The proposed takeover of National Hockey League (NHL) side the Phoenix Coyotes has moved further considerably after a new lease was agreed for the NHL team at Jobing.com Arena by the Glendale City Council.

Matt Hulsizer is hoping to renew the fortunes of the side which went into bankruptcy and has taken a huge step in doing so following the recent decision. The council voted 5-2 in favour of a lease which will cost the city US$197m over a six-year period. Hulsizer’s buy-out is now expected pending an approval from the NHL’s board of governors.

Hulsizer will receive $100m for parking rights from the city and a further $97m as a fee for operating Jobing.com Arena, giving him the option to buy the Arena after five years. The latest decision was seen as Hulsizer’s biggest obstacle and now a buy-out could be completed within a matter of weeks.

“I’m happy the council went this way and the hard work starts now,” said Hulsizer. “We have a long process, but in the end I think we’re going to build a great product.”

Hulsizer said he doesn’t expect the Coyotes to make money “for a long time”, but he added: “I will tell you that 10 or 15 years from now, I think, along with the economy, things are going to come back.”

Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), the company which runs the Tour de France, were boosted by lance Armstrong’s comeback from retirement in 2009 which helped add around US$32m in sales.

The 39-year-old cycling legend returned to the event after three years and competed in a toughly fought and much anticipated duel with Alberto Contador which ASO stated was “certainly not irrelevant to the success”. The comeback encouraged business from the likes of Volkswagen AG’s Skoda and France Telecom SA’s Orange amongst its agreements.

Sales from ASO’s sports events rose 20 per cent to $195.4m with the global television audience of the Tour increasing 10 per cent. Net income fell 1.2 per cent to $42.3m.

Contador went on to win the battle in 2009 whilst Armstrong finished third on his return. The veteran finished 23rd this year in what will be his last in the Tour.

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Netball took the first step on the road to joining the Asian sports family by making a presentation to the Olympic Council of Asia’s Sports Committee on Thursday. A popular women’s team sport in several countries around the world, view mainly from the Commonwealth, advice netball’s goal is to become recognised by the OCA and join initially the SEA Games and Asian Indoor Games.

The presentation was made by Cyrus Medora, anabolics Executive Director of Netball Singapore and Treasurer of the Asian Netball Federation. Describing the sport as “dynamic and exciting”, he played Sports Committee members a short clip of the recent Commonwealth Games final between Australia and New Zealand in Delhi.

Mr. Medora explained that the International Netball Federation (IFNA) had 68 members from Asia, Europe, America, Africa and Oceania, and IFNA was the sole internationally-recognised governing body.

With a global playing base of 20 million, netball has been a recognised Olympic sport since 1995 and has featured in the World Games in 1985, 1989 and 1993. The top 10 countries in the world rankings are: 1, Australia; 2, New Zealand; 3, England; 4, Jamaica; 5, Fiji; 6, South Africa; 7, Malawi; 8, Trinidad and Tobago; 9, Samoa; 10, Cook Islands.

The Asian Netball Federation has 13 full members and five associate members, with a secretariat in both Singapore and Australia.

The Asian rankings based on based on the 7th Asian Netball Championship in 2009 are: 1, Sri Lanka; 2, Singapore; 3, Malaysia; 4, Thailand; 5, Hong Kong; 6, Chinese Taipei; 7, India; 8, Maldives; 9, Pakistan.

The World Netball Championship 2011 will be hosted in Singapore next July, when the world’s top 16 teams will be competing and ESPN will be the broadcaster for worldwide coverage.

One of the key issues for netball to be recognised by the OCA is for the various netball associations to be part of their National Olympic Committee, as some of the Asian members are not recognised by their own NOC.

AzPetrol, find Azerbijan’s biggest oil agency, anabolics has renewed its patronage contract with the European Hockey Federation and signed a new partnership agreement for a further four years.

This partnership will be used to fund development activities of the EHF member countries.

The president of the EHF, Martin Gotheridge, travelled to Baku, Azerbaijan to sign the new contract and said “I cannot over estimate our gratitude to AzPetrol for continuing to support the European Hockey Federation. The Umpire Development Project over the past years would simply not have been possible without the funding from AzPetrol or indeed the dedication of the umpires in the programme and their mentors who have spent endless unpaid hours advising, watching and supporting them. It is a huge testament to the success of the programme that we now see these umpires at EHL, at the Youth Olympics and at the top women’s Club Championship tournaments.”

