The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) is working with the Commonwealth Secretariat and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to deliver a dynamic and inclusive programme of athlete and public engagement activities at the upcoming Samoa 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games, the CGF announced on UN International Youth Day on Wednesday.

The new initiatives will help fulfil the Games’ ambition to celebrate high-performance sporting competition, personal development and new Commonwealth friendships made on the level playing field of sport.

“We’re thrilled to be joining forces with the Commonwealth Secretariat and UNICEF to enable innovative projects at this year’s Commonwealth Youth Games which will engage, inspire and support our young Commonwealth athletes and young Pacific Island hosts,” said CGF Chief Executive David Grevemberg. 

“In line with our strategic ambitions, we hope the programme will have a lasting impact, recognising our young Commonwealth citizens as essential to achieving sustainable human development.”

Workshops for young athletes will take place each day throughout the Games, delivered by representatives from the Commonwealth Youth Sport for Development and Peace (CYDSP) working group, a network of young sport and development leaders from across the Commonwealth.

“The opportunity for participants at the Games to learn more about how sport can be used as a tool for development is another example of the important role the Games movement can play in promoting the Commonwealth and our shared values,” said Oliver Dudfield, Head of Sport for Development and Peace at the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Alongside the workshops, Just Play fan zones be set up for young locals, visitors, athletes and officials to participate in interactive games and activities.

Just Play, an Oceania Football Confederation programme, is developed in partnership with UNICEF, the Australian and New Zealand governments, the UEFA Foundation for Children and the Football Federation of Australia.

“Sport is a powerful development tool to engage children and young people across the world,” said Dr. Karen Allen, UNICEF Pacific representative. 

“Within the Pacific, since the programme’s inception in 2009, Just Play has attracted more than 200,000 girls and boys to engage in physical activity and learn healthy lifestyle habits and self-confidence. The

programme also encourages gender equality, promotes social inclusion and reduces anxiety after natural disasters.”.

The Commonwealth Youth Games will bring together up to 1000 young athletes aged 14-18, who will represent their country and compete for 107 Gold medals in 9 sports on the island nation of Samoa from 5-11 September 2015.

FIFA has appointed Dr François Carrard, former IOC director general and coordinator of the IOC 2000 Reform Commission to chair its 2016 Reform Committee. 

As an independent chairman, Carrard will oversee FIFA’s process of reform that has been initiated in response to investigations into corruption. 

As Director General of the International Olympic Committee, Dr Carrard guided the IOC through its own governance reforms in the wake of the bidding process for the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in 2002. An internationally renowned Swiss lawyer, Dr Carrard brings specific experience of the challenges faced by global sports organisations such as FIFA.

 “It is vital for the future of global football to restore the integrity and reputation of its governing body,” Carrard said.

“As the independent chairman, I am committed to delivering the necessary package of credible reforms, working with representatives from within football and wider society. To that end, I will establish an independent advisory board, made up of representatives from outside football, to support the work of the committee and provide an additional layer of independent expertise.”

Carrard was appointed after consultation with the six football confederations, each of which have appointed two representatives to the 2016 FIFA Reform Committee.

FIFA President Blatter said: “We believe Dr Carrard is the right person to drive this reform process forward as an independent chairman with a proven track record in governance reforms. We are confident that he can help FIFA to strengthen its governance structures in a credible and meaningful way. FIFA’s commercial partners will also play a key role in the reforms, and we will be discussing with them the most productive way to include their views.”

The 2016 Reform Committee will present its comprehensive proposals to the FIFA Congress in February. 

Toronto’s sporting achievements continue with the Parapan American Games, which opened on Friday evening with the lighting of a cauldron at the new CIBC Pan Am/Parapan Am Athletics Stadium at York University. 

“The Parapan Am Games are a jaw-dropping display of the power of human beings to excel, to overcome and to be strong,” said Mayor John Tory. “We are excited and ready to welcome athletes and visitors to our great city for these Games. Residents, visitors and a new generation of future athletes will be inspired. Toronto has already seen great triumphs with the Pan Am Games and we will see more with the Parapan Am Games.”

