Town Sports International Holdings, . Announces Participation in the 14th Annual Conference

Town Sports International Holdings, Inc. Announces Participation in the 14th Annual ICR XChange Conference

 

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Town Sports International Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLUB - News), a leading owner and operator of health clubs, announced that management participated in the 14^th Annual ICR XChange Conference held at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida. Robert Giardina, President & Chief Executive Officer, and Dan Gallagher, Chief Financial Officer, presented on Wednesday, January 11, 2012 at 8:25 a.m. Eastern Time.
The audio portion of the presentation will be webcast live at www.mysportsclubs.com under the Investor Relations section. An archived replay will be available two hours after the conclusion of the live event.
About Town Sports International Holdings, Inc.
New York-based Town Sports International Holdings, Inc. is a leading owner and operator of fitness clubs in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States and, through its subsidiaries, operated 158 fitness clubs as of September 30, 2011, comprising 106 New York Sports Clubs, 25 Boston Sports Clubs, 18 Washington Sports Clubs (two of which are partly-owned), six Philadelphia Sports Clubs, and three clubs located in Switzerland. These clubs collectively served approximately 522,000 members. For more information >>>

BPL Auction Today

 

BPL Auction Today

The much-hyped Bangladesh Premier League Twenty20 League is set to gather momentum today when the auction to sell the franchises to interested bidders will be held at a city hotel.

At least eight bidders – Orion Group, Europa Group, Walton Group, Digital Auto Care, Dhaka Dyeing, Alif Group, Barkatullah Electro Dynamites and Boom Boom, a business consortium, – have bought the tender documents to buy the six franchises.

 It is, however, unlikely that all buyers of tender documents will participate at the auction as an effort to take hold of the franchises through mutual understanding was on until Monday. 

‘We were very interested but at the last moment we felt that it will not be worthwhile,’ said Faisal Rahman, managing director of Barkatullah Electro Dynamites, a power generating company, who apparently backed out from auction.

The other interested buyers were also trying to form a consortium so that the partners can hold a certain stake.

Khulna is believed to be the most demanding franchise and Dhaka is next to them. At least two interested bidders said they will go for Khulna and if they cannot buy that Dhaka will be their choice.

‘I am interested in owning Khulna but if that is not possible then I will go for Dhaka,’ said Salim Chowdhury, managing director of Europa Group.

‘We will bid alone for a franchise and if we are successful we will keep 51 per cent stake with us  and the remaining  49 per cent will be handed out to our Malaysian partners,’ he added.

Orion Group is keen to bid for Sakib al Hasan’s Khulna division as well while Digital Auto Care will be eyeing to get hold of Mushfiqur Rahim’s Rajshahi.

‘I am interested in bidding for Rajshahi,’ said Mushfiqur Rahman Mohon, managing director of Digital Auto Care.

‘If I cannot keep it alone, I may opt to add partners as several other parties have shown their interest in joining us, so let’s see what happens,’ said Mohon.

Walton, however, will be trying to go for consortium keeping 51 percent stake with them.

‘We will bid alone but will keep 51 percent and rest will be distributed among the interested parties,’ said Uday Hakim, media spokesperson for Walton.

It was, however, learnt that the family of an influential Bangladesh Cricket Board official is involved with Walton bidding.

Dhaka Dying will be keen to win the franchise of Chittagong while Alif Group will be bidding for Barisal.

Bangladesh Cricket Tame

The bidding is scheduled to start at 11:00am with $1 million being the minimum price for each franchise.

The opening of tenders will start at 12:01 pm with the accumulation of data through template and live projection of accumulation and later the results will be declared alphabetically.

A company can bid for several franchises but can only own one. If he bags more than one franchise then he will have the option to choose his team the next highest bidder will get that,’ said Serajudddin Mohammad Alamgir, member-secretary of the BPL governing council.
For More>>>

BPL franchises fetch low prices

The auction for the six franchises of the Bangladesh Premier League has been completed with a total of $6.49 million spent, and none of the teams fetching much more than their base price of $1 million. Chittagong was the most expensive franchise at $1.2 million and Barisal the least at $1.01 million.

