Delhi organisers in ticket giveaway scheme to boost attendances

Organisers of the Delhi Commonwealth Games are to hand out free tickets to tackle the problem of empty seats.

Many of the competitions have been poorly attended at the Games, sale which began this week.

Now organisers are hoping to solve this problem with a ticket giveaway scheme to childen adn teh underprivileged.

Chairman of the Delhi organising committee Suresh Kalmadi said: “We are working on the children from schools – already steps have been taken in that direction.

“And also from the low level of society, allergy we have been distributing a lot of tickets.”

Kalmadi also said that ticket booths have now been opened at all the venues to make it easier to purchase them.

He added: “There were problems – some of the ticket stalls were not put up, but all the stalls are up now at all the stadiums.”

Dusseldorf Open Dropped from ATP Calendar after Failing to Attract Title Sponsor

ATP’s Dusseldorf Open has been dropped from the calendar after organisers failed to attract a title sponsor.

Tournament director Dietloff von Arnim announced that it made “no sense” to continue with the event, which was won by home favourite Philipp Kohlschreiber in May.

The event started as the ATP World Team Cup in 1978 and was played annually for 34 years before becoming an individual tournament in 2013.

Von Arnim confirmed the demise of the tournament.

He said: “We have spoken to many, but nobody wanted to be the title sponsor. Under these circumstances, a continuation of the tournament simply made no sense.

“It is a pity. The World Team Cup tournament and the subsequent events were always beautiful.”

Von Arnim added that he hoped the tournament would be revived in the future, while German tennis officials are considering launching a new event at the North Rhine-Westphalian venue.

Germany and the USA each won the World Team Cup five times each before the tournament was transformed into an ATP 250 event last year.

Lancashire Cricket Extends Offer for First Ever Cricket Bond

Lancashire County Cricket Club has today announced that it is extending the offer for its Cricket Bond – the first ever mini bond in the sport – having raised £2.2m.

With applications and enquiries from investors continuing, generic the Club has decided to extend the application period by 14 days until Monday 10th November 2014. Applications can be made through www.cricketbond.com. 

A five-year initial fixed-term mini bond offering 7% gross interest per annum for investments from £1, malady 000, medic the Cricket Bond is made up of 5% paid in cash and 2% in Credit4Cricket Units. Credit4Cricket Units can be redeemed against the Club’s international and domestic tickets and hospitality products, such as food and beverage packages and also Membership fees.

Funds raised will be used to further build on the development work recently undertaken at Emirates Old Trafford, the Club’s award-winning Ground, through the construction of a four-star branded hotel to replace the existing Old Trafford Lodge.

Daniel Gidney, CEO at Lancashire County Cricket Club said: “We’re thrilled that so many people have been interested in playing such an important part in our Club’s history and we have now raised enough capital to drive forward with our exciting hotel development.”

“However, as we’re currently being inundated with enquiries and demand for our Cricket Bond is as high as it’s ever been, it seems right to keep the offer open to ensure we’ve giving cricket fans and investors the opportunity to get involved and share in the future success of the Club.”

Applications for the Bond are due to close at 1pm on 10th November 2014 and will be considered on a first come, first served basis

Powerboat P1 to Expand to Singapore

Marine Motorsport brand Powerboat P1 has revealed plans to take its SuperStock powerboat and AquaX jet ski race series to Singapore next year as a first step to racing throughout the region.

Together with the Singapore Power Boat Association, pharmacy sale FOCUS Adventure and Raffles Marina, P1 will make Singapore a strategic hub as part of its long-term plans to introduce its Grand Prix of the Seas series to selected markets in Southeast Asia.

Having just returned from the region to the company’s international headquarters in central London, P1 CEO James Durbin explains: “Partnerships are at the heart of our business strategy and we are delighted to be working with these well respected local organisations to define our common goals and make P1 a reality in Singapore. We are making a commitment to boost the local economy through our sports tourism activity, generate global media exposure and provide local people with fast, furious, fun and free-to-watch events.”

Since 2003 P1 has staged more than 200 races in 17 countries on 3 continents, and this year more than 180 racers competed in the successful P1 powerboat and P1 Aquax personal watercraft race series in the UK and USA. The 2014 race season featured 12 events, attracting more than 200,000 spectators and TV viewers in more than 50 countries via a number of international sports networks that include Fox Sports, Ten Sports and Sky Sports.

FOCUS Adventure founder Andrew Chua commented: “From the start of our discussions it was clear that we shared many values and our aim is to increase the participation of safe and controlled powerboat racing in Singapore and the wider ASEAN region.”

“As one of the leading adventure training providers in the region, we see a great opportunity to deliver a commercial programme on a local, regional and international stage using the P1 platform in Singapore.” The proposed venue partner is the full service boating haven and quality resort of Raffles Marina, which will be looking to take advantage of the international exposure and increased use if its comprehensive race support facilities.  

