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Leading precious metal asset firm, Rosland Capital, chose the 2017 Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix to unveil their latest coin collection - designed in collaboration with the Ayrton Senna Institute (Instituto Ayrton Senna) - celebrating the landmark first win at the most renowned circuit in F1 by its most famous son thirty years ago.

Six 30oz Gold Coins (a number specifically chosen to mark this special anniversary) along with a further 180 2.5oz Gold & 300 2.5oz Silver Coins all bearing the iconic image of the legendary Brazilian driver have been produced as part of a wider series of celebratory events that took place in Monaco to commemorate the first of his record six wins in Monte Carlo - in 1987 while driving for Team Lotus.

The limited number of coins created mark them out as timeless collectors’ items for any true F1 and Senna fan. Each individually crafted coin, featuring his unmistakable image, is minted by Swiss-based PAMP S.A., one of the world’s finest coin producers and celebrates the enduring legacy of one of the most iconic racing drivers of all time, with a share of the proceeds going directly to the Ayrton Senna Institute.

Rosland Capital CEO, Marin Aleksov presented Senna Institute Director and the late icon’s niece, Bianca Senna, with the Gold & Silver coins after the unveiling of a commemorative plaque for the three-time F1 World Champion by HRH Prince Albert II of Monaco at the Fairmont Hotel, Monte Carlo during the Grand Prix weekend.

Aleksov was thrilled to showcase this special coin collection to Bianca Senna in Monaco: “We are honored to be part of this wonderful celebration of the anniversary of Ayrton Senna’s first win in Monaco thirty years ago. We know how important his legacy is to all Formula 1 –and indeed all sport - fans – and as such we feel very privileged to have been asked by the Ayrton Senna Foundation to produce this special range of gold and silver coins. With a share of the proceeds going towards the incredible work of the Foundation, this is a project that we are extremely proud to be associated with.”

Bianca also commented on the celebration of her uncle’s legacy: “It was an unforgettable weekend at the Monaco GP due to the tributes in honor of the 30th anniversary of Ayrton's first win in Monte Carlo, opening the series of six victories that still stands as an F1 record.

The launch of these coins immortalizes these celebrations by engraving in gold and silver such a special moment for us at the Ayrton Senna Institute and my uncle's fans in Brazil and all over the world."

With Wasps having won only four of the past 15 Premiership meetings between them and the Exeter Chiefs and back Kurtley Beale being ruled out of the Premiership final at Twickenham, the Wallaby’s absence may prove pivotal in the outcome of what is already a tight match to call.

The Chiefs make one change to the starting XV which overcame Saracens, with wing Olly Woodburn replacing top try-scorer James Short, whilst Willie Le Roux switches to full-back, with Josh Bassett starting on the wing.

Despite their knock-back, though, Wasps Director of Rugby Dai Young said: "We have a lot of respect for Exeter Chiefs, who are a quality team and a quality club. We've had some memorable battles over the past couple of seasons and know how well drilled and coached they are, so we will have to be at our absolute best to win.

Exeter Head Coach Rob Baxter said: "We're probably a stronger group going into this game than we were last week, which is always nice. But we've got to make sure that we don't expect that having a bit of experience from last year will be that big a factor. We've got to demand that what the big factor is, is the quality we play at."

Wasps finished Aviva Premiership in 1st place, with Exeter finishing 2nd but in 14 past Premiership finals, the league winners have only gone on to win at Twickenham five times (Sale 2006, Leicester 2009 and 2010, Harlequins 2012, and Saracens 2016) – which makes this one very hard to call.

 

 

Speaking at the Laureus Sport for Good European Summit, Pete Edwards from Manchester-based organisation The Running Charity - which using running to build resilience, confidence and self-esteem in homeless youth – said; “I’m leaving here with hope. Where there is sport, there is hope,” which proved poignant words in light of recent news from the city.

One of the world’s greatest football coaches Fabio Capello attended the Summit, in Stockholm, in Sweden, joining small group conversations and learning about the day-to-day work of the programme leaders in attendance. The hugely successful Capella offered his own personal experience of football in countries across Europe, before delivering a motivational message to programme leaders, encouraging them to instill a winning mentality within their organisations.

“Throughout my playing and managing career, I’ve seen first-hand the impact that sport can have,” he said. “It brings people together, gives them a common purpose and instils confidence in young people. I always worked in organisations with a winning mentality; I encourage you to adopt a winning mentality within your organisations. Be the best you can for the youth.”

