Bundesliga 2 team FC Kaiserslautern and SPORT FIVE have extended their cooperation for a further six years until 2020.

The German sports rights agency will continue to oversee the overall marketing of the team, cough stadium advertising, shirt sponsorship and hospitality programs. As an additional right SPORT FIVE will also facilitate the future marketing of third-party events in the Fritz-Walter-Stadion.

“We have taken the time necessary to achieve a sustainable and economically best possible result for the club. FCK is set up with the new marketing agreement in this area optimally for the future. The tender for the marketing rights has shown that the FCK as a club and as a brand is a highly regarded, “explains Fritz Grünewalt, Chief Financial Officer of the 1st FC Kaiserslautern and adds that” the bids and the result obtained are evidence that The association positioned economically serious and the recovery is generally well advanced. “

Philipp Hasenbein, Managing Director of SPORTFIVE GmbH & Co. KG: “We are delighted to continue our successful partnership with the 1st FC Kaiserslautern in the long term. Together, we intend to further develop the 1 FC Kaiserslautern in the coming years as the authentic brand and raise the marketing to a new level. “

Buckinghamshire New University has signed an innovative partnership with Surrey United Basketball Club. 

Surrey United play in the British Basketball League and 12 of its players are studying three-year BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science degrees at Bucks New University as well as turning out to play for the side in matches around the country.  

A number of Surrey United matches are also broadcast on Eurosport, as well as BBL TV Player, the league’s own channel. 

Student, Elvisi Dusha, 19, is captain of Surrey United and said he is seeing the benefits of the partnership on and off the court. 

He said: “My experience so far has been an exciting challenge physically and mentally because trying to juggle my professional basketball career with studies makes things very busy. 

“We have two hours of basketball practice every day, as well as individual strength and conditioning, and then we typically play two games a week so it’s a hectic schedule but I am enjoying every moment of it.” 

Paul Morgan, Head of Sport at Bucks New University, said: “This is a fantastic programme involving students from Lithuania, Poland, and Portugal, as well as the UK. 

“The students are serious about their academic study, and they are inspired by training and competing in the British Basketball League. 

“They are settling in well and we are excited about the potential for this partnership. It is allowing us to create an environment which is attractive to athletes who wish to pursue a high level of competition with academic study.” 

Emma Chambers, Director at Surrey United Basketball Club, said: “This partnership has allowed our players to join an integrated programme that provides the chance to compete in a professional league, as well as for Bucks New University, and also gain an academic degree in Sports Science and Coaching, so it is a fantastic link-up all-round.” 

Jack Majewski, Head Coach of Surrey United, said: “We have provided the opportunity for the students to play at the highest possible level of basketball in the UK. Thanks to the link-up with Bucks New University, this means they are provided with the opportunity to operate and actively participate in a highly professional environment both on and off the court.”

Japanese public multinational corporation Honda have announced they have entered a team in the motorcycle class of the Dakar Rally to be held in January 2014 in South America, decease with its works team “TEAM HRC”.

Five riders—Helder Rodrigues (Portugal), Sam Sunderland (United Kingdom), Javier Pizzolito (Argentina), Joan Barreda (Spain), and Paulo Goncalves (Portugal)—will ride the CRF450 RALLY, a rally-racing bike specially developed for the 2014 Dakar. TEAM HRC took the CRF450 RALLY for testing and competed in the 2013 Morocco Rally, a prelude to the Dakar Rally held in October of this year, and also the 2013 Merzouga Rally. The team took victories in both races.

Tetsuo Suzuki, President, Honda Racing Corporation, said “Since our entry in the 2013 Dakar Rally in January, the Motorcycle R&D Center and HRC have focused on developing an outstanding machine and a winning team. The 2014 Dakar Rally spans more than two weeks, but through this race we will fight to the finish to share our dreams and exhilaration with our customers. Next year starting with the Dakar Rally, HRC will boldly move forward to share the excitement of two-wheeled motor sports with its fans world wide, and we look forward to continued support for HRC”s activities.”

Katsumi Yamazaki, TEAM HRC Rally director, “Everything was new and we learned much from the 2013 Dakar Rally, since the last time we raced in the Dakar was 24 years ago. This year we will put together a winning team in a very short period, carefully considering the machine, rider and crew. We know we are on the right track since we won the Morocco and Merzouga rallies on our brand new CRF450 RALLY, and our team will do its best to achieve the ultimate goal, winning the Dakar. We appreciate all the support, and hope everyone will cheer us on as the team fights all the way to the checkered flag.”

