A multi-year partnership has been agreed to enable Thomson Sport to bolster its sports portfolio with the National Basketball Association (NBA) ahead of the regular season games to be held in London next month.

The company will become the official presenting partner of NBA Games – London 2011 and the NBA’s official European fan travel partner.

When the New Jersey Nets play the Toronto Raptors at The O2 Arena, impotent Thomson Sport will offer fans exclusive travel packages to the event, shop was well as future games played on the continent.

As presenting partner of NBA Games – London 2011, Thomson Sport will support NBA Basketball Week, a week-long series of basketball events that will take place across the UK from 25th February to 5th March, culminating in the NBA Fan Zone, an interactive fan event taking place in London to coincide with the Nets versus Raptors games.

In addition to package rights, Thomson Sport will receive prominent brand exposure around the games held at The O2 in March, as well as on NBA.com, where the company will present a new editorial feature highlighting its travel offerings.

People from all corners of the globe travelled to Switzerland for the ceremony of the ‘House of Basketball’, which on completion will become the International Basketball Federaion (FIBA) headquarters.

The project is expected to cost around US$31m and will be in the shape of a hand from a birds-eye view, with structural elements designed to strongly resemble a basketball net. The project should be completed by the end of 2012.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge attended the event and was addressed by FIBA President Yvan Mainini along with the assembled guests: “A birth like this is something very important. FIBA was created in 1932 in Geneva and today is like a re-birth as we break ground here to give the federation the dynamism it will need in coming years. We look forward to this project being completed so that we can welcome you all here again in two years’ time.”

Rogge said: “Basketball is a universal sport. It requires very little infrastructure and therefore is ideal to be played at school level. It is a sport where there is no violence, that carries values and that is very appealing. I would like to congratulate FIBA for this great initiative. This building will allow FIBA to do an even better job of fulfilling its mission regarding basketball and the development of the sport.”

The building will house the newly-set up International Basketball Foundation (IBF) and the FIBA Hall of Fame in addition to the administrative offices of FIBA.

British sports channel, anesthetist Premier Sports will broadcast live Friday Night Fights and the World Series of Boxing in the UK. The Channel, available on the Sky network, will now make the boxing accessible, through subscription, to almost 10 million households. As of January 2011, 31 Friday Night Fight events will be broadcast live in an initial deal running for two years with the World Series of Boxing beginning prior to Christmas 2010.

Richard Webb, spokesperson for Premier Sports, stated: “Friday Night Fights are a way of life for boxing fans in America and we are thrilled to now make them available live and exclusive in the UK. It is a terrific opportunity for boxing fans in the UK to track the American boxing scene once again”.

The World Series of Boxing is a new, global team concept which will culminate in May with the finals held in Macau. The tournament is sanctioned by AIBA with the winners in each division claiming automatic qualification to the London 2012 Olympics.

Webb commented, “We have broadcast eight live fights in the last three months including Martinez vs. Williams, but on top of seeking out more monthly world class events that will grow our subscription base we wanted to provide consistent boxing to reward our loyal subscribers. We believe this move combined with the continued relationship with HBO and the developing one with promoters in America puts us in a great position to show live boxing 12 months of the year at the great value price of £6.99 per month.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank customers who have supported us during the last three months and given us the belief that regular boxing from around the globe still has a place on UK television.”

English nPower League One soccer club Plymouth Argyle have been given two months to clear debts of £760,000 with HM Revenue and Customs. A High Court judge ruled that the club, along with Home Park Properties should be given time to make the payments after facing winding-up petitions over the debts.

The registrar was in a generous mood by giving the club 63 days to complete the clearance after the club had only asked for 56 at a hearing on December 8. The club revealed that they have found an investor who is willing to put £500,000 towards the debt as well as being in the process of refinancing.

It also claimed that the £760,000 tax bill was too high and payments could be made to reduce it to £280,000 in January. Plymouth Argyle claim to have £140,000 available to them in a bank account as well as being owed an additional £48,000 by the Football League with the money going directly to HMRC.

Players may well be sold in the January transfer window to raise extra funds to help clear the clubs debt.

Following the hearing, a statement on the club’s website said: “The board and its advisers are continuing to work through a number of potential answers in order to put the club on a sound financial footing. 

“We are advised not to make any further comment at this time. 

“When we have anything more to say, we will advise you.”

The club’s bank account was frozen after being issued with a winding-up petition on October 23 which led to the players and backroom staff not receiving their wages. The club will now seek a validation order from the courts to un-freeze its bank account and allow payments to be made.

Ernie Els Design and IMG Golf Course Services announce they have been selected by MNC Land to work on the renovation of the existing 18-hole golf course at Lido Resort in Sukabumi, pharm West Java in Indonesia.

Ernie Els Design will lead the golf course renovation design efforts while IMG will be responsible for golf course construction project management and pre-opening management services.  The planning and initial design works have already been completed with construction on the golf course renovation due to start next month.

The MNC Group acquired the existing Lido Resort in July 2013 and has plans to develop hotels, clinic villas, drug a theme park and other supporting infrastructure as part of the master development plan over the coming years.   Budi Rustanto, President Director of MNC Land commented, “We are very pleased to have Ernie Els join us for his first ever golf course design project in Indonesia. 

“Ernie is not only a world-class player, but also a world-class designer given his many high profile design projects completed worldwide, including several very impressive renovation designs.   IMG is the market leader in golf course management in Asia and we are also glad to have them on board to assist us with the many construction and pre-opening issues we will face during this renovation period.”