The Laureus Sport for Good European Summit, hosted in partnership with the Swedish Postcode Foundation, brought together more than 50 programme leaders from organisations across Europe who uses sport to change the lives of young people. The event aptly took place in the sporting surroundings of Bosön on the outskirts of Stockholm, a picturesque campus which serves as a training facility for many of Sweden’s leading and aspiring athletes.

The United States Virgin Islands is now an approved destination to host National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I teams and, in addition to hosting basketball, volleyball and swimming events, the Territory can facilitate the participation of soccer, lacrosse and other NCAA-sponsored sports during the summer months.
Governor Kenneth E. Mapp said the new designation represented a huge boost for sports tourism opportunities in the Territory.
He made the announcement Friday at a news conference at Government House on St. Thomas, where he was accompanied by Commissioner of Tourism Beverly Nicholson-Doty; Commissioner of Sports, Parks and Recreation Pedro Cruz; Assistant Commissioner of Sports, Parks and Recreation Calvert White; and Nels J. Hawkinson, Executive Director of Basketball Travelers, Inc., which runs the USVI's annual Paradise Jam basketball tournament in November.
"With all 24 NCAA Division I sports teams now able to travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands for summer tours, we look forward to being part of the growth of the Paradise Jam competitions and to the possibility of hosting other NCAA sporting events," the Governor said, recognizing the potential for a significant positive impact on the Territory's economy. 
"This is an amazing opportunity to expand our sports tourism portfolio and our facilities."
The USVI and Basketball Travelers have partnered to bring five men's college basketball teams to the Territory as early as this August now that the USVI has been approved as an international or foreign tour destination for Division I colleges across the United States.
Hawkinson, whose Basketball Travelers organizes both domestic and international basketball competitions for college and high school teams, said there are 340 Division I universities in the United States, each with approximately 25 sports with 50 potential teams (men and women combined) that can now visit the islands.
"We're very excited to build on the success we've had for the last 18 years with Paradise Jam and to bring additional teams here. We're looking forward to this new initiative and continuing our great partnership with the U.S. Virgin Islands and its people," he said.
Currently visiting the U.S. Virgin Islands for the 50th time, Hawkinson said his love affair with the Territory is still as strong as it was 20 years ago when he first visited on a cruise ship. "That's what makes your islands. Everywhere I go (people) are friendly...and it's so wonderful to know that when we bring groups here that people are friendly and they understand basketball and sports."
Three U.S. Division I schools, James Madison University, the University of Northern Colorado and Vanderbilt University, will visit the Territory this August for the Paradise Jam Summer Tours, along with Canada's Carleton University and Brock University.
 
"This partnership opens doors for new business in the summer and fall, with the potential to host more basketball teams and athletes in other areas," Commissioner of Tourism Beverly Nicholson-Doty noted. She added the Tourism Department has been hard at work developing marketing strategies specifically for college and university audiences.
The Commissioner said sports teams comprising 15 to 20 visitors are being encouraged, explaining that Paradise Jam, through its basketball competitions in the fall, currently produces $2.4 million in direct economic impact and more than $6 million in media exposure. "The event has a 22:1 return on investment for the U.S. Virgin Islands, so we are looking forward to this opportunity to have many more types of these sporting events as we build our sports tourism network."
The Paradise Jam Summer Tours, which allow visiting teams to experience the natural beauty of the USVI while playing competitive out-of-season games against international opponents, will feature basketball games on St. Thomas, and for the first time, on St. Croix.
In addition to the five teams traveling to the Territory, the USVI National Team will compete in the summer tours, marking the first time in 15 years the national team will compete in the islands. The team's first faceoff will be the opening game of the Paradise Jam Summer Tours on August 13, on St. Croix against Vanderbilt University.
Assistant Commissioner of Sports, Parks and Recreation Calvert White, who is working directly on the initiative, said that in light of the unprecedented success of the Paradise Jam Basketball Tournament and the growth of the sports tourism market, the Department of Sports, Parks and Recreation looks forward to strengthening its partnership with the Department of Tourism and Basketball Travelers.

A fiercely entertaining day out for everyone this half term is a brand new, £1m attraction opens tpday at Playgolf in Bournemouth – Mighty Claws Adventure Golf.

Open seven days a week, this prehistoric paradise is home to some of the largest and fiercest animatronic dinosaurs on the Jurassic Coast. Suitable for the whole family, kids can swing, cut and slice their clubs through 18 holes of prehistoric thrills and near life-sized dinosaurs before devouring some of the best pizzas on the South Coast at The Kitchen Club.

