UCI President Brian Cookson Launches Manifesto For Re-Election

Brian Cookson, President of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), has launched his manifesto for the coming four years and re-election at the UCI Congress in Bergen in September.

“I am seeking the continued trust and support of the cycling community, so we can build on the progress that we have made together over the last four years”, Mr Cookson said.

Brian Cookson has been widely credited as a highly effective UCI President, with the UCI emerging cleaner, stronger and more transparent during his first four-year term.

The UCI’s work under Brian Cookson’s Presidency on anti-doping, on ethics, on the constitution, on governance structures, and on further globalising the sport has placed the UCI in a strong position, ready to make further great progress.

Launching his six point plan, Brian Cookson said:

“I stood for the Presidency of the UCI in 2013 as I felt strongly that the UCI needed to embrace a new way of doing things and address, head on, the critical challenges facing our sport. I believe the record shows I have kept my promises and made real progress during my first term.

“I have been honoured by the trust that has been placed in me to lead the UCI, and I am proud of the work we have done together. One of my most important commitments was to review and improve, where needed, our governance and transparency. That’s why we revised our Constitution, introducing a number of improvements in line with best practice, including term limits for the UCI President.

“We are now proud to be a well-respected international federation, seen by WADA and other anti-doping organisations as being the reference point in our work for clean sport.

“We have made a great start but there is much more that needs to be done.  That’s why I’m standing for a second and final term as UCI President.

“This strategic plan will drive growth across all cycling’s disciplines, accelerate our international development, champion cycling for transport and leisure, ensure equal opportunity for men and women to participate and compete, build on our restored credibility and ensure the UCI continues to  drive excellence in our operations.

“Over the next four years I want to build on the strong foundation we now have in place, but of course I cannot deliver this alone. I need your help and support to implement this plan, so that, together, we can continue the job and achieve a strong and truly global cycling community.”

ITTF Establish Ethics Commission and Confirm Future Events

The ITTF Board of Directors met 2nd June 2017 in Dusseldorf, Germany for the first time since the ITTF Elections, which was held on 31 May 2017.

The Board of Directors is made up of continental representatives, who are tasked to manage the ITTF, together with the Executive Committee between the AGMs.

The main decisions made and discussions had by the Board of Directors were:

The Future Events Working Group discussing the future of the World Championships and overall events structure presented their findings so far to the Board of Directors.

The Working Group will continue at full speed to prepare some proposals for 2018 for the Board of Directors to decide.

The ITTF Ethics Commission was fully established and approved, and the ITTF Code of Ethics will come into effect on 1 July 2017.

Future editions of the ITTF World Junior Championships were awarded: 2018 – Bendigo, Australia, 2019 – Nakorn Ratchasima, Thailand, after both countries put forward very impressive bids. The successful Bendigo bid was driven by ITTF-Oceania, empowered by the new Strategic Investment Agreement with the ITTF.

The next three editions of the ITTF World Cadet Challenge were allocated to 2018 – Tottori, Japan, 2019 – Cetniewo, Poland and 2020 – Bangkok, Thailand.

Commenting on the first Board of Directors meeting after being elected the ITTF President, Thomas Weikert stated: “After a hard-fought election campaign, I was very happy to see the ITTF Board of Directors very united and motivated to work with me and the newly elected Executive Committee to achieve ITTF’s goals and drive the sport forward.”

Allstate Becomes Official Insurance Sponsor of CONCACAF

Allstate Insurance Company today announced a multi-year partnership agreement to become the Official Insurance Sponsor of CONCACAF.

The agreement, negotiated by Soccer United Marketing (SUM), also includes a four-year renewal as the Official Home, Auto, Life and Retirement Insurance Partner of Major League Soccer (MLS) and the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol (FMF), via the annual Mexican National Team U.S. Tour.

“After more than a decade of supporting the soccer community, our passion for it has only grown and we’re excited to partner with these incredible organisations and their fans to engage with the Allstate brand,” said Pam Hollander, vice president of marketing for Allstate.

“There are many reasons soccer aligns with the Allstate brand – it’s diverse, it’s communal, and we respect and share the passion that soccer fans have for the sport, and for their team.”

The partnership will implement a multi-channel approach with Allstate brand integration across TV, digital, social media, public relations, in-stadium exposure and on-site activations at key events.

“For years, Allstate has proved itself to be a committed partner in the development and growth of football across the U.S. and throughout the region,” said CONCACAF General Secretary Philippe Moggio.

