Scottish Championship side Rangers, which earned promotion to the top flight, "will head to the United States in pre-season" as it prepares for its return to the Scottish Premiership. Manager Mark Warburton's squad will travel to Charleston, South Carolina for a training camp from June 26 to July 8. The club will play a friendly against United Soccer League side Charleston Battery at its 5,100-capacity MUSC Health Stadium on July 6 (BBC, 5/11).
BAKU DEEMED READY: Formula 1 Race Dir Charlie Whiting has "no doubt Baku will be ready to host its debut grand prix in June following his latest inspection of the street circuit this week." Azerbaijan's capital city is scheduled to host the Grand Prix of Europe on June 17-19, with Whiting "applauding the work done so far." He said, "The circuit will be ready. You can see the quality of all the installations wherever you look" (AUTOSPORT, 5/10).
EVENT BRIEFS ...
Lisbon, one of the recent hosts of the Volvo Ocean Race, has been chosen as the destination for a "flying start to the next edition" in '17-18. The race announced on Tuesday that a new Boatyard facility was opening with immediate effect in Lisbon to service the fleet for the next race and provide the base for an upgrade to all the Volvo Ocean 65 boats from October (SAIL WORLD, 5/10).
Solomon Islands won the bid to host the 2023 Pacific Games. The Pacific Games Council's General Assembly voted in favor of the Melanesian country by one vote over French Polynesia. The Solomon Islands government "had promised to build a new national stadium in Honiara if it won the hosting rights" (RADIO NEW ZEALAND, 5/11).
