Aspire Academy and the global technology company SAP are working together to drive Qatar’s youth sports development programs through a new partnership.

The Aspire Academy coaches, case sport scientists, unhealthy athletes, and management will be able to easily access real-time data on athlete performance development, sports science, and sports operations management on any mobile devices, supporting global best practices in youth athlete development.

On one platform, users can access data such as match results, development summaries, competition plans, and sports science profiles from Aspire Academy’s clubs and leagues.

Aspire Academy and SAP will also explore innovations in feedback visualisation, predictive analytics, and cognitive training. According to a recent study by the University of Toronto, the global sports analytics market is set to grow from USD $125 million in 2014 to USD $4.7 billion in 2021, which demonstrates a strong potential for the partnership.

“Aspire Academy is at the forefront of transforming youth development with analytics, as coaches can optimize line-ups on tablets, players can review match highlights on smartphones, and trainers can track player fitness and fatigue. Co-innovating with Aspire Academy will leverage global best practices in sports analytics and science, starting from the development level,” said Stefan Wagner, Senior Vice President and Global General Manager of the Sports & Entertainment Industry at SAP.

The partnership is being called the world’s first national sports academy to sign with a global technology company.

Aspire Academy aims to become the world’s leading youth sports academy by 2020 and is expanding with the launch of Qatar’s first national centre for football in 2017. Qatar is rapidly developing its national teams in line with becoming a global sporting hub, as the country is hosting the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Major League Soccer (MLS) have announced new and expanded television agreements across Asia, buy increasing MLS’ exposure to the majority of the world’s most populous continent, and reaching new fans in China and Japan.

MLS has expanded its partnership with China’s Le Sports from live stream across digital platforms to now include televised live games in mainland China.

MLS also announced a new partnership with Japan’s Fuji TV to televise regular season matches.

The Le Sports and MLS digital partnership, announced in 2015, has been expanded to a television deal to include multiple live MLS regular season matches per week; the AT&T MLS All-Star Game; the Audi 2016 MLS Cup Playoff games and MLS Cup.

In addition, Le Sports will continue to carry highlights, player features and other MLS content across its digital platforms.

Gary Stevenson, President & Managing Director, MLS Business Ventures said: “As we continue to expand the League’s global reach, China is a priority market for our growth. This expanded partnership with Le Sport provides our growing fan base with an additional opportunity to consume MLS. 

Le Sport’s commitment to increase MLS’s footprint across their extensive media platforms is a terrific example of our partnership with one of China’s leading media companies,” 

“We are very focused on broadening our reach in the Asian market and the Le Sport and Fuji deals announced today are a big part of that growth.”

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World football’s governing body FIFA has held a meeting with commercial partners AB InBev, adidas, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and VISA at their headquarters in Zurich to discuss their reform plans and other matters.

Several of the sponsors called for FIFA to conduct an independent reform following the ongoing corruption case which was becoming a concern for them.

Outgoing FIFA president Sepp Blatter confirmed that a Reform Committee would be set up to address these issues at a press conference last month when he officially announced he would be stepping down in February. 

FIFA released a statement after the meeting saying: “During the meeting, FIFA reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, reform, and collaboration with its valued partners.”

The sponsors released a joint statement which said: “Fifa provided the sponsors with updates on several topics. We reiterated our expectations for robust reform, and we will continue to engage with Fifa.” 

First Reform Meeting

Francois Carrard, who was appointed by FIFA to lead the FIFA Reform Committee, has confirmed that the first meeting will take place in early September.

“The first meeting of the 2016 FIFA Reform Committee will be held in the Swiss capital of Berne on 2-3 September 2015. No further comments on the meeting will be provided at this time,” he said.

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By Christian Radnedge

FIFA president Sepp Blatter is no longer a member of the International Olympic Committee, following his withdrawal for re-election at the IOC Session in Kuala Lumpur.

Blatter was elected an IOC member in 1999, the year after becoming FIFA president. He would have had to stand down from the Olympic movement anyway when he turns 80 next year, though it is likely he would have been made an honorary member of the IOC.

But president Thomas Bach confirmed that Blatter was withdrawing from the Olympics world with immediate effect.

Bach said: “Mr Blatter sent a letter just before the IOC Session saying that his mandate as FIFA president would come to an end on February 26 because FIFA would elect a new president and that for this reason – and for the reason that he could not come here – he would not think it appropriate being proposed for a new mandate of eight years.

