Taruka Srivastav, Author at iSportConnect

Rosberg X Racing Agrees Partnership With IG Prime

Prime brokerage service provider, IG Prime has announced its partnership with Rosberg X Racing, the Extreme E race team owned by former Formula One World Champion Nico Rosberg.

The team – featuring drivers Molly Taylor and Johan Kristoffersson – currently sits top of the Extreme E championship standings after victory at the inaugural Desert X-Prix in April.

As experts in its field, IG Prime has an ambition to continue to be the best provider in the sector as well as focussing its efforts towards supporting environmental and social factors. IG is a certified carbon neutral business and is working hard to identify a credible pathway to net zero. Championing sustainability and equality through a like-minded and leading partner – Rosberg X Racing – allows the global brokerage business to innovate, learn and collaborate with the premier electric off-road series during its inaugural season.

The IG Prime partnership with Rosberg X Racing aligns with IG Group’s values and sees us celebrate pioneering organisations and individuals who embrace innovation and achieve success through a different approach.

Fouad Bajjali, CEO of IG Bank said: “Everyone at IG Prime is incredibly proud to partner with Rosberg X Racing and be part of the ground-breaking and exciting Extreme E series. We believe this partnership with a pioneering team led by a true innovator in Nico Rosberg will accelerate our own ESG ambitions and inspire our people and clients. RXR’s passion to succeed echoes IG Group’s values, to empower ambitious people and raise the bar to reach excellence.”

Nico Rosberg, CEO of Rosberg X Racing said: “It is fantastic to announce our partnership with IG Prime. Not only are they driven to be the best in their field, they have a shared passion for the environment and sustainability. With our shared values and common goals, it will be great to work with IG Prime and collaborate throughout the rest of the season. We’ve made a good start to the inaugural Extreme E season and we’re looking forward to that momentum continuing with IG Prime onboard at the Ocean X Prix this weekend in Senegal.”

Edgbaston To Be The First Pilot Event Of Government’s Events Research Programme

Edgbaston Stadium’s hosting of the second match of the LV= Insurance Test series between England and New Zealand will be the first pilot event within the second phase of the Government’s world-leading Events Research Programme.

Taking place in Birmingham from Thursday 10 to Monday 14 June, Edgbaston will be able to accommodate around 18,000 spectators each day, 70 per cent of total stadium capacity. Each individual ticket holder must present a negative COVID-19 result from an NHS Rapid Lateral Flow Test, completed within 24 hours in advance of the day they are attending, and give consent to take part in the programme.

The pilot event will be used to analyse testing protocols for all spectators in attendance, the use of social distancing and face coverings when moving around the stadium, and gathering further evidence on the risk of transmission at mass participation events. As part of these Government protocols all ticket holders will need to be aged 16 and over.

The process was today agreed by Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden and supported by Public Health England, the England & Wales Cricket Board, Birmingham City Council and Edgbaston’s own Safety Advisory Group.

“Edgbaston is unique as a cricket venue in having such a large stadium footprint, but we also have a vastly experienced operational delivery team, which has hosted many major events and a spectator pilot last summer. We have always been hopeful of featuring in the pilot programme and are delighted for the thousands of ticket holders who will now be able to attend.

“The city’s authorities have worked with us to make this happen so I would like to thank Cllr Ian Ward and his team for their support and also Andy Street, Mayor, for his help along the way.”

Ticket holders will be contacted by Edgbaston with next steps regarding their tickets and the opportunity to claim a refund should they no longer wish to attend. Those with under 16s as part of their booking will be provided with options regarding their tickets.

“I’m Proof There Is Hope With Regards To Companies And Their Interest In Women’s Golf”

Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam is the winner of a record eight Player of the Year awards, and recipient of six Vare Trophies given to the LPGA player with the lowest seasonal scoring average. She is the only female golfer to shoot a 59 in competition. iSportConnect’s Taruka Srivastav spoke with her to find out about her latest role as President of the International Golf Federation.

Annika you are a legendary golfer yourself. Women’s golf is continuing to grow, what are you seeing in that regard at the grassroots level, is it translating across? What more can be done?

