German clubs get a share of World Cup profits

The 36 clubs and capital companies of the League Association will all receive a share of the profits earned by the German Football Association (DFB) at the World Cup finals in South Africa.

The board of the League Association, which is entitled to half of any DFB World Cup surplus, announced its decision on the share-out in the wake of its Tuesday conference.

The clubs will receive 1.927 million euro in total. 50 percent of that will be distributed evenly between them, with the rest being allocated proportionally according to the number of German international players each had on duty.

“The clubs of the League Association made a major contribution to the success of the German national team in South Africa. It’s thus only fair that they also benefit from the financial surplus,” said League Association president Dr. Reinhard Rauball.

Infront Sports & Media Launches New Running Series In China

Infront Sports & Media, link the leading international sports marketing company, impotent is launching a new mass participation series for amateur runners in China. 

The series will run from August to December, ampoule passing through Beijing, Shanghai, Changzhou, Shenzhen and Huizhou – all sports enthusiastic cities. The initiative is part of Infront’s growth strategy in the active lifestyle segment.

Philippe Blatter, President & CEO of Infront, commented: “With the launch of the new series, we are combining our extensive knowledge in mass participation events together with our long-standing market expertise in China, delivering an attractive leisure sports product.

“Participants will engage in Happy 10k throughout several months, providing brands with an effective engagement platform. As the owners of the event, we are in a unique position, able to develop the new series across the board and establish synergies with our existing active lifestyle portfolio.”

M&C Saatchi Sport to Activate Sky Bet’s Title Sponsorship of Football League

Sky Bet, capsule the online gaming subsidiary of UK pay-television broadcaster BSkyB, apoplectic have hired M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment to activate their tile sponsorship of the English Football League.

The agency, which was appointed following ‘a competitive pitch process’, will create a campaign that demonstrates Sky Bet’s commitment to putting money back into the game.

The Football League, which operates the divisions immediately below the top-tier Premier League, signed up Sky Bet as a title sponsor ahead of the recently-completed 2013-14 season.

“The coming together of Sky Bet and the Football League gives us the perfect opportunity to engage with millions of football fans spanning 72 communities,” Sky Betting and Gaming marketing director Rob Painter said.

“We feel that the addition of M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment will help us achieve this goal in a truly compelling way and we look forward to working together.”

Steve Martin, chief executive officer of M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment, added: “Sky Bet is a brand that is really going places so it is a hugely exciting moment for us to be appointed following a rigorous pitch process.

“We are looking forward to implementing an integrated plan focused around a big, simple idea that we believe will deliver a step change for the brand – and we hope this will become the foundation of a long-lasting partnership.”

Faldo Series Asia Expands to Bangladesh & New Zealand

The Faldo Series Asia schedule will now include visits to Bangladesh and New Zealand for the first time.

Sir Nick, allergist Britain’s most successful golfer, ampoule said: “This is the time for golf on all levels to be looked at as a truly global sport with global opportunity and possibility. We remain focused on developing the Faldo Series in more countries and introducing the lessons and opportunity of this sport through elite junior amateur competition along with grass roots introduction to golfers on all levels.”

Supported by The R&A, ISPS and Mission Hills and endorsed by the Asian Tour and the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation, the 2014-15 Faldo Series Asia campaign will stretch over 11 months and will be made up of a minimum of 20 championships spanning no fewer than 17 countries.

There will be three events in China and one each in Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Chinese-Taipei, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The Faldo Series Asia Grand Final is slated to take place in March, 2015 with Sir Nick working with winners from around the region as well as champions from the Faldo Series in Europe and USA.

Recognised as the only global amateur series for boys and girls, the Faldo Series was established in 1996, expanding to Asia in 2006.

Dominic Wall, R&A Director – Asia, said: “The R&A has supported the Faldo Series Asia over the last eight years and during this period the Series has provided opportunities for many young golfers from across the region to test their skills in a competitive championship setting.

“The Series not only offers golfers the ability to move from national to international level competition but also provides an environment where they can learn from a variety of experts in a number of areas related to golf development.

“The R&A looks forward to another successful year for the Faldo Series Asia and wishes all the players and officials all the best for the forthcoming season.”

Among those looking to shine this season will be juniors from New Zealand and Bangladesh.

Dave Mangan, General Manager at NZ Golf Inc, said: “We are excited to collaborate with Nick Faldo in giving our up-and-coming junior golfers the opportunity to participate in the Faldo Series Asia. NZ Golf hopes that this new pathway to the challenges of global golf will help to establish our next Lydia Ko on the world stage.”

Major General Md Mashud Razzaq, President, Junior Division, Bangladesh Golf Federation (BGF), said: “Our Federation is pleased to become a host for the Faldo Series Asia. I am certain that junior golfers in Bangladesh will greatly benefit from this prestigious tournament.”

Incheon Asian Games Stadium Construction Completed with 100 Days to Go

With 100 days to go until the start of the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, clinic the main stadium Incheon Asian Games Stadium was officially completed.

The competition is set to begin on September 19th in Incheon, South Korea.

