Netherlands defeats English to host the 2014 World Cups

The Netherlands has prevailed over England in the bidding for rights to host the Men’s and Women’s FIH Hockey World Cups in 2014.

The decision was confirmed by the International Hockey Federation executive board and announced on Thursday evening at a special ceremony at the FIH Congress and Forum in Montreux, Switzerland.

“It was an incredibly difficult decision to make”, said FIH president Leandro Negre shortly after revealing the winner. “The bids from The KNHB and England Hockey were both outstanding, two of the best that we have ever seen. It was a very close decision, but we offer our congratulations to The Netherlands, who we are sure will stage an unforgettable double World Cup event. England Hockey’s bid has reinforced their importance as a partner for future FIH events, and we are keen to maximise the use of London 2012’s legacy facility.”

The Men’s and Women’s FIH World Cup will take place in The Hague between 2–15 June 2014.

As well as the tournament announcements, the ceremony also witnessed the signing of the new Memorandum of Understanding between the Continental Hockey Federations and the FIH. This is an extremely significant moment for hockey as it reinforces the importance of a close working relationship between the FIH and the five Continental Federations that play a crucial role in developing the game from grass roots to elite level and in ensuring hockey is a vibrant and sustainable sport in their regions and member countries.

Memorandums of Understanding between the FIH and all five continental federations have been concluded to reinforce the importance of a close working relationship.

Work begins on London 2012 Orbit tower

Building work on a 115m-tall (377ft) spiralling tower in the Olympic Park, cough designed by artist Anish Kapoor, has begun.

The ArcelorMittal Orbit, costing £22m, will be located between the Olympic Stadium and and the Aquatics Centre.

Visitors will be able to climb on the structure to get panoramic views across the Stratford site in east London.

The artwork incorporating the five Olympic rings in a lattice of steel is expected to be built by March 2012.

London Mayor Boris Johnson, Lakshmi Mittal, chairman of the steel company ArcelorMittal, artist Anish Kapoor and Andrew Altman, chief executive of the Olympic Park Legacy Company, attended the ceremony.

Anish Kapoor said: “I am delighted that construction work has started.

“I would like to thank everyone who has shown their support for the project.”

Mr Johnson said: “Recognised the world over, the Orbit will not only be an amazing piece of art, but it will draw visitors from every corner of the globe to East London.”

The projected cost of the structure has gone up from £19.1m to £22.3m.

ArcelorMittal will provide £19.2m, with the remaining £3.1m being funded by London Development Agency.

The Turner Prize-winning artist will work with structural designer Cecil Balmond of engineering firm Arup for the project.

English domestic cricket season could be cut by 12 days

The England and Wales Cricket Board structure group met earlier this week in the first of two meetings and recommended to the ECB board to reduce the season by between eight and 12 days “to enable a coherent and balanced domestic schedule to be delivered”.

Changes are set to be made to the Clydesdale Bank 40 competition to bring it in line with international one-day cricket from 2011.

A statement said: “The group will recommend that quarter-finals for the Clydesdale Bank 40 competition be delivered from 2012 and that the competition should be played in four pools of five teams.

“The group further noted that following the ICC World Cup in 2011 the format of international ODI cricket will be reviewed and recommended that the format of the Clydesdale Bank 40 competition should mirror the international format.”

The statement added: “The group will meet again prior to the ECB board meeting in mid-November to consider the number of LV County Championship and Friends Provident Twenty20 matches to be played in future seasons.

Former sports minister criticises India’s hosting of Commonwealth Games

India’s former sports minister, Mani Shankar Aiyar, has criticised the decision to host the Commonwealth Games in Delhi later this year when poverty is still rife in the country.

Aiyar said: “Thousands of millions [of rupees] are being spent on circuses [2010 Commonwealth Games] like these while the common children are being deprived of basic facilities to play.”

Aiyar went on to say that he would be happy if the monsoons ruined the Games. “I am very happy with the rains – firstly because it will ensure a good agriculture for the country and secondly it will ensure that the Commonwealth Games are spoilt. I will be happy if the Games are spoilt.”

Organising Committee chairman of the Games, Suresh Kalmadi has reacted to Aiyar’s comments by saying: “No individual can spoil the Games. It is a totally irresponsible and ridiculous statement from such a senior person.

“Aiyar should know his responsibilities and think before making such a statement, especially with the Games coming up shortly.

