A note passed between a Spanish and Qatari Fifa member saying “we’ve won” indicates the country’s respective bidding teams for World Cup 2018 and 2022 will escape action over allegations of collusion, rather than they have won the hosting rights.

Troon Golf has announced The National Azerbaijan Golf Club, sale located near Azerbaijan’s capital city of Baku, adiposity has been selected to host an event on the 2014 European Challenge Tour Schedule.

The first golf facility in this emerging golf destination, under the stewardship of the market-leaders, will host the inaugural Azerbaijan Challenge Open. Surpassing all expectations, in only the club’s first full year of operation, the announcement by the European Tour emphasises the award-winning service and professionalism the Troon mark represents, readily acknowledging its ability to deliver world-class events.

The event, which takes place in July when the Challenge Tour’s season is in full swing, will give the team led by PGA Professional and General Manager, Philip Henderson, the perfect opportunity to firmly place Azerbaijan on the golfing map.

Henderson commented on the announcement, “We are extremely excited to welcome the Challenge Tour to Azerbaijan, the course is in superb condition and we are certain the exciting talent on show will enjoy the course in the first staging of the event here.”

Since its inception, the National Azerbaijan Golf Club has worked closely with the fledgling governing body, the Azerbaijan Golf Federation. Its President, Anar Z. Mammadov, recently commented on the announcement its first course has been selected to host a European Challenge Tour event, he said: “Golf is new to Azerbaijan. We hope to popularize it at all levels through the European Challenge Tour event, which is extremely important for our country. We are sure that the players will enjoy the golf course, as well as the tourism attractions and that the ‘Land of Fire’ will be one of the brightest events in Challenge Tour history.”

English League Two team Portsmouth have struck a deal to build a new long-term training base at the Roko Health Club site on Copnor Road.

The agreement will see the Blues invest significant funds to initially create two state-of-the-art training pitches, allergist as well as integrate and refurbish the existing changing rooms and player lounge facilities at the rear of the site.

The club will also install offices for football department staff and create a purpose-designed fitness suite for the players.

Pompey have signed a long-term lease with Roko, whose health club services and facilities at the Copnor Road site will be unaffected.

Local football club Pickwick will also benefit, with their teams moving their training and playing operations to Alexandra Park after the City Council joined with Roko and Pompey to help find them a new home.

Contractors have been working on the site since April and the club hopes to be using the facility by the end of the summer. In the meantime, Pompey will continue to use their current training base at the University of Portsmouth.

Blues chief executive Mark Catlin said: “We are delighted with this deal and are very grateful to Roko, the council and Pickwick FC for making it happen.
“It is further tangible evidence of our commitment to rebuild the club to ensure it can continue to grow sustainably in the future.

“Andy Awford and his staff have all been involved in the discussions and they are looking forward to using the new training ground, which is being designed to their specification.

“We see these works as a first phase and if, as we are confident of happening, the club continues to progress, the site can be expanded and developed.”

Gerald Vernon-Jackson, leader of Portsmouth City Council said: “It has been good for the City Council to be part of a plan for the football club to have a long-term training base here in the city.

“By the city council, football club, Roko and Pickwick working together we have found a solution that works for everyone.”

Barry Hunter, CEO at Sport & Leisure Group which runs the Roko site said: “We are very excited by the prospect of Portsmouth Community Football Club basing their training ground at our Copnor Road site.

“Roko Health Club and our five-a-side centre PlayFootball are well entrenched sport and fitness venues in the Portsmouth community and we believe this opportunity fits very well with our local strategy.”

The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) has lifted the suspension of the Lebanese Basketball Federation (FLB) by reinstating it with full rights and thereby paving the way for the country’s national teams and officials to take part in all FIBA competitions and activities.

The decision came after FIBA carried out a thorough review of the FLB’s statutes and organisation and held discussions with representatives of the federation. Also taken into consideration was the positive opinion granted by FIBA Asia.

The suspension was handed down on 11 July 2013, following the disruption of the Lebanese national championship due to political and judicial interferences, with the national federation being punished for serious infringement of the FIBA General Statutes and all principles under which the Olympic sports movement is founded. 

Lebanon’s Basketball Federation has been a member of FIBA since 1947.

The MCC World Cricket Committee is looking for the International Cricket Council to push ahead with plans for a Test championship.

