SportAccord, Birmingham West Midlands: World’s leading legal minds tackle athlete representation and rules for transgender athletes at LawAccord

Legal experts tackling topical legal issues confronting IFs including athlete representation, rules for transgender athletes in international sport and how to ensure integrity in decision-making will come together at LawAccord, one of the four specialist streams at this year’s SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit.

There will also be an opportunity to get the inside track on institutional developments, with a presentation and Q&A session from Matthieu Reeb, Director General of the Court of Arbitration for Sport; and Ross Wenzel, General Counsel at the World Anti-Doping Agency. The Sports Law Practice Group from Swiss law firm Kellerhals Carrard will provide an update on recent decisions from the European Court of Justice.

Sport’s most influential industry gathering will take place from 7 to 11 April in Birmingham – West Midlands and bring together more than 1,500 leaders and key decision makers from over 120 International Federations (IFs), the International Olympic Committee and organisations involved in the business of sport. 

Meet the speakers!

Hear from sports law experts, including Áine Power, Deputy Legal Director at the International Equestrian Federation, who will share insights on involving athletes when drafting rules: 

“The ‘best’ rules are those that are formulated and drafted further to thorough consultation with the relevant stakeholders. It goes without saying that athletes are the key stakeholders in our sport – no athletes, no sport. Therefore, it is essential that we hear from the athletes as part of the rule revision process, it helps us ensure that our rules are fit for purpose.”

Prof Yannis Pitsiladis, Professor of Sport and Exercise Science at Hong Kong Baptist University and member of the IOC Medical and Scientific Commission, will provide a scientific perspective on regulating the participation of transgender athletes in elite sport:

“Establishing policy for the inclusion of transgender athletes in elite sport is immensely challenging due to the need for a fair and non-discrimination policy of integration (inclusion), while considering physiological differences, hormone treatments and sport-specific demands, requiring nuanced assessments amidst our evolving scientific understanding.”

Tanja Haug, Board Member of the Biathlon Integrity Unit will address the need for independent decision-making in international sport: 

“In sport, independent models are needed in all areas where integrity is at stake – where adherence to ethical values, unbiased decision-making, avoidance of conflicts of interest, accountability and transparency are crucial to ensure good governance and protect athletes and the future of sport. This applies in particular to the areas of anti-doping, safeguarding, competition manipulation, anti-corruption, vetting and election monitoring.”

For the full list of speakers and topics please see the LawAccord programme: https://www.sportaccord.sport/2024-wsbs/the-schedule-2/?_keyword=law

LawAccord – join the world’s leading sports law experts and institutional leaders

The delegate pass for World Sport & Business Summit 2024 is available at the rate of CHF 2,000 until 29 February 2024, and will increase to CHF 2,500 from 1 March. Click here to register now. 


A special one-day rate of CHF 600 is available to legal practitioners who wish to attend LawAccord only. If you are interested to attend, please send us an email at lawaccord@sportaccord.sport 

Partners

The SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2024 is supported by a number of partners and suppliers:

A marathon of sporting excellence, loss & hope

In this week’s Member Insight piece, Michael Pirrie analyses the outpouring of global grief that greeted the sudden death of Kenyan marathon great Kelvin Kiptum, and what his loss & legacy mean to world sport.

World athletics has been running on empty this week, mourning and processing the sudden passing of Kelvin Kiptum, Kenya’s emerging superstar runner, on the threshold of sporting greatness.

The death of the world’s fastest marathon runner, in a road car crash, after years of brutal road work training, is cloaked in tragic irony and loss on a scale rarely encountered in sport.

While the 1958 Munich air disaster claimed the lives of several Manchester United players, unlike the late Sir Bobby Charlton, Kiptum would not survive his crash.

The magnitude of Kiptum’s loss has left the world of sport in shock, trying to comprehend the rare and confronting circumstances of the athlete’s fateful death.

The suddenness of Kiptum’s passing and his remarkable running achievements, while still in the formative stages of a rapidly evolving career, have perhaps been the most difficult for many to reconcile.

The tragedy reflects how unknown the gap between life and death can be in sport as in all of life.

In contrast to Kiptum, the legendary NBL star, Kobe Bryant, died in a helicopter crash in 2020 aged 41, after 20 historic seasons.    

The loss of such a profoundly talented young athlete as Kiptum, with almost unheralded potential, has been hardest to grasp, drawing comparisons with greats also lost prematurely in other fields.

These include iconic Hollywood actor, James Dean, who also died in a car crash, also aged 24.