Durbin added: “Our partners at a national and regional level are crucially important to the success of our business as we move towards the goal of a P1 world championship, and we have an outstanding team in place in Singapore to deliver the next stage of our international growth.”

LeasePlan Go Hire Hatch to Activate Leeds United Sponsorship

Leeds based PR and sponsorship agency Hatch Communications has been appointed by LeasePlan Go to activate their sponsorship with Leeds United Football Club this season.

As the official car supplier to Leeds United FC, prostate LeasePlan Go offer personal and business vehicle leasing nationwide. The sponsorship, capsule which is in its second year, will see Hatch Communications working alongside LeasePlan Go and the club to engage with Leeds United fans across the UK to promote the various vehicle leasing solutions available to fans and corporate guests.

Simon Carr, Brand Director at LeasePlan Go, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Hatch Communications to maximise our partnership with Leeds United FC. We believe they can help us engage with the football community at a local and national level, through their excellent sponsorship credentials and PR expertise. Our brand has grown significantly over the past year and sponsorship is a key priority for us, so this is an exciting season both on and off the pitch.”

Jason Madeley, Director at Hatch Communications, said: “We are thrilled to have been appointed by LeasePlan Go and are looking forward to helping them activate their sponsorship at this exciting time. As our HQ is based in Leeds just round the corner from Elland Road, we are very much looking forward to working with the club and the fans to increase the awareness of LeasePlan Go and ultimately drive sales.”

Hatch currently oversees the PR, sponsorship and communications for a number of national clients including Crabbie’s Alcoholic Ginger Beer, the Wensleydale Creamery, and Thomson Sport.

IFAF Moves 2014 Flag Football World Championship from Israel to Italy

The International Federation of American Football (IFAF), American football’s international governing body, has voted in favor of changing the 2014 IFAF Flag Football World Championship host form Israel to Italy. 

Last week, the IFAF voted to postpone the Championships due to safety concerns in the previously designated host country, Israel. The recent and ongoing conflict between Gaza and Israel, combined with the last week’s flight bans to Israel from numerous nations’ airlines, had cast a dangerous shadow over the games.

An IFAF statement read: “The event will be hosted in Italy between September 10 -12. IFAF is working with the national federations to confirm the countries that will be participating in the World Championsip.” 

“IFAF recognizes the short-term change and will try to help to ensure the most national teams can participate in the event.”

OC Sport & Dongfeng Back New Chinese Entry for Volvo Ocean Race

The Volvo Ocean Race has revealed a Chinese sailing team backed by Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle and run by leading sailing experts OC Sport will race in the 2014-15 edition of the series.

Team Dongfeng will have the interests of Chinese sailing at its core with a significant number of Chinese in the final race crew as well as its support team.

Team Dongfeng is the third team to confirm its participation in the 12th edition of the world’s leading crewed offshore race that starts on October 4, 2014 with the Alicante In-Port Race before the departure from Spain to Cape Town for the first leg a week later. The team will represent China.

Seven Volvo Ocean 65 boats are currently being constructed in readiness for the next race.

Huang Gang, General Manager of Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Company, said: “Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle has become an important partner for the Volvo Ocean Race, which is an internationally renowned sailing event. This is also a key step in DFCV’s global marketing strategy.”

OC Sport, which will run all aspects of the campaign, is one of the most respected companies in the sport of sailing and responsible for the successful Extreme Sailing Series as well as numerous race campaigns over the past 15 years including those of record-breaking British female sailor, Dame Ellen MacArthur.

It is the first time that OC Sport and its Executive Chairman, Mark Turner, has been involved in running a Volvo Ocean Race campaign. 

“We are aiming for a successful race entry with a Chinese team, not just a successful entry – this is an absolute at the heart of this very exciting and challenging project,” said Turner.

Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle will be the title partner of the campaign, but will be supported by a number of other commercial partners which OC Sport is now seeking to allow the campaign to realise its full potential.

These partners will have the opportunity to share a story that is expected to receive significant global exposure, in particular in China itself, through Team Dongfeng’s participation.

Team Dongfeng follow Team Sanya (2011-12) and Green Dragon (2008-09) as the third Chinese entry in the race’s 40-year history, the latter a joint-entry with Ireland.

Volvo Ocean Race CEO Knut Frostad said on Wednesday that he expected Team Dongfeng to be a real contender. “I know there is a Chinese proverb saying: ‘Everything is ready and all that we need is an east wind’. Now we have the support from DFCV and Dongfeng means “east wind” in Mandarin.

“Team Dongfeng will be sailing in our new One-Design Volvo Ocean 65 like the rest of the fleet which means they will have exactly the same boat and competitive opportunities as anyone in the race, and they will be one of the first teams on the water,” he told reporters.

“The team will include a significant number of Chinese sailors and the search begins now to find the best in the country. They are sure to be the subject of huge media interest in China as Guo and Tiger were before them.”

