SportAccord Confirms Top Speakers For Post-Tokyo 2020 Discussions At Virtual IF Forum

Leading figures from the International Olympic Committee, World Archery and the International Golf Federation will be among the key speakers at the fully-virtual International Federation (IF) Forum on 5 November 2021, SportAccord has announced.

The IOC Sports Department will focus on a variety of learnings from Tokyo 2020 before Dr. Pau Mota, the IOC’s Senior Manager, Medical and Scientific Department, will highlight the most important medical issues that arose in relation to the Olympic Games earlier this year.

With the IF Forum taking place under the theme, ‘Tokyo 2020 – Learnings and Take-Aways for the Future’, there will also be timely Games-related case studies from World Archery Secretary General Tom Dielen and International Golf Federation Executive Director Antony Scanlon.

Dr. Raffaele Chiulli, the President of SportAccord and the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF), will also provide the welcome address at the invitation-only virtual gathering, which will take place over half a day, from 09:00 to 12:45 CET.

The programme’s content has been driven by the IOC and the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF), and the structure of the IF Forum will provide an ideal opportunity to discuss best practice approaches and lessons from the Tokyo 2020 experience.

Each of the sessions will be followed by a dedicated 15-minute Q&A slot, giving IFs the chance to participate and interact in a valuable knowledge-sharing exercise.

“Each of these expert speakers will provide essential perspectives on what they learned from a unique Olympic Games, helping to sharpen the focus of IFs on future challenges and opportunities,” Dr. Raffaele Chiulli said. “Undoubtedly, there will be vital take-aways from these sessions, and with more than 300 leaders from over 125 IFs set to attend virtually, there will be a very healthy exchange of ideas via the dynamic digital platform.”

IF Forum 2021 Host City partners are: City of Lausanne and Canton de Vaud and the Official Partners are: City of London, Marsh, OnePlan, Sociedad Peruana de Derecho Deportivo and Sport Event Denmark.

The IF Forum will take place just over six months before the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2022 reunites the global sports movement, allowing the industry’s leading figures and stakeholders to gather in person for the first time since the start of the pandemic.

You can follow SportAccord’s portfolio of events via Twitter @sportaccord or keep up-to-date via LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, VK, and Instagram.

Registration is open for the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2022, which will take place from 15-20 May in Ekaterinburg, Russia. Organisations interested in becoming an official partner or exhibitor can contact SportAccord to discuss these investment opportunities by emailing sales@sportaccord.sport, with SportAccord also offering an interactive exhibition floorplan and 3-D flyover of the SportAccord 2022 exhibition space.

ATPI Launches Halo To Make Navigating The Future Of Travel Easier

Global travel management and events specialist, the ATPI Group, is adding a new ATPI Halo division to its expanding portfolio. ATPI Halo reflects the organisation’s ongoing investment into sustainability, technology innovation, and future work forces. In celebration of the launch of ATPI Halo, the business is working towards achieving carbon neutral status with a clear plan for 2021 and beyond.

ATPI Halo is an incubator of new ideas and services focused around sustainability designed to support each of the existing client-focused business units around the world to grow and evolve. Clients of ATPI Corporate Travel, Direct ATPI Global Travel, ATPI Marine & Energy, ATPI Sports Events, ATPI Corporate Events and ATPI Mining & Resources will all benefit from the new services, research and development from ATPI Halo to ensure that approaches to business travel change for the better.

Ian Sinderson, ATPI Group CEO, said:

“ATPI has a long history of being one step ahead and defining new ways of working. Our business has grown throughout the last 100+ years thanks to a culture of always improving, thinking ahead and investing in new ventures. Our efforts are rooted in delivering exceptional client service for the long term. That means we need to always be open to change, and to support our clients with the right tools to embrace future norms.

“There has never been such an intense period of disruption and with the establishment of ATPI Halo we are demonstrating to our clients that we are the right long term partner to navigate these unpredictable times.”

