London Aquatics Centre Named New Home for British Divers

British Swimming have agreed a deal for the London Aquatics Centre to be the new home of the Diving High Performance Centre.

The venue of the London 2012 Olympic diving events has undergone significant transformations since the Olympic Games and will provide world class facilities for British divers and the local communities alike.

British Swimming will work alongside venue operators GLL and the London Legacy Development Corporation to provide world class diving provision in the capital and build on the popularity of diving from the London Olympics.

National Performance Director Alexei Evangulov said: “We are really pleased to have an HPC at the pool that was used for the Olympic Games and are excited about when the doors open in the spring.

“The London Aquatics Centre is a fantastic facility with world class boards and dry land provision. A facility like this will help shape the next generation of athletes and allow them to see what an elite competition venue is like on a day-to-day basis.

“The pool holds great memories for not only the British public but also our divers and all athletes that use this centre will have a small taste of the Olympics every time they walk through the door.”

GLL Director Peter Bundey admitted this is an important element of the legacy role at the venue.

“The London Aquatics Centre is an iconic facility which will play a major part in bringing international, troche national and local legacy to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, herbal ” said Bundey.

“It is very exciting therefore to work closely with British Swimming to secure a diving programme that will help the country’s best divers prepare for future Olympic Games.

“As a charitable social enterprise, our partnership is also important to help inspire a new generation of young divers, who in turn will strive to be part of this High Performance Programme”.

Dennis Hone, Chief Executive of the London Legacy Development Corporation, said: “It is fantastic news that the Aquatics Centre will become home to British diving. These world-class facilities will be used by some of the country’s top divers when it opens next year.

“The Centre will be a high performance training facility and competition venue as well as open to the public for the same price as the average cost at local pools. These elite sports will sit alongside community sports to provide a lasting legacy for all.”

British Swimming Chief Executive David Sparkes added: “We are delighted to be working with GLL and London Legacy Development Corporation to ensure we build on the Olympics and create a massive diving legacy programme for London.”

IndyCar Cut Baltimore from 2014 Calendar

INDYCAR will not return to Baltimore in 2014 after cutting the event from the calendar after a clash od schedules. 

“After a successful visit to Baltimore, medical which included record attendance, we are disappointed that our schedules will not align to host an event in 2014,” said Mark Miles, chief executive officer, Hulman & Co., the parent company of INDYCAR.

 “This was simply a matter of trying to find the best date that worked for all parties, since Labor Day weekend was not an option in 2014.  We are thankful to the city of Baltimore, Race On and Andretti Sports Marketing for their support and enthusiasm for the event over the years.” 

Miles added: “We continue to finalize our 2014 schedule and anticipate announcing it prior to the end of our 2013 season.”

Whitney Oaks Golf Club to Host 2013 Northern California Open Championship

Whitney Oaks Golf Club, drugs owned and operated by the United Auburn Indian Community, arthritis has been announced as the host  of the 2013 Northern California Open Championship taking place Sept. 9-11 in Rocklin, California. Top PGA and tour professionals will compete for $60,000 in prize money.

The 2013 Nor Cal Open Pro-Am event will kick off the tournament on Sunday, Sept. 8 welcoming both professionals and amateurs to compete for $5,000 in pro-am prize money. The Nor Cal Open Pro-Am contests will include a $10,000 Hole-In-One, Putting Contest, Closest to Pin for Win Contest, Longest Drive Contest and conclude with a Slot Tournament at Thunder Valley Casino Resort.

“We are honored to host the Northern California Open this year,” said Michael Fish, General Manager of Whitney Oaks Golf Club. “We are confident top professionals and amateur golfers will be impressed by our pristine golf course and anticipate a fun-filled tournament for all.”

The 2013 Northern California Open Championship will begin on Monday, Sept. 9. For three days, participants will compete in 54-hole stroke play on the challenging Par 71, Johnny Miller-designed course.

“Whitney Oaks Golf Club will present a strategically challenging venue for our top professionals and amateurs to compete for the coveted title of Northern California Open Champion,” said Chris Thomas, Executive Director and C.O.O. of the Northern California PGA.

Recognized as one of the most storied and prestigious golf tournaments in the state, the Northern California Open has been contested since 1920. 

Exclusive: Dom Reilly Looks to Generate ‘brand awareness’ for Start-up with Williams Deal

By Ismail Uddin

Dom Reilly recently announced partnership with Williams F1 will help with ‘brand awareness’ that is crucial for the start-up company according to Founder and CEO, Dominic Reilly.

Williams revealed a partnership that will see Dom Reilly’s travel accessories being used by the team during the season.

