Sport for Business News Digest June 22

Today’s Sport for Business News Digest looks at Rafa Nadal’s multi million endorsement of online poker; a threat to transport at London 2012; Aileen Morrison in Triathlon action; Sam Maguire in Eason’s and another step into sport for Microsoft…

Rafa Nadal’s Poker Face
Rafael Nadal has signed as an ambassador for online poker site Poker Stars. The Spanish ace who won his seventh French Open Title at Roland Garros this month and who will start at Wimbledon next week apparently discovered online poker in recent years and is going to while away the occasional hand on breaks in the punishing ATP Tour schedule.
The value of the endorsement might have something to do with his interest, coming in at a staggering €12 million. He announced on his twitter account on Thursday that he was ‘joining @pokerstars to learn how to play poker’. That was read by his 2.5 million followers and started the first pay back on the company investment.
Nadal is also supported by Nike and Kia Motors and last year signed up to Bacardi Rum to front a responsible drinking promotion. He has won over €40 million in prize money through his illustrious career and prior to this deal was reported to earn over €20 million a year in personal endorsements. Might not be a bad player to sit down at a table with as he learns the game…
Microsoft Olympic link
Microsoft has signed as the official software supplier to the Olympic Organising Committee for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
The company will assist in the development of management and internet solutions for the organisers and the worldwide public around the games. It will highlight its Microsoft Azure cloud platform and will open up its labs in Russia to those involved in the running of the games.
“The use of cloud technologies reflects our intention to stage a memorable and innovative Games,” said Organising Committee Chief Dmitry Chernyshenko. “By going to the cloud platform, we will be able to offer a wonderful experience to tens of millions of people from around the whole world who will be able to visit the Sochi 2014 Games’ websites simultaneously.”
Microsoft is involved in Formula One and recently announced an expansion of the sports content on its channels through X Box Live.
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Morrison competing in Austria
Aileen Morrison continues her preparations for the London 2012 Triathlon in Kitzbuehel, Austria at the weekend and she can be seen in action via the BBC interactive service as well as on www.triathlonlive.com.
Morrison produced Ireland’s best ever Triathlon performance when finishing second in the Madrid leg of the World Triathlon Series last month.
She is now ranked seventh in the world and goes to London with a genuine hope of bringing home a medal in one of the world’s fastest growing elite and participation sports.
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London at risk from summer of transport strikes
London will this morning wake to it’s worst bus strike in over 30 years as almost all bus drivers join an initial one day strike over a £500 Olympics bonus.
Organisers of the London 2012 Olympic Games will be holding their breath after negotiations broke down between the bus companies and unions. Similar action is feared on the London Underground which is expecting to handle an incredible 18 million additional passenger journeys over the course of the games.

Sam Maguire and Tubridy
The GAA secured a good piece of impromptu coverage for the All Ireland Football Championship yesterday when Communications manager Alan Milton happened by the Ryan Tubridy show being broadcast from Easons on O’Connell Street, complete with the Sam Maguire trophy.
In a short interview Milton explained the history and provenance of the trophy, the one in hand being a replica produced to extend the number of promotional opportunities which could be accommodated. The first trophy, initially presented in 1928 to Kildare is in a fragile condition under lock and key in the GAA Museum.
The trophy lifted by Dublin’s Bryan Cullen last September has visited over 400 schools around the Capital as well as almost every GAA club in the city.
Ireland fall at Euro qualification stage
The Irish Women’s soccer team lost 1-0 to Scotland in Cork last night and will not now be following the men into the final stages of next year’s European Championship. The team still has two qualifying games to play but cannot catch France or Scotland who occupy the top two spots in the group.
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