Softball Approves Baseball Merger for 2020 Olympics

A potential merger between the International Softball Federation (ISF) and the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) loomed larger after ISF approved the merger to bid for inclusion in the 2020 Olympics.

The resolution passed by a vote of 71 per cent in favour of a merger at a special congress in Houston.

ISF President, view Don Porter said: “I was pleased with the results and look forward to meeting with the IBAF officials for further discussions and continuing preparations for the IOC presentation in December. There’s going to be a lot of positive things that we can do together for both our sports, pills not just for the Olympics but in the long term.”

Both sports were voted off the Olympic program in 2005 and made a final appearance at the 2008 Beijing Summer Games.

The two sports are competing against karate, roller sports, squash, sport climbing, wakeboard and wushu for one opening in the 2020 Games.

 

London Could Join World Series of Boxing Lineup

British amateur boxers may soon be in the World Series of Boxing after the British Amateur Boxing Association confirmed it is in talks to set up a London-based franchise in the series..

The global team event kicks off its third season in November and a prospective London team was provisionally included in Sunday’s draw, where it was placed in a six-strong Group B.

BABA chairman Derek Mapp said: “We have always been supportive of the ideals that underpin WSB. We recognise its potential to deliver alternative career options for young boxers and are keen to pursue this opportunity.”

The move could provide Great Britain’s Olympic medal winners with a financial alternative to turning professional, with all WSB boxers, whilst becoming centrally contracted to the organisation, receiving individual offers.

Six Irish boxers have already been drafted for next season’s competition, while Olympic silver medallists John Joe Nevin and Ken Egan have previously competed for teams in Paris and Miami respectively.

No British boxers have entered the draft stage yet, and there is no guarantee that they would fight for a prospective London team, as all franchises are run as strictly international entities.

But such a move could produce some relatively lucrative deals for medallists, in particular super-heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, who is yet to declare his plans beyond the end of his existing GB contract in March.

Great Britain have been wary of committing their fighters to the competition in the past, citing schedule concerns in the build-up to London 2012, and the financial implications of launching a franchise.

But officials are aware a WSB team could both convince some top stars to stay amateur and boost hopes of a bigger contingent of qualifiers for Rio 2016, with more qualifying places made available to WSB-contracted boxers.

Sport Needs More Heroes, Not More Millionaires- Ben Wells

 

Major events like the Olympics tend to spark a massive upsurge in media interest in sponsorship but rather than looking at the long-term role that sponsorship could play, there is often too much focus on what star athletes could rake in through endorsements as a result of their success. This was neatly summed up in Official Partner’s piece on Jessica Ennis last week. For Ennis, you could read Bradley Wiggins after the Tour de France, Andy Murray at Wimbledon and Rory McIlroy after winning the US Open last year.

Synergy wrote a very good piece just prior to the Games which outlines the vital role that sponsorship plays in staging major events. The relationship between sport and corporate entities has become symbiotic. It has become a cliche but major events genuinely just cannot happen without sponsor support.

British sport has benefitted hugely from the creation of the National Lottery nearly 20 years ago and lottery funding was a huge factor in Team GB’s success in London. There was a warm welcome for David Cameron’s recent announcement that the Government would be seeking to increase this funding into elite sport. So far, so positive as we need heroes to entice people (particularly children) into sport.

However, the Prime Minister’s announcement was countered by the ongoing debate on cuts in schools sports funding and there have been many articles in the week since the  Closing Ceremony contrasting the funding at the top level of British sport with the often run-down and under-manned facilities available to budding amateurs. Over the weekend alone I read articles which related to the poor state of repair of the facilities where Nicola Adams, Ennis and Greg Rutherford used to train. (It also highlighted the massive reliance we place on the altrusim of volunteers.) With ongoing public sector budgetary pressures, this isn’t going to improve on its own.

Ashling O’Connor picked up on this in the Times last week in an article which looked at the sponsorship revenue gap between sports in the UK. Some sports do fantastically well from the private sector and so do many of its star athletes. However, for every Ennis, there is a James Ellington who took to auctioning himself on Ebay to secure funding to get the medical treatment he needed to get fit for the Games.

I’ve already written here about my thoughts on the role that I think the private sector should (and I hope will) yet play in the development of British Sport. We should be pushing at an open door, offering a platform that can be activated across the country, which feeds off public good feeling and providing far richer stories for sponsors to tell in 2016 and 2020 than some of the tenuous product endorsements we’ve seen this time around. As many commentators have said this week, there is more to sport than just the elite. Lloyds-TSB’s Local Heroes campaign – in conjunction with the admirable SportsAid  – led the way at London 2012, who else will follow?


