Sri Lanka Rugby Union national team, buy cialis and the upcoming A Division Club Rugby League and Clifford Cup Tournaments will be sponsored by Dialog Axiata PLC.

The link between Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union ( SLRFU ) and Dialog Axiata will last for five years. The official signing of the contract between SLRFU and Dialog Axiata PLC took place at Cinnomon Lanke Earls’ Court yesterday.

The sponsorship deal gives an opportunity for Dialog Axiata PLC to become both an official partner and the official mobile network of the 2012 national and club rugby seasons.

SLRUF President Asanga seneviratne said that the choice of Dialog Axiata as the sponsor was not only for financial support but also a back up in every sphere of rugby.

He also noted that helping rugby in Sri Lanka is indeed a step taken to uplift rural talented rugby players.

Seneviratne also stressed that with the new changes taking place in sports in Sri Lanka under the patronage of the Sports Minister , order there have been significant diversions in the field of rugby as well, decease recalling the performances and achievements in the recent past.

The investment to attract local and foreign rugby players has been tremendous, and rugby has become a professional game, he added.

Dialog Axiata Director / Group Chief Executive Officer Dr. Hans Wijesuuriya commenting on the their bond with SLRFU said that their commitment to sports which began in 1988 would flourish further. 

Sahara Matribhumi, the Bangladesh subsidiary of Sahara group, has made an sponsorship offer of approximately $9.4 million for the Bangladesh team for a four-year period.

The bid was substantially higher than the $ 3.4 million offered by the previous sponsors, Grameenphone, and $4 million offered by Robi, another telecom company.

BCB president Mustafa Kamal said that while no decision has been made yet on which offer to accept, Sahara’s bid of approximately $2.3 million a year, if finalised, would be beneficial for Bangladesh cricket.

“The national team sponsorship, which is the main component of the tenders that we had invited, has been offered 2.3 million dollars per year by Sahara,” Kamal said. “We expect the revenue to be around Tk 110 crore during this four-year period. It was unimaginable a few years ago but more than the money, I think it will be a turning point if we can have Sahara with us.

“All the tenders are for a four-year period. I hope that we can finalise the deals in the next few days. We haven’t made a decision on the tenders; I’m just letting you know what is the highest we’ve got.”

Apart from the national team sponsorship, Sahara was the only company to bid for the sponsorship rights of the National Cricket Academy at a price of $130,000 per year.

Last week, Sahara group chairman Subrata Roy had said in Dhaka that his company was interested in investing in Bangladesh cricket. Speaking at an event, he said that it ‘may be possible’ for Sahara to sponsor the Bangladesh team. “The Sahara logo is seen on the jerseys of Indian cricket team,” he said then. “Though I am not announcing it right now, but I can say it may be possible to see the same logo on the jersey of Bangladesh cricket team.”

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has announced Epson has extended its commercial engagement with Asian football for a further four years.

Epson, impotent which has worked with the AFC since 1997, has extended its commercial relationship with Asian football’s governing body through the AFC National Programme until 2016.

“I couldn’t be more excited about the extension of AFC’s sponsorship agreement with Epson,” said Zhang Jilong, Acting President of the AFC.

“Epson believed in the potential of Asian football and our alliance started in 1997. Epson’s commitment is a testimony to the great appeal of AFC tournaments as a superior marketing platform.

“Asian football has provided great value in recent years to its sponsors and I can assure Epson that AFC’s events will transport your brand throughout Asia and help in connecting with your customers.

“The advances currently being seen could not have been achieved without the support of our commercial partners and we hope that our relationship with Epson will allow football in our continent to continue to flourish.”

“Epson is proud of its ongoing commitment to the development of Asian football,” said Epson’s General Manager of Global Communications, Ian Cameron.

“The region is vitally important for Epson, and our longstanding alliance with the AFC reflects this. We are committed to further strengthening our brand in Asia, and to supporting Asian football and football fans in the years ahead.”

