Sharks Sports & Entertainment (SSE), which owns and operates NHL’s San Jose Sharks, today announced changes to the organization’s ownership group structure. 

Majority owner Hasso Plattner has purchased SSE shares formerly held by investors Kevin Compton and Stratton Sclavos. Plattner, a member of the Sharks ownership group since SSE purchased the team from original owner George Gund III in Feb. 2002, has been the organization’s majority owner since 2010. 

Plattner will serve as the team’s representative on the NHL’s Board of Governors. Sharks Executive Vice President & General Manager Doug Wilson and Executive Vice President & General Counsel John Tortora will remain Alternate Governors. 

“While this change does affect the individual structure of our ownership group, it does not change the organization’s primary goal which is to build a team that is capable of winning a Stanley Cup each and every season,” said Plattner. “The team’s day-to-day operations will not be affected. All current Executive Team members will remain in place with Doug Wilson continuing to oversee all hockey operations and Malcolm Bordelon operating the business side of the organization.” 

“Kevin and Stratton have been tremendous partners to work with over the last decade,” added Plattner. “Both have played vital and strategic roles moving our organization to the top tier of professional sports franchises. We want to thank them for everything they have done to help make the Sharks what they are today.” 

Plattner’s passions in life are centered around business, science and sport. In 1972, Plattner co-founded software giant SAP AG, the world’s largest business software company. Since retiring from the CEO position in May 2003, he has been Chairman of the Supervisory Board and Chief Software Advisor.  In these roles, Plattner concentrates on defining the medium and long-term technology strategy of SAP. 

Compton and Sclavos released the following joint statement: “It’s been a great 11 years being involved with the San Jose Sharks and the NHL but we feel this is the right time for us to step away and focus on other avenues.  Although we are no longer involved with the ownership group of the organization, we remain among the team’s biggest fans and will continue to be ardent supporters of the franchise.  We want to thank all Sharks fans for their years of unbridled passion and continued support of the team.”

Following the closure of its only store in Hong Kong, sports apparel brand Li-Ning said it would concentrate on the Chinese mainland market for its future development.

A Li-Ning spokesperson confirmed the store in Hong Kong, closed at the beginning of the month. The source said: “The operations in Hong Kong and overseas markets can be carried on only if the risks they bring are controllable. The company will instead focus on the business in the mainland according to its development strategy.”

According to the company’s interim report released on August 22, Li-Ning closed 1,200 stores worldwide in the first half of the year so it could invest in more profitable stores.{jcomments on}

Japanese professional baseball players want a greater share of revenue generated by the 2013 World Baseball Classic and have threatened to boycott the International Baseball Federation sanctioned event.

The tournament is organised by the Major League Baseball and, according to the Japanese players’ association, its players are unsatisfied with the proposed distribution of sponsorship and merchandise revenues.

Takahiro Arai, Chairman of Japanese Players Union said the organisation had raised its concerns about the distribution over 18 months ago and received no response.

Japan is the current World Champion and is scheduled to host the first round of the World Baseball Classic.{jcomments on}

Atlanta Hawks owners have agreed to sell the National Basketball Association team to a group led by Los Angeles pizza franchiser Alex Meruelo.

Financial terms werent disclosed but the deal will allow the Hawks to continue their tenancy of the Philips Arena in the long term.

The deal is subject to approval by the NBA Board of Governors.

“My focus is one focus: to bring a championship back to Atlanta. My focus is on the basketball team, my heart and my soul and that’s where I want to be,” Meruelo told his first news conference at the Philips Arena.

Meruelo, a Cuban-American who made a fortune with the La Pizza Loca fast food chain in southern California, choked up as he described his pride at being the first Hispanic owner of a basketball franchise.

Meruelo described himself as a “1000 percent Hawks fan” but gave no details of how he would address the team’s management, staffing or players — issues critical to Hawks fans.

“I am a lifelong basketball fan, a student of the NBA game, and this is a dream come true for me,” Meruelo said in a statement. “I am committed to winning and look forward to engaging with our wonderful fans, our dedicated season-ticket holders, our committed corporate partners and this passionate community. I believe that both the Hawks and Philips Arena have unlimited potential for the future. I am honored to be a part of that future.”

In particular, he said nothing about Joe Johnson, the team’s highest paid player who has been criticized for a failure of leadership as the team has four times reached the playoffs only to fall short before the Eastern Conference final.

The Chicago Bulls defeated the Hawks in six games in this year’s conference playoffs second round in May.

NBA rules restrict Meruelo from giving details of his own financial input and a lockout caused by a labor dispute between owners and players also constrained his comments, Hawks officials said.

“The first responsibility is that I earn the respect, the loyalty and the love of the Atlanta community,” said Meruelo, who appeared nervous.

“I will not … ever give up trying to win a championship for this city … I can’t promise you a championship tomorrow, but I can promise you that I will never give up,” he said.

The Hawks are rated among the better teams in the NBA’s Eastern Conference, though they trail the Chicago Bulls and the Boston Celtics, who have each won multiple championships and the Miami Heat have overtaken them due to their high profile acquisitions.

The franchise has been owned by Atlanta Spirit LLC since 2004 until the bid by Meruelo Group. Atlanta Spirit are a group of executives who also owned the Atlanta Thrashers ice hockey team until they sold it in May.