There is a window in the current international schedule in 2017 for the championship to take place in England.

But nothing has been agreed, anabolics between the Test nations, unhealthy sponsors or broadcasters. The current proposal is for the top four teams in the rankings to contest the title, which the MCC supports. But the Cricket Committee says that an inaugural tournament including just the top two would be acceptable.

A statement released on behalf of the group, which is chaired by former England captain Mike Brearley and includes the likes of Andrew Strauss, Michael Vaughan, Rahul Dravid and Steve Waugh, read: “The committee is a strong supporter of the proposed World Test Championship, and urges the International Cricket Council to ensure that such a tournament – or at least a final – takes place in 2017 and beyond.

“Since its creation in 2006, the WCC have stated that everything possible should be done to promote and protect Test cricket, which it believes is the ultimate form of the game.

“The committee understands the commercial sensitivities and logistical issues surrounding the proposed World Test Championship, but feels that a solution must be found.

“Whilst the committee would ultimately like to see the currently proposed four-team knockout competition proceed, it believes that a scaled-down version involving the top two teams in either a one-off Test Final or Test Series would still provide a context that the longest form of the game currently lacks in comparison to ODI and T20 cricket.

“The committee would like to end the uncertainty for everyone in the game by pressing ahead with a WTC in 2017, as announced, and believes that Test cricket could suffer if the concept was dropped.”

British Cycling’s Chief Executive Ian Drake has welcomed the news that Sport England has awarded the sports governing body £32 million to grow grassroots cycling over the next four years. 

Sport England today announced a £493 million four-year investment to keep the inspiration of London 2012 alive.

Cycling, netball, wheelchair basketball and triathlon are among the sports being rewarded for their strong plans and excellent progress on grassroots sport, all receiving funding increases of over 30 per cent.

Drake is particularly excited about the announcement: “Today’s Sport England funding announcement is a recognition of the good work done by British Cycling members and volunteers in driving grassroots participation and a challenge for us to do even better in the next four years.

“Whether it is for winning medals or for getting people active, we are proud of our record of delivering value for lottery funding and we take the responsibility very seriously.

“There is still a great deal of work to do in making cycling in this country better. We’re looking forward to getting stuck in.”

Sport England’s Chief Executive, Jennie Price, said: “This investment represents Years 5 to 8 of our long term plan to get more people playing sport. We’ve learned a lot over the last four years and with a record 15.5 million people already playing sport once a week, we are on track to deliver. We have worked very hard, with the governing bodies of sport, to make these decisions, and I believe they are right.”

Minister for Sport Hugh Robertson said: “This public investment of almost half a billion pounds for grassroots sport will help us deliver a real legacy from the London 2012 Games. We want all sports governing bodies to help inspire a generation and create a culture where people have a sporting habit for life.”

Knut Frostad, prostate Chief Executive of the Volvo Ocean Race is looking to highlight the “human” element of sailing to help spread the sport to a new fan base. 

Judging by the 30, case 000 daily spectators that turned out the last time the race casted their anchor on Brazilian soil, discount the sailor can take comfort in knowing that they have made steady progress.

Speaking exclusively to iSportconnect, the Norwegian yachtsman said: “What we focus a lot on is the human side of the event and the fact that this group of people have achieved so much at such a high level. Most people can relate to the fact that these people are inside a locked environment, where you cannot escape over a very long period. 

This is one of the last human challenges, where it’s man against nature, using technology to overcome. It’s fascinating. What we can do to improve that is make the life on board more accessible to people.” 

Two years ago the Volvo Ocean Race made the choice to introduce a media crew member, operating as a journalist and a cameraman, on board the crafts in an attempt to provide the audience watching at home with a greater insight into life on a boat. The decision is just the first step of a bigger plan. 

“We are now working on a project with biometrics, where we are able to display what is happening with the human body on board, so you can watch that via iPad and see if people are sleeping or awake, if they are stressed or if they have a cold,” smiled Knut. 

“We don’t know how far we can take that for the next event, but we can transmit that information and give non-sailing fans an interesting experience because they like watching these people fighting this battle out in the ocean. When there is a storm hitting them, you will be with them when it happens. 

“The human side of the event is what really drives the interest from non-sailing fans. You can’t do that in soccer, for example, with one person interviewing the players while they are playing!”