The Open: Organisers Blame Heatwave for Poor Muirfield Attendances

R&A, the organisers of The Open Championship, have suggested the current heatwave may have played a factor in the poor attendances at the event and dismissed reports ticket prices contributed to the visible decrease.

The R&A was expecting 160,000 fans and hoping for 170,000, but a total of 142,036 made the trip to East Lothian during the week, with 29,247 there to watch Phil Mickelson triumph on Sunday.

A total of 160,595 spectators were at Muirfield the last time the Open was staged at the course in 2002, with 31,422 seeing Ernie Els emerge victorious on the final day.

A spokesman for the Open Championship said: “More than 142,000 people attended the Open. That is almost 90 per cent of the figure in 2002 and we are pleased with this attendance.

“Advance ticket sales were very strong and we believe the extremely warm weather put off some of our pay-at-the-gate customers.

“That is perhaps why, unusually, we had a higher attendance on Sunday in cooler weather than we did on Friday which is normally the busiest day. The blend of a British winner of the Tour de France and Ashes cricket on television over the last few days may also have had an impact.”

Ticket prices of £75 have been blamed for the drop in attendance at Muirfield, although more than 180,000 fans made the trip to Lytham for last year’s Open when tickets cost £70.

“The Open Championship offers exceptional value to spectators who can enjoy up to 15 hours of golf in one day. Children under 16 accompanied by an adult get in free which makes it ideal for families,” spokesman Mike Woodcock said. “Nearly 30,000 people attended yesterday and the feedback suggests they enjoyed a first class experience.”

Brian Cookson Hits Out at McQuaid’s Manifesto as UCI Presidential Race Hots Up

Brian Cookson, the President of British Cycling and candidate for International Cycling Union’s (UCI), has hit out at his component Pat McQuaid after the current UCI President unveiled his manifesto.

In his manifesto, titled ‘A Bright Future for a Changed Sport’, McQuaid emphasised his commitment to the fight against doping. 

McQuaid, who began his reign in 2005, said: “I am delighted to launch my re-election campaign and to present my vision for cycling’s future to the cycling family whose support over the past eight years has enabled me to transform our sport.

“Cycling has changed since I was first elected as UCI president in 2005. It is now a global sport. It is now possible to race and win clean. We have travelled a great distance together and we must never turn back from cycling’s bright future,” he added.

But Cookson accused Mcquaid of neglecting the fight against doping in favour of “destructive feuding and conflict”.

In a statement Cookson said: “Pat has been President of the UCI for two terms. While his Manifesto outlines what he believes still needs to be done for the UCI, I think that many people will judge him on his record, and ask why those things haven’t been done in the last eight years. Unfortunately under his Presidency far too much energy and resource have been devoted to destructive feuding and conflict rather than grabbing hold of the issues, listening to the right people and delivering solutions.

“In his Manifesto he talks about the UCI Stakeholders Consultation but I think he fails to address the number one critical recommendation – that the UCI ‘must take the steps necessary to restore cycling’s and its own credibility, in particular in relation to the public perception of cycling’s anti-doping measures and current UCI leadership’. It is my belief and that of many others that we need a complete change of leadership in order to successfully achieve this.”

Lorient to Host Penultimate Stopover for 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race

Volvo Ocean Race have announced the French city of Lorient will return as the penultimate stopover in the Volvo Ocean Race for the 12th edition in 2014-15.

The route will take in 10 cities in nine countries – Spain, Brazil, United Arab Emirates, China, New Zealand, United States, Portugal, France and Sweden – and will require the teams to cover 39,895 nautical miles – equivalent to 45,910 miles or 73,886 kilometers.

The Race will start on October 4, 2014, day of the first In-Port Race in Alicante, and finish with a final In-Port Race on June 27, 2015 in Gothenburg, the Swedish home of Volvo.

“This route has never really been part of any ocean race any time before,” said Volvo Ocean Race CEO Knut Frostad. “And when you have that element there’s a new strategy, there’s a new route, there’s new weather, there’s new challenges for the sailors. That is exciting, not only for us but for the sailors because no-one can claim they’ve done this before.”

Lorient, the Breton city on the west coast of France, hosted the Race for the first time in 2011-12 and provided an incredible spectacle for fans.

“Lorient is France’s sailing capital and the response we had during the last Race was phenomenal,” said Race CEO Frostad. “It will be a real pleasure to come back to this stunning part of the world, where the people are so knowledgeable about the sport and the whole set-up suits the Race so perfectly. Lorient will be a real highlight on the route.”