The Levy on bookmakers which generates money for horse racing was increased by the UK government yesterday, ed February 16, from 10 per cent to 10.75 per cent in what the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) claim is a “major step in dealing with long-standing failings of the current system.”

The 50th Levy Scheme was announced by Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt, by which betting helps toward funding the sport in Britain, with horse racing relying heavily on the betting industry unlike any other sport so the increase comes as a welcome boost to allay fears for the future of the sport.

Mr Hunt acted after talks between the bookmakers and racing industry stalled and stated: “It is really disappointing that two important industries have been unable to come to a sensible commercial agreement.”

The increase means the Levy planned for what is the second most attended sport, employing thousands of people, in 2011/12 should be between US$118m to $130.4m, he added.

Concerns have risen from the BHA of late with, among other issues, some bookmakers moving offshore, meaning that they do not have to pay the horseracing betting Levy on the right to take bets on British races.

Cash from the levy, a major funding mechanism which has been in decline, goes towards veterinary science, prize money, training and breeding programs. As part of the new deal, the threshold level under which betting shops will pay a reduced rate of levy will fall from $143.236 to $80,705.

In response to the latest decision, BHA chairman Paul Roy stated:

“Racing welcomes today’s decision by Secretary of State Jeremy Hunt as a major step in dealing with long-standing failings of the current system. It will halt the severe decline in the Levy, and the damage this is doing to the sport.

“The Coalition Government could not right all the wrongs in the current system with this decision, but they have addressed issues with traditional LBOs, and have signalled fundamental reform to come. The next stage has to deliver what is due from remote betting, particularly offshore operators and betting exchanges.

“The range this decision sets is therefore short of the full amount the entire betting industry should be contributing, but today’s announcement is an important shift in achieving Racing United’s goals.

“The rise in the headline rate is significant, as is the major reduction in the threshold level, and shows that nothing is set in stone.

“We believe that it is only through major reform that full and fair return, and the environment for real and constructive negotiation, on a level playing field, can be achieved. As we told the Secretary of State in November, we will devote our energies in the coming months to working with Government on this.”

A deal, negotiated by IMG, has been reached between Soccer United Marketing (SUM) and insureance firm Allstate, with the latter becoming the official insurance sponsor of Major League Soccer (MLS) and the US National men’s and women’s sides.

Under the terms of the agreement a four-year renewal has been agreed with Mexico’s national team for its friendly matches on U.S. soil.

Although financial details were not released, according to sportsbusinessdaily, sources estimate that the deal could be “in the eight-figure range”. MLS has been without an insurance partner since for the last eight years, when New York Life concluded a four-year deal.

Allstate Senior Marketing Manager Karen Uhler said: “We are casting a wider net. We’ve had a great track record with the Hispanic audience and it’s time to grow our involvement with the sport”

The Boxing Federation of Russia have brokered a deal which sees the country’s top sports club, Dynamo, takeover the Moscow franchise of the World Series of Boxing (WSB). The new agreement was announced after the current Moscow franchise was terminated due to a breach of financial obligations and will begin with immediate effect.

A statement from the WSB read: “The current Moscow franchise has been in breach of its agreement with the WSB since before the start of the season, notably with respect to non-payment of financial obligations towards the WSB. Despite numerous reminders there has been no attempt by the franchise owner to remedy the situation. The agreement with the current franchise owner has therefore been terminated with immediate effect.”

The team will now be named Dynamo Moscow upon entering its first match against the Istanbulls away on 28 January before the first home match on 5 February in a new home venue.

Dr C. K. Wu, AIBA President and WSB Chairman, welcomed the new agreement: “I am delighted that we have been able to resolve this issue with the help of the Boxing Federation of Russia and Dynamo,” he said. “The WSB will not tolerate any impropriety in any of its franchises and will not hesitate to take action to protect its interests if agreements it has in place are not respected. We have had an excellent start to the inaugural season with universal acclaim from boxers and fans alike. We will not let this be jeopardized.”

It is expected that UEFA President, and former France international soccer player, Michel Platini will be re-elected in his post on 23 December. The decision looks to be a foregone conclusion as no challengers have gone up against the current president or look set to do so by midnight on 22 December.

Platini has held the position at UEFA since January 2007 and earlier this year revealed that he would put himself forward to continue his role for a further three years.

In an eventful and sometimes controversial tenure, Platini’s main achievement has been to deliver on his promise to “take the game back to the fans in the smaller countries”. That pledge remains a vote-winner among the majority of the 53 member associations.

In comparison with the 2007‑08 season when Platini took over the presidential position, teams from Israel, Denmark, Switzerland, Slovakia and Serbia have taken part in the Champions League group stage. Russia and France have also had their participation increased by a single club with teams from Portuguese, Turkish, Spanish, Italian, Scottish and Czech leagues all sacrificed.

Last Friday, after the executive committee meeting in Prague, Uefa announced a €300,000-a-year (US$394,313) boost to all member associations’ conditional funding, largesse that would probably not be overlooked if Platini’s candidacy was contested. The big clubs are less pleased about the Champions League reforms introduced by Platini than the “smaller countries” and if reinstated, he may face a tougher 3 years ahead..