Double Olympic judo champion David Douillet begins a new role as the French Sports Minister, it was announced.

The 42-year-old, who won the +95 kilogram at Atlanta in 1996 and +100kg Sydney in 2000, is to replace Chantal Jouanno, who resigned following her election to the French Senate on Sunday.

Douillet had also won a bronze medal in the +95kg at Barcelona in 1992 as well as four world and one European titles.

Douillet, who carried the French flag at the Opening Ceremony in Sydney, was elected deputy to the French National Assembly in October 2009 for the ruling UMP Party of President Nicolas Sarkozy. Douillet moves from his role as Secretary of State for French nationals abroad.

A statement from the President’s office, said: “On the proposal of Prime Minister, the President terminated at his request, the functions of Chantal Jouanno, Minister for Sport. He appointed Mr. David Douillet Sports Minister.”

Douillet’s main responsibility will be overseeing France’s preparations for the 2016 European Football Championships.

Jouanno served less than a year in the role but she did make an impact on the failed bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, helping give it some creditability when several officials wanted to scrap it. She also brought some success when Paris gained the 2018 Ryder Cup.

The International Rugby Board has confirmed that Georgia will host the IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy 2011 from May 24 to June 5.

It is the first time that the hosting rights to a major IRB tournament have been awarded to the Georgian Rugby Union and the selection underlines the outstanding progress that the Union has made in driving the development of the Game throughout the country since Rugby World Cup 2007.

The tournament format will follow the model that successfully delivered a compelling Trophy in 2010. The eight participating teams will be split into two pools of four with two match venues in the capital Tbilisi hosting double-headers on May 24, ambulance May 28, order June 1 and June 5.

Canada, Japan, Russia, Samoa, Uruguay, USA, Zimbabwe and hosts Georgia will all be looking to lift the coveted Trophy and secure promotion to the IRB Junior World Championship in 2012.

“The IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy has grown to become a major fixture on the annual Rugby calendar, providing the participating Unions with an invaluable competition and development platform. Yet the tournament is not all about exposure for the teams, it is also about taking a major international Rugby tournament to new territories, to leave an administration legacy with the hosting Union and to deliver a golden opportunity to grow the Game,” said IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset.

“I am delighted that the Junior World Rugby Trophy 2011 will be hosted in Georgia and would like to thank the Georgian Rugby Union and the Georgian Government for their enthusiasm, dedication and commitment to hosting a tournament that will not just be successful on the pitch, but will leave a lasting legacy for growth and participation off it.”

For Georgia, the awarding of the international tournament is a ground-breaking move and will deliver the platform for the sport to continue to grow – a trend that began with the senior national team’s performances during Rugby World Cup 2007 in France which captured the hearts of the nation.

Last month Lapasset was in Georgia to open the IRB funded state-of-the-art National Academy, a centre that will oversee the development of future international stars, while the Georgian Government has committed £6 million in funding for the growth of Rugby across the country.

“These are certainly exciting times for Rugby in Georgia, which is enjoying unprecedented interest off the back of a tremendous Rugby World Cup 2007 and a successful Rugby World Cup 2011 qualifying campaign. Hosting the IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy next year will further accelerate development, administration and legacy programmes,” added Lapasset.

Georgian Rugby Union President George Nijaradze said: “This is a very exciting time for Rugby in Georgia with Rugby World Cup qualification secured for a third successive tournament creating huge interest in the country’s number one team sport. Government and IRB funding have provided two Rugby Academies in Tbilisi and Kutaisi where age grade players can get advice on conditioning, nutrition and professional sport as part of our Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD).”

“We are very pleased to host a major tournament as part of our ongoing development and look forward to welcoming the eight teams here next summer for a wonderful festival of age grade Rugby.”

IRB Tournaments Manager Philippe Bourdarias, in Tbilisi for the official launch, added: “Georgia is a wonderful setting for this key tournament which is essential for the development of players, coaches and match officials. With just 160 days to go until the tournament starts, it is shaping up to be the most competitive IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy to date and has the added incentive of being a little under four months before Rugby World Cup 2011.”

“I am sure the Georgian Rugby Union will deliver a unique festival of Rugby that will help spread awareness and interest in the Game throughout the country, attracting new players, coaches, referees and fans to the Rugby family.”

The venues, pools and match schedule will be confirmed in January 2011.

