Germany’s national anti-doping agency (NADA) will investigate 28 athletes to see whether they received blood transfusions from a doctor at the center of a doping scandal.

NADA said Monday it will review the court documents from an ongoing case against Dr. Andreas Franke, symptoms who worked at a training center run by the German Olympic Sports Confederation for top-level athletes in Erfurt, purchase central Germany.

NADA president Andrea Gotzmann said she hopes the documents will help the body “decide which athletes we proceed with” in the investigation.

Franke is suspected of treating athletes’ blood with UV light before re-injecting it back into the same athlete, a procedure banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Public broadcaster ARD said Sunday it had a list of the 28 names implicated in the scandal, including former Olympic speedskating champion Claudia Pechstein, former 800-meter Olympic champion Nils Schumann, rising German cycling star Marcel Kittel and Jamaican long jumper James Beckford.

It did not reveal all the names but said some athletes were minors when they received transfusions at the state-funded center.

“Of course we will use due diligence to look into each case … regardless of whether we’re dealing with Olympic champions or young athletes,” Gotzmann said Monday.

Authorities searched Franke’s clinic and the training center for evidence last April, and NADA said it was pushing the investigation into possible doping offenses “as quickly and intensively as legally possible.”

NADA already had brought two cases before the German Institution of Arbitration, including that of the 22-year-old cyclist Jakob Steigmiller, whose blood allegedly was treated by Franke following an infection.

“Jakob informed NADA openly and honestly what happened, when and how,” Thueringer Energie Team manager Joerg Werner told the dapd news agency.

“He asked the doctor if the treatment was permitted,” Werner said. “Names are being burned without it being certain what actually happened.”

USA Cycling and Visit Bend have announced a one-year extension to their event hosting agreement to include the 2013 USA Cycling Masters Road National Championships.

The decision will make 2013 the third consecutive year Bend will host the event, abortion scheduled for September 4-8. Dates for the 2012 USA Cycling Masters Road National Championships are scheduled for September 5-9, cheap 2012.

In 2011, unhealthy the event attracted a total attendance of over 3,000 people for an average length-of-stay of 8 nights. The estimated economic impact of the five-day event exceeded $1 million dollars in direct consumer spending.

In addition to the USA Cycling Masters Road National Championships, Bend will host the 2012 USA Cycling Mountain Bike Marathon National Championships. That event is scheduled for September 15, 2012.

Seven people have been killed in a stampede at a football stadium in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, officials say. reports BBC.

The crush happened as a crowd tried to enter Nyayo National Stadium to watch a match between two of Kenya’s most popular teams. Six people died at the stadium while another person died later in hospital, a Kenyan Red Cross official said. The Premier League match between Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards continued despite the deaths.

Jack Oguda, head of the Kenya Premier League, was reported as saying an inquiry would be launched to establish why fans could not access the stadium, which he said was not full.

The BBC’s Will Ross in Nairobi says that the game was stopped only for a few minutes after the stampede, and that most people inside the stadium were probably not aware of what was happening outside.

This same stadium was banned by world federation FIFA from hosting World Cup qualifying matches after a crowd stampede at a game against Morocco in June 2005 when a crowd forced down gates before the game, killing a 15-year-old supporter and injuring 15 other fans.

FIFA disciplinary committee ordered Kenya to play their next against Tunisia behind closed doors and imposed a fine of $19,000.

The deal kicks off with the first round draw this weekend (24 October) and will run throughout the 2010/2011 domestic football season.

Broadcast sponsorship will appear on ITV1, ITV1HD and ITV4 across all coverage including live replays and highlights programmes, with online sponsorship at ITV.com and sponsorship across ITV’s interactive and mobile platforms.

The sponsorshop idents include three characters: Keith, Ian and Andy, who travel to FA Cup games in a Kia Sportage. The idents have been created by Innocean Worldwide.

The ITV’s previous FA Cup sponsor was online betting service bet365.

Formula One veteran Patrick Tambay has reacted to F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone’s comments that the Monaco Grand Prix would not be a loss if it was replaced on the calendar.

Earlier this week, Ecclestone suggested that Monaco, along with some other European GPs, would need to raise its game financially to compete with countries eager to join the race calendar.

He said: “The Europeans are going to have to pay more money or we will have to go somewhere else. We can do without Monaco [if] they don’t pay enough.”

But now Tambay has responded, saying that dropping Monaco would be a risky move.

He said: “It is the highlight of the season and of the grand prix, with which partners and sponsors from around the world want to be involved.

“There are things that probably need to be put straight, and there are clearly plenty of candidates who want to organise new grands prix, while the other pay fees that may need to be revised upwards, but all of this is a matter of negotiations that Bernie Ecclestone is currently conducting with the Automobile Club de Monaco.”

India is due to join the F1 schedule next year, with the USA and Russia both expected to join the calendar in the next few seasons too.

The World Rowing Federation (FISA) have renewed their strategic alliance with WWF for the promotion of Clean Water.

