Justin Timberlake and Tiger Woods have announced plans to renovate a historic cinema in St Andrews in order to open a luxury sports bar.
The US singer and golfer are both shareholders of the real estate company Nexus Luxury Collection, that is behind the plans.
Woods and Timberlake, who have a similar bar in New York, will name the sports bar T-Squared Socials as an homage to ‘Timberlake’ and ‘Tiger’ and the claim the idea was born during a round of golf.
Woods, said, “Justin and I thought it would be cool to create a place that combines our favourite things and brings people together to just have a great time.”
“I have been fortunate enough to enjoy many special moments here at St Andrews.
“We all wanted to bring our T-Squared Social concept to St Andrews to add to the local community and be a welcoming place for those living in St Andrews and for visitors alike.”
Timberlake, added, “I’m honoured to be able to invest in the town and bring our second T-Squared Social here. Our new venue is so much more than a typical sports bar experience – it’s a place you can go to be entertained without sacrificing quality or comfort.”
Beyond Sport, the UK-based global foundation that promotes the use of sport to address social issues, has partnered with the Z Zurich Foundation and Zurich North America to launch Head in the Game.
Head in the Game is a new a comprehensive program to positively impact the mental wellbeing of 13- to 19-year-olds in the US, with a special focus on youth of colour, LGBTQ+ youth and girls.
The initial focus of the programme is set to be on communities in California, Illinois, Minnesota and New York after U.S. Census data showed that while Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and others (LGBTQ+) populations in cities in these states have grown significantly over the last 10 years, resources have not grown at pace.
Sofyen Khalfaoui, Z Zurich Foundation Head of Improving Mental Wellbeing, said, “Addressing the invisible mental health crisis among young people necessitates prioritizing investments in mental wellbeing prevention and promotion programming. By raising awareness and changing attitudes through impactful campaigns, such as Head In The Game, we can empower young individuals with invaluable tools to shift their mindset and recognize the significance of looking after their mental wellbeing before any crisis point is reached.”
Beyond Sport Executive Director, Fred Turner, commented, “With reports showing that 20% of 12- to 17-year-olds had suffered from at least one major depressive episode in 2021, and with depression, anxiety and behavioral disorders among the leading causes of illness and disability among adolescents, Beyond Sport felt that it was important to take action on the crisis.
“The investment of the Z Zurich Foundation is invaluable to our efforts to leverage the world of sport to address systemic inequities that are impacting youth mental wellbeing.”
Head in the Game’s systems-change approach will focus on ‘prevention, promotion, attitudinal change and behavioural impact’ across three focus areas; grants and capacity building, a multimedia awareness campaign, and building an interactive, virtual platform that allows community members to share best practices and resources, seek support, and access development opportunities.
Sports and data technology company Sportradar has been selected as the official technology and services solution provider by the Taiwan Sports Lottery.
Sportradar aims to ‘transform the sports betting experience in Taiwan’ as part of the consortium that will operate the Taiwan Sports Lottery from 2024 through 2033.
ORAKO, Sportrader’s end-to-end sportsbook and player account management solution, will be fully implemented across more than 2,600 retail outlets in Taiwan as well as across web and mobile channels.
Carsten Koerl, Chief Executive Officer at Sportradar, said, “Our experience working with government-run lotteries around the world, coupled with our innovative technology and end-to-end ORAKO solution means Sportradar is well-placed to operate as part of a successful consortium for the Taiwan Sports Lottery. We’re able to bring the full range of betting services to deliver a high-quality and consistent experience for people playing the games, whether they’re in retail outlets, playing via the internet or on their mobile devices.”
Ted Lin, President of Taiwan Sports Lottery Company Ltd, added, “Our aim is to redefine the sports betting experience and Sportradar has a full suite of technological solutions to help us achieve that. With a proven track record of working with established lottery providers globally, we look forward to harnessing the synergies with Sportradar to transform the sports betting landscape in Taiwan.”
Six English Football League (EFL) clubs have committed to exclusively using eco-friendly travel methods.
The Sustainable Travel Charter, created by a working group made up of charity Pledgeball, the Football Supporters’ Association and the six clubs, has been launched to help teams reduce their environmental impact, following criticism of clubs such as Wrexham and Nottingham Forest flying to games.
Championship side Millwall has adopted the ‘no flight’ policy, alongside Bristol City, Bristol Rovers, Forest Green Rovers, Mansfield Town and Swindon Town.
Katie Cross, Chief Executive of Pledgeball, commented, “Football clubs’ reliance on short-haul flights is a thorn in the side of their wider sustainability strategies. This charter seeks to address the elephant in the room and help clubs incorporate more sustainable travel practices into their operations and lead by example in showing fans and the public that climate action means walking the talk.”
Welsh rugby union club Scarlets Rugby has announced the extension of its partnership with local NHS charity Hywel Dda Health Charities to support the Wish Fund campaign.
The campaign raises funds to create memories for children and young people living with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions and their families.
Jonathan Davies, Former Scarlets Rugby Player, said, “We are delighted to be a part of the Wish Fund campaign and look forward to working with Hywel Dda Health Charities to make a real difference to families across mid and west Wales.
“We hope to inspire people across the region to join with us and bring a bit of joy to their lives. We want to help them create some brilliant memories which will last forever.”
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