The Swiss Beach Soccer Association (SBS) have announced a partnership extension with Danish brewing company Carlsberg to become sponsors of the newly-formed Suzuki Beach Soccer League.

The deal will last for three-years and will see Carlsberg become the new league’s official beer. After its launch in 2010, the league consists of 16 teams which play each other across nine different locations in Switzerland in the summer months, from May to September

Financial details were not disclosed but Luke Porro, project sponsorship, said of the deal: “The young sport of beach soccer offers with its dynamism and it entertainment value an optimal platform for Carlsberg.”

The President of Russia, unhealthy Dmitry Medvedev believes residents in the 2014 Olympic host city of Sochi will benefit from a legacy of state-of-the-art infrastructure when the Winter Games come to a close.

Over US$30 billion has been set aside by the Russian government to sanction the construction of hundreds of facilities and infrastructure projects in and around Sochi. Medvedev confirmed on Tuesday 4 January that four Olympic venues will be moved to nearby Vladikavkaz, link Rostov-on-Don, Astrakhan and Stavropol after the Games.

In a meeting with Olympic project officials, Medvedev stated “We should look forward to the post-Olympic future. The Olympics is, of course, a major sports event, but it is also important for us that there should be many new facilities for life and for pleasure in Sochi,.

He added “It is important that this high level that will be reached at any cost during the Olympics should remain for the residents of the Krasnodar region and for tourists. Our goal is to make Sochi an internationally renowned resort.”

Medvedev revealed that 85% of funding allocated for the Games will be put towards new infrastructure, tourism development and environmental projects.

Manager of English soccer giants Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson has launched a scathing attack against the power of agents in the game. Ferguson picked out special criticism for SEM Group managing director Jerome Anderson in his tirade.

The Scot has become the club’s longest serving manager this weekend and has made his thoughts clear about the quick turnaround of manager’s in soccer after the sacking of the likes of former Newcastle United manager Chris Hughton and Blackburn Rovers boss and friend of Sir Alex, Sam Alladyce.

Ferguson placed the blame for the eventual departure of Alladyce on the SEM Group’s involvement as player agency and sports rights agency Kentaro in advising the club’s new owners to part ways with the manager.

Ferguson stated: “I think it’s very difficult these days [to build a club] with the life we’re in now. There’s intense pressure on managers.

“You’ve got that issue at Blackburn of an agent involved and deciding the future of the club, Jerome Anderson, he couldn’t pick his nose.

“It’s baffling and it’s a serious threat to how clubs get run and how they conduct themselves.”

Japan’s preparations to host Rugby World Cup 2019 have been given a further boost after the International Rugby Board announced that the Japan Rugby Football Union (JRFU) will host the IRB Pacific Nations Cup 2011.

The sixth IRB Pacific Nations Cup tournament, symptoms now an established event on the annual Rugby calendar with its exciting brand of local rivalry and competitive action, health will have an extra dimension as Fiji, Japan, Samoa and Tonga look to gain advantage ahead of Rugby World Cup 2011 in New Zealand.

Samoa will defend the title they won for the first time on home soil last year as the single-host format continues. All six IRB Pacific Nations Cup 2011 matches will be played at the Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground in Tokyo between July 2-13, providing fans with three double-header match days and the ability to see some of the world’s most exciting players in action before they head to New Zealand.

“Rugby in Asia is continuing to go from strength to strength and the IRB is delighted to award this major international tournament to Japan and a Union that has been at the very heart of this growth,” said IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset.

“Japan staged an exceptional IRB Junior World Championship and is preparing to host the first ever Rugby World Cup in Asia. The single-hosting format of the IRB Pacific Nations Cup has proved extremely popular, allowing a greater platform for broadcast and media coverage, attendances, training and legacy programmes. I have no doubt that the 2011 tournament will be a resounding success.”

Tonga will play Fiji on the opening day while hosts Japan take on champions Samoa. Both corresponding fixtures in last year’s tournament produced thrilling matches as Fiji defeated Tonga by just three points – one of half the tournament matches to be decided by a margin of three points or less – and the Brave Blossoms secured a 31-23 victory over the eventual winners.

