Holding training camps in Turkey is no rareness for years. Especially the region around Antalya is almost second home for professional soccer leagues in winter. Now Belek, only 30 kilometres away from Antalya and known as the mecca for golf enthusiasts, is becoming one of the most favoured destinations for top-ranking athletes from all branches. Thanks to Özaltin Holding, having founded the Gloria Sports Arena from the ground beginning of 2015, and now can boast about great occupancy rates in the second year of operation. 

Each day elite athletes – especially from Germany, Austria and Scandinavia – use the multipurpose sports facility for tests, training and regeneration. Athletes, swimmers and divers, martial artists, basketball and volleyball players as well as hockey players train in the proven outdoor and indoor facilities and in the aquatic centre, to optimize their best times for diverse competitions such as the European Athletics Championships in Amsterdam or Olympics in Rio. The majority of the national coaches agree that the Gloria Sports Arena is one of the best sports complexes of Europe due to its comprehensive services, conditions regardless of weather and the reachability from many parts of the world. In particular the first internationally standardized hockey course of Turkey with Olympic coating is a blessing to hockey players for their outdoor-training even in winter.

Since the opening in January 2015 professional and amateur athletes from more than 54 countries and over 100 sports teams could convince themselves of the excellent training possibilities. 

More than 50 sports 
There are no limits regarding sports disciplines at the Gloria Sports Arena: More than 50 sports can be exercised on a total area of 105.000 sq. indoor, outdoor and in the aquatic centre. Next to the track and field stadium with a football field, comprising 1.600 spectators, all track and field disciplines, boxing, fencing, judo, wrestling, handball, basketball, volleyball, table tennis, gymnastics, badminton, dance sports, weight lifting and more can be trained here. Outside of the stadium one Olympic pool, one short lane multi-purpose and diving pool, diverse running tracks, tennis courts, climbing walls and further areas for aerobic, Pilates and Boccia are at service. In the indoor halls the galleries can be extended for up to 1.200 spectators. The equipment is also second to none: The parquet floor for the basketball hall for example was imported from the USA and is the same, on which the NBA-stars sink as many baskets as possible. 

The aquatic centre of the Gloria Sports Arena on 5.800 sq. offers next to Olympic pools also areas for diverse exercises before or after the swimming practice.  Among the equipment are an Olympic outdoor pool with 10 lanes, an 50 m indoor pool with 5 lanes, an outdoor pool for short distances with 6 lanes (25m), an Olympic diving pool, an Olympic water polo pool and a rehabilitation pool. The aquatic centre is equipped with a mobile Contemplas high performance video analysis system for all pools. 

Whether professional or amateur – in the Gloria Sports Medicine & Performance Centre professional sports scientists look after the concerns of all guests. The areas of performance physiology, movement control, biomechanics and all sorts of sports performance analysis are covered here. Gloria Sports Arena is a certified physiotherapy partner of Eden Rehab in Germany (www.eden-reha.de). All requirements for modern physiotherapy and sports rehabilitation are fulfilled. The experienced team consists of sports scientists, physiotherapists, sports coaches and sports massage therapists, who were educated in leading institutions in Turkey, Europe and the USA. Those who wish to overnight in the Gloria Sports Arena can enjoy the sports hotel with 100 rooms, all looking over the track and field stadium. The hotel´s own restaurant offers an extensive buffet in the morning, noon and evening with focus on healthy nutrition. 

First LEED Gold Certificate in Turkey  
Özaltin Holding is known for its passion for the environment. As one of the leading construction companies of Turkey they have committed themselves to realize environmentally compatible projects. Among them is the 5-star Gloria Verde Resort, attracting the eye with its construction around the nature, and now also the Gloria Sports Arena, being awarded as one of the most energy- and resource-saving construction of Turkey with the LEED Certificate (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). The Gloria Sports Arena is the first construction of Turkey with this worldwide recognition.  This is an important milestone for Gloria, duly framing the own campaign "Habitat of Gloria – For our future". 

Sports Events 2016
From top-class dancing tournaments via swim camps with professional coach Dirk Lange, former head trainer of the German and South African national league, up to the most challenging endurance sports event of the world, the Ironman, and the new three-week summer camps for kids from 6 to 16 – numerous occasions ensure that the Gloria Sports Arena remains a sporty melting pot of diverse cultures. 