ATPI Halo’s sustainability expertise brings robust consultancy to the managed travel sector, ensuring businesses make meaningful in-roads towards the goals set out by worldwide governments to become net zero by 2050. ATPI Halo’s team provides counsel and recommendations, including on how to reduce a travel programme – a first for a travel management company (TMC) – together with carbon neutrality consultancy services backed by accredited partners including Respira and the Climate Neutral Group (CNG). Other partners are also being sought to ensure a complete range of services can be made available to clients.

In particular, ATPI Halo supports clients to reduce their impact on the environment across travel and events. New services on offer include a bespoke and accredited carbon offsetting programme, ensuring that schemes are relevant to a client’s core business. ATPI Halo’s sustainability team has sourced over fifteen esteemed carbon credit projects in the core markets where the business operates, and where there is also a direct community benefit.

To lead the charge on sustainability, and as part of ATPI’s ongoing investment in this area, the company is currently building a sustainability team, new to the organisation, as part of its ATPI Net Zero campaign across the Group. The team will be drawn from every region within ATPI to ensure a consistent approach to the environment, social objectives and governance across every office.

EBK GP Announces Global Multi-City E-Bike Race Series To Take Place In 2022

E-Bike Grand Prix (EBK GP) has today announced that the first ever race series will take place in 2022, with Dubai, one of the world’s most pioneering cities with a reputation for delivering sporting spectacles, confirmed as the first host city partnership.

EBK GP is an exhilarating new international cycling sport – a grand prix series – showcasing ground-breaking E-Bike technology whilst working with global host cities to raise awareness of climate change challenges; seeking to mobilise citizens and promote cleaner, greener, healthier cities.

The series will take place in cities around the world, with races along public roads, showcasing iconic landmarks and cultural sites, as part of a high-speed, thrilling sporting spectacle. Coverage of the Dubai event and the Series will be broadcast internationally via television and digital media.

EBK GP will include ten events with ten competing franchise teams each fielding two squads, one male and one female. Gender equality is central to the series, with both male and female competitions contributing equally to the team’s overall score.

EBK GP is committed to leaving a lasting green legacy in host cities, and as part of the agreement to become a host city, government administrations will commit to tailored three-year Sustainable Transformational Mobility (STM) programmes. Development and delivery support will be provided by a sustainability partner.

Global host city partners will also join together in a visionary network of progressive cities sharing knowledge and world-class best practice. Collectively, they will make a significant contribution towards making the cities of the future cleaner, greener and healthier.

EBK GP is also showcasing what can be achieved with technological innovations in cycling. Proudly, BMC Switzerland will be the exclusive bike partner, building an innovative new E-Bike for the series. For decades, BMC bikes have met the highest standards in quality, design and manufacturing. 

This new E-Bike will combine traditional cycling capability with battery-powered technology creating the fastest, most technologically advanced, and environmentally friendly cycle sport in the world. The bike, yet to be released, will be used by all teams and is set to deliver the new benchmark of e-road bikes – for both competitive and non-competitive cyclists.

Judith Rowan, Global Host City Director at EBK GP, commented: “The E-Bike Grand Prix Series reflects the newly pivoted face of global sporting events. It is a disrupter. EBK’s technology-driven, intense race format together with a robust sustainability mandate are essential attributes of sporting events of the future. We are very excited to lead the charge and extremely proud to welcome Dubai – one of the world’s great innovators – as our inaugural host city partner. This is an exciting development for cycle sport and the sports industry as a whole!”

HE Saeed Mohammed Hareb, Secretary General of Dubai Sports Council, said: “We are thrilled to be the first host city announced for the first-ever E-Bike Grand Prix Series – the fastest and most technologically advanced cycle sport in the world. Dubai is one of the world’s most pioneering cities, and is the embodiment of possibility and innovation, and there are clear synergies between our city’s vision and this ground-breaking sports property.

“The EBK GP will not only create a sensational sport experience in the city, but it will further advance Dubai’s sustainability achievements, especially at a time when we are hosting Expo 2020, which is championing sustainability and promoting a future where mankind can live in harmony with nature and technology.”

