The NFL have announced that the Pro Bowl, the All-Star game, will continue for 2013 with a promise that it will be more competitive.

The Hawaii-based  game was uncertain as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell had said earlier this year that scrapping the exhibition was a possibility after the 2012 edition drew criticism for a lack of intensity and many players opting out.

“We have had many discussions with the players in recent years about the Pro Bowl and they recognize that the quality of the game has not been up to NFL standards,” said Ray Anderson, the league’s executive vice president of football operations.”We look forward to working with the players toward the goal of improving the competitiveness of this season’s game.”

Unlike other North American sports which play their All-Star games mid-season, the NFL’s showpiece is held at the end of the regular season, a week before the Super Bowl.While being selected for the game is one of the top honours in the NFL, participation is voluntary and the event is often a low-quality affair as players do not want to be injured heading into the offseason, and so they have no incentive to play hard.

Played almost exclusively in Hawaii for the last three decades, the game has been criticised as amounting to little more than an exhibition with many players accused of using the time as an extended holiday.

“The players believe that the Pro Bowl is an important tradition,” said NFL Players Association president Domonique Foxworth.”We worked hard with the league to make sure the best players in the NFL are honoured for their achievements on the field.”

However the NFL nor NFLPA  gave an explanation of how they planned to make the game more competitive. The game is scheduled to take place on January 27 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Spanish Premier Division, herbal La Liga and its second division, view Segunda Division may not have any games take place on the opening weekend as talks between the players and the league failed to resolve issues based on the collective bargaining agreement.

The players’ association, healing known as AFE, and the professional league, known as LFP, couldn’t reach a labor accord that includes more protection for the players’ salaries, the LFP said in a Press Release on its website.

Players said Aug. 11 they’d strike the first two weeks of the season, which is due to start in three days. The league said the strike is “absolutely unjustified but it’s also sterile because the LFP has reached the limit of its possibilities.”

“We haven’t reached an agreement,” LFP Chairman Jose Luis Astiazaran was quoted as saying by El Mundo newspaper after the meeting. “Our differences are significant, but we’ll have to continue.”

The sides will meet again in two days in Madrid to try to and make a deal, the league said. At the moment it is looking league sources believe a resolution can not be found in time for the start of league season.

Moscow will be the new host city to host the World Chess Championship Match in 2012 after FIDE, the governing body of world chess, ruled in favour Moscow ahead of Chennai.

There is a positive that has come out of this though. Should Anand successfully defend his title, then Chennai will get first right of refusal “to make a proposal for the organization of the World Chess Championship Match 2013”.

The match will be held next May in Skolkovo, Moscow, Russia and offers India’s Vishwanthanan Anand and challenger Boris Gelfand from Israel a prize fund of $ 2,550,000.

Following the evaluation of the bids from the two cities and the recommendations by the World Championship and Olympiad Commission, Federation Internationale des Echecs (FIDE) awarded the organization of the match to the Russian Chess Federation.

A statement issued by FIDE reads: “FIDE president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov expressed his gratitude also to the All India Chess Federation who worked very hard to put in a very competitive bid with the support of the Government of Tamil Nadu.

“In view of the commitment shown by the AICF and the appreciation of FIDE towards the development of chess in India, the AICF would be given a first option of three months following the match in Moscow, to make a proposal for the organization of the World Chess Championship Match 2013.”

Mayor of London Boris Johnson and LOCOG chairman Sebastien Coe have again highlighted a scheme offering free tickets to schoolchildren on the day that some successful applicants in the Games ballot saw the first debits from their bank accounts, May 16.

A total of 125,000 tickets will be distributed to schools in the capital that had signed up to the ‘Get Set’ programme by December 16 while a further 50,000 tickets would be available to schools outside London.

In an interview with Reuters, London Mayor Boris Johnson said that two-thirds of the tickets available would be for Olympic events, but the opening and closing ceremonies were excluded from the programme.

Johnson stated: “We thought one in eight was the right number. You don’t want to give away too many free tickets otherwise you devalue them. But there will be an opportunity, we think, for kids to get into events if they are under-subscribed and if the (Olympic) Park needs filling up on the day.”

Johnson also claimed that more tickets could be given away for free to ensure packed out venues for all the events at next years Games, adding: “You remember in Beijing they had a problem with stadiums and venues that looked a bit empty, we’re obviously thinking of ways to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Lord Coe said: “Usain Bolt will run in London on 10 or 11 occasions and two of those occasions will be finals. They (schoolchildren) will get a chance to see a good chunk of those events.”