Range of Events:  
14th - 16th October: Gloria Senior Open Dance Competitions
23rd October: Gloria Ironman 70.3 Turkey

Source: Gloria Hotels & Resorts

In just less than two months the second Ironman 70.3 starts in Turkey under the patronage of the brand Gloria: On 23rd October 2016 more than 2.500 athletes from over 60 nations are expected to Belek. The second edition of the Gloria Ironman 70.3 Turkey will be held in the memory of Nuri Özaltın, Özaltın Holding Chairman and Owner of the Gloria Hotels & Resorts, which sadly passed away a few weeks ago. Start and final is once again in the beautiful premises of the Gloria Hotels & Resorts: While swimming starts at the beach of Gloria Serenity Resort the finish line awaits the athletes at the Gloria Sports Arena, the largest sports facility of the country.

This race gives 20 qualifying slots for the 2017 Ironman 70.3 World Championship. In 2015 the premiere of the Gloria Ironman 70.3.Turkey attracted 1.224 triathletes from over 60 countries, among them 25 percent of women. Thus, Gloria Hotels & Resorts could write a piece of history. More than 1.000 volunteers supported the event on 25th October in all areas. Together with the Gloria-Team more than 5.000 spectators shared the excitement onsite, while whole Turkey could follow the event on CNNTürk live.  

"This year we dedicate the second edition of Gloria Ironman 70.3 Turkey to our Nuri Özaltin, who sadly passed away a few weeks ago. His contribution to tourism and sports in the country is significant", says Mutlu Sagsözlü, Head of Sales & Marketing of the Gloria hotel group. "It is clear enough that sports is the best way to connect cultures and we will continue to work on this branch."

Again this year Gloria is promoting these four disciplines: "Swim, Bike, Run, and Holiday". Gloria Hotels & Resorts target athletes, who not only want to train on-site for the triathlon, but also want to enjoy a relaxing holiday with the family after the challenging event. With its Five-Star resorts Gloria provides a wide choice of accommodation: The bed capacity of all four hotels alone (Gloria Sports Arena Hotel, Gloria Golf Resort, Gloria Serenity Resort, and Gloria Verde Resort) amounts to 3.000. Moreover, there are numerous hotels around the premises of Gloria, which have profited from the event last year clear enough.  

The courses of Gloria Ironman 70.3 Turkey
The Ironman-Triathlon in Antalya and Belek will once again be challenging: The swim will start at the beautiful sandy beach of the Gloria Serenity Resort with a 1,9k one loop course in the calm and crystal clear water of the Turkish Riviera. From there the bike will be on a 90k one loop course, parallel to the Mediterranean, taking past the Expo 2016-area – this course has been optimized for this year´s event – and ends at the Gloria Serenity Resort. A 21,1k loop run course leads the athletes on two rounds through the picturesque landscape of the 45-hole Gloria golf course and through the streets of Belek centre back to the finishing line at the Gloria Sports Arena. 

Packages in the Gloria Sports Arena
The Gloria Sports Arena offers the ideal platform for athletes, who want to prepare for the triathlon. Diverse packages are available for young and old, among them complete packages for top athletes or for targeted individual training. Balance tests, gait analysis, Speedcourt training, ICELAB-units and more can be booked.  

Gloria Sports Arena – the largest sports facility in Turkey
It is 105.000 sq. large – the merely two years old Gloria Sports Arena, Europe´s most comprehensive privately financed sports arena, being the largest facility of Turkey for more than 50 sports disciplines. Next to a track and field stadium for 1.600 spectators, it houses an Olympic Aquatic Centre, a sports science and performance center and further indoor and outdoor areas for trainings of all kinds. There is also a sports hotel with 100 rooms, motivating to high performances with their direct view onto the stadium. The Gloria Sports Arena also convinces with its accessibility. The international airport Antalya is only 30 kilometres away and ideally connected from all important airports of the world. With the Gloria Sports Arena the owners Özaltin Holding have started a project, that is said to be a new landmark for the country´s sport tourism. 

Information and registration: www.ironman.com/turkey70.3
hotel bookings via www.gloria.com.tr.      

The light the Olympic Games casts on the host city can be harsh. Anyone who wasn’t already familiar with Rio’s issues with security, economics and the environment now has a much clearer picture. But such global attention is a good thing for the city in the long run, according to the International Olympic Committee.

“These Games did not take place in a bubble. We chose a city that has its problems, which has a reality with many challenges,” IOC President Thomas Bach told a press conference on 20 August, the penultimate day of the Games.

“The Rio 2016 Games took place within this context, which was positive as it allowed us to show that sport can help to address problems and bring people together. There are no regrets whatsoever,” he said.

