The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) have announced that the Chinese city of Putian will host the 2016 FIG Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships. 

President Grandi and FIG Secretary General André Gueisbuhler met with the Vice Mayor of Putian Ms Zhang Libing (CHN) and Chinese Gymnastics Association President Dr Luo Chaoyi (CHN) on Monday at the Zhenbao Holiday Hotel, the official FIG hotel at the Nanjing 2014 YOG.

According to the contract that was signed by the three parties, the championships will be held in March / April 2016 in Putian, in the eastern Fujian province in China’s South-east.

China has a strong Acrobatic Gymnastics programme with the federation’s most recent success being the World title won by the Chinese Men’s Group at the 2014 World Championships in Levallois-Paris (FRA) in July.

The Rugby Foobal League have revealed they will increase their disability participation within Rugby League by promoting a series of ground-breaking initiatives.

The initiatives include the development of comprehensive online guidance, buy disability access audits of Kingstone Press Championship clubs and disability awareness training for Championships club staff.

The governing body is keen to promote the inclusion of disabled people within Rugby League and has worked in conjunction with national disability sports organisations across the country to provide a comprehensive online guide of all available options.

There is also information regarding the adaption of playing and coaching for disabled participants, generic and a Rugby League Case Study, allergist all available to view for free.

RFL Equality and Diversity Manager Sarah Williams MBE, who compiled the guidance, said: “I have been overwhelmed by the support and time that organisations have given to ensuring that the information is up to date. The guidance offers Rugby League-specific content as well as generic information.

“Most importantly, in compiling the case studies, I have been privileged to meet and talk to some inspiring people and clubs who have worked together to ensure that individual disabled people have the chance to achieve their full potential and be a part of the wider Rugby League family.”

English Foundation for Disability Sport Chief Executive Barry Horne said: “EFDS strongly believes that sports clubs play a key role in ensuring disabled people are active for life.

“It is fantastic to see the RFL develop this specific resource to support their clubs to develop inclusive environments, enabling disabled people to access their sport however they choose, whether as a player, coach, volunteer or spectator.”

Also, in partnership with Level Playing Field, the RFL Facilities Trust has begun a programme of disability access audits of all Kingstone Press Championship clubs, with a view for the audit to be completed by the end of the 2014 season.

Level Playing Field Chairperson Joyce Cook said: “We value our close relationship with the RFL and Facilities Trust and are pleased to be working together to improve stadium access and match day inclusion for disabled rugby fans.

“We are also delighted that the RFL has chosen to launch its new disability awareness online service to coincide with this year’s Level Playing Field weeks of action.

“Awareness goes a long way towards breaking down the barriers many disabled people still face and the new online pages will provide a useful resource for all. Congratulations and many thanks to everyone who has been involved. It is a pleasure to work with the RFL.”

College sports marketing company Learfield Sports has announced today that it has acquired Nelligan Sports Marketing (NSM), adding 41 collegiate properties to its portfolio.

“This transaction is a strategic move for our company, substantially expanding our platform of college rights,” said Greg Brown, president and CEO of Learfield. “Adding the rights that TJ Nelligan and his colleagues have acquired over the years will strengthen our position in certain regions where we already have significant sponsorship rights.”

Learfield Sports currently owns the multimedia rights to 56 college athletic programs, conferences and athletic venues, including the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky., which is home to the National Champion Louisville Cardinal basketball teams, represented by Nelligan.

“Learfield is a terrific company with a stellar brand in college athletics,” said Nelligan, chairman of Nelligan Sports Marketing. “Having founded this business, I had a personal interest that the company would end up in the hands of a great firm that would care for our employees and clients with great service and integrity. Learfield fits the bill beautifully.”

The business will operate with the name of Learfield Sports, effective immediately, and terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Nelligan and Tim Hofferth will continue to work with Learfield to manage certain partnerships and strategic initiatives.

“We will be integrating the operations from NSM immediately, and we plan to grow the base of business,” added Brown. “We are also excited about the additional capabilities we can provide the NSM schools.” Both executives noted that the transaction will provide Nelligan employees with increased support from a larger organization and greater career opportunities. “I’m very pleased that our people will have growth opportunities that didn’t exist for them previously,” said Nelligan.

Plans to redevelop Northampton Town’s Sixfields stadium has been given the go ahead from the town’s council.

Capacity is set to increase to 10,000 for the League Two stadium, with new corporate boxes and a conference centre included in the redevelopment.

The £12million project put together by the football club and Northampton Borough Council will also see the area surrounding the stadium redeveloped, with additional planning applications for housing, local retail facilities and a hotel also to be submitted in the next few months.