The women’s game is in a wonderful place globally. The LPGA is as good as it has been in terms of a global presence and junior and collegiate events are thriving around the world. Our ANNIKA Foundation has seven global events for junior girls that sees 600+ girls from 50 plus countries compete each year. It’s been fun to see the girls progress.

Tell us about your new role.

I was fortunate to be appointed President of the International Golf Federation (IGF) by their Board in late 2020. I represent the IGF and facilitating effective communication and relationships with IGF Member Federations, IOC, IPC, ASOIF, GAISF, sponsors and other internal and external stakeholders.

I will continue to be an advocate for the development and growth of golf worldwide and will attend the golf in the Olympic Games, Youth Olympic Games, World Amateur Team Championships, IOC Session and other official functions performing customary duties of office.

_{Annika Sorenstam in Women’s Golf Journal photographed by Jim Wright}

After the success of 2016, how can this year’s Olympic Games continue to provide a springboard for golf?

I think that golf did very well in the last Olympics and look for much of the same this year. It will get a lot of attention in Japan as they love golf in that country. With Hideki Matsuyama becoming the first Japanese male to win a Major Championship, they will be primed for a great event. In general, the Olympics helps grow the game globally, because governments fund the training and development of Olympic sports.

How can the IGF continue to help grow golf as we move forwards?

The IGF manages the relationships with all the Federations, sponsors and stakeholders around the globe. This is where they can make a difference. They are the main body coordinating communication across the board when it comes to golf around the world, which includes growing the game.

How is the organisation tackling Covid-19 challenges?

The IOC is in charge of managing Covid and all of the regulations, but the IGF has a lot of input due to the PGA TOUR and how well they handled coming back this year. They were the first sport to play again and to have fans.

Has the interest in women golf tournaments gone up? Is enough being done to ensure the same?

Yes, there is a lot of interest in women’s golf globally. We even have a tournament in Sweden that I am hosting with Henrik Stenson called the Scandi Mixed that has 78 men from the European Tour playing alongside 78 women from the Ladies European Tour competing for the same prize, just from different tees. That is fantastic for the game.

Are brands interested in associating with women golfers?

Yes. Just look at the players on the LPGA tour and how many sponsors they have on their clothing and bags. It’s impressive. I stopped playing in 2008 and still have eight sponsors, so I’m proof there is hope with regards to companies and their interest in women’s golf.

LPGA Elects Mollie Marcoux Samaan As Commissioner

The Board of Directors of the LPGA has unanimously elected Mollie Marcoux Samaan as its next Commissioner.

Marcoux Samaan, currently Ford Family Director of Athletics at Princeton University, will become the ninth Commissioner of the LPGA since its formation in 1950. She will succeed Commissioner Mike Whan who notified the LPGA Board late last year of his intent to step down in 2021. Whan was recently announced as the next Chief Executive Officer of the USGA. Marcoux Samaan will be working with the LPGA Board and the University to transition to her new role in the months ahead.

“Our selection of Mollie Marcoux Samaan as the LPGA’s next Commissioner is the outcome of an extensive and deliberate search process. The position attracted a diverse group of outstanding internal and external candidates, all passionate about the LPGA. We concluded that Mollie is the right leader to guide the LPGA’s next chapter of growth, impact and achievement,” said Diane Gulyas, Chair of the LPGA Board of Directors and the Search Committee.

“Mollie understands the power of golf to change the lives of girls and women. As a values-centered leader, she’s known for her skills in collaboration, managing through complexity and building a winning team culture. In every role, she’s had an outstanding record of performance in navigating change, forging lasting partnerships, and seeing – and seizing – new opportunities,” Gulyas said.

“Our search process was disciplined and thorough. We were impressed and honored by the large number of quality of leaders interested in the LPGA. But in the end, Mollie stood above the rest. We were impressed by her track record working with athletes; with her ability to forge new and innovative partnerships; and with her personal passion, authenticity and proven persistence for excellence,” said Juli Inkster, World and LPGA Hall of Famer and a member of the Search Committee.