Bach cited advances in sports, education and urban mobility as great benefits for the future of the city. Rio has a rejuvenated Port Area, a new Olympic Training Centre, a new leisure area in Deodoro, new BRT lines, a subway, a VLT, new roads, more hotels, and a City Operations Centre.

In recognition of these advances, he awarded the Olympic Order, the highest honour of the Olympic Movement, to Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes on 22 August.

The tourism industry could also continue to benefit from the Games. An estimated 500,000 overseas visitors came to Rio during the Olympic Games, 88 per cent of whom intend to come back to Brazil, according to a survey carried out by the ministry of tourism. To accommodate this influx, the number of hotel rooms has increased from 20,000 to 50,000, according to the Brazilian Hotel Industry Association.

Speaking at the closing ceremony on 21 August, Bach said: “These Olympic Games are leaving a unique legacy for generations to come. History will talk about a Rio de Janeiro before and a much better Rio de Janeiro after the Olympic Games.”

However, preparations for the Games took place amid a backdrop of economic and political crisis and the city during Games-time presented a tough environment. The impact of Rio 2016's budgetary issues is now being felt by the International Paralympic Committee, which is facing the scenario of several national teams not being able participate as a result.

“Clearly Brazil is in a far different position now to the one that it was in October 2009 when it won the right to stage the Games,” IPC President Sir Philip Craven said on 19 August.

“The current economic and political climate has made preparations extremely challenging, especially for the Rio 2016 Organising Committee who we have partnered with for the last seven years.

“This situation is difficult for everyone involved and, on top of bringing in extra revenues and making cuts, we need to sell more tickets.”

But at the press conference, Bach was optimistic about attendance at the Paralympic Games. “At London 2012, ticket sales began slowly, but later picked up a lot. I hope the same will happen here.”

Worldwide Olympic Partner Toyota Motor Corporation and Bridgestone Corporation have this week become the first Founding Partners of the Olympic Channel – the IOC’s a new digital platform that launches on Sunday 21 August following the Closing Ceremony of the Olympic Games Rio 2016.

The Founding Partner agreements have a four-year term extending through to the end of 2020.

Bridgestone, the world’s largest tyre and rubber company, became the first Founding Partner of the Olympic Channel on Monday, having been a Worldwide TOP Partner since 2014.

“Bridgestone has demonstrated its support for the Olympic Movement and belief in the Olympic values through its long-term commitment as a Worldwide TOP Partner, and through this new agreement we look forward to working closely with them to bring the Olympic Channel to fans around the world,” said IOC President Thomas Bach.

Toyota signed as a Worldwide TOP Partner in 2015 and the IOC announced company as a Founding Partner of the Olympic Channel on Friday.

“We are delighted that Toyota, our newest Worldwide TOP Partner, will also support the Olympic Channel as a Founding Partner,” said Bach. “We look forward to strengthening our partnership through the Olympic Channel.”

The Founding Partners will support the development of the Olympic Channel to put content into the hands of fans anytime, anywhere, and on any device, according the IOC.

Through the relationship, Toyota will receive exclusive advertising opportunities and will work with the Olympic Channel team to co-develop inspiring and exciting content, the IOC said.

Bridgestone will serve as the presenting partner of the Olympic Channel’s “Against All Odds”, an eight-episode documentary series that demonstrates the very embodiment of the Olympic spirit and follows eight athletes. Each half-hour episode will focus on one athlete, offering a first-person account of a key turning point, and how personal will and determination helped them to overcome adversity and reach their goals. The first episode in the series will premiere on 21 August, when the Olympic Channel launches.

“This is a very exciting time for Bridgestone as our Worldwide Olympic Partnership marks the first truly global marketing platform in our company’s history, and the Olympic Games Rio 2016 – the first ever in South America – are our first as a Worldwide TOP Partner. It is fitting that we also are the first Founding Partner of the Olympic Channel,” said Masaaki Tsuya, CEO and Representative Executive Officer, Bridgestone Corporation.

“The Olympic Movement is universal and we continue to reaffirm Bridgestone’s longstanding support for sport and our belief that the core principles of Olympism – and the world’s greatest athletes – should be celebrated every day of the year.”

As a TOP Partner, Bridgestone is strengthening its commitment to the Olympic Movement and the Olympic Channel mission, outlined in Olympic Agenda 2020, to reach audiences around the world, beyond the Olympic Games period, 365 days a year.

