The logo for the Olympics has caused quite some controversy, and it’s not hard to see why. A lot of public money has been spent on this confusing collection of shapes. Apparently it says something about democracy, yet despite the uproar a re-design seems to be out of the question.

The RT. HON. Richard Caborn visited New Balance’s Factory in Flimby to mark 25 years of UK manufacturing. The Minister for Sport received a pair of personalised performance running shoes from Liam Burns,New Balance’s HR Manager at Flimby, after his tour of the factory. The name of the Minister’s department,DCMS, was embroidered on the tongue of the shoes.

Outdoor lifestyle brand Merrell is proud to announce their sponsorship of the 2007 White Air festival. Based at Sandown Bay over the August Bank Holiday Weekend, the White Air festival has become renowned for being the Isle’s most popular extreme sports event, which pulls in some 70,000 enthusiasts each year.

The British Darts Organisation is delighted to announce the BBC scheduled dates for the two most prestigious televised Championships in World Darts:Winmau World Masters (played annually since 1974) and the World Professional Darts Championships (played annually since 1978).

Aqua Sphere sponsored triathlete Michelle Dillon enjoyed an excellent result in early May in Portugal, finishing second at the ITU World Cup in Lisbon. Despite having travelled across the Atlantic from her previous race in Florida - and being taken down in the Lisbon race in a bike crash which involved half the field! - Michelle still managed a great World Cup podium finish.

The North Face has announced substantial enhancements and redesigns to its company website,www.thenorthface.com/eu. Just in time for summer, the updated site sizzles with new features, intuitive navigation and bold graphics.

The last number of months has seen the launch and fast development of ISRA, Ireland's first Independent Sports Retailer Alliance designed to create a network between Individual Irish sports retailers and their Suppliers. ISRA is the first Independent Sports Retailer Alliance in Ireland.

The Italian sportswear company Lotto Sport Italia has appointed Planet Sports Inc. (PSI) as its exclusive licensee in the Philippines until 31 December 2011. The new licensing contract was announced last Friday at a media conference held at PSI’s flagship store in Manila.

The product lines will include international models as well as a special collection specifically tailored for the Philippine market.

Restructure: Mammut without Jürgen Schütte

Mammut’s brand manager Jürgen Schütte is to leave the company in August after two years for personal reasons; the long-time K2-manager will return to Germany. According to CEO Rolf Schmid, the position of the brand manager will not be refilled. Schütte’s functions will be distributed to the two business unit directors Adrian Huber (clothing) and Carsten von Birckhahn (hardware).

James Blake has left the Prince Group, George Napier,CEO, Prince Sports explained:

"18 months ago we welcomed James Blake to the Prince family. Our mutual plan, then, was for James to endorse the Prince brand and play the company's award winning 03 technology racquets. During the 18 months, James has been an integral part of our Team,working with R&D to develop new racquets for him, and for us to take to market.

Nomis is an interesting name for a brand. What’s the story behind it?

It’s actually just Simon reversed, named after Simon Skirrow designer and Nomis creator; his wife was talking to him and he had some titles, she was reading upside down and suggested it.Very simple but everyone asks what it means. It’s a great talking point especially its pronunciation, which incidentally is No-miss.

Rainham Sports is a well-respected business. When was it established?

The shop first opened its doors in 1981, changed owners in 1984 and then again in 2003. I've been working here as a manager for 10 years. I did start as a junior sales assistant in 86, before going off and perfecting my sales technique in other retail areas before coming back (I must be bonkers!).

Doesn’t your heart just sing at the latest show of support for retailers from our wise lawmakers? We all have moments of mild insanity but what was their state of mind when they struck on the idea of suspending shoplifters’ fines if offenders agree to a period of good behaviour? Shoplifter/good behaviour: words one is unlikely to use in the same sentence if you are a realist.

As part of its new footwear line, Nanny State has introduced a new range of men’s plimsoles.“The rubber soles and canvas uppers of the plimsole have inspired generations of trainers and are the undisputed daddy of the modern trainer,” said a spokesperson.

The ALLROUNDER by Mephisto caters for the whole family so whether you’re popping to the gym, commuting to work or strolling through the park, these shoes will get you there in comfort. The A/W 07 collection for men offers versatility in shades of charcoal, hazelnut and classic black with seasonal touches of rust and red.

