Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has appointed Ama Agbeze and Geoff Thompson to the board of the Birmingham 2022 Organising Committee to help deliver the biggest sporting and cultural event ever staged in the West Midlands. 

Originally from Birmingham, Ama Agbeze captained Team England's netballers to their historic Commonwealth gold medal at the Gold Coast 2018 Games, as well as winning a bronze medal at the Melbourne 2006 Games. Ama is also ambassador for the United by Birmingham 2022 community programme. With her in-depth knowledge of international sport and as a qualified lawyer, she has held a number of roles as an ambassador, trustee and board member to various charitable organisations as well as Commonwealth Games England over recent years.

Geoff is a former five times world karate champion and sports administrator, with experience in the bidding, hosting and legacy planning of major events including the Manchester 2002 and Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. He is the founder of Youth Charter, a UK-based international charity and has also held a number of board appointments including with the London Legacy Development Corporation, the Muhammad Ali Center and the Independent Advisory Panel of the Professional Footballers’ Association.

Oliver Dowden, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said: “I’m delighted to be able to appoint Ama and Geoff to the Birmingham 2022 Organising Committee board. Having both competed at the highest level and excelled in work across sport more widely, I know their experience will be invaluable to the board.

“They will play an important role in delivering the biggest sporting and cultural event the West Midlands has ever held, showcasing the best of the UK in what will be a landmark year for the country."

The board oversees the planning and delivery of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. It remains on budget and on schedule to be held from 28 July to 8 August 2022. 

The board is made up of sports, civic and business experts and leaders representing Birmingham City Council, the West Midlands Combined Authority, the UK Government, Commonwealth Games Federation and Commonwealth Games England. Members of the board will serve until 30 June 2023 following the delivery of the Games. 

Chair of the Birmingham 2022 Organising Committee board, John Crabtree, said: “It is an absolute pleasure to be able to welcome Ama and Geoff to the Birmingham 2022 board and I am very much looking forward to getting their input, insight and ideas as we ramp up the delivery of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

“Their sporting expertise speaks for itself  - they are world beaters and incredibly inspiring individuals.  They know what it takes to seize an opportunity in order to achieve something great.  From our conversations so far they have made clear how passionate they are about Birmingham and the West Midlands and how they share in our vision to bring the benefits of these Games to as many people as possible. They are very welcome additions to the board.” 

Ama Agbeze said: “Having a major competition on your doorstep is a rarity. Therefore, being part of the Organising Committee for a Commonwealth Games that will showcase your home city and its surroundings to the world is an absolute privilege for me - a definite once in a lifetime opportunity which I will relish. I am looking forward to fully engaging with the role and working with John and the rest of the Birmingham 2022 Organising Committee Board to ensure the Games are a celebration of sport, community, culture and equality.”

Geoff Thompson added: “I am excited to be returning to my home region of the West Midlands and joining the Birmingham 2022 Organising Committee. My aim is to contribute to the delivery of a Games that will bring the global Commonwealth community together and celebrate a diversity of legacy, hope and opportunity to our young people and communities both at home and abroad.”

Facebook says it is "horrified" at the continued online abuse of footballers and has announced what is says are tougher measures to tackle the issue. The social media platform is changing the rules governing direct messaging on Instagram, a platform it also owns. It will disable the accounts of those found to have repeatedly sent abusive private messages on Instagram.

UK head of content policy Fadzai Madzingira said it was saddening to see continued abuse on the platforms. She said: "I'm horrified at the type of abuse that people, especially these footballers, have to deal with on the basis of who they are, whether it's their race or their religion or their gender, and as a company, we're disappointed to see that sort of behaviour that plays out offline also playing out on our platform.

"It's why we're making the announcements today about taking tougher measures to go after accounts that are violating our community standards and our goals within Instagram direct messages."

A number of Premier League footballers including Manchester United's Marcus Rashford and Axel Tuanzebe, West Brom's Romaine Sawyers and Chelsea full-back Reece James have been subjected to abusive online messages in recent weeks. The Football Association has called for action from the government, which has since stated social media companies could face "large fines" potentially amounting to "billions of pounds" if they fail to tackle abuse on their platforms.