Toronto is hosting the largest ever Parapan Am Games, with more than 1,600 athletes from 28 countries compete in 15 sports at 11 different competition venues. The Parapan Am Games will officially begin when the cauldron is lit at this evening.

The 2015 Parapan American Games serve as a qualifier for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games in all sports.

Venues in Toronto are hosting top athletes from across the Americas in archery, athletics, cycling (road), football 5-a-side, football 7-a-side, sitting volleyball, swimming, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis.

The new Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (CIBC Pan Am Aquatics Centre and Field House) in Scarborough hosts the swimming and sitting volleyball events. After the Games, the facility will serve as a world-class water sports training centre as well as the home of the Wheelchair Basketball Canada National Academy. 

Owned by the City of Toronto and the University of Toronto, the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre will open to the community after the Parapan Am Games to provide health and recreation opportunities for Toronto residents and the local community.

The cultural celebration for the Games, PANAMANIA Live continues through the Parapan Am Games. Nathan Phillips Square is hosting free performances from some of the hottest names in Canadian and American popular music.

The City of Toronto is urging visitors and residents to make full use of the city’s public transit system, which it says has the second largest in North America and has the highest per capita ridership rate on the continent.

Toronto is Canada’s largest city and the fourth largest in North America. The city is said to be contemplating a bid for the 2024 or 2028 Olympic Games and the 2025 World Expo. 

Sports infrastructure in Kazakhstan took a major step forward on Sunday with the opening of a new 12,000-seat ice hockey venue in the capital of Astana – which could be used to jointly host an IIHF World Championships.

Asked by news agency Kazinform about the possibility of Astana hosting a World Championships, International Ice Hockey Federation (IHHF) president Rene Fasel said “It would be great. Why not? 

“This is a great arena and it has the right atmosphere. 12 thousand seats, it is just an ideal capacity.

“There is also a great arena in Almaty, we could organize the world championship in two cities. This is a good idea.”

A 12,000-seat Ice Arena is currently under construction in Kazakhstan’s largest city, Almaty, which will include two ice sheets and a swimming pool. 

The Almaty Ice Arena, which formed part of the city’s bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, will be used for the 2017 Winter University Games (Universiade).

At 12,000 seats, Astana’s New Ice Arena is twice the capacity of any existing ice rink in the Central Asian former Soviet republic. It replaces the Sports Palace Kazakhstan, which the IIHF says was among the worst rated in the Russian-based cross-border Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).

With an academy and swimming-pool complex, the venue will play a role in Kazakhstan’s wider ambitions for sports development.

Astana is also preparing to host EXPO 2017, an International Specialised Expo established by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE).

Kazakhstan’s long-standing president Nursultan Nazarbayev visited Astana’s New Ice Arena on Saturday and gave it his approval.

The opening was marked by a showpiece face-off between Rene Fasel and Kazakhstan Ice Hockey Federation president Askar Mamin before a game between Barys Astana and Metallurg Novokuznetsk kicked off the pre-season.

“I congratulate you and all the ice hockey fans of Astana and Kazakhstan on having this new arena. The ice is among the best around Europe,” Fasel told Kazinform.

“I like this country a lot, and this is not my first trip here. People in Kazakhstan are very friendly and hostpitable." 

The Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has agreed to work Generations For Peace in a partnership that will boost the impact and sustainability of the NGO’s Jordan Schools Programme, it was announced on Monday. 

The partnership will benefit 5,000 young people living in vulnerable refugee host communities in Jordan, Generations for Peace said. 

Population pressures and tensions are growing in schools in Jordan’s refugee host communities, due to the intake of a high number of Syrian refugees. The programme focuses on reducing violence and the potential for violence in these schools through sports and art leadership projects.

“This partnership will provide significant support for our Generations For Peace programmes in Jordan at a time when we must continue to reduce the tension and risk of violence among children and young people in schools and communities most in need,” said HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein, Founder and Chairman of Generations For Peace.