BPL governing council secretary Sirajuddin Mohammed Alamgir, however, said he was delighted that the teams had been bought because the tournament, which has received considerable promotion, can now go ahead as planned next month without any hitches. "We are very happy that it has all been completed properly," Alamgir told ESPNcricinfo. "We have the tournament guaranteed now and we didn't have to face any embarrassing situations. Bids were placed and we had the franchises sold."

The auction, held in Dhaka, was a low-key event after the sudden demise of the Bangladesh Cricket Board's chief Manzur Ahmed in the morning. The franchises have been bought for a six-year period.

The Chittagong franchise was bought by SQ Sports, a group of businessmen led by Dhaka Dyeing, who outbid Pearl Trading ($1.05 million) and Digital Auto Care ($1 million). The fact that a $200,000 bump from the base price was the highest for any team says a lot about the bidding war - or lack of it.

The second-highest price offered was for Khulna, which was bought by Orion Group for $1.1 million. Digital Auto Care paid just $1.07 million for Rajshahi; a group of business houses led by Walton, a local electronic goods manufacturing giant, bought Sylhet for $1.06 million; and the Dhaka franchise was picked up by Europa Group for $1.05 million with the other bidders - Digital Auto Care and Euro Impex - offering the base price. This was a bit of a surprise given the prestige attached to the country's biggest division. When the teams were sold for the National Cricket League T20s two years ago there had been fierce competition between bidders for the Dhaka team.

The Alif Group acquired the Barisal franchise for the lowest price of all the teams: $1.01 million. The bidding for the Barisal team turned into a bit of a farce when Southern International quoted $900,000, which was less than the base price for a franchise. That bid indicated the lack of confidence investors seemed to have in the benefits of buying a franchise.

The money paid to acquire the franchises will go to Game On Sports, who signed a six-year deal worth $44.3 million with the BCB, acquiring the rights to manage the BPL.

"Game On Sports will get all the income from this auction, which will be paid in yearly installments," Alamgir said. "The companies that have bought the franchises will be in control of their respective teams for six years, though they can sell them after three years. As for the payment to be received by the BCB from Game On Sports, that will be received in installments over six years, paid 30 days after the end of each edition of the tournament."

The absence of bids from big corporate houses was something even the eventual franchise owners expressed concern about, but they expect the profile of the tournament to grow once it starts. Notably, the companies that bought National Cricket League T20 franchises two years ago did not bid for teams this time. That tournament only lasted one season, and that experience, coupled with the fragility of the Bangladesh market, kept them away from the auction.

Foreign buyers were also rumoured to have shown interest in buying teams but none came forward in the end. There is hope that owners of IPL franchises will buy stakes in the BPL franchises from their owners.

Alamgir said that the revenue generated by the BPL would be ploughed back into first-class and age-group level cricket in Bangladesh, though the franchises will not have any obligation to develop or have any connection to the divisional sides. "The BCB's policy will be to use this money for longer-version cricket as well as for schools and age-group cricket. It will help us put the regional structure in place.

"But these franchises are businesses so we can't ask their owners to develop regional cricket. They can do it if they want, but primarily the franchises need to be run as professionally strong units with a focus on developing marketing and team management."

The Rajshahi team owners have moved quickly, and have already roped in former chief selector and Bangladesh captain Faruk Ahmed as the manager of the team, and former opener Athar Ali Khan as its chief advisor. They will also involve former national captain Khaled Mashud, who is regarded as the most influential man in Rajshahi cricket.

Europa Group, the Dhaka franchise owners, have asked former Bangladesh captain and current national team selector Habibul Bashar to build their team as its chief consultant.

The players' auction will be held on January 19 in Dhaka, and will feature several international cricketers, as well as local players, who will be justifiably excited about the prospects of signing a lucrative deal. 

For More >>>

Argentina and Brazil New Jersey

 Argentina and Brazil  New Jersey

Jan 10 (Reuters) - Former world champions Brazil and Argentina will face each other in a friendly in New Jersey on June 9, the Argentina Football Association announced on Tuesday.

The match, which could feature Lionel Messi, the Argentine who was named World Player of the Year for the third time in a row, will be played at the new Meadowlands stadium in East Rutherford, home to the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets.

