Japan
Sponsorship & Marketing

London based licensing consultants Giraffe Entertainment have signed a deal with Italian soccer giants Juventus to license the club?s products in the Far East. The deal will be announced in Tokyo on Monday at a press conference, which will also be attended by Juve?s owner, and Fiat magnate Umberto Agnelli, and club vice president and former star Roberto Bettega.

China's banned Zhong Gong meditation group issued an appeal on Monday to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to press Beijing to release its jailed leaders, a Hong Kong`-based human rights group said.
Sponsorship & Marketing

ISL has hit out at any suggestions it is struggling to meet its payments to soccer?s world governing body FIFA ? amid concerns within the marketing firm that it is the victim of a smear campaign.
Events

Digital satellite television service provider DirecTV Inc. said on Tuesday it bought the Latin American broadcast rights to the World Cup soccer competition in 2002 and 2006 in a deal valued at $400 million.
Business

Sportsworld Media Group (SMG) and the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) have agreed plans for a 5-year exclusive media and marketing partnership, intended to re-launch pro' surfing as a globally competitive sports and lifestyle property.
Sponsorship & Marketing

Toyota Motor Corp, which plans to enter Formula One racing from the 2002 season, is in talks to buy a major stake in Fuji International Speedway, scene of two F1 races in 1976 and 1977, Toyota has said.
Events

Huge time-zone differences and an explosion in computer use will make Sydney's Olympics the biggest event yet on the Internet with officials predicting a staggering 6.5 billion hits for the official Games site alone.
Events

FIFA will urge South Korea and Japan to co-host the 2001 Confederations' Cup as a test run for the 2002 World Cup.
Business

A British company will handle ticket sales for the 2002 Japan-South Korea World Cup, the Financial Times reported on Friday.

A top US baseball official thinks a World Cup in the sport is a distinct possibility.

The IOC has confirmed that ten cities have submitted preliminary bids for the 2008 Summer Games.

UEFA has dismissed calls to start the 2002 World Cup finals in Japan and South Korea three weeks early so as to avoid the region?s rainy season.

The draw for the 2002 World Cup, the biggest in the tournament's 69-year history, will involve 195 nations and be seen live on Tuesday by a television audience of about one billion people.
Media

Russell E Wolff has been appointed Vice President, Programming at ESPN STAR Sports.
Stadia

The France 98 internet site has broken through one billion hits in just over a year of operation following a record 68 million hits on Friday, officials said on Monday.
Business

A reassuring progress report on Euro 2000 has been issued by tournament director Alain Cortais.
Business

Japan's leading football official has expressed surprise that former FIFA president Joao Havelange should say it was a mistake to award the 2002 World Cup jointly to Japan and South Korea.

China's capital city of Beijing has announced it will bid for the 2008 Summer Olympics, the official Xinhua news agency has said.