Ben has fifteen years’ experience in the commercial side of sport. Having spent six years at Chelsea FC, where he was Head of Marketing, Ben launched Ishtar Consulting in 2011 with a view to providing specialist sponsorship and marketing support to brands, rightsholders and agencies. Prior to his time at Chelsea Ben spent nearly four years at Redmandarin, the strategic sponsorship consultancy. Follow Ben on Twitter @ben_wells1 or get in touch via ben@thesportsconsultancy.com. This Blog appears regularly at http://benwells1.blogspot.com

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Host Boroughs Make Up 40 per cent of Security Workforce at London 2012

 

Thousands of security guards working at London 2012 will be from one of the six host boroughs, capsule and be part of the legacy of the Games.
G4S, the official security provider for the Games, announced that 10,500 people from the host boroughs are undergoing security screening and training, from a London-wide total of 25,000.
If most candidates pass the necessary checks, at least 40 per cent of the G4S Olympic workforce will be from one of the six boroughs – Newham, Barking and Dagenham, Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Greenwich and Waltham Forest.
Newham is top of the table, with 3,473 people currently undergoing screening and training.
Tower Hamlets comes in second with 1,630 candidates, while Redbridge, although not an Olympic borough, has the third highest number with 1,575.
Barking and Dagenham has 1,353 candidates, Greenwich 1,396, Hackney 1,296, and Waltham Forest 1,550.
Mark Hamilton, managing director of G4S London 2012, said: “It was always our intention to mobilise a large part of our workforce from the six boroughs around the Olympic Park in East London.
“I am delighted that we are on target to secure the services of thousands of local people who will help make the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games safe and secure.
“I am also thrilled that so many have come forward to seek work; they have a very responsible, and I hope rewarding, part to play in the sporting extravaganza and they are helping to add to the buzz of excitement that is building around London 2012.”
Most of the jobs at the Games are temporary, but G4S says thousands of people will have gained Security Industry Authority (SIA) qualifications and licences.
Mr Hamiltan said: “The fact that we have so many new employees isn’t just good news for the Games, it is good news for London and Britain, particularly when you consider the issue of youth unemployment.
“The scale of our operation is so big that it will have a massive positive impact on jobs. The people who we are recruiting are gaining precious work experience but also significant volumes of training that will stand them in good stead for a permanent job once the Olympics is over, either inside G4S or in the wider jobs market.
“This will be a practical, enduring and broad legacy of the London Games.”
G4S said more than 105,000 people have applied for positions at the various Olympic venues, with more than 3,800 already deployed either working on the Olympic Park itself in Stratford, or across the country in other venues.
As the official security provider for the Games G4S will provide 10,400 security staff for the Games, and train and manage the bulk of the 23,700 strong security workforce.
A former secondary school in Newham has been converted by G4S into a training and recruitment centre, with up to 1,500 recruits passing through its doors every week.

The host boroughs for the London Olympics will be well represented in the security department at the Games as 40 per cent make up the security force G4S.

G4S, the official security provider for the Games, announced that 10,500 people from the host boroughs are undergoing security screening and training, from a London-wide total of 25,000.

If most candidates pass the necessary checks, at least 40 per cent of the G4S Olympic workforce will be from one of the six boroughs – Newham, Barking and Dagenham, Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Greenwich and Waltham Forest.
Newham is top of the table, with 3,473 people currently undergoing screening and training.

Tower Hamlets comes in second with 1,630 candidates, while Redbridge, although not an Olympic borough, has the third highest number with 1,575.

Barking and Dagenham has 1,353 candidates, Greenwich 1,396, Hackney 1,296, and Waltham Forest 1,550.

Mark Hamilton, managing director of G4S London 2012, said: “It was always our intention to mobilise a large part of our workforce from the six boroughs around the Olympic Park in East London.

“I am delighted that we are on target to secure the services of thousands of local people who will help make the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games safe and secure.

“I am also thrilled that so many have come forward to seek work; they have a very responsible, and I hope rewarding, part to play in the sporting extravaganza and they are helping to add to the buzz of excitement that is building around London 2012.”

Most of the jobs at the Games are temporary, but G4S says thousands of people will have gained Security Industry Authority (SIA) qualifications and licences.
Mr Hamiltan said: “The fact that we have so many new employees isn’t just good news for the Games, it is good news for London and Britain, particularly when you consider the issue of youth unemployment.

