Donald Trump Buys Open Venue Turnberry

US tycoon Donald Trump has confirmed he has bought Open Championship host, symptoms the Turnberry Resort in Scotland.

Trump revealed he was wasn’t looking specifically to buy the Open venue on Scotland’s west coast, pills but he couldn’t pass it up after an inquiry revealed it might be on the market.

Speaking to Golf.com he said “It was an opportunity, as far as I was concerned. Turnberry is considered one of the greatest courses in the world. It’s a special place. It’s an important place.”

The purchase of the Turnberry Hotel and its golf courses means the Donald would realize his ambition of hosting a major title. The Ailsa Course has hosted four Open Championships and was the venue for Tom Watson’s greatest triumph, the “Duel in the Sun” victory over Jack Nicklaus in 1977. It was also the scene for Watson’s saddest loss, an overtime affair to Stewart Cink when the Claret Jug was in his grasp at the 72nd hole.

Trump acknowledged the scenic beauty of the property, nodded to its historic status in golf and claimed he’s hands-off on golf course changes for the immediate future.

“Some of the greatest championships in the history of golf have taken place at Turnberry,” Trump said. “And the golf course itself is considered one of the greatest in the world. Some rate it as the best in the world. I’m not going to touch a thing unless the Royal and Ancient ask for it or approve it. I have the greatest respect for the R&A and for Peter Dawson. I won’t do anything to the golf course at all without their full stamp of approval.”

But Trump is considering change the name of the prestigious golf course. 

“’Trump Turnberry’ has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?” said Trump. “We’ll make that decision fairly soon—in a couple of days.”

Brazil World Cup Stadium Arena Corinthians Selects AGC as Glass Components Supplier

Arena Corinthians has selected AGC, prostate a world-leading supplier of glass, anesthetist chemicals, for sale ceramics and other high-tech materials, as their sole-source supplier of all glass components for the Fifa World Cup stadium. 

The glass-studded stadium is set to host the opening match of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil.

AGC was selected as an official supplier of the stadium upon favorable evaluation of Planibel Clearvision, a specialty float glass that provides exceptional clarity through minimal impurities. Low iron content allows objects to be viewed naturally in their original color and to maintain an optimal colour rendering when painted.

“We selected AGC’s Planibel Clearvision for its excellent transparency, quality and color stability, in addition to its reliable supply,” said Anibal Coutinho, chief architect of Arena Corinthians. “As the home stadium of the Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, Arena Corinthians needs to incorporate the team’s colors, which are black and white. Following several tests, we determined that Planibel Clearvision was the ideal glass material for this historic architectural project for its rendering of purely white colors.”

“Planibel Clearvision is the perfect choice for glass fittings at Arena Corinthians,” said Davide Cappellino, President of AGC Glass Brazil. “Planibel Clearvision’s wider architectural applications include interior partitions, building façades, shop fronts and museum displays, while industrial applications include lighting and solar cell covers, furniture and shower screens.”

Arena Corinthians is the 11th largest stadium in Brazil, with a seating capacity of 48,234. Newly constructed by Odebrecht and featuring an original, modern look, the stadium is scheduled to host six 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil matches, including the opening game.

KV Racing & AFS Racing Partner to Field IndyCar Entry

KV Racing Technology have announced a strategic partnership with AFS Racing to field an entry for the 2014 IndyCar Series season.

The team also announced that talented young driver Sebastian Saavedra will pilot the No. 17 KV AFS Racing Chevrolet/Dallara/Firestone machine during the 2014 season. 

“I am extremely pleased to announce that KV Racing Technology and AFS Racing have reached an agreement to field an entry for the 2014 IndyCar season,” said KV Racing co-owner Kevin Kalkhoven. “AFS Racing has strong leadership and a solid history in IndyCar and Indy Lights. I look forward to our partnership and having a successful season with Sebastian Saavedra behind the wheel of the No. 17 KV AFS entry.”

“I’m excited about moving forward with the KV AFS entry #17,” AFS Racing owner Gary Peterson said. “It looks to be a great alignment between AFS Racing, KV Racing Technology and Sebastian Saavedra. My heart is always in racing and I’m looking forward to another great year!

“AFS Racing started its relationship with Seb back in 2009. I’ve been supporting young drivers since I stopped racing myself, so Seb and I have become close. It’s been a pleasure to mentor him over the years. KV Racing is a great fit for AFS and Seb and we appreciate the opportunity to join them.