David Zurcher, Chief Executive Officer at BMC Group, said: “At BMC we are always looking towards the future. It’s in our DNA to push the boundaries of cycling innovation, whether it is in terms of new technologies, trends or exciting event formats like the E-Bike Grand Prix. We are excited to be the bike partner for EBK GP, being at the forefront of a new, exhilarating cycle sport as we have been so many times in BMC’s history.”

The BCCI Announces The Two Successful Bidders And Locations For New IPL Franchises

The BCCI has today announced where the two new IPL franchises will be located and the winning bidders following the recent tender for the teams.

The Governing Council of the IPL had issued an Invitation to Tender (“ITT”) to acquire the right to own and operate 2 (two) new franchises. Pursuant to the tender process, various interested parties submitted their bids for the new franchises. The bids were submitted by the authorised representatives of the interested parties at Dubai today. 

BCCI is pleased to announce the following successful bidders (subject to definitive documentation and other formalities being completed):

1.     RPSG Ventures Ltd. – Lucknow (for INR 7090 crores – USD 940 million approx).

2.     Irelia Company Pte Ltd. (CVC Capital Partners) – Ahmedabad (for INR 5625 crores – USD 750 million approx).

The new franchises will participate in IPL from 2022 season onwards subject to the bidders completing the post-bid formalities as specified in the ITT document. The IPL 2022 season will comprise ten teams and will have 74 matches, wherein each team will play 7 home and 7 away matches. 

BCCI President, Sourav Ganguly said: “The BCCI is happy to welcome two new teams from the next season of the Indian Premier League. I would like to congratulate RPSG Ventures Ltd. & Irelia Company Pte Ltd for being the successful bidders. The IPL will now go to two new cities in India viz in Lucknow and Ahmedabad. It is heartening to see the inclusion of two new teams at such a high valuation, and it reiterates the cricketing and financial strength of our cricket ecosystem.

“True to IPL’s motto of ‘Where Talent Meets Opportunity’, the inclusion of two new teams will bring more domestic cricketers from our country to the global stage. The ITT process included two interested bidders from outside of India, which strongly emphasises the global appeal of the IPL as a sports property. The IPL is proving to be a wonderful instrument in globalising the game of cricket. I am keenly looking forward to IPL 2022.”

Jay Shah, Honorary Secretary, BCCI said: “It is a momentous day for all of us and I formally welcome RPSG Ventures Ltd. and Irelia Company Pte Ltd. into the IPL fold. We had promised that IPL will be bigger and better from the 15th season and with Lucknow and Ahmedabad, we will take the league to different parts of India. The IPL has established gold standards for leagues across the world and remains a premium event on the sporting calendar as it has grown rapidly in a short span.

“Despite numerous challenges posed by COVID-19, the 13th and 14th seasons were completed, and the bids prove that interested parties have faith in BCCI and its hosting capabilities. I am thrilled for the people of Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat as the long wait is over and they will now have their own IPL team. My best wishes to the two new teams.”

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Brijesh Patel, Chairman, IPL said: The level of interest among the interested parties prove that IPL is among the most sought-after sporting leagues in the world. We had bids from different parts of the world and from parties with diverse portfolios wanting to make a foray into the world of sports. I extend my heartiest congratulations to RPSG Ventures Ltd. and Irelia Company Pte Ltd. for securing the rights to operate the two teams. We had a wonderful 14th season and the 2022 season will see a new beginning.

Arun Singh Dhumal, Honorary Treasurer, BCCI said: The fact that winning bids were way above the base price set for the two new IPL franchises is a direct indication of the true value of the Indian Premier League. We received tremendous interest after the ITT was floated with many conglomerates putting their hat into the ring. I congratulate RPSG Ventures Ltd. and Irelia Company Pte Ltd. for placing the highest bids and winning the rights to own the IPL teams. I also thank all the bidders for showing faith in the BCCI and IPL. This is the start of an exciting chapter, and I can’t wait for the big auction to see how the new teams shape up.