“He is an elected member of the Rajya Sabha [Upper House of Parliament] and what he has said is against the interest of the country.

“It was because of his brashness that he was removed from the Sports Minister’s post. If he would have been the minister, the Commonwealth Games would never have come to India.”

The Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games will be held between 3 and 14 October.

 

UFC serves subpoenas over live internet streaming

The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s (UFC) parent company has continued its fight against anti-piracy by serving subpoenas to live video streaming websites Justin.tv and Ustream.tv.

The UFC’s parent company, Zuffa, has taken the measure against the two websites as they allow members to broadcast live video to an unlimited internet audience.

UFC has stated that live internet streaming is having a detrimental impact on the UFC pay-per-view events.

More than 36,000 viewed the UFC 108 event in January online and more than 78,000 saw the UFC 110 event in February.

UFC’s president Dana White said: “I can”t wait to go after the thieves that are stealing our content. This is a fight we will not lose. When people start going to jail, people will stop doing it.”

 

UFA launches Asian operation

The UFA sports agency has extended its operations to Asia, view opening a new office in Singapore.

UFA Sports Asia will be the new business run from there, and is a joint venture with Asian sports rights experts Tom Housemean and Jeff Chue.

Houseman, managing director at UFA Sports Asia, said: “We can hit the ground running. We already enjoy a strong network of pan-Asian relationships, which we can now enhance with a range of attractive new offerings, and these compliment perfectly with the growing portfolio of properties and rights-holder relationships which UFA Sports has developed in Europe.”

Budweiser distances itself from ambush marketing affair

American beer company Budweiser has spoken out over the ambush marketing affair that has caused a storm at this summer’s FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

36 women were evicted from Holland’s game against Denmark for wearing orange dresses associated with Bavaria Beer, which is not an official sponsor of the tournament, and therefore a breach of FIFA regulations.

Two women from the group, Barbara Castelein and Minte Immy Niewpoort, who are alleged to have masterminded the stunt are now facing criminal charges.

But Budweiser, which is an official sponsor of the tournament, has released a statement making it clear it had nothing to do with beginning proceedings against the women.

The statement read: “We first learned about this issue through media stories and reporter inquiries. FIFA did apprise us of the situation as part of their regular sponsor communications after the incident was handled.

“We had nothing to do with FIFA’s decision to remove these women from the stadium or the steps taken afterwards. Please understand that our position as a sponsor of the World Cup does not give us such decision-making authority.

“Although AB InBev (Budweiser parent company) is an official sponsor of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, FIFA remains the sole decision maker in regards to tournament issues both on and off the field.

“We want to be clear that we did not provide FIFA or South African authorities any counsel on the issue involving Bavaria – we are not and have not been involved.

“We understand there is an active investigation underway by the local authorities, and out of respect for that process and the parties involved, we will not provide any further comment.”

The two women face charges under the Merchandise Marks Act and the Special Measures Regulations, but Bavaria Beer has said it will do all it can to try and help them out.

A statement from the company said: “Unfortunately Bavaria has been drawn into the furore surrounding the arrest of the two ladies who were wearing an orange dress also worn by thousands of Dutch ladies and football supporters.

“There is no way FIFA can hold these ladies responsible for their attendance at the match in their Dutch dress in Soccer City and Bavaria is currently doing everything in its power to assist the arrested Dutch ladies.

“Bavaria will ask FIFA to immediately stop intimidating Dutch dresses female supporters.”

ITV pundit Robbie Earle was also caught up in the incident when he was sacked by the broadcaster, as it was his tickets that were used by the women to attend the game.

FIM Speedway Grand Prix to Return to Poland after New Deal

Polish FIM Speedway Grand Prix venue Marian Rose Motoarena in Torun has signed a new three-year deal with BSI Speedway.

Next year’s Torun FIM Speedway Grand Prix of Poland takes place on October 3, troche 2015 at the Marian Rose Motoarena, which has staged world championship speedway since 2010.

The venue has established itself as one of the finest race tracks and purpose-built speedway arenas in the world.

The stunning medieval city has also become a popular destination for speedway fans visiting from throughout Poland and all over the globe.

BSI Speedway managing director Paul Bellamy said: “The Torun SGP of Poland has become one of the real highlights of the FIM Speedway Grand Prix season. The superb track, brilliant stadium, passionate fans from all over the world and a beautiful city are the ideal recipe for a great weekend of speedway.