Ernie Els said, “Ever since my initial meeting with MNC in Indonesia last year, I have been impressed with their vision for the total renovation and upgrading of this golf course and the overall resort.   I am excited that my first design in Indonesia is on such a great piece of land that not only will allow us to create a great golf experience, but also offers tremendous views over the surrounding mountains and valleys.”

Mark Adams, Senior Vice President of IMG, added, “IMG is very honored to be working with MNC and Ernie Els Design on this exciting renovation project.  We have been involved in golf course management in Indonesia for over 20 years and see a great opportunity to deliver what will be a new, unique and world-class product to the Indonesian and Asian golf and resort marketplace.”

Rangers, through their board of directors, are adamant that their Ibrox Stadium will not be put up for sale. 

The Scottish Championship club released a statement on Sunday reiterating the point that the venue would not be sold but they didn’t make the same assurances about Murray Park, the club’s training base in Auchenhowie.

Supporters’ group Sons of Struth organised a march to Ibrox last weekend to demand protection for the stadium amid fears it would be sold to reduce debts or used as security on any future borrowings for a club

A club statement read: “The board is happy to reaffirm its position, which has never been a matter of debate, by confirming once again that it will not enter into any form of sale, securitisation or leaseback of Ibrox Stadium.

“This has been and still remains the board’s clear and consistent position on this subject as it continues to protect and enhance the assets of the club

“The board is committed to protecting the assets of the club for the benefit of all Rangers fans, and to adhering to the highest standards of corporate governance.”

Rangers have already admitted fresh income will be required over the next year to meet running costs, with losses of nearly £70m announced for the first 18 months since the club was reformed after liquidation in 2012.

Some supporters have boycotted season tickets, but the statement appealed for unity as the club attempts to win promotion to the Scottish Premiership.

“Season ticket sales are continuing throughout the next few weeks ahead of the start of the season and we are grateful to the thousands of supporters who have already bought for the 2014/15 campaign,” continued the statement.

“Events over the past few weeks have reminded everybody of the remarkably testing period our incredible supporters have been through in recent years and now is the time for us all to look forwards, together.”

Infront Sports & Media have been selected as a long-term partner for the World Marathon Majors to support their marketing operations.

Infront will exclusively handle the first-ever integrated sponsorship platform across the intercontinental series, allergy consisting of the six most aspired marathons – Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, New York. Infront will also contribute its international know-how and expertise in the active lifestyle segment to build the World Marathon Majors brand, alongside an impactful commercialisation strategy.

Alongside the commercialisation of the integrated sponsorship opportunities, Infront will support World Marathon Majors in establishing a more cohesive position for the series as the benchmark in running and participatory sports.

Mark Milde, Race Director of BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, said: “Offering in-depth Active Lifestyle know-how and network, Infront transpired to be the right partner in helping us develop and market the first World Marathon Majors sponsorship platform – which allows brands to associate themselves closer than ever with top-level endurance sports. With its experience and global sales power, Infront not only helps us to exploit the marketing potential of the overall series, but by doing so also further manifests the leadership of our six events, both on the brand and sportive side.”

Philippe Blatter, President & CEO of Infront, commented: “With the World Marathon Majors we are adding a core sports right to our growing global Active Lifestyle portfolio and we thank the organisers for their trust in our capabilities and track record. Mass participation events are surging in popularity and growing faster than any other sports segment worldwide. The integrated sponsorship opportunities for WMM deliver an exclusive opportunity for brand association across the most prestigious marathon series worldwide alongside valuable engagement opportunities and media reach on a global scale.”

The FIA European Rally Championship is set for a revamp designed to strengthen the series and reduce costs for competitors. 

For the first time, the championship will be contested over a maximum of ten events with drivers, co-drivers and teams being required to register with the FIA, as is the case with the WRC support championships, to be eligible for European championship points. 

In other changes proposed by ERC promoter Eurosport Events Ltd and approved by the FIA Rally Commission at a meeting in Paris on 28 May, it was agreed that there would be modifications to the ERC structure to closely mirror the format used in the WRC. 

The overall ERC title will be earmarked for drivers, co-drivers and teams using R5, Regional Rally Cars and Super 2000 cars. A maximum of eight scores will be taken into account, four from the first half of the season and four from the second half. 

The new ERC2 category will be for traditional Group N and R4 cars with prolonged FIA homologation for three years, while ERC3 will cater for two-wheel-drive machinery conforming to FIA Regional Rally Regulations. 

In addition, the total stage length for each round will be reduced to 220 kilometres, unless agreed otherwise by Eurosport Events Ltd, while tyre quantities will be further restricted following consultation with the tyre manufacturers. The championship registration fee payable to the FIA has yet to be set but will be kept to a reasonable level. 

A proposal document detailing all the changes will be presented to the FIA Rally Commission for final approval when it meets at the end of August. 

“Adapting the ERC to the current market conditions but, at the same time, maintaining the championship’s high standards is the priority of Eurosport Events Ltd,” series co-ordinator Jean-Baptiste Ley explained, “From engaging all ERC stakeholders through regular meetings, the clear message we have received is to consolidate the number of rounds and make the ERC more affordable for those taking part. 

“The changes and cost-cutting measures proposed to the last FIA Rally Commission should be welcomed by drivers and teams, while Eurosport Events Ltd will maintain its promotional efforts in the ERC. Eurosport Events Ltd will also try to introduce prize money for independent teams to encourage a high number of entrants, including R5 customers. With four different R5 cars on the market next year, we expect serious competition ahead in the ERC as a stepping-stone to the WRC.”