World Taekwondo Championship 2022 To Take Place In Cancun

The World Taekwondo Council awarded the 2022 World Taekwondo Championships to Cancun and the 2023 World Taekwondo Cadet Championships to Sarajevo.

The decision was taken in a vote during today’s online extraordinary Council meeting which focused on restarting World Taekwondo Competitions. The Council considered bids from Baku (Azerbaijan), Beirut (Lebanon), and Cancun (Mexico) for the World Championships with representatives from each of the three cities delivering presentations during the meeting. Following the presentation an electronic vote was held and Cancun was awarded the Championships with 52% of the vote.

For the 2023 World Taekwondo Cadet Championships, Queretaro (Mexico) and Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) presented their candidacies to the Council. Sarajevo was awarded the event with 92% of the vote.

World Taekwondo President Chungwon Choue said: “We are delighted to announce Cancun and Sarajevo as the hosts of the 2022 World Taekwondo Championships and 2023 World Taekwondo Cadet Championships respectively. Both cities presented very strong bids and we have no doubt they will deliver wonderful competitions. Mexico has a proud history in hosting excellent World Taekwondo events including World Championships and Grand Prixes and we are sure Cancun will build on this heritage. For Bosnia and Herzegovina, it will be the first time they have hosted a World Taekwondo event and we believe this will act as a catalyst for the further growth of the sport in the country. Today’s meeting showed how much interest there is in hosting World Taekwondo events and we are committed to restarting our competitions this year in a safe and successful manner.”

The World Championships had been scheduled to take place in Wuxi, China in April 2022 following the postponement of last year’s Championships due to COVID-19. However, Wuxi withdrew from hosting the event this year due to the ongoing pandemic and to protect the health and wellbeing of all athletes, officials and organizers.

On April 21-24, World Taekwondo will also host the World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships in Goyang, Korea. During the pandemic over the last two years, World Taekwondo has hosted the online Poomsae challenge series which has allowed grassroots athletes all over the world to engage in the sport.

During the Council meeting, President Choue announced the World Taekwondo Children’s Championships will be launched to engage young people in the sport. The Council also passed amendments to the competition rules for more dynamic and exciting competitions.

It was also explained that Kukkiwon has nominated Mr. Chunjae Park as their representative in the World Taekwondo Council as per the Statutes and he will be invited to the next meeting.

The next Extraordinary Council meeting will take place in Goyang in a hybrid format during the World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships.

Learning From The Best: How British Gymnastics Are Taking A Unique Approach To Developing Communication Skills

Alex McGregor, Performance Pathway Manager at British Gymnastics, explains why the organisation has invited a hostage negotiator to share wisdom on effective communication at this year’s Performance Symposium.

As Performance Pathway Manager at British Gymnastics, I believe it is essential to focus on developing our ‘soft skills’, such as communicating, in the same way that we would aim to develop the technical side of coaching. In order to support coaches to do this, we wanted to tap into the limitless expertise of professionals outside of gymnastics, because that outside perspective is invaluable to enhancing and evaluating sporting practices. Our aim is to understand and learn from other sports and industries, where communication is also pivotal, to be able to bring those skills back into our sport and ultimately enhance coaching practice.

“It is clear to us that providing a breadth of opportunity and focusing on what those with very different backgrounds can give you is the gateway to progress.”

That’s why as part of this year’s British Gymnastics Performance Pathway Symposium, we are giving a platform to speakers both inside and outside the sport – one guest a former Head of Greater Manchester Police hostage and negotiation team.

You might ask yourself what someone entirely removed from the sport can teach a gymnastics coach about coaching gymnastics. But over a number of years providing educational speaker events for the gymnastics community, it is clear to us that providing a breadth of opportunity and focusing on what those with very different backgrounds can give you is the gateway to progress. 

Our rationale behind educating coaches with the principles of communication and emotional intelligence is that every great athlete and coach team is underpinned by trust – that any working relationship is built by not just talking to each other, but by listening to each other and really understanding each others values and motivation.

In our efforts to provide the best and most innovative educational resources to our community, we have worked to bring in speakers across multiple disciplines. As well as a hostage specialist with 27 years experience in the police, we will hear from one of the UK’s leading Performance Psychologists, a Professor of Psychology at Loughborough University, and a Senior Coach Developer with a background in professional rugby.

