Agency Nucleus Worldwide has been selected as the Marketing Agency of Record for the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP).

The scope of work includes Brand Strategy, Brand Graphic Standards, Creative Development and Media Planning / Buying.

AVP Managing Partner Donald Sun described the appointment of Nucleus as, “a major step forward in defining and elevating the AVP brand. Nucleus has been an exceptional marketing partner that truly cares about our business and helping us grow.”

For the 2014 season, Nucleus will support the AVP in expanding beyond its celebrated beach party image to promote the world-class athletes playing on the tour and their relentless determination.

The Nucleus campaign, centered on the line “Dig Deep,” was developed by Nucleus VP Creative Director Dean Van Eimeren, while media was led by Nucleus VP Group Media Director Cindy Nguyen. Media will break May 5 and will continue throughout the summer to promote the tour’s seven events:

St. Petersburg Open (May 29-June 1); Milwaukee Open (July 3-6); Salt Lake City Open (Aug. 7-10); Manhattan Beach Open (Aug. 14-17); Cincinnati Open (Aug. 28-31); DO AC Beach Volleyball Invitational (Sept. 5-7); and AVP Championships at Huntington Beach.

Nucleus Worldwide is a full-service agency based in El Segundo, Calif.. Since 2009, the agency has worked on a host of national brands, including the AVP (Association of Volleyball Professionals), American Suzuki Motor Corporation, 3 Day Blinds, ACP (All Classic Parts) and many more.

The Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) has announced Rome’s Stadio Olimpico as Italy’s only candidate for host city status at Euro 2020.

Milan’s San Siro, which will host the 2016 Champions League final, is not deemed by CONI to have the necessary qualities for staging matches during the first continent-wide European Championship in six years’ time, and has therefore been discarded.

“Rome will go forward with its candidacy for Euro 2020 while Milan has been dropped as an idea because only the Olimpico matches the UEFA criteria for this type of international competition,” CONI president Giovanni Malago said in Gazzetta dello Sport.

“We’ll wait and see on Sept. 19 whether Roma succeeds in forming part of this strange edition which will be spread over many countries. It’s going to be a European Championship of capital cities, when you see that there will be 13 host cities.”

Even if the Olimpico is successful, work must still be carried out to bring it up to the required “technological and security” standards, according to Malago.

“UEFA does not want further segmentation of the sectors,” he said. “If I’m not wrong, even the San Siro has work to do for the 2016 Champions League final.”

Malaysia are set to host the next two editions of the EurAsia Cup, buy in 2016 and 2018 it has been revealed. 

Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak announced the commitment from the Government.

The announcement was made after a stunning conclusion to the three-day event, as Team Asia fought back from four points down to secure a 10-10 draw, resulting in the inaugural trophy being shared with Team Europe.

The Prime Minister, a keen golfer himself, made the announcement in front of a packed 18th green at the tournament’s closing ceremony at Glenmarie Golf and Country Club.

“I am delighted to confirm that the next two editions of the EurAsia Cup will be played here in Malaysia, in 2016 and 2018. Our aim is to continue the fantastic growth the sport of golf has already seen in Asia. We have seen why this game is so popular and therefore why I am standing here now making this statement. This event has the full support of the Malaysian government,” he said.

“We have seen this week that golf is alive and well in this part of the world. I want to extend my thanks to both captains, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Thongchai Jaidee, for helping make this a great first edition of the EurAsia Cup. We hope to see them both here again in two years’ time for the second edition of the tournament.”

FIBA announced on Monday that Israel will host the 2015 FIBA 3×3 U18 World Championships.

The exact dates and the name of the host city will be revealed later this year.

The Basketball Association of Israel (IBBA) – one of the most active national federations in the development of 3×3 – will host the fourth edition of the tournament. It was previously held in Rimini, erectile Italy (2011), link  Alcobendas, link Spain (2012) and Jakarta, Indonesia (2013).

The FIBA 3×3 U18 World Championships are held on an annual basis, except the year of the Youth Olympic Games (YOG). 3×3 will once again be the only basketball discipline played at this summer’s Youth Olympic Games, in Nanjing, China (16- 28 August 2014).

