IAAF Criticizes Putin, Medvedev; New Deal for Aon, Man Utd

IAAF Bashes Putin for Paltry World Athletics Advertising

IAAF leaders criticized Russian government officials – including President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev – Friday for failing to adequately promote this year’s world championships, which will be held in Moscow in mid-August.

In a meeting at Moscow city hall with Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, IAAF president Lamine Diack said he’s noticed a dearth of television commercials advertising the world championships, compared with the number touting the upcoming University Games, in Kazan, and the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics next February.

"I’ve seen a lot of references to the Universiade," Diack said of the mid-July event. "And when I was at a sports forum in Kazan, President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev only talked about Kazan and Sochi."

Diack said he pointed out to Putin and Medvedev that the Moscow championships, which run August 10-18 at Luzhniki Stadium, are about a month after the Universiade and well before the Olympics.

"To successfully host a competition, you need to advertise," Diack said he told Russia’s leaders. "You should make every Muscovite know that on August 10 you can come to Luzhniki."

Aon Gets Naming Rights to Manchester United Training Ground

Manchester United and Aon have inked a fresh sponsorship agreement giving the world’s leading provider of risk and human resource solutions naming rights to the club’s training facility at Carrington.

In the first such deal for a Premier League club, the training centre will be renamed the Aon Training Complex from July 1.

United players and coaching staff will also wear Aon-branded training kits at all friendly and competitive domestic fixtures, as well as during training sessions.

Under the eight-year deal, worth an estimated $230 million, Aon will be the presenting partner of all Manchester United pre-season tours through 2021.

In a statement, United’s commercial director Richard Arnold said he was "very excited about the possibilities for sustainable advantage this provides the club as we build our global presence".

"The Aon Training Complex is all about winning and preparing individuals, identifying talent and performing at the highest level to achieve success. Aon serves clients with unwavering focus on high performance, training and execution, an approach that mirrors the way we prepare here at Manchester United," he added.

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Magnay Out at Telegraph

Jacquelin Magnay, Olympics editor of the U.K.’s Daily Telegraph newspaper, is to leave the newspaper as part of a restructuring.

The Sports Journalists’ Association reported the news Monday.

Appointed in November 2009, Magnay coordinated the paper’s Olympics coverage in the build-up to London 2012 and during the Games. The former Sydney Morning Herald sports correspondent also covered the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games for the Telegraph.

Written by Mark Bisson with copy published by exclusive arrangement with RIA Novosti, host news agency of Sochi 2014

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