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Media Release
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MEDIA RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - 10 August 2001 ISPORT SELLS BEACH VOLLEYBALL TOUR iSport Events (a subsidiary of the technology service provider to the sports industry, iSport Australia) announced today it has sold its event management and marketing rights to the Australian Beach Volleyball Tour to International Quarterback for an undisclosed sum. The sale follows iSport's 2 years of managing the sport's professional beach volleyball interests. iSport manages the online rights of several major sporting bodies in Australia, the United Kingdom and North America. Craig Carracher, Chief Executive Officer of iSport Group and former CEO of Volleyball Australia, announced today that iSport Australia will continue to focus on its core offerings of technology services to its sport clients including database management services to Volleyball Australia, the licensor of the National Beach Volleyball Tour. These services include the sports administration and communication software used by over 3500 sports clubs in Australia, and 40 National Sporting Bodies around the world, the iSport Advantage. "Our core business is the delivery of technology solutions to governing bodies of sport and their constituents. Volleyball Australia is an important client to us. In 1999 we were approached to stage the Australian Beach Volleyball Tour leading up to the Olympic Games. Following the successful staging of the Games, an Olympic Gold Medal and a first class domestic tour over the past 2 years, we are pleased that the sport is now attracting corporate interest. However, it was inevitable that a major sports marketing agency would embrace the sport once the sport exposed itself to the sponsor market. We are pleased to have assisted in that process and in the national programs that contributed to the gold medal performance of the sport and its enhanced profile in the corporate and media markets", said Craig Carracher. "We offered to run the Tour this year and to pay prize money exceeding $200,000. We guaranteed payment upfront. We had set 6 event dates in all the major cities and had already lined up several sponsors and media. TV was ready to go on free to air and pay TV. This was all offered to Volleyball Australia but they preferred the offer of International Quarterback. We respect the decision but disagree that further change at this stage in the development of the sport will add value to players and the game", said Carracher. iSport Australia represents the online sports administration and communication rights of major bodies including soccer, netball, cricket, baseball, disability sports, school sports, futsal, bowls and indoor sports as well as the continuing role iSport will play with volleyball. iSport also provides web casting, event registration and micro site development services for event management companies and will continue to provide this service to the Australian Beach Volleyball Tour and International Quarterback and to host the official Tour web site at www.abvtour.com. For more information contact: Craig Carracher, Chief Executive Officer iSport Group; 02 9958 4880; craigc@isport.com.au |
australianbeachvolleyball@hotmail.com