“As Allstate continues to raise the bar on engaging fans and communities by harnessing the growing influence and passion inherent in the game, we are pleased to expand our connection with them across our championships.”

To support these sponsorships, Allstate will launch a new national advertising campaign (TV, digital, social and more) and develop a community-based initiative that will span across these organisations in select cities.

FIBA Americas Executive Director Retiring After 19 Years of Service

Alberto Garcia, FIBA Americas Executive Director, has announced his retirement after 19 years of service to world basketball’s governing body.

Garcia’s career in basketball began in 1962 when he became a referee in his hometown of Mendoza, Argentina.

He served as a member of the Technical Committees for the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games and the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.

In 2002, he was promoted to Deputy Secretary General under then Secretary General Jenaro “Tuto” Marchand.

In 2006, Garcia became FIBA Americas Secretary General – now known as FIBA Americas Executive Director – and has held that position for the last decade.

Under his direction, FIBA Americas’ office has assumed the responsibility of developing basketball throughout the region with special attention given to mini basketball, women’s basketball, coaching and referees’ education as well as international club competitions, including the creation of the DIRECTV Liga de las Americas in 2007.

Patrick Baumann, FIBA Secretary General and International Olympic Committee (IOC) Member, added: “On behalf of FIBA, I would like to thank Alberto Garcia for all that he has done since joining the organisation 19 years ago. His hard work, complete dedication and unwavering commitment – especially in the last decade as Americas’ Executive Director – are to be commended. I would like to wish him all the best for the future.”

FIBA has already begun the search for Garcia’s successor.

Meanwhile, Usie Richards will take over the function of FIBA Americas Executive Director ad interim until the position is filled.

Champion Chase to Remain in Betway’s Stable for Next Three Years

Betway has agreed on a contract extension to sponsor the Grade One Queen Mother Champion Chase for the next three Cheltenham Festivals.

The champion two-mile chase was Betway’s first major sponsorship deal in horse racing back in 2015, when Dodging Bullets shot to victory under Sam Twiston-Davies, and the leading online bookmaker will now sponsor the top-level contest up to and including 2020.

The Betway Champion Chase has been a career-defining race for some great horses, with Sprinter Sacre bringing down the house in 2016 to well and truly cement his place in National Hunt racing’s hall of fame.

Special Tiara landed the Betway-sponsored prize this year for Henry de Bromhead and Noel Fehily at the fourth time of asking.

Anthony Werkman, Marketing and Operations Director at Betway, said: “After a fantastic three years of sponsoring the Queen Mother Champion Chase, we are delighted to extend our support and see the great race run under the Betway name for at least the next three Festivals.

“The Cheltenham Festival is where everyone wants to be and we’re excited to remain in the thick of it, not least sponsoring one of the feature races of the four-day meeting.

“Winning the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase is the pinnacle for any two-mile chaser and with our continued sponsorship we hope to cement our place at National Hunt racing’s top table.”

European Parliament Backs Paris 2024 Olympic Bid

With less than 100 days until the International Olympic Committee casts its vote in Lima to decide the host city for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Paris 2024 has received a boost with the European Parliament coming out in support of the bid.

President of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, backed by Marc Tarabella and Santiago Fisas, co-Presidents of the body’s Sport Intergroup, announced the parliament’s support of the project during today’s session in Brussels at the very heart of the European institution.

A Paris 2024 delegation led by Paris 2024 Co-Chair Bernard Lapasset and accompanied by France’s newly-named Minister of Sports, Olympian Laura Flessel, shared the project with the European Parliament’s Sport Intergroup today, which brings together 92 members from 21 different countries to address themes relevant to sports in the region.

This latest support comes less than a week after the warm welcome given by the European Sports Ministers to the Paris 2024 project, presented by Laura Flessel to her counterparts in Brussels on 23 May. This strong demonstration of Europe-wide engagement in Paris’s bid for the 2024 Games further emphasises the unifying nature of the French candidature.

Through its commitment to sustainability, its desire to put sport at the heart of society and the strong social purpose, Paris 2024 embodies the values of the European Union and is fully in line with the objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy. It once again establishes the bid’s ability to bring together European states and citizens around its project and its values of sharing.

Bernard Lapasset, Co-Chair of Paris 2024, said: “We are very pleased to have been able to present our project to the Ministers of the European Parliament and warmly welcome the support of the parliament, through its President Antonio Tajani.

“Paris 2024 is a project to be shared in France, Europe and the world and the support of the European Parliament further demonstrates strong unity around our candidature.”

