Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) has secured operational control of the CEV Repsol (Spanish Road Racing Championship), stuff a MotoGP feeder series with the event being officially upgraded to an international Series.

The FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix has produced riders from MotoGP, for sale Moto2 and Moto3 including Marc Marquez, Scott Redding and Luis Salom – having all graduated from it.

The CEV Repsol had been run by the Spanish Motorcycle Federation – RFME. The move to the FIM is the obvious next step for the Dorna-run series, which will continue to be conducted in close cohesion with MotoGP in terms of rules and procedures, so that riders and teams alike can be fully prepared for the step up to the international stage. The Championship will be run on the current Grand Prix circuits in Spain and also on other circuits in Europe.

FIM President Vito Ippolito, said: “The upgrade of the Spanish Road Racing Championship is a very positive move, which will give it a better exposure at world level. Many good riders take part in this Championship and then join the Grand Prix World Championship classes and show an excellent riding level. The time has come to give an additional force to this championship by making it into a real international series.”

Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta, added: “I am very pleased about the new stage that awaits the CEV Repsol. That this championship is open internationally and now comes under the scope of the FIM means that all the work done in previous years has clearly helped to strengthen this championship and will ensure that it continues nurturing great riders that can make it into all three MotoGP World Championship categories.”

Cricket Australia has welcomed an International Cricket Council ruling that it says brings day/night Test cricket one step closer.

The ICC announced overnight that Test-match-participating countries may now agree to play day/night Test matches. The home and visiting boards will decide on the hours of play which will be six hours of scheduled play per day while the two boards will also decide on the precise brand, sales type and colour of ball to be used for the match, illness the ICC said.

CA Chief Executive Officer James Sutherland, who has long argued that cricket needs to recognise that fans have a better chance of watching Test cricket if it is played at night, said the ICC’s new ruling means there is one less obstacle to day/night Tests becoming a reality.

“Test cricket is by definition played on at least three week days, times when most people are at work or school, and this limits the ability of fans to attend or watch on TV,” he said.

“We limit ourselves by staging cricket’s premium format at times when fans often cannot watch.

“We know that the audience for the Perth Test, which is on TV in the evening on the east coast, is up significantly because fans in the East can tune in after work.

“CA has a formal strategic plan that demands that Australian cricket puts fans first and we will now add day/night Tests to the agenda when we talk to other Test nations about their future tours down-under.”

He believed that elite cricket’s short formats had shown that batsmen could make big scores under lights.

However, Sutherland also said he didn’t want to create expectations that day/night Tests are just around the corner.

“Finding a Test ball that is as easily visible in the day as it is at night is still a technical work in progress that the ICC is now leading and it has not yet been possible to predict when such a ball might be available.

“The traditional red ball is not regarded as suitable for night cricket because it is not as visible at night as it is in the day, and the ODI white ball is not suitable for Tests as it is not as durable as the red ball and does not last as well as a Test ball needs to last. Experiments with other colours such as pink, orange and yellow have seen some promising developments in recent times and Cricket Australia will, together with the ICC and ball manufacturers, continue to encourage research and development that delivers a ball with the optimal colour and durability for Test cricket.”

Rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III inspirational first start for the Washington Redskins may have ended sourly after the NFL are investigating his attempt of covering the Nike logo on his undershirt.

Griffin wrote the word “Heart” on the left side of his undershirt before the game on Sunday.The “H” was drawn extra wide so that the logo of Nike, which has the official apparel deal with the league, was covered. Griffin has a lucrative deal with its competitor adidas.

Players are allowed to wear logos of shoe brands that endorse them as long as those brands have deals with the league. They are not, however, allowed to cover up the swoosh of Nike, which is in its first year of a five-year deal with the league.

Griffin won’t likely be fined because the shirt was only visible before pregame warmups, but NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told ESPN.com that league officials would talk to him.

“It won’t happen again,” McCarthy said.

Griffin threw for 320 yards and two touchdowns in a 40-32 upset of the New Orleans Saints.

Soccerex have announced a 4-year partnership with the Lagos State Football Association to organise a regional Soccerex Seminar in Lagos.

The first edition will take place on September 27th and 28th at the Lagos Oriental Hotel.

With the aim of promoting the development of football in West Africa, recipe through providing focused learning and business opportunities, viagra the Soccerex Seminar Lagos will feature a mix of football’s leading decision-makers joining business experts for an in-depth, two-day event made up of a conference, networking and social events. 

The Soccerex Seminar Lagos is under the patronage of Executive Governor of Lagos State, His Excellency, Babatunde Raji Fashola SAN and Hon. Commissioner for Youth Sports and Social Development, Lagos State, Mr. Wahid Enitan Oshodi.