“The racing here in Torun never fails to excite and the Marian Rose Motoarena has already established itself as one of the sport’s most iconic venues.

“We look forward to building on our first five seasons here in Torun and taking this event from strength to strength.”

Michal Zaleski, Mayor of Torun, added: “The Torun FIM Speedway Grand Prix of Poland is a very special event for the city and its many speedway fans.

“It has been a pleasure to host thousands of speedway fans from throughout Poland and the rest of the world since 2010, and we look forward to welcoming visitors old and new in the years to come.”

Brandon Spikes Joins Sports Marketing Partners to Boost Endorsement Portfolio

Buffalo Bills linebacker Brandon Spikes has hired Sports Marketing Partners, prostate LLC (SMP) to help build his endorsement profile. SMP co-represents Spikes for marketing with Premier Sports & Entertainment (PSE). 

SMP is sports marketing and consulting company with expertise in endorsements, digital and social marketing and community and public relations. 

Spikes, a two-time consensus All-American, was part of two national championship teams as a member of the University of Florida. He was first-team All-SEC from 2007-2009, while also serving as a captain of the Gators.

Spikes played his first four years in the NFL for the New England Patriots, before signing with the Bills over the past offseason. 

SMP is excited to add Spikes to its roster of clients. 

“We are very happy to have Brandon join the SMP family,” SMP Principal Steve Schwartz said. “Brandon is a great football player and an even better person off the field. Working in partnership with the PSE team, we think our services will help Brandon maximize his marketing value.”

Télégramme Group Acquires Majority Stake in OC Sport

OC Sport, advice the global sports marketing company specialising in professional sailing and outdoor events, allergy has been acquired by French sports and entertainment group Télégramme Group who has secured a majority share. 

OC Sport was originally created by Mark Turner in 1993, who then joined forces with Dame Ellen MacArthur in 1997, to form the backbone of the operation that launched and then developed MacArthur’s sailing career.

In the last ten years, OC Sport has become a global sports marketing and events company specialising in professional sailing at both event and team level (Extreme Sailing Series, The Transat, Barcelona World Race, Artemis Offshore Academy, Dongfeng Race Team) and in outdoor events, especially in premium amateur cycling races (Haute Route Alps, Haute Route Pyrenees, Haute Route Dolomites Swiss Alps) and mass participation running events (Harmony Geneva Marathon for Unicef, French Riviera Marathon Nice-Cannes).

In 2014 OC Sport’s international team will be involved in more than 200 days of events and competition, across 36 events in 15 countries on 4 continents, Asia being a key element in OC Sport’s development strategy.

In 2010, after finishing her sailing career and focusing on her own foundation in the area of sustainability, Mark Turner bought out MacArthur and brought in Rémi Duchemin as both a major shareholder and CEO. The two have led the company through a period of significant growth, backed by various investors that have helped the company continue to launch new projects. Today, Télégramme Group has acquired a majority of the share capital of the group, with Duchemin and Turner remaining as shareholders for the next chapter of OC Sport’s journey.

“Mark and I would really like to thank the outgoing shareholders, both currently and those of the past few years, who have stuck by us as we’ve continued to run at a fast pace, often taking significant risks, to be able to develop the sports and properties we are involved in. This next chapter will give us a new foundation for continuing to take on new projects and developing new game-changing ideas – that is what gets OC Sport people excited, and it’s what we do best. Our mission to use sport to inspire the public, sponsors and cities alike to take on new challenges will remain unchanged. The focus of OC Sport will continue on international development utilising its sailing and outdoor sports know-how,” said Rémi Duchemin, CEO.

The Télégramme Group has been a media specialist for 70 years, and more recently acquired an events portfolio in sport and entertainment, including in sailing the famous Route du Rhum Destination Guadeloupe, the event that launched Ellen MacArthur’s career and indeed OC Sport in 1998, and the Solitaire du Figaro Eric Bompard, the entire focus of OC Sport’s Artemis Offshore Academy. 

Roland Tresca, Télégramme Group’s representative and new President of the Board of OC Sport, added: “We have been watching OC Sport for many years, and we are delighted to be able to combine forces going forward, to both solidify our position in France but, more importantly, to take Télégramme Group into new territories, sports and opportunities.”