation of friendliness and joy,” while Fuleco and Zuzeco are linked to an “ecological message.”

FIFA also said the three options were chosen after a vote by a high-profile judging committee in Brazil, including Bebeto.

FIFA also recently announced that the World Cup ball will be called ‘Brazuca,’ an informal word often used to describe national pride, and will be supplied by Adidas.{jcomments on}

Kris Dent has been named as the International Tennis Federation’s new Executive Director of Professional Tennis, starting in mid-June.

The role will oversee the three ITF departments within the professional game: Davis Cup and Fed Cup, Professional Tournaments and Officiating.

Dent will be responsible for the management of both the regulatory and operational activities of Davis Cup and Fed Cup, and will also oversee the ITF Pro Circuit, beach tennis and the ITF’s officiating programme. Olympic operations will be included in his remit following the completion of the 2012 Olympic Tennis Event. Dent will report to ITF Executive Vice President Juan Margets.

All of the ITF’s professional tennis activities will now be overseen by one Executive Director with the aim to focus the ITF’s efforts in these areas and provide additional departmental strategy and support.

Dent has 15 years experience in the sports industry working for governing bodies, agencies and as an independent consultant in the UK, Europe and USA. During this time he has held several senior roles within tennis, including Head of Communications at the LTA followed by Communications Director positions with both the WTA and ATP. More recently, he worked with the Football Association on the 2018 World Cup bid, before holding consultancy roles on the Qatar 2022 Bid Committee and Ticketmaster’s London 2012 Olympic partnership.

ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti said: “We are delighted that Kris has joined the ITF in an important role that oversees some of the ITF’s key properties and activities. He has a strong background in professional tennis through his work for several of the sport’s governing bodies, and will bring this experience to the ITF Professional Tennis Department.”