Telecommunications company, Globacom has become the title sponsor of the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) starting on February 1, according to SuperSport.

“On February 1, the title sponsorship contract will be signed with Globacom and every detail concerning the deal will be unveiled. This title sponsorship is to also show that we are genuinely working towards ensuring that the league kicks off on February 16 to start with among other things we are planning,” said the official.

NPL and Globacom will enter into a four-year title partnership deal on February 1 worth N2.6 billion (around $41 million).

Globacom is expected to present a cheque of N650 million (around $4 million) as payment for the first year of the four-year title partnership.

A statement released by the NPL’s LMC on Thursday night stated: “All parties have agreed to withdraw all pending matters in court associated with the title sponsorship of the Premier League. Total Promotions Limited agreed to withdraw their claims to the rights of the title sponsorship of the Premier League. Globacom, being the preferred bidder, has accepted to take up the title sponsorship rights.

“Consequently, Globacom will now be the official title sponsor of the league on the same terms agreed during the last bidding exercise. A formal contract will be signed with Globacom before the commencement of the league and details will be made public.”

Brasileiro club, Flamengo will be sponsored by car manufacturer Peugeot for the next three seasons, in a shirt sponsorship capacity.

The agreed contract with the French car giant will be voted upon by the club’s directors next Tuesday, with further details to be announced at a press conference on Monday.

In just 15 days at the helm, the new president and board have secured a new season-long sponsor for Brazil’s best supported club—something that the previous board failed to achieve for the 2011 and 2012 seasons.

The news comes after a disappointing few days of news for Flamengo fans in which the club has been forced to sell, or look to move on, first-team players to balance finances.

Under previous president Patricia Amorím, the Rubro-Negro missed payments to players and creditors on several occasions, earning the club a reputation for poor financial management.

Callaway Golf have announced the signing of Kristoffer Broberg to its team of 2013 Staff Professionals representing and playing Callaway and Odyssey products on the European Tour.

Rising Swedish star, Kristoffer made headlines last August on the Challenge Tour when he shot 75 under par in a four-tournament stretch, three of which he won and missed out in the play-off in the fourth by one shot. Having played only seven events, he managed to finish second in the Order of Merit to earn instant promotion to this season’s European Tour. 

His first win, in the Finnish Challenge, came in only his second Challenge Tour appearance, having finished tied ninth on his debut in Brittany last May. He then added the Norwegian Challenge the following week and the Rolex Trophy a fortnight later. He started this season’s European Tour campaign by finishing second at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa at the end of 2012.

Commenting on becoming a Callaway Staff player, Kristoffer said: “I’m at the start of my European Tour journey and it is comforting to know I have the support and guidance from Team Callaway while I compete. It is very important that when I’m playing, I know I can trust the performance of my equipment and Callaway and Odyssey gives me this confidence.”

Neil Howie, President and Managing Director of Callaway Golf Europe, Middle East and Africa, said: “Kristoffer is a rising talent and I’m sure he will become one of the stars of the European Tour in years to come. Callaway has a heritage of spotting, nurturing and developing young players and Kristoffer is the latest in a long line of potential stars we have helped to become consistent winners.”

2010 Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie has joined De Vere Golf, find the UK’s leading luxury golf resorts chain, health as brand ambassador.

Montgomerie has legendary status within the game of golf following one of the most successful playing careers in European Tour history, and Ryder Cup success as both a player and Captain. He joins an impressive list of De Vere ambassadors, including Olympic gold medallist, Katherine Grainger, and Scottish Rugby legend, Gavin Hastings, as well as De Vere Club member Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff.

“I am really proud to be working with De Vere. Over the years their courses have held some magical moments in my own personal golfing career, particularly The Belfry,” commented Montgomerie. “De Vere provides great experiences to all golfers, from young to the old and beginner to professional, across their broad range of fantastic facilities. The De Vere team has a wealth of expertise in running professional golf tournaments and corporate events, and I’ve heard great things about the De Vere Club membership. I’m fully behind any initiative that encourages people to get out and play more golf. Flexibility and affordability are important in helping our sport grow, and with their twelve fantastic venues and nineteen golf courses around the country, it’s no surprise to me that this has been a resounding success. I am looking forward to building this relationship over the years ahead.”

Montgomerie will work with De Vere to represent the brand’s golf resorts, which as well as The Carrick on Loch Lomond, also includes Mottram Hall in Manchester, Wokefield Park in Reading, and the impressive Slaley Hall in Northumberland, which has hosted the PGA Seniors Championship for the past five years. In 2012, De Vere also added the world renowned golf resort at The Belfry to its portfolio, the only four-time host of the Ryder Cup, including Europe’s famous 2002 victories in 1985 and 2002.

