Shorts: Snooker, Barnsley Fc, BBL

The World Snooker Tour will stage a minimum of three tournaments in China later this year, including the first world ranking events since 2019.

Aside from the 2022 Hong Kong Masters which was an eight-player invitation event, these will be the first professional snooker events hosted in China for four years.

The tournaments include the Shanghai Masters in September, the Wuhan Open in October, and the International Championship in November with a host city to be confirmed.

The total prize money for these three events combined will exceed £2m.

WST Chairman Steve Dawson, said, “This is a momentous announcement for our sport as we ramp up our return to staging events in Asia. To have a minimum of two world ranking events, plus a major invitation tournament, in China later this year is fantastic for the players and fans.

“Throughout the pandemic we have maintained dialogue and relationships with the Chinese Billiards and Snooker Association as well as our key partners and promoters across China. This has allowed us to make a fast return to staging key events now that travel restrictions have lifted.

“We promised our players that this was top of our agenda and we have delivered on that promise, adding more than £2 million in prize money to the tour. We will continue to explore opportunities to stage further events in China and beyond.”

English Football League (EFL) One football club Barnsley FC has announced US Mobile as a new club partner.

The US-based hybrid network operator will become Barnsley’s new front-of-shirt sponsor for the remainder of the current season and for the entirety of the 2023/24 campaign, representing the biggest financial deal of its kind for the club.

Chief Executive Officer of Barnsley FC, Khaled El-Ahmad, commented, “We are happy to welcome US Mobile to Barnsley F.C. and are pleased to begin what we expect to be a fruitful relationship for both parties with the ability to elevate both parties’ brand recognition.

“I want to credit Jon Flatman and George Johnston for the hard work to bring US Mobile to Barnsley F.C. and I look forward to welcoming CEO and founder Ahmed Khattak and his team to Oakwell in the near future to enjoy the finish of an improved season on and off the pitch.”

Premier League football club Southampton FC has partnered with partnered with football app Tonsser.

Tonsser, used by 1.6 million footballers across Europe, is designed to help players ‘build their football identity, capture performances and gain access to trials.

The app then holds the performance data of those unsigned players and offers the chance to be selected for different opportunities, like showcasing what they can do in front of professional and semi-professional clubs.

Now Tonsser will be officially launching in England with a trial event entitled Undiscovered x Southampton FC. The two part trial experience held in London on 8th May 2023 and then at the Saints’ Staplewood Campus on the 4th June 2023.

The World Seniors Darts Tour has announced the extension of its title sponsorship deal with JenningsBet.

Betting firm JenningsBet has been associated as a partner with the World Seniors Darts Tour since the first edition of the Seniors World Championship, and will now continue will headline sponsorship of all WSDT television tournaments.

JenningsBet has sponsored five television tournaments up to this point, including the recent Champion of Champions which had an audience of more than 3.5 million viewers in the UK.

Billy Lovell of the World Seniors Darts Tour said, “We are delighted to keep JenningsBet on board for the next cycle of our TV major events. From day one they have been a fantastic partner for WSDT, and we are glad they have chosen to continue this journey with us.”

“The relationship JenningsBet have built with the entire tour has been amazing and we are excited to see this continue to grow in the next 12 months.”

The British Basketball League (BBL) has appointed Jose Garnes as its new Chief Content Officier.

Via LinkediN, Garnes commented, “I am beyond excited for this opportunity. Big challenges ahead, but huge potential on what we can do with basketball in the UK.”