IMG To Distribute The Global Media Rights To The PGL Stockholm Major 2021 This Month

Tournament organiser PGL has appointed IMG to distribute its media rights globally for its PGL Stockholm Major 2021, one of the highest-profile events in esports in 2021. The tournament will mark the sixteenth Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Major Championship and the first time since 2014 to be held in Sweden. 

Making its long-anticipated return, the PGL Stockholm Major 2021 will take place between October 26 – November 7, 2021. The playoffs, held between November 4 and November 7, will be hosted at the iconic Avicii Arena with an expected attendance of more than 16,000 fans.

Silviu Stroie, PGLCEO said: “The PGL Stockholm Major is set to be the esports spectacle of 2021 with the most competitive fields to date. Partnering with IMG will ensure this exciting event is seen as widely as possible by esports fans across the world.”

Joe Jenkins, Commercial Manager, IMG’s media business, commented: “There is huge appetite and excitement amongst the counter-strike community for this event following last year’s cancellation due to the pandemic. Set to be distributed in 25 languages, we are delighted to be working with PGL to ensure the widest possible audience for the PGL Stockholm Major 2021 and a number of new territories for the sport.” 

The prize money will be doubled to a $2 million – the largest prize pool in CS:GO history. Twenty-four teams across the globe will qualify in three different tiers; Legends; Challengers, and Contenders. 

Headline teams: Ninjas in Pyjamas, Team Vitality, G2 Esports, Furia Esports, Team Liquid, Evil Geniuses, Nantus Vincere and Gambit Esports. Click here for complete list of teams.  

Track Night Announces New Partnership With At The Races

Ground-breaking virtual horse racing event provider Track Night has been helping transform get-togethers over the past 12 months, and now the brand is excited to announce a new partnership with At The Races. This new partnership will allow Track Night to feature races from the UK’s leading racecourses, helping to create an even more engaging event.    

With the popularity of virtual events rising significantly over the past 18 months, Track Night has been transforming how friends, family and colleagues celebrate together. The innovative game brings an exciting night at the horses direct to your home, allowing everyone to host a virtual race night over Zoom. 

The highly engaging evening lets people place virtual bets, watch races and compete to see who will come top of the leaderboard. Great for groups of all sizes, from several players up to 400, Track Night is the perfect solution for birthday parties, celebrations, and virtual office parties. 

After a highly successful year, Track Night is excited to confirm a new partnership with At The Races. As the rights holders for race footage from the UK’s leading racecourses, this new partnership will allow the game to feature even more footage from these iconic tracks, helping to create an even more immersive and engaging experience.  

Mike Campbell, CEO at Track Night added, “We have been blown away by the response we have had to Track Night over the last year. Our fun and engaging evenings are the perfect virtual event for any celebration, and this new partnership with At The Races will help to ensure we can deliver an even stronger and more engaging experience to our customers.”

Olly Stokes, Commercial Online Manager at At The Races commented,“We are proud to partner with Track Night and help further enhance their customers’ virtual race evening experience. We’ll be providing race footage from a host of our racecourse partners via our Sport Mediastream (SMS) platform. Our SMS platform launched in 2013 and is integrated with over 60 betting operators and media partners, and it’s great to be able to add Track Night to our array of partnerships.”

The RFU Announce Plans To Bid For 2025 Rugby World Cup

Since England last hosted the RWC in 2010 and won it in 2014, women’s rugby has grown exponentially with World Rugby stating the women’s game is the single biggest opportunity to grow the sport globally. 

The Red Roses are the number one ranked team in the world and the RFU has grown female participation in England from 13,000 to 40,000 registered players in clubs, with a growing pipeline of 80,000 girls playing in schools, colleges and universities.   

“Securing RWC 2025 would add to the impressive list of major sporting events that the UK has attracted since London 2012 reinforcing the UK’s international reputation as a leading major events’ destination and a global leader in promoting women’s sport,” said RFU Chief Executive, Bill Sweeney.  