Throughout his career, Colin has consistently been ranked amongst the world’s top golfers, claiming 41 professional tournament victories around the world, and winning a record eight European Tour Order of Merit titles.

Daniel Hodson, De Vere’s Director of Golf described his excitement about having Montgomerie on board as a De Vere Golf ambassador, “It’s an honour to have such a legend of the game representing De Vere Golf. He has had an incredibly successful playing career, and continues to be a great ambassador for the game in his many off-course responsibilities. His professionalism, dedication, work ethic and success are qualities that make him a perfect fit for the De Vere Golf brand, and I am really excited about working with him.”

MLS club, Sporting Kansas City have announced they have severed ties with the Livestrong Foundation while also announcing their first-ever jersey sponsor.

In a statement on their website, Sporting CEO Robb Heinemann revealed they no longer felt they could work with the charity.

“Over the course of the past year, it became clear that Livestrong no longer shared the same spirit of partnership, despite our perseverance to the contrary. We realized at the time this could be the beginning of a tumultuous period for the foundation. We were patient as they sorted through these issues. Despite the distractions, leadership from Livestrong and Sporting Club were actively engaged in discussions to redefine expectations for both parties. Based on assurances from key Livestrong leadership, we believed this ongoing dialogue was very positive.”

“We were disappointed to learn Livestrong is utilizing aggressive tactics designed to force us into an unsatisfactory arrangement. We willingly admit we were not expecting the foundation to treat a partner in this manner. Even more surprising is that Livestrong would take this action in the midst of a significant transitional phase for their organization.

The result of the terminated deal will mean Livestrong will lose naming rights to Sporting’s home stadium.

“Our faith and trust in this partnership have been permanently damaged; therefore we are terminating our agreement with Livestrong, effectively immediately.  As a result of this decision, our stadium will now be referred to as Sporting Park. While we are ending this relationship, our support of the fight against cancer will endure. We look forward to introducing new initiatives to assist these efforts in Kansas City.”

This follows reports that Lance Armstrong, who is the founder of Livestrong, has admitted to doping in a TV interview with Oprah Winfrey.

The MLS team also revealed they have signed a deal with Ivy Funds, an investment strategy company to be presenting jersey partner of Sporting Kansas City and official investment management partner of Sporting Club.

The Ivy Funds logo will be prominently displayed on the front of all team jerseys at the start of the 2013 MLS season, including Sporting Kansas City’s new 2013 home uniform that will launch on Feb. 27.

“They offer us everything we wanted, with the key attribute being local,” said Sporting Club CEO Robb Heineman. “Local was always the thing that was going to be most important to us in a jersey sponsor and then innovation. Ivy Funds has proven that they’re an innovator in their field. We wanted something that connected to our community in a large way and that’s exactly what this relationship is going to allow us to do.”

The multi-faceted and fully integrated corporate sponsorship also provides Ivy Funds with naming rights to the Executive Suite level at Sporting Park, entertainment at the stadium for clients and employees, as well as engagement opportunities with Sporting KC players for charitable efforts and appearances.

“Sporting Club is an exemplary franchise on and off the field, and we look forward to growing with them as soccer rapidly cements its place among professional sports in the United States, as it already has globally,” said Thomas Butch, CEO and President of Ivy Funds Distributor, Inc. “With its visionary management, world-class venue and talented, accessible players and coaches, Sporting Kansas City provides a great partner to further extend the Ivy Funds brand throughout the United States and abroad. We look forward to a broad-based, constructive partnership.”

XBlades Sports have been appointed the official boot supplier of the RFL Match Officials.

The 12-month partnership will see Super League match officials and Championships referees wear the world-leading XBlades rugby boots, ailment which are already sported by many top Rugby League players, medstore including England stars Sam Tomkins, sildenafil citrate sale online Zak Hardaker and Josh Charnley.

RFL Match Officials Director Stuart Cummings said: “All our referees and touch-judges strive to be the best they can be and XBlades will allow all our officials to maximise their performance.

“The fitness levels of Rugby League match officials have never been higher and the technological advantages that XBlades convey will play an important part in maintaining that proud reputation.”

XBlades National Operations Director Dave Wild said: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to be the official footwear supplier of the RFL Match Officials.

“XBlades has prided itself on its innovative technology and design, making it a market leader for bladed sole rugby boots and a substantial competitor for major international brands.

“Designed primarily for injury protection, comfort and playing longevity, XBlades continues to design and manufacture  revolutionary footwear that is worn by many world class rugby league, rugby union, AFL and football players.”

Reebok, doctor the global fitness brand and Spartan Race, the world’s leading obstacle racing series have today announced a multi-year partnership.