Laura Flessel, Double Olympic Champion and French Minister of Sport, added: “The impact of Paris 2024 extends far beyond France. I am proud of the enthusiasm that it promotes in our European neighbours, as was seen at the meeting of the EU Council of Sports Ministers on 23 May and at the European Parliament today.

“This mobilisation shows Paris 2024 is a unifying project with values that unite us as Europeans.”

Wimbledon 2017: Exclusive Hospitality Offer for iSportconnect Members

The Championships, Wimbledon, is the oldest, most prestigious tennis tournament in the world. It’s an event renowned for its sporting drama, love of tradition and the quintessentially British atmosphere.

There is no better place to entertain clients, treat family and friends or stage your own corporate event.

iSportconnect have partnered with Sportsworld for a special members offer including a full day of tennis and hospitality at The Fairway Village.

The Fairway Village is just a short walk from Centre Court and boasts a VIP lounge, private dining area and a relaxing garden cocktail bar.

It’s the perfect base for all-day entertainment and to soak up the atmosphere between matches. In other words, the ideal spot to enjoy the Championships in true Wimbledon style.

Hospitality package includes:

–       All-day access to the Fairway Village and Village Suite

–       Official reserved ticket for Centre Court or No.1 Court

–       Tea and coffee

–       Cocktails, Champagne and Pimm’s reception

–       All-day complimentary open bar

–       Live kitchen experience

–       Three course á la carte lunch with beverages

–       Large private garden area & garden cocktail bar

–       Traditional afternoon tea

–       Commemorative VIP pass and official documentation

–       Extra touches: Live musical entertainment, sunscreen, bottled water, and Wi-Fi access

iSportconnect Members Dates and Prices:

Tuesday 11th July – £695 per person + VAT – No. 1 Court

Thursday 13th July – £995 per person + VAT – Centre Court

Subject to availability at time of booking

If you would like to hear more about this exclusive offer, please call the Sportsworld team on 0208 971 2966 and quote “iSportconnect.”

Manchester United overtake Real Madrid at top of Forbes football rich list

Premier League club Manchester United have overtaken Real Madrid as the most valuable football team in the world, according to business magazine Forbes.

United have been valued at $3.69bn (£2.86bn) and returned to the top of the annual list for the first time in five years, despite not competing in the Champions League during the 2016/17 season.

Spanish side Barcelona were second with a total worth of $3.64bn (£2.82bn) while Madrid $3.58bn (£2.77bn) slipped to third after being crowned European champions for the 12th time in their history last week.

Madrid had occupied top spot for the past four years but saw their value drop by 2% while United’s rose by a huge 11%.

English teams dominated the top 10 with Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham all included, which highlights the financial power of the Premier League elite.

Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich were fourth, while Serie A title winners Juventus were ninth.

“Manchester United’s return to the top spot is a testament to their powerful brand and marketing acumen,” Forbes Media assistant managing editor Mike Ozanian said.

Forbes’ top 20 most valuable football teams:

1. Manchester United $3.69bn (£2.86bn)
2. Barcelona $3.64bn (£2.82bn)
3. Real Madrid $3.58bn (£2.77bn)
4. Bayern Munich $2.71bn (£2.1bn)
5. Manchester City $2.08bn (£1.61bn)
6. Arsenal $1.93bn (£1.5bn)
7. Chelsea $1.85bn (£1.43bn)
8. Liverpool $1.49bn (£1.15bn)
9. Juventus $1.26bn (£976m)
10. Tottenham $1.06bn (£821m)
11. Paris St-Germain $841m (£652m)
12. Borussia Dortmund $808m (£626m)
13. AC Milan $802m (£621m)
14. Atletico Madrid $732m (£567m)
15. West Ham $634m (£491m)
16. Schalke 04 $629m (£487m)
17. Roma $569m (£441m)
18. Inter Milan $537m (£416m)
19. Leicester City $413m (£320m)
20. Napoli $379m (£294m)

UEFA to choose between Baku and Madrid for 2019 Champions League final

The 2019 UEFA Champions League Final will be played in either Baku or Madrid after European football’s governing body received 14 bid dossiers from ten member associations to host club competition finals in 2019.

The bidding procedure for the selection of the venues to host the finals of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Women’s Champions League and UEFA Super Cup was launched in December 2016.

Ten associations have sent their bid dossiers to UEFA by the 6 June 2017 deadline.

