Sports News

UK Athletics and UK Sport, with endorsement from the IAAF’s Athletics for a Better World programme, have launched an international athletics development programme linked to the IAAF World Championships London 2017. The programme, known as LEAP (Leadership and Excellence in Athletics Programme), aims to develop youth athletics in a number of countries around the world.

After successfully staging England’s record victory over New Zealand in the 1^st Royal London ODI, Edgbaston Stadium has confirmed that more seats will be installed for the 3^rd Test Match of the Investec Ashes Series, which it hosts from Wednesday July 29 until Sunday August 2nd.

Adam Gemili became the 100th man in history to break the magical 10 second barrier for 100m as the European 200m champion ran 9.97 to finish second in a high quality Diamond League race. After setting a new lifetime best of 10.00 when finishing second in his heat, Gemili lined up for the final full of confidence.

Great Britain & Northern Ireland will send a competitive team to Porto Moniz in Portugal next month for the European (Uphill) Mountain Running Championships . The teams will seek to replicate the success from last year when they won two individual and three team medals.

The world’s best female sprinters will line up over 200m at the Sainsbury’s Birmingham Grand Prix on Sunday 7 June as the new British 100m record holder Dina Asher-Smith takes on the likes of Allyson Felix and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.

As Arsenal became the most successful club in FA Cup history, Aston Villa, a mere shadow of the side that performed so impressively to beat Liverpool at Wembley in the semi-final, will have to regard Premier League survival (by the skin of their teeth, again) as their success this term.

European indoor pentathlon champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson has confirmed that she will compete in the long jump at the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games at London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on 24-25 July.

Qatar Airways, FC Barcelona and Aspire Academy hosted a friendly match at Miniestadi, Barcelona, between Qatar Airways & Aspire Academy – Football Dreams Africa team and FC Barcelona’s Infantil A Team.

Jo Pavey will represent GB & NI for the first time since she was crowned European 10,000m champion last summer as the 41 year old joins an eight-strong team heading to the European 10,000m Cup in Chia on 6 June.

Olympic heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis-Hill has confirmed that she will compete at the Sainsbury’s Birmingham Grand Prix on Sunday June 7. The British heptathlon record holder is planning to contest both the 100m hurdles and shot put at the Alexander Stadium.

Whilst the Birmingham Bears entertain local rivals Worcestershire Rapids at Edgbaston in the NatWest T20 Blast, a new chapter in the city's cricketing history will begin as the first match is played at the Edgbaston Foundation Community Ground at Portland Road, Smethwick.

Former Manchester United and Aston Villa star, Dwight Yorke, has added another string to his aleeady considerably successful bow as he takes up his new role as Tobago Global Brand Ambassador, heading an array of Premier League stars who will be taking part in the British Airways Tobago Football Legends tournament, on the Caribbean island.

West Bromwich Albion stars, Joleon Lescott and Darren Fletcher, have both admitted that they are confident that the Baggies can progress next season, after securing their Premier League status for another year.

Aston Villa manager, Tim Sherwood, has urged his players to beat the drop - and then nurture a winning mentality. Sherwood believes successive battles with relegation have affected confidence levels.

University of Birmingham Sport (UBSport) will be hosting their International Rules – Gaelic Football v Aussie Rules, to be played on Saturday, June 13.

A 52-strong Great Britain & Northern Ireland under 20 team has been selected to compete at the Loughborough International Athletics (LIA) on Sunday May 17 at the Paula Radcliffe Stadium.