Asia

Chinese retail giant Suning Commerce Group is reportedly close to two major deals in the football market through investments in Italian Serie A club Inter Milan and UK-based athlete representation agency Stellar Group.

European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley has said the planned alliance with the Asian Tour is set to be formalised in time for next season, as the golf organisation today (Tuesday) announced the opening of a South Korean office in a bid to further develop its global brand and return a tournament to the country.

National Hockey League (NHL) commissioner Gary Bettman has warned that the North American league’s teams are not interested in “paying for the privilege” of participating at the 2018 winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea.

The International Basketball Federation (Fiba) has awarded hosting rights for this year’s edition of showpiece Asian club competition the Champions Cup to the Beijing Atlas Sports and Cultural Development company, while Fiba Europe has stated that the threat of exclusion from its events is set to be avoided for those national federations affiliated with Euroleague Basketball.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is reportedly holding talks with its global broadcast partner, pan-Asian pay-television broadcaster Star Sports, over the potential staging of extra editions of its World Twenty20 national team tournament, while the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is said to be considering launching a smaller version of its Indian Premier League (IPL) overseas.

The Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) has today (Wednesday) formed an investigation panel to look into allegations of illegal payments relating to Tokyo’s successful bid for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Granada is poised to become the latest Spanish Liga football club to receive Chinese investment after a takeover deal was confirmed, while Atletico Madrid is set to acquire a 35 per cent stake in French Ligue 2 team Lens.

Anurag Thakur has vowed to prioritise “transparency, accountability and professionalism” at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after being unanimously elected as the new president of the governing body yesterday (Sunday).

Newly-appointed PyeongChang 2018 president Lee Hee-beom has maintained concerns over venue construction and the sponsorship programme for the next edition of the winter Olympic Games will be addressed, after completing his first week in the job.

Four Chinese investor groups are believed to be involved in a bidding war for Stellar Group, the UK-based athlete representation agency that has been the subject of takeover speculation in recent weeks.

Australia’s National Basketball League (NBL) is planning to add a team in China which would be based on a part-time basis in the city of Gold Coast in Queensland.

Chinese businessman Tony Xia has secured an agreement to acquire English football club Aston Villa for £60m (€78/$88m).

A new cricket stadium is set to be built on the outskirts of the Indian city of Delhi, according to the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA).

Sanzaar chief executive Andy Marinos has said the umbrella body for the Argentinian, Australian, New Zealand and South African rugby unions will put together a 10-year strategic plan with a view to overhauling its Super Rugby club competition.

North American basketball league the NBA has unveiled its latest effort to tap into the Chinese market by announcing that Shanghai will be the destination for its first NBA Playzone venture.

The Japanese city of Sapporo has revealed that it will present an initial bid plan for the 2026 winter Olympic Games to the Japanese Olympic Committee after the conclusion of this summer’s Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.