Through the partnership, Generations For Peace Clubs will be created in 12 schools in host communities across Jordan. 

Generations For Peace will select and train 100 students who demonstrate commitment and leadership, and equip them with the skills and knowledge they need to begin facilitating sport and art for peace activities in their schools. These young people will also lead on initiatives in their surrounding community that are designed to strengthen social cohesion, resilience and social capital.   

“We are delighted to pledge our commitment to this important programme,” said Didier Reynders, Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and European Affairs.

“Our recent visit to see the work of Generations For Peace in Za’atari Village host community demonstrated the power of sport and its ability to break down stereotypes and bring young people from Jordan and Syria together.”

Belgium’s Ambassador to Jordan, Thomas Baekelandt, said “These young people have enormous potential and we are delighted to support them in their role as change-makers who can ensure a brighter future for their communities.”

The world governing body for basketball announced on its YouTube channel on Friday that China will host the 2019 FIBA World Cup, after the country’s bid leader said basketball could become the world’s most popular sport. 

China’s bid was selected ahead of a rival proposal from The Philippines. 

The 2019 FIBA World Cup will incorporate more host cities than ever, FIBA said, with Beijing, Dongguan, Foshan, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Shenzhen, Suzhou and Wuhan all set to host games. 

Beijing will host all games from the quarter finals to the final, in addition to some group games.

New venues will be built in Foshan and Suzhou to accommodate the tournament. 

The decision will enable FIBA to build on a strong presence for the sport in China. 

"At least 300 million people play basketball in China and if we host the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, we can increase that participation,” said Zhang Jiandong, Vice Mayor of Beijing and Chairman of the China 2019 bid committee.

“China is the most populous country in the world and we can make basketball the most popular sport in the world. We believe that we can make the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup a complete success because of China's economic stability, strong financial guarantee and the government's complete support. We can make it a safe, most reliable and risk-free event."

Basketball is already the most popular sport in The Philippines, according to Manuel V Pangilinan, President of the Philippines Basketball Association.

"Ninety percent of the population play, watch or follow the sport in one way or another,” he said. “It's not just Filipinos in the Philippines that are passionate about the sport. It's Filipinos all over the world. Football may be number one in many places around the world, but basketball is number one in the Philippines."

Manny Pacquiao, Philippines Congressman and eight-time world boxing champion said "I am a boxer but I am here because I love basketball so that tells you the passion that Filipinos have for basketball. If we host the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, we can show that passion to the world."

Asked to compare enthusiasm for the sport between the two countries, Chinese basketball star Yao Ming said "You can't say that one type of love is better than the other. Both are great. Both countries have a great passion for basketball, particularly for FIBA basketball."

Gao Zhidan, Vice-President of the Chinese Olympic Committee said: "Basketball is very popular in China and if we host the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, we can foresee a great rise in that popularity. This will have a great impact on the professional league (CBA) as well as the university league which is developing very fast. It will help with our aim to train more athletes and get a bigger pool of talented players."

The 2015 European Games in Baku encompassed 17 days of competition, involving more than 6,000 athletes from 50 countries competing across 20 sports. It was Europe’s first major continental Games while the host nation, Azerbaijan had never hosted a major multi-sport event before. 

“The first European Games will go down in sporting history,” said Azad Rahimov, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Youth and Sports and Chief Executive Officer of Baku 2015 at the close of the event. 

“I am very proud of what has been achieved in Baku and the positive feedback we have been getting in terms of the setting, organisation, hospitality and action. It has been a success for Azerbaijan, and will be a launching pad for future sporting events we will host.”

To deliver the Games, Baku turned to an experienced partner for support in Broadstone – an alliance of international major event professionals. The company’s chairman and managing partner Doug Arnot had served as operations director for three Olympic Games: Atlanta 1996, Salt Lake City 2002 and London 2012 – but Baku was new terrain compared to other events of this size and complexity.

“It was quite different from a lot of perspectives,” he tells HOST CITY. “In the first place we had to work with the European Olympic Committees to define what the event would be; it had no real definition beforehand in terms of what sports would feature, how long the event would be, how we wanted to pitch it and at what level.” 