“The scale of our operation is so big that it will have a massive positive impact on jobs. The people who we are recruiting are gaining precious work experience but also significant volumes of training that will stand them in good stead for a permanent job once the Olympics is over, either inside G4S or in the wider jobs market.

“This will be a practical, enduring and broad legacy of the London Games.”
G4S said more than 105,000 people have applied for positions at the various Olympic venues, with more than 3,800 already deployed either working on the Olympic Park itself in Stratford, or across the country in other venues.

As the official security provider for the Games G4S will provide 10,400 security staff for the Games, and train and manage the bulk of the 23,700 strong security workforce.

A former secondary school in Newham has been converted by G4S into a training and recruitment centre, with up to 1,500 recruits passing through its doors every week.

 

NFL Start New Screening Process on Fans Entering Stadiums

The NFL are going to beef up security at regular season games by using hand-held metal detectors as part of the screening process before fans enter the stadiums.

Beginning Nov. 20, for sale the detectors will be used at stadium gates because “we are always striving for ways to improve our security procedures at all of our stadiums,” an NFL spokesman says.

The Green Bay Packers and Cleveland Browns already have used them this season. The league has done so at every Super Bowl since 2002 in New Orleans.

In addition to fans, media and working personnel will be subject to the screenings, which will be phased in “so they will not necessarily be immediately used at every gate,” the spokesman adds.

Mayor of London Announces Heavy Investment into Grass-roots Sports in City

Mayor of London Boris Johnson has announced that over US$19 million will be invested into grass-roots sports projects in the English capital.

The move will see Johnson hit his target of channelling US$48m into sport ahead of the next summer’s London 2012 Games. 

The Mayor revealed plans to award grants from his Sports Legacy Fund to 14 large scale sports participation projects and 26 community facilities.

Johnson said: “From hockey in Hillingdon to karate in Kingston, we are storming ahead to revamp facilities and increase sports participation across the board.

“This investment, which sees some hugely important match funding being pledged, is fantastic news for Londoners of all ages and abilities from across the city.

“I am absolutely clear that to create a lasting legacy from the London Games, we must do all we can to get people out of their living rooms and into physical activity.”

Minister for Sport and the Olympics Hugh Robertson said: “The bid to bring the Olympics to London was built on the back of a promise that it would leave a lasting sporting legacy and inspire a generation to get involved in sport.

“This investment by the Mayor of London and others will offer hundreds of thousands of people of all abilities across the capital that opportunity.”

The Mayor’s Commissioner for Sport Kate Hoey added: “The projects we are announcing today all have the potential to make a real difference to the lives of ordinary people.

“For me, they are what hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games is all about.

“New facilities, fresh sporting opportunities and free sports coaching right across London – this really is legacy in action.

“I am hugely grateful for the Mayor’s ongoing commitment to this cause and I also want to pay tribute to all the fantastic people who volunteer their time and dedicate their lives to bringing the great joy of sport to their fellow Londoners.”

Betfair Announce Shares Buyback

Betfair, the betting exchange group, has unveiled one of the swiftest share buybacks in City memory as it disclosed its first full-year results as a public company.

The company announced plans to re-purchase US$80m shares from investors just nine months after its flotation, which has subsequently seen the company lose 41% of its value after a series of underwhelming announcements, regulatory concerns and management departures.

Betfair was sold to investors in October as a company that had strong growth opportunities.

When asked if the management had run out of ideas about how to grow, finance director Stephen Morana insisted: “Not at all. We are investing huge amounts in this business. We announced this at our initial public offering. This was published in the prospectus. It complies exactly with that.”

The move to buoy the share price comes after Betfair confirmed that David Yu, its embattled chief executive, would be leaving the company following the group’s troubled introduction to the public markets.Betfair’s own polling of employees revealed that staff believed its management was lacking direction.

The company are expected to make an external appointment to succeed Yu in an attempt to halt the share price slide.

The latest intrigue came as the company announced its full-year figures, which showed pre-tax profits up 49% to US$42.6m and revenues up 15% at US$629.9m.

However, the numbers were flattered by last year’s football World Cup and the company conceded: “Revenue growth during [the financial year] could have been stronger but we have delivered a significant improvement in margin resulting in profitability for the year above expectations.”