The stark contrast between the violent circumstances of Kiptum’s death and the uplifting possibilities in sport and life embodied in his running heightened global bewilderment.

Kiptum’s loss will be widely felt, from world athletic championships to international blockbuster marathon events where the unassuming Kenyan first announced himself has the next big thing in athletics.

Kiptum became the most exciting athlete on the planet last year with landmark wins at the London Marathon and later at the Chicago Marathon, where he shattered the world record in a time of 2:00:35, delivering one of the single greatest performances in sporting history.  

The world’s biggest audiences were awaiting Kiptum in Paris later this year, where he was predicted to run rings around the Olympic host city marathon course and clock the first sub two hour time  – the current Olympic marathon record stands at 2:06:32

Kiptum’s Paris marathon had been eagerly anticipated as a highlight of the Games, and possibly one of great performances of the century, taking sport into new territory like Usain Bolt had done in shattering the 100 metres record in Beijing in 2008. 

British long distance runner Emile Cairess, who finished sixth in the London Marathon last year, expressed sport’s deep grief over Kiptum’s passing.

 “Many people thought they would never see a sub two-hour marathon in their lifetimes but since he (Kiptum) came along, it’s like it was just a given that he would do it because of his exceptional performances so far.”

“It was almost certain that he would have done it. It’s terribly sad and a real shame that we won’t get to see him again or to attack that barrier.”Kiptum was a sporting supernova who seemed destined for greatness – after herding animals barefooted on a family property as a young boy, Kiptum was initially unable to 

afford a pair of shoes to run in his first major competition   

Kiptum abandoned his father’s plans for his only child to become an electrical engineer, deciding to electrify the world instead with high voltage running performances.

CONCLUSION

Kelvin Kiptum’s death, on the road to sporting greatness, after a car crash on roads that he had conquered during  countless hours of training, has shocked and transfixed the sporting world.

The Kenyan’s untimely death, before he could fulfill his enormous potential is an enormous tragedy – for the young runner, for his family, and for sport.

The world has been deprived of a singular sporting talent; an athlete on the brink of redefining the boundaries of sport and human achievement.

Kiptum was the great hope of the Paris Games; of pulling off possibly the greatest sporting milestone of the century – like the late Sir Roger Bannister who took sport into a new era last century with the first sub four minute mile.

Kelvin’s death was a tragic reminder of hope’s fragility.

But this was not a tragedy of false or lost hope.

 Kiptum demonstrated the sub-two-hour marathon, the holy grail of athletics, long regarded as improbable if not impossible, is now within close reach.

The young Kenyan leaves a legacy of achievement, inspiration, and hope for others to follow that will survive his death.

BBC Sport to broadcast UK Athletics major events

BBC Sport and UK Athletics (UKA) have announced a broadcast partnership and coverage for the 2024 Major Events series. Fans can watch live coverage from the UK Athletics National Indoor Championships, the UK Athletics Championships and the London Athletics Meet across BBC One, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.

2024 is an action-packed year with the upcoming European and World Championships as well as the Olympic and Paralympic Games taking place in Paris this summer. Fans can follow the highs, lows and photo-finishes from the UK Athletics starting on February 17 and 18 with the UK Athletics National Indoor Championships at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham.

As the summer of sport warms up, BBC Sport will also show coverage of the Olympic Trials at the UK Athletics Championships on June 29 and 30. Attention then turns to the capital for the London Athletics Meet as part of the Wanda Diamond League series on July 20, at the London Stadium.

Philip Bernie, Director of BBC Sport says: “This partnership serves as a terrific build-up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Viewers can watch BBC Sport’s exclusive coverage with expert commentary across TV and online and follow these athletes in top action, as they strive for excellence on the world stage.”

UKA CEO Jack Buckner says: “We are thrilled to confirm BBC Sport as our broadcast partner for our 2024 Major events series.

It’s a huge year ahead for our sport and we are looking forward to working with the team at BBC Sport to bring our big events into people’s homes. The BBC Sport digital and TV audiences give us a great platform and allow the British public to really follow the action in the build up to the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

Viewers can watch the final farewell for the athletes who will be leaving for Paris as the Olympic Opening Ceremony starts just six days later, on BBC One. Both the UK Athletics Championships (indoor and outdoor) will be available across the BBC’s digital channels.

Beijing to host the World Aquatics Championship

World Aquatics has confirmed that the Chinese capital will host the World Aquatics Championships – Beijing 2029, following a bidding process and careful consideration by the World Aquatics Bureau.

