French Tennis Federation Given Go-Ahead for Roland Garros Revamp

The French Tennis Federation will go ahead with plans to expand Roland Garros after a French tribunal lifted the suspension of plans to revamp the location.

In March, the planned renovation of Roland Garros was put on hold after the tribunal sided with local residents who complained the development could harm the environment.

The Administrative Court of Paris’ appeals court overturned the ruling on Thursday.

The home of the French Open is undergoing an expansion that was scheduled to be completed in 2017, with plans including a retractable roof over the centre court.

The project was approved by city authorities two years ago, giving the FFT permission to undertake building work, but it was suspended after the tribunal sided with local residents concerned that building work would encroach on a nearby botanical greenhouse.

“The French Tennis Federation notes with great satisfaction the (decision) made today by the Administrative Court of Paris,” the FFT said in a statement. “The FFT has the right to build the court it had intended to build in the Jardin des Serres d’Auteuil.”

The Roland Garros plans have been controversial from the start, after the federation voted in February 2011 to keep the French Open there and renovate the existing site, rather than moving the tournament.

Before the start of that year’s tournament, Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe publicly dismissed concerns that the project – estimated to cost about 285 million euros – would damage the botanical garden, saying it “will not destroy one single plant or one single flower.”

Roland Garros is the smallest of the four Grand Slam venues that also includes the Australian Open at Melbourne, the US Open at Flushing Meadows in New York and London’s traditional grass-court event at Wimbledon.

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Nike Fined for Double Standards in China

Nike has been fined 4.87million RMB (US$779, discount 416) for selling sneakers in China at a higher price and of a lower standard than those sold in other countries.

Nike set the price for one of its basketball sneakers at 1, bronchi 299 RMB (US$208) in China, there more than 500 RMB (US$80) higher than in other countries.

The product was advertised as having double air cushions inside; it was later discovered the company misled customers as the shoes only contained one air cushion.

The Beijing Administration for Industry and Commerce said Nike applied double standards between Chinese consumers and other territories.

Deputy Head of Beijing Administration for Industry and Commerce, Liu Jianmin, said: “The administration will not tolerate such a behaviour.”

Nike recalled the product and offered refunds.{jcomments on}

 

East West Bank Agrees Houston Rockets Deal

East West Bank has announced it signed a three-year agreement with Houston Rockets. Like to try to capitalise on the popularity of the franchise’s recruit, Jeremy Lin, who draws large numbers of viewers from and Asia.

“He’s a good role model,” said Esau Liu, senior vice president and southwest region manager at East West Bank in Houston. “With the strategic alliance with the Rockets, in terms of marketing and promotion in China, I think it’ll be significant.”

Terms of the deal have not been announced.

East West Bank has operations in China and focuses its resources and strategy on both the U.S. and China markets.

The deal “should be a good tactic to support our corporate strategy for the U.S. and China markets,” Liu said.

The Houston Rockets are already a well-known entity in China because of Yao Ming, who played for the the club between 2002 and 2011.

The deal will give East West Bank “both in-arena and on-air exposure,” according to a statement. {jcomments on}

KBO Attendances Could Surpass Seven Million

With 48,529 tickets sold for the Korea Baseball Organization’s (KBO) Sunday games, the number of visitors to baseball stadiums this year hit 6 million and seems likely to smash last year’s record of 6,810,028.

As of Monday,6,046,019 fans have attended KBO fixturessince the season started in April. This is the second consecutive season the attendance figure has reached 6 million since the inception of professional baseball in Korea.

An average of 14,430 fans per game visited stadiums, which is 9 percent higher than last year. The momentum has caused the KBO to predict that the number will easily surpass 7 million.{jcomments on}

British Female Jockeys to Gain Their Own Championship

British professional female jockeys are joyous following the news they will receive their own championship for the first time.

The race for the new title, sponsored by information technology business Prolinx, begins on the opening day of the Flat racing season at Doncaster Racecourse on March 31. It concludes on Town Moor too, on the final day of the season in November.

Hayley Turner, Britain’s top female jockey who rode her first two Group 1 winners last year, said: “This is excellent news and it will create a great deal of interest – and make us even more competitive – in the weighing room.”

Paul Struthers, chief executive of the Professional Jockeys Association, added: “We are thrilled to be launching the first ever Ladies’ Jockeys Championship and delighted thatProlinx has agreed to be the sponsor. This new championship reflects the impact that has been made by female Jockeys in recent years and their growing influence in the sport.”

The championship is segmented into three components – gold, silver and bronze. The gold award prize, for jockeys riding over 30 winners during the season, is £5,000; the silver award (10-29 winners) £3,000; and the bronze award (1-9 winners) £1,000. The winners will be the riders with the best strike rate – winners-to-rides ratio – in each section.

World Series of Boxing Finals Relocated to London from China

World Series of Boxing has announced that both the WSB Team Finals and Individual Championships will be held in London, stuff at the ExCeL, order | the venue for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

WSB originally planned to hold these two events in China. However, the International Boxing Association (AIBA) decided to promote its new groundbreaking initiative, the AIBA Professional Boxing (APB) program, by showcasing its WSB competitions in the heart of upcoming Olympic City.