“As well as providing great economic returns, hosting the tournament would help to further promote rugby as an inclusive sport and provide a springboard to narrow the gap between male and female participation.”

For the 2025 bid The RFU plans to adopt a multi-city and multi-region approach to delivering the tournament. This hosting model will facilitate great opportunities for people living in different parts of the country to attend the tournament, promoting rugby and enhancing participation in the sport nationwide.    

A central theme to the bid will be to deliver a legacy programme in parallel to the tournament from 2022 to 2025 for growing the women’s game across the country. The legacy programme will focus on three key strands: Creating capacity through facility development and the recruitment of female coaches and referees, creating a multigenerational legacy through a call to arms for more young girls and University women to play, and for women who didn’t have the opportunity to play to become fans, and to support international development within the home unions. 

The legacy programme will see facilities standards improved to enhance the experiences females have in hundreds of clubs through investment in facilities the programme will modernise toilet facilities, upgrade changing rooms and develop social spaces in clubs across the country.

Grassroots education and mentor programmes will aim to attract 500 new female coaches, 1,000 match officials and 60,000 new registered players.

Through partnerships with universities the legacy program will recruit and retain players and plans to create 300 club leaders of the future with activities including the staging of a Festival of Rugby event engaging 2,500 students and 150 club transition events.  

With the aim of attracting more fans of women’s rugby in the build up to 2025 renewed effort will be put on marketing and encouraging fan attendance at Allianz Premier 15s matches and club houses will be opened up to hosting female events to encouraging women who have never played or watched rugby to see rugby clubs as a place they would like to visit.

The RFU is also committed to growing the English game leading into 2025 and has created two new roles to focus on implementing an ‘Every Rose Action Plan’.

International development will see investment into women’s elite rugby directed through the Home Unions to support the development of 120 female coaches and 30 female referees. The focus on female coaches and referees will improve the player experience across the Home Nations, with high level coaching fundamental to developing competitive players and top-level match officials necessary to facilitate a high-quality league and support the growth of an underrepresented cohort in elite rugby. The long-term ambition is to drive up standards in the domestic teams to enable England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland to all qualify for RWC in 2029 for the first time in over 20 years.

A study by Sheffield Hallam University’s Sport Industry Research Centre (SIRC) demonstrated hosting the RWC in 2025 would be of benefit to the local economies of host venues around the country through job creation as well as services provided and the RWC could boost the economy by £156.25m with projections of an economic return of £5 for every £1 invested.   

The Legacy Programme could generate an estimated £86m. The values attributed to the legacy programme are based on increasing female participation in rugby and volunteering in the sport, combined with evidence on the contribution of community sport and physical activity in England to the five outcomes identified in the UK Government strategy for sport.

Sue Day, RFU Chief Operations and Finance Officer and former England Women’s Captain who represented England at three World Cups and won three grand slams said: “Securing a bid to host the Women’s RWC would be incredible. We want to leave a lasting legacy for women’s rugby in England the UK and across the world, both in terms of attracting more people to play and attracting new fans. As we have seen from other home World cups in Cricket, Hockey and Netball a RWC would further advance all women’s sport and nothing would beat watching the Red Roses compete in front of a full capacity crowd at Twickenham Stadium.”

Subject to securing sufficient private and public sector funding, the final bid submission will go to World Rugby for consideration in January 2022.

Mengniu Becomes Official Sponsor Of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

Mengniu, one of China PR’s leading dairy product manufacturers, has entered into a partnership with FIFA to become an Official Sponsor of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.

Mengniu, which was previously an Official Sponsor of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ , will activate branding and promotional activities in FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ stadiums, as well as and will also have  activations across FIFA’s online and mobile channels, in its role as an Official Sponsor of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.