The flagship World Aquatics event will welcome more than 2,500 world-class athletes from over 200 countries and regions to compete in the six aquatic sports of swimming, diving, water polo, artistic swimming, open water swimming and high diving.

A proven host with a strong record of successfully delivering World Aquatics events, the People’s Republic of China has organised over 100 major aquatics competitions, 37 of which have taken place in Beijing. Having previously hosted two editions of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, alongside countless other major sporting events, Beijing promises an unforgettable experience for both athletes and fans.

Further solidifying its commitment to aquatic sports, China will host three World Aquatics events in 2024 alone: the World Aquatics Artistic Swimming World Cup in Beijing (5-7 April), the World Aquatics Diving World Cup – Super Final in Xi’an (19-21 April), and the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup in Shanghai (18-20 October).

The showcase World Aquatics event will be organised in close cooperation with the China Swimming Association and the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports.

World Aquatics President Husain Al-Musallam said: Beijing has repeatedly welcomed major aquatics events, providing excellent conditions that enable our athletes to perform at their very best. For this, we are deeply grateful,” said World Aquatics President Al-Musallam. “Thanks to our longstanding collaboration with our friends in China, we know the global aquatics community can look forward to world-class sporting action and entertainment in one of the world’s most iconic cities. We are also very thankful to the other cities that expressed an interest in hosting. The World Aquatics Championships have become a compelling event for participants, spectators, viewers, partners and organisers alike.”

An aquatics hotspot, Beijing has hosted 15 editions of the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup, along with multiple World Cup events in swimming, diving, artistic swimming and water polo. China also hosted both the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) in Hangzhou in 2018 and the World Aquatics Championships in Shanghai in 2011.

In addition to the World Aquatics Championships – Beijing 2029, the Chinese capital will also host the World Aquatics Masters Championships – Beijing 2029. The exact dates for both of these events will be announced in due course.

With the World Aquatics Championships – Doha 2024 currently taking place in Doha, Team China had a dominant first week in the Qatari capital, taking 16 golds out of 29 events to top the medal table.

“The People’s Republic of China is deeply passionate about aquatic sports. We have a very proud history of welcoming the best aquatics athletes to our country,” said China Swimming Association President Zhou Jihong. “We are therefore very honoured with Beijing being awarded the opportunity to host the world’s largest aquatics event, the World Aquatics Championships, in 2029.”

Following Doha, the 2025 and 2027 editions of the World Aquatics Championships will be hosted in Singapore and Budapest, respectively.

McLaren signs Optimum Nutrition as official sports partner

McLaren Racing has announced Optimum Nutrition, the world’s number one sports nutrition brand, as Official Sports Nutrition Partner of the McLaren Formula 1 Team for the 2024 season and beyond. 

With a key focus on the McLaren F1 Team drivers and pit crew, the partnership unites two brands with high human performance at their core, constantly striving for better. Optimum Nutrition will support the team’s performance, health and wellbeing with science-led sports nutrition products driven by innovation, ensuring the team can unlock its potential throughout the 2024 season. 

Building on the team’s accomplishments in the 2023 season – including breaking the Guinness World Record for the fastest ever pit stop, with a 1.80-second stop at the Qatar Grand Prix, Optimum Nutrition will support the McLaren team to help everyone stay at the top of their game. 

Optimum Nutrition branding will feature on the pit crew overalls and set-up kit, and the driver overalls of McLaren Formula 1 Drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. 

Matt Dennington, Executive Director, Partnerships & Accelerator, McLaren Racing, said:  “It is great to welcome Optimum Nutrition to the team. We operate in a high performance environment and our people are our most important asset, so it’s fantastic that Optimum Nutrition will support our continuous push for improvement and excellence across everything we do.” 

Colin Westcott-Pitt, Global Chief Brand Officer, Glanbia Performance Nutrition, said: “We’re delighted that Optimum Nutrition, which has been trusted by all types of athletes across many sports for 35 years, has joined McLaren Racing as Official Sports Nutrition Partner. Both McLaren and Optimum Nutrition are dedicated to peak human performance and excellence so we are thrilled to be working together during the forthcoming F1 season.”  

The Indian Sports Management Association launches formally in India

The Indian Sports Management Association (INSMA) was formally launched today via a virtual ceremony.

The objective of the organisation is the promotion of sport management scholarship (academically) in India and help bring the work of the next generation of sport management leaders (both from academia and industry) to the forefront on the global stage. One of the major strategic priorities of the next cycle is development of a world-leading academic journal to promote sport management scholarship in India.