On the occasion of signing the new contract Wednesday, Gotheridge said, “This new four year contract gives the EHF the reassurance that we can now turn our attention to other areas of development.

“Partnership is of course a two-way thing and we look forward to working with Huseynaga Ragimov, Azpetrol, and his team and making sure that their brand is supported at all EuroHockey events.”

A statement on the FA website read: “Participants covered by the ban will be prohibited from betting, either directly or indirectly, on any football match or competition that takes place anywhere in the world.

“The changes to FA Rules from the start of the 2014/15 season will also effect a worldwide prohibition on betting on any other football-related matter.

“For example, the transfer of players, employment of managers or team selection. The passing of inside information to somebody that uses the information for betting remains prohibited.”

A new fund has been created to help grassroots football in England, the Football Association, the Premier League and the government announced today. 

The governing bodies invested £102m to increase participation at every level of the game through improvements in the availability of venues and coaching.

Alex Horne, the FA’s general secretary, said: “The funding that the FA has invested through the Football Foundation has dramatically improved local football facilities up and down the country and is a key part of the FA’s four-year National Game Strategy, a £200 million investment into the grassroots game.

“These enhanced facilities increase opportunities for young people to become involved in football, whether as players or coaches, and it is this work which feeds into helping to produce the next generation of English football talent.

“Our announcement really is an excellent example of how much can be achieved when football’s governing bodies work in partnership with government to deliver a highly efficient investment programme into facilities across the country.”

The news comes just a week after FA chairman Greg Dyke formed a commission aimed at improving the infrastructure of the national game, a commission which has already been criticised by the likes of FA director Heather Rabbatts.

Badminton Europe Confederation (BEF) president Poul-Erik Hoyer Larsen has announced his intention to go for the presidency of Badminton World Federation (BWF).

Hoyer Larsen is the 1996 Olympic Men’s singles champion and also serves on Denmark’s National Olympic Committee. He was elected to his position at BEC in 2010.

A statement released by Larsen said: “I want to lead the BWF in the same spirit as today and ensure an open dialogue with key stakeholders. I represent unity in the badminton world as I believe that we need strong cooperation to compete against other sports.”

“Our prime target must be to ensure badminton’s status as an Olympic sport and with my profile, therapy I believe I can contribute to badminton’s Olympic aspirations.”

The statement also said that Larsen was encouraged by colleague from around the world as it was known that Kang Young Joong, the current BWF president, would not seek re-election.

Badminton Association of Malaysia president Datuk Seri Nadzmi Modh Salleh and Indonesia’s Icuk Sugiarto have also expressed an interest in the presidency.

The BWF annual general meeting takes place on 18 May in Kuala Lumpur.

Bereits zum dritten Mal zeichnet die Bundesliga-Stiftung im Rahmen des Berufswettbewerbs des Verbandes deutscher Sportjournalisten (VDS) herausragende soziale Projekte und Initiativen aus. Beim diesjährigen VDS-Verbandsrat in Oberhof honorierte die Bundesliga-Stiftung gestern Abend zwei von Sportredaktionen getragene Initiativen.

Die “Schlappekicker-Aktion” ist eine Aktion der Sportredaktion der Frankfurter Rundschau. Sie unterstützt seit bereits 60 Jahren unter anderem in Not geratene Sportler und fördert Integrationsprogramme im Vereinssport sowie Modellprojekte im Schulsport. Seit der Gründung hat der eingetragene Verein schon über eineinhalb Millionen Euro in soziale Projekte investiert.

Der zweite Preisträger ist “ran hilft Haiti”. Die ran-Redaktion initiierte und organisierte ein Benefizspiel zu Gunsten der Opfer des Erdbebens in Haiti. Am 7. März spielte das “ran-Allstar-Team” gegen die Nationalmannschaft Haitis in Augsburg und erlöste dadurch über 500.000 Euro, seek die in den Bau der erdbebensicheren ran-Fußballschule “Camp Nous” investiert wurden. An der im Mai 2012 eröffneten Schule lernen heute 120 Mädchen und Jungen.