Manchester United commercial director Richard Arnold has defended their pursuit of Japan playmaker Shinji Kagawa insisting it is not to simply sell shirts.

Kagawa is reportedly close to moving from Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund to Old Trafford on a €15 million transfer, which could rise to €22 million with add-ons. Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke fuelled speculation further on Tuesday evening, telling Derwesten: “Both sides want to conclude the deal.”

Meanwhile, United’s South Korean midfielder Park Ji-Sung may exit the club this summer, sparking talk the club are looking to the sign Kagawa to boost brand recognition throughout Asia. Arnold, though, believes United’s individual players do not drive the club’s off-field profitability.

“We don’t sign players to sell shirts.” Arnold said. “We are reliant on 25 players and they are all massive stars. We have 25 George Clooneys.

“When you look at the success we’ve seen in that part of the world [Asia], it isn’t down to any one player or person. Of course, Ji is a fantastic player, was captain of the South Korea team and continues to be a key part of our squad.

“But for Manchester United, it’s more than any one player. It was more than George Best, it was more than Bryan Robson, it was more than David Beckham, it was more than Cantona, than Park.

“Ji is very popular in Korea, just as Javier Hernandez is hugely popular in Mexico, but Paul Scholes has his own Chinese character. These are huge stars and the big stars are the big stars in every country. Our games are shown 1.1 billion homes across the globe and you think ‘which film does that 60 times a year?’

“Be it George Clooney or Brad Pitt, what is there where that is shown? There just isn’t anything like it.”

National Sports Marketing Network have announced that Texas Rangers Chief Operating Officer Rick George was named to the national sports organization’s board.

Jennifer Karpf, founder and director of the National Sports Marketing Network, said: “The 25-year sports business leader brings a wealth of experience to the organization and we appreciate his time and commitment to the advancement of our industry.”

George was appointed COO of the Texas Rangers in Oct. 2010, after a seven-year stint with the PGA TOUR and Champions Tour. He works closely with Rangers CEO and President Nolan Ryan and other members of the club’s business operations.

Prior to his work with the PGA, George was president and CEO of Fore!Kids Foundation, a charity organization centered on raising money through golf.

George has been in professional and collegiate sports since his college days at the University of Illinois, where he was a four-year football starter.

The Opening Match of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011™ will set a new European attendance record for women’s football. It was announced today that over 50,000 tickets have already been sold for the clash between hosts Germany and Canada at Berlin’s Olympiastadion on 26 June 2011.

NJCAA Sports Properties has announced that NJCAA TV, herbal | powered by iHigh.com, will provide live video coverage of eight NJCAA championship tournaments taking place throughout February and March.

Since its creation in 2009, NJCAA TV has been the exclusive home for live broadcasts of NJCAA championship events.

A new and improved NJCAA TV, debuted fall 2012 when the organization strengthened its relationship with iHigh.com, which now includes a corporate sponsorship and multimedia rights agreement. As a result, NJCAA Sports Properties was formed to manage the association’s corporate sponsorships, national advertising (print and digital), championship marketing, and radio/television rights in addition to NJCAA TV.

Live coverage of winter championships on NJCAA TV begins Feb. 23rd with the national finals of the 2013 NJCAA Wrestling Championship in Des Moines, Iowa. In addition, the semifinals and finals of the Ice Hockey Championship in Rochester, N.Y., will be showcased live Feb. 23rd and 24th.

Basketball fans will be in hoops heaven as all games from the NJCAA’s six competitive national tournaments will highlight NJCAA TV, beginning with the Division III ranks on March 14th. A complete broadcast schedule is below.

Broadcasts of each event are being made possible through the cooperation of each tournament host and their volunteer staff.

NJCAA TV moved to the iHigh.com platform in August 2011 and drew over 650,000 broadcast views and 370,000 unique visitors for the 2011-12 academic year. Since August of 2012, NJCAA TV has eclipsed 630,000 unique visitors.

Since 1938 the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) has been the governing body of two-year college athletics, offering athletic and academic opportunities to college students.

The largest global football follower survey ever conducted has today named Manchester United the world’s most popular club, with 659 million followers worldwide.

The survey was carried out by leading market research agency, Kantar, and gathered 54,000 respondents from 39 countries. The club that Forbes recently named the most valuable in world sport was identified as the favourite team of 659 million followers around the world. Kantar found that football remains the world’s most popular sport, with 1.6 billion followers globally, reinforcing the results of a recent FIFA survey which produced a similar figure.

Richard Arnold, the club’s Commercial Director, commented on the long-term strategy that has made Manchester United the number one club.

“Manchester United has built on a tradition of iconic players, iconic teams and iconic achievements – Beckham, Busby, Benfica ’68. Now our games are broadcast to 1.15 billion households globally, to an audience of over four billion a year, ” he said.

“Manchester United resonates with followers all over the world, and it’s their passion and support that means year after year we can continue doing what matters most to everyone at the club: playing attacking football and competing for trophies.

“The growth in our followers since 2007 correlates with what we have seen as we have rolled out our new approach to reaching fans.  From the increase in TV viewership from two to four billion last season, to the demand from millions of media subscribers in 72 countries through our media partnerships, to the way the footage of Wayne’s overhead kick echoed around the world on social media, we can see that the connections to the club are growing exponentially.

“With the DHL Champ19ns Trophy tour we have seen that passion from our community of followers face to face in 38 cities across the globe, and there does not seem to be a beach or street in the world where you do not see the Aon and Nike shirt.

“This survey shows that our family of followers is going from strength to strength.”