The agreement was sealed by World Sport Group, the AFC’s exclusive marketing and media partner in conjunction with Dentsu, and Epson’s sponsorship includes all AFC national competitions including the AFC Asian Cup – Asia’s top sporting event – as well as the qualifying tournaments for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games.

“It is a great pleasure to renew our relationship with Epson on behalf of Asian football,” said Nick Mould, President, East Asia of World Sport Group, the AFC’s marketing partner .

“Since the beginning of their engagement with the AFC, Epson have been a proactive and innovative partner and we look forward to continuing to work closely together.”

Finnish mobile manufacturer Nokia has dropped it’s multi-million pound sponsorship deal with the World Rally Championship (WRC).

WRC Commission president Jarmo Mahonen said: “This is quite a big loss to the championship. We didn’t see it as just money coming in, Nokia was going to be a partner. It was a very good platform.”

Mahonen admitted at last week’s Acropolis Rally it would be the final event in the association between the WRC and Nokia. Subsequently Nokia’s branding has been removed from the site.

The deal was worth £2.5m per season according to Mahonen.

UK’s leading online tyre retailer,Blackcircles.com, has announced that they are the latest exclusive sponsor of the new Sky Sports Formula 1 channel.

Launched in March 2012, the much hyped and eagerly anticipated Sky Sports Formula 1 channel has broadcast from the first few races of the championship. To date, the coverage has been met with good reviews from critics.

This is thanks to their offering of over 500 hours of programming, additional footage and streamed coverage on Smartphones and tablet devices – with Sky announcing in May that over 6 million unique viewers had watched the channel to date.

When talking about the new deal, Blackcircles.com’s Managing Director, Michael Welch said, “I believe this is a perfect strategic fit for us. Agreeing the sponsorship with Sky Sports was a very exciting moment in the Blackcircles.com office. Not only on a personal level – there are a lot of fans in the office – but also from an advertising point of view.

“Having worked with Murray Walker on previous Sky Television adverts, the theme of the sponsorship – you don’t have to be an expert to understand tyres – delivered by his voiceover is a seamless fit with our previous series of adverts.”

With their new channel dedicated to Formula 1, Sky Sports is able to tell the story of the season in its entirety – from covering the race action, to in-depth analysis from the biggest names in the sport – and Blackcircles.com is overjoyed to be partaking in this, with estimates showing their brand message is being viewed around 16 million times each month.

Not only are the live events being broadcast on TV, but via Sky’s mobile distribution service – Sky Go. As part of this package, the Sky Sports F1 channel has helped the Sky Go service reach 2.6 million unique users in the previous quarter – up 24% – meaning that the Blackcircles.com brand is reaching Smartphones and tablets throughout the country.

So far, the sponsorship has also helped Blackcircles.com accomplish impressive first quarter targets, “this new sponsorship deal is the first of many strategic promotions we will be embarking upon throughout the rest of the year and it’s already helped us achieve record first quarter results,” continued Michael.

“The fact that this and last season have been all about the significance tyres have on the outcome of the standings – from practice through to qualifying and the race itself – we wanted to ensure that we are the first retailer consumers see when the programme finishes and the breaks begin. It has been a real achievement and coup for us – beating off competitors with much deeper pockets to win the official sponsorship.”

Over the coming weeks, through to the end of the current season, fans of the sport will see Blackcircles.com featuring in the opening and closing credits, as well as a lot of on-air promotions.

The National Hockey League (NHL) has agree a major extension for Pepsi’s North American sponsorship rights.

Pepsi has been an NHL sponsor since 2006.

An official announcement is expected sometime during the Stanley Cup Final, unhealthy which starts later Wednesday.

Sources said the deal comes with commitments for additional stateside beverage and salty snack food promotions around the league’s big events like the Winter Classic and during the spring, cialis sale which would fit well into the league’s strategy of fashioning the two months of the Stanley Cup playoffs into the NHL’s version of March Madness.

