Industry Shorts: Birmingham 2022, #siawards2021, Naomi Osaka

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games has begun its search for 13,000 volunteers to join the ‘Commonwealth Collective’, which will provide a ‘community of passionate people’ with the chance to play a vital role in delivering the Games.

The search launches to coincide with Volunteer Week, which takes place this week, and will aim to create a group which ‘reflects the diversity of the West Midlands as well as the modern Commonwealth’. 25,000 shortlisted applicants will be invited to an interview at the Volunteer Selection Centre between September and December 2021, with 13,000 selected.

To mark the launch of volunteering applications, Birmingham 2022 enlisted the help of para swimmer and Birmingham 2022 Board Member Ellie Simmonds (above), England rugby sevens player Heather Fisher, and boxer Galal Yafai. All three volunteered at West Midlands community organisations and sport clubs, trying out some of the tasks that the ‘Commonwealth Collective’ might typically handle in order to encourage applications.

Nominations for Media Organisation of the Year and Sport Organisation of the Year in association with AXA XL at the Sport Industry Awards 2021 will close on Friday, 4th June.

The categories are both Judges Awards, and will see organisations nominated by the wider sport industry for their work. Judges will assess each of the entries, put forward by peers in recognition of major achievements and important work despite the difficulties of the past year. 

Nominations can be made HERE, while winners will be announced at the Sport Industry Awards on 8th September at Evolution London. Secure your place at the industry’s biggest night of the year HERE.

Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the French Open after being fined and threatened with expulsion from the tournament following her decision not to take part in media conferences.

The reigning Australian and US Open champion released a statement last week in which she stated the effects of press conferences on her mental health. On Monday, she announced her withdrawal from the event in a new statement, explaining she had taken the decision in the hope ‘everyone can get back to focusing on the tennis going on in Paris’.

Outdoor footwear retailer Merrell has launched a new year-long campaign, #StepFurther, in a bid to encourage one million people around the world to get outdoors with their family, friends, and neighbours to promote physical and mental wellbeing. 

The campaign is designed to encourage people to push past the barriers that might prevent them from getting outside, and enjoy the health benefits of getting active. 

Merrell has also joined forces with mental health charity Mind to promote the benefits of the outdoors on mental health, and the campaign will see the pair call on people to motivate their friends, families, colleagues, and communities to get outdoors by sharing their experiences with the campaign hashtag #StepFurther. 

UK-based sports production and media agency Sunset+Vine has been appointed by World Sailing to handle the production and distribution contract for the 2021 Hempel World Cup Series, the Olympic Classes Global Tour.

As part of the deal, Sunset+Vine will deliver daily social and digital content, news material and an event highlights show. It will also handle international news and highlights distribution to a network of broadcasters, news desks and digital platforms.

The series, which sees all ten Olympic sailing classes race on an international circuit, will take place across a  shortened 2021 calendar, and will be the last major World Sailing event for Olympic sailors ahead of the rescheduled Tokyo Games.

Nottingham Forest have announced that technology platform BOXT will continue as the EFL Championship club’s front-of-shirt partner for the 2021-22 season.

In a deal the club says is ‘commensurate with previous club record partnership deals’, the brand will remain on the front of the side’s first team kits, as well as on all adult and junior replica kits.

The brand – which provides a digital solution to buying and installing boilers and smart home heating systems – was initially the club’s back-of-shorts partner last season, but became the City Ground side’s front-of-shirt partner in April after former shirt sponsor Football Index went into administration. 

Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) brand Hytro has announced Glasgow Warriors fly half Adam Hastings and Bath Rugby full back Tom de Glanville as its newest ambassadors.

Hytro creates techwear which allows the use of blood flow restriction technology to be integrated into garments which can be used for training and recovery. The brand says the technology limits the amount of blood flowing back into the muscle, which causes stress on the muscles and leads to a surge of recovery hormones.

The news comes on the back of a recent deal between the brand and Leeds Rhinos, which saw Hytro become the Betfred Super League club’s Official BFR Training Partner.