The International Tennis Federation has signed memorandums of understanding with two of its recognised organisations, recipe the Council of International Clubs, help and Association of Centenary Tennis Clubs.

The ITF will look to increase its support of both organisations on their worldwide development activities.

The Council of International Clubs currently comprises 40 national member clubs known individually as International Clubs (ICs). The International Clubs aim to develop, medstore encourage and maintain the highest standards of sportsmanship and understanding among players of all nations and among young players in particular.

The Association of Centenary Tennis Clubs (CTC) is an umbrella group of clubs that are each more than 100 years old, including some of the most prestigious clubs in tennis. Initially founded by eight clubs as a pan-European association, it now has an extensive global membership of 59 clubs in 28 countries.

The ITF and the two organisations will look to cooperate on development projects where appropriate in consultation with national associations.

The memorandums of understanding run through 2013 (Centenary Tennis Clubs) and 2014 (International Clubs) respectively.

ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti said: “Both the ITF and these two organisations share the same goal of fostering growth in the game of tennis. The ITF already assists its 210 member nations with the development of tennis at all levels, and we look forward to collaborating on additional projects.”

Peter McQuibban, Chairman of the Council of International Clubs, said: “We have worked closely with the ITF and its national federations on our philanthropic projects in various countries. This memorandum of understanding formalises that relationship and we hope it will make our work in this important area more efficient and effective.”

Juan Maria Tintore, President of the Association of Centenary Tennis Clubs, said: “I am sure this cooperation will be of mutual benefit to the organisations, both of which are committed to the promotion of tennis, and are concerned with providing opportunities for young players. I have no doubt that the cooperation will help us to enhance and expand the CTC’s activities in the future.”

England cricket chairman Giles Clarke has settled a libel case against him stemming from allegations about secret plans for a rebel Twenty20 league in England, it was confirmed on Wednesday.

England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chairman Clarke had been sued by international sports marketing giant IMG over suggestions in a 2010 email about plans for a breakaway T20 league that would “destroy world cricket’s structure.”

However a statement from the ECB on Wednesday said the case had now been settled after Clarke accepted IMG had not broken any ICC regulations.

“This statement confirms that Mr Clarke accepts that IMG did not act in breach of ICC rules and intended to act within the official structures of world cricket,” an ECB statement said.

“IMG accepts that Giles Clarke was not intending deliberately to damage its reputation. On that basis the parties have agreed to settle the litigation on confidential terms.”

Clarke, who is bidding to win a third term as ECB chairman, still faces legal action from former Indian Premier League commissioner Lalit Modi over the claims.

by Ismail Uddin

British sprinter James Ellington creative and innovative ploy of selling sponsorship rights on eBay may have backfired as the winning bidder has failed to come forward.

Ellington sold his sponsorship for £32, discount 500, with the auction closing on Dec. 17, but he’s yet to hear from the winning bidder, and an eBay spokeswoman says the buyer “doesn’t appear to be bona fide,” according to the Telegraph.

Ellington had planned to put the winning bidder’s logo on his uniform in exchange for the cash to cover this year’s training, travel and living expenses. Now his plan appears to be in jeopardy.

“I’ve spoken to the guys at eBay,” Ellington said. “They say they are still trying to get in touch with the highest bidder, but they are finding it difficult, and they are not sure whether the top bids may be people just messing around.”

Ellington remains determined to earn a top-two finish in the 200 meters at the Olympic trials in Birmingham in June, earning a spot in this summer’s Games. He insists he will not be deterred by the failed auction attempt.

“I won’t even focus on it,” he said. “I’m just trying to get on with things and focus on my training.”

As a value-added feature of its season ticket and hospitality suite packages, therapy the Memphis Grizzlies will provide its corporate clients with SpotlightTMS™, pills a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) application that enables companies to measure the business impact of their ticket and suite assets.

With SpotlightTMS, ed organizations can manage their entertainment asset investments in a simple, transparent way, thereby ensuring utilization while assessing the effectiveness of those investments and measuring ticket use as a driver of revenue. By providing SpotlightTMS as part of its suite and season ticket packages, the Memphis franchise adds value to suite ownership at FedExForum and enables its best customers to increase revenue and ROI on use of their tickets and suites.

Gregg Crone, Memphis Grizzlies’ Director, Ticket and Premium Services, said: “The Memphis Grizzlies and FedExForum are dedicated to delivering a world-class championship experience to our fans, community and partners. SpotlightTMS allows us to extend that experience beyond the arena doors and provide a service to our premium clientele and hospitality suite holders in order to ensure the return on their investment exceeds expectations.”

SpotlightTMS is delivered through the cloud with no software to install. It offers companies secure access through the Internet to manage ticket inventories, distribute tickets, analyze the results of ticket usage, acquire additional tickets from multiple sources and meet IRS and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance reporting requirements. By using SpotlightTMS, corporate customers have experienced a reduction in ticket fraud through role-based permission approval for ticket requests, reduction in administrative time and money, and increased sales effectiveness.