The alliance, online created in 2011, ambulance will now go through to 2019. Stuart Orr, store Manager, Global Freshwater Programme, WWF International, describes it an unprecedented move for WWF.

“This is the longest strategic alliance with a sports federation that we have formed to date,” said Orr. “It is a direct reflection of the work World Rowing has done so far in the promotion of Clean Water and the ideal match that WWF has found with World Rowing.”

FISA president Jean-Christophe Rolland said, “I am really pleased that we have renewed our Clean Water partnership with WWF.  Over the past three years, we have shown that our sport is a powerful means of communication for the vital resource of Clean Water. It also reinforces the commitment we made three years ago that rowers take the environment seriously and will do everything they can to contribute to protecting our water ecosystems.”

Newcastle Knights may be soon under new ownership after Salford Red Devils chairman Marwan Koukash revealed his interest in purchasing the National Rugby League (NRL) team.

Koukash saved Salford from financial ruin in 2013 and now he looks set to repeat the feat in the NRL with the Knights.

The 55-year-old former Palestinian refugee, who earned his fortune after setting up EuroMaTech, confirmed on Twitter that tentative takeover talks have taken place.

“I would confirm that there has been some contact with an NRL team but it is very early days,” Koukash tweeted.

“My absolute focus remains on the Red Devils.”

The Australian club were left in a precarious financial position after billionaire owner Nathan Tinkler relinquished ownership of the club in May.

The NRL took over the Knights in June and owns 80 per cent of the club under the new model, with the Members Club owning the remaining 20 per cent.

The NRL said it would be open to talks with Koukash.

“We have invested heavily in transferring control of the Knights’ ownership and now our focus is on bedding down the business,” a spokesman said.

“The NRL has indicated that, at some point in the future, we will entertain a sale to a long-term owner.

“At that time, we will need to be satisfied that any new ownership brings all the right values for the club, the community and the game.”

SKECHERS USA, denture Inc., pills  today announced that it has signed hall-of-fame quarterback legend Joe Namath to join the team representing the high-performing men’s Relaxed Fit from SKECHERS footwear line.

A new advertising campaign featuring Namath will begin in Fall 2014.

“Broadway” Joe’s campaign launches with a new television commercial utilizing the same humorous tone as ongoing spots for Relaxed Fit footwear starring Joe Montana and Mark Cuban. The campaign will extend across all media with Namath appearing in print, denture outdoor, online and point-of-sale materials through 2015.

“I’ve loved what SKECHERS has done with this campaign so far and I’m excited be joining the team,” said Joe Namath. “The Relaxed Fit shoes really are as comfortable as they say, and I look forward to working with SKECHERSon what will be a fun commercial that my fans will enjoy.”

“Our Relaxed Fit from SKECHERS campaign has had so much success with one football Joe, that we thought it was time to bring on another,” added Michael Greenberg, president of SKECHERS. “Joe Namath is one of the first pro football television stars in the world and with fans that go back to his days in Alabama, his personality and familiar face is perfect for our team. We know he’ll be a great asset when it comes to getting the word out about our comfortable Relaxed Fit footwear line.”

Essentially have signed a new three-year partnership with the Rugby Football League.

Essentially have been appointed as the RFL’s Preferred Sales Agency after the two worked closely during a highly productive initial 18-month period, symptoms which saw marquee brands such as Singha Beer, generic Specsavers, erectile Go Daddy and Gatorade become associated with Rugby League World Cup 2013.

The domestic game has also benefited from the partnership already, with a host of new brands becoming involved with the sport, such as Super League’s title sponsors First Utility, Tetley’s, who continue their sponsorship of the Challenge Cup and other partners Alcatel OneTouch, Specsavers, Foxy Bingo and Brut.

RFL Commercial Director James Mercer said: “We are extremely happy with the way our relationship with Essentially has developed in the last 18 months and are looking to take another big step forward over the next cycle.

“Essentially were instrumental in developing key relationships with RLWC2013 partners including Go Daddy and Specsavers. They have worked as an extension to our commercial team on all our activities, new agreements and strategy and have helped to successfully deliver a host of high profile partnerships for the Super League.

“We are also confident that with Essentially’s support we will be adding further to this roster for Super League very shortly adding further evidence of the confidence in the League.”

Essentially Chief Executive Officer Matthew Vandrau said: “We joined the sport at a state of transition and we are delighted that, with our help, there has been so much commercial success over the 18 months.

“We have an excellent working relationship with the sport and we are looking forward to driving increased revenues for the sport over the next 3 years.”

English League One club Bristol City have announced they will push ahead with the redevelopment of Ashton Gate this summer.

The revamp will happen should there be no application for a judicial review.

The club’s majority shareholder Steve Lansdown broke the news at the Annual Supporters Meeting on Tuesday night.

“We’ll sign the section 106 agreement any day now, and then we have six weeks to wait for the Judicial Review period,” the club’s official website reported.

“We wanted to give some certainty to supporters, so if we get through to March with no Judicial Review, then we will be going ahead with the redevelopment plans, starting in May.

“It’s exciting times.”