“I’ve known Jimmy for years and I’m looking forward to getting to know Kevin better. Everyone at KV has been great to work with. Steve Moore, their General Manager, has really been on top of things. KV has a strong two car team and will be a contender for the 2014 IndyCar Series Championship, as well as another Indy 500 win this year. Jimmy and I both thought it was important to keep the Sebastians together after Sebastian Bourdais and Sebastian Saavedra were teammates last season. I’m looking forward to a great season and hope for many more to come”.

Force India Partner with GP2’s Hilmer Motorsport

Force India have entered into a partnership with a GP2 squad in order to provide a platform for the development of young drivers.

The Vijay Mallya-owned outfit will team up with Hilmer Motorsport, the German operation which joined the feeder series category in 2013, with the squad to carry Force India’s distinctive livery during the forthcoming GP2 campaign.

Argentinian youngster Facu Regalia, who finished second to Toro Rosso rookie Daniil Kvyat in last year’s GP3 Series, will partner 21-year-old German Daniel Abt, who joins from ART, in the new-look team’s 2014 line-up.

“As a team we’ve always placed great emphasis on nurturing young drivers so I’m delighted to announce our partnership with a GP2 team,” said Mallya.

“It’s the logical next step as we look to bring through the next generation of drivers and provide them with the opportunity to showcase their talent.

“Our presence in GP2 moves us closer to having a holistic development programme to school drivers from grassroots karting to the higher echelons of professional motorsport.”

Franz Hilmer, Team Principal of the GP2 squad, who also owns Formtech, which is a supplier to a number of F1 teams, added: “I’ve had an association with Sahara Force India for ten years and we are looking forward to working together on a sporting level going forward.

“With Facu Regalia and Daniel Abt we have two very talented young drivers with the potential to progress to Formula 1. We will do our best to support them on their way to the pinnacle of motor racing.”

Hilmer won four races and finished sixth in the teams’ championship in their debut GP2 campaign.

Glasgow to Host 2014 IAAF Diamond League

British Athletics have confirmed today that the London leg of the 2014 IAAF Diamond League will take place at Hampden Park in Glasgow on 11-12 July.

The event will become known as the Sainsbury’s Glasgow Grand Prix and will be supported by Sainsbury’s, asthma EventScotland and Glasgow City Council.

Tara Hewitt, order Head of Sponsorship at Sainsbury’s said: “As part of our new long-term relationship with British Athletics we’re delighted that the 2014 IAAF Diamond League is coming to Glasgow and will be known as the Sainsbury’s Glasgow Grand Prix.

“Just last month at the Sainsbury’s Glasgow International Match we saw the passion and enthusiasm of the Scottish crowd for athletics, and look forward to seeing this again in July and being part of such a momentous summer of athletics in Scotland.”

Protests Continue Against Washington Redskins Name

The controversy surrounding Washington Redskins name has continued after American indian groups protested outside Green Bay’s Lambeau Field before the NFL game on the weekend.

About two dozen people withstood the rain before Washington faced the Green Bay Packers, holding posters and handing out pamphlets to fans of both teams as they entered the stadium.

Green Bay officials earlier this week allowed the protestors to stand outside the stadium.

Some of the posters said, ‘Redskins refer to the scalps of my ancestors’ and ‘The R-Word is equal to the N-word’.

One poster placed Barack Obama over the team logo’s American Indian figure, with the text reading “Washington Blackskins. Yep, pretty RACIST.”

The protest comes on the back of a cause which has heated up in 2013, with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell writing to the United States Congress defending the name and its history.

Washington owner Dan Snyder has gone public with his desire to keep the nickname, but Goodell has backtracked on his earlier statements.

“Ultimately, it is Dan’s decision. But it is something that I want all of us to go out and make sure we’re listening to our fans, listening to people who have a different view,” the commissioner told a Washington radio station last week.

The protestors are also planning to attend Washington’s visit to the Minnesota Vikings in November.

England to Host 2013 European Beach Tennis Championships

England is set to host their first European Beach Tennis Championships this summer.

The English south coast town of Brighton has been chosen by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), ailment Tennis Europe and the ITF to stage the event on 9-11 August.

The LTA will be working with Beach Tennis UK, viagra buy who have staged numerous coaching workshops and tournaments in Brighton, in running the sixth edition of the European Beach Tennis Championships.