“The hospitality suites at FedExForum present an excellent environment for corporate deal making,” said Tony Knopp, Spotlight CEO and co-founder. “By providing SpotlightTMS to its premium clientele, the Memphis Grizzlies are helping these companies measure the impact of their investment in tickets and suites for corporate entertaining, and then use that information to drive revenue.”

Spotlight pioneered the enterprise sports and entertainment ticket management space with SpotlightTMS. Spotlight’s growing list of enterprise customers seeking to maximize revenues and ROI on their tickets includes Comcast, MetLife, Nike, Oracle, NBCUniversal, Stanley Black & Decker, Penske Truck Leasing and Principal Financial Group.

In addition, more than 30 professional sports teams — including the Cincinnati Bengals, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Heat, Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Bears — are providing SpotlightTMS to their most important customers.

Portsmouth have been sold to Balram Chainrai, Levi Kushnir and Deepak Chainrai after a deal was struck to allow the club to exit administration.

A financial agreement with former owner Alexandre Gaydamak paved the way for the club’s sale, which has been approved by the Football League.

“It’s a significant moment involved for everyone involved at the club,” said Pompey chief executive David Lampitt.

Balram Chainrai added: “We’re not going to make any rash promises.”

The Football League has lifted the transfer embargo imposed on Pompey, although all deals will require the League’s approval, while the club must also submit monthly financial reports for monitoring.

On Friday the club had claimed they were on the brink of ceasing trading because Gaydamak had refused to sign a deal to sell to Chainrai.

But Gaydamak said late on Saturday that a new agreement had been agreed.

Balram Chainrai, a Hong Kong-based businessman, became Pompey’s fourth owner inside a year when he assumed control of the club in February 2010 before putting them in administration soon after.

“We need to stabilise and Levi and I will be taking time to get a closer understanding of the business so that we can ensure the club is taken forward in the right way,” added Chainrai.

The saga surrounding the ownership of Portsmouth, who won the FA Cup in 2008, began in August 2009 when Gaydamak sold the club to Sulaiman Al Fahim.

Two months later Ali Al Faraj become the new owner when he acquired 90% of the shares from Al Fahim.

Three weeks after that Chainrai lent Al Faraj £17m but the off-pitch turbulence continued as Avram Grant replaced Paul Hart as manager, the club failed several times to pay its players on time and HM Revenue & Customs issued a winding-up order over tax issues.

In February 2010 Chainrai seized the club’s assets before placing the club in administration with debts estimated to be about £120m.

The club subsequently had nine points deducted for going into administration, were relegated from the Premier League and in June appointed a new boss in Steve Cotterill.

In August Portsmouth survived an attempt by HM Revenue & Customs to block a Company Voluntary Agreement, which could have prevented the club exiting administration.

As recently as Friday the club claimed it appeared “likely to close” after a row over £2.2m owed to Gaydamak saw talks break down.

However, on Saturday it was announced Portsmouth would pay Gaydamak £2.5m in instalments over the next five years and the saga was finally concluded late on Saturday when Chainrai resumed control of the club.

The club’s administrators confirmed a deal worth 20p in the pound to unsecured creditors has also been agreed.

The south coast outfit currently lie 13th in the Championship, the second tier of English football.

“We’re now in a position where we can look to move forward on a more stable financial footing,” said David Lampitt.

“This has been an extremely tough journey and the legacy of past events at the club means we still have a long way to travel and a number of battles to fight. ”

Source : BBC Sport

Sportswear manufacturer Nike, and LiveStrong, the Lance Armstrong cancer foundation, have expanded their signature clothing and apparel collection from the United States to Canada, France and the United Kingdom.

The new global collection of LiveStrong footwear, apparel and accessories launched on 1 July in the three countries with their new Fall 2010 collection.

Lance Armstrong, founder of LiveStrong, said: “I’m very proud to see LiveStrong further our mission internationally, build momentum and give people the resources and support they need to fight cancer effectively.

“We’ve found innovative ways to raise awareness, but the fight is far from over and so I’m encouraged to see LiveStrong make an impact in Canada, France and the UK.”

The Fall 2010 LiveStrong collection ranges from footwear to apparel and accessories. The collection has grown hugely since the popular yellow wristbands were first introduced in 2004, with more than 70 million of them having been distributed to date.

Since they teamed up in 2004, Nike has helped LiveStrong raise over US$80 million.

 

The International Judo Federation (IJF) have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding with the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA).

The new agreement builds on the two parties signing a deal last June.

The aim of the collaboration is that the two organizations which have been working independently, doctor maintaining their independence, will continue to work on the development of universal judo jointly coordinated.

IBSA has been the only official representative of the blind and organized impaired judo since 1981. 

Darlington’s Northern Echo Arena will host the fourth leg of the 2014 Premiership Rugby Sevens series, it has been announced today.

The announcement was made after Newcastle Falcons today announced they will be moving the 2nd August event from their Kingston Park Stadium.

The stadium is the largest dedicated club rugby venue in England. With a capacity of 27,500 it also boasts space for over 550 corporate guests, 1,500 car parking spaces and bars and catering outlets for all supporters.

