NEWS
| BLOG7 April, 2012
Chris Wood, Mizuno Golfer, features in the Times – Passions
5 April, 2012
Pinsent Masons Announced as title sponsor of London Handball Cup
Pinsent Masons Announced as title sponsor of London Handball Cup
International law firm Pinsent Masons has been unveiled as the title sponsor of the London Handball Cup, to be staged in the capital from 5th to 7th April 2012.
Great Britain Men’s handball team will take on Tunisia, South Korea and Argentina in the Pinsent Masons’ London Handball Cup at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre. The event forms a crucial part of the GB side’s preparations for this summer’s Olympic Games, and has been made possible thanks to considerable backing from UK Sport.
British Handball recently welcomed Pinsent Masons on board as one of a raft of new sponsors which included Collins Stewart Wealth Management, bolstering support for handball from the City’s financial quarter.
One of the fastest growing sports in the country, handball is set to become one of the hits of this summer’s Olympics with participation levels in schools, universities and community groups exploding across Britain.
Trevor Watkins, head of sport at Pinsent Masons, comments: “The inaugural Pinsent Masons’ London Handball Cup is a great platform for us as a multinational law firm. It will enable our staff and clients to engage in our partnership with GB Handball through a prestigious international event. Bringing together leading teams in a pre-Olympics tournament is a great opportunity for us to extend our support for the sport and invest in its future.”
UK Sport’s Head of Major Events, Esther Nicholls, said: “UK Sport is pleased to be supporting the Pinsent Masons’ London Handball Cup, which will be a fantastic showcase for handball in the UK, and will provide valuable experience for both the athletes and their support staff ahead of our home Games in under six months time.
“In the lead up to London 2012, 41 of the 46 Olympic and Paralympic sports have secured backing from UK Sport’s National Lottery funded World Class Events Programme to stage a major event, and handball will be the 41st of these, supporting our aspiration to ensure all sports are best prepared for the home staging of the London Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
British Handball Chief Executive Paul Goodwin said: “We’re delighted to have Pinsent Masons on board, not just as title sponsor for the Pinsent Masons’ London Handball Cup, but also going forward to the future as we continue to promote the sport.“The Olympics have given us a rare opportunity to introduce Britain to handball, a sport which is massively popular across the world because it is fun, fast and physical and can be played by people of all ages.“We look forward to working with UK Sport’s events team, Pinsent Masons and all our sponsors as the British teams prepare for the London Olympics. But also we look to the future and hope that some of the youngsters now playing handball for the first time might also achieve their own Olympic Dreams in Rio 2016 and 2020.”
Having British teams competing in the Olympic handball competition for the first time has given the sport a huge boost at grassroots level across the country, with England Handball and Scottish Handball working tirelessly to introduce the sport to as many people as possible.
England Handball reports a major rise in the number of people being introduced to the sport in schools – last year, 58,000 children were introduced to the sport by England Handball, compared to 10,500 three years ago. They were given a target of getting 3,000 youngsters regularly playing handball by 2013 – as of last year they had smashed that target and report that more than 9,000 have discovered just how much fun the sport is and play it regularly.
For further information and details on tickets for the Pinsent Masons London Handball Cup, please visit: http://britishhandball.ticketbud.com/pmlhc2012
30 March, 2012
Mizuno Golf MP59 features in Sport Magazine
14 March, 2012
The Rolex One to Watch – March 2012
12 March 2012
The Rolex One to Watch for March 2012 is awarded to Francie Steinwedell-Carvin (USA). Based at Meadow Grove Farm in California, the 51-year-old jumped from 338th to 231st during February – a move up the Rolex Rankings of 107 places.
In recent years, Steinwedell-Carvin has enjoyed successes at a variety of high calibre competitions, taking part in numerous Grands Prix and FEI World Cup events with her many talented mounts, including Splitfire, Twistar and Toldine. 2011 was a successful year for the American rider, who finished third at the CSI2*-W in Burbank (USA) with the 12-year-old gelding, Taunus, in September, before going on to claim victory at the CSI2*-W in Las Vegas (USA) two months later with the same horse.
Steinwedell-Carvin has had an impressive start to 2012, finishing first with Taunus at the CSI2*-W in Thermal (USA), in January. Steinwedell-Carvin’s delight was evident. “It was so great to be the only American woman in the jump-off, and to win it was surreal”, she commented. Steinwedell-Carvin’s latest triumph saw her finish in third place at the Grand Prix Final CSI2*-W in Thermal (USA) in March. We look forward to witnessing what Steinwedell-Carvin has in store for the rest of 2012.