It is evident from our research that there are academics pursuing world-leading research in sport management scholarship in an Indian context, but they are not able to publish either due to higher APC charges or lack of credibility among existing journals in India.

The association will be accredited by the international bodies AASM & WASM.

The current advisory board consists of:

Prof. Rob Wilson (Education)

Dr. Mike Rayner (Global Partnerships)

Dr. Christina Phillipou (EDI)

Vanessa Asell-Tsuruga (EDI)

Dr. Jo Clarke (Research)

Prof. Girish Ramchandani (Research)

INSMA Governing Body consists of:

Mr. Sarthak Mondal – President

Arko Biswas  – Treasurer

Mr. Arup Soans – General Secretary

Dr. Shiny Raizada – Vice-President (Education)

Ms. Taruka Srivastava – Vice-President (Marketing)

Mr. Samrat Ghosh – Student Coordinator

Dr. Jo Clarke, PhD Senior Lecturer and Course Leader at Leeds Beckett University, UK said: “It was great to engage in some honest discussions about the sport policy context and future areas of growth with a range of academics, practitioners and students interested in sport management in India. #INSMA has the potential to be a pivotal network to advance the sport management scholarship in India. Exciting times ahead!”

Vanessa ÅSELL TSURUGA, Founder of Collective Visibility said: “The work of INSMA – Indian Sport Management Association is perfectly in line with the path I have created for myself in the last couple of years. I want to diversify speakership and thought leadership in the current sports landscape. I am intent to include the Global South in my efforts.”

Sarthak Mondal said: “A career in sport management in India is filled with all forms of struggle for students. While it looks glamorous from the outside, the truth is it is a closed industry where people are recruited on the basis of trust. Sport management graduates in India face a lot of challenges, whether it is related to higher education, research or careers in the industry. There is a lot of potential among the Indian students but that is lost as they are not nurtured properly. As a result, we decided that it is the right time to create the INSMA.”

Less Than 2 Months To Go: Here’s why Leading Gold Partner Sport Event Denmark returns to SportAccord every year

As one of the leading event sporting nations worldwide, Sport Event Denmark returns as Gold Partner for SportAccord 2024 to ensure Denmark remains firmly on the map.

“We’re not just attending SportAccord,” said Lars Lundov the CEO of Sport Event Denmark, its national sports organisation, “we’re shaping the future of international sporting events together.

“The convention is a ‘must-attend event’ for anyone involved in the business of sport – it’s where International Federations and other rights holders unite with forward-thinking cities, destinations, and nations. We’re thrilled to be back as Gold Partner.”

Uniting People

Denmark is a nation of sports lovers with over 250 world class sporting events under its belt in the last decade, including hosting the SportAccord convention in 2017.

“In recent years, the sporting landscape has evolved immensely and hosting major international events has taken on a whole new meaning,” continued Lars Lundov. “It’s all about human engagement and creating excitement both on and off the field of play, and uniting people.

“In Denmark, we’re not just hosting events for economic impact; we’re fostering communities and igniting passions across nations. Our presence at SportAccord underlines the importance of togetherness and networking.”

The Power of Sport

Sport Event Denmark will join global leaders at the World Sport & Business Summit (April 7 to 11), the only annual sports gathering with all International Federations (120+) under one roof, providing an unrivalled platform for key decision makers ‘where sport meets’.

This year, the summit conference will focus on the ‘Power of Sport’ and take place at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham – West Midlands, a region with strong sporting credentials, a rich history, stunning countryside and so much more.

The Power of Events

At Sport Event Denmark, preparations are well underway to ensure SportAccord delegates experience the power of sport first-hand when they visit the team at Stand 44. This year the Danish team will focus on the ‘Power of Events’ providing plenty of opportunities for delegates to become involved and share initiatives.

“2024 isn’t just another year, it’s a special centenary year, when the Olympic Games will return to Paris,” said Lars Lundov. “At our stand, Sport Event Denmark and our city partners will discuss the power of events with the delegates.”

Your Voice Counts

Sporting events, with their widespread appeal, play a distinctive role in promoting sustainability awareness. Covering this and more, delegates will be invited to share their thoughts on three key questions:

  1. Which sustainability topic is most important in future event planning?
  2. Do you have good examples where fans actively engaged in a green transition?
  3. What aspects of the Paris Olympics are you most excited to experience, whether online or on-site?