“The LPGA Commissioner role is one of the best jobs in sports today and the opportunity of a lifetime. I’m passionate about the game of golf and have been an LPGA fan since I was a little girl. I appreciate the LPGA’s history and the tenacity of its 13 Founders. I’m truly inspired by our Tour players and teaching professionals. I’m excited to dive into the LPGA initiatives to impact women and girls in the game at every age and ability. And, to learn about and contribute to all aspects of the LPGA’s business,” said Mollie Marcoux Samaan.

“I believe passionately that sports have the power to change the world. And in this moment in time – with the positive energy around women’s sports, women’s leadership and society’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion – I believe the LPGA has an incredible opportunity to use our platform for positive change.

‘I’ve devoted my career to developing character, confidence and opportunities through sports. My mission and the LPGA’s mission are fully aligned: providing women and girls the opportunity to achieve their dreams through golf.

“Under the leadership of Mike Whan and the executive team, the LPGA is strongly positioned for continued growth and impact. I’ll look forward to working with Mike and the leadership team to meet the many people and organizations that have been so integral to the LPGA’s success. With its committed sponsors and fans, talented players and members, and exceptional staff and Board, my role will be to continue the positive momentum and increase opportunities, awareness, impact and respect for the LPGA worldwide,” Marcoux Samaan said.

England Cricket Signs IG As Official Partner

IG, a global leader in online trading and investments, has been announced as an Official Partner of England Cricket.

The partnership will see IG support both the men’s and women’s teams, with the IG logo appearing on the men’s shirt across all three formats of the game.

As a company that empowers ambitious individuals to pursue their own investing strategies, IG is excited to work with the ECB as it seeks to inspire generations through elite performance, increased accessibility and a commitment to its communities.

The partnership gives IG the perfect platform on which to build awareness of its brand and range of investment products, as well as widespread opportunities to create inspiring experiences for its clients and further the goals of its Brighter Future initiative.

IG Head of UK, Matt Macklin, said: “Watching the recent accomplishments of the England teams, we have been struck by the clarity of strategic thinking and quality of execution, and how this aligns with IG’s ethos as a business. We also share the ECB’s innate drive to keep improving and evolving, achieving new levels of success while having a positive impact on the world around us. We are hugely proud to be partnering with such a prestigious institution and cannot wait to get started.”

ECB Chief Commercial Officer, Tony Singh, said: “IG is an ambitious organisation which shares our commitment to be the best by maintaining high standards and developing strong partnership. Those values have been central to the success of our England teams making this relationship a natural fit. We look forward to working alongside IG over the coming years.”

MAX Sport Secures Broadcast Rights For LaLiga In Bulgaria

MAX Sport has acquired the broadcasting rights for LaLiga Santander for the next five seasons.

MAX Sport was the home of the Spanish football league for the last three seasons and from the new season onwards A1’s sport channels will be the only media outlet to broadcast the matches from LaLiga in Bulgaria till season 2025/2026.

“LaLiga is amongst the best football leagues in Europe and for a long time an important part of MAX Sport’s rich content. The acquisition of the exclusive rights for the next five seasons of LaLiga is an important step of the MAX Sport development.

“This is also a way to guarantee to our subscribers that they will receive even better and diverse sport content that will include the best football and sport events, and many owned sport shows. The channels will satisfy every fan’s taste no matter whether it will be football, basketball, volleyball, motor and combat sports or hockey,” said Simeon Donev, Senior Director Marketing, A1 Bulgaria.

LaLiga has established itself as one of the best leagues in Europe both in terms of attractiveness and TV ratings. ”ElClasico” between Real Madrid and Barcelona traditionally is one of the most watched sport events in the world. In addition to first-class football, LaLiga offers great intrigue and this season is no exception with the battle for the title and for promotion was decided in the last few rounds.