The American rider also manages her own string of horses at Meadow Grove Farm, which is a growing business that she owns in-part with her husband Dick Carvin and trainer Susie Schroer.
The Rolex One to Watch is an initiative which identifies the rider who has made the biggest jump within or into the Top 250 of the Rolex Rankings the previous month.
For details online featuring the Rolex Rankings please visit: www.fei.org/disciplines/jumping/rolex-rankings
April’s Rolex One to Watch will be announced at the beginning of April 2012.
Photo Caption: Francie Steinwedell-Carvin riding Taunus at the CSI2* Thermal in California (USA).
Photo: Flying Horse Photography / ROLEX
5 March, 2012
Mizuno Golf UK Appoints Revolution Sports Marketing Group for Major PR Push
Mizuno Golf UK has appointed Revolution Sports Marketing Group (Revolution) to work with the brand as it makes its first major push into the sports and consumer media sector.
Mizuno was founded in 1906, and is one of the world’s most established and technologically advanced golf brands – its clubs are played by Luke Donald, as well as England’s Chris Wood. Revolution has been retained to work across the stable of Mizuno golf products but with a focus on its Swing DNA fitting system and the new range of MP-59 clubs.
Graeme Gorrie, UK Marketing Manager said, “Mizuno has a long heritage in golf and its clubs are well known to those in the know, but the time is now right to expand the brand’s appeal and we are delighted to be working alongside Revolution to take Mizuno into new markets.”
Rod Kohler, PR Director at Revolution said, “Mizuno is a premium golfing brand and everyone who plays the game should be aware of its history and outstanding range of products. We look forward to working closely with the in-house team to take the brand into the major sport and lifestyle media.”
2 March, 2012
Handball Sponsorship Launch Video
1 March, 2012
Revolution appointed by Saudi Equestrian for Online Role
Revolution Sports Marketing Group has been appointed by the Saudi Arabian Equestrian Team – Saudi Equestrian – to manage its website, and to also develop its online social media accounts including Twitter and Facebook.
In what promises to be an exciting year for Saudi Equestrian, with the 2012 London Olympic Games fast approaching, it is essential that fans are kept up-to-date with the team’s results, news and developments, including new acquisitions to this highly-regarded and constantly evolving outfit.
Saudi Equestrian was founded in January 2010 with the vision of taking the team through the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky (USA), and to prepare for the 2012 London Olympic Games. Since its formation notable results include winning a team gold medal at the 2011 Pan Arab Games in Doha (QAT) and an individual silver medal at the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Kentucky (USA). The team comprises six riders and 12 horses, and is backed-up by a dedicated team of grooms, vets, farriers and management staff. The team is based at Haras de Wisbecq in Belgium, which is approximately 30km south west of Brussels.
Ziyad Abduljawad, Managing Director of Saudi Equestrian, himself a former show jumper, feels safe in the knowledge that Revolution has a broad and established understanding of equestrian, commenting: “Revolution impressed us with their creative thinking and knowledge of digital communications channels, coupled with their comprehensive portfolio of equestrian clients, and understanding of the sport. Revolution will be key in helping Saudi Equestrian develop its brand name, but also sharing its team news on a global scale.”
Following an Olympic qualifier in Doha (QAT) in December 2011, Saudi Equestrian gained official qualification to the London Games; this is the fourth time that a Saudi Arabian equestrian team has qualified for the Olympic Games, and the fifth time Saudi Arabia has been represented at the Olympic Games in show jumping.
On the team’s Olympic accomplishment, Ziyad Abduljawad commented: “This is a milestone for Saudi Equestrian and our country, and we are all thrilled that the years of preparation have paid off. We will be working closely with Revolution in the lead-up to the Games to maximise our exposure around the world through social media channels, and we are confident that they can help us achieve this”.
Rod Kohler, Managing Director of Revolution, commented: “We are delighted to have been appointed by Saudi Equestrian, and we look forward to working alongside such a dynamic and forward-thinking team. They have massive potential going into the 2012 London Olympic Games and we are excited to be part of their journey.”
10 February, 2012
Collins Stewart/Pinsent Masons British Handball Sponsorship Launch Coverage
Coverage obtained by Revolution of the sponsorship launch between Collins Stewart Wealth Management Group, Pinsent Masons International Law Firm and the British Handball Association.
31 January, 2012
City Firms partner to sponsor British Handball
Tuesday 31 January 2012
Wealth Manager, Collins Stewart Wealth Management, and international law firm Pinsent Masons, have joined forces to announce a major new sponsorship deal with the British Handball Association which will run throughout 2012.