For the JRFU, the announcement adds to the expanding portfolio of international Rugby tournaments awarded to Japan after they played host to a record-breaking IRB Junior World Championship in 2009.

Hosting the IRB Pacific Nations Cup 2011 will give a further boost to the exposure of the Game across Asia as Japan looks ahead to Rugby World Cup 2019 and a tournament aimed at bringing together the Asian Rugby family for a unique celebration of world-class Rugby across the continent.

“It is an honour to solo host the very important and prestigious IRB Pacific Nations Cup and we are grateful to the IRB for deciding to hold it next July in Tokyo. We look forward to welcoming the other participating Unions, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga and we would also love to see Rugby fans from all the corners of the globe,” said Vice President and Chairman of the Japan Rugby Football Union Nobby Mashimo.

“We are very confident that it will be a great success and that the players, teams, management and spectators will thoroughly enjoy their stay in Tokyo where tradition and modernism so vividly co-exist.”

“The sixth IRB Pacific Nations Cup is an ideal occasion to showcase the potential of the Rugby market in Japan, the enthusiasm of Japanese rugby fans and the ability of the Brave Blossoms. The Tournament will give the world Rugby family a glimpse of what lies ahead for Rugby World Cup 2019. See you next July here in Tokyo!” added Mashimo.

IRB Regional General Manager for Oceania Will Glenwright added: “The IRB Pacific Nations Cup 2011 is set to be the most exciting and competitive to date, with the tournament providing vital international matches for the Pacific Islands and Japan as they prepare for Rugby World Cup 2011 and also for their longer term development towards Rugby World Cup 2015 and 2019.”

“The tournament has become of vital importance to both the Oceania and Asia region and offers a wonderful opportunity to develop players, match officials and structures for all the Unions involved. It was hugely encouraging to see the much-improved performance of these nations during the recent November Test window.”

The tournament will also throw up two tasters for Rugby World Cup 2011 where Tonga will meet Pool A rivals Japan on Wednesday, September 21 in Whangarei before Fiji take on Samoa in their Pool D clash on September 25 in Auckland.

Virgin team boss John Booth has hit back at suggestions from F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone that only Lotus deserves to remain on the grid from this season’s new teams.

Ecclestone said earlier in the week that F1 needs ‘to get rid of a few of those cripples’, referring to some of the new teams and that Richard Branson should put some money into his team.

“I cannot understand his motives for saying that,” Booth told the Yorkshire Post. “Is it to embarrass Sir Richard Branson, one of the country’s leading entrepreneurs?

“He’s said so many things over the course of the year that it no longer has any affect on us.”

With speculation surrounding Virgin’s driver line-up for 2011, Booth added that the second seat alongside Timo Glock is still very much up for grabs.

“We’re evaluating options at the minute. Only one driver is set in stone and that’s Timo [Glock]. He’s contracted to us and absolutely he is staying.

“We are still looking at Lucas [di Grassi] but it will be a couple of months before a decision is made. We have four or five options at the moment and it’s a case of who is the best to take us forward.”

The Ladies European Tour (LET) has extended its agreement with the Hassan II Golf Trophy Association (ATH) to stage Lalla Aicha Tour School under the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI in Morocco for a further three years until 2016.

The LET’s Lalla Aicha Tour School was first played in Marrakech, buy Morocco, apoplectic in December 2012 and grew in 2013 with the addition of three Pre-Qualifiers in Rabat.

The qualifying School was renamed  Lalla Aicha Tour School in honour of Her Royal Highness Late Princess Lalla Aicha who contributed to the development of women’s golf in Morocco, abortion beside and with the support of His Majesty Late King Hassan II. The first Arab woman ambassador (London and Rome), Her Royal Highness late Princess Lalla Aicha had participated in the Hassan II Golf Trophy and Lalla Meryem Cup since the 1970s and played 18 holes every day until she passed away in September, 2011.

“We are honoured and excited to extend our successful partnership with ATH for a further three years,” commented LET CEO Ivan Khodabakhsh. “Having integrated the Lalla Meryem Cup into the Ladies European Tour schedule in 2010 and added Lalla Aicha Tour School in 2012, with this extension we are taking our partnership to the next level. Moroccan golf has made great progress and the LET has developed close ties with ATH, with a shared vision to grow participation and interest in women’s golf, particularly as we look ahead to golf’s return to the Olympic Games in 2016.”