The new season will begin in the second week of August and three of the title contenders will be Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico de Madrid, but Sevilla and Villarreal are always dangerous and ready to enter the battle for the first place. LaLiga Santander will also welcome back two of the well know teams in the league – Espanyol de Barcelona and Real Mallorca, while the last team to come from Segunda Division will be decided following playoffs. MAX Sport will broadcast the most interesting matches throughout the season. This includes up to 10 matches from each of the 38 rounds which makes up to 380 matches per season.

At the moment MAX Sport rich sports programming offers many other interesting football tournaments and leagues – UEFA Champions League, Serie A, Eredivise, Coupe de France, The Turkish Cup, Major Soccer League, Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana. Apart from football, the subscribers can also watch the best tennis tournaments from ATP, Bulgarian National Basketball League, the basketball Euroleague, the volleyball League of Nations, the Diamond League, UFC, MotoGP, NASCAR, WRC, NHL and others.

The sport emotions are guaranteed for years to come with MAX Sport channels, which are available with MAX Sport Plus package from your TV service provider.

Extreme E Joins Forces With Coral Eyewear

Extreme E has joined forces with sustainable brand, Coral Eyewear, which uses recycled fishing nets to manufacture its covertable collection of sunglasses.

The British brand will supply sunglasses to Extreme E’s personnel for use during their work at the upcoming Ocean X Prix in Senegal.

Coral Eyewear is the brainchild of 21-year-old student, George Bailey, who, concerned about the damaging effects to the sea of discarded fishing nets, came up with the idea of using them to make stylish and recyclable eyewear. It is estimated that 600,000 tonnes of nets are abandoned in our oceans every year, taking up to a staggering 600 years to break down. This marine ‘litter’ causes all kinds of hazards for sea life – apart from obvious ingestion, World Animal Protection estimates that just one abandoned net can entangle up to 40 marine animals every year.

The brand, with the support of Italian manufacturer Aquafil, harvests these abandoned nets, turns them into pellets which are then moulded into frames for sunglasses and prescription eyewear. To further reduce any environmental damage, the company tumbles the frames for smoothness rather than using harmful lacquers and ships the frames to customers in plastic-free packaging via a carbon-neutral delivery service.

Ali Russell, Chief Marketing Officer at Extreme E, said: “As a sport for purpose series, it’s essential for us to align ourselves with people and companies that share our core values – we are therefore delighted that Coral will be supplying us with its fantastic range of sunglasses.

“What George Bailey has achieved, particularly at such a young age, is truly inspirational. The Coral sunglasses are not only superb and will be hugely appreciated by the Extreme E team, but the company is actually dealing with an issue that we all need to be aware of, and that is taking care of our oceans by ridding them of plastic waste.”

George Bailey, CEO at Coral Eyewear said: “As a planet-positive brand, we exist to shine a spotlight on the incredible solutions happening across all areas of sustainability. Since our launch last year, we’ve built a fantastic relationship with electric motorsport through our ambassador and British driver Alexander Sims, as well as Mahindra Racing in Formula E.

“To expand this work into Extreme E is a real honour. The conversations surrounding the environmental missions at the Desert X Prix have been so refreshing to hear and we’re delighted to play a part in the latest event in Senegal, an event that will go a long way to highlighting the need for strong, sustained ocean conservation.”

A-League To Now Stream On Paramount+

A-League will now broadcast on streaming platform Paramount+ and the 10 Network.

As part of the five-year deal, every Saturday night during the season is Football Night on 10, with the A-League’s match of the round broadcast live at 7:30pm.

10 Bold will be the new home of the Westfield W-League, with a match broadcast live every Sunday of the league. All free-to-air matches will also be simulcast on 10 Play.

The A-League and Westfield W-League games will be available on Paramount+ which launches on Wednesday, 11 August for $8.99, with football fans and Club members given a special deal to access all games.

Beverley McGarvey, Chief Content Officer and Executive Vice President, ViacomCBS Australia and New Zealand, said:

“We are thrilled to partner with the Australian Professional Leagues to become the new home of football for both the A-League and Westfield W-League, giving all Australians access to more football than ever before.