“This was in line with the [situation of] other two potential candidates for re-election where the nomination commission also thought it not appropriate to be re-elected for another five months so it was not a situation affecting my Blatter alone.”

Re-elections for IOC members take place at the end of an eight-year term. James Easton of the United States and Colombia’s Andrés Botero Phillipsbourne also stepped down and both were installed as honorary members.

New members elected were Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye, president of Senegal’s national Olympic committee, and Serbia’s Nenad Lalovic who, as president of the World Wrestling, led the sport back from the brink of Olympic Games exclusion.

On the executive committee, Sweden’s Gunilla Lindberg retained her place for another term.

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iSportconnect, order the world’s largest global private network of sports business executives, pills staged a very successful first Corporate Regatta yesterday, in association with Clipper Race.

The event, which took place in Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth, attracted some leading executives in the sports business world with representatives from Club Wembley, ECB, ITN, Jockey Club, Microsoft, Perform, Reuters, Southampton FC, Stoke City FC, UK Sport, WTA and more.

The regatta consisted of four boats with four teams; Team ECB, Team Reuters, Team Beemray and Team iSportconnect.

Each team was initially put through the necessary drills by the racing yacht crew, before it was off to the races.

Team iSportconnect was victorious in the first two races of the day, with Team Beemray second, Team Reuters third and Team ECB coming fourth.

The third race saw Team Reuters coming in first place with Team iSportconnect second, Team Beemray third and Team ECB in fourth.

The participants had a thoroughly enjoyable experience at the first of what will be many iSportconnect Corporate Regatta events at a sunny Portsmouth, with many already looking forward to next year’s edition where more boats will be in use.

The event will become an annual feature for iSportconnect and join the already successful Directors’ Club and Masterclass events.

More pictures below:

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Big Brands, remedy Innovative Start-ups and Famous Names Amongst Diverse Shortlist

Today (20^th January 2015) saw the shortlist for the 2015 Sports Technology Awards revealed with over one hundred brands destined for honours.

Celebrating the increasingly important role that technology plays in sport, click entries have been received globally spanning innovative start-ups and household brands, including the work of individuals in sport such as Sir Clive Woodward’s ‘Captured’ platform and Judy Murray’s tennis coaching app, ‘Miss-Hits’.

Rebecca Hopkins, Director of the Sports Technology Awards, said, ‘The concepts, products and services entered into the awards are as exciting as they are diverse.

This is a sector that is evolving constantly, challenging what is normal and what is possible.

The power of sports technology as a force for change isn’t just the preserve of established sportsmen and women, these innovations encourage all sorts of people to do more in sport, not least of all to start doing more physically – which is especially pertinent given the recent news about the importance of activity.’

The judging panel, consisting of industry figures including David Dein, Marlon Devonish and Nigel Owens, faced a considerable assignment. Bill Sweeney, Head of the British Olympic Association and STA judge, explained ‘The task of assessing the awards was not insignificant, partly because the entries were so diverse but also because the technology being judged is often the very latest.

We all wanted to do all the brands entering justice in order to ensure that the right winner emerges from the process. The ceremony in March certainly promises to be an exciting one.’

This year’s awards sees an influx of sponsors including mobile provider, Sport Mobile, leading social content marketing platform, Stackla and design and branding agency, Tactical-Live, joining existing sponsor, The Daily Telegraph. Also on-board is Sport England, which has helped create the Sports Technology Awards Design Challenge.

This is a new award which aims to get more young people, women or disabled athletes involved in sport.

The awards will take place on March 27^th 2015. For the full list of finalists or to enquire about attendance or sponsorship, visit www.sportstechnologyawards.com

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) have announced the appointment of David Allen as their Senior Vice President and General Manager of Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

In his new role Allen will still be based in London overseeing the UFC’s business in the EMEA regions and work under UFC Chief Global Brand Officer Garry Cook.

David Allen said: “I am grateful for the confidence the company has placed in me and I look forward to working with a great team, both here in EMEA and in our Las Vegas office, as we work together to grow the UFC business across the region.”  

Garry Cook added: “I have had the privilege of working with David over many years and his dedication, determination and drive will add great value.

“The UFC looks forward to the further growth of the brand in EMEA under David’s tutelage, as the organization targets new markets, partnerships and opportunities, including it’s largest European event to date in Stockholm next week.”