TOP Partner Toyota will support the organisers of future Olympic Games, the IOC and National Olympic Committees and their Olympic teams around the world. In line with Olympic Agenda 2020, with sustainability as one of its key pillars, Toyota will work with the Organising Committees through to 2024 to provide sustainable mobility solutions for the Games to help with safer, more efficient mobility, including intelligent transport systems, urban traffic systems and vehicle-to-vehicle communications systems.

The partnership will help deliver a mobility legacy in the host cities and countries, the IOC said.

About the Olympic Channel

The Olympic Channel is a digital-first, multiplatform global Olympic media entity, which aims to broadcast the Olympic Movement and its inherent values all year round, especially in the periods between the Olympic Games.  The primary objectives of the Olympic Channel are to provide a platform for the continuous exposure of Olympic sports and athletes beyond the Olympic Games period and to help create anticipation while providing opportunities to "re-live the experience" after the Games; continuously highlight the relevance of the Olympic Movement's ideals to the challenges of today's world; provide a platform for sharing the IOC's very rich patrimonial assets and archives with the world and create additional value and content for the IOC archives; and engage the young generations around the world using methods that are relevant to them, building understanding, entertainment and education. At launch, the Olympic Channel will be a digital platform, with on-demand content available across the web, mobile, tablet and other connected devices where fans can experience the power of sport and Olympism 24 hours per day, 365 days a year. Audiences will also be able to access content and engage through a variety of social media platforms as part of the Olympic Channel network. For more info, please visit olympicchannel.com.

Host City 2016 is delighted to announce exciting additions to this year's speaker line-up.

In addition to representatives from Glasgow, Paris, Rio de Janeiro and Brussels, city leaders that have recently confirmed their participation include: Adriaan Visser, Vice Mayor of Rotterdam and Alderman for Sports, Rotterdam; Ronnie Hansen, General Manager, Experience Economy, City of Odense; and Devorah Blumberg, Head, New Zealand Major Events.

News and updates on panels and speakers:

• Simon Clegg CBE, Chief Operating Officer, World Expo Dubai 2020 – the world’s biggest non-sports event – is set to attend and speak at Host City 2016.
• Ann Delmiche, Director of Meetings and Events Department, International Association of Public Transport (UITP) will join other leaders on the panel “Business Events and Economic Development”, moderated by Aileen Crawford, Head of Conventions, Glasgow City Marketing Bureau.
• A panel discussing “How Cities Can Be Secure Hosts” will feature Karen Eyre-White, Chief Executive of the Sports Ground Safety Authority and Patrick Vajda, Sports and Events Consultant for Marsh – the Global Leader in Insurance Broking and Risk Management.
• A discussion dedicated to finding practical ways of “Making Event Infrastructure More Sustainable” will now feature Mark Breitenmoser, Head of Strategy, NUSSLI Group and moderator Daniel Cordey, Chairman, Association of Global Event Suppliers.
• In addition 25+ confirmed VIP speakers have confirmed attendance at Host City 2016. View the full speaker line-up on the Host City website.

Host City 2016 is an event that you don't want to miss! Get your pass today to attend the leading meeting of cities and sports, business and cultural events in Glasgow on 21-22 November. Register online

A limited number of speaking opportunities remain. For opportunities please contact Ben Avison on +44 (0) 7876 682072 or ben.avison@hostcity.net

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Academy Campus will take place in Rio de Janeiro from 6-17 September 2016. The Social Media Partner of the Inclusion Summit at the IPC Academy Campus is AXSChat, an open online community of individuals dedicated to creating an inclusive world. Here, IPC Academy Campus speaks to AXSChat’s Co-Founder Neil Milliken, about how the community has leveraged social media to grow awareness of inclusivity issues.

Why did you launch AXSChat?
“We believe that accessibility is for everyone. Social media has a great power to connect people and we hope to accomplish and encourage in-depth discussions and spread knowledge about the work people are doing to enable greater access and inclusion through whatever means. We believe that AXSChat is a great example of how social media and communication tools allow people to come together and break down silos. We host weekly video interviews and twitter chats with people who are contributing to making the world a more inclusive place through technology or innovating to enable wider participation in society for people with disabilities.

