MLB’s Houston Astros Sell Franchise, Move from National to American League

Major League Baseball (MLB) team Houston Astros have sold the organisation with the National League Central Division club moving to the American League West for the 2013 season.

A report on the Astros website on Thursday said Drayton McLane, who has owned the club since 1992, sold the team to a group headed by Houston businessman Jim Crane for $610 million.

“I welcome Jim Crane and his group as they prepare to become the new stewards of the Astros,” MLB Commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement.

“I thank them for their patience and determination throughout a long but necessary process, which allowed us to accomplish our due diligence.”

Under McLane, who put the team up for sale last November, the Astros have experienced some of the greatest moments in the franchise’s history, including winning the NL pennant in 2005 and the opening of Minute Maid Park in 2000.

Houston’s eventual move to the AL West will put them in a division with cross-state rival Texas Rangers, the Oakland Athletics, Los Angeles Angels and Seattle Mariners.

It will also mark MLB’s first realignment since the Milwaukee Brewers moved from the AL Central to the NL Central before the 1998 season.

When the Astros switch divisions, MLB will have 15 clubs in each league and five clubs in each of its six divisions for the first time.

Jordaan confirms FIFA committee interest

South Africa’s World Cup organiser Danny Jordaan has put himself forward for a seat on FIFA’s executive committee.

Jordaan confirmed he will stand in an election for a place on football’s highest body at the African Football Confederation conference in Sudan in February.

The former LOC chief executive pointed out key organisers from recent World Cups have been voted onto the commitee, but maintained he is not overconfident despite the success of Africa’s first tournament.

“Elections are a strange thing … we shall see,” Jordaan told AP.

“The World Cup profile is a big help,” he said. “It is important for me that Africa feels I can make a contribution.”

Two of the four African places on the executive committee, including the one held by suspended Nigerian official Amos Adamu, are up for re-election next year.

Nominations for the posts close on November 23 – three months before the election at the Confederation of African Football (CAF) congress in Khartoum, Sudan.

Jordaan, who is targeting a place on the Fifa executive committee as well as the CAF executive, is the first to make his candidacy public.

Tottenham submit joint AEG bid for Olympic Stadium

English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur and American venue operator AEG have submitted a joint bid to take over the Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Games, it has been announced.

The bid was submitted on Thursday [30 September], the deadline the Olympic Park Legacy Committee (OPLC) had set for those wishing to lease the stadium.

Yesterday was also the day Tottenham’s plans to redevelop its existing White Hart Lane stadium in North London were approved by Haringey Council.

The club’s bid for the Olympic Stadium is seen by some as a tactical lever in the protracted negotiations with Haringey Council over the improvements to White Hart Lane.

The club’s chairman Daniel Levy said in a statement: “I can confirm we have registered an interest in the Olympic Stadium site within the deadline of September 30, in conjunction with AEG (Europe), the world’s largest entertainment and facilities management company.

“It is only prudent and good management that we ensure that we investigate all possible options for the club…We have always maintained that we wouldn’t undertake any project that could undermine the overall financial stability and future success of the club and this shall remain our guiding principle going forward and in determining our best option in the interests of the club and all its fans and stakeholders.”

Tottenham join fellow London Premier League club West Ham United in submitting a formal interest in the Olympic Stadium.

Olympic sports could face big cuts

A UK Government spending review this Autumn could lead to at least half of Britain’s Olympic sports having their funding cut before the London 2012 Games, it is reported.

The director of performance at UK Sport, Peter Keen, has said he would be willing to divert money from 50 per cent of the country’s sporting bodies to athletes who have a more realistic chance of success at the 2012 Games.

Keen said: “Like all publicly funded organisations, we’ll soon hear our budget. You must remember that our London mission was funded by a dramatic increase in exchequer funding, not Lottery funding. But we’re dependent on exchequer funding that will be determined in the Autumn.