Working with the people of Azerbaijan was another fresh challenge. “They had never had anything that was even remotely close to this in terms of size and complexity.” 

And then there was the challenge of timing. As key delivery partner for the Baku 2015 Operations Committee, Broadstone had to assemble and mobilise a senior team of 100 people in 100 days and a further management team of over 350 in less than 18 months. Covering the entire span of operations, Broadstone’s team of industry experts delivered a major multi-sport event in a record time of only 22 months.

“There was no organising committee before got here, so we basically put together the entire organising committee. We did all the marketing, all the commercial, the links with broadcasting; we assembled not only the operations team but also the business team. And then we contracted out, together with the government of Azerbaijan, things like the opening ceremonies.”

The short timelines and unique local conditions required Broadstone to develop innovative approaches to event hosting, such as the use of “I-Zones” to replace traditional media mixed zones and the implementation of a technology infrastructure based entirely on cloud technology. 

This was coupled with a creative approach to developing skills locally through a “Games Academy” – the first graduate scheme to be developed and used by a sporting event organising committee.

“The most significant difference to us was having to assemble our own team of event experts right from the start. We got away from the old notions of distinct functional areas and we approached this much more as an event team.

“We knew we were going to be able to bring in local talent, with little to no experience. So we put together our Games Academy, where we worked with local universities to bring young people from Baku, Azerbaijan and in fact Europe into the academy and train them to come in and be able to do their jobs on day one.  This was both an adventure for the local universities from an academic perspective and something that was very important to us in terms of getting a well-qualified local work force.

It was this combination of international expertise and local engagement that was ultimately successful in Baku. 

“I think there is a lot of wisdom in taking a look at the organising committee structure and distinguishing what the local community can do better than anybody from outside, because of their local knowledge. And then recognising the benefit of international expertise and how we can bring in the best talent and event experience to an organising committee.

“I don’t think it’s ‘either or’ – I don’t think you want to outsource or have a turnkey solution for the entire organising committee, but I think what you want to do is recognise what the local hosts can do better because of their local knowledge and how you need to integrate with them, and at the same time understand that there is a great benefit in bringing in the international expertise and event experience that can really get you on a fast track.”

Broadstone is currently working with a number of high profile sporting events and organisations across the world, including Rio 2016 and the US Olympic Committee.

Formula E Holdings are to stage a demonstration event in central Tokyo in the run up to its second season, motorsport.com reported on Wednesday.

The news follows statements made by CEO Alejandra Agag to HOST CITY at the London Championship in June that Formula E plans to add another Asian city to its calendar, along with other new host cities. 

“We are looking at another race in Asia – and we would like to race in the Middle East,” Agag told HOST CITY at a press conference in Battersea Park hosted by logistics partner DHL. 

“We are looking at a race in Switzerland because there is a change in law which means we can race there.”

Cities around the world are expressing an interest in hosting Formula E, he said. 

“We have probably over 200 cities that have asked. It is not the same thing when you tell them what you have to do, this is what it’s going to cost you, the implications and so on – then it filters down. There are some cities that really want it and others that are just asking to see how it works. 

“Realistically we will add five or six new more races in three of four years.

“We’ve been in discussions with DHL to figure out the logistics; we want to reduce the carbon footprint of the championship and we want to go to new locations.”

At the FIA World Motor Sport Council in July, Paris was added and Miami dropped from the Formula E calendar for the 2015/2016 season. Other cities confirmed were Putrajaya (Malaysia), Punta del Este (Uruguay), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Long Beach (USA), Berlin (Germany), Moscow (Russia) and London (UK).

The host of a race on March 16 remains unconfirmed, with Mexico City said to be the most likely candidate.

“In Mexico there are very high chances. We will have to bring it to the World Council and the local federations and so on,” Agag told HOST CITY before the World Council meeting.

The test event in Tokyo will help to build Formula E’s reach in Japan, where Aguri Suzuki heads up Team Amlin Aguri in the championships. The country is also a leader in automotive and green technology.