Dominic Reilly believes this partnership is critical for the brand to progress which began its operations only last year.

“As a start up brand, it is imperative that I generate brand awareness. Not Just awareness of the name and the logo but an understanding of what the brand represents,” he told iSportconnect exclusively.

“There are many brands that chose to partner with an F1 team because it is glamourous and has a premium image. However often there isn’t any real legitimacy in the partnership. My brand literally has its origins in Formula One.”

The former Williams head of marketing also suggested it was an obvious choice for his brand to partner with the F1 team.

“The idea came from the years of travel that I undertook on behalf of the Williams F1 team. It was therefore obvious for me to seek a partnership with them. There is no finer proof point for travel accesories that within an F1 team who travel over 70,000 Kms Per annum. There is an authenticity to my story and that of the Dom Reilly brand so I intend to leverage that with a proactive PR campaign,” he added.

Euroleague Basketball Unveil 2013 Final Four Event Logo

Euroleague Basketball have unveiled their new logo for their flagship event, the 2013 Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final Four, to be held from May 10 to 12 at The O2 in London.

The logo has been created by the international award-winning Greek agency Designers United, creators of three previous Final Four logos – for Athens in 2007, Berlin in 2009 and Paris in 2010. The 2013 Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final Four logo is inspired by London’s DNA as a modern and edgy city that conserves a hint of tradition, which is reflected by the juxtaposition of a modern, graffiti-inspired “lion-ball” topped with a classic crown.

The lion is one of the main symbols of London and of the United Kingdom. It stands for bravery, passion, courage, honor, leadership, strength and authority. It has been a common emblem for England throughout history and is featured on the royal coat of arms, creating an association which in branding terms is translated into prestige.

England has a strong link with the image of the crown, an emblem for the strong tradition at the heart of London’s identity. The crown also ties in perfectly with what will happen in London, where the Turkish Airlines Euroleague champions will become the new kings of European basketball on May 12 at The O2.

Red and blue are known worldwide for being national colors of the UK, commonly associated with the country’s flag, the Union Jack. The red line dividing the lion-ball in two symbolizes the River Thames, which also divides the city of London into two parts.

BCCI Sets Base Price for IPL Title Sponsorship

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) believes it can get more than US$65million for the title sponsorship of Indian Premier League (IPL).

The governing body for cricket in India has set the figure as its base price for the major sponsorship of the Twenty20 tournament for the next five years. The figure is almost double the amount of the IPL’s previous title deal with DLF Ltd.

IPL Chairman, order Rajeev Shukla, erectile said given the success of the league and the attention it has received worldwide, the BCCI expects the title sponsorship to at least double.

Opinion among industry insiders is split with some suggesting the figure is too high given the current economic climate and declining rating figures. Other experts believe the fee is reasonable if the deal is similar to the partnership the BCCI had with DLF Ltd.

Bids for the title sponsorship are open until November 21. {jcomments on}

 

New England Patriots Opening Season Game Sees High Local Ratings

The New England Patriots’ 34-13 win over the Titans in the 2012 regular season opener on Sept. 9 drew the highest daytime season opener local ratings in franchise history.

The 33.5 household rating in the Boston market saw nearly 800, pills 000 people tune in to WBZ-TV Channel 4 to watch the Patriots start the season 1-0. New England has now won nine consecutive regular season openers dating back to 2004. 

Sunday’s game was the third highest-rated regular season opener in franchise history and is only surpassed by the Monday Night Football 2011 opener at the Miami Dolphins (37.1 household rating) and the Monday Night Football 2009 opener against the Buffalo Bills (35.1 household rating).

The 2012 season opener drew a household share of 60, meaning that on average 60 percent of all televisions in the Boston market between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. ET were tuned in to the Patriots on Sunday. This weekend’s game was the highest rated program across all demographics during the week of Sept. 3 to Sept. 9.

FASPO gibt die Nominierungen des 19. INTERNATIONALEN SPONSORING AWARDs bekannt

Der Fachverband Sponsoring FASPO gibt die Nominierungen für die 19. INTERNATIONALEN SPONSORING AWARDs bekannt, ailment die am 22. März 2012 in Hamburg vergeben werden.