“With any reasonable budget we will give the backing [prospective medal-winning] athletes deserve. And so if that means we can only fund half the sports, then that’s all we can do.What we really don’t want is to dilute our commitment to excellence.”

Keen revealed the sports that could take priority were cycling, athletics, rowing, sailing and swimming.

He added: “My ultimate loyalty is to elite sport. I learned early on that if you compromise, if you don’t look the monster in the eye, you invariably fail. If you distribute money to the point where you are spreading it so thinly then you’re not recognising a key point: that to do it properly does cost.”

Sebastian Coe Drops Out of BBC Trust Chairman Race to Focus On IAAF Presidency Bid

British Olympic Association chief Sebastian Coe has pulled out of the race to become the next chairman of the BBC Trust to focus on his impending bid to become International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) president.

The London 2012 head, who is also chairman of CSM Sports & Entertainment, was reportedly the government’s preferred candidate for the role but told the Daily Mail he did not have the “capacity” for the job.

The 1980 and 1984 1500-metre Olympic champion said: “I did allow my name to go forward to give myself time to properly analyse whether I had enough time to do the job to the best of my abilities.

“On reflection, I haven’t the capacity and I now want to concentrate on my current commitments and the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) election. As everyone knows, athletics is in my DNA.”

Coe is competing against fellow IAAF vice-president Sergey Bubka to succeed Lamine Diack, who will step down from the IAAF presidency in 2015 having been elected to the position in 1999.

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Infront Becomes Official Sales Agent for Commercial Hospitality at ATP World Tour Finals 2014

Infront France will operate as official Sales Agent for Commercial Hospitality of the ATP World Tour Finals 2014.

The subsidiary of the international sports marketing company Infront Sports & Media takes over the marketing role in the country on behalf of MATCH Hospitality AG – which handles the Corporate Hospitality programme for this event on a global level.

The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals are the annual culmination of the tennis season, shop featuring the world’s best eight singles players and doubles teams of the Emirates ATP ranking. The 2014 edition will take place from 9 to 16 November at the 02 Arena in London.

Infront offers three VIP hospitality package types (Match Private Suite, discount Match Business Seat & Match Club), which feature the arena’s best seats in the lower bowl and private suites.

The role for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in France aligns with Infront’s strategy to strengthen the French subsidiary’s positioning and portfolio in national hospitality sales. Infront France already acts as Official Hospitality Agent for Stade de France until 2015 and as Official Hospitality Agent for the 2015 Rugby World Cup on French territory.

Tiger Wood to Design New Golf Course at Bluejack National

PGA Tour superstar Tiger Woods and his company, diagnosis Tiger Woods Design, nurse will design the 18-hole golf course at Bluejack National, a private club and community currently under development in Montgomery, Texas, near Houston.

Construction of the golf course is expected to begin during the summer of 2014 with completion slated for the fall of 2015. Bluejack National is scheduled to be the first golf course designed by Tiger Woods to open in the U.S.

Formerly the home of Blaketree National Golf Club, Bluejack National is set among 755 acres of gently rolling and beautifully wooded countryside dotted with natural lakes and streams. The original golf course was popular with Houston-area players; however, Bluejack National’s developers believe a completely new design is required to make the best use of the area’s spectacular terrain and natural view corridors. Tiger Woods, the world’s number-one-ranked player and winner of 14 major golf championships, was selected to design the new course following numerous conversations and site visits with Beacon Land Development.

“I’ve known Michael Abbott and other members of Beacon Land Development for many years. I have tremendous respect for their ability and their commitment to excellence, and I am proud to be a part of Bluejack National,” said Woods. “Bluejack National has one of the best natural settings for golf I have seen. With its changes in elevation, the beautiful pines and hardwoods, Bluejack National is reminiscent of the pinelands of Georgia and the Carolinas. The opportunity is here to create a golf course unlike any other in the Houston area, and our goal is for it to be among the best in the nation.”