As the fixture takes place on a designated FIFA slot for international games, both teams will be able to call on their top players based in Europe.
Argentina will also face Saudia Arabia in a friendly in Riyadh on November 14, the AFA said.
(Editing by Julian Linden; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com):
for more SOCCER stories

for more sports stories.

Brazil and Santos star Neymar  2011 FIFA

Santos forward Neymar has been announced as the winner of FIFA's 2011 Puskas award for the best goal of the year.

Neymar was rewarded for his stunning solo strike during Santos' 5-4 defeat against Flamengo in the Brasileirao in July. The 19-year-old moved past a string of opponents before calmly sending the ball past the goalkeeper.

The Brazil international, who beat Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Manchester United's Wayne Rooney for the honor, was presented the award by Real Madrid legend Hugo Sanchez.

"I am really happy to be at this ceremony, to win this award against two great players, of whom I am fan," Neymar said. "I want to thank God for this and I would like to wish everyone a good ceremony."

Neymar, who has a contract with Santos until 2015, has committed his club future to the Copa Libertadores holders until the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Build New Stadium

  Build New Stadium
A new sports arena is coming to Pittsburgh, and it will be the home of the Riverhounds soccer team.

Stadium

The team is planning to open a new 3,500-seat stadium this summer in Station Square.The stadium will be located partly where the Trib Total Media Amphitheater sits and partly on the parking lot between the amphitheater and the Gateway Clipper, according to Channel 11’s news exchange partners at TribLIVE.The amphitheater will be demolished or moved, the Trib reported.The Pittsburgh Passion women's football team also has signed an agreement to play at the facility, and the Riverhounds are in talks with two local universities, two rugby clubs and a number of other groups, including youth and high school soccer and lacrosse teams.
For more>>>

Chiefs pick Crennel as head coach

Chiefs pick Crennel as head coach
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)—The Kansas City Chiefs made Romeo Crennel the permanent head coach on Monday after he led the floundering team to a pair of wins late in the season.
Crennel had been the interim coach and the leading candidate to replace Todd Haley, who was fired last month. He was scheduled to be introduced at an afternoon news conference.
“We are very excited to name Romeo the new head coach of the Chiefs,” Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt said in a prepared statement. “In 30 years as a coach in the National Football League, Romeo has established an outstanding track record of success, and we believe his experience and proven ability make him the best person to help us reach our goal of consistently competing for championships.”

Denver Broncos quarterback TimAP - Jan 8, 5:06 pm EST

The former head coach of the Cleveland Browns, Crennel had been serving as defensive coordinator when general manager Scott Pioli made him the interim coach. He quickly united a disjointed locker room and instantly endeared himself to fans in Kansas City, leading a team that had been ransacked by injuries over Green Bay, the Packers’ only loss this season.
Crennel’s lone defeat came in overtime against Oakland, which knocked the Chiefs (7-9) from playoff contention. But he rallied his team to a season-ending victory over the Broncos, after which players spontaneously began to chant his name in the locker room in Denver.
“Romeo’s vast experience and intelligence have helped him achieve success at the highest level,” Pioli said. “The way in which he creates accountability and respect amongst the team creates a very productive work environment and will be critical in continuing to develop our young core of players.”
Crennel was considered the front-runner to get the full-time job not only because of his work over the final three weeks of the season, but because of his calm demeanor and strong ties to Pioli, whom he worked with during his days running the New England Patriots defense.
“I have a deep appreciation for the vision that Clark Hunt has and his commitment to building a championship-caliber team,” Crennel said. “I believe in the types of players that we are trying to win with and the identity we are trying to create.”
Pioli also spoke to former Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher, Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin and former Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio before settling on the in-house candidate.
“It is a rare opportunity to be a part of an organization like the Kansas City Chiefs with its storied history and passionate fans,” Crennel said, “and I am eager to get to work and bring this franchise and our fans the success they deserve.”
Crennel went 24-40 during four years in Cleveland, though the record is somewhat misleading.
He took over a suffering franchise short on talent and went 6-10 and 4-12 in his first two seasons, missing the playoffs each year. But his breakthrough came in 2007, when the Browns went 10-6 and fell just short of the playoffs, earning Crennel a two-year contract extension.
After falling back to 4-12, though, the affable Crennel was summarily fired.
He figures to have a much better chance of success in Kansas City, where Pioli has locked up several young players to long-term deals and continues to overhaul an aging roster.
The Chiefs should be the favorites to win the wide-open AFC West next year. They nearly claimed a second straight division crown despite losing several star players to season-ending injuries.
Tight end Tony Moeaki, All-Pro running back Jamaal Charles and Pro Bowl safety Eric Berry were lost to knee injuries by the second week of the season. Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Cassel joined them on injured reserve in Week 10 after he hurt his throwing hand in a game against Denver.
That left the team in the hands of journeyman Tyler Palko. The Chiefs claimed quarterback Kyle Orton off waivers from Denver, but he hurt his hand on the first pass he attempted against Chicago, and did not return until the final three weeks of the regular season.
By that time, Haley had been fired and Crennel had been given the reins.

