The African Union Commission in collaboration with the Republic of Algeria, the Chair of the Bureau of the Specialized Technical Committee on Youth Culture and Sport, recently convened a Ministerial Virtual Forum which brought together the Ministers of Sport, Sport Movement and other stakeholders in Africa to deliberate on sport responses in mitigating the impact of Covid-19 on the continent.

A total of eight-six participants which included Ministers from five of the ten African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 Member Countries attended the meeting. Ministers of sport from Angola, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique and South Africa attended on behalf of AUSC Region 5. 

Sport in Africa has been adversely impacted by the spread of the corona virus. The conference of ministers therefore sought to explore the potential of sport to provide unique solutions in these unprecedented periods.

The importance of remaining physically active and ensuring regular exercise and physical activity for African citizens is regarded as fundamental towards sustaining people’s physical health and well-being. The direct contribution of sport towards improvement of immunity as well mental health has been confirmed by many studies.

The conference of Ministers therefore convened to explore ways of motivating people confined in their homes due to covid-19 inspired travel restrictions to be able to enjoy good health and well-being through sport and recreation. 

In their deliberations, the African Ministers of sport placed emphasis on the need for governments to provide realistic guidelines on how people can remain active under such a fractured and decimated sporting environment. In addition, the Ministers deliberated to find solutions on how to deal with the growing anxiety regarding the post Covid-19 period as most people mainly athletes keep speculating on whether sport, which is already under financed, will be prioritized for support post covid-19 in Africa.

It was in view of these challenges that, the conference of African Ministers of sport sought to draw deliberate and collective action to mitigate the spread of the virus and to develop a strategy for African sport during and post Covid-19 period.

The Ministers further sought to develop a continental response on current and post Covid-19 period for sport in African. The indaba also created a platform for exchange of best practices and experience sharing by Member States and the African Sports Movement. 

In the presentation on behalf of the AUSC Region 5 Council of Ministers, Honourable Likeleli Tampane, the Lesotho Minister of Gender, Youth, Sports and Recreation, in her capacity as the Region 5 Council of Ministers Chairperson raised a number of suggestions to be considered as Africa’s response to Covid-19.

She noted that the impact of Covid-19 had been experienced at four levels being, Participation in organized sport and physical activity; Social impact, inclusion and equality; Economic development and employment and at Governance of sport level. “Africa needs a risk adjusted strategy to balance between saving lives and sustaining livelihoods in all considerations for return to sport while ensuring that sport satisfies health protocols and requirements of experts to avoid spiking new waves of infections,” said Honourable Tampane.

The AUSC Region 5 Council of Ministers recommended the need for African Member States to consider developing responses at Systems and population level, Institutional level and Community level.

“As Region 5 Council of Ministers, we recommend with strong conviction the need for African responses to address prevention and containment measures; advocacy and communication; advice and guidance on staying active; economic support packages and return to sport planning,” Honourable Tampane emphasised. 

The Conference was officially opened by the African Union Commissioner for Social Affairs, Her Excellency Amira Al Fadil. The indaba was chaired by Algeria Minister of Sports and Youth Sid Ali Khaldi and in attendance were African Ministers of sport, the African Union Sports Council Coordinator Dr. Hikabwa Chipande, African Sports Development Regions Presidents and Secretaries General, Continental Sports Confederations, the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), the African Women in Sport Association (AWISA) as well as the World Anti-Doping Agency Africa among others. 

The Conference resolved to introduce numerous responses among them being advocacy and awareness campaigns to heighten knowledge about the pandemic.

Ministers also resolved to ensure that Governments prioritise sport through sustainable funding and creating a conducive environment for sport to thrive during and post covid-19 pandemic.

In addition, Governments and the sports movement was implored to provide stimulus response packages to mitigate the covid-19 induced stress and anxiety on athletes and sports bodies.

Further more, the African Ministers of sport resolved to institute research to gather empirical evidence and document the contribution of sport towards economic resilience as well as the extent of the impact of the pandemic on the sports industry. 

 
Birmingham 2022 is inviting the best sporting facilities in the West Midlands to apply to become official training venues, giving them the opportunity to host international athletes from across the Commonwealth during the Games.
 
Organisers are looking for Games Time Training Venues for 10 of the 19 sports on the Birmingham 2022 programme, providing essential facilities for thousands of athletes leading up to and during the Games, from 18th July to 10th August 2022.
 
The sports requiring training venues are: athletics, boxing, women’s cricket T20, hockey, netball, artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, rugby sevens, swimming and triathlon.
 
Athletes competing in the remaining nine sports will train either at their competition venues, or at one of the three Campus Villages where athletes will stay during the Games.
 