“We are thrilled to have Tiger working with us to develop the golf course for Bluejack National,” said Michael Abbott, Partner, Beacon Land Development. “He spent a lot of time getting to know the property and understanding its potential. Throughout the process it became clear that his vision for the golf course perfectly aligned with ours, and he shared our passion for bringing it to life.”

Beacon Land Development is in partnership with Lantern Asset Management, a Dallas-based firm with a strong track record and experience in luxury resort and mixed use residential communities. “I’m proud to be partnering with industry leaders such as Tiger Woods Design and Beacon Land Development to create something truly special on an exceptional piece of land,” said Andy Mitchell, President, Lantern Asset Management. “When you witness the passion this team brings to the creative process, it generates tremendous enthusiasm for the development of Bluejack National, and for the lifestyle it will provide to its future members and residents.”

2015 Africa Cup of Nations Extended

The dates for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco has been extended by one day, symptoms organisers have revealed.

The tournament is expected to be run from January 17 to February 8.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) said the original dates had been extended by one day so that the semi-finals could be held on separate days.

Traditionally, buy cialis the semi-finals of the biennial African football showpiece have been played on the same day.

Group A will be based in Marrakech, Group B in Agadir, Group C in Rabat and Group D in Tangier.

Central city Marrakech hosts the January 17 opening match and Moroccan capital Rabat the February 8 final.

In another change from recent tournaments, only one Group A game will be played on the opening day with the other being held a day later.

Volkswagen Motorsport Partners with Swedish Rallycross Team

Volkswagen Motorsport have announced today a new partnership with Swedish Rallycross team Marklund Motorsport. 

Under the terms of the deal the partnership will last for three years and have signed current Global Rallycross champion Toomas “Topi” Heikkinen to become the new, stomach lead driver. 

The deal will also see the new partnership build brand new VW Polo RX machines. 

Volkswagen Motorsport Director Jost Capito commented on the recent partnership: “The races are short and sweet, ed the cars are spectacular and look almost like factory models. Marklund Motorsport ranks among the most ambitious independent teams and has single-handedly developed the Polo for the 2014 FIA Rallycross World Championship.

“Jan Marklund’s professional approach was our condition before embarking on this collaboration, in which Volkswagen Motorsport provides the team experience and expertise from rally sport. In Toomas Heikkinen and Anton Marklund they have one of the strongest driver pairs in this championship and we are already excited about seeing them behind the wheel of the Polo RX Supercar.” 

Jan Marklund, Marklund Motorsport Team Owner, added: “Volkswagen’s pedigree in motorsport is there for everyone to see, there is no better manufacturer for us to be partnered with than the current WRC champions.

“Volkswagen is looking to make an immediate global impact in the world of Rallycross and I’m happy that Marklund Motorsport is their chosen partner for the FIA World Rallycross Championship. We will now continue the hard work we have put in so far this pre-season and with the support of Volkswagen we are very much looking forward to delivering results from the first race of the new season.”

Inaugural Russian Grand Prix in Sochi ’91 percent complete’ says Race Promoters

The race promoters for the inaugural Russian Grand Prix at Sochi have revealed today the circuit is 91% complete.

Sochi is currently hosting the Winter Olympics while work continues on the race circuit which will wind through the Olympic Park. The track is due to host the first ever Russian GP in October and race promoter Oleg Zabara said the Winter Olympics had not impacted on progress with the circuit.

“Construction of the autodrome in Sochi keeps moving forward” Zabara told Reuters. “All works are being carried out according to the schedule. The racing track is 91 percent complete. Everything is according to plan, and there aren’t any problems during Olympic period.”

With interest in Russia heightened by the promotion of Daniil Kvyat in to a race seat at Toro Rosso this season, Zabara added that he expects ticket sales for the first race to be strong.

“We expect to sell 55,000 tickets. We are already collecting pre-orders…The Russian Grand Prix is a mega event and a catalyst for the development of a motorsport community in Russia and Sochi.”