“To have an open forum with communication experts in business and beyond is extremely beneficial to ensure our sport is constantly evolving and considering ways we can innovate.”

This is a collaborative approach in the truest sense. Not only are we looking to professionals outside of our specific disciplines to contribute to our sports’ development, this event is based on the interaction with our gymnastics community. As part of the symposium, everyone has the opportunity to ask questions, to evaluate and reflect on what has been learned, and speak directly with experts on how they can continue to improve and provide the best experiences possible.  

To have an open forum with communication experts in business and beyond is extremely beneficial to ensure our sport is constantly evolving and considering ways we can innovate. Gymnastics is considered a ‘foundation sport’ – in that it provides the basis for so many other skills, like communication, that can be reapplied to many aspects of life. 

Our sport is a fantastic opportunity for all to develop themselves both professionally and personally. British Gymnastics is committed to providing the best opportunities for everyone involved in our sport, and to complement discussions on best technical practice with wider skill sets. While considering how to gradually build up difficulty in a routine, or working on perfecting a dismount from apparatus, it’s just as vital to learn how to communicate effectively and reflect on your training process. 

“It’s just as vital to learn how to communicate effectively and reflect on your training process.”

With our performance pathway symposium focusing on communication, feedback and emotional intelligence this year, we are providing unique support that is helping our gymnastics community – with a little help from industry experts along the way. 

The British Gymnastics Performance Symposium is taking place online from 24th January – 11th February. You can find out more, see the schedule and register online here. Tickets cost £20 for British Gymnastics members and UK residents, but access is available to non-members and international guests also. More info on this can be found on the event page.

All sessions will also be recorded so that attendees can watch on demand at any time for their convenience over the next 12 months.

IMG To Provide Channel 4’s Betfred Super League Coverage

IMG has been awarded a two-year contract to provide Channel 4’s Betfred Super League coverage.

Super League rugby will be shown live on free-to-air television for the first time in its 26-year history after Channel 4 secured a deal initially to show ten live matches and Grand Final highlights for the next two years.

IMG will produce the live coverage of Super League on site from the grounds and is opening a new office in Leeds to work specifically on the Channel 4 live programming.

Channel 4 Head of Sport Pete Andrews said: “It was a very competitive tender process but IMG showed a vision that really stood out.

“And we were absolutely delighted when they revealed their plans to open a Leeds base. This chimes with everything Channel 4’s ambition – to help boost the production industry the Nations and Regions.

“I can’t wait for the coverage of our first live Super League game on 12 February when Leeds Rhinos take on Warrington Wolves.”

Barney Francis, Executive Vice President, Head of Global Production at IMG, said: “This is a great opportunity for us and we are delighted to be working with Channel 4 on live coverage of Super League, one of the action-packed sports of the summer.

“We are excited to be opening a new base in Leeds – right in the heartland of the rugby league world – which will enable us to tap into the production talent in the area. Going forward, we can also see a number of long-term strategic advantages for IMG to have a base in the region.”

IMG will be based in the offices of post-production company Sticks and Glass in the city centre and is currently in the process of hiring creative, production management and technical support.

Connor Ball Becomes Co-Owner Of LDN UTD

The Vamps Base Guitarist and Dancing On Ice Star Connor Ball who is passionate about gaming and helping others has become a Co-Owner of LDN UTD, the esports organisation that unites gaming and social issues.

Connor Ball, 25, an avid gamer and YouTube content creator is taking his passion for gaming to the world of business where he can support LDN UTD a force for good in the esports phenomenon, on their mission to combat social issues such as mental health, racism, knife crime, diversity, and loneliness.

Connor has personally invested in LDN UTD and will also be a member of the Strategic Advisory Board as the org seeks to continue to nurture and develop within the esports community. Connor’s role will include launching a metaverse project, leading events related to social issues, and creating content with LDN UTD’S talent.