Training venues are where athletes will fine tune their preparations for Birmingham 2022, so it is important that they have access to world class facilities to help them deliver their best performances in competition.
 
The West Midlands has some of the best sporting facilities in the world, and hosting international athletes is a chance for venues to raise their profile, spread the economic benefits of the Games across the region, and inspire communities through their involvement with Birmingham 2022. 
 
Each sport has specific criteria which locations must meet to be eligible as a training venue. Venues can apply to host one or several sports depending on the facilities they have available. 
 
Training venues must be located within a 30-minute drive time of one of the three Campus Villages where athletes will be staying during the Games: University of Birmingham, University of Warwick and the NEC. Venues will be required for at least three weeks, from 18th July until 10th August 2022.
 
World number five squash player Sarah-Jane Perry from Kenilworth is a member of the Birmingham 2022 Athletes’ Advisory Committee. She said: “Any elite athlete will tell you that good preparation is the key to success at a major championships. Having the right training facilities during Birmingham 2022 is really important and, being based in the West Midlands already, I know that we have some of the best in the world.
 
“Having state-of-the-art training facilities gives athletes the confidence that they can perform to the best of their ability and I can’t wait to be competing for gold on home soil in 2022.”
 
Ian Reid, CEO of Birmingham 2022, said: “The West Midlands is home to many excellent sporting facilities, from major competition venues to state-of-the-art training centres. We are looking for the best venues from across the region to work with us to help thousands of international athletes prepare for the biggest sporting event the West Midlands has ever staged.
 
“This gives us another opportunity to showcase even more of the region’s assets to the world in 2022, as well as inspire, engage and connect communities all over the West Midlands to feel part of the Games”.
 
Women’s cricket T20 is one of the sports that requires Games Time Training Venues in 2022.
 
Asma Ajaz-Ali coaches young female players at Kings Heath Cricket Club and is England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) programme executive for Birmingham. She said: “Women’s cricket T20 is part of the Commonwealth Games sport programme for the first time at Birmingham 2022 so it will be a massive honour for some of the fantastic clubs we have across the West Midlands to become training venues for international stars in two years’ time.
 
“More and more young girls are playing cricket, and I am sure that seeing their heroes training at their clubs will inspire them to succeed, increase participation and grow the profile of the sport across the region.”
 
Scott Sturdy, rugby development officer for the RFU in the West Midlands, said: “It’s great that we will be able to watch the world’s best players in the West Midlands in 2022. It provides a fantastic opportunity to get more people involved in the sport.
 
“We have plenty of top class rugby facilities across the region which will provide a perfect training ground for international players to prepare for a thrilling tournament at the Coventry Stadium in 2022.”
 
Sports facilities can find out more about the criteria required to become a training venue at: www.birmingham2022.com/trainingvenues. The deadline for applications is 30th September 2020.
 
Facilities that aren’t eligible to become Games Time Training Venues could instead be considered as a venue for a pre-games camp, which will see some teams arriving in England early to acclimatise and finalise their preparations before the Games begin.

Lewis Hamilton paid a touching tribute to Chadwick Boseman after dedicating his Belgian Grand Prix win to the late Black Panther star who died aged just 43 after a four-year secretive battle against colon cancer.

The Mercedes driver performed the iconic Wakanda - arms crossed over his chest - salute from the franchise blockbuster on the podium after what he describe as an 'emotional weekend'.

He then posted a picture of him taking a heartfelt moment of reflection at Spa and also uploaded a photo of his pre-race stance in a Black Lives Matter T-shirt.

He wrote: 'I want to dedicate this win to Chad and his family, he was such an inspiration and his legacy will live on.

'I'm posting this image because we must continue to fight for equality, nothing has changed yet and the battle continues.'

Hamilton led from start to finish in the race to record his 89th career win, and fifth triumph of the season in a performance was made even more impressive after the tragic news surrounding Boseman's shock passing broke. 

The six-time world champion led the way in sharing messages for the actor before he sealed pole position in qualifying at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. 

“That ones for Chadwick”, he tearfully screamed after taking the chequered flag.

On Twitter he wrote: 'I woke up today to the sad news, our super hero passed away.

'I'm so grateful I got to meet you brother. Thank you for all you have done for us.

'Rest in Power, you were the best of us and will never be forgotten. Love, light and prayers I send to you and your family.'
 
Boseman was best known for playing real-life figures, including professional baseball player Jackie Robinson in the biopic, ‘42’, James Brown in ‘Get On Up’, and Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall in ‘Marshall’. 

He passed away at his home in Los Angeles with his wife and family by his side. 