Formula E has a multi-year broadcasting partnership with Japanese broadcaster Asahi, which released viewing figures of 15 million for the opening four races of the 2014/2015 season.

Durban has been announced as the host city of the XIV World Forestry Congress, the biggest meeting of the world’s forestry sector. 

Taking place every six years under the auspices of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the event is organised by the government of the host country.

The XIV World Forestry Congress, hosted by the Republic of South Africa, will bring together the global forestry community to review and analyse the key issues and to share ways of addressing them.

According to the FAO, the Congress is inclusive of people from all countries, regions and sectors including government organizations, NGOs, private companies, scientific or professional bodies, forestry societies and individuals.

The FAO is particularly keen that the 2015 event provides a platform for youth, students, professionals, women and local communities have a platform on which to voice ideas and concerns.

The congress is set to propose technical and policy approaches to boost the sustainability of the forestry industry and showcase the latest developments and innovations in global forestry, using multimedia platforms to illustrate practical applications and linkages, the FAO says. 

The venue for the congress, the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre (ICC), is also set to feature in the Durban 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The World Education Congress (WEC) will be held in Las Vegas in 2017, followed by Indianapolis in 2018 and Toronto in 2019, the event’s owner Meeting Professionals International (MPI) said on Monday. 

The host cities were allocated through a competitive request for proposal (RFP) process that considers factors such as location benefits, meeting venue facilities, pricing, hotel offerings, destination accessibility, unique options and local support.

"We are excited about each of these destinations and believe WEC attendees will enjoy them as well," said Van Deventer, president and CEO of MPI during the opening general session of WEC 2015 in San Francisco.

"Each year, MPI strives to enhance the education and programming we deliver at WEC, so we look forward to working with our host city partners to enrich the attendee experience in the coming years."

MPI describes WEC as its signature event through which it delivers education, business and networking opportunities in North America, attracting more than 2,000 attendees including corporate, third party, and association planners, suppliers, students, industry faculty and more. 

From 2016, MPI will hold WEC during the June to early July timeframe, following membership feedback regarding scheduling conflicts with summer vacation plans, school breaks, Canada's Civic Holiday, and other industry events. 

The host of WEC 2016 will take place June 11 – 14, at the Harrah's Atlantic City Waterfront Conference Center in Atlantic City, N.J.

From July 9 – 12 2017, WEC will be held in Las Vegas for the fourth time at the MGM Grand. Las Vegas welcomed a record 41 million visitors including five million convention delegates last year. 

"We are honored to host WEC 2017 and excited to showcase the energy and excitement only Las Vegas can deliver," said Rossi Ralenkotter, president/CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. 

"There's a reason Las Vegas hosts more than 22,000 meetings a year. We offer an exceptional experience for delegates allowing them to conduct serious business and networking while also enjoying world class dining and entertainment found nowhere else."

On June 2 – 5 2018, WEC will be held at the Indiana Convention Center & Lucas Oil Stadium in downtown Indianapolis for the first time. Named America’s top convention city by the readers of USA Today, Indy offers a convention package unmatched in walkability and the number of hotels and hotel rooms connected by enclosed skywalks. 

"Indy has a well-earned reputation as a great event city, having hosted Super Bowl XLVI, numerous NCAA Men's Final Fours and, of course, the Indy 500, but it's also one of the fastest-growing convention and meeting destinations in the world," said Leonard Hoops, president and CEO of Visit Indy. 

"As a first-time host of WEC, we're looking forward to welcoming many old friends and also introducing new ones to Indy."

From June 11 – 14 2019, WEC will go to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre located in downtown Toronto, the fourth largest city in North America. Toronto attracted 14.3 million overnight visitors in 2014.

"Our community looks forward to welcoming back MPI and its partners for another exceptional international meeting," said Andrew Weir, Executive Vice President of Tourism Toronto. 

"When World Education Congress brings the leaders of our industry together in Toronto, attendees will find inspiration both in the content of the meeting and the surrounding city experience."