As part of the multi-year collaboration, Reebok will be the title sponsor for the global race series beginning with the first race of the season at Vail Lake Resort in Temecula, CA on January 26^th and 27^th, and the official apparel, footwear and accessories supplier for the Reebok Spartan Race series. In addition, the Reebok Spartan Race will be featured in the brand’s upcoming global marketing campaign – the first time obstacle racing has been featured in a major campaign. Reebok also plans to develop a range of products specifically created for the demands of Reebok Spartan Race athletes, which will be available in fall 2013.

The tie-up between the two brands is built on shared values about the future of fitness. Reebok’s mission is to change the way people perceive, experience and define fitness and empower them to be physically, socially and mentally fit for life. Spartan Race is the perfect partner to help spread this message. Founded in 2010, the race series expects to attract 500,000 athletes in 2013, up from 350,000 in 2012, many of whom are people looking for a new alternative to more traditional forms of fitness. Spartan Race currently has more than 2.3 million “likes” on Facebook and is one of the fastest growing series in the sport of obstacle racing.

Spartan is a timed event series featuring races at four escalating distances in locations worldwide. The series culminates in a world championship finale with a prize fund of over $500,000. As well as the competitive elite heats, Spartan Races are set up for all levels and ages of athlete to take part and engage in a new form of fitness.

“At Reebok, we recognize that the fitness landscape is changing. More and more, people are beginning to see fitness as part of their lifestyle rather than simply an activity,” said Matt O’Toole, Chief Marketing Officer at Reebok. “Spartan Race is at the forefront of this movement. It enables people to come together to experience fitness with a community of like-minded people – to take part in something that is challenging and daunting, but at the same time, inspiring and fun. This is what makes it so rewarding, and is a large part of what is fueling the incredible growth of the sport.”

Spartan Race founder Joe De Sena, added: “Reebok shares our vision – they think, act, and live exactly like we do down to the last detail. Both organizations believe that through fitness, ordinary people can realize their full potential and reap benefits throughout their lives.

“Reebok will help us expand globally, pursue our goals of making obstacle racing an Olympic sport, share the healthy living we promote, and rip people off their couches and do what human beings were made to do: run, jump, sweat and climb,” De Sena said.

English Championship club, Blackburn Rovers have announced that PROBIZ Excellence Ltd have extended their shirt sponsorship of the club.

PROBIZ, which has over 400 accountancy offices, had already committed to stay as main shirt sponsor until the end of this month, but have now agreed to continue on the front of the famous blue-and-white halves until the end of the season.

Feisal Nahaboo, owner and founder of PROBIZ, who was born in Blackburn and has followed the club over the years, said: “There is a mixture of publicity facing the club, but that has never put me off supporting a club that will eventually stabilise and show its true worth and enter the Premier League once again.

“I’d like to support the club over the forthcoming years and look forward to building a relation with both the fans and management team. The good times are not far off and I believe the club can make the play-offs this year. I wish Michael Appleton every success in steering this club back to the top flight.”

Greg Coar, Rovers’ Head of Commercial and Marketing said: “This is great news for the club. It’s fantastic that PROBIZ have enjoyed the initial stages of our relationship to the extent that they are keen to further cement their support. In fairness, Feisal did say he would invest more with the club as he became more familiar with club personnel and within a short period of time he has shown his personal and corporate integrity in his actions.”

Nolan Ryan’s All-Natural Beef has been selected as the exclusive hot dog and official beef provider for the Texas Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, order cialis Texas.

Beginning with the 2013 season, ed fans will be served all beef hot dogs at the ballpark’s food service sites.

As the Official Hot Dog and the Official Beef of the Texas Rangers, discount Nolan Ryan’s All-Natural Beef will expand its existing presence at the Ballpark by providing top quality meat products at restaurant venues, concession stands, hawker boxes and grill carts throughout the park. Additionally, Nolan Ryan Beef will now sponsor the ever-popular $1 Hot Dog Night promotion held on select Wednesday home games.

“Few things are as synonymous with baseball as hot dogs, and we’re proud to elevate that experience for Texas Rangers Baseball fans by adding our Hickory Smoked Beef Franks to the menu line-up,” said Charlie Bradbury, president and CEO of Nolan Ryan Beef. “This is a great opportunity for our business and ranching partners as it will increase awareness of our brand in the baseball community.”

The Hickory Smoked Beef Franks contain no gluten, soy or MSG. Nolan Ryan’s All-Natural Beef is hand selected by trained experts and only about 60 percent of cattle receive endorsement as Nolan Ryan Beef.

The partnership also means a return of the The Nolan Ryan’s All-Natural Texas Beef 10K StrikeOut!fan promotion, which launched during the 2012 season. Each time the Rangers successfully strike out their opponent 10 times within a home game, one lucky row of fans in the stadium will win $50 worth of Nolan Ryan’s All-Natural Beef.