Having secured a record-extending 93rd career pole, Hamilton went to his 89 wins - his fifth win from seven races - and is only two behind Michael Schumacher's Formula One record of 91.

Adam Gemili was a class apart in the 200m as he won in 20.61 seconds as housemates Jemma Reekie and Laura Muir dominated their track events on a successful day for British athletes at the Stockholm Diamond League meeting.

Reekie, 22, won the 800m - her fourth victory this season - in one minute 59.68 seconds and fellow Scot Muir, 27, clocked three minutes 57.87 to take the 1500m.
Holly Bradshaw cleared 4.69m to win the pole vault.

European champion Muir stayed up with the two pacemakers during the 1500m before sprinting away from the field in the final 200m to lead a British 1-2-3. Laura Weightman was second and Welshwoman Melissa Courtney-Bryant third with a personal best of 4:01.81.

Reekie was also exceptional. The under-23 European champion pulled away from American Raevyn Rogers just before the final bend to claim a comfortable win.

Briton Laviai Nielsen finished second behind American Wadeline Jonathas in the 400m in 52.16.

No British athletes were involved in the one-jump final of the innovative long-jump competition.

Abigal Irozuru (6.57m), world heptathlon champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson (6.52m) and Shara Proctor (6.14m) failed to make the top three after five jumps to qualify for the women's jump-off.

The event was won by Ukraine's Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk with 6.85m, while South African Ruswahl Samaai took the men's event with 8.09m.

There were two attempts at world records. Norway's Karsten Warholm, 24, ran the second-fastest 400m hurdles in history in clocking 46.87 to win, and might have beaten the 46.78 mark set by Kevin Young in 1992 had he not struck the final hurdle. Warholm also won the men's 400m.

Swede Mondo Duplantis won the men's pole vault with 6.01m, but failed at his three attempts to break Ukrainian Sergey Bubka's record of 6.14m set 1994.

The next Diamond League meeting - they are all being held behind closed doors because of the coronavirus pandemic - is in Lausanne on 2 September.

Jamaican former sprinter gold medallist Usain Bolt is awaiting results of a recent coronavirus test while self-isolating.

The 34-year-old revealed on social media he will "stay at home" as a precaution despite not having any symptoms.

"Just to be safe, I'll quarantine myself and just take it easy," he said.

He held a birthday party in Jamaica which is understood that Manchester City and England forward Raheem Sterling was one of the guests.

"I did a test on Saturday, because I have work," Bolt added. "I'm trying to be responsible, so I'm going to stay in and stay here for my friends.

"Also I'm having no symptoms, so I'm going to quarantine myself and wait on the confirmation to see what is the protocol on how I should go about quarantining myself from the Ministry of Health."

The sprinter retired from athletics in 2017 following the World Championships in London.

He began training with Australian club Central Coast Mariners in 2018 but did not pursue a career in football.

England are due to play Iceland in the Nations League on Saturday, September 5, before taking on Denmark on Tuesday, September 8.

World Athletics president Lord Coe has said that the sport "may have to think out of the box" if the Olympic Games do not go ahead in 2021.

The Tokyo Games have been pushed back a year because of coronavirus and Coe says there are "no certainties" they will happen on the new date.

He suggested that other events could be organised to replace those cancelled.
"I really hope we are in a position to deliver the Tokyo Games," he said.

Coe said: "We also may have to think slightly out of the box about how we might have to create other types of events if - I hope not - but if we have a very badly disrupted season generally."

The president of the London 2012 organising committee added that should the Games have to take place without fans, it would still be worth doing but that the idea did not fill him "with unalloyed joy".

In response to the finding of 19 allegations of emotional abuse or neglect of British world-class programme athletes by coaches since 2017, Coe said those involved in sport cannot be "remotely complacent".

He continued: "The most important thing that sports bodies need to do, whether they're national or global, is to investigate reports of harassment and abuse, and take it very seriously and with rigour. And it's got to be a system that the athletes absolutely trust in.

"But what sports do need to be doing is talking more about where these vulnerabilities lie and actually speaking to themselves as well. We should have that conversation among sports generally."

Earlier in August, the Russian Athletic Federation (Rusaf) paid World Athletics a £4.8m fine relating to the country's state-sponsored doping scandal to avoid expulsion by the governing body.

Coe said Rusaf must now present a reinstatement programme to World Athletics before the process of giving Russian athletes permission to compete as authorised neutral athletes could begin.

He added: "I'm hoping that we really can resume the reinstatement path, but it will only be achieved when I'm absolutely certain that we're not putting in jeopardy the careers of clean athletes for those that have chosen to cheat."