Visitors to the stand will have a chance to win prizes, and winners will also be offered an exclusive portrait session with renowned Danish Sports Photographer, Lars Møller.

Shaping the Future Together

“Sport Event Denmark is an extremely important partnership for SportAccord and has been since the first edition,” said Uğur Erdener, President of SportAccord. We’re delighted to have their continued support as a Gold Partner and so much more.

“Earning a reputation as one of the leading nations for hosting major tournaments over the years, Sport Event Denmark understands what it takes to ensure the power of sport plays into every decision. Their friendly approach and expertise will ensure delegates experience the very best from this Danish team as we shape the future together ‘where sport meets’.”

Editor’s Notes

About SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit

The SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit brings together around 1,500 leaders and key decision makers from over 120 International Federations (IFs), the International Olympic Committee, and organisations involved in the business of sport.

The Summit provides an unrivalled platform enabling global business leaders and host cities to have access to all the International Federations and their stakeholders in one location over several days.

This unique event is a combination of official sports meetings, networking gatherings, a themed conference programme, and exhibition space enabling International Federations, industry, cities and regions to showcase and advance their sport, services and facilities.

About SportAccord

SportAccord is a sports event organisation based in the Olympic Capital, Lausanne, Switzerland, and governed by stakeholders representing the Olympic and non-Olympic International Federations. 

It brings together International Federations, the IOC and organisations involved in the business of sport with the aim to serve, promote and protect the common interests of its stakeholders, help them achieve their global objectives and facilitate knowledge-sharing.

SportAccord’s stakeholders include:

  • ASOIF (Association of Summer Olympic International Federations)
  • WOF (Winter Olympic Federations)
  • ARISF (Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations)
  • AIMS (Alliance of Independent Recognised Members of Sport)

Follow us on Twitter,  LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Visit SportAccord.sport or contact media@sportaccord.sport for more information.

SportAccord Contacts

sales@sportaccord.sport for further details about sales, exhibiting and partnering

media@sportaccord.sport for media enquiries

info@sportaccord.sport for any other questions

Sport Event Denmark Media Contact

Eline Anderson, Senior Communication Manager

ea@sporteventdenmark.com

www.sporteventdenmark.com

Leicestershire CCC’s Sean Jarvis on cricket in the UK becoming a global proposition and growth of Womens’ cricket

Leicestershire CCC has been focused on six pillars (cricket, commercial, company, community, communication and cash) and as revealed in a CGI video last year is aiming for a full ground redevelopment. iSportConnect’s Taruka Srivastav spoke with Leicestershire CCC CEO Sean Jarvis to know more about his development plans for the club.

Can you summarise your time at CCC?

The past four years have been incredibly challenging. When I arrived at the cricket club, as chief executive, it was literally two days before COVID broke out, which sent the club into a bit of a tailspin. But ironically, when we look back on those pandemic years, it gave us the opportunity to press a reset button, and effectively bought us a little bit of time to reflect on how we performed previously and what the strategy was going to be going forward.

It was looking at all the different parts of the business, from the cricket to the commercial, to how we operate as a business, to the financial side and trying to improve them. The main focus has always been on cricket first; getting the cricket part of the business, what we call the cricket pillar, in the best place it can be so that it could compete for trophies. The target was to try and win a trophy within five years. We actually won a bit of silverware last summer in the Metro Bank One Day Cup.

We’re now embarking on what we call our master plan for the future of Leicestershire County Cricket Club. At the same time, the other parts of the business all undertook a bit of a review, including  the commercial side, the operational side and the community side of things – so all those different parts of the business have all undergone a bit of change as well and continue to do so. Whilst we’re not out of the woods, yet, we seem to have a bit of a brighter future ahead of us. I would summarise the past three years about rebuilding Leicestershire County Cricket Club to be a sustainable and competitive cricket club going forward.

Tell us about the club’s commercial partnerships.

Pandemic was the reset button. We had a look at the commercial operation and how, probably over a decade prior to the pandemic, the commercial engagement that was taking place between the cricket club and businesses in our community was pretty non-existent and diminished to almost zero.  We used that year to look at how we can improve our relationships and invited businesses to become partners of Leicestershire County Cricket Club and join us on the journey.

We effectively approached a variety of businesses and a lot of them signed up and agreed to become partners and invest in the club. The partnership between ourselves and our businesses is not a simple Sponsorship Agreement. It’s more about how we can transfer knowledge between each other , how they can help us with what knowledge they have, how they can help us as a business and be part of the journey going forward.  We also encourage our partners to get to know each other so that they can then trade with each other. We created a marketplace, so by being involved in Leicestershire, it allowed an exclusive club of partners and businesses to come together and then actually trade with each other. There’s then a benefit to becoming a partner of Leicestershire as well as enjoying the cricket and getting to know the cricket club.