Speaking about the announcement of Mengniu as Official Sponsor of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura said: “We are delighted to welcome Mengniu back as an Official Sponsor of the FIFA World Cup. Mengniu is committed to promoting a healthier world through nutritious products and safeguarding a sustainable planet. These values echo FIFA’s values of promoting healthy lives through football, as well as fair play. We look forward to strengthening our relationship with Mengniu and the wider Chinese market in the build- up to what will be a truly unique competition -– the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.”

“Continued investment in world-class sporting assets represents Mengniu’s determination to build stronger relationships with our consumers while embodying the values of sportsmanship and encouraging active engagement of football enthusiasts and wider audiences,” said Jeffrey, Minfang Lu, the CEO of Mengniu Group. “It builds on our successful collaboration with FIFA on at the FIFA World Cup™ in Russia in 2018, and sits well with our five-year plan to develop Mengniu into an international dairy leader, a nutrition and health platform, a company with its strong cultural gene and its own sustainable development mode, and a brand loved by consumers across the world.”

Mengniu is a trusted brand for families across China PR. It has popular range of milk in both powdered and liquid form, yoghurt, pre-packaged ice cream, cheese, butter, and other dairy products.

The Hong Kong-listed group, which currently has around 40,000 employees worldwide, has, since 2017, been in the top 10 of the “‘Global Dairy Top 20’” list published by Rabobank. By the end of December 2020, the group’s annual production capacity of dairy products reached 9.90 million tons.

The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ will take place from 21 November until 18 December 2022. For more information on the event, please visit FIFA.com/WorldCup.

Esports Set To Make Historic Debut At The Asian Games 2022 In China

This week’s Meet The Team piece comes from Satvik Tandon, looking at the introduction of esports at the Asian Games 2022 in China.

Esports is a thriving global industry in which skilled video gamers compete. It is different from standard video gaming but includes competitions in a variety of video games similar to how traditional sports have competitions in baseball, basketball, and football.

The tournaments usually consist of amateur or professional gamers competing against one another for a cash price. Unlike any other traditional sport, where men’s and women’s games are split, esports is technically mixed with male, female, and non-conforming players. As well as this, esports is also open to all, regardless of physical ability.

In recent years, esports has progressed greatly. In fact, it is going to make its historic debut at the Asian Games 2022, which will be held in Hangzhou, China from September 10th to September 25th, 2022, with medals awarded in eight games. This recent announcement by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has caused quite a stir in the industry, with many hopes and expectations.

“The decision to incorporate esports into the Asian Games was taken in collaboration with Alisports, the sports branch of Alibaba.”

The decision to incorporate esports into the Asian Games was taken in collaboration with Alisports, the sports branch of Alibaba (the Chinese online retail giant and top-tier Olympic sponsor). The Asian Electronic Sports Federation (AESF) will serve as esports’ technical delegate. They will be in charge of the Asian Games 2022 qualifying competition and management.

During this event, eight medal events along with two demonstration games will be held, reflecting the popularity and growth of electronic sports in China and Asia. Esports will be included in the category of “intellectual property,” which includes events like chess. FIFA (EA SPORTS), the Asian Games versions of PUBG Mobile and Arena of Valor, Dota 2, League of Legends, Dream Three Kingdoms 2, Hearthstone, and Street Fighter V are amongst the eight medal games. Each event will be awarded a gold, silver, or bronze medal. Apart from these eight medal events, Robot Masters and VR Sports are the two demonstration games.

All the esport events of the Asian Games 2022 will take place in the Xicheng District. The stadium is currently under construction and is expected to be finished by October 31, 2021. It will cover an area of 80,000 m2 (about 50 square miles) and have a capacity of 4,087 people. The venue will be designed with a vortex-structure for the events.

The gaming industry we see today is vastly different from even ten years ago. One of the very first esports events happened all the way back in October of 1972 at Stanford University, where students competed in the video game Spacewar. The grand prize for the winner was a one-year subscription to the renowned Rolling Stone Magazine. Even though this event was not an official esports event, it was certainly the start of something new in the world of gaming.

“Back in the 2018 Asian Games, esports was a demonstration event, meaning that the medals won by the competitors were not considered in the final medal tally.”