“We created AXSChat because we wanted to broaden the conversation about ways society can benefit from accessibility and inclusion of persons with impairments. In the beginning, myself and my fellow AXSChat co-founder Antonio Santos reached out to Debra Ruh to propose a partnership to create a weekly chat to help engage all stakeholders in conversations with a goal being to help break down barriers. People often consider accessibility to be a narrow technical issue and we know that it is much wider. Our goal was also to give persons with impairments a bigger voice on social media.
“Each of the founders has personal stories that connect us to the community of persons with impairments, either physical or learning. Debra has a daughter with Down’s syndrome, parents that acquired physical impairments and two nephews with autism. I am dyslexic and have parents with acquired physical impairments. Meanwhile, Antonio has a wife with fibromyalgia. 

“Consequently, we are personally connected with the community of persons with impairments and dedicated to raising the profile of talented individuals to ensure that their voices are heard all over the world. 

“We pride ourselves on the fact that the inclusivity topics that we cover on AXSChat are very diverse, ranging from talks about innovation, employment, ICT accessibility, built barriers, digital divide, different types of impairments, accommodations and adaptions, laws, litigation, trends, media, marketing, politics and empowerment of all persons with impairments.”

Why did AXSChat want to become the Social Media Partner of the IPC Academy Campus?
“We know that the Paralympics puts a global focus on the capabilities of persons with physical impairments in a way that no other event can. We believe that participating in the IPC Academy Campus will help kick-start more great conversations that lead to collaborations and partnerships that result in a more inclusive world.”

What will AXSChat be doing during the Inclusion Summit at the Campus to encourage debate?
“We will be tweeting the proceedings and asking topic-related questions of the speakers which we will then share with a global audience using the #inclusionsummit hashtag.”

How important is the subject of inclusivity to the sports industry and indeed other sectors?
“Inclusivity has always been important, but awareness of its importance is growing. The London 2012 Paralympic Games were a watershed moment in terms of improving and increasing public perception and I hope that the Rio 2016 Games will build on that legacy.”
 
Do you think people are getting better at embracing inclusivity generally? Is the sports industry better at being inclusive than other industry sectors in your opinion?
“I think that sport is doing better than the mass media in some respects, there is a significant amount of sporting activity that is designed to be inclusive from grassroots to elite events. There is still work to be done in terms of access to stadia and understanding the widest variety of needs, but the situation is improving.”

What would be your advice to organisations in any industry looking to improve their inclusivity policies and procedures?
“Dialogue is important. Talk to customers with impairments and consult widely. Don’t think that accessibility and inclusion is a one-time deal, it’s a journey that we are all travelling on and one where even the most inclusive of us still have much to learn.”

Neil Milliken is Co-Founder of AXSChat and also Head of Accessibility & Digital Inclusion at Atos

About IPC Academy Campus
The IPC Academy Campus will take place in Rio de Janeiro from 6-17 September 2016, giving stakeholders of major sports events the chance to learn from their peers during the Paralympic Games. Delivered by the IPC Academy - the educational division created in 2009 as a partnership between the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the World Academy of Sport (WAoS) – the 2016 IPC Academy Campus is a unique event-based learning initiative that will include an Observers’ Programme, Games Experience Programme, Inclusion Summit and Closing Cocktail Reception. 
The IPC Academy Campus’ Event Partners include the Adecco Group and the UK’s Department for International Trade. Its Media Partners are Sportcal (Intelligence Partner), Major Events International (Digest Partner), Around the Rings (Online Partner), Host City (Magazine Partner) and AXS Chat (Social Media Partner).

For further information about the the IPC Academy Campus, please visit www.ipcacademycampus.com or contact Claire Bennett, Project Coordinator, World Academy of Sport cbennett@worldacademysport.com 
Tweets can be shared using: #CampusRio2016  and/or #inclusionsummit

Alisports (Alibaba Sports Group) has launched World Online Running Alliance (WORA) to tap into the growing popularity of road running through Apps, associations, events, sponsors and operators. The alliance seeks to unite running fans by integrating these five different elements. 

According to DaZhong Zhang, CEO of Alisports, WORA is both a ‘trend-setter and game-changer’.

Alisports has signed a contract with global sport and entertainment agency CSM, who will act as the global strategic partner of WORA. CSM says it will help bring more international events to China and assist WORA in becoming an international road running association.

Road running is growing in popularity in China. In 2015, 134 marathon and related events were registered with the Chinese Athletic Association, representing a 160 per cent growth on the previous year. 84 per cent of provinces held one or more of these events.

“It is this unquestioned popularity that Alisports is looking to seize upon through the implementation of WORA,” CSM says.

100 million running enthusiasts had already signed up in July and WORA’s ambition is to increase this by 50 per cent. Helping achieve this target are the group of members which includes running Apps like Codoon, The Joy Run, Ledongli Hupu Running, Tenmini, Run Again and iHeHa. 