Over the past four years, we’ve built that up gradually. What tends to happen is businesses that become partners of LCCC then start talking to other people which is an evolution and natural progression. And if we are successful as a cricket club, and successful in the relationships that we have, then eventually it creates a critical mass where momentum takes over and more and more businesses want to be part of it. I think our retention rate is in the high 90% at the moment with regards to businesses partnering Leicestershire County Cricket Club. That’s something that we’re proud of and we want to build on but I’ve still got a lot more to do. And then we have memberships. People supporting Leicestershire have increased over the past 3-4 years. We’ve seen bigger crowds which has become a more attractive proposition to commercial organisations and getting involved with Leicestershire. So the upward spiral of Leicestershire has been successful, but it’s been hard work and it’s been about developing relationships and understanding people’s objectives and what they want to achieve and their relationship with us.

On involving the community

I’ll give you three examples. One is around sustainability and the environment. We are developing a relationship with a company called EVE power, which is an electric power company. At the moment they are working with us on electric charges at our ground that serve our community and solar panels in different parts of our business. They bring their expertise to Leicestershire in terms of helping us be greener in our approach to how we operate as a business and we are obviously going to invest in that going forward.

Another one would be a company called Red Monkey Play which was more of a CSR approach. They’re a children’s playground manufacturer and they’re a partner of the club. They wanted to do something with our community to get them to come and play on our ground. So we created a cricket game that was all about everybody from different backgrounds: Hindus, Muslims, Catholics, atheists, celebrities etc. all coming together to play cricket in Leicestershire and it was a cricket game without barriers.

Another example was Melton Building Society who are a local building society here in the Midlands. Through our partnership with them, they helped to educate our academy players on financial management, because what tends to happen if you get a player who becomes a bit of a superstar, they can suddenly get an awful lot of money and all of a sudden, they’re not quite sure what to do with it and in many cases we see they can become very frivolous with their finances. So having somebody such as Melton Building Society as a partner of Leicestershire County Cricket Club meant that they could help our academy players understand their own financial management.  So we are using Partner’s expertise to help educate our staff and our people to be better informed and make better choices as they go forward.

What entails a good partnership?

I think it’s very important that when we meet a potential partner, we listen to what it is they want because we want the partner to be a long term partner of Leicestershire. We don’t want them just to be here for a year and disappear. We want them to be here for a long time and to benefit from the relationship that they have with Leicestershire. We understand their objectives and then we try to create a program that helps their objectives. We do have to understand what that business stands for, we try and do our due diligence on the businesses because we want them to be ethical and  have good EDI policies. It’s like you’re entering a marriage with a partner so it’s very important that we do our homework and make sure that they have all the attributes that we want. So their family and community values are what we look for before we approach them.  Once you have a like-minded organisation, the relationship then is very easy to create and we encourage them as to understand us, to get underneath our skin and understand our values as a business as well.

Growing popularity of cricket in the UK

Cricket is continuing to grow, certainly here in the UK. What we’ve seen over the past 2-3 years, is a real mushroom of women’s cricket. What we’re witnessing within cricket is that it is becoming a game for all. So whether that’s female, male or  disability cricket,  clubs are now really becoming very inclusive in their approach. There’s been a whole host of reports in the UK that’s made cricket clubs look at how they approach audiences in a very different light. We’re seeing good growth of cricket support in the UK. How the landscape will look in a few years’ time will be very interesting to see because I believe we could see overseas investment coming into cricket in the UK. The UK enjoys a different time frame to the likes of India so our cricket season doesn’t clash with India’s cricket season. Therefore cricket in the UK can become even more of a global proposition going forward but there’s a lot of discussion and debate to be had about how it helps the wider game. It can’t help just the select few. It’s got to help the recreational game, the women’s game, the disability game, the first class game, and the pathway academies. So any investment coming into cricket in the UK has to be done in the right way. It can’t be a mercenary investment, it needs to be distributed around the UK so that cricket can only get better and stronger. This year we will start to see a very interesting landscape that’s developing in the UK.

Cross partnerships between cricket clubs around the world?