Italy won the IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy in 2010 and were promoted to the IRB Junior World Championship 2011 which they will host in the Veneto Region. The Azzurri have already given full international caps to players who won the title, including the exciting outside centre and captain Tommaso Benvenuti who made his full Test debut against Argentina in November. Benvenuti joins an illustrious list of players and match officials who have graduated from both the IRB Junior World Championship and IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy to full international test status.

Major League Baseball’s Cincinnati Reds announced today a new multi-year partnership with Skyview Networks to serve as official radio network provider.

Skyview, impotent an integrated professional sports broadcasting company, will provide distribution services and next generation smart receivers across the Cincinnati Reds radio network. The franchise will utilize Skyview’s system to regionalize advertiser messaging for its network of 93 affiliates.

“We are excited to partner with Skyview to provide additional value to our Reds on Radio affiliates along with our sponsors and advertisers,” said Bill Reinberger, Reds VP corporate sales. “We believe Skyview is the best in class in sports broadcasts and their technology is cutting-edge.”

With a network of affiliates spanning nine states, the Cincinnati Reds were interested in finding a distribution partner that could provide the latest technology in copy split-spot insertion (the ability to run different versions of an advertiser message simultaneously). With Skyview, the franchise now has the flexibility to carve its network into regions at the request of advertisers that are looking to tailor campaigns by market.

“With a radio network this large, the Reds are in a great position to utilize our receiver technology for ad regionalization across their network. I am confident the Reds and their advertisers will enjoy the options this dynamic system provides,” said Ken Thiele, president of Skyview Networks. “We are proud to partner with this esteemed franchise and we look forward to the season ahead.”

Also included in the partnership is Skyview’s F.A.S.T. Web Automation offered to affiliates. Skyview’s affiliate automation is completely web-based, eliminating the need to install bulky hardware and software. Schedules and audio are automatically updated to the satellite receiver through the station’s web portal, easing workload and widening the window for schedule updates. For stations, going web-based provides immediate real-time access to logs and as-played reporting.

Leeds United FC have confirmed they are in talks with an unnamed group of potential investors over a possible takeover.

Speculation has been mounting since the weekend that the Elland Road club could be the subject of a possible takeover, while it is understood discussions took place in Leeds last week.

A club statement read: “Further to media reports on Tuesday morning, the club can confirm that talks are taking place regarding investment for the long-term future.

“The club has always publicly stated that it would welcome potential investment, but has maintained a belief whereby the quality of the investor is the most important factor in terms of the long-term development of Leeds United.

“No further comment will be made at this stage.”

Canada-based Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE), owners of NHL ice hockey franchise Toronto Maple Leafs, have been mentioned on internet fans’ forums, but it has been reported the company denied any involvement in last week’s meetings.

Leeds United Supporters Trust also commented on the talks, releasing a statement which read: “We are aware of firm interest from a number of parties looking to buy Leeds United… We understand that Leeds United are in talks with at least two separate groups. We also understand there is one firm bid on the table at present.”In February we responded to [chairman] Ken Bates’ suggestion that we ‘put our money where our mouth is’ by asking any potential investors, who shared the aims and ambitions of our members and of our Vision Statement, to contact the Trust with a view to working together to take Mr Bates up on his offer.

“We developed a presentation so interested parties could see how working with LUST could help them and have been in contact with a number of people to explore ways of bringing about change for the better at Elland Road.

“As part of this ongoing work we have spoken to two groups who are interested in buying Leeds United. At this stage it is not possible for us to go into details about our conversations with these groups, as with a firm offer on the table we would not want to jeopardise any current negotiations.”

Tom Curry has become supermarket conglomerate Tesco’s UK communications director after leaving the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) as the head of media.

Curry joined the ODA from Weber Shandwick in 2006 shortly after the body responsible for ensuring the delivery of venues and infrastructure for the London 2012 was formed.

He left after the ODA completed the Aquatics Centre in July this year – the last of the six main permanent Olympic Park venues to have construction finished on it.

An ODA spokesperson, said: “Tom and his team played a central role in communicating the successful delivery of the project from the cleaning and clearing of the Olympic Park through to the successful completion of the permanent venues a year before the Games. We wish him well in his new role.”

Curry’s departure has led to the ODA director of communications Godric Smith splitting his time between the organisation and Government Olympic Executive (GOE).

The GOE is part of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and oversees the entire London 2012 project with Smith – the former official spokesperson for Tony Blair when he was Prime Minister – the director of communications at the Government organisation.

