The Int'l Tennis Federation said that "the athlete biological passport will be fully effective at the elite level in tennis by September."
The passport, which uses blood tests to detect the likelihood of doping rather than testing for specific substances, "came into operation in the final quarter of 2013 and covers around 50 of the world's top players" (REUTERS, 1/22). ... After 34 years, the Australian Institute of Sport "will change its logo for the first time as part of the biggest revamp in its history." The traditional red and blue colors "will be scrapped favour of 'Australian colours.'" It is "the next step in the Winning Edge 10-year strategic plan, which targets an ambitious top-five medal tally finish" at the 2016 Rio Games (CANBERRA TIMES, 1/23).
... The Sports Authority of India "put itself on collision course with Hockey India after it issued a clear instruction" to HI High Performance Dir Roelant Oltmans and chief coach Terry Walsh "to scrap their contracts with respective HIL franchises."
SAI "minced no words in stating that the duo could lose their salaries for the duration of the second edition of Hockey India League," commencing Jan. 25 in Mohali, if they "continued their association with the high-profile FIH-sanctioned event" (PTI, 1/22). ... The Int'l Rugby Board has partnered with FIRA-AER and the Rugby Football Union to deliver a ground-breaking project that will drive Rugby growth in 17 European national unions ahead of Rugby World Cup 2015.
A key component of the IRB’s IMPACT Beyond 2015 program, the Unity Project will see two RFU constituent bodies pairing with a Union selected by the IRB and FIRA-AER to work with over the next three years (IRB).