The stadium for the 17th Asian games was designed by Populous in association with local firm Heerim Architects and Planners and illustrates a new level of sustainable design in stadia in Asia.

The multipurpose stadium will hold 60,000 people during the Games will reduce down to a single sided grandstand for 30,000 afterwards as a People’s Park for the city of Incheon.

Legacy and sustainability were the driving factors in designing the stadium in Incheon. Populous Senior Principal Andrew James, commented: “We wanted to take a fresh look at the way we treat adaptable stadia in Incheon.

“Rather than considering how we could shrink a 60,000 seat stadium, we turned the idea on its head and thought let’s build a 30,000 seat stadium and add 30,000 temporary seats.

“This approach provided multiple advantages. Financially it reduced the building by two thirds meaning there are substantial savings in operational and maintenance costs. Secondly, it meant the permanent seats could be sited in the optimal position for these sports, in this instance, in the West stand.

“But the biggest advantage in the design is the freedom it provided in terms of legacy. The plans were always based on a community park, which after the Games, will replace the Eastern stand, forming a traditional stadium hill, with plazas on the north and south ends, providing atmospheric spectator viewing during a match , and a green space for the public to enjoy at all other times.

Golden State Warriors Consider Name Change after Land Purchase

NBA franchise Golden State Warriors have revealed they are contemplating changing the name of the team after announcing earlier this week they’d purchased a 12-acre property in the Mission Bay district of San Francisco that they plan to use for a new arena.

The franchise will keep the Warriors moniker they’ve used since they were founded in Philadelphia in 1946 but could readopt the name for which they were known when they played in San Francisco from 1962-71 — the San Francisco Warriors.

“We’re very curious what our fans think of that,” Warriors president and CEO Rick Welts told ESPN.com. “I couldn’t imagine making that decision in the very near future, but we definitely want to see what our fans prefer.”

“We’re spending a lot of time with the facility itself to do everything possible to replicate what we think is a really special atmosphere for our games at Oracle,” Welts said.

“The first assignment we gave the architects was to make sure that every seat in the new building is as close or closer than the comparable seat at Oracle. We’re doing that by actually making the building smaller. We’re going from 19,000 seats to 18,000 seats.”

Welts said that the Warriors have also guaranteed that every employee at Oracle will have a chance to transfer their job to the new building, which is eight miles away, across the San Francisco Bay. They’ve guaranteed seats to their season-ticket holders in the new arena.

“Oracle Arena is the oldest arena in the NBA, and it’s served great for 50 years,” Welts said. “But there comes a point in time where if we’re going to be the franchise that we aspire to be, we’re going to need a new playing facility. And in our view, San Francisco is the right place to be if you have the same aspirations we have, to be truly one of the great franchises in sports.”

Welts said he didn’t think the franchise’s fans in the East Bay would abandon them, since the new site is so close to Oakland, and accessible by the Bay Area’s Rapid Transit (BART) system.

Welts added pushing to keep the team in Oakland was further complicated by governmental concerns.

“I think we’re very cognizant also that Oakland and Alameda counties have some very serious issues to prioritize,” Welts said. “And we’re very understanding that the Golden State Warriors, in terms of an investment of public money, isn’t one of the places that those in charge of the future of Oakland feel like is the most needy in terms of the issues and problems that the people are trying to address here.”

Australian GP Organisers Claim Poor Engine Sound Spoiled F1 Spectacle

Despite considering the Australian Grand Prix a success, the organisers of the event were unhappy with sound of the new V6 hybrid engines as they believed it ruined the spectacle for the fans.

Australian Grand Prix Corporation chairman Ron Walker revealed he would be speaking to F1 bosses on what he considered a reduction of the aural spectacle and breach of contract.

He told Melbourne Age newspaper: “I was absolutely delighted with the whole weekend, but I was not too happy with the sound. 

“I walked in the botanical gardens and you could hear the sound of the twin-seater F1 car of Paul Stoddart sweeping around the circuit, but you couldn’t hear these new turbo cars. If you sat in the grandstand, you could hardly hear them coming down the straight. It’s clearly in breach of our contract.

“We are an entertainment company and we have to entertain the public. Everybody was talking about it. When you take the excitement away, you have trouble selling tickets. You have to create demand and part of that demand is people liking the noise of the race cars.

“We are resolving that with Bernie. I was talking to him [Sunday] night and it’s not what we paid for. It’s going to change. He’s horrified about it. It will be an issue for all promoters all round the world.”

He also claimed that it was a problem all organisers will face.

F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone, who is not a fan of the new engines, admitted that one or two other promoters have also expressed their concen.

He told Reuters: “I’ve had one or two [promoters] get in touch and they said how unhappy they are. I spoke to [Ferrari president] Luca di Montezemolo just now and he said he’s never had as many emails on his desk complaining and saying this isn’t F1.

“Let’s assume [Walker] hasn’t got a point as far as the legal side is going. Then you have to look at it from a moral side. If you went into the supermarket today and bought some strawberry jam and you got peanut butter you’d probably be a bit pissed off. Whether the contract describes what he’d bought, the strawberry jam with so many strawberries, I don’t know. I doubt it. I think he bought the FIA Formula One World Championship – which is what he’s got.”