I definitely think that’s the direction that cricket in the UK is heading. Traditionally, cricket clubs in the UK have been very closed shops but now the whole dynamic of cricket in the UK has changed considerably. Cricket clubs  are starting to wake up to those potential relationships but it’s very early days and clubs are still a little bit guarded but I do think we will see relationships between UK cricket clubs, IPL teams, maybe Australian teams and maybe even American teams. There is going to be without question affiliations or ownership challenges over the next few years and I can speak on behalf of Leicestershire as we’re happy to explore those and have actually begun one or two conversations already. So there is still an awful lot of talking to be done but there is definitely an appetite in Leicestershire, and around the UK, to develop sustainable relationships between us and other clubs around the world.

Will 2024  be the defining year for Leicestershire CCC?

We want to build on the success that we achieved in 2023 and that was by creating an England player in Rehan Ahmed, and also winning some silverware. We want to grow on what we’ve done and hopefully, we can compete to win some further silverware. Whether we can win it or not remains to be seen but we want to be more of a competitive team than we have been for a long time.

I think off the field, we want to continue to build our commercial strength. It’s now about how we develop phase one of our master plan. The first quarter of this new year will be working with some partners on how we can focus on one part of the ground and actually look to build something that makes Leicestershire even more successful and sustainable in the future. So I think 2024 will be about us building on the foundations that we laid in 2023 with a view to real success in 2025 and 2026.

And will that include also developing focusing more on the women’s side of the sport as well?

Yes, that’s already begun. Our women’s team was originally run by our community department on a bit of a voluntary basis. We’ve now moved the women’s cricket team into our cricket pillar, and actually it is now governed by professional cricketers so it’s beginning to change already. We will look to make our women’s cricket more professional and elite in its approach and more successful by sharing the knowledge that the men’s cricket team has had over the umpteen years.

Canadian Olympic Committee signs ATPI Sports Travel as the official travel logistics partner

The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) announced that global sports travel and events management company ATPI Sports Travel has been selected as the Official Travel Logistics Services Partner of Team Canada. The partnership will see ATPI Sports Travel coordinate and oversee travel logistics for athletes, teams and staff ahead of the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

ATPI Sports Travel has been a partner of Team Canada since 2017, when the company was first selected as the COC’s Official Ticketing and Hospitality Services Partner. 

“To be selected as an official supplier of the Canadian Olympic Committee is a huge achievement, and underscores our expertise in seamlessly managing the intricate travel requirements of today’s athletes during challenging conditions,” said Mathieu Marois, Managing Director of ATPI Canada. “This recognition not only validates our commitment to excellence, but also aligns perfectly with our wider plans to expand and enhance our footprint in the sports travel sector. Our passionate team has extensive experience in managing the complex needs of the dynamic world of sports travel, and we look forward to becoming an integral part of the COC team as they prepare for Paris 2024.”

With nearly three decades of experience working alongside high-profile athletes, international sports teams, and organizing committees and federations, ATPI Sports Travel brings a wealth of knowledge and elite sporting travel expertise to major sports events across the world every year. From the Olympic and Winter Olympic Games, FIFA World Cup, the Rugby World Cup and The Ocean Race, the company has built an acclaimed reputation in the sports travel sector for its bespoke solutions and around-the-clock support.

“ATPI has been a trusted partner of Team Canada for several years, and we are thrilled to have them as our Official Travel Logistics Services Partner for the upcoming Games,” said Jacqueline Ryan, Chief Brand and Commercial Officer of the Canadian Olympic Committee and CEO of the Canadian Olympic Foundation. “Sending Team Canada to Games is an incredibly complex logistical operation, and we couldn’t do it without the support of a partner like ATPI. This is going to be an exciting year, and I’m looking forward to working with them on the road to Paris 2024 and beyond.”

Darts hit the target

In this week’s Member Insights piece David Alexander, founder and MD of Calacus PR deep dives into the growing popularity of Darts.

It’s not that long ago that darts was associated with smoke-filled bars, pints and a male dominated crowd that didn’t exactly welcome a wide demographic of fans.

Watching Eric Bristow or Jacky Wilson with a cigarette or a pint as they played promoted a certain image that seems alien to the way the sport is now contested.

It all changed when Barry Hearn, the renowned promoter of snooker and boxing, led a breakaway from the governing body, the British Darts Organisation, to allow players to compete throughout the year and make a living from the sport.

The Circus Tavern venue gave way to Alexandra Palace and a prize fund of £64,000 with a winner’s cheque of £16,000 has risen to £2.5m with 96 players from around the world battling for the winner’s £500,000 grand prize.