WORA aims to deliver the most effective platform by attracting sponsors, funding and resources, through which it can provide more technical servers and operators. 

“All of this helps Alisports deliver on its long-term objective of making sports accessible and enjoyable for all,” says CSM.

A series of events called ‘WO.RUN’ (‘I Run’) began in July, aiming to integrate online and offline formats. More than 30 WO.RUN events are taking place across China, attended by 30 different Olympic champions including Ruolin Chen, Man Zhong and Liuyang Jiao. 

Runners are able to log their runs online, either from one of the official events or a run of their own, and by doing so will be rewarded with points. These points will translate into savings on purchases made on Alibaba, which is China’s largest online retailer and the owner of Alisports.
 

FIFA have confirmed that new Secretary General, Fatma Samoura, will deliver an exclusive keynote address as part of the opening of this year’s Soccerex Global Convention (26 – 28 September, Manchester) to update the football industry on the future plans of FIFA. She will be staying on to present the inaugural FIFA Diversity Awards which will take place at the end of the first day of the Convention.
Her appearance at Soccerex will give the football industry a rare opportunity to hear from one of the new leaders at FIFA and now, one of the highest profile female administrators in global sport.
Ms Samoura, who was appointed to the post at the FIFA Congress in May, is the first female Secretary General in the organisation’s 112 year history. She is a 21-year veteran of United Nations programmes and was, in her last position, the UN’s Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria. Commenting at the time FIFA President Gianni Infantino said:
“Fatma is a woman with international experience and vision who has worked on some of the most challenging issues of our time. She has a proven ability to build and lead teams, and improve the way organisations perform. Importantly for FIFA, she also understands that transparency and accountability are at the heart of any well-run and responsible organisation.”
Commenting on her upcoming Soccerex appearance, Ms Samoura said: “I am very excited to attend Soccerex – it is a great platform for football stakeholders and I am looking forward to speaking with delegates about my thoughts and vision for our game and the work we have started at FIFA to ensure football enters a new era of greater transparency and good governance. I am also very excited to present on the occasion of the convention the first FIFA Diversity Award, which will recognise an outstanding organisation, group initiative or personality that is standing up for diversity and anti-discrimination in football.”
Soccerex CEO, Duncan Revie commented: “It is a huge honour to welcome Fatma to this year’s Convention – given her impressive background and her role at FIFA, she is someone our delegates will be fascinated to hear from and her address will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of the event.”
Ms Samoura’s address and the FIFA Diversity Awards are just part of a high level conference agenda at the Global Convention that will feature senior representatives from organisations such as NFL, LaLiga, Facebook, Vauxhall, The Chinese Football Association, Fox Sports, Leicester City and Atletico Madrid tackling a wide range of subjects spanning everything from social media and sponsorship, to stadia technology and how virtual reality is changing football. For more information on the conference programme please go to www.soccerex.com/global.
The three day football business event, which is supported by LaLiga, The English Football League and Serie A, will also feature a market leading international exhibition and a programme of structured and informal networking events.
For more information on Soccerex please visit www.soccerex.com, call +44 (0)20 8987 5522 or email us at enquiry@soccerex.com.

Source: Soccerex
 

The worldwide rise of digital media is concurrent with the growth of the middle class – and nowhere is this more evident than in China. Millennials are consuming content primarily through digital media, and their appetite for sport is immense. China's investments in sports and entertainment will be a key theme of Host City 2016, the largest meeting of cities and cross-sector events, which takes place in Glasgow on 21 and 22 November.
The distribution of sports content in China is being driven largely by internet companies. The long and growing list of online companies in China involved in the sports market includes Wanda Group, Tencent, Sina Sports, and PPTV. Two of the most recent and nimblest arrivals on the scene are Alisports and LeSports, the leaders of which shared their ideas with Host City at World Football Forum.

