Sports Management November/December 2016 issue 128

NEWS & ANALYSIS EVENT HOSTING

Three flagship Taekwondo competitions will be staged in England over the next three years following a successful bid from GB Taekwondo. The package of events, which will be held ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, includes the hosting of two World Taekwondo Grand Prix Series in 2017 and 2018, in London’s Copper Box Arena and Manchester’s Regional Arena respectively. Manchester will also host the 2019 World Taekwondo Championships after seeing off competition from Houston, Texas, USA. It will be staged in the Manchester Arena.

“Securing these events provides Taekwondo with a chance to drive real growth”

OWEN HUMPHREYS / PA WIRE / PA IMAGES

Britain to host three Taekwondo championships

GB’s Jade Jones celebrating her gold medal win at the Rio Olympics London’s hosting of the 2017 Grand Prix is the first time an international Taekwondo event has been held in the capital since the 2012 Olympic Games. As part of the bidding process, GB Taekwondo made the commitment to invest in a four-year community Taekwondo programme to increase the profile of the sport in London and Manchester. “Securing these events for the UK provides Taekwondo with a massive

boost and a chance to drive real growth in the sport over the coming years, not just in London and Manchester, but right across the country,” said Steve Flynn, director of Taekwondo GB. UK Sport chief operating officer Simon Morton confirmed that the staging of the events would be backed by National Lottery funding distributed by the elite sports quango. Read more: http://lei.sr?a=a6u9m

Edgbaston gears up for first day/night Test in England Edgbaston in Birmingham has

Neil Snowball, chief

been selected by cricket’s

executive of Warwickshire

governing body to host the

County Cricket Club, said he

first ever day/night Test

was “thrilled” that Edgbaston

Match in England.

had been chosen as the first venue to host the new format.

The match against the West Indies – which will be the 50th

“Edgbaston staged the UK’s

Test Match to occur at the

first day/night domestic match

ground – will take place from

in 1997 and has a great history

17-21 August 2017, and is

of hosting and selling out some

being billed as an opportunity

of the biggest fixture in the

to attract “different fans and families to Test cricket”, with

Warwickshire CCC chief executive Neil Snowball

matches played between

game,” he added. “In turn, the Edgbaston atmosphere and experience has become iconic,

in the afternoon and evening

of Test match cricket,” said the

with England having a fantastic

fits with working patterns

chief executive of the England

record of victories here.”

attract more fans to the game

and modern lifestyles, while

and Wales Cricket Board (ECB)