Available in metallic shades of gold and silver, these sleek shoes are not only technically superior, in line with Sebago’s performance marine traditions, but they are also for those in the city who want to look stylish and sporty. Sticky rubber Sebago OctoPod outsoles grip any terrain, and comfort is ensured with compression moulded foot bed and 4-way Lycra stretch collars.

Taking inspiration from past KangaROOS heritage, the three main Spring/Summer 2007 collections are stepping out in brand new sports, sports lifestyle and hybrid trainers and pumps, featuring vibrant colours, technical designs and comfort.

Lightweight, highly breathable, and quick-drying hybrid footwear, the Soaker Mid from Nike ACG is equally at home underwater, on the trail, or in urban centres. This is durable footwear that provides great support and unparalleled traction, built in a CONSIDERED way. It is available in men- and women-specific models in a large variety of colours.

TK Hockey is a leading brand in hockey and widely regarded as a “must have” brand for retailers of hockey products.

Sticks of course are the key to success and the TK Collection for 2007/8 incorporates three senior composite stick series; CX Deviator features an array of technical innovations, CX Concept is a creative collection of sticks specially shaped to assist specific skills and finally CX Core, which offers sticks at the key price points finished with attractive colours and stunning graphics.

Exciting, inspiring, attractive, the 2007 Mercian collection offers new products in every area across its’ ranges to satisfy every hockey requirement.With demand for Mercian products reaching record levels last season new products have been designed to cater for the needs of the fashion and quality conscious hockey market.

Over at Kookaburra, the L-Bow design has been joined by the L-Bow Extreme concept.Whilst the L-Bow places the optimum point of the shaft at a point low down on the stick, the L-Bow Extreme enhances this principal through the introduction of a more prominent 24.99mm bow, which retains compliance with FIH legislation.

If there is one name in the UK sports trade that is synonymous with the game of HOCKEY, it must surely be CHRIS SUTHERLAND. When our man about the trade, JACK LYNES, met up with him he was overwhelmed by his energy, enthusiasm, inventiveness, ingenuity and determination to keep ‘DITA’ as the leading brand name in the game. So what is it about the man and the make that justifies such confidence? After a brief look at the history of the game and the life of the man, Jack catches up with what is new and what is news on the hockey front.

Check out the BALLISTIC HALF SPIKE RRP: £55. Today’s cricketer increasingly demands lightweight footwear as the modern game gets faster and player comfort becomes more important than ever.With this in mind the Ballistic shoe focuses on lightweight performance without compromising on stability, comfort or support.

Wilson has combined four new exclusive technologies - the next generation of nano-technology with three original frame engineering innovations - to produce a range of [K]Factor rackets that are said to provide unprecedented levels of control for all types of tennis player, from Grand Slam champions to average club players. The new technology is credited with delivering up to 64% more control than standard rackets, while maintaining all of the traditional levels of power.

The sports drink market, worth £180m in the UK in 2006, is set to be shaken up by a new marketing campaign that launches this month. The campaign posits Taut as the first clean sports drink, and highlights the many unhealthy artificial ingredients present in popular sports drinks.

The Tempest is Saucony's top-selling netball shoe. The shoe has strong features as it is lightweight, flexible, durability and provides enormous gripping power. It borrows technology from Saucony's market-leading running shoes including outstanding cushioning, which means great comfort, and a carbon rubber outsole that provides the necessary traction on indoor and outdoor courts.

From Henry Cotton’s to Canterbury of New Zealand and Philipp Plein,with only a few weeks to go before the start of ispo SPORT & STYLE on July 8 2007, the show can boast an exciting range of exhibitors.

This year OutDoor stretches across across a total of 72,000 sq m, including 11 trade show halls and an open-air section: “OutDoor is the leading trade show in Europe for all outdoor sporting activities. We are seeing significant growth at all levels and are delighted with this development,” said Messe Friedrichshafen CEO Klaus Wellman.

ACHILLES TENDINITIS

Inflammation, pain and swelling to the Achilles associated with difficulty in walking, should point the athlete to possible Achilles tendonitis. Often caused by overuse, tight calf muscles or a high tight heel counter in the trainer shoe, which irritates the Achilles tendon.