RNS Number:0997T
World Sport Group PLC
18 March 2002

Date:                         18 March 2002
On behalf of:                 World Sport Group plc ("World Sport Group")
Embargoed until:              0700hrs



WORLD SPORT GROUP OPENS GATES

TO ASIA FORMING JOINT VENTURE WITH FIRST ARTIST



The Board of World Sport Group plc, a major sports media, marketing and
management company, is pleased to announce the establishment of a joint venture
with First Artist Corporation Plc ("First Artist"), the leading football
management and representation company.



The joint venture company, which will be called First Artist International, has
been established to identify and promote sporting talent across the Asia Pacific
and Australasian regions.



World Sport Group owns an extensive portfolio of blue chip sports properties
predominantly across Asia.  Its media and marketing rights include the Asian
Professional Golfers' Association, Asian Football Confederation ("AFC") events,
Oceania Football Confederation events as well as an interest in the Cricket
World Cup.



First Artist is the world's largest football player management agency whose
portfolio of leading European based players includes Kanu (Arsenal), Patrik
Andersson (Barcelona), Paul Gascoigne (Everton), Kevin Phillips (Sunderland),
Tore Andre Flo (Glasgow Rangers) and Francesco Antonioli (AS Roma).



The joint venture will allow both organisations to pool their expertise at a
time when the world's attention is focused on Asia in the lead up to the
forthcoming World Cup in Japan and South Korea, 2002, and the Asian Cup in China
in 2004.  First Artist International will be operated by a number of staff from
First Artist who will be based at World Sport Group's existing offices in Hong
Kong.



David Ciclitira, Executive Chairman of World Sport Group, commented:

"World Sport Group enjoys a dominant position in the Asian sports market.  Our
joint venture with First Artist is a further endorsement of our strategy and
reinforces our belief that World Sport Group is the partner for businesses
looking to build their operations and brands through sport in Asia."



Phil Smith, Director of First Artist, commented:

"This is an exciting opportunity to establish a commanding presence in an
increasingly important football market.  Over 1 billion people watch the English
premiership every weekend across the globe.  The forthcoming World Cup in South
Korea and Japan means that there is the potential to generate interest amongst a
further few hundred million people in the region.  This is of great importance
to First Artist as there is a positive correlation between an expanding fan base
and the strength of the transfer market.



"This joint venture means that we now have an office in every important football
market place in the world."



For further details please contact:


Jon Smith/Phil Smith                             Tel: 020 8900 1818
First Artist Corporation Plc
www.1startist.com


Emma Kane
Redleaf Communications                           Tel:  020 7955 1410
ek@redleafpr.com                                 Mob:  07876 338339

Adam Reynolds/Takki Sulaiman                     Tel: 020 7735 9415
Hansard Communications                           Mob: 07778 419218
www.hansardcommunications.com                    mail@hansardcommunications.com



Notes to Editors:-



About World Sport Group plc:



1.   World Sport Group plc (WSG) listed on AIM on 15 August
2001, following the reverse takeover of Orchard Furniture plc by the combined
businesses of World Sport Group Limited and Parallel Media Group International
Limited.

2.   The company offers a comprehensive one-stop shop for
advertisers and sponsors: television programming, airtime sales, outdoor
marketing opportunities, Internet services, exposure in print publications and
bespoke event management plus sponsorship in football, cricket, rugby and golf.

3.   WSG's ownership of media and marketing rights includes the
Asian Professional Golfers' Association (Asian PGA) for 90 years and rights to
the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) events until 2009 (with matching rights
to 2013). In partnership with News Corporation, it also has the rights to ICC
International Cricket, including the World Cups in 2003 (South Africa) and 2007
(West Indies).



About First Artist Corporation plc:



1.   First Artist (FAN.L) listed on AIM in December 2001 having come to OFEX in 
March 2001.

2.  In December 2001 the company acquired FIMO Sport Promotion AG, the leading 
pan-European football player management agency.

3.  First Artist is now one of the largest football player agencies with 400 
players under management.

4.  On March 15th 2002 the company announced the creation of a
Joint Venture company with Superfute FA ("Superfute") of Portugal and Media
Global Audiovisual SL ("Media Global") of Spain. The Joint Venture company will
be known as International Profoot Services Group ("IPS").  IPS will be able to
leverage considerable cross border market intelligence between four of the
largest football transfer markets in Europe - the UK, Italy, Spain and Portugal.





                                      ENDS




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