“We had very productive discussions with Pepsi executives, capsule including [CEO of PepsiCo Americas Beverages] Al Carey, who saw the value in where we are going and is supporting our jewel events, big-event strategy at retail with a combination of beverage and snack food promotions,’’ said NHL Chief Operating Officer John Collins. “It fits well with the strategy we’ve adopted for [fellow NHL sponsor] MillerCoors, and that’s not coincidental.”

The Irish Open has added to it’s stable of sponsors by securing a deal with Heineken through 2014

Heineken have built up an impressive range of sports sponsorship, leading with rugby’s Heineken Cup, to the Rugby World Cup and the UEFA Champions League.

The firm is also the Official Beer Partner to Ulster Rugby and Ravenhill Stadium.

Pat Maher, National Sponsorship and Events Manager for Heineken Ireland said: “We are delighted to once again have the opportunity to present Heineken at this prestigious sporting event. The Irish Open is respected throughout Europe by professional golfers and spectators alike.”

“The special significance of Royal Portrush, its world-renowned links course and unique beauty will enhance the staging of the tournament. Last year’s event was truly special – and who can forget the images shown across the world from that most treasured location.”

The Irish Open already has sponsors Brewin Dolphin, BMW, Emirates and Bushmills Irish Whiskey. 

This year’s event will be held at Royal Portrush in the north on 28 June – 1 July.

Following IOC’s decision to keep them in the running to host the 2020 Olympics Tokyo 2020 got right to work inking agreements with a list of new corporate partners.

It is now a three city race between Istanbul, Madrid and Tokyo, as Baku and Doha were shortlisted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) executive board last week.

Tokyo 2020 signed deals with Asics, Descente, JTB and Kinkri Nippon.

Tsunekazu Takeda, head of the bid committee and the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC), said, “I am extremely delighted to introduce our first Official Bid Partners now that we have become an official Candidate City, a key milestone in our bidding journey. ASICS, DESCENTE, JTB, and Kinki Nippon Tourist have agreed enthusiastically to become Official Bid Partners and help promote our campaign on behalf of this marvellous city.

“I offer these corporations my sincere gratitude and look forward to collaborating closely with them, and other forthcoming partners who also share our vision.”

Motoi OYAMA, President and CEO of ASICS said: “ASICS has agreed to support the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics Bid Committee plan to use the bidding activities to develop sports culture, revitalise regions, and to build international exchanges. As a leading Japanese sporting goods manufacturer, ASICS hopes to support and participate in the bidding efforts. We hope to help in sharing not only the wonders of sports, but also the dreams and thrills that are possible through sports.”

Etsuro NAKANISHI, President of DESCENTE said: “In line with its corporate philosophy, Descente Ltd. has always　sought to enhance the sporting experience by contributing to the creation of a stylish, vibrant lifestyle for all people; from top class athletes to everyday players. The Olympic and Paralympic Games are more than just a venue for world-class athletes to test their skills in a tight competitive arena.  They also offer a priceless opportunity for people from countries around the globe to come together for a noble and peaceful purpose, and provide inspiration to the young adults and children who will lead future generations. Descente is proud to offer its support to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics Bid Committee.”

Hiromi TAGAWA, President and CEO of JTB said: “The JTB Group, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in March 2012, is working to expand its operations to form a multicultural communication business that encourages exchanges among large numbers of people. Holding the Olympics in Tokyo in 2020 would provide the perfect opportunity to show the world how Japan has recovered from the Great East Japan Earthquake while fostering such exchanges among large numbers of people in Japan and overseas. The Group will bring its full experience and resources to support the Tokyo 2020 Bid Committee.”

Katsuhisa YOSHIKAWA, President of Kinki Nippon Tourist said: “Kinki Nippon Tourist gives its full support to the Tokyo 2020 Bid Committee’s activities. The Tokyo 2020  Bid Committee principle, “to contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport”, corresponds with our principle “to build a world of smiling faces by creating memorable experiences and encounters for people around the globe”. As a member of “ALL JAPAN”, we will help to revitalise Japan from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, and we will promote our activities together not only as a tourist agency but also as a leader in the industry by gathering our wisdom to help support the Tokyo 2020 Bid Committee.”