Collins Stewart Wealth Management and Pinsent Masons have become Official Partners to British Handball, and both the Great Britain (GB) men’s and women’s handball teams will carry the Collins Stewart Wealth Management and Pinsent Masons logos on their shirts in all competitions and training matches in the build-up to the Olympics.
In addition to the sponsorship, Collins Stewart Wealth Management has also launched an initiative, which will see the company donating £10.00 for every goal scored, by both the men’s and women’s teams in the run up to the Olympics in August, to a Fund designed to assist the players who are making big sacrifices, to compete on the global stage.
Since London was awarded the 2012 Olympic Games in 2005, British Handball has been focussed on building two teams to mount a competitive challenge to the handball competition which will be played at the specially created handball arena at the Olympic Park.
Neil Darke, Head of Collins Stewart Wealth Management commented: “Handball is an exciting and dynamic sport to watch, and has great potential to grow in popularity throughout this Olympic year. We look forward to working alongside Pinsent Masons and the talented team at British Handball, to support the athletes who work so hard to help raise the sport’s profile in the UK, particularly during this exciting year.”
“We were attracted to British Handball as an organisation as, despite the sport being relatively unknown, their approach to building the game’s familiarity chimed with us. We were also very pleased as an anchor partner, to help bring Pinsent Masons to the partnership. Like Collins Stewart Wealth Management, Pinsent Masons’ business is built around its clients, which has given us a shared vision when looking to get involved with a sports organisation.”
Trevor Watkins, Head of Sport and a Partner at Pinsent Masons, said: “The sports sector is a key part of our firm’s business. We are delighted to take this opportunity to invest back into sport and make a real difference in doing so. It gives our staff across all of our offices a tremendous opportunity to be part of the GB Handball journey as the teams prepare for what will be one of the greatest sporting events in this country in our lifetime and to play their part by volunteering, supporting and helping to create a strong foundation for the sport beyond 2012.”
Paul Goodwin, Chief Executive Officer at British Handball, commented: “We are thrilled that the sport has attracted two high profile, award-winning companies as major partners; it demonstrates that British Handball is in a strong position in the build-up to the Olympics and we look forward to working closely with Collins Stewart Wealth Management and Pinsent Masons throughout the year to further develop the popularity of the sport into the future.”
The sponsorship will give a major boost to British Handball’s plans to make handball more popular in Britain. Handball is already one of the fastest growing sports in the country following its inclusion in the Change 4 Life programme, which has seen the sport introduced in more than 400 schools across the country. As a result of this, handball has seen a six-fold increase in the number of young people being introduced to the sport.
25 January, 2012
René Tebbel and Shalva Gachechiladze – The Rolex One to Watch riders for January 2012
25 January 2012
The Rolex One to Watch – January 2012
The Rolex One to Watch for January 2012 is jointly awarded to René Tebbel (GER) and Shalva Gachechiladze (GEO). The pair both jumped from number 304 to 238 during December – a move up the Rolex Rankings of 66 places.
Based in Emsbüren, Germany, 42-year-old René Tebbel had a very successful young riding career, winning gold at the German Junior Championships in 1986 and again at the European Junior Championships the following year. Tebbel went on to win team silver at the 1990 World Cup, and his victories did not end there.
Tebbel won gold in the German Championships in 2005 riding Source Homme, and won again in 2006 and 2007 riding Coup de Coeur. As well as his successes at the German Championships, Tebbel has also earned numerous first and second place rankings at various Grand Prix events with horses Radiator, Farina and Levien of Cabanes. Tebbel also trains his two children, Maurice and Justine, who are amongst the best young riders in Germany for their age groups.
Shalva Gachechiladze tasted success at an early age in 2009 when, aged only 20, he finished first riding Saturn at the CSI2* Tbilisi FEI World Cup Qualifiers. Together, Gachechiladze and Saturn have won Championships both in Georgia and the Caucasian League.
Gachechiladze’s progression up the Rolex Rankings stems from some strong results in 2011. At present, Gachechiladze competes in the FEI World Cup Caucasian League where he is currently ranked fourth. The young Georgian rider hopes to one day compete in the Olympic Games.
The Rolex One to Watch is an initiative which identifies the rider who has made the biggest jump within or into the Top 250 of the Rolex Rankings the previous month.
Photo Caption: Germany’s René Tebbel, pictured here riding Light On, shares the Rolex One to Watch for January 2012 with Shalva Gachechiladze of Georgia. Unfortunately, a high resolution image of Shalva Gachechiladze was not available.
Photo: SPORTFOT/Rolex