“We are delighted to organise the 2015 FIBA 3×3 U18 World Championships in Israel, giving the country its first major FIBA event,” said FIBA Secretary General and International Olympic Committee (IOC) Member Patrick Baumann.

“Israel’s success in traditional basketball is well-documented but what is less known is Israel was at the vanguard in 3×3, participating in the discipline’s first-ever international competition at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore, finishing sixth in the men’s category.

“After a resounding success the last three years in Italy, Spain and Indonesia, we know our top 3×3 youth competition will be in safe hands in Israel in 2015.”

IBBA President Dani Haloutz underlined the honour to stage the competition in his country saying: “We take great pride in hosting an international event like the FIBA 3×3 U18 World Championships and being associated with a rising discipline like 3×3.

“No other international event mixes youth, sport, music and urban culture like this one. We support FIBA’s initiative to steer 3×3 and bring it to the Olympics.”

Haloutz believes 3×3 will feel itself at home in Israel.

“This discipline already has a strong fanbase here, with players and spectators attending in numbers tournaments all over the country. We expect this event to have a positive impact on the development of 3×3 and basketball in general in Israel and take it as a great opportunity to welcome young athletes from all over the world and show them a little bit about our beautiful country.”

Andersen Promotions, which operates the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship and Pro Mazda Championship, today announced a new technical partnership with leading high performance wheel manufacturer Motegi Racing.

Owned by Wheel Pros, one of the world’s largest suppliers of branded custom wheels, Motegi Racing has technical partnerships with teams in a variety of formulas including Formula One, Formula Drift and Global Rallycross. It will have a strong presence in this weekend’s Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, showcasing numerous partnerships including the pair of SpeedSource Mazda SKYACTIV-D P2 prototypes and factory SRT Vipers, all of the Ferrari 458 Italias in the GTD class, and the Alex Job and Patrick Dempsey Porsche GT Americas.

“We are very excited to enter into this new partnership with Motegi Racing,” said Dan Andersen, Owner and CEO of Andersen Promotions. “Motegi is highly regarded for its technology, expertise and quality, and their product will enhance the beauty of our new Dallara race car while providing outstanding performance. With our collaboration, we will be able to reduce wheel costs significantly for our teams and provide a state-of-the-art piece. I am extremely pleased with our arrangement.”

“This technical partnership underscores our commitment to the ladder system in U.S. open-wheel racing and the young future stars on their way to the IndyCar Series,” said Jody Groce, President of Wheel Pros LLC. “We are delighted to have the opportunity to introduce our forged aluminum wheel technology to the top level of the ladder after being already proven at the highest levels of sportscar GT racing with the Ferrari AF Corse GT factory team in the FIA World Endurance Championship, the factory Viper SRT in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship and the Ford factory OMSE team in Global Rallycross.”

The World Mountain Running Championships is set for the UK in 2015 after Betws-y-Coed, near Conwy, North Wales, was chosen as host by the World Mountain Running Association (WMRA).

The bid to bring the event to Wales was submitted by British Athletics and Conwy County Borough Council, in partnership with the Welsh Government and Welsh Athletics and the sport’s global governing body made the announcement on Saturday in Poland.

The championships will include senior men, senior women, junior men and junior women races as well as team events. There will also be a week-long festival of mountain running which will incorporate masters events, open races for all ages and abilities and educational seminars.

Cherry Alexander, British Athletics’ Major Events Director, said: “It’s great that the UK will be able to host another major athletics event. With both the IAAF World Championships and IPC World Championships also coming to London in 2017 and the IPC European Athletic Championships being hosted in Swansea in 2014, the World Mountain Running Championships being in North Wales in 2015 is yet another great opportunity to showcase all the disciplines of world class athletics here in the UK.”

The news has also been welcomed by Wales’ Economy Minister, Edwina Hart, who said: “I am delighted North Wales is to host this prestigious event, which will further cement the reputation of Conwy and North Wales as a great destination for mountain running and endurance events like this.”

Steve Brace, Welsh Athletics head of endurance, said: “We are delighted with the decision to award the 2015 World Mountain Running Championships to North Wales, proving once again Wales’ ability to attract top-class running events through the hard work of several key partners.

“The World Mountain Running Championships will be the latest in growing portfolio of world class events to be held in Wales, following the recent World Trail Running Championships in Llanrwst and the extremely successful Commonwealth Mountain and Ultra Distance Championships in 2011.