UEFA Champions League
Azerbaijan: Baku, Olympic Stadium
Spain: Madrid, Estadio Metropolitano

UEFA Europa League
Azerbaijan: Baku, Olympic Stadium
Spain: Sevilla, Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán
Turkey: Istanbul, Beşiktaş Arena

UEFA Women’s Champions League
Hungary: Budapest, Ferencváros Aréna
Kazakhstan – Astana – Astana Arena

UEFA Super Cup
Albania: Tirana, Qemal Stafa Stadium
France: Toulouse, Stadium de Toulouse
Israel: Haifa, Sammy Ofer Stadium
Kazakhstan: Astana, Astana Arena
Northern Ireland: Belfast, National Football Stadium of Windsor Park
Poland: Gdańsk. Arena Gdańsk
Turkey: Istanbul, Beşiktaş Arena

The UEFA Executive Committee will select the successful host associations on 21 September 2017.

How AS Roma, with 8.8m Facebook fans, generated over 70m video views in five days

by Paul Rogers (Head of Digital and Social Media, AS Roma)

When it was announced that Francesco Totti would play his final game for AS Roma after 25 years, we began to work on a content plan that we hoped would pay a fitting tribute to the player himself, engage the club’s supporters and also allow fans of other clubs to join the conversation.

The content we released broke every single digital record we measure – on Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram, on Snapchat, on YouTube and on our website.

On Facebook, our Totti videos generated over 70m videos views in just over a week.

These videos were shared over 850,000 times and inspired over 170,000 comments.

Our Facebook Live coverage of the farewell ceremony after the match lasted 48 minutes – and has generated 12.4m views, 225,000 shares, 615,000 Likes and a reach of 41m.

On Sunday, May 28, the day of his final appearance for Roma, the Facebook videos we made clocked up 44.5m views – and were shared 644,330 times – with 147,000 comments.

In the same 24 hours, we racked up 1.5m videos views on Instagram, 4.3m views of our dedicated Instagram Story – plus 1.3m video views on Twitter and 817,000 views on Snapchat.

One of our Gifs, hosted on Giphy, was viewed a record 65 million times in a single day.

Roma doesn’t boast as big a social following as many of our rivals – we have 8.8m Facebook followers – some way short of the 102m followers that both Real Madrid and Barcelona can claim as the biggest two clubs on Facebook and still a long way off Manchester United, the third biggest team, with 73m followers.

However, for one month at least, Roma out-performed every team in the world in terms of Facebook videos.

Despite not winning a title or trophy, Roma was the only club to break 10m views for a video on Facebook in May.

In actual fact, we broke the 10m views mark four times in the final four days of May.

15.3m views for a montage of players and fans crying

12.4m views for the Facebook Live farewell ceremony

11.8m views for an emotional montage of Totti’s career

11.6m views for a top 10 goals video

For a club with less than 9 million followers, these are great numbers – and are a clear testament to how well respected Totti is by the football community.

From an editorial perspective, we did three things in particular which we think helped drive such metrics:

  1. We scheduled content like a TV channel – with a whole week of multi-media content planned out – allowing us to be able to push out scheduled content, whilst also being able to be flexible and reactive with opportunities that presented themselves throughout the day and week. We knew on Monday exactly which video we would post at 4pm on Sunday – two hours before kick-off – as we believed that was the prime time to capture fans’ attention. That video ended up generating 11.8m views and 322,000 Likes.
  2. We took a social-first approach – and involved fans throughout the content producing process. Interestingly enough, despite refusing to use social media as a broadcast tool just to drive fans back to our website unnecessarily; we recorded our biggest ever month on the website in terms of both unique users and page impressions.
  3. All of our content was designed to be emotive – we set out to make people feel something – to provoke a feeling of pride or even nostalgia for the football and footballers we grew up with. We set out to make people smile or make them cry. It’s no secret that people are more likely to share emotive content – and as numbers above illustrate, people shared our content like never before – over 850,000 times in fact. More than Likes or Views, its Shares that we wanted – to amplify our content to the biggest possible audience.

All in all, we feel that the small but dedicated team’s hard work paid off. We hopefully delivered a week of content that both Francesco Totti and our fans were proud of and we also engaged fans of other clubs in an open and inviting way.

About the contributor:

Paul is the Head of Digital and Social Media at AS Roma. He’s responsible for developing the club’s digital media strategy – helping the club to communicate with new and existing supporters all over the world.

Formerly Head of International Development at Liverpool FC, where he worked for 14 years, he has experience in creating content and marketing strategies, brand building, strategic planning, social media, digital journalism, TV production, rights negotiations and generating new revenue streams through content.

https://www.facebook.com/officialasroma/videos/1399428543451289/