Back in the 2018 Asian Games, esports was a demonstration event, meaning that the medals won by the competitors were not considered in the final medal tally. This is the second time that esports will be competed in as a medal event. The first instance occurred during the 2019 ‘Southeast Asian Games’ in the Philippines, where teams competed in Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Arena of Valor, Dota 2, StarCraft II, Tekken 7, and Hearthstone. The Philippines won gold in Mobile Legends, StarCraft II, and Dota 2. Thailand won gold in Tekken 7 and Arena of Valor, while Malaysia won gold in Hearthstone.

The world of esports is still on the rise with no hint of slowing down. The industry is growing every day. Traditional teams have now fully recognised esports, and millions of dollars in sponsorship for esports teams in large-scale events is happening. With the momentum that esports is running with, the future continues to look bright for the industry.

But will we see it taking place within the Olympic Games in due course? We shall see. There are so many options for potential games to play it would certainly be interesting to see which the IOC would choose in that scenario.

One thing is certain, it’s closer than ever…

Joanna Coates Resigns As CEO Of UK Athletics

UK Athletics have announced that CEO Joanna Coates and Performance Director Sara Symington will be stepping down from their roles.

Prior to her appointment to the role at UK Athletics in early 2020, Coates had overseen a very successful period as CEO of England Netball, which included the hosting of the 2019 Netball World Cup in England.

Her exit leaves the organisation in turmoil once again. The previously appointed CEO to the role was forced to leave before even taking up the position, an independent review last year also deemed that there needed to be significant change to the culture.

On top of all this, on the track in Tokyo British athletes put forward a very unsuccessful performance compared to recent Olympic Games.

In a brief statement released on the organisation’s website, they stated:

UK Athletics can confirm that Joanna Coates and Sara Symington have given notice from their respective roles, Chief Executive Officer and Performance Director.

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Mark Munro, current Development Director, will take over as Interim CEO for a period of six months to provide strategic continuity and leadership to the staff, athletes and coaches and will prioritise working with the Board to start the recruitment process for both roles.

Chair of UK Athletics, Ian Beattie, said: “I’d like to thank Jo and Sara for their work during their time at UK Athletics and I wish them both all the best for the future”.

Sara Symington will meanwhile head to British Cycling, who today announced that has been appointed as the Head of Olympic and Paralympic Programme for the Great Britain Cycling Team.

The announcement read:

Symington is widely regarded as one of the top sport performance leaders in the country, with over 12 years’ experience as a well-respected performance director in athletics, archery and netball.

Symington, a former GBCT track and road cyclist herself, who competed at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics, will begin the role imminently.

Performance Director Stephen Park said: “The Head of Olympic and Paralympic Programme is a new role which has been created to support me in ensuring the operations of the Olympic, Paralympic and Pathway Programmes are focused on delivering against the performance strategy and associated targets, and I am delighted to welcome Sara back to the Great Britain Cycling Team in this role.

“Sara is renowned for her ability to lead sports teams and deliver results, not to mention her knowledge of Olympic and Paralympic sport, so she is the perfect addition to the GBCT as we seek to continue our legacy of success with wider social impact at Paris 2024 and beyond.

“I have respected Sara’s work throughout her career, and I am thrilled she will be able to join our Senior Leadership Team.”

Sara Symington said: “This is an incredible opportunity to play a pivotal role within cycling – the nation’s most successful Olympic and Paralympic sport.

“My experience as a leader within elite sport combined with my time spent as a rider for Great Britain means I have developed the skills to lead the team to continue to deliver medals and more. I aim to do this through building on the culture of continuous improvement and investing smartly to support priority areas and athletes.

“This is a really exciting time to rejoin British Cycling, they have just enjoyed yet another successful Olympic and Paralympic Games and are looking forward to an exciting three years of major events including the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham next year, the UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow and of course Paris 2024. I am excited to join this team of talented athletes and staff, and I can’t wait to get started.”