LDN UTD unites professional esports and grassroots gaming with healthy lifestyle and social issues and has previously held physical and online campaigns around racism, knife crime, diversity, nutrition, loneliness and education, working with stakeholders including the Mayor of London, the Rio Ferdinand Foundation, Bloomsbury Football, Matchroom Sport, and charities including Street League. LDN UTD also develops incredible players from all backgrounds and offers them a platform to play at their best, whilst using professional rosters to amplify and raise awareness around the most important issues in the world today.

Oliver Weingarten Founder and CEO of LDN UTD; “Connor is not just an ardent gamer, he is passionate about the issues we address, and to bring him into the LDN UTD family as a Co-Owner is testament to his vision of what we can achieve. I’m really looking forward to having Connor input into the strategic direction of the business as we raise funds, develop our metaverse strategy, and continue to host engaging events for our community.”

The Vamps and Dancing On Ice star Connor Ball said: “As someone who has faced their own battles with mental health, I’ve suffered with generalised anxiety, panic attacks and depression and know the struggles my generation face. Esports has a massive opportunity to engage the younger generation and tackle social issues that impact us today and in the future. I’ve known the LDN UTD team for a while, love what they do, and it is rare to be able to have an opportunity to bring my passion of gaming together with doing good. That’s what LDN UTD does, that’s why I’m getting involved.”

Tottenham Hotspur Commits To Halving Its Carbon Emissions By 2030

Tottenham Hotspur has joined the UN Race to Zero, committing to halve its carbon emissions by 2030 and become net zero carbon by 2040.

On the same day, and for a third year running, the Club has finished top of the Premier League sustainability table produced by the UN-backed Sport Positive and published by BBC Sport.

A year ago, the Club became a signatory of the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework, which supports and guides sports organisations globally to achieve climate change goals.

The Race to Zero high ambition track was launched at last year’s COP26 and aims to rally non-state actors – including companies, cities, regions, financial and educational institutions – to take rigorous and immediate action to work towards achieving net zero carbon in line with the Paris Agreement, with transparent action plans and robust targets.

Donna-Maria Cullen, Executive Director, Tottenham Hotspur, said: “To have once again been named at the top of the Sport Positive League Table is fantastic recognition for the work that continues to be delivered across our organisation – now we must challenge ourselves to go further.

“Joining the UN Race to Zero is a significant next step on our journey and provides us with a clear pathway and emission reduction targets that we are prepared to meet.

“We look forward to working collectively with our staff, players, fans, partners and suppliers to achieve our goals.”

Sport Positive has systematically collated key environmental sustainability information for every Premier League football club into a table matrix. The categories reflect the environmental impacts of putting on a football match, and initiatives that are under way at clubs, put together in an easy and digestible format.

Two new categories were introduced this year – biodiversity and education – with more points awarded to clubs that are working strategically across all club sites and operations, have policies in place, and are engaging fans, staff and players in their work.

FIH Launches Bidding Process For Hockey Men’s And Women’s World Cups 2026

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has launched the bidding process for hosting the FIH Hockey Men’s and Women’s World Cups which will be played in 2026.

The prestigious event, for Men like for Women, is the pinnacle of FIH events and is being played every 4 years. Both the Men’s and the Women’s World Cup involve sixteen teams amongst the best ones in the world.

The deadline for submitting the bids is 31 May 2022. The hosts will be decided by the Executive Board on 3 November and announced at the FIH Congress which will be held virtually on 4-5 November this year.

FIH CEO Thierry Weil said: “The FIH Hockey World Cup, for Men like for Women, means a lot to the global hockey community, in particular athletes and fans. Therefore, we’re looking forward to receiving numerous bids to host these prestigious events, which will capture the attention of all hockey fans around the world and where legends will be made!”

The next FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup will be played in July this year in Spain and the Netherlands, whilst the next FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup will take place in January 2023 in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela, India.

Channel 4 Wins Rights To FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2021

Chelsea’s bid to become FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2021 Champions will be live on Channel 4 – if they make the final.

Chelsea will be aiming to join Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Liverpool and Manchester United and lift the FIFA Club World Cup for the first time in their history.

Channel 4 has won the exclusive, terrestrial television rights to show the match live and is the latest in a number of outstanding sports deals* to have been secured by the broadcaster’s sports team.

The FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2021 final will be live on Channel 4 from 4pm on Saturday, 12th February if Chelsea win their semi-final. Their semi-final, against opponents yet to be decided, on Wednesday, 9th February will be shown live on E4 with coverage starting at 4pm.

Channel 4’s Head of Sport Pete Andrews said: “This is one of the few major honours to have eluded Chelsea so it’d be great if they can make history live on Channel 4. We’re delighted to be bringing top-flight football live on free to air terrestrial television, let’s just hope The Blues can go all the way.”

And for anyone who misses the final, a highlights programme will be shown in the evening on Channel 4 on Saturday, 12th February.

The Jockey Club Announces Record Ticket Sales, Including Fastest-Ever General Admissions Sell-Out For Cheltenham Gold Cup Day

Record ticket sales have resulted in all general admission enclosures for Gold Cup Day at the Cheltenham Festival selling out before the end of January for the first time ever, organisers The Jockey Club announced today.

There has also been a surge in private individuals buying hospitality packages, with some remaining on sale for the most prestigious raceday in the Jump racing calendar – taking place this year on Friday 18th March.

Tickets for the other three days of The Festival are still available but also selling quickly, with the number of general admission tickets already sold for the four days up 37% compared to the same period in 2019.

There has also been unprecedented demand for tickets for Randox Grand National Day at Aintree, with only tickets for The Embankment – the area beyond the Melling Road – and hospitality packages now available for the world’s greatest steeplechase on Saturday 9th April. General admission, including grandstand badges, and hospitality packages are also still available for the first two days of the Randox Grand National Festival (April 7th and 8th).

Overall general admission ticket sales for the three days of the Randox Grand National Festival are up 19% on those sold by the end of January in 2019, the last time the event was staged with a crowd.

The sales figures are a further boost to The Jockey Club, which has also announced that general admission ticket sales at its fixtures between August 1st and December 31st in 2021 increased by 7% when compared with like-for-like figures in the pre-pandemic year of 2019.

The Cheltenham Festival took place behind closed doors last year due to COVID-19 protocols put in place at the time, while only slightly relaxed measures for the 2021 Randox Grand National Festival less than a month later resulted in a restricted number of racehorse owners being allowed to attend but racegoers missing out.

With the 2020 Randox Grand National Festival being cancelled completely due to the pandemic, this April will be the first time the three day Aintree spectacular has been staged in front of a crowd since 2019.

Nevin Truesdale, Chief Executive of The Jockey Club – the largest commercial organisation in British horseracing – said the latest ticket sales figures demonstrate both the sport’s popularity and the public’s eagerness to attend live events again.

He explained: “The Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Randox Grand National are two of the biggest sporting events in the calendar, so we’re delighted that they will once again take place in front of proper crowds.

“As an organisation which reinvests all its profits back into the sport under our Royal Charter commitment, this news is not only a huge boost to The Jockey Club – it’s massive for horseracing as an industry.

“We know that the past two years have been a time of real uncertainty for everyone, so it’s fantastic to see people’s eagerness to get back to our racecourses and their confidence to book tickets for our events months in advance returning.

“We do still have tickets available for the first three days of the Cheltenham Festival and for all three days of the Randox Grand National Festival, but I can’t stress enough how popular they are proving.”

Due to the pandemic all sport in the UK was suspended from March 17th 2020 but horseracing became one of the first to return behind closed doors two and a half months later, on June 1st. It was not until December 2020 and after successful pilot events had taken place that spectators were allowed back on British racecourses and even then only in limited numbers.

However, a surge in COVID-19 cases quickly resulted in racing, like all other sports, being forced to go ahead behind closed doors and only in May 2021 were racegoers allowed to attend, again in restricted numbers.

These limits were only lifted completely on July 19th last year and Truesdale added: “The British public have shown incredible patience and resilience over the past two years, especially while ever-changing restrictions have impacted our daily lives and determined what we can and can’t do.

“As restrictions have continued to ease and people look to spend their leisure time doing things they were prevented from doing during lockdown, we’ve seen a really positive increase in attendances on our racedays. This isn’t just at one or two of our bigger fixtures towards the end of 2021 but at so many of our racedays, with general admission ticket sales up 7% in the last five months of last year compared with the same period in 2019.

