Having lost the contract to fierce competitors IEC in Sports for 2010-13, The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has decided to revive its partnership with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) for distribution of major event media rights in Europe and Africa from 2014-17. The deal will cover all IAAF World Athletic Series competitions, including the World Athletics Championships in Beijing and London.

EBU President Jean-Paul Philippot said: “I am very pleased of the IAAF decision to become partner of the EBU again. It shows that the traditional strengths of the EBU combined with a new tailor-made servicing concept are more than ever strong assets for a sport federation like the IAAF. We are convinced this will enable the further development and promotion of athletics.”

Having lost out to commercial broadcaster Channel 4 for the rights to the 2011 and 2013 World Championships, EBU member the BBC announced that it had acquired rights for the 2015 and 2017 World Athletics Championship. BBC Sport director Barbara said: “We’re delighted the Championships are returning to the BBC. The 2017 Championships, taking place at the Olympic Stadium will be a huge moment for UK athletics, helping to deliver the Olympic legacy, and we’re thrilled to be bringing the event to our audiences.”

 

The London 2012 organising committee (Locog) will hit their target of completing the process of taking payment for Paralympic tickets by the end of October it has confirmed.

Ballots have now been completed across 117 price categories in 80 sessions. On 18 October, Locog will begin taking payments from Visa cards and cashing cheques and postal orders.

It is anticipated that more than 100,000 people will be allocated approximately 800,000 tickets to the Paralympic Games, meaning nine out of 10 applicants are likely to receive some or all of the tickets they applied for. 

Locog CEO Paul Deighton said: ‘We were thrilled by the response to Paralympic Games tickets and since the application process closed our teams have been working hard to run the required ballots, ready to begin the process of taking payments and allocating tickets. We are on track to complete payments by the end of the month ready to inform people what tickets they have by 18 November.’

The application process for London 2012 Paralympic Games tickets ran between 9–26 September and saw unprecedented interest, with 116,000 people making applications for over 1.1 million tickets.

The remaining Paralympic Games tickets will go on sale on a first come, first served basis later this year

Following the news that the The International Cycling Union (UCI ) has asked the Spanish National Cycling Federation (RFEC) to open disciplinary hearings against Tour de France winner Alberto Contador, RFEC chief Juan Carlos Castaño has told Spanish sports daily Marca that he hopes the proceedings against Contador “go well” and has indicated that cycling’s governing body in Spain will treat the rider’s case like any other it may receive.

The rider’s press officer Jacinto Vidarte has expressed hope that he’ll be able to defend the charges.

Vidarte told Spanish media that the situation is “normal and what we expected”, explaining that the rider’s representatives will “submit all documents which show that [Contador’s case] was a clear case of food contamination.”

Contador has maintained that the presence of banned stimulant Clenbuterol in an anti-doping test sample obtained on the second rest day of this year’s Tour de France in Pau was the result of eating contaminated meat, hence the miniscule amount of substance in his system.

Upon further analysis in a German laboratory it was later discovered that Contador’s blood also contained minute levels of plasticisers found in blood bags, indicating the possible use of blood doping.

“The Federation’s official version is that it is a normal process as with any other records. It will analyse all the documentation that we have forwarded to the UCI and the Competition Committee will begin examining the process as usual,” Castaño explained.

“If the Committee decides to continue with the process, then we will contact the rider to open the file so that the athlete can present their arguments and documentation that may be necessary for his defense. We will contrast that with what the UCI has given us and thus expose the athlete, [after which we] will proceed to make a decision of record.”

Castaño added that the maximum time to process this case is three months and stated: “I would like [the case] to come out well, but now the Competition Committee has to study this and solve it the way it considers fair.”

The ISAF World Match Racing Tour (WMRT), sailing’s premier global match racing tour, has opened the bidding process for cities, regions and countries from around the globe to enter the race for the right to host a stage of sailing’s leading world series.

Recognised by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) with special event status, WMRT is a professionally managed tour currently consisting of nine events worldwide. The Tour culminates in the crowning of a World Champion.

The bidding process, which will be managed by venue acquisition consultancy Regatta International, will see six new venues selected to join the Tour from the 2012-2013 seasons. The new venues will win the right to hold a World Championship stage, each lasting for 5 days.

Commenting on the opening of the bidding process, WMRT CEO Jim O’Toole commented, “The World Match Racing Tour is a well proven marketing platform for destinations wishing to showcase their facilities, infrastructure and organisational capacities, increase their international tourism profile and attract inward investment.”

“We are currently undergoing an intense period of expansion and are looking forward to partnering with venues who share our ambition. We have already fielded strong levels of interest from potential venues and by opening up the bidding process we’ll be requiring bidding venues to meet certain criteria.”

