SHORTS: DIAMOND LEAGUE, CRYSTAL PALACE, BRITISH BASKETBALL LEAGUE

15 May 2023

UK Sport is in talks UK Athletics about the ‘possibility of providing some investment’ in preparation for July's Diamond League meeting in London.

According to the BBC, ‘no decision has been made yet, but conversations are ongoing.’

The discussions have taken place due to financial difficulties in UK Athletics. In December UK Athletics (UKA) shared it had made an annual loss of £1.8m – just a decade after the sport took centre stage at the London 2012 Olympics.

The Diamond League hopes to sell 40,000 tickets for the upcoming July event, held at West Ham's London Stadium for the first time in four years. However, it has been reported that the event could cost UKA £500,000 because of the costs of prize money, travel and appearance fees.

Savings had fallen from £2.2m to merely £430,000 and it has been reported by The Times that the maximum funding, of £300,000 from UK Sport, has been requested.

The torrid financial times sees UK Athletics save costs wherever possible with staff working from home after the administrative offices in Birmingham were closed and UKA have also considered a settlement agreement to exit its long-term contract to use the London Stadium, potentially saving millions of pounds.

Premier League football club Crystal Palace is set to tour the USA to face Sevilla and Millonarios FC at the end of July.

The south-east London club will be crossing the pond for the first time since 2016, four years after its promotion to England's topflight.

The Eagles will face Columbia's 15-time league champions on Wednesday, 26th July. In a collaboration with Elite Promotions Group, Palace's first-ever meetiSHng with Colombian opposition will see both teams vie for The Chicago Nations Cup, previously contested by European giants, Bayern Munich, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain.

Palace will then make history by facing six-time Europa League winners Sevilla for the first-ever time. The fixture will be played at the 41,000-capacity Comerica Park on Sunday, 30th July.

Steve Parish, Chairman of Crystal Palace FC, said, "We are absolutely delighted to return to the US for the first time since 2016.

We have so many loyal supporters Stateside who regularly visit us in London, and even more who wake up early every weekend to watch on NBC – so it will be fantastic to play in front of them all against such strong opposition this July."

The British Basketball League has announced a new format for the 2023/2024 season.

The change of format will see the introduction of an All-Star Game which will take place next March.

Additionally, the formats for the entire calendar, including the Play-offs, has been revamped with three major pieces of silverware up for grabs next season.

The league season will return in September in the Championship season. Before a mid-season pause from Championship action where clubs will turn their focus to the British Basketball Trophy which tips offs on Thursday 4th January. The trophy comprises of two groups of five before a semi-final and a final in Birmingham.

Upon the conclusion of the Championship season, the top eight teams will fight in the Play-offs, which sees an upgraded format of a ‘best of three’ series for both the quarters and semi-finals of the competition, before the season finale sees the league head to London and The O2 for the final on Sunday 19th May.

Aaron Radin, Chief Executive Officer of BBL, said, "We’re really pleased to be launching new formats for the 23/24 season, which I know will excite British Basketball fans. We wanted to ensure the format of the season was clearer for our clubs, partners and fans to follow, ensuring that all the thrilling action flowed throughout the season.

"The reintroduction of an All-Star game will be an amazing showcase of the sensational talent we have in the British Basketball League and adds another landmark moment into the basketball calendar. It's been an incredible year for the league and we’re only going to continue to grow in the season's ahead."

English Football League (EFL) League Two outfit Sutton United has partnered with medical distributor Ideal Medical Solutions.

The club claims tha the three-year partnership aims to raise awareness of the Elesta Echo-Laser for treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), a prostate issue which affects 1 in 2 men over the age of 50 in the UK. As a result, the Echo-Laser logo will appear on the front of the first team shirts from the start of next season.

Andrew Wakeling, Chief Executive Officer of Ideal Medical Solutions, said, "I am very excited about the about the partnership with Sutton and proud to be given the opportunity to showcase the unique capabilities of the Echo-Laser, whilst raising awareness of BPH and available treatments within our local community’.

Adrian Barry, Chief Executive of Sutton United, added, "We are absolutely delighted to have Ideal Medical Solutions on board as our new front of shirt sponsor for the first team from the start of the 2023/24 season; in so doing helping to raise awareness of their excellent and unique Echo-Laser treatment."