Asked whether Facebook was enabling such abuse, Madzingira said: "No, to imply that it's about enabling I think would be inaccurate. I think that platforms like ours allow communities of people to connect on the things that they love. If we need to have a conversation about hate, it really needs to be not what is just happening on the platform."

Footballers past and present have called for users of social media platforms to be required to provide verification documents when creating accounts so that they can be traced more effectively if they breach rules. Facebook says this measure would prove challenging in communities where such documents would not be readily available.

Fadzai added: "If we were to insist on using government ID or passport details we would be barring access to the very people who use our platforms to build communities, so we are very conscious we allow for that access." The company claims it took action on 6.5 million pieces of hate speech on Instagram between July and September last year, including within direct messages which are harder to police because of privacy rules. She explained: "To date, if someone violated the rules in Instagram direct messages, we would set a specific ban or a block for a certain amount of time and extend that period, should they continue to violate.

“Today we're announcing that we will now be removing those accounts, should they continue to violate within Instagram direct messaging." Facebook said it would not spell out how many offences would trigger removal as offenders could use the information to game the system and said it was doing everything they can to fight hate and racism on their platform, but added that the problems are bigger than them.

Some users have sought a ban on specific emojis commonly used in racist messages but Ms Madzingira argued against banning symbols that could be used innocently in other contexts. She also said filters could be used to prevent others from leaving offensive comments on posts, and that work was also being done to prevent banned users from opening new accounts.

Asked whether Facebook has prioritised profits over clamping down on abuse, Madzingira said: "I think that would be an inaccurate assessment. Because if people didn't feel safe on the platform they wouldn't be able to be there.

"We accept that being able to deal with this issue is everyone's responsibility and we want to play our part. The frustration that these players have is right - it is horrifying the abuse they are receiving."

Newcastle United are said to be leading a list of English Premier League teams for the signing of former England striker Daniel Sturridge. The Magpies have been offered the chance to sign free agent striker for the remainder of the season.

The 31-year-old has been without a club since March 2020, when his contract with Turkish side Trabzonspor was terminated after just six months at the club. He has been keeping fit whilst mindful of the possibility of a return to football, with a move to Major League Soccer also been suggested.

However, it has been confirmed that the former Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City still yearns for the chance to return to the Premier League. West Bromwich Albion and Sheffield United have both made contact with Sturridge, but Newcastle who have just lost star striker Callum Wilson to a hamstring injury, have been said to be showing the greater interest.

Intermediaries have offered Newcastle the chance to bring in Sturridge on a short-term deal until the end of the season. Sturridge is said to be open to any Premier League offers as he is keen to prove both his fitness and his level, and the interest in him means a potential move could arrive before the current campaign comes to a close.

Newcastle are yet to make a decision on Sturridge, who has 26 England caps was a UEFA Champions League winner with Chelsea, and starred in the Team GB football team during the London 2012 Olympics. They are considering all of their options with top scorer Wilson, with ten goals this year, expected to miss up to two months of action, leaving manager Steve Bruce with only Joelinton, Andy Carroll and Dwight Gayle as senior strikers to choose between.

Starting at Aston Villa, before moving on to Coventry City, at his peak, Sturridge starred for Liverpool as he linked up with Luis Suarez at Anfield, as they formed a deadly partnership, most notably in the 2013/14 season. Injuries have hampered his career since then, but on his day he surely has what it takes to offer something to teams like Newcastle at the lower end of the table.

The risk of coronavirus transmission from sharing sports equipment is "lower than once thought", a study suggests. Researchers, led by Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, applied live virus particles to nine types of sports equipment and a control material. They concluded that it seems unlikely that sports balls and accessories are a major cause for transmission.

Last June Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that cricket balls are a "natural vector" of coronavirus. The Strike study found the virus was least transferrable on absorbent materials like cricket gloves and tennis balls, compared with non-porous equipment like racing saddles and rugby balls. The researchers found that there was rapid decay of viral particles across several types of equipment, and it was very difficult to transfer live virus back off it. Close contact between players is likely to be a more important mode of spreading the virus than sharing equipment, researchers concluded.