Regatta International’s Director Terry Newby said, “The World Match Racing Tour is already one of sailing’s most respected brands with outstanding events around the world. The opportunity to work with interested parties to develop the series to 15 stages by 2013 is a hugely exciting prospect.

The Scottish Premier League (SPL) looks set to expand following a meeting designed to improve Scottish football.

The current 12 clubs on Wednesday held the latest in a series of meetings designed to improve Scottish football.

Chief executive Neil Doncaster stressed that no format or system had yet been decided upon at the Hampden gathering.

But he told BBC: “The 12-team format is something that people perceive has possibly seen its best.”

Talks have been taking place for weeks between concerned chairmen, asthma who privately admit that drastic action is needed to give the top flight a boost.

And, if the majority get their way, the new-look SPL will welcome two new teams and become a division of 14 and will also include one automatic relegation spot, with the second bottom side facing a play-off involving the top three from the second tier.

“I am absolutely delighted at the contributions that are being made some big thinkers in Scottish football,” Doncaster told BBC Scotland.

“They are coming to the party, they are wanting to make a contribution and they want to help with the process of reaching a consensus.”

Rising golf prospect Xiyu Lin has signed a management and marketing representation deal with sports media agency, ed IMG.

Xiyu Lin (Janet Lin) is China’s second ranked player, behind fellow IMG Golf client, Major winner Shanshan Feng. Lin is the youngest player to win her Ladies European Tour card and came through the 2013 LPGA Qualifying School finishing in tied ninth position to claim her full card for the 2014 season. She is only the second Chinese golfer to hold her full LPGA card, once again following in the footsteps of the trail-blazing Shanshan Feng.

Record-breaking Xiyu Lin is a member of the China National Golf team and is the youngest winner on the China LPGA Tour, having already won three times.

Xiyu explained, “I am very excited to be joining IMG and am very much looking forward to the year ahead. I chose IMG because they manage so many of the players I admire – especially Shanshan Feng. I am very confident that they will be able to look after all of my on and off course interests as I compete all around the world.”

Guy Kinnings, Global Head of Golf, IMG, added, “We are delighted that Xiyu has chosen IMG as her management company. She is a very exciting young golfer with enormous potential and as IMG’s golf business in China continues to flourish, I believe we are extremely well placed to ensure all her professional and personal needs are met, both in China and by our global golf team.”   
Xiyu Lin will be managed by Will Wei, Head of IMG China Golf.

St Kilda Cricket Club’s pursuit for redevelopment of their Junction Oval has been boosted after Cricket legend Shane Warne called on the government to fund the project.

The St Kilda Club fears it will have to move from the ground at the end of the summer, with cricket officials saying its facilities must be upgraded.

Junction Oval has typically been Melbourne’s No.2 first-class cricket venue behind the MCG.

There were plans for the federal and state governments to jointly fund the ground’s redevelopment, but that support is now in doubt.

“If the government don’t get behind us and give us the funding and support … the simple face is in the next few months, there will be no home for St Kilda Cricket Club and Cricket Victoria are going to have to look for alternative venues,” Warne said.

“We urge the government to actually get behind Cricket Victoria and the St Kilda Cricket Club and give us the support we need.”

Warne is a St Kilda life member and said the ground is crucial for cricket in Melbourne.

“Like any big business … the foundation has to be strong,” he said.

“If you don’t have a good foundation, it’s going to fall apart.

“We need a home – we need that to be an alternative venue.”

The Asia Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), prostate in partnership with the Masters Tournament and The R&A, cheap ed have announced the fifth-annual Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, sildenafil citrate sale online one of the world’s premier amateur golf events, will be televised across more than 150 countries and reach an unprecedented amount of people.

Asian Tour Media will produce the high-definition broadcast, including two hours of live coverage on each of the four competition days. A 30-minute highlight show will also be created after the conclusion of the event, all of which makes the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship the most televised amateur golf tournament in the world.

Held at Nanshan International Golf Club on mainland China 24-27 October, the event is organized by the APGC, the Masters Tournament and The R&A. Every year, the winner is rewarded with an invitation to the Masters Tournament the following year and, along with the runner(s)-up, a place at International Final Qualifying for The Open Championship.

“Television exposure is an important element to showcasing the talent that exists in Asia-Pacific,” said Hur Kwang-soo, president of the APGC. “Equally important is our ability to increase the visibility of the amateur game in this region with the collective mission of growing the game of golf.”

Fox Sports will provide tournament coverage in China and across Asia, Australia and the Middle East, while viewers in Japan, South Korea and New Zealand can catch the action on Tokyo Broadcasting System, SBS Golf and Sky Sports, respectively. In Europe, the tournament is distributed through Sky Sports in the United Kingdom and CNBC across continental Europe. Other broadcasters include ESPN2 (United States), ESPN (Latin America), TSN (Canada) and SuperSport (Southern Africa). All of the coverage will also be streamed live on the official event Web site.