“As part of this landmark media rights partnership, all the action, excitement and fierce competition of the A-League and Westfield W-League will be broadcast on Network 10 and Paramount+.

“Ensuring broad reach on free-to-air, as well as extensive access on Paramount+, we are committed to showcasing the sport in innovative ways and exposing it to a plethora of programming opportunities across all our platforms, including those of our parent company ViacomCBS.”

Jarrod Villani, Chief Operating and Commercial Officer and Executive Vice President, ViacomCBS Australia and New Zealand said:

“The distinct alignment between our audiences further cements our strategy and commitment to broadcasting the sport. In addition to exhibiting the most diverse and youngest fanbase in Australia, football also boasts the highest male and female participation rate for a sport in Australia, and it’s still growing.

“And, we are proud to be making the Westfield W-League available to all Australians for the first time on commercial free-to-air television.

“We are looking forward to working with the Australian Professional Leagues and establishing one of the best sporting partnerships in the world.”

The investment by ViacomCBS Australia and New Zealand, further cements APL’s plan to unite, entertain and grow the football audience in Australia. It marks the first significant commercial announcement for APL since its member clubs began taking control of the A-League, W-League, Y-League and e-League on 31 December last year.

Attention Turns To SportAccord In Ekaterinburg As Virtual Launch Celebration Wraps Up IF Forum 2021

A Virtual Launch Celebration provided an exciting glimpse of what to expect at the SportAccord World Sport & Business Summit 2021 in Ekaterinburg at the end of today’s International Federation (IF) Forum 2021.

With less than six months to go until SportAccord 2021 takes place from 7-12 November, those who had already signed up as delegates, exhibitors or partners for sport’s most important global gathering were able to join International Sport Federations worldwide by tuning in to the event, which wrapped up an engaging IF Forum 2021 that was held virtually via the City of Lausanne in the Canton of Vaud.

Leaders from across the world contributed to the Virtual Launch Celebration, with special messages from Dr. Raffaele Chiulli, President, SportAccord and GAISF; Dmitry Chernyshenko, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation and Chairman of the SportAccord 2021 Organising Committee; Evgeny Kuivashev, Governor, Sverdlovsk Region; Russian Federation Minister of Sport Oleg Matytsin; and the SportAccord 2021 Gold Partners, FITEQ and FISU.

More information was also provided about the highly anticipated SportAccord 2021 conference programme, which will feature the newly launched InvestAccord, ArtAccord and MinisterAccord, plus the established CityAccord, HealthAccord, LawAccord, MediaAccord and Summit streams.

“I can honestly say that the local organising committee and everyone working towards the delivery of the event are doing everything they can to ensure an excellent experience,” Dr. Raffaele Chiulli said. “SportAccord 2021 will be an inspirational gathering. The IEC Ekaterinburg-Expo is a perfect host venue for networking and a fantastic space for the exhibition, the meetings and the conferences. At SportAccord, we are always trying to enhance the experience for delegates, exhibitors and partners, and it is fantastic that our friends in Russia share those goals for this important gathering for the global sports movement.”

Dmitry Chernyshenko looked forward to an event where “key industry issues for sport and society” would be explored in person and “offline” again, and added: “Our country will welcome more than 2,000 delegates to the Summit from all over the world. Unprecedented measures will be taken to ensure the health and safety of all of our guests… As of today we have the opportunity to offer the Russian vaccine to all delegates. We will also establish and simplify the visa process for the delegates to ensure everyone in the SportAccord family can reach Ekaterinburg smoothly.”

The Virtual Launch Celebration followed an IF Forum that provided delegates with perspectives from the likes of International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and H.E. Ban Ki-moon, the 8th United Nations Secretary-General.

Other expert speakers, including representatives of the IOC, umbrella sports associations and individual IFs, as well as sports industry executives, covered various topics, such as ‘Moving Forward, Pivoting and the Lessons We Are Learning’, ‘A Return to Competition and Lessons from the Bubble’, ‘Athlete Mental Health’, ‘Commercial Approaches for IFs in the New Normal’ and ‘The Virtual Experience and its Home within IFs’.