Alisports’ disruptive innovation 
Alibaba Group amassed a US$200bn fortune primarily by connecting global buyers with the Chinese supply chain. But the company realised there was a large missing piece from its giant online jigsaw. 
Wang Dong, Vice President of Alisports says, “In order to complete its ecosystem, sports is one of the elements initially they missed and they want to put this last puzzle piece right there to complete this whole situation.” 
In December 2015, Alibaba’s newly formed “E-Auto” connected car brand signed an eight-year Presenting Partnership with the FIFA Club World Cup. 
“This nine month old company signed a deal with the FIFA Club World Cup as really part of the way to make its presence felt,” Wang Dong tells Host City. 
“By aggressively being involved in the world sports arena, the presence of China will be strongly felt.”
In April 2016, Alibaba Group launched its dedicated sports brand, Alisports, to tap into the growing market opportunity. 
“I think the overall environment of the sports industry is getting stronger and stronger. And overall we see that, given the boost of economy of China and around the world, the sports industry is certainly a way to reach out more,” says Wang Dong.
Private sector investment in China is running in tandem with a massive government drive to boost sports. “I think that given that we have a very football-loving President Mr Xi, showing leadership there, all the elements are on the table – and this is a way to really find out more business opportunities.”
Alisports will use its online platform and connections not only to broadcast existing events but also to launch new innovative formats. 
“We are acting as a service provider, with the eplatform for everybody to launch their business on. And also we do our own sports activities as well by operating events, by running events and by actually being closely in touch with associations around the world to, if you will, be a little bit disruptive, to create some new events, formats and leagues and regulations, to attract the younger crowd. 
“It could be three-a-side or five-a-side street football or basketball – a bit different to the traditional leagues that include more people.” 

LeSports – accessing users through sports
LeSports is the sports brand of China’s largest online video company LeEco, broadcasting online for mobile, for OTT (over-the-top) TV and laptop.
“LeSports is maybe the most ambitious sports company in China,” Ma Guoli, Deputy Chairman of LeSports tells Host City. “We are concentrating not only on the media but also events and products – everything related to sports.” 
LeSports won the broadcasting rights in China for three matches of the International Champions Cup, including a match between Manchester United and Manchester City in the National “Bird’s Nest” Stadium on 25 July. 
LeSports owns the online broadcasting rights in China to the qualifying rounds of 2018 World Cup. The company is also investing in businesses outside the People’s Republic of China, having bought the media rights in Hong Kong for the Premier League and the World Cup in 2018. 
“We have our own platform in Hong Kong – so we telecast it ourselves and also sublicense some rights to local TV platforms. And we have subsidiaries in the US but we are just getting started there.”
More than 40 sports disciplines are broadcast on LeSports. “We’ve got a joint venture with Lagardere Sports Asia; for the future we would like to do more partnerships.
“In terms of investment, at the stage mostly we prefer to buy. To get a joint venture with an existing sport organisation is not easy. Because if you are the organiser you like to sell the rights – it’s better than to joint venture.”
Competition between digital platforms in China is strong, he says. “For the new media platform, a view means a user and a user means a potential consumer. The key point for the digital platform is to get more and more users. And they need media rights to get more users.” 

Why digital is booming in China
Ma Guoli says China presents immediate opportunities for internet broadcasting that do not exist in the western world. “In Europe and the US, I believe traditional TV has no competition from online in the next ten years, mainly because they own many rights until 2030. 
Digital media companies are growing much more quickly in China, Ma Guoli says, because there is no competition for TV from commercial broadcasters. 
“In China we lost the opportunity to develop the pay TV business. It is such an important source of revenue for sports organisations. 
“Because in China there is only one TV network for sports, people need more – then online companies have a chance. If people want to watch golf but they can’t get it on traditional TV, now the online companies own rights. 
“The technology is developing so quickly today, so new media platforms can provide more content to the people, who can then choose a platform to select an event that would like to watch. It’s a combination of traditional TV and new media platform – that’s the role that digital platforms play in China. 
“And the technology is so good now; with the OTT TV set, the quality of the picture is better than cable TV.”
According to Cai Yanjiang, Director ABU Sports, Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, the rise of new media is an incentive for broadcasters to develop their own digital media broadcasting. 
“CCTV started their new media before 2000, but unfortunately CNTV – the digital media platform for sports broadcasting – didn’t work very well. CCTV can develop to make better digital broadcasting of sports events on their own platforms,” he tells Host City.
The national broadcaster is aware of the changing consumer demands. Zhang Xing, Deputy Controller of CCTV Sports says, “We are seeing that the older generation of viewers still uses television sets, but younger views use their phones. We need to guarantee that we still broadcast events on TV but we need to give more importance to social media.”