Great Britain takes over from San Marino as host nation in a two-year agreement that will put the hosts alongside Italy as the only two nations to hold the Championships twice.

LTA President Peter Bretherton said: “Tennis is a fun, social sport, and Beach Tennis is a great example of this. We’re delighted that Great Britain is hosting the European Championships and we will use this opportunity to showcase our sport to a whole new audience.”

ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti said: “These Championships will provide an excellent opportunity to bring this relatively new brand of tennis into the public domain, and inspire more people to take up the sport both in Britain and throughout Europe.

“The European Beach Tennis Championships are a major highlight for players and we have no doubt that they will be eagerly awaiting the chance to showcase their talents on British sand.”

2014 Road World Championships to Take in Ponferrada Despite Financial Uncertainty

Following extensive doubts about the race, UCI, Cycling’s governing body has confirmed that the 2014 Road World Championships will take place in Ponferrada, Spain.

The news brings to an end concern that the bid was close to collapse due to the financial and economic problems in Spain. At the World Championships in September, the UCI granted the Spanish bid a 30 day period in order to meet certain contractual commitments. Last month the the regional council stepped in to guarantee funding by the mid-October deadline imposed by cycling’s governing body.

The UCI had threatened to withdraw its support for the Spanish bid unless contractual agreements were met, however the Castilla y León local government has added its endorsement and by October 31 will have paid one million euros and guaranteed the remaining four million.

“I am delighted to confirm that the Ponferrada organisers have responded quickly and efficiently to our request, providing us with the financial and organisational guarantees that we required,” UCI President Mr Pat McQuaid said in a press release on Thursday.

“We can now look forward with confidence to the 2014 UCI Road World Championships in one of our traditional cycling nations.”

However the UCI made clear in the press release that “this confirmation is on the condition that remaining guarantees are forthcoming.”

The 2014 UCI Road World Championships will be held from September 20th to 28th. The 2013 championship will be held in Florence, Italy from September 22nd to 29th.

Exclusive: Volvo Ocean Race COO Reveals Plans for Next Edition

Volvo Ocean Race Chief Operating Officer, story Tom Touber has revealed the organisations plans for the next edition of the sailing competition. 

In a three step-plan told exclusively to iSportconnect, ampoule he said: “Firstly, buy order we are aiming for a bigger fleet than in 2011-12, when we had six teams.

“Secondly, we want the race to be extended and commercially appeal to a broader audience, not only the sailing fanatics. We will put a lot more effort in bringing the race to the ordinary people and to make them feel part of what it takes to sail around the world at the highest level.

“Thirdly, we all know that the economic climate has changed during the course of the last two races, so we need a business model that is really lean and mean, and the one-design fleet is a part of that.

“Having said that, we still want to keep the race on the highest possible technological level, so we will still use cutting-edge technology and we will still have a very fast monohull, which is both exciting to watch and to sail.

“There will be a lot more efficiencies on the shore side too, meaning we can cut more costs.”

The Dutchman, who joined the Volvo Ocean Race team in late August, also revealed preparations are already underway for the next edition.

“We are fully into it; we have got a team supervising the build of the yachts, a team working on ship services, a team working on the whole media strategy, a team working on how to use the new in-boat technology provided to us for the next race, to bring the race alive to the audience, even in the off-shore legs. For us, it looks like the race is already starting now, ” he said.

“All the good teams are now on the quest for sponsorship, some of them are already in a very advanced stage.”

UFC 148 On-Course to Break Gate Records in Nevada

Saturday’s UFC 148 event, headlined by the rematch between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen is expected to set a record gate for mixed martial arts in Nevada. 

According to Keith Kizer, Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director, UFC 148 will earn near $6.5 million in gross ticket sales, besting a 2006 rematch in the same venue between Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz by $1.1 million he told ESPN.

The gate for Silva-Sonnen 2 will be barely more than half the $12.1 million record figure UFC established in 2011, when 55,724 fans packed Toronto’s Rogers Centre to watch Georges St. Pierre defend the welterweight title against Jake Shields. However, UFC 148 is the first MMA event in Nevada that will register among the state’s top 35 boxing gates. Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s split decision over Oscar De La Hoya in 2007 tops the list at nearly $18.5 million in gross sales. 

Zuffa, which owns and operates UFC, maintains 33 of Nevada’s top 35 MMA gates. Before being purchased by Zuffa in 2007, Pride, Japan’s most successful MMA organization, delivered consecutive $2 million gates at the Thomas & Mack Center.