The commissioner for Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS), Tonya Antonucci, has announced she is stepping down from the position at the end of the month.

The announcement came less than a day after the league concluded a troubled regular season.

Antonucci said: “For the league overall, it’s a time of transition from early stage growth now that several of the key building blocks are in place.

“For me personally, it’s been a great honour to launch and lead the league through its first two seasons, and the timing is right to move on to new challenges and opportunities ahead.”

WPS general counsel Anne-Marie Eileraas will succeed Antonucci as chief executive officer.

Digital sports content group Perform have announced the appointment of Dirk Ifsen as Managing Director for Germany.

Mr Ifsen has been promoted to the role from his previous position at Performas Managing Director for Opta’s German operations, which he held from 2010. During this time, Dirk has overseen the continued growth of the brand in the country, as well as being responsible for the successful cooperation with Sky and with DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga, as well as a large proportion of Bundesliga clubs and several major media companies. As well as Germany, Dirk will also assume responsibility for Perform’s activity in Austria and Switzerland.

Dirk brings extensive experience to his new role, having held senior management positions at a number of major media companies for 15 years prior to his time with Opta and Perform. He joined Opta from Kabel Deutschland GmbH, where he held the position of Head of E-Commerce, having joined in 2009 from his previous role at Expedia.com, where he was Director of Product Marketing & Merchandising, responsible for the German, French, Italian and UK markets. Dirk has also held senior roles at Amazon.de, orange digital GmbH and AME Aigner Media & Entertainment GmbH.

Dirk Ifsen commented: “I am delighted to be appointed to this role and am excited about the future for Perform in Germany. This remains a key market for the company and my team and I are strongly focussed and committed to continue to build the company’s operations in the country. Perform already works with some of the largest media companies in Germany to deliver the highest quality sports digital content, advertising solutions and editorial, and we look forward to building upon this success.”

Jacopo Tonoli, Managing Director, EMEA, at Perform, added: “Dirk’s appointment in Germany is great for the company. He is a well-respected and experienced member of the team already, and brings with him a great amount of knowledge of the German market. We are delighted to announce his new role and look forward to the future of Perform in Germany under his leadership.”

Mr Ifsen’s fills the vacant role of Managing Director for Germany following Manuel Lopez’s decision in March 2014 to pursue new opportunities.

Aviron Bayonne president Alain Afflelou has revealed the planned merger with rival Top 14 Biarritz has ended.

Earlier this month Afflelou and his Biarritz counterpart Serge Blanco indicated that they would look into the possibility of creating a single, ailment united Basque club.

With both clubs languishing at the wrong end of the Top 14 standings, allergist some suggested that it made sense for the near-neighbours to pool their resources.

Their has however been staunch resistance from both sets of supporters – the rivalry in the Basque country is one of the fiercest in the world game.

“The conditions mentioned in our first exchange are no longer present,” said Afflelou in a statement on Wednesday.

“I cannot agree to take our club, which is legally, economically and fiscally healthy up a blind path.

“After consultation with the majority shareholders, members of the Supervisory Board and representatives of the fans, the conditions envisaged have not been met. I have decided to end these discussions.”

The International Luge Federation (FIL) have extended their association with sports marketing agency, order Infront Sports & Media by a further four years through to 2017/18.

The partnership recently entered its 15th year with the launch of the 2013/14 FIL World Cup season.

On behalf of the FIL, vialis 40mg Infront markets a main sponsorship package with extensive advertising rights around the artificial ice tracks. It guarantees the respective sponsor a presence at all FIL World Cup events across the season, cheap the respective European and World Championships as well as involvement as the presenting partner of the team relay. The team relay is featured at six World Cup events and in 2014 will be showcased for the first time at the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. The next FIL World Championship will be held in Sigulda, Latvia (2014/15), followed by Berchtesgaden/ Königssee, Germany (2015/16) and Innsbruck-Igls, Austria (2016/17).

Josef Fendt, President of FIL, commented: “The collaboration with Infront is very important to us as we get access to their professional network and in-depth experience in international winter sports marketing. The partnership sees the commercial elements never isolated, but takes into account and supports the all-round development of our World Cup events – in favour of the sport, the fans and the sponsors.”

Bruno Marty, Executive Director Winter Sports at Infront, added: “The renewal with the FIL is a major vote of confidence and confirms the success of our previous collaboration. At the same time it encourages us to set new goals and high standards for the sport. The new agreement allows us to plan together with the association for the long-term and to actively develop the future of the sport along with its partners.”