James Calder, from Imperial College and Fortius Clinic, said: "The findings in this study are important not only for elite athletes, but also for community sports and our schools.

"It shows that the risk of transmission when sharing sports equipment is lower than was once thought and it highlights the importance of promoting other infection control measures in sports, whilst urging equipment manufacturers to identify surfaces that may be less likely to retain viable virus."

During the study a low dose and a high dose of live coronavirus was applied to a cricket glove, a football, a golf ball, a piece of gym pit foam, a horse saddle, both red and white cricket balls, a rugby ball and a tennis ball, as well as a piece of stainless steel as a control material. Each was tested after one minute, five minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes and 90 minutes, to see whether live virus could be transferred off the equipment at time points that were relevant to sports events.

When the low dose was applied, virus was recoverable on seven of the 10 items tested after one minute, one of the 10 after five minutes - the horse saddle - and none of the 10 after 15 minutes. When the high dose was applied, virus was recoverable on nine out of the 10 items after one and five minutes - all except the cricket glove - six out of 10 after 30 minutes, and two out of 10 after 90 minutes (the rugby ball and horse saddle). However, the study - which is awaiting peer review - found that the "mean recovery of the virus fell across all materials to 0.74% at one minute, 0.39% at 15 minutes and 0.003% at 90 minutes".

Dr Emily Adams, a senior lecturer at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, said: "Anything that is slightly absorbent like a tennis ball or some of the leathery cricket balls, it's very difficult to transfer any live virus off those. So we think that transmission from sports equipment is probably very low in these cases. In many sports, like tennis, really the public health intervention should be focused on players and how players interact before a game, during a game and after a game and in transport rather than the sports equipment itself." The study found there was a noticeable difference in the viral recovery of red and white cricket balls.

It says: "Despite the white and red cricket ball surfaces both being composed of bovine leather, the different coatings used to finish the surfaces (synthetic grease on the red ball, nitrocellulose on the white ball) had a noticeable effect on viral recovery, with the red ball having a lower level." The study concludes that, given the differences in virus transfer between the types of sports equipment, the findings could "direct the engineering of materials that retain and absorb virus" as opposed to water-repellent materials, where the ability to transfer virus particles back off a surface is greater.

Qatar Airways, official airline partner of the FIFA Club World Cup 2020, congratulates FC Bayern Munich who secured a 1–0 win in the final, concluding an action-filled tournament that featured the world’s continental club champions. The finals, at The Education City Stadium, saw the European representatives defeat Mexico’s Tigres UANL in a thrilling contest.

Qatar Airways cabin crew graced the prize distribution ceremony, presenting the individual player awards and trophies, with Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, saying: “Over the last week, we have witnessed the artistry of players capture the excitement of fans around the world. I congratulate FC Bayern Munich for emerging as worthy victors after their match winning display.

“I would also like to commend Tigres for their spirited performance and for coming this far. Our partnership with FIFA remains tied to the mission of utilising the power of football to unite people of all ages and backgrounds.

“Following a passionate and entertaining FIFA Club World Cup 2020 campaign, we look forward to welcoming the world to Qatar, as we prepare to host a memorable FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022”. In addition to being the Official Airline Partner of FIFA, the Qatar Airways football family of top global clubs includes Al Sadd SC, AS Roma, Boca Juniors, FC Bayern München, K.A.S. Eupen and Paris Saint-Germain.

The company’s global sporting partnership portfolio aims to reflect the values of sport in bringing people together. The national carrier of the State of Qatar has key partnerships with several other high-profile sport events and organisations.

Qatar Airways currently operates more than 800 weekly flights to over 120 destinations across the globe. By the end of March 2021, Qatar Airways plans to rebuild its network to over 130 destinations with many cities to be served with a strong schedule of daily or more frequencies. 

Another significant milestone has been reached at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre in Smethwick after the dive tower, which will be used for the diving competition at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, was completed. The dive tower, which took five weeks to build, includes 31 separate English made, concrete pieces weighing 233 tonnes in total. The structure is 10m and took five people 2000 hours to build.