It is part of the scaling back of the ODA following the completion of the bulk of their work with a number of employees set to move across to the London 2012 Organising Committee to help with Games-time operations.

The ODA share a main office with London 2012 in London’s Canary Wharf, which is a short distance away from the Olympic Park in Stratford.

The work of the ODA in constructing the Olympic venues on time and on budget has been widely praised by many senior figures including London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe.

“Everyone involved can be very proud of the progress of the Olympic Park as a whole,” said Coe.

“I congratulate the ODA and their teams who have done a fantastic job.”

Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport Jeremy Hunt added: “The build project for London 2012 has been a huge success for the British construction industry, public sector and UK plc as a whole. The ODA and all those that have worked on the Olympic Park deserve huge credit for what they have achieved. The venues are stunning and the stage is now set for us to put on the greatest sporting show on earth.”

Despite the financial recession, around four million football fans are planning to pick up a new TV ahead of the European Championships in the UK.

Research from leading shopping website VoucherCodes.co.uk reveals three quarters of consumers will be following Euro 2012 at home and almost one in ten (nine per cent) will be purchasing a new TV to watch it on.

These findings are reinforced by analysis from VoucherCodes.co.uk that showed a 30 per cent increase in traffic from savvy shoppers looking for discounts on TVs over the past week. With retailers traditionally offering the deepest discounts in the run up to major sporting events, the leading shopping site predicts television sales to soar as retailers fight it out for Brits’ hard earned cash.

The research shows Brits will spend an average of £570 – more than enough cash to purchase a 42 inch 3D TV – while 13 per cent plan to spend over £1,000.  Around a third (30 per cent) say they’ll cover the cost with a credit card, but nearly half (48 per cent) say this is a planned purchase and have been saving money especially to buy a new TV for the summer of sport that kicks off with the European Championships.

Duncan Jennings, co-founder of VoucherCodes.co.uk said: “Over the last few years we have noticed demand for TVs rising sharply ahead of major sporting events. We’re expecting the two weeks before the championships to be a very busy period forBritain’s retailers as consumers look to pick up a bargain ahead of the Euros.”

“In the weeks leading up to the 2010 World Cup, we saw a whole host of incredible deals on TVs, with some stores dropping prices by up to 30 per cent. However, it’s worth remembering that offers like this tend to pop up suddenly and disappear once the tournament has started, meaning consumers need to move quickly as they only have a small window to secure the deepest discounts.”

AEG Europe have appointed Shane Chalmers as general manager of the Ulker Sports Arena in Istanbul, Turkey, which is due to open later this year.

Chalmers joins AEG Europe from Stadium Management Company (SMC), which operates the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, where he was chief executive.  Under Chalmers’ management SMC opened the new £32m community stadium, working in partnership with the Championship football club Doncaster Rovers and Rugby League club Doncaster Dons.

During his successful time with SMC Shane brought Sir Elton John, Brian Adams, Ronan Keating and many other concerts and events to the stadium, putting it firmly on the sports and entertainment map for the north of England.

Chalmers’ 24 years of facility management experience has seen him open many venues over the years and head up large sports projects such as the high profile role of project manager for Royal Ascot at York in 2005.  Chalmers has also been involved in stadium and facilities consultancy working with Salford Stadium and Conway Bay council for their new stadium plans and most recently the City of York stadium project.

His wealth of industry knowledge and experience in concerts and sports events in multidimensional sports venue management stands him in good stead to open the Ulker Sports Arena for AEG and Yildiz Holdings.

Ahmet Özokur, Managing Director of Aktif Sports Investments and Member of the Board of Directors of Yıldız Holding commented: “The combination of Shane’s venue knowledge and AEG Facilities worldwide expertise will deliver great value to the arena, increase our event bookings, and the implementation of best practices for the arena operations.”

Rod O’Connor, AEG Europe, executive vice president, said: “It’s a pleasure to announce that Shane is joining AEG Europe.  He has a wealth of experience in facilities management which will be invaluable as AEG Europe continues to invest and grow its European facilities assets.  He will have a pivotal role in the launch of the ULKER Sports Arena later this year and will be driving forward the arena’s content of music and sports events.  I’m really looking forward to working with him.”

On leaving SMC to join AEG Europe, Chalmers said:  “I’ve had five fantastic years at SMC and the Keepmoat Stadium.  It’s been a privilege to work with such a committed and dedicated team.

