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.

With the latest threat of transport strikes, pilule concerns with overcrowding and inflated hotel prices in London during the Olympic period, allergy it appears that foreign tourists may instead be heading to other regions of the UK.

When it was first announced that London had won the bid to host the 2012 Olympics, doctor many people across the country felt it would have little positive impact on those outside of the capital. However, recent research conducted by Skyscanner, Europe’s leading travel search site reveals that inbound tourism is set to benefit, with a massive influx of foreign visitors to regional destinations.

The North West of England and Scotland will profit most from foreign visitors during the games, with Australians and Canadian’s heading to these areas in their droves. Flight searches to regional airports from these nations are up 33% and 13% respectively with Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow all proving particularly popular.

Northern Ireland will also welcome more visitors during the games, with Canadian’s showing huge interest in visiting the country. Belfast Airport is showing an increase in searches from airports across Canada of 22% year on year.

Research by Skyscanner also shows that popular tourist attractions in the Midlands and the South West will welcome many more foreign visitors this year with visitors from Spain and Switzerland heading to the region during the Olympics. Flight searches to airports across these regions from these countries are up 25% and 24% respectively.

Interestingly, the residents of Leeds will be welcoming Cypriots to the city, as searches to Leeds Bradford Airport from the sun kissed island are up a staggering 32%.

Gareth Williams, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at Skyscanner said: “It’s great to see that so many international tourists are planning to take advantage of the low cost fares on offer to visit other parts of Britain during the Games.”

by Ismail Uddin

Generate Sponsorship have been employed by Major League Baseball (MLB) to manage the MLB UK Roadshow, unhealthy an interactive fan experience that introduces young people in the UK to the excitement of baseball.

The first of the two free public events took place in Manchester on 24th September and the second stop will be London’s Trafalgar Square on Saturday 1st October.  Generate has worked with MLB to create roadshow attractions that allow participants to learn more about baseball by taking swings in an inflatable batting cage, prostate testing their throwing skills in a pitching tunnel and learning more about MLB rules and players.  In addition, members of the Great Britain Junior National baseball team will be on hand to provide coaching tips and advice.

Clive Russell, Managing Director of Major League Baseball EMEA, said “The Roadshow is an exciting and engaging way to take the sport of baseball to new audiences and works perfectly as an extension of our numerous development initiatives across the region. Generate boasts impressive credentials and we are happy to continue building on a successful relationship forged in China as we bring baseball to life here in the UK.”

Sam Moqbel, Generate’s Head of Events, added: “We’re delighted to be working with Major League Baseball on the MLB UK Roadshow. The Tour activities are designed to give anyone at any level a taste of the sport, including those people who have never picked up a bat or glove.  We look forward to introducing young people in the UK to a new and exciting sport.”

Molly Rhone is set to continue her reign as President of the International Federation of Netball Associations (IFNA) for another four years after being nominated as the sole candidate at the upcoming election.

Jamaican Rhone, a former international player, was first elected to the top position at a Congress held at the World Netball Championships in Kingston in 2003 and was re-elected for two years in 2005.

In 2007, the tenure of Presidency was extended from two to four years, meaning the upcoming term will be her fourth and take her Presidency into 12 years.

The Jamaican is already the longest-serving President of the world netball body and told the Jamaica Observer: “I think it’s a great honour, not just for me, but for my country Jamaica and it gives one an opportunity not only for netball, but also to work for my country.

“I didn’t get any feedback as to why nobody wanted to run, but I certainly have got some congratulatory messages and some people saying, ‘I think you’re doing a good job’.

“If I wasn’t being assessed by my membership and I wasn’t doing a good job, I’m sure somebody else would be up against me.”

Rhone has set the target during her next term, of helping the sport expand internationally to ultimately help it achieve its ambition of being included in the Olympics. 

She added: “It’s not easy to market women’s sports as we have discovered, but that’s our new thrust. 

“A lot of people see us as a Commonwealth sport and we are now more than that.”

The 38th domestic sponsor for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games has been confirmed as Rapiscan Systems Limited UK. The company will become the official security equipment and systems supplier for the event, viagra sale becoming a tier three sponsor.

Under the terms of the agreement, bronchi Rapiscan will supply 2, cialis dosage 000 ‘vehicle screening, people screening and baggage and parcel inspection systems’ to the Olympic venues.

The deal was agreed between the company and the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG), whose commercial director Chris Townsend stated: “Keeping athletes, spectators and everyone involved safe at the Games is a vital part of our role and to do that we need a significant amount of equipment and expertise, which Rapiscan Systems will provide.

“We are very happy to welcome them to the London 2012 family and look forward to working with them between now and Games-time to ensure our Games are the best – and safest – they can be.”

Ajay Mehra, president of Rapiscan Systems added: “The importance of this award goes far beyond its commercial value. The confidence that LOCOG has demonstrated in Rapiscan demonstrates our leadership in security screening solutions.”

Rapiscan is a wholly-owned subsidiary of OSI Systems, founded in 1993, though it is the UK division that has secured the contract with London 2012. Although financial details were not disclosed the value is likely to be worth a comprehensive seven-figure sum given the complexity of the scanning equipment that will be installed.