Team Director Bruno Dubois highlighted the initial focus of the campaign. “Our priority is the recruitment and training of the Chinese sailors. This is very clearly the biggest challenge we have – to condense many years of experience of the average Volvo Ocean Race crew into just 10 months.

“But equally this process is at the heart of the project; we want to leave a real legacy that will both motivate the Chinese to want to embrace the sport of sailing, and be able to develop the talent so that, ultimately, a future campaign could be 100% Chinese.

”It had already been revealed earlier this year that the next race would again feature a stopover in China in the port of Sanya. The city in the Hainan Island province successfully hosted the event in 2011-2012, following Qingdao who became the first Chinese hosts in the previous edition of 2008-09.

Los Angeles Kings Ink New Deal to Continue to Play Frozen Fury at MGM Grand

The Los Angeles Kings have signed a three-year deal with Las Vegas-based MGM Grand Hotel & Casino for the annual pre-season Frozen Fury to continue to take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

The new agreement guarantees that the Kings will play pre-season home games at MGM Grand through the 2016 season.  This weekend, abortion | as part of Frozen Fury XV (15), hospital the Kings hosted the New York Rangers and Colorado Avalanche tomorrow. Both games are expected to sell out and tonight’s game will be broadcast in Southern California on KCOP-TV (13) while both games will air on AM 1150.

“This was an easy decision for the Kings to continue this great partnership, anesthetist ” said Kings President, Business Operations Luc Robitaille.  “Our fans flock to Vegas for these games and make an entire weekend out of it.  This is an event that we all circle on the calendar each September.”

MGM Grand President and COO Scott Sibella said: “Extending our partnership with the Kings provides our guests with another exciting three years of hockey here in the desert.  As the Entertainment Authority on the Las Vegas Strip, there is no better place to watch a pre-season NHL game than at MGM Grand.”

Anzhi Makhachkala Owner Wanted by Belarus Authorities

Suleiman Kerimov, discount owner of Russian Premier League Anzhi Makhachkala, treatment has been named a wanted man by authorities in Belarus over alleged offenses that could carry a 10-year prison term, investigators said on Monday.

The billionaire oligarch, who shot to fame when he brought world football stars to previously little-known Anzhi, has been named a suspect in “the abuse of power and official authority” in relation to a collapsed joint venture in the fertilizer industry.

Kerimov is the largest shareholder in the Uralkali company, which partnered with a Belarusian firm to create BKK, which produced over 40 percent of the world’s supply of potash, a key fertilizer ingredient. The joint venture was ended abruptly last month, a decision accompanied by the sale of Anzhi’s star players and a diplomatic spat between Russia and Belarus.

“The shareholder of the Uralkali open joint-stock company Suleiman Kerimov has been added by the Investigative Committee of Belarus, in the capacity of a suspect, to the already proceeding criminal case related to officials of the BKK closed joint-stock company,” investigators said in a statement.

The investigators made a point of noting that Belarusian law allowed for up to a decade in prison for those found guilty under the legislation being used against Kerimov. Another Russian businessman, Uralkali chief executive Vladislav Baumgertner, was arrested in Belarus on Friday.

The potash industry is a major source of revenue for the Belarusian government, which depends heavily on trade with Russia.

This follows after Anzhi last month said the club was to abandon its big money approach, which saw the team achieve third in the Russian league last season and challenge more established sides in the Europa League.

Since then, there has been a fire sale of big name players at Anzhi, with forwards Samuel Eto’o and Willian joining Chelsea and defender Christopher Samba leaving for Dynamo Moscow.

Qualcomm CEO Joins Sacramento Bid to Keep NBA’s Kings in City

Mayor Kevin Johnson has ramped up his pursuit to keep the Sacramento Kings in the city by announcing that Paul Jacobs, CEO of the international technology company Qualcomm, has agreed to become part of the Sacramento bid.

Jacobs joins a group that includes billionaire investor Ron Burkle, 24 Hour Fitness founder Mark Mastrov and TIBCO Software CEO Vivek Ranadive.

“A true Dream Team! This Fab Four is a bracket buster,” Johnson wrote on Twitter.

A preliminary deal was agreed on Saturday with the investment group for a new $447 million downtown arena. The city plans to contribute $258 million to the $447 million project, mostly by leasing out parking assets and donating land.

The City Council is planning to vote on the non-binding term sheet Tuesday night.

Sacramento is hoping to block a bid by a group that has a pending purchase agreement to buy the Kings from the Maloof family and move the team to Seattle. The NBA Board of Governors is expected to make a decision by the end of its April 18-19 meetings.

The Seattle group, led by investor Chris Hansen, has had a signed deal since January to buy 65 percent of the franchise for $341 million from the Maloofs. Other investors include Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer and two members of the Nordstrom department store family.

Hansen reached agreements with local governments in Seattle last October on plans to build a $490 million NBA/NHL arena near the city’s other stadiums, CenturyLink Field and Safeco Field. No construction will begin until all environmental reviews are completed and a team has been secured.

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