Former San Jose Chief Misses Phoenix Coyotes Takeover Deadline

Former San Jose Sharks CEO, Greg Jamison has missed his opportunity to purchase the Phoenix Coyotes in order to receive the arena-management deal negotiated with the Glendale City Council.

In order to receive the arena-management deal, which would pay him $15 million a year to run Jobing.com Arena, the home of the Coyotes, Jamison had to purchase the team from the League by 11:59 p.m. local time Thursday night.

“We will not be able to complete our purchase of the Phoenix Coyotes today in time to meet our deadline with the city of Glendale,” Jamison said in a statement. “However, our journey to purchase the Coyotes will continue. We realize this will require additional conversations with the city of Glendale and the NHL. We still believe we can reach an agreement that satisfies everyone. We hope negotiations with the city proceed as smoothly as possible, as everyone involved wants the Coyotes to remain in Arizona.”

Because Jamison missed that deadline, the agreed-upon deal for the arena-management rights is no longer available and a new deal will have to be negotiated. The deadline was a contractual provision existing between Glendale and Jamison that is not directly tied to the potential sale of the team.

Glendale mayor Jerry Weiers told the Arizona Republic on Thursday that a local attorney, representing the Jamison group, approached the mayor about the possibility of an extension. Weiers told the newspaper he has no intention of extending the deadline.

Jamison said he still hopes to buy the team and keep it in Arizona.

“To Arizona’s sports and hockey fans and the City of Glendale, we appreciate your patience and diligence,” said Jamison, the former president and chief executive officer of the San Jose Sharks. “We wish everything was completed today as we worked extremely hard on the deal. However, we have taken significant steps to keep the Coyotes in Glendale for the long term. I’ve seen firsthand the wonderful support Arizona hockey fans have provided the Coyotes, and we will continue our efforts to keep the NHL in Arizona.”

JD Sports Profits Fall Because of Blacks Purchase

Sports fashion retailer JD Sports has announced a sharp fall in profits because of losses at Blacks Leisure, mind which it acquired earlier this year, medical and the cost of moving warehouses.

Pre-tax profits for the six months to 28 July were £2.88m (US$4.67m), down from £20.1m (US$32.6M) a year earlier. However, revenue was up 26 percent at £556m (US$902m).

The retailer had already said that Blacks would lower it profits this year.

JD said it had incurred an initial loss of £10m (US$16.2m) on Blacks, which it bought in January this year, because of a lack of stock and high costs.

Costs from acquisitions last year and from moving across to its new warehouse in Kingsway, Rochdale, also dented profits, it said.

“I stated in April that the recent expansion activity in the group, the relocation of distribution facilities and the resolution of the stock and property issues in the Blacks business would impact results in the short term,” JD executive chairman, Peter Cowgill, said.

“As expected, this has proven to be the case but it does provide the group with a very positive platform for future development.”

Cowgill said the company had increased its presence overseas during the period.{jcomments on}

Baseball & Softball Merge to Push for Olympic 2020 Spot

The International Baseball and Softball Federation has been created following the merging the governing bodies of baseball and softball in order to re-establish their Olympic status at the 2020 Games.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) dropped the two sports from the Games programme in a 2005 vote, making them the first sports to be axed in almost 70 years.

Baseball and softball last appeared in a Games in 2008 at the Beijing Olympics.

“We feel if we can work together it might be much more possible to regain Olympic status,” International Softball Federation President Don Porter told Reuters.

“Both our sports are trying to find things that will improve them. Become more attractive and interesting.”

Baseball and softball are competing with karate, roller sports, sports climbing, squash, wakeboard and the martial art of wushu for a spot in the 2020 Games.

A final list will be put to a vote at the IOC session in September next year for a single berth.

“We are up against six other sports and like any game of sport, this will be a tough one,” said Porter.

The IOC is eager to keep reshaping the Olympic programme and brought in rugby and golf for the 2016 Olympics in a bid to boost audiences and attract sponsors from those sports.

Baseball’s president, Italian Riccardo Fraccari, said they had learned from their Olympic rejection and had worked to meet the criteria for universality and anti-doping.

“We decided to join into one federation,” he told Reuters. “There has been unanimity in this. At our congress in Dallas there was unanimity.

“All professional groups are participating in this. The decision by the IOC to take us off the Olympic Programme obviously disappointed us but we learned a lot. We looked into the reasons why and we addressed them.”

Join our discussion to air your views on the subject here>>

IBAF Extend Commercial Partnership with Bwin

The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) has extended its commercial partnership with online betting giant Bwin through to 2014.