“The decision to leave clearly wasn’t taken lightly.  But the opportunity to work for a business as successful as AEG in Istanbul, Europe’s largest city, was too good to resist.  AEG Europe is a dynamic commercial operation and the ULKER Sports Arena will be the venue that bridges east and west.  I look forward to contributing to AEG Europe’s continued growth and success.”

Once completed the Ulker Sports Arena will be the largest arena in Turkey, with a capacity of 15,000 seated spectators.  It will be home to the Fenerbahce Ulker basketball team, the current champions of the Turkish Basketball League.  The arena will have a varied array of premium seating and amenities, including multiple VIP lounges, luxury suites, bunker lounges and a ‘dine and view’ restaurant overlooking the arena.

Australian Ice Hockey League have unveiled a new broadcast partnership with FOX SPORTS Australia.

A deal between the national league for Australian ice hockey and FOX SPORTS – made in the 2012-2013 off-season – will see a 60-minute game of the week aired on FOX SPORTS, viagra 100mg broadcasted to a national audience. The series will immediately follow live National Hockey League (NHL) games, doctor beginning April 25^th and run through September.

“This partnership marks a giant step forward for the Australian Ice Hockey League,” AIHL commissioner Robert Bannerman said.

“It will showcase our star players and the fast, hard-hitting action of Australian ice hockey to more than 2.3 million households.”

Commissioners from the AIHL approached FOX SPORTS with a proposal to increase viewership of NHL games and grow the grassroots ice hockey community. Airing AIHL games was the cornerstone of the strategy. The unique content will ultimately drive FOX SPORTS viewership as well as introduce audiences to the Australian ice hockey fraternity.

“The deal aims to increase awareness, improve the fan experience and foster a community of passionate social fans,” Mr. Bannerman said.

Mr. Bannerman said this venture will particularly appeal to the 18 to 34-year-old age demographic as well as families across the country.

Ice hockey membership in Australia has grown more than 40% nationally since 2008, making it one of the fastest growing team sports in the country. Attendance at AIHL games has grown more than 25% each year since 2008. Many matches exceed 2,000 attendees, with many more watching online.

The program on FOX SPORTS will include AIHL highlights, news from around the league and state associations, and a featured AIHL game. 

Rangers have been give some breathing room after the Scottish Premier League granted “a period of grace” for the club after they missed the deadline for filing financial documents.

The Glaswegian club, sick in administration since February, missed the deadline for submitting accounts to Uefa, meaning they will not play in Europe next term.

The Ibrox club have until Friday 15 June to provide documents to the SPL or they could face sanctions.

“The matter will be reviewed further at that time,” said an SPL spokesperson.

“Rangers FC made an application for a period of grace in terms of SPL Rule A2.7 in which to provide certain documents required by the SPL Financial Disclosure Requirements.

“The SPL Board granted a period of grace until Friday 15 June 2012 for the documentation to be provided.”

The Football Association’s (FA) shareholders have overwhelmingly voted in favour of introducing radical changes to the way that youth football is organised across England.

A total of 87% of the 778 votes cast backed the proposals. which will see English youngsters playing smaller-sided games, with smaller pitches and goals and more emphasis on skills and technique, rather than victory.

The FA’s director of football development, Sir Trevor Brooking, called the decision “as important as anything that will happen this summer” for the future of the English game.

The changes will be introduced step-by-step ready for the 2014-15 season and see five-a-side fixtures for seven and eight-year-olds, with 11 and 12-year-olds playing nine-a-side games.

Reducing the size of the pitch and the number of players is designed to develop greater technical skills among budding footballers at a younger age.

The plans will see the introduction of a mandatory 5 v 5 format for Under 7s and Under 8s, with Under 11s and Under 12s playing in 9 v 9 games.

Children in the Under 9 and Under 10 age brackets will continue to play in the already-established 7 v 7 format, before they are allowed to play on full-size pitches from Under 13s.

“The main change is to make sure the future of game is more child sensitive than it has been before,” said the FA’s national development manager Nick Levett.

“There will be a lot more smaller formats of football – Under 7s and Under 8s playing 5 v 5, which means more touches, more shots, more dribbles and a lot more involvement in the game.

“We’re trying to stop that jump from 7 v 7 to 11 v 11, where previously we had children playing on massive adult-size pitches, and have 9 v 9. That is the middle ground between the two.

“These changes are a massive step forward for the future of children’s football in this country.”