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Toyota Series to Remain Under NASCAR Banner after 10-year Deal

NASCAR have announced a 10-year landmark agreement with entertainment company CIE for the Mexico-based Toyota Series to continue to operate under the NASCAR banner through the 2023 season. 

“This historic announcement represents the next step in the growth of the sport and the international impact NASCAR is making, arthritis ” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president of racing operations. “The NASCAR Mexico Toyota Series continues to be a bridge that makes NASCAR more relevant to the Hispanic community in the U.S. Along with the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series and the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, the NASCAR Mexico Toyota Series gives our sport a strong and unified presence across North America and Europe.” 

The NASCAR Mexico Toyota Series is the premier auto racing series in Mexico. It traditionally runs a 15-race schedule, and for the second year in a row will kick off the season at Phoenix International Raceway. In another significant moment, Deportes Telemundo will air NASCAR Mexico Toyota Series’ Toyota 120 live on mun2, a first for NASCAR and the Mexico-based series. 

“This extension symbolizes the strength of our relationship with NASCAR,” said Federico Alaman, managing director of the NASCAR Mexico Toyota Series. “I’m very proud of how far the series has come since its inception and continuing to operate under the NASCAR banner for many years to come will reinforce the high level of competition and excitement the NASCAR Mexico Toyota Series brings to every event.” 

The 2014 season will mark the 11th overall for the NASCAR Mexico Toyota Series, which has been a NASCAR-sanctioned series since 2007. The inaugural year featured just one oval, while recent years have had just one or two road courses. This is emblematic of the shift the series has undergone under the NASCAR banner. 

ECB Release New Study with 1.7 Million People Playing Recreational Cricket

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have released new findings of a comprehensive new study into recreational cricket which shows that 1.7 million people played the sport in the last twelve months.

The game-wide study of grassroots participation revealed that a total of 908, discount 000 people aged over 14 played cricket in teams – with a further 792,000 people playing cricket informally in the garden or on the beach.

The survey also showed that 93 per cent of recreational cricketers were male, with seven per cent female and that the average age for a recreational cricketer was 31-years old.

Ethnic minorities comprised 30 per cent of the overall participation base and members of the south Asian community were six times more likely to play cricket than the average recreational player.

Commissioned by ECB’s Cricket Partnerships team, the research was based on ECB’s first ever National Playing Survey which attracted more than 21,500 responses from recreational cricketers nationwide together with analysis of more than 1.2 million scorecards from Play-Cricket.com and feedback from twelve Focus Groups.

Commenting on the survey, ECB Chief Executive David Collier said: “This comprehensive and detailed survey has given us a unique insight into who recreational cricketers are, what they want from the sport and how we can best meet their needs.

“All of this information will be vital as we roll-out plans over the next four years to boost participation still further by investing more than £96 million in the recreational game – with improvements in coaching, facilities and the wider club environment a priority.

“Cricket in this country has a long and proud history of embracing different ethnic groups and we are delighted that the survey has revealed such a high level of participation from the south Asian community. Attracting even higher levels of participation from ethnic minorities is a key element in our national strategy as is providing even more opportunities for women, girls and disabled cricketers to play the game.”

Wimbledon Reveals Major Prize-Money Hike & Plans for Retractable Roof

The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC) have announced a major hike in prize-money for the 2013 tournament while also revealing plans for a retractable roof for Court One.

Players will receive a total of £22.6m, at this year’s event, up £6.5m on last year (an increase of 40%), with the men’s and women’s singles winners receiving £1.6m each.

The roof for Court One is expected to be ready for the 2019 Championships.

The Centre Court roof has been in use since 2009 meaning 26,500 covered seats will be available across the courts.

The men’s and ladies’ singles prizes were made the same amount in 2007 and will rise £450,000 from the £1.15m awarded to 2012 champions Roger Federer and Serena Williams.

The 88% of singles players who lose in the first three rounds at Wimbledon will receive a rise of over 60% this year, taking the increase in prize money for these players to around 90% over a two-year period.

There is also a 41% increase in prize money for qualifying bringing the two-year increase for that category to 71%.

Philip Brook, Chairman of the All England Club and The Championships, said: “I would like to thank all those whose contribution to Wimbledon’s success both on and off court has today enabled us to announce these significant levels of investment in The Championships.

“For the players, it is a deep appreciation of the demanding nature of professional tennis and the top-quality entertainment they bring, while for The Championships it is about giving all our visitors the finest stage on which to enjoy Wimbledon.”

This follows the Australian Open announcing at the end of lasy year that they had increased their prize-money While the French Open’s prize-money wen’t up 16 per cent recently.

New Partnership Agreements

As part of a new multi-tiered media partnership in China, The Championships will be broadcast live on CCTV5, China’s national sports broadcaster, leading to an increase in the number of viewing homes in China from 85million to 250million. Other media partners include regional sports channels and Tencent, the largest internet portal in China. Also Lavazza, the Official Coffee of The Championships, has agreed a three-year extension to its existing agreement.
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