The diving competition at Birmingham 2022 will see men and women compete in the 1m and 3m springboard events and the 10m platform event, as well as the 3m springboard and 10m platform synchronised events. For the first time ever at a Commonwealth Games, there will also be mixed synchronised 3m springboard and mixed synchronised 10m platform diving included on the programme.

Team England has a great record of winning diving medals at the Commonwealth Games having previously bagged 75, including 31 golds, 22 silvers and 22 bronze medals. One of the team’s most recent diving medallists is Noah Williams, who won silver in the men’s 10m synchronised platform competition on the Gold Coast in 2018.

Noah, who is also a European bronze medallist, recently saw photos and video footage of the completed dive tower and said: “The dive tower looks so impressive, as does the whole Sandwell Aquatics Centre – it is going to be a fantastic facility to compete in and there will be lots of divers across the Commonwealth who will be really excited to see this phenomenal progress.

“Seeing the completed dive tower means that you can now start to visualise what it would be like to compete at Birmingham 2022 and I’m sure that come Games time the atmosphere inside that venue will be absolutely unreal, especially with a home crowd to support Team England.”

The Sandwell Aquatics Centre will host swimming and para swimming at the Commonwealth Games from 29 July to 3 August and the diving competition from 4 August to 8 August. With 66 medal events in total set to be held at the facility, it will be the stage for more medal moments than any other Birmingham 2022 venue.

As it is such a crucial facility for the Games, Birmingham 2022 Chief Executive, Ian Reid, has been carefully following progress over the last 18 months and said: “This is another key milestone in the construction of the Sandwell Aquatics Centre, the only brand new venue for Birmingham 2022. The progress on this facility is clear for everyone to see and it is remarkable how much has been achieved in the space of 12 months. The dive tower looks incredible and I’m sure its completion will really help to focus the minds of those divers looking to compete at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre in 18 months’ time.”

The £73 million project is being funded by several partners. Sandwell Council is contributing £27 million, with £38.5 million coming from the overall Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games budget. A further £7.6 million is funded by other external partners Sport England, Black Country LEP, Sandwell Leisure Trust (SLT) and University of Wolverhampton.

Nigel Huddleston MP, Minister for Sport, Tourism and Heritage said: "The Aquatics Centre is really taking shape and the new dive tower is another important milestone in this exciting build. The Centre will be a spectacular stage for our home nation swimmers and divers, and an important sporting legacy for the people of Sandwell."

The project is being overseen by Sandwell Council and the council’s Deputy Leader, Councillor Maria Crompton, said: “We are thrilled to be marking yet another major milestone, the completion of the 10-metre dive tower, at the new Sandwell Aquatics Centre on Londonderry Lane in Smethwick. This is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our construction partners who have worked diligently throughout the Covid-19 pandemic to bring this amazing venue to life.

“The completion of the dive tower marks a pivotal moment for the aquatics centre and displays this world-class facility as the host venue for the swimming and diving events for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Reaching this milestone is testament to the strong relationships we have forged with all our partners since the beginning of this project which has enabled us to deliver this project on time and on budget.”

CGF President Dame Louise Martin DBE said: “The completion of the dive tower at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre is another exciting milestone as we progress towards Birmingham 2022. I believe this state-of-the-art facility will be one of the outstanding legacies of the Commonwealth Games.

“In addition to jobs and investment for Sandwell, the local community will benefit immeasurably from having a world-class facility that has a 50m swimming pool, a 25m diving pool and a community swimming pool, in addition to seats for up to 1,000 spectators. As we begin to look optimistically ahead to the Games, I have no doubt that the Sandwell Aquatics Centre will provide the perfect stage for the world’s top athletes to showcase the very best of Commonwealth Sport.” 

Robyn Birch, is another Team England diver, who will be hoping to compete at the new centre. She said: “The dive tower looks fantastic and its completion is a really important milestone for those divers looking to compete at Birmingham 2022.

“Seeing the photos and video footage of the new centre as it develops will help to inspire me during training over the next 18 months. Gold Coast 2018 was a fantastic experience, but it would be truly amazing to compete at a home Games.”