James Hollins, a leisure analyst at Evolution Securities, added: “Bears will focus on fourth-quarter revenue growth of just 3% and [first-quarter] revenues declining year on year, reflecting [a] tough comparison against the World Cup. We expect continued difficult first-half trading, although superior returns on marketing spend and product development should support both future top-line growth.”

Espirito Santo analyst Geetanjali Sharma, who advises clients to sell Betfair shares, added: “We are disappointed by the revenue trends. We also anticipate a period of uncertainty as the search for a CEO begins.”

This news follows the company’s announcement that it has increased it’s premium charge of profits to 60%, but that the change will only affect 500 of its customers who make profits of over US$400,000.

Villa to Lose FxPro Sponsor, Record Annual USD60m Loss

Reports suggest that English Premier League soccer club Aston Villa are set to see their record shirt sponsorship deal with Russian-owned currency traders FxPro, prostate withdrawn after just one season.

Sources from the Daily Mail claimed that the company had an option to do this upon signing three-year deals with both Villa and Barclays Premier League rivals Fulham.

The newspaper stated that FxPro have continued their affiliation with Fulham and sources have touted that the London club agreed to a decrease in their £3.5m (US$5.7m) annual sponsorship in order to ensure this.

Sources close to the Midlands club revealed that the company attempted to do the same with Villa after the club had disappointed this season, illness but the club refused to do so.

Aston Villa chief General Charles Krulak, here right hand man to owner Randy Lerner confirmed the decision, stating: This sponsorship issue (the end of contract with FX Pro) took place awhile back. Not sure why the papers just picked up on it. It is probably not a good idea to go into what has transpired other than to say that we will be paid throughout this season and that we already have sponsorships on the table.”

In other news, the clubs accounts were released this weekend from holding company Reform Acquisitions Ltd. revealing a £37m ($60m) loss from last year.

Despite hefty losses, this figure is down from the year previous when the club made an annual loss of £46.2m ($75m).

Key figures from the report included a turnover increase from £84m ($136.4m) to £90m ($146m) due to match receipts being £2m ($3.25m) higher, media – £2.5m ($4.06m) higher and ommercial £2.4m ($3.9m) higher

Operating expenses increased from £105m ($170.5m) to £111m ($180.2m) and a loss of £30m ($48.7m) was made due to player transactions, but perhaps most worryingly for the club bank loans increased from £9m ($14.6m) to £20m ($32.5m).

Indiatimes Awarded Exclusive Mobile Rights for CWC

India’s leading Internet and Mobile Content Service Provider, Times Internet Limited (TIL), has won the exclusive mobile rights for the International Cricet Council (ICC) Cricket World Cup, through its mobile division, Indiatimes 58888.

In their role as global partner to the upcoming flagship cricket event, Reliance Communications Limited awarded the rights to the company which include mobile content services such as SMS, voice and video alerts, live audio commentary, mobile content downloads and 2G and 3G services.

Reliance Communications president Mahesh Prasad stated: “Indiatimes has an exclusive and extensive network services on 58888 and is the largest aggregator in India for infotainment content, it is therefore a strong natural choice for us distribution partnership. We believe that with media strength alongside, Times will bring great value to the mobile subscribers.”

Reliance Communications head VAS Anil Pande added: “We Indians are extremely passionate about cricket and we at Reliance Communications are committed to enhance our customers’ experience in the passion for the game that binds every Indian, in India and globally.

“This new format of cricket has captured the interest of not only the youth, but all age groups, becoming a bundled family event. As ICC’s ‘Global Partner’ till 2015 we are proud to be associated with the game that is growing in popularity across the World.”

Times Internet Limited CEO Rishi Khiani also said: “The World Cup begins on 19th of this month and with over 500 million subscribers now, we hope to see significant traction from the users for content downloads. We are talking to operators to make the content available on various platforms.”

Munich 2018 Bid Boosted by Financial Guarantees

Financial guarantees have been assured by Germany’s federal government and regional authorities to back the Munich 2018 Winter Olympics bid. The guarantees will form part of the official bid book which is required to submitted to the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) by January 11.

A total of 47 guarantees includes infrastructure projects as well as special marketing rights for the IOC. The Munich bid team is one of the favourites to win the vote on the host city in July of 2011 ahead of rivals Annecy, who received a major blow after the departure of chief executive Edgar Grospiron last week, and South Korea’s bid in PyeongChang.

Germany’s President, Christian Wulff, stated: “Sport possesses an enormous capacity for integration. Sport connects people and transcends cultural boundaries. Hosting the Winter Games would be a great honour and an opportunity for our country to welcome guests from all over the world.”