“With its rich heritage of mountain and fell running, north Wales is the perfect location for such as event and it will further enhance Wales’ growing reputation as a world-leading running destination.”

The Camellia Bowl, pharmacy a postseason college football game matching-up the Sun Belt Conference against the Mid-American Conference (MAC), has been formed ESPN Regional Television (ERT), a subsidiary of ESPN, has announced.

The game, beginning in December 2014, will be played yearly at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala., before the Christmas holiday and be televised nationally on ESPN or ESPN2.

“The Raycom All-Star game helped shine a new light on the city of Montgomery, and we took notice,” said Pete Derzis, Senior Vice President & GM, ESPN Regional Television. “From stadium improvements and opportunities for quality hospitality, to the downtown hotel properties, rich history and the wonderful museums like the Rosa Parks Center, it all came together for us. We have two conference partners excited about the bowl, a community we believe is hungry for a quality postseason event and civic and business leaders that have a great can-do spirit.”

Johnny Williams, former Athletic Director at Troy University for ten years and Senior Associate Athletic Director at the University of Alabama for three years, will be the Bowl’s Executive Director. Williams is the current CEO of Creative Marketing Management (CMM) and his group will manage the event and day-to-day operations of the bowl.

The Cramton Bowl is a 25,000 seat stadium that has undergone significant renovations over the last few years, including a new press box facility, locker rooms and VIP hospitality accommodations.

“The Sun Belt Conference marks a significant moment in its history by partnering with the Mid-American Conference, ESPN, and the city of Montgomery for what will be a tremendously successful bowl game,” said Karl Benson, Sun Belt Conference Commissioner.  “Montgomery has all the ingredients for a great bowl game and experience for our student-athletes and fans – a great venue in the renovated Cramton Bowl, a vibrant downtown with many new hotels and restaurants, and a location in the middle of the SBC footprint that will make travel very convenient for fans throughout our league.  With every football season the SBC continues to show its strength and deserving place amongst college football’s best and soon a talented SBC team will represent our league well in this exciting new bowl game.”

“The Mid-American Conference is proud to partner in the creation of the Camellia Bowl beginning with the 2014 season,” said Dr. Jon Steinbrecher, Mid-American Conference Commissioner. “The historic Cramton Bowl will be a great venue for our student-athletes and fans.  Additionally, Montgomery’s entertainment district will provide a fun and lively bowl experience for all involved.  I want to thank all parties involved for their diligence in creating this event, especially Montgomery mayor Todd Strange.”

The Chinese city of Wuhan has been chosen to host a new women’s tennis tournament from 2014 that will replace the Pan Pacific Open, which has been held in Tokyo for three decades, the WTA Tour said.

China will host five tournaments from next season, including another new event in the special administrative region of Hong Kong.

China already hosts Beijing’s China Open, one of the WTA’s that stand just below the Grand Slams, as well as the Guangzhou International and the Shenzhen Open, which made its debut this year.

The tournament in Wuhan, a large city in central China most notable in tennis circles for being the hometown of former French Open champion Li Na, will be a second tier event with around US$2million in prize money.

The WTA, which opened its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Beijing in 2008, has also added another three events on its developmental tour in China for 2013 to bring the total to six.

The Pan Pacific Open has been held in Tokyo since 1984 and former champions have included Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, Martina Hingis and Maria Sharapova among its former champions.

The 30th and last version of the event will take place from September 22-28 this year.{jcomments on}

Another global sporting event has been affected by growing political tension between China and Japan.

The territorial dispute between the two nations has led to the organising committee and promoter of the Tour of Beijing cycling event have asked Japanese cycling team, case Team Argos-Shimano, ambulance not to participate in the upcoming event.

The Tour of Beijing is a International Cycling Union endorsed event that will see 18 World Tour teams compete from October 9 to 13.

Earlier this month another team from Japan was turned away from the Tour of China.

Several other sporting events have been affected by the territorial despute.  Notable examples include the Shanghai Marathon refusing to accept industrial manufacturer Toray Industries as its major sponsor and all Chinese players being withdrawn from the Yonex Japan Open badminton tournament.{jcomments on}