Eine unabhängige Jury mit Sponsoringexperten aus Deutschland, arthritis Österreich und der Schweiz hat zwölf herausragende Sponsoringprojekte für den Preis in den Kategorien Sport, Kultur, Public, Medien und Innovation nominiert:

  • Bundesverband der Deutschen Volks- und Raiffeisenbanken/DOSB (Projekt: Sterne des Sports)
  • Deutsche Telekom (Projekt: Ich kann was!)
  • Die Schweizerische Post (Projekt: 2 x Weihnachten)
  • Mercedes-Benz/Roth & Lorenz GmbH (Projekt: Pangaea Expedition)
  • Bayer AG (Bayer Kultur)
  • Logentheater/D&H Projektmanagement (Projekt: Map My Story)
  • Hyundai/Havas Sports & Entertainment/ (Projekt: Hyundai Velaster MTV EMAs)
  • Berliner Bank/Felten & Cie. (Projekt: Berliner Bank Zukunftsdialoge)
  • Deutsche Post/BBDO Live (WM-Kampagne Absolut treffsicher)
  • EnBW (EnBW-Oberliga Junioren)
  • VW AG /Juniper Group (Projekt: Beständigkeit im Wandel)
  • A1 Telekom Austria/WWP (Neuartige Identifikation der Marke A1 im Sport). 

Die Preise werden im Rahmen der Fachtagung SPONSORING SUMMIT 2012 am 22. März in der Handelskammer Hamburg übergeben. Nähere Infos und Ameldung hierzu unter www.faspo.de. Der INTERNATIONALE SPONSORING AWARD gilt seit vielen Jahren als wichtigster deutscher Sponsoringpreis und ist maßgeblicher Nachweis für Qualität und Professionalität im Sponsoring.

Der Fachverband Sponsoring FASPO ist die zentrale Interessenvertretung der Sponsoringwirtschaft im deutschsprachigen Raum, mit Sitz in Hamburg, Wien und Winterthur.

Tennis’s Soweto Open Cancelled after Lack of Sponsorship Interest

South African tennis received a major blow on Monday with the news that the Soweto Open, which was due to be staged for a fourth year in April, had been cancelled.

This was confirmed by SA Tennis Association (Sata) CEO Ian Smith, who said the Johannesburg City Council, which had sponsored the event since its inception in 2009, had not renewed its contract due to financial constraints.

“Without a sponsor there was no way we could stage the Soweto Open in April,” Smith said.

He added, however, that Sata would continue its search for a sponsor in the hope of staging the Soweto Open towards the end of 2012.

“We have a deadline of late May or early June to find a sponsor and get ATP sanction for a Challenger tournament,” Smith said.

“It won’t be easy, but we are not giving up yet to bring international tennis to South Africa in 2012 at men’s and women’s level.”

At this juncture, though, South Africa has been left without a major tennis tournament next year after the even more crippling setback resulting from the termination of the ATP-sanctioned SA Open at Montecasino.

“The Johannesburg Council were enthusiastic supporters of the Soweto Open, not only because it brought international tennis to Soweto for the first time, but because of its value in boosting development in the area among up-and-coming young players,” Smith said.

However, Smith said the Johannesburg Council felt the current financial climate left them with no alternative but to halt their backing of the event at the Arthur Ashe Tennis Centre.

“Our problems regarding sponsorship are far from unique,” Smith said.

“They are worldwide and affecting most sports as one international financial crisis follows another.”

Lahore High Courts Blocks Pakistan Television’s Deal with Ten Sports

The Lahore High Court has barred Pakistan Television (PTV) from signing a deal with Ten Sports, regarding the sub-licensing of the broadcast rights for ICC cricket from 2012 to 2015, following allegations that the sports channel is owned by an Indian entity.

The Lahore High Court said that PTV could not conclude its deal with Ten Sports subject to the condition that the privately owned Independent Music Group, which operates the private cable sports channel, deposits two million US dollars.

The court issued notice to PTV and the federal government to file their responses by December 2. Justice Umar Ata Bandial passed the order in response to a petition filed by Independent Music Group, which challenged PTV’s move to enter into an agreement with Ten Sports.

Earlier, the petitioner’s counsel told the court that the ICC had granted rights to broadcast cricket events to ESPN sports channel. ESPN further granted rights to various entities from different countries for four years. The counsel said Independent Music Group had acquired broadcast rights for Pakistan on cable and satellite from ESPN (Mauritius).

The counsel said after expiry of these rights, ESPN invited bids to broadcast ICC cricket events in Pakistan for four years. PTV approached ESPN with the highest bid of US $30 million for both cable and satellite rights.

The counsel contended that PTV had entered into a back-to-back arrangement with Ten Sports, a channel owned and controlled by India’s Zee Network, to exclusively acquire broadcast rights and PTV would sub-licence the rights to its joint venture partner.

The counsel said the Independent Music Group wrote a letter to PTV on October 27 and offered a joint venture on terms that were being offered to the Indian channel. PTV rejected the offer without giving any cogent reason, the counsel contended.