“Throughout the year, we were all over a little bit. We came to a common ground over the last three weeks,” said fullback Le’Ron McClain, who is a free agent but has said he hopes to return to the team next season. “We started doing good when Romeo stepped in.”

Fisher reportedly spoke briefly with the Chiefs about the head coaching job, but he’s expected to decide between St. Louis and Miami. Philbin also was linked to the job, and Del Rio’s agent, Phil DePicciotto, had conversations with the Chiefs about the former Jaguars coach taking over.
Crennel will likely have to hire a defensive coordinator to replace himself, and also could be in the market for a new offensive coordinator.
The Chiefs struggled to move the ball under longtime assistant Bill Muir, who was in his first season as a coordinator. Muir has been contemplating retirement.

“Trying to put a staff together is a tough deal, because maybe the guys you want aren’t available, so you have to look other places. You end up trying to do the best you can, getting the best guys you get,” Crennel said. “You have to adapt and adjust as you go along.”More>>>

BC-AP Sports Preview.

 BC-AP Sports Preview

Some of the stories the AP is covering Monday. A full Sports Digest will be sent about 3 p.m. All times EST.

— NEW ORLEANS—No. 1 LSU plays No. 2 Alabama for the BSC national title, a rematch of a tough regular-season game pitting two teams from the same division of the SEC. Game starts 8:30 p.m.

— NEW ORLEANS—Voters for the AP Top 25 select the nation’s No. 1 team after the BCS championship, with the chance that the winner on the field might not be No. 1 in the poll.

— NEW ORLEANS—Over the next six months, those who oversee the much-maligned Bowl Championship Series will talk about a new way to crown a national champion.

— NEW YORK—In a year in which no candidate seems certain for election, Barry Larkin appears to stand the strongest chance when baseball’s Hall of Fame announces its latest vote. Announcement 3 p.m.
— DENVER—He kneels in prayer at times when many players would be pounding their chest. Tim Tebow is doing it his way—mixing religion with sports, and winning with a style experts insist cannot work for long.
— EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.—With Aaron Rodgers and the NFL’s highest scoring offense on tap, the New York Giants’ defense could not have found a better time to start playing its best football.
— SANTA CLARA, Calif.—Few would have thought that the 49ers team that opened the Jim Harbaugh era with an exhibition dud at New Orleans would be hosting the Saints five months later in a playoff game.
— KAPALUA, Hawaii—Steve Stricker leads by five shots going into the final round of the Tournament of Championship, the season opener on the PGA Tour. Round to end about 8:30 p.m.
— COLUMBUS, Ohio—The Columbus Blue Jackets, with the worst record in the NHL, fire coach Scott Arniel. He is replaced on an interim basis by assistant Todd Richards.
— NEW YORK—The AP releases its latest rankings in men’s and women’s college basketball.
— What was supposed to be the toughest part of a condensed NBA schedule hasn’t been tough at all. Teams are 6-0 when playing their third game in three nights. Players say it’s not so bad.
— LONDON—Police smuggle a fake bomb into Olympic Park in a security test, overshadowing a Cabinet meeting at the park marking 200 days until the games begin.

— ZURICH—Lionel Messi is set to be honored as soccer’s best player for a third straight year at FIFA’s annual awards gala. His coach, Barcelona’s Pep Guardiola, is expected to win the coaching award.

For More>>>