Nestled between an erupting volcano and a five-metre high waterfall, the terrifying – almost life-sized moving 'Iron Jaws' can be found throughout the 18-hole course, breathing, moving and even roaring. Visitors will also get to know the friendly 'Sweet Claws' dinosaur characters along the way as they try to navigate the flowing streams, play three hidden holes in the awesome echoing cavern and follow the jungle paths before completing the course with a rest stop in a dramatic Dino Jaw Throne.

Taken from the children's storybook 'The Invasion of the Iron Jaws', created by Michael Volokh, the impressive course is based on the first episode in the adventures of a small group of lovable dinosaurs from Sweet Claw Valley, who must undertake a series of fearsome adventures in order to free their valley from the evil Iron Jaws. A number of Mighty Claws Adventure Golf courses are planned to open nationwide, each themed around one of the many adventures of the Sweet Claws dinosaur chums.

Organisers have unveiled the official medals for the World Para Athletics Championships and IAAF World Championships London 2017, which place the drive and determination of athletes at the heart of its unique clockwork design.

Based within the shape of an athletics track, both sets of medals for the World Para Athletics Championships and IAAF World Championships are layered with symbols of every event for each schedule, an intricate design that bears resemblance to the inner workings of a watch.

With London the historical home of Greenwich Mean Time, the medals for the IAAF World Championships also feature iconic London landmarks that sit on the River Thames – Tower Bridge, the London Eye, the Shard and Big Ben – to give a strong sense of location.

For the World Para Athletics Championships, the layering of the equipment enables visually impaired athletes to feel the details of the medals while there is braille on the reverse marking the host city and the year.

The medals were designed by Birmingham-based Toye, Kenning & Spencer who asked themselves “What makes an athlete tick?” when creating the medals. Founded in 1685, Toye, Kenning & Spencer have a proud history, holding a royal warrant and being commissioned to manufacture the medal presented to serving personnel in celebration of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

Five-time Paralympic medallist Dan Greaves, European and Commonwealth silver medallist Jazmin Sawyers and coach of Olympic champion Jessica Ennis-Hill, Toni Minichiello, were all part of the creative panel that fed into the medal design process.

Dan Greaves said: “You don’t need to much motivation going into a home World Championships but being part of the panel and having helped to choose such great medal designs really does make you want to win one. I more determined than ever to get on the podium in London.

“The medals are so unique and I really like how my event, the discus, is represented along with all the other disciplines. As an athlete, a lot of hard work and time goes into winning medals and it is great to see that element of time reflected in the design.”

Jazmin Sawyers said: “I loved being part of the panel. It was something that I have never done before and such a unique experience to see what goes into making the medals for a World Championships. It is great that organisers wanted input from athletes and coaches.

“Long jump is all about getting your timing right. If you get your run up just right and hit the board at exactly the right time you can land a big jump. That is what I will be aiming to do this summer and I can’t wait to hopefully be a part of an amazing World Championships.”

Toni Minichiello said: “The IAAF World Championships London 2017 is going to be a fantastic event and that organisers are recognising the coaches of medal-winning athletes with a medal for the first time too is a great progressive step.

“A coach works very closely with athletes and it’s important to understand what makes them tick. It is great to see that element being applied to the medals. At a big event like a World Championships, mindset and good decision making at the right time makes the difference between being successful and not.”

The biggest sporting events in the world in 2017, the World Para Athletics Championships kick off the Summer of Athletics from 14-23 July with the IAAF World Championships following at the London Stadium from 4-13 August.

Niels de Vos, Championship Director, said: “We are very proud of the unique medal designs for both the World Para Athletics Championships and IAAF World Championships London 2017. It isn’t easy to demonstrate so much on a medal but Toye, Kenning & Spencer have done a fantastic job with a design that carries such a great message.

“There are 213 medal events at the World Para Athletics Championships and 47 medal events at the IAAF World Championships and every athlete dreams of standing on the podium to collect one. Hopefully we have made that moment even more special by presenting a truly unique medal.”

Hamish Ritchie, Account Manager at Toye, Kenning and Spencer, said: “For us as a company it was massive honour to be chosen to design the medals. It has been a while since we have worked on such a large scale international event like this and it is really nice to have that support.

“They wanted something that was made in Britain entirely. We have the factory in Birmingham and the factory in Bedworth were the medal ribbons are manufactured. For us to be able to manufacture everything here, with our own manufacturing capabilities is fantastic.

“We are very proud to have been able to show off what we can do, not only our company but as a country for such an international event. We can say with pride that we made the medals for the World Para Athletics Championships and IAAF World Championships London 2017.”