Disruption across Asia
Of course, the phenomenon of digital media transformation is not restricted to China. “Disruption is happening everywhere,” says Cai Yanjiang.
“For me it is good when western companies rush into the Asia Pacific region with new technology and help broadcasters in a new way through the internet and internet plus – that is something that the Chinese broadcasters are adopting. 
“And more and more internet companies are taking over the dominant role. In the past it was CCTV dominating, but it’s actually changing now in China. That will also happen in surrounding countries, in south Asia, it has already happened in Japan and Korea, where traditional TV is facing a great challenge from internet companies. 
“So from my perspective, serving for the Asian broadcasting union, we’ve got a lot of underdeveloped nations and they don’t have enough facilities or logistic support and telecom standard won’t support them to do internet broadcasting at the moment. 
“But they are building up, so I would advise our members, the broadcasters in Asia Pacific region, to go forward, to take up the new way of internet broadcasting, because we all know that digital is the trend in the broadcasting world – not only in football but in everything. 
“That is good; that will set a model for our members in underdeveloped countries and state broadcasters to follow. That’s undergoing now in countries like Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand – everywhere they are developing new digital broadcasting solutions.”
However, Asian broadcasters need investment to undergo digital transformation. “What they don’t possess is funds, because in the past traditional television got government funding. Now they need to find a new way to develop their own digital broadcasting. At the same time, telecom companies and digital media companies – especially international ones – are trying to enter the market.
“There is huge potential for example in Myanmar, in the Philippines – everything is changing fast. So although at the moment it’s not really developed, but we can see in the future they have potential.
“In some countries traditional television and new media work together very well; in other countries they are trying to kill each other.”
According to Dong Wang of Alisports, digital media companies have the potential to overtake domestic broadcasters within five years. 
“The faster the domestic broadcasters realise how important digital media and platforms are to them and their government and local companies, if they invest in digital media then they can win over in the future because they have government support. 
“But if they are not doing anything on this, when the foreign investors, telecom companies or digital broadcasters enter the market, there will be no room for domestic broadcasters any more. 
“It can be a great leap to transform from the traditional broadcasting way to the digital way. It will just take five years or so and the whole thing will be changed – so it’s like a race.”
The question is – who’s going to win? “It’s really hard to say. It depends on the vision and understanding of governments,” he says. 
“Governments must support their own domestic broadcasters by setting up some regulations – even state laws to protect broadcasting. It’s quite important for the improvement of local companies. Otherwise they will be taken over by all those internationals.”

This article was based on exclusive interviews with Host City and panel discussions at World Football Forum 2016
 

The International Olympic Committee has elected to change the composition of its Executive Board, promoting Prof. Uğur Erdener and Juan Antonio Samaranch to Vice Presidents.
Three new Executive Board members have been elected in  Gian Franco Kasper (SUI), Angela Ruggiero (USA) and Ser Miang Ng (SIN).

The new Vice Presidents Uğur Erdener and Juan Antonio Samaranch now replace Sir Craig Reedie CBE and Nawal El Moutawakel who have served their terms, having made immense contributions to Olympism.

Sir Craig Reedie and Uğur Erdener are both set to speak at Host City 2016 alongside several other key figures from the Olympic Movement and the wider event hosting world. 
A Professor of Ophthalmology, Uğur Erdener is the President of the Turkish National Olympic Committee, President of World Archery and Chair of the IOC Medical and Scientific Commission.  
“I am honoured to have been elected to the position of IOC Vice President,” said Prof Dr Erdener.

“The principles of Olympism are ever-more relevant in the modern world, and I am committed to supporting the goal of the IOC in building a peaceful and better world through sport.”
Prof Dr Erdener is the second World Archery President to have become an IOC Vice President. Jim Easton served in the role from 2002 to 2006.

Juan Antonio Samaranch is Vice President of the UIPM and Chair of the Board of directors of Olympic Channel Services. His father, of the same name, was IOC President from 1980 to 2001.
The changes to the Executive Board see the departure of René Fasel, Claudia Bokel, Anita Defrantz and Gunilla Lindberg.

Ching-Kuo Wu and Patrick Hickey are resuming their seats as representatives of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) and the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) respectively. Also remaining on the Executive Board are Sergey Bubka and Willi Kaltschmitt.

The US ice hockey player Angela Ruggiero replaces outgoing German fencer Claudia Bokel on both the Executive Board and the IOC Athletes’ Commission. She joins the Executive Board at the same time René Fasel, IIHF president, leaves.

“René’s leadership has been inspiring, and I hope I can represent hockey with the same pride now that he is leaving,” she said.

These changes, as well as the election of eight new IOC members, were confirmed at the IOC Executive Board meeting at the outset of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The newly composed Executive Board will begin its work after the Games.