Events

NTN becomes main sponsor of 2023 World Athletics Championships

Published

2 months ago

July 29, 2023

SMI

World Athletics, the international governing body for the sport of athletics, has announced a sponsorship association with the Japanese manufacturing company, NTN.

Following this deal, the brand has been labelled as another main sponsor from the Japanese market.

NTN strengthens the World Athletics sponsorship roster in advance of the 2023 World Athletics Championships, which will be held in Budapest from August 19 to August 27. NTN will also serve as the competition and presentation bib partner for the women’s events. The agreement runs through the end of 2024 and includes other events such as the 2023 World Road Running Championships in Riga and the 2024 World Athletics Race Walking Championships in Antalya.

NTN is the fourth company from Japan to be included in the elite tier of World Athletics partners, joining Seiko, TDK, and Asics.

The high number of Japanese sponsors is a reflection of Dentsu’s core market in international marketing and advertising. A 10-year international media and marketing rights agreement between Dentsu and World Athletics covers the selling of rights to the World Athletics Championships alongside additional competitions like the World Cross Country Championships. The agreement was inked from 2020 until 2029.

World Athletics President, Sebastian Coe, said, “I’m delighted to welcome NTN Corporation to our sport. Our Official Partners are key contributors to the staging of our World Athletics Series events, and there are none bigger than the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23. We are always looking for partners who share our global vision and want to make the world a better place, and NTN certainly fits that bill. Gender equality is one of our key pillars so I’m particularly pleased to see that NTN will support our female competition programme through the bib sponsorship.”

NTN, CEO, Eiichi Ukai, said, “We are pleased to have the honour of supporting World Athletics. NTN has developed its business globally based on the two Founders’ ‘Frontier Spirit,’ which encourages us to keep taking on challenges, and in the spirit of ‘Coexistence and Co-prosperity’, which encourages us to develop together with society. This is in accord with our corporate philosophy ‘We shall contribute to international society through creating new technologies and developing new products.’ Through its business activities, NTN also contributes to the resolution of social issues, such as respecting human rights, promoting diversity, contributing to local communities, and protecting the environment.

“Through its support for the world’s leading track and field events, NTN will encourage the world’s best athletes to strive for excellence, will promote the World Athletics Series events and the sport of athletics, and will contribute to positive international exchange between nations.”

Since its founding in 1918, NTN has expanded its business internationally with bearings as its primary product. In a variety of industries, such as transportation, aircraft, and rolling stock for railroads, NTN helps reduce energy consumption. As of the end of March 2023, there were almost 200 bases spread throughout 34 nations, 23,027 workers worldwide and 774 billion yen in net revenues.

Events

Int’l Friendlies: FIFA appoints referees, VAR officials for Eagles, Saudi Arabia game

Published

9 hours ago

October 4, 2023

SMI

World football-governing body, FIFA has appointed Portuguese official Luis Godinho as referee for the international friendly match between three-time African champions Nigeria and Asian giants Saudi Arabia, coming up at the Estadio Municipal de Portimão next week Friday.

Godinho will be assisted by compatriots Bruno Jesus (assistant referee 1), Tiago Costa (assistant referee 2) and Miguel Noguera (fourth official) at the match kicking off by 5pm Portugal time (same time as in Nigeria).

Also appointed are Helder Carvalho to head the situation in the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) room, to be assisted by Bruno Vieira.

It is the second-ever clash between both countries. The Super Eagles and the Green Falcons battled to a scoreless draw in a pre-2010 FIFA World Cup friendly game at the Alpenstadion in Wattens, Austria on 25th May 2010.

The Eagles have another friendly encounter against the Mambas of Mozambique at the same venue on Monday, 16th October 2023, starting at 4pm.

Events

Argentina, Spain among six countries to host 2030 World Cup

Published

10 hours ago

October 4, 2023

SMI

A unique 2030 World Cup is set to be played in Europe and Africa with the surprising addition of South America in a deal to allow the men’s soccer tournament to start with a 100th birthday celebration in Uruguay.

FIFA reached an agreement Wednesday between soccer’s continental leaders to accept only one candidate for hosting the 2030 tournament, the sport’s governing body said.

The Spain-Portugal bid grew to add Morocco this year and now also includes long-time bid rivals Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.

A key lure of the unprecedented three-continent project will open in the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo, where the Centenario Stadium hosted the inaugural 1930 World Cup final.

“The centennial World Cup could not be far from South America, where everything began,” said Alejandro Dominguez, the president of South American soccer body CONMEBOL. “The 2030 World Cup will be played in three continents.”

The consensus reached by once-rival soccer continents also let FIFA fast-track opening the 2034 World Cup bidding contest Wednesday which is limited to member federations from Asia and Oceania.

Argentina became three-time world champions when they won the tournament in Qatar last year. Juan Ignacio Roncoroni/EFE via ZUMA Press
“In a divided world, FIFA and football are uniting,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

“The FIFA Council, representing the entire world of football, unanimously agreed to celebrate the centenary of the FIFA World Cup, whose first edition was played in Uruguay in 1930, in the most appropriate way.

“As a result, a celebration will take place in South America and three South American countries — Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay — will organise one match each of the FIFA World Cup 2030. The first of these three matches will of course be played at the stadium where it all began, in Montevideo’s mythical Estádio Centenário, precisely to celebrate the centenary edition of the FIFA World Cup.”

“The FIFA Council also agreed unanimously that the only bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2030 will be the joint bid of Morocco, Portugal and Spain,” the FIFA president added. “Two continents — Africa and Europe — united not only in a celebration of football but also in providing unique social and cultural cohesion. What a great message of peace, tolerance and inclusion.

“In 2030, we will have a unique global footprint, three continents — Africa, Europe and South America — six countries — Argentina, Morocco, Paraguay, Portugal, Spain and Uruguay — welcoming and uniting the world while celebrating together the beautiful game, the centenary and the FIFA World Cup.”

Saudi Arabia has targeted the 2034 edition and Australia also is interested after successfully co-hosting the Women’s World Cup this year with New Zealand.

The FIFA Council’s acceptance of a unified 2030 candidacy still needs formal approval next year at a meeting of the 211 member federations. That should be just a formality.

The 48-team, 104-game tournament scheduled for June-July 2030 is expected to start with games in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay before the action moves to the core host nations Spain, Portugal and Morocco.

The South American co-host bid has been promoted since the 2018 World Cup in Russia and had included Chile, which was not mentioned Wednesday.

Ukraine also was added to the European bid a year ago at a news conference at UEFA headquarters in Switzerland. However, Ukraine has not been mentioned in official comments about the UEFA-backed bid this year.

The first 48-team men’s World Cup will be hosted in 2026 by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Events

UK, Ireland sole bidder for Euro 2028 after Turkey withdraws

Published

16 hours ago

October 4, 2023

SMI

The UK and Ireland will host Euro 2028 – subject to final approval from UEFA’s executive committee next week – after Turkey withdrew its interest.

The five-nation bid is now the only option on the table for the finals in five years’ time after Turkey pulled out of contention for the 2028 finals to focus on a joint bid with Italy for Euro 2032.

UEFA will formally announce the hosts for the two tournaments following a meeting of its executive committee in Switzerland next week.