Dr. Ching-Kuo Wu, AIBA President and WSB Board Chairman, said: “With these WSB Finals being the pinnacle of the season, we decided to bring this fantastic show to the city whose heart will be beating for boxing in just a couple of months time. Great Britain is one of the hubs of the sport and we are convinced that fans from all around the country will come to the ExCeL to witness the best Olympic boxers competing in a pro format. We will also be unveiling the latest plans with regards to AIBA Professional Boxing. We look forward to seeing you all there.”

The WSB Team Finals will be held over two days, 1 and 2 May and the Individual Championships will be held on Saturday 9 June.

by Ismail Uddin

Major Sponsorship Blow to FIFA?- Rupert Pratt and Ben Bradley

 

Reports have recently emerged that Emirates are seriously not considering renewing their record sponsorship of FIFA following the voting scandal that rocked the 2018 and 2022 bidding processes. Emirates has now commissioned research into its association with FIFA to see if there has been any long term damage to its brand; their current deal expires in 2014.

If Emirates, one of the World’s largest sponsors who put significant importance on sponsorship within their marketing mix (sponsorship accounts for between 40% and 60% of Emirates’ total marketing spend), decide not to renew, what will happen?

My guess is not much.

FIFA will obviously have a drop in revenues, might try to implement new processes and regulations to attack corruption in football, may reduce its price tag to new sponsors and current sponsors who may not be considering renewal, but ultimately one of the world’s largest rights holders (no matter what the public think of them) will continue to be sound commercially.

The draw of football as a global passion and platform to communicate to global audiences, as well as the prestige that comes with the World Cup, will always have interested parties. They may not come from the ‘traditional’ sources, i.e. the McDonalds and Coca Colas of this World, but as the World economy progresses with BRIC nations becoming richer, I for one would not be surprised if FIFA’s 6 lead commercial partners (assuming they keep the same structure) in a decade are more like the following:

–          Sberbank (Russian Bank)

–          Kingfisher (Indian conglomerate)

–          Embratel (Brazilian Telco)

–          Li Ning (Chinese apparel brand)

–          Pocari Sweat (Japanese sports drink)

–          Air Asia

Only time will tell…

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Hunt Calls for BOA and LOCOG to Resolve ‘Extraordinary’ Dispute

Jeremy Hunt, the UK’s Culture Secretary has urged the British Olympic Association to drop their case with the Court of Arbitration for Sport with regards to the current dispute with the Games’ organising committee (LOCOG).

The BOA is effectively seeking a bigger cut of any financial surplus to arise from the Games, as well as the Paralympics which take place after the event. The disagreement escalated late last week when BOA chairman Lord Moynihan and CEO Andy Hunt were barred from LOCOG board meetings.

In an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live’s Sportsweek, Hunt stated: “This is not the right argument to be having so close to the Olympics in our country. I think it is an extraordinary thing that just over a year before the Games that we are going into this sort of dispute, which frankly is not going to benefit anyone.”

Hunt added: “We need to sort it out quickly, it is just very disappointing and I do not think anyone would say it is the right way to be focusing our energies…I can’t really see how anyone’s going to be a winner from this because there is no more money.”

The BOA has insisted that the Paralympics should be kept separate on the final balance sheet, but the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recently backed LOCOG’s claim that the Olympics and Paralympic Games should be combined before surplus payments are distributed.

Right Guard Extend Sponsorship of NBA Events

The National Basketball Association (NBA) extended a sponsorship agreement with toiletries manufacturer Right Guard yesterday, February 16, making the Henkel brand an official partner of Noche Latina 2011.

This year’s Noche Latina events will get underway at NBA All-Star Weekend in L.A. with a party presented by Right Guard today, February 17.

Noche Latina presented by Right Guard will continue in March with marketing street teams in Chicago, Dallas, L.A., Miami, N.Y., Orlando, Phoenix and San Antonio

Paris 2012 Chief: Olympic Stadium Row Due to Poor Legacy Plans

The chief of Paris bid 2012 bid committee, closest rivals to the London Olympic Bid, has claimed that the row over the future of the Olympic Stadium is a result of Olympic chiefs not taking legacy plans seriously enough.

Phillipe Baudillon saw his Paris bid narrowly beaten by that of London, for the right to stage the Games after a huge lobbying effort in Singapore in 2005.

Baudillon spoke of his lack of surprise with regards to the uncertainty of the future of London 2012’s main venue, with Premier League soccer teams Tottenham and West Ham both vying to move in.

“I’m not surprised because the process of choosing a host city is not focused on legacy,” said Philippe Baudillon. 

“The 100 people who decide who gets a Games don’t have any incentive to choose the best legacy proposal. It’s not an important parameter for [the International Olympic Committee]. 

“They choose where they think is best for the Olympic brand and London was very good on this [during the bidding race]. 

“Legacy isn’t a problem for the IOC – it’s a problem for the hosts. I think they will have to take legacy into account more, otherwise people will get fed up with paying for something that only lasts 15 days.” 

Baudillon admitted the London 2012 bid team did a better job of selling their strengths than the Paris team, but thinks the IOC must change its selection criteria to reflect changes in the wider world. 

“Thirty years ago there was no talk of legacy, the environment or sustainable development with Olympic bids. It’s coming now but the evolution is very slow and the mindset of the IOC members is also slow,” he added. 

“There’s a gap between what is happening in business and government, and what the IOC is doing. Now we’re in the middle of an economic crisis, legacy planning has become crucial. 

“There have been some good examples, like Barcelona and Sydney, but Beijing, which was a great Games, is having problems with its Olympic infrastructure and Athens is a complete disaster.”