Shorts: ECB, World Para Swimming, Pickleball
The England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has appointed World Cup-winning England cricketer Ebony Rainford-Brent MBE and sports development expert Pete Ackerley to its Board.
The pair have been officially named Cricket Non-Executive Directors and fill the Board’s final two vacancies.
Their three-year appointments follow those of Penny Avis and Baroness Zahida Manzoor, who join as Independent Non-Executive Directors, and Jennifer Owen Adams and Gareth Williams, who join as Cricket Non-Executive Directors.
Richard Thompson, ECB Chair, commented, “I’m delighted to make our final Board appointments. We have a strong and diverse Board with extensive experience and a wide range of skills.
“Ebony is a unique talent, a trailblazer who was a winner on the pitch and has achieved so much off it. Her ACE Programme has already made a huge impact in creating opportunities for youngsters from Black communities, and she shares my impatience for making further progress in creating a truly inclusive sport.
“Pete also brings with him a vast amount of cricketing experience along with invaluable insight in other sports. He is steeped in the recreational game, and will be another huge asset to the Board.”
World Para Swimming has appointed International Sports Broadcasting (ISB) as the host broadcaster of the Manchester 2023 Para Swimming World Championships.
The upcoming competition will take place from 31st July to 6th August at the newly-refurbished Manchester Aquatics Centre.
Madrid-headquartered ISB is already hold experience in swimming broadcasting after working on the last edition of the Para Swimming World Championships held in Madeira, Portugal, last year.
Craig Nicholson, Head of World Para Swimming, commented, “This is a very important announcement ahead of Manchester 2023 and we are delighted to have ISB with us as Host Broadcaster of this year’s World Championships. The Para Swimming Worlds provides a unique opportunity to attract new audiences and expand our sport to new markets, and ISB will help us achieve that with its vast experience and innovative coverage of major events.”
PickleballEngland and UK Pickleball Shop have signed a two-year partnership agreement to ‘collaborate and grow pickleball in England.’
Pickleball – a hybrid of tennis, badminton and table tennis, is one of the fastest growing sports in America, and currently has over 7,000 active players in the UK. The latest deal falls in line with PickleballEngalnd’s ambition to grow the sport further.
The partnership will see UK Pickleball Shop as a preferred supplier for PickleballEngland and includes an agreement for the provider to be present at the English Open and English Nationals, as well as exclusive first rights to attend PickleballEngland Festivals.
Karen Mitchell, Chair & Co-founding Director of PickleballEngland, commented, “We are excited to be partnering with UK Pickleball Shop. Having UK Pickleball Shop in the UK market has given new players access to a huge range of equipment, helping to rapidly grown the game this side of the pond.
“We know in other countries where access to equipment is more difficult, growth has not been as fast, so we know how much of a difference it makes here. What’s more, UK Pickleball Shop have also offered PickleballEngland members a £15 discount on the club net which has already been taken up by hundreds of members.”
English Football League (EFL) One football club Peterborough United has announced QuinnBet as an official advertising partner club.
The two-year partnership will see the betting company benefit from advertising around the 15,000-capacity Weston Homes Stadium and within the match day programme.
Commercial Manager Alex Harris, commented, “We are pleased to welcome QuinnBet to the family and are looking forward to developing our partnership with them over the next two years and hopefully beyond.”
Niall McPartland, Marketing Manager at QuinnBet, added, “When we heard about the opportunity to partner with Peterborough United, we were thrilled. The club is steeped in history, and we are very proud to announce this two-year partnership. We wish all the club every good luck for the remainder of the current season and for what’s to come!”