FIBA’s various events will be supported by Bwin party digital entertainment with the marketing and media rights covering EuroBasket 2011, the 2012 Olympic qualifying tournaments, EuroBasket 2013 and the 2014 FIBA World Championships for men and women.

In addition, Bwin will stream live action from the respective FIBA tournaments in more than 30 European countries with active Bwin sports betting customers able to watch all games for free.

Norbert Teufelberger, co-CEO of Bwin.party digital entertainment, stated: “The promotion of sports has always been an essential component of the Bwin sports brand philosophy. Basketball, along with football and motorcycle racing, is one of the three pillars of our sport sponsorship strategy.”

FIBA secretary general Patrick Baumann added: “This extension of the rights agreement proves that basketball offers a positive and growing platform for its sponsors. At the same time Bwin.party is a key ally in our efforts to fight illegal betting and to achieve a working relationship with the gaming industry.”

Bwin, which has attempted to increase its sports broadcasting rights portfolio in recent years and is also a partner of Portugal’s elite soccer league and MotoGP.

AIBA Suspend Romanian Boxing Federation

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The International Boxing Association (AIBA) have confirmed the suspension, as of March 8, of the Romanian Boxing Federation in a decision made by the AIBA Executive Committee Bureau, with the case submitted to the AIBA Disciplinary Commission for review. 

AIBA had been informed that the Romanian Boxing Federation would hold an election, which subsequently failed to take place, for its Presidency on October 27, 2010, in order to elect a new President to replace the suspended President, Rudel Obreja. 

On December 2, 2010, AIBA granted the Romanian Boxing Federation two additional months to organize an election but until now Mr Obreja continues to act as President of the Romanian Boxing Federation despite his current long suspension.

The AIBA Executive Committee Bureau has therefore provisionally fully suspended the Romanian Boxing Federation, meaning that no boxers, coaches or any officials are authorized to take part in any AIBA approved or controlled events and/or meetings.

Additionally, the Romanian Boxing Federation is not authorized to host any continental or international boxing events until an election for Presidency takes place and a decision by the AIBA Disciplinary Commission is made.

Anger as Birmingham Council Plan Charges to Watch US/Jamaica Train

A suggestion made by Birmingham City Council Leader, Mike Whitby, to charge local residents to watch top athletes like Usain Bolt and Allyson Felix train there before London 2012 to help cover a US$345m budget cut, has angered many in the area..

Whitby led negotiations which saw Birmingham sign deals with the athletics teams from Jamaica and the United States to set-up pre-Games training camps there next year, representing somewhat of a coup as the two countries are arguably the most high-profile athletics teams competing at London.

Whitby has estimated that the deals could be worth up to $24m to Birmingham’s economy, with the US team set to be based at Alexander Stadium while Jamaica are to train at the University of Birmingham.

Whitby, who represents the Conservative party in the UK, wants to use the opportunity to raise extra cash to help offset the massive cut in funding Birmingham City Council is facing, and stated: “We need a more effective way of generating revenue.

“We have a tremendous capacity to increase revenue. 

“We have the Olympic training camps coming next year which is a fantastic opportunity.

“We are looking at charging to watch the athletes train.”

Perry Barr Labour MP Khalid Mahmood, who represents communities surrounding Alexander Stadium, has led opposition to the controversial plan, telling the Birmingham Post: “It’s absolutely disgraceful.

“This is a scrooge measure by this Council which will deter ordinary people in Birmingham from engaging with the Olympics.

“How are we supposed to encourage and inspire young people from poorer backgrounds to enjoy sport if we exclude them when these athletes are on their doorstep?

“The people have already paid for the Olympics through their taxes. 

“This should be abandoned before it goes too far.”

Whitby later claimed to insidethegames that the suggestion had been just an idea and not one he planned to pursue, stating: “Quite rightly we will and do look at a whole range of revenue generating ideas but this is not something we will be taking forward.”

Struggling Wolfsburg Sign Borbet Sponsorship

After a disappointing start to the Bundesliga season, which saw former England national team manager Steve McLaren sacked last week, German soccer club Wolfsburg have signed a sponsorship deal with alloy wheel manufacturer Borbet.

The news comes as a timely boost after the club appointed Pierre Littbarski as manager, and the deal represents a fourth-tier partnership with the club.

Under the terms of the agreement TV-visible perimeter advertising and two “Cam Carpets” at one end of the pitch at the team’s home Volkswagen Arena will be installed in what is the highest-profile sponsorship ever agreed by Borbet in their 130-year history.