MENA
Business

English Premier League soccer club Chelsea has decided to remove the name of its sponsors, the airline Emirates, from its shirts when the team plays in Israel later this month in deference to the political instability in the Middle East.

The Dubai Sevens, the opening rugby tournament in the World Sevens Series, could be scrapped because of uncertainties associated with the aftermath of the US terrorist attacks.
Stadia

The impact of Michael Jordan’s return to the NBA is not set to have a significant influence on the sport – according to the hundreds of sport industry executives voting in our online poll.

Suresh Kalmadi, president of the Asian Amateur Athletic Federation, has written to the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) officially withdrawing from the race for the IAAF presidency.
Business

Cyclist Lance Armstrong is the third most recognised American athlete in the US after Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods, the US Postal Service, sponsors of the Tour de France, said today.
Media

Basketball legend Michael Jordan, who revolutionised the commercial potential of athletes, has confirmed reports that he was injured in an accident in a pick-up basketball game last Wednesday in a Chicago gym.
Media

According to Nielsen Media Research, the television ratings for this year’s NBA Finals are the best since Michael Jordan’s swan song in 1998. The 2001 Finals averaged a 14.8 rating with a 25 share of audience.
Business

Like millions of basketball fans, Gatorade is eager to see if Michael Jordan will return to the game.

Craig Pollock, the boss of Formula One team British American Racing (BAR), has confirmed that Japanese manufacturer Honda will continue to power the team in 2002 despite rumours to the contrary.
Business

Shares in Manchester United opened up 1.5p at 171.5p this morning following weekend press reports that Formula One team boss Eddie Jordan was planning a substantial investment in the club.

The Extreme Sports Channel has extended its coverage beyond Europe after it signed a deal with pay-TV platform Showtime in the Middle East and Africa.
Business

Manager Martin O'Neill and Formula One motor racing boss Eddie Jordan have joined a group of Irish businessmen in splashing out £17 million ($24m/27.2m Euros) to invest in Celtic, Scotland's soccer champions

Players in Thailand's national soccer team will earn $44,000 (B

Turkey wants to build a Formula One circuit in Istanbul within three years, the head of the Turkish Automobile Federation said on Thursday.
Business

For a Formula One team there is only one sound more comforting on race day than the roar of their car's engine on the track and that is the whirr of their sponsors' helicopters overhead
Sponsorship & Marketing

Manchester United will take another step towards global brand status by opening a chain of retail shops in the Middle East.

The Thailand Football Association has written to FIFA to request a change of venue for their Asian World Cup qualifying match scheduled for Baghdad on Friday, a Thai official said on Tuesday.

Players in Thailand's national soccer team will earn $44,000 (?50,000) between them for each away game they win during the second phase of Asia's World Cup qualifying tournament.