“This is a momentous day for the club and our supporters,” said Cobblers chairman David Cardoza.

“I will be honest, there were times when I never thought we would get here and without the fantastic support of David Mackintosh and Northampton Borough Council in the last couple of years we wouldn’t have. But now the club can look forward to a very bright future.

“Now we have this approval we can really start pushing things on. Things are already moving forward quickly and it is possible that we will be building the roof and part of the structure of the new East Stand during the season and then finishing it off in the close season.

“We are working at a pace and the plan is to have the East Stand done by the start of next season, the hotel is going to take a little bit longer but hopefully we will be putting a planning application in for that in the next month or so.

“Our plans are also to give the West Stand an overhaul and to put new seating in to the North and South Stands. Sixfields will soon look very different and we will share our plans with supporters in more depth over the next few weeks.

“We can all be very excited about the future and so can our supporters. This is fantastic news.”

The 2014 FIBA 3×3 World Championships will take place in Russia’s capital city of Moscow, FIBA announced on Tuesday.

The tournament will be held over the course of five days in June 2014. The exact dates are to be announced at a later stage.

The Russian Basketball Federation (RBF), one of Europe’s pioneers in developing 3×3, will host the second edition of the tournament that was first held in Athens, Greece in 2012.

The 2014 FIBA 3×3 World Championships will follow a similar competition format to that used in the inaugural event, with men’s and women’s tournaments as well as individual contests. In 2012, 48 teams (24 men’s and 24 women’s) from 32 countries competed in the Greek capital.

“We are extremely pleased to stage the 2014 FIBA 3×3 World Championships in Moscow,” said FIBA President Yvan Mainini. “Russia has been a motor in the promotion of 3×3 basketball and showed their competitiveness in Athens last year.”

Russia’s teams finished in the top 10 at the 2012 FIBA 3×3 World Championships, with the men’s side coming in fifth and the women’s ninth.

“The tournament that Russia will host in 2014 will be very interesting,” said Russia’s Minister of Sport Vitaly Mutko. “This sport is getting more popular here. Every year we organise the final of Russian competitions, where thousands of teams gather. We support FIBA’s efforts to make 3×3 an Olympic discipline.”

FIBA Secretary General and International Olympic Committee (IOC) Member Patrick Baumann explained what made Russia stand out from the list of candidate cities.

“We were very pleased with the high interest and number of requests we received to host this tournament. Ultimately, we decided that it has to take place in Russia, a country with such a long basketball and 3×3 tradition,” he said.

RBF President Alexander Krasnenkov explained how hosting the event will affect basketball in Russia.

“The hosting of the 2014 FIBA 3×3 World Championships will definitely have a positive impact on the development of basketball all over Russia,” he said.

“Just the fact that such a big tournament will take place in our country will demonstrate that we are capable of hosting the events of the highest level.”

The FIBA 3×3 World Championships are organised every two years, while the FIBA U18 3×3 World Championships are held on an annual basis – except the year of the Youth Olympic Games. As such, 2013 will see the FIBA 3×3 U18 World Championships take place in Jakarta, Indonesia from 26-29 September.

English County Cricket Club, Somerset have once again announced extremely impressive financial figures, revealing a record profit of £409,000 up to September 2012.

That total represents a marginal improvement on last year – something that is all the more impressive given how much cricket was ruined by inclement weather last season.

Chief executive Guy Lavender said: “This has been a very tough year and while we have seen some weather-related reductions in match receipts, we have been able to drive the club’s business forward in a number of different areas.

“It is of credit to both our playing and non-playing staff who have worked hard to make sure that we have thrived again this year.”

Chairman Andy Nash is not content with Somerset’s outstanding financial efforts and has already set his sights on further success – on and off the field.

He added: “Our twin ambitions are to win the County Championship and to bring one-day international cricket to the County Ground.

“We are well placed to begin preparatory work on the next phase of ground development and having consolidated and strengthened our cricketing squad for next season, we are in good shape for the 2013 campaign.”

The NFL is reviewing the behaviour of its replacement officials on social media after replacing an official assigned to the New Orleans Saints’ game yesterday because photos on Facebook showed him wearing the team’s kit.

The league’s decision to replace side judge Brian Stropolo with Tim Keese was done “to avoid any appearance of conflict,” Greg Aiello, an NFL spokesman, said in an e-mail.

Stropolo posted photos of himself wearing a shirt and hat with the Saints’ logo on them during an August 25 preseason game.

“We are doing a thorough review of the situation involving the current officials and social-media sites,” Aiello said.

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