Eleven Sports appointed ANOUK MERTENS as its COO. Mertens has been the managing director of Eleven Sports in Belgium and Luxembourg since Oct. '15. She took the business into profitability and in the highly-connected country, "achieved 100% household distribution." As group COO, Mertens will manage budgets in all areas, review market performances and "seek synergies and operational efficiencies across the group," among other responsibilities. Mertens will also continue in her role as managing director in Belgium and Luxembourg (BROADBAND TV NEWS, 11/16). ... Bangladesh Cricket Board Head NAZMUL HASSAN took over as president of the Asian Cricket Council from EHSAN MANI until '20. The BCCI did not send its representative to the ACC's annual general meeting in Lahore on Saturday due to "security concerns" and "existing political tension" between neighboring nations (PTI, 11/18). ... Sport data and integrity specialist Sportradar appointed former MP & Silva European Sponsorship Dir HAMPUS LOFKVIST to a new global sponsorship role. Lofkvist's new role will focus on creating opportunities in the betting industry for Sportradar clients and monetizing sponsorship rights (SPORT INDUSTRY, 11/16).
COACHES/MANAGERS: Spanish second division side Sporting Gijón sacked coach RUBÉN BARAJA and named JOSÉ ALBERTO LÓPEZ, the current coach of Sporting's youth team, his replacement (MARCA, 11/18). ... Spanish Basketball League (ACB) club Baskonia announced it is parting ways with head coach PEDRO MARTÍNEZ. VELIMIR PERASOVIC will return as head coach (EUROHOOPS, 11/16).