Deputy Vice Chairman of ATH Mr Mohamed Chaibi commented: “The renewal of the agreement for the next three years, 2014, 2015 and 2016, is the great result of a strong partnership between the Hassan II Golf Trophy Association (ATH), Chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Moulay Rachid, and the Ladies European Tour (LET) who will return in Morocco in October 2014 to continue the successful staging of the Qualifying School. It is also a great consecration to see the success of each edition from the results of the rookies who qualified in Lalla Aicha Tour School and who are making a good professional career.”

The Robert Trent Jones-designed Royal Dar Es Salam in Rabat, which hosted the Moroccan Open four times and the Hassan II Golf Trophy from 1971-2010, will host two four round, 72-hole Pre-Qualifiers in 2014.The first takes place on the Blue Course in Rabat on 30 October-2 November followed by another pre-qualifier on the Red Course on 8-11 December.

IndyCar teams Ed Carpenter Racing and Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing have agreed to a merger for the 2015 Series.

The team will be known as CFH Racing.

The two single-car teams, both based in Indianapolis, will join this offseason to establish a multi-car operation and will be headquartered at the current Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing shop at 1255 Main St. in Speedway, Ind., just a few blocks from the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Details on the future of CFH Racing, including personnel, suppliers and sponsors, will be announced in the near future.

“I am very excited about this new opportunity to merge Ed Carpenter Racing with Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing in CFH Racing,” said Carpenter. “We had success together in 2011 and have always had a great relationship. It doesn’t seem like it was that long ago that we won our first race together at Kentucky Speedway.

“I look forward to getting started with this new team and continuing to add to the success that each of our teams have had in the past. There will be a lot of work to do this offseason to bring the two teams together to form one new team, but we feel that it is a great opportunity for all of us to grow and reach new heights of success. There are a lot of details we will need to finalize after the season comes to a close, so for now we are focusing on finishing this season on a high note for Ed Carpenter Racing.”

Fisher also was an outstanding driver as she became the first women to win a pole and place second in the IndyCar Series. Fisher became the first female team owner in the IndyCar Series in 2008. She announced her retirement from driving in 2010.

“The merger of the two teams is a big-picture plan,” said Fisher. “At the nucleus of all parties, there is a lot of synergy that has great potential for the future. Working with Ed, and capturing that first win, was a foothold in our team, and I look forward to the many more that will come as a result of bringing all the parties together.”

Hartman, a highly successful businessman in Wichita, Kan., and owner of Hartman Oil, joined Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing as co-owner in December 2011.

“I am excited about the opportunity for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing to join with Ed Carpenter Racing to create a top-tier Verizon IndyCar Series team,” said Hartman. “The newly formed collaboration as CFH Racing will allow us to double down on our commitment to be successful on and off the track.”

Harvard Athletics has signed an agreement with IMG College for exclusive sponsorship representation rights for its athletics programs.

Edmonton in Canada has been announced as the host of the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship for Women.

The tournament will determine who qualifies directly to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

The championship will take place Aug. 9-16, 2015, with 10 teams from the Americas zone competing in the eight-day tournament.

“FIBA Americas is extremely proud of announcing Canada Basketball and the City of Edmonton as hosts of our Women’s continental championship,” stated Usie Richards, President of FIBA Americas.

“It is only fitting to have the event in Canada in celebration of the great work and positive results the Canadian Senior Women’s National Team has achieved globally for the country and our continent in recent years. For this we have to thank Canada Basketball for always believing in women’s basketball and its development. We are confident that it will be a true success and a historic event for our game in the Americas.”

All 24 games are being played at the Saville Community Sports Centre at the University of Alberta’s South Campus in Edmonton.

“Our Canadian women’s national basketball team now has the opportunity to compete for an Olympic berth with a home-court advantage,” said Canada Basketball executive director Michele O’Keefe. “Hosting is a strategic priority for Canada Basketball and this championship is a great step forward.”