The Honorable Commissioner stated: “We’re delighted to bring Soccerex, the Global Leader for the Business of Football, to Lagos. The Soccerex Seminar Lagos over the next four years will be an essential pillar in our vision of “Eko football”. Together we will develop all areas of football including grassroots, youth professional football, the business side and the community. We are looking forward to welcoming the world to Lagos and to showcase the vast business opportunities in West Africa.” 

Seyi Akinwunmi, Chairman of the Lagos State Football Association, added: “We are proud to host Soccerex. Over the next four years it will place Lagos firmly on the map of global football business, make it a destination for football tourism and help us achieve one of our aims of using Eko Football to create employment and commercial opportunities in Lagos.” 

Duncan Revie, CEO of Soccerex and son of legendary Leeds Utd and England Manager Don Revie, commented: “I was convinced to go to Lagos by the guru, David Dein, who was responsible for bringing Arsène Wenger to Arsenal and making them the “Invincibles”. After having been in Dubai, Los Angeles, Paris, London, Manchester, Singapore, Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia and Johannesburg over the last 17 years, we are so delighted to be coming to West Africa and Lagos. As with every other city we have been associated with Soccerex has enjoyed breaking new ground by bringing our own celebrity and media exposure together with an unparalleled learning experience in the beautiful world that is the football business. We are looking forward to a successful relationship with the Lagos State FA and Lagos State Government over the next four years.” 

David Dein is already confirmed as a speaker for the event. He commented: “Nigeria is like my second home – I have been travelling there for over 30 years. The passion and ability that West Africa has for the beautiful game is immense and the economy is now growing rapidly, resulting in increased opportunities around football. In that sense, it is perfect timing that Soccerex has decided to come to Lagos. I am sure the international community following Soccerex to Lagos will be positively impressed by the hospitality they receive and, like me, will be coming back again and again over the next four years.” 

Daniel Krebs, Director of Soccerex and Project Manager of the Soccerex Seminar Lagos, added: “as in the case of Johannesburg, Soccerex will bring many international delegates for the first time to this destination. They will return back home with a positive impression of Lagos and the business opportunities and thus will become disciples to help change some prejudice towards Nigeria across the world.”

A deal has been reached with SuperSport to become the event’s Premium Media Partner. The deal includes a wide range of pre-event coverage and production of a post-event documentary. During the Soccerex Seminar Lagos, SuperSport will have its own TV Studio and as such will ensure that the African continent will witness all key activities over the two days. 

Soccerex will be extending its global CSR activities, which includes a partnership with Special Olympics, by working with new local and regional charities, such as the Child Restoration Initiative, an NGO committed to the support of autistic children from low income families. Soccerex will also be linking up with local business schools to give young ambitious students an insight into the exciting football industry. All of this is to ensure the event leaves a social legacy in West Africa. Coinciding with Soccerex the Lagos State Football Association will organize a series of football activities for the community in Lagos.

The appointment of Louis van Gaal as general director of Ajax has been put on ice pending approval by a special shareholders’ meeting, a court in Haarlem, Netherlands said on Monday.

Former international Johan Cruijff and 10 of the Amsterdam club’s youth trainers had gone to court in an effort to have the appointment overturned.

Cruijff, one of five members of the club’s supervisory board, was furious he had been sidelined in the decision to bring back Van Gaal. The move was made by the four other supervisory board members without Cruijff’s knowledge. The two men have a history of not getting on.

The court said the appointment of Danny Blind as technical director is in line with the law but the naming of Van Gaal and Martin Sturkenboom as interim director should be suspended pending shareholder approval.

Cruijff described the verdict as ‘fantastic’. “We are going to play football again. Football has beaten the business.”

Ajax shareholders are holding a meeting on Monday afternoon but no vote will be taken then.

salve Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.077em; text-rendering: auto; clear: left; padding: 0px;”>London 2012 Olympic ticket sales recommenced this morning as some 1.5 million tickets for football, 40,000 for volleyball and 8,000 for freestyle wrestling are available.

The sale is open to those who successfully obtained tickets in the initial first round ballot. They are being sold on a first-come first-served basis in a process which finishes at 1800 BST on 17 July.

Some 700,000 people can buy tickets. Another 150,000 people ordered tickets in an earlier “second chance” phase.

Those tickets went to people unsuccessful in the initial first round ballot.

In total more than 3.5 million Olympic tickets have now been sold, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) says.

The available tickets for football, volleyball and freestyle wrestling cover 58 sessions and 130 price categories. All other sports have no availability.