The format may essentially have remained the same, but the event has taken on its own personality, blending sport and entertainment together with intro music for each player as they walk to the stage.

Darts has changed from being a sport for old men to a spectacle played and watched by a younger crowd, attracting attention from general sports fans over the Festive period in particular, rather than just a regular fanatical crowd, many in fancy dress outfits.

The sport has become progressive too, with Fallon Sherrock flying the flag for female players and beating men in the World Championships on more than one occasion.

No wonder Sky extended their broadcast deal until 2025 when the last contract came close to expiring and after this year’s drama, no one would bet against them extending it again. 

That darts caught the imagination of the wider public is down in no small part to Luke Littler, the 16-year-old prodigy who reached the 2024 final last month, having first played when he was only 18 months old.

Perhaps his success shouldn’t have been a surprise, given that he was playing in under-21 competitions when he was just 10.

The unlikely star, who looks older than his teenage years, was a breath of fresh air, joking about his diet of kebabs and pizza and obsession with his Xbox.

He beat former world champions and his idol Raymond van Barneveld on his way to the final to truly announce himself on the world stage. 

Because of Littler, darts became front-page news, the talk of every UK television news show, and the 2024 World Darts Championship enjoyed record-breaking viewing figures thanks to Littler’s fairy-tale.

His semi-final against Rob Cross averaged 1.79m viewers with a peak of 2.32m viewers, up by 40 per cent on the previous overall record and for the final that rose to a total audience of 4.8m viewers – the highest-ever non-football audience for Sky Sports.

Darts even dominated social media with Instagram seeing 11.8m video views and 10.2m total reach on Facebook. The Sky Sports website and app also saw 2.44m follow the live blog, up 307 per cent compared to last year’s final’s 648,000.

Sky Sports Darts’ Wayne Mardle, who knows a thing or two about the sport, believes that Littler is the real deal. 

He said: “I can’t remember someone going up there with such a swagger and just banging in 180s and hitting 11 and 12-darters like they are going out of fashion.

“I’m a darts fan first and foremost, I was watching it and I had goosebumps watching him. I love people achieving and that was a boy achieving something on the world stage.”

UK-based global darts retailer, Darts Corner‘s managing director Craig Heenighan underlined how this year’s World Championships have had an impact on the sport as a whole.

He said: “Luke Littler’s performance has captured the hearts of the nation. It’s clearly had had a huge impact. It’s not often that darts is on every radio station and on the back of every newspaper.

“If you think of elite-level sports, what 16-year-old could compete and make it to the final and have a have a really strong chance of winning?

“I think with the younger boys and girls around the country, looking at Luke, at the age of 16…. We’ve all seen the videos on TV of him playing (darts) in his nappy at 18 months old.

“I think that (says to) a new generation that darts is actually quite cool. And (they think): ‘I could be quite good at darts.’ And I think it just breathes new life, perhaps, into a new generation looking at the sport.”

It’s not just the teenage sensation that caught the headlines though.

In a sport where opponents respect each other and promote the positive atmosphere created by the excitable crowd, a word too for the eventual winner this year, ‘Cool Hand Luke’ Humphries, who, despite ensuring no fairytale ending for Littler, did a great deal for the sport himself over the course of the event.

Humphries made no secret of his battles with anxiety but has overcome the challenges and lost some weight which has also benefited his performances.

In the  post-match press conference , Humphries added that speaking openly about his troubles “definitely helped me because it was a weight off my shoulders”.

“I’m definitely not the only person in this room that goes through it. I was very open and honest about it because it was affecting my career and it was hard to hold it in.

“There have been lots of people on social media who’ve said ‘You’ve really inspired me and helped me’. That makes me feel great. I didn’t do it because of that. I did it because I wanted to be open and honest. All of a sudden I had celebrities and sports stars that messaged me and said that they go through the same.”

While there have been reports of pubs and clubs closing, reducing the access to darts by those who do not wish to play at home, organisations such as Flight Club can attract a Gen Z crowd.

With more than a dozen locations in the UK and venues in the US and Australia, they feature hi-tech booths with pumping tunes that also serve brunch and cocktails and interactive screens to allow groups to play different games.

Littler went one step further at the Bahrain Masters final later in January, hitting a nine-dart finish as he beat Michael van Gerwen 8-5 to secure his first senior PDC title.

It will be fascinating to see if Littler’s rise has a lasting effect on the popularity of darts but you wouldn’t want to bet against it after the excitement and focus this year’s World Championships attracted.

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