The New Zealand Rugby Union has agreed extensions with five sponsors for the All Blacks as it strives to balance the books next year and extract more value from the team’s brand in the face of mounting costs to run the country’s national game.

The NZRU signed Coca-Cola New Zealand for a further four years, Unilever until next year, Sanitarium until 2016, Barkers until 2015 and Bulgari until 2014 without disclosing the price of the deals.

In the 2011 calendar year, the NZRU received $79.9 million from broadcasting rights, sponsorship and licensing fees, according to its annual report.

It said new contracts saw broadcasting earnings rise 28% from 2010, outpacing the 11% growth across all commercial income.

“Even with this renewed support we face significant challenges to keep financing the game at current levels,” chief executive Steve Tew said. “The cold hard reality is that our national game costs the NZRU $100 million a year to run.”

The sports administrator made an operating loss of $3.1 million in the 12 months ended December 31, smaller than the $3.6 million loss budgeted for and in line with the $3 million loss in 2010. It aims to break even in the 2012 financial year.

When unrealised exchange rate gains of $13.4 million are included, the operating loss turned to a net profit of $9.6 million.

Last week, chairman Mike Eagle foreshadowed the contract renewals at the rugby union’s annual meeting in Wellington, saying the NZRU was “very conscious of the need to do more to grow revenue” and that it needs to “extract more value” from the All Blacks’ global brand.

It didn’t attract any new sponsors in the 2011 year, and lost its five-year deal with Iveco due to “financial turmoil in Italy and France”, according to its annual report.

FIFA have made two major commercial announcements with Wise Up, cheap a leading English language school for adults which is present in over 70 cities in Brazil and all over the world, became the fourth National Supporter of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and Globo Marcas being appointed as FIFA’s master licensee.

Through the sponsorship agreement, Wise Up will receive extensive marketing rights in Brazil for the FIFA Confederations Cup 2013 and the flagship 2014 FIFA World Cup.

“Never before has a company from the educational sector supported the greatest event in the world, and never before have the eyes of the world looked to our country like now. We acknowledge both of these responsibilities with Wise Up’s support for the 2014 FIFA World Cup: we want to show that education is deeply necessary to develop a country, and that Brazil can be an example of tolerance and hospitality to all the people who will come here to celebrate their passion for football,” said Flávio Augusto da Silva, President-Director of Wise Up, the official language school of the 2014 FIFA World Cup™. 

The Wise Up deal is not the only major announcement from FIFA’s Marketing Division, with separate news revealing that Globo Marcas has been appointed as FIFA’s master licensee for both events, with the agreement running up to the end of 2014. With extensive experience in the licensing business, Globo Marcas has launched more than 3,500 products from 150 different brands since the company was founded in 2000.

José Luiz Bartolo, Director of Licensing at Globo Marcas, said: “Globo Marcas is very proud to be the chosen partner of FIFA in this once-in-a-lifetime event for Brazil. With our experience and knowledge of the Brazilian market, together with the quality integration with FIFA and TV Globo, we are sure to score many goals together in this important initiative.”

The newly appointed master licensee will have exclusive rights for the territory of Brazil, including the supply and distribution of official licensed products, the operation of official retail corners, and e-commerce retail operations. Globo Marcas will also take on the sale of official licensed products within the stadiums. To find out more about the licensing programme for the 2014 FIFA World Cup™, please visit FIFA.com.

“We’re delighted to be able to announce two very important agreements,” said Thierry Weil, FIFA Marketing Director. “Wise Up’s dedication towards improving the foreign language skills of Brazilians is commendable, and is aligned with FIFA’s vision to touch the world and leave behind an education legacy for the host country. We’re also convinced that by working together with a company as strong as Globo Marcas in the licensing field, we will be able to provide fans with access to a top-quality range of merchandise which will add to their experience of the event.”