World Soccer’s governing body, FIFA have revealed Kuala Lumpur will host the 2017 FIFA Congress.

The Malaysian capital city was competing against bids from Costa Rica, Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, Palestine, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates but Malaysia was picked ahead of the others.

Malaysia will be the first Asian country to host the congress since South Korea in 2002.

FA of Malaysia (FAM) general-secretary Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin said it is a huge honour for Malaysia to host the prestigious event.

“We will welcome 209 member associations. It is an opportunity to show Fifa our country, and it will definitely be a springboard for our tourism industry,” said Hamidin yesterday.

“We have modern infrastructure and state-of-the-art facilities and I believe the delegates will have a good time here.”

On the benefits of hosting the congress, Hamidin said FAM would gain from other member associations on several aspects of football.

“We need to continue improving and stay on the right platform with other associations.”

Next year’s congress will take place in Sao Paulo just before the World Cup while in 2015, the year of Fifa’s presidential election, the meeting will, as in previous election years, be held in Zurich followed by Mexico in 2016.

Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix Promoter has confirmed a deal for the Russian Automobile Federation to become the Russian Grand Prix organiser.

The Russian Grand Prix will take place in October 2014 in Sochi. 

Oleg Zabara, arthritis Deputy General Director of OJSC “Center “Omega” for organization of Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix, abortion said: “We have signed a contract with the Russian Automobile Federation which reflects the interests of both parties. Sporting organization is one of key factors for hosting successfully Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix.

“Properly trained specialists should participate in the organization of international motorsport events. We have already created the staff schedule for the Grand Prix. As the Promoter we will provide the full technical support whenever any part of organization needs it. RAF will provide qualified judges, purchase and together with the FIA ??they will be responsible for the sporting management of Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix.” 

Sergey Ivanov, CEO of Russian Automobile Federation, added: “We all are expecting to have complicated and hard work to prepare the first Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix in the history. As a result of the agreements concluded with the Promoter RAF will be able to ensure a qualified staff at the Event and organize a Grand Prix of a high level. Foreign specialist will help us as consultants and trainers; however the majority of the members of the sporting personnel will be Russians. This will allow us to invite solely Russian judges in the future for national rounds of Formula 1 World Champi onship. I have no doubts that together we will achieve success.”

The Pakistan Cricket Board are set to appeal a decision made by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) ordering new elections for the chairman position on the cricket governing body.

The IHC scrapped the election of Zaka Ashraf as PCB chairman in May and have ordered a new election within 90 days.

They have also called for a five-year audit of the PCB and national academy accounts by the Auditor-General of Pakistan in a 30-page judgment which was officially released on Tuesday.

But the PCB are unhappy, saying a statement: “We have in principle decided to file an intra-court appeal against the judgment of the IHC given on a constitutional writ petition.”

The court’s decision is likely to create a gridlock on matters such as team selection for the tours of Zimbabwe and Singapore and the home series against South Africa, all of which need to be organised by October.

The statement went on: “Furthermore, the PCB needs to conclude arrangements for media broadcasting agreements, for which tenders are required to be floated on an urgent basis.”

The PCB feels the judgment raises concerns relating to ICC guidelines on the non-intervention of government into the administrative affairs of the board.

The German Tennis Federation (DTB) has submitted its bid for a grass tournament in Hamburg from 2015. 

The decision was especially against the background of a long-term security of the tournament site in Hamburg. Germany would with two grass tournaments in succession – Hamburg and Halle – become the most important tennis site on the way to Wimbledon. 

A reason for the application was the fact that the grass tournament in June would be held immediately after the French Open, allergy and therefore before the Hamburg summer holidays.

The postponement of the Wimbledon tournament in 2015 by a week means that the period between Wimbledon and the U.S. Open is reduced by one week and the future of some Clay tournaments in this period is uncertain. Especially since the contract of DTB with the ATP expires in 2018 and not be ruled out that the 500 license of the Hamburg tournament will be awarded on a hard court tournament in order to give players more opportunities to prepare for the U.S. Open.