Meanwhile former Director of Marketing at Manchester United Steven Falk has unveiled the new website for Star Sports Marketing  Visit: www.starsportsmarketing.com

British Judo has let go performance director Margaret Hicks as they look to capitalize on their home advantage and reach their medal target at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Hicks will vacate the role of performance director, with Jane Bridge leaving the senior women’s coach post as well.

It follows the decision last week to appoint German Daniel Lascau as the new performance director of British Judo.

British Judo have targeted two medals next year, and wanted a performance director who will strengthen the leadership of the organisation, unifying those involved in the programme to support British athletes ahead of the Games, it is claimed.

On their website, British Judo paid tribute to Hicks for building performance structures and for having a positive impact, whilst they also credited Bridge for her work with the women’s team.

Densign White, British Judo chairman, said: “British Judo can deliver the target of two Olympic medals in London next summer, but we need to strengthen our technical expertise and move more players into the seeded zone of the world ranking list.”

Japan’s preparations to host Rugby World Cup 2019 have been given a further boost after the International Rugby Board announced that the Japan Rugby Football Union (JRFU) will host the IRB Pacific Nations Cup 2011.

The sixth IRB Pacific Nations Cup tournament, denture now an established event on the annual Rugby calendar with its exciting brand of local rivalry and competitive action, will have an extra dimension as Fiji, Japan, Samoa and Tonga look to gain advantage ahead of Rugby World Cup 2011 in New Zealand.

Samoa will defend the title they won for the first time on home soil last year as the single-host format continues. All six IRB Pacific Nations Cup 2011 matches will be played at the Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground in Tokyo between July 2-13, providing fans with three double-header match days and the ability to see some of the world’s most exciting players in action before they head to New Zealand.

“Rugby in Asia is continuing to go from strength to strength and the IRB is delighted to award this major international tournament to Japan and a Union that has been at the very heart of this growth,” said IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset.

“Japan staged an exceptional IRB Junior World Championship and is preparing to host the first ever Rugby World Cup in Asia. The single-hosting format of the IRB Pacific Nations Cup has proved extremely popular, allowing a greater platform for broadcast and media coverage, attendances, training and legacy programmes. I have no doubt that the 2011 tournament will be a resounding success.”

Tonga will play Fiji on the opening day while hosts Japan take on champions Samoa. Both corresponding fixtures in last year’s tournament produced thrilling matches as Fiji defeated Tonga by just three points – one of half the tournament matches to be decided by a margin of three points or less – and the Brave Blossoms secured a 31-23 victory over the eventual winners.

For the JRFU, the announcement adds to the expanding portfolio of international Rugby tournaments awarded to Japan after they played host to a record-breaking IRB Junior World Championship in 2009.

Hosting the IRB Pacific Nations Cup 2011 will give a further boost to the exposure of the Game across Asia as Japan looks ahead to Rugby World Cup 2019 and a tournament aimed at bringing together the Asian Rugby family for a unique celebration of world-class Rugby across the continent.

“It is an honour to solo host the very important and prestigious IRB Pacific Nations Cup and we are grateful to the IRB for deciding to hold it next July in Tokyo. We look forward to welcoming the other participating Unions, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga and we would also love to see Rugby fans from all the corners of the globe,” said Vice President and Chairman of the Japan Rugby Football Union Nobby Mashimo.

“We are very confident that it will be a great success and that the players, teams, management and spectators will thoroughly enjoy their stay in Tokyo where tradition and modernism so vividly co-exist.”

“The sixth IRB Pacific Nations Cup is an ideal occasion to showcase the potential of the Rugby market in Japan, the enthusiasm of Japanese rugby fans and the ability of the Brave Blossoms. The Tournament will give the world Rugby family a glimpse of what lies ahead for Rugby World Cup 2019. See you next July here in Tokyo!” added Mashimo.

IRB Regional General Manager for Oceania Will Glenwright added: “The IRB Pacific Nations Cup 2011 is set to be the most exciting and competitive to date, with the tournament providing vital international matches for the Pacific Islands and Japan as they prepare for Rugby World Cup 2011 and also for their longer term development towards Rugby World Cup 2015 and 2019.”

“The tournament has become of vital importance to both the Oceania and Asia region and offers a wonderful opportunity to develop players, match officials and structures for all the Unions involved. It was hugely encouraging to see the much-improved performance of these nations during the recent November Test window.”

The tournament will also throw up two tasters for Rugby World Cup 2011 where Tonga will meet Pool A rivals Japan on Wednesday, September 21 in Whangarei before Fiji take on Samoa in their Pool D clash on September 25 in Auckland.

Russian business tycoon Anton Zingarevich will finally take the reins at Reading following the successful completion of his takeover of the newly promoted Premier League club.

Zingarevich agreed to buy 51% of the Royals from Sir John Madejski in January through Thames Sport Investment, viagra owned by Zingarevich.

The deal had hoped to have been completed in March but delays meant approval has at last been cleared on Tuesday, patient exactly six weeks after manager Brian McDermott guided the Berkshire outfit to promotion from the Championship.

A statement released by Reading read: “Reading Football Club are pleased to announce that a 51% acquisition by Thames Sports Investment (owned by Anton Zingarevich) has now been completed, ed complying with all Premier League and Football League requirements.

“Four additional directors have been added to the Reading Football Club board chaired by Sir John Madejski, namely Anton Zingarevich, Christopher Samuelson, Andrew Obolensky and chief executive Nigel Howe. Ian Wood-Smith also remains a director.

“The football club and TSI would like to thank both the Premier League and Football League for their assistance, and we now enter another bright new era for our historic club, back in the Barclays Premier League.”