The Falcons’ new 3G artificial rugby pitch at Kingston Park will be ready for the new Aviva Premiership Rugby season but not in time for the 7s event. Instead the event will take place at the home of Darlington Mowden Park RFC. 

Featuring Newcastle Falcons, Leicester Tigers, Sale Sharks and London Welsh, the event will see six fast-paced 7s matches between the four teams in a round robin tournament. 

The team that tops the standings will receive the Group stage silverware and along with the group runners-up will go forward to the Premiership 7s Series Finals at the Twickenham Stoop on Friday 8^th August.

Speaking about the announcement Darlington Mowden Park Arena Manager Danny Brown said: “We are delighted that the Northern Echo Arena has been chosen to host the Premiership Rugby 7s Series. This is a big event for the town of Darlington and it’s great that the Premiership Rugby 7s Series has been able to remain in the north east. We have a first class facility here and we can’t wait to show it off to the thousands that will attend and the many more watching live on BT Sport.”

Commenting on the venue switch Newcastle Falcons’ Managing Director Mick Hogan added: “The build process with our new 3G pitch has slipped slightly and over the weekend, it has become clear that its completion could not be guaranteed by 2^nd August. Rather than hurry the process that could result in shortcuts on the installation, we had no hesitation in proposing to Premiership Rugby that the event be moved to Darlington. 

“To have the best pitch in the Aviva Premiership Rugby for years to come remains our number one priority and by working with Mowden Park and using their superb facility, we do not have to take any unnecessary risks on that.”

“Darlington will be a great venue for the 7s. The full entertainment package planned will still take place and we believe more of our fans in the south of the region will now be able to come along. The venue is just off the A1 and there will be free parking for all supporters. Furthermore the club will be offering low cost bus travel for fans with details to follow in the next 48 hours.”

“The Darlington Arena is one of English club rugby’s hidden gems and we are delighted to be taking the fourth group stage of the Premiership Rugby 7s there at the start of next month,” said the Commercial Director at Premiership Rugby, Dominic Hayes.

Ruffles potato chips have launched a new digital media campaign and enlisted the support of newly appointed New York Jets wide receiver, Eric Decker.

Decker will star in a digital short, released today, that features Decker helping a guy through his own #RoughLife moment – having planned an unforgettable date night on the same night as the NFL Draft.  Decker’s recent experience — moving from a franchise where he was already well-established, to a team in one of the most exciting cities in the world — is in itself a #RoughLife experience that has cemented Decker’s role as a relatable expert who can help people face their own #RoughLife moments. 

“When I first signed with my new team, I thought about how I was going to have to move my family across the country, join a new team environment, and build new relationships. But then I realized — ‘this isn’t really a problem — I’m going to play for a great organization in the greatest city,'” said Decker who was drafted to the NFL in 2010.

“The Ruffles brand has long prided itself in being a solution to a major problem our fans face — needing a sturdier chip to withstand the pressure of their thick dip. Now we’re bringing to light the multitude of other ‘problems’ our fans deal with on a daily basis, offering a platform for them to voice their quote-unquote rough stories,” said Christina Menendez, senior director of marketing, Frito-Lay. “The #RoughLife campaign celebrates the absurd and hilarious nature of consumers’ trivial problems that have permeated pop-culture in recent years.”

Retail fund management company Octopus Investments has hired sport and entertainment agency Generate to activate its 2014 sponsorship, PR & digital activation within T20 cricket. 

The brand’s cricket sponsorship portfolio includes partnerships with the Surrey Lions and the Birmingham Bears in this summer’s T20 competition. The association with both counties extends to stadium branding at iconic test match grounds and shirt sponsorship during home T20 games.

Generate will be working with Octopus Investments to plan and deliver its 2014 cricket activity, which focuses on building the brand’s awareness and delivering a tangible business return. Domestic T20 has undergone an exciting makeover this year as a new look fixture schedule will see the majority of group stage matches take place on Friday nights over the 10-week competition, which starts in May 2014.

Octopus Investments will continue to deliver the best match day experience possible for its clients throughout the season, as well as supporting the T20 game at both counties.

Nigel Spencer, Marketing Director at Octopus Investments, said: “At Octopus we want to work with smart, helpful and passionate people and Generate really ticks these boxes. Our involvement in Twenty20 cricket is a key part of our strategy to get involved with more people. We love the fun and excitement of T20 and as we watch the interest and crowds grow, it seems we are not the only ones. I am really looking forward to building on the success of last season and of course, a Birmingham Bears v Surrey Lions final at Edgbaston on 23 August.”

Andy Muggleton, Co-Founder & Commercial Director at Generate, added: “We’re delighted to be working with Octopus Investments and its sponsorship of T20 cricket. It’s a very exciting time for the brand and there is a great team in place committed to delivering successful partnerships.

“We have a real passion for the sport having previously worked with Friends Life and look forward to helping Octopus Investments achieve new heights with their sponsorships.”