“As the second most attended sport in the UK we provide millions of people with fantastic, thrilling and unique days out and my own personal hope is that we can now encourage even more people to join us to see for themselves how much our sport has to offer.”

As well as the Cheltenham Festival in March and the Randox Grand National Festival in April, The Jockey Club is scheduled to stage more than 330 fixtures in 2022 at its 15 racecourses, including a three-day QIPCO Guineas Festival at Newmarket between April 29th and May 1st and the Cazoo Derby Festival on June 3rd and 4th, which is part of Her Majesty The Queen’s official Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

In December last year it was announced that prize money at The Jockey Club’s 15 racecourses is set to exceed £58 million for the first time ever in 2022, representing an increase of more than £12 million on forecast levels for 2021 and nearly £5 million more than pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

For more information regarding tickets for the Cheltenham Festival visit thejockeyclub.co.uk/Cheltenham and for the Randox Grand National Festival visit thejockeyclub.co.uk/Aintree. Details regarding other fixtures at Jockey Club racecourses can be found at thejockeyclub.co.uk.

McLaren Racing Announces Extension To Long-Standing Partnership With Hilton

McLaren Racing and Hilton are today announcing a multi-year extension to their long-standing partnership, which has been in place since 2005.

The relationship enables Hilton to provide unique experiences for its Hilton Honors members, and offers the McLaren F1 team a home away from home in its hotels at race locations around the world. 

By once again committing to a multi-year extension, McLaren Racing and Hilton are also able to continue developing and innovating their joint activation programme of unique content. Most recently this included the popular “Ride to School with Lando” feature, which became one of McLaren’s top five most viewed Instagram grid videos with two million views. The film featured a boy being chauffeured into school by McLaren F1 driver, Lando Norris after his dad won the trip via his Hilton Honors membership.

Hilton branding will continue to be carried across the McLaren F1 race cars from 2022 onwards.

Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing, said:

“We are delighted to extend our partnership with Hilton, a long-standing and supportive partner of the McLaren Formula 1 team. Hilton is a global brand which excels in providing the best experiences across travel and adventure for its customers. As part of the partnership, we will continue to produce collaborative campaigns that bring together our aligned approach to travel and experience for customers and fans around the world.”

Chris Silcock, EVP and Chief Commercial Officer, Hilton, said:

“Our partnership with McLaren allows us to offer once-in-a-lifetime experiences to our Hilton Honors members and to create authentic and engaging content. As brands, our aims align on innovation, culture and performance, so it’s exciting to be extending our long and successful partnership. We also take pride in showing our commitment to offering the warmest Hilton welcome, by providing a home away from home for the McLaren race team when they’re travelling around the globe.”

Mediapro Acquires International Broadcasting Rights To World Padel Tour

Mediapro has acquired the international audiovisual broadcasting rights to World Padel Tour, the most prominent and high-profile padel competition in the world.

The agreement gives the audiovisual rights for World Padel Tour to Mediapro for the upcoming seasons.

World Padel Tour has chosen Mediapro to help with the roll-out of international expansion of the competition, trusting in the group’s vast experience in handling and distribution of sports rights.

With this coming together, World Padel Tour has made another step in the globalisation of a sport that is witnessing exponential growth in both interest as well as padel being played as a sport worldwide.

The 2022 season will start on February 22 in Miami with the Blockchain.com Miami Padel Open, the first of 24 Opens and Masters in the campaign. It will stretch across 13 countries; the United States, Spain, Argentina, Mexico, Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Sweden, Denmark, the Middle East, Italy, Portugal and France. This makes it the most international season in World Padel Tour history.

“We are very thankful to World Padel Tour for trusting in us to work together with them on the global expansion of the fastest-growing sport in the world,” said Oliver Seibert, Mediapro Group’s director of sporting rights, “and that they take our experience on board so the spectacle of the television broadcasts seen in the competition will reach a more global audience, with participation from the best male and female players in the world.”

World Padel Tour General Director Mario Hernando added that “it is another step forward for the Circuit for it to be associated with the leading company in commercializing television rights on a global scale. Mediapro has first-hand experience with our product and is at the fore-front regarding the different audiovisual markets in the world. I am confident we will see the fruit of this alliance very soon.”