Sports News

Bowler Kemar Roach has declared that “there will be no friendship” when West Indies face England fast-bowler, Jofra Archer during the upcoming Test series.

Barbados-born Archer played three times for the West Indies Under-19s before opting to play for England before playing for his new adopted team against the Windies side in the ICC World Cup in 2019.

This summer will be the first time that will face time that he will come up against them in a Test match.

Fellow Barbadian Roach said: “It is all about playing hard cricket and winning.

“Jofra’s made a decision and I think that he’s doing a fantastic job for his career.

“Obviously there will be no friendship at the start of this series.

“It’s all about winning and playing our cricket. If we come up against Jofra, we will devise a fantastic plan to counter it. I’m looking forward to the battle”.

Archer claimed 20 wickets to help England win the maiden 50-over World Cup in 2019, before making his Test debut in the Ashes series against Australia.

Former England Women’s Football star, Enio Aluko has said that she has “acknowledged and accepted” former international teammate, Nikita Parris’ apology for a controversial goal celebration in 2017.

The international striker described celebrating with the then-England coach, Mark Sampson, who was accused of using discriminating language to Aluko, as “thoughtless”.

In response, on her social media platform, Eni wrote: ‘Although I’m yet to speak with Nikita, I acknowledge and accept this apology.

‘Thanks.

‘Black women should always strive for unity not division.’

Aluka, now Sporting Director of Aston Villa Women’s football team, added: “During the current climate, Nikita leads the way for the England Women’s football team in acknowledging and addressing past individual and collective actions with regards to racism”.

After scoring a goal against Russia, Parris, 26, pointedly ran to Sampson to celebrate in their 6-0 World Cup qualifying victory in 2017.

The former Manchester City player who now plays in France for Lyon wrote on social media: ‘At the time I focussed more on what I believed was showing unity when really it did nothing of the sort. It showed a lack of empathy, understanding and ignorance by singling out a voice that needed an ear to listen and a support system to help’.

In the aftermath, Eni said that Parris’ celebrations were not respectful considering the number of complaints against the former manager at the time.

The English Football Association apologised to the 102-capped Alluko for racially discriminatory remarks made by Sampson after a third investigation into his behaviour, but cleared him of bullying accusations.

At eight-years-old, Tanitoluwa Adewumi was already a ‘Champion’ after winning the K-3 New York State Chess Championship after playing the game for only one year.

The Nigerian-born schoolboy, who began playing the game just to pass the time whilst sitting in his father’s shop in Abuja, was beating all before him from the get-go.

It was after his father, Kayode, who ran a print shop in his homeland and accountant mother, Oluwatoyin, took him and his brother, Adesina Austin, immigrated to the United States – having (being Christians) sought religious asylum amid the political turmoil being undertaken back home by the Boko Haram organisation.

Whilst being homeless in a foreign country, his parents making it one of their priorities to maintain the education of their children, Tani was enrolled into an elementary school and, as during his early days there, he was introduced to a chess club by one of the teachers and in 2018 he played in his first tournament.

In 2019 Tani competed in the Annual New York State Scholarship Championships where he was graded eighth out of 74 competitors – with a large number of whom were from well-to-do families and could afford private tuition.

His youthful, aggressive style of play would get learned academics making scientific studies of his application to the game.

Leading YouTube chess stream ‘agadmator’ took time to publish and analyse his game.

Legendary former World Champion, Garry Kasporaov, heaped massive praise on the achievement by a refugee immigrant in America.

And, back in his native Nigeria, Abike Dabiri, the Senior Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora to the president, Muhammad Buhari, called Tani; “a pride of the nation”.

Back in the US, he was getting attention throughout, which includes invites to meet former president Bill Clinton and being interviewed on some of the country’s leading broadcasting organisations – all keen to find out more about the enigma that is Tanitoluwa Adewumi.

Furthermore, he was getting funding support – the likes of which would set him, and his family, up educationally and wellbeing-wise from then on.

A total in excess of $254,000 was raised, with offers of accommodation, for him and his family, on-going education, chess books and even cars were pouring in - in droves.

There is now even a trust called the ‘Tanitoluwa Adewumi Foundation’ which is set up to help other children who are in similar situations to him.

With the ambition to becoming the youngest ever chess Grandmaster, three of Hollywood’s leading film companies are trying to outbid each other for the rights to tell his story.

His autobiography; ‘My Name Is Tani’, is already out in book stores.

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will start 24 hours later than the original scheduled time because of the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on the sporting calendar.

The move will allow all the athletes who are competing at the World Athletics Championships in Portland, Oregon, in the United States – which finishes on July 24 – an extra day of recovery.

It will also avoid a clash the semi-finals of the UEFA Women’s Football Championships which is due to take place in England from July 6 to 31.

Both Championships were originally scheduled to be held in 2021 but had to be postponed to 2022 after the rescheduling of the Tokyo Olympics following the global outbreak of coronavirus.

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) Executive Board has approved the change for the Games and it will now run from July 28 to August 8.

A joint announcement from the CGF said: “It ensures that Birmingham 2022 will now boast two full weekends of Commonwealth Sport whilst extending the rest and recovery period for those athletes competing in the World Athletics Championships.

“The alternative to the opening ceremony date also avoids a potential clash with the semi-finals of the recently rescheduled UEFA Women’s Football Championships, helping to protect and promote the profile of women’s sport”.

John Crabtree, Chair of Birmingham 2022 said: “As well as this slight change to our dates we are working on a detailed competition schedule for our 19 sports, looking at how we can maximise the recovery time for those athletes who will be looking to participate in more than one major event in two years time”.

On their return to action, England’s Premier League clubs are set to replace players’ names on the back of jerseys with the phrase ‘Black Lives Matter’ for the first games back since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic brought all activities in the UK, and around the world, to a stand-still.

The proposed intention, which is yet to be finalised, is for clubs across the country’s top Division will sport the support for the movement when the league returns on June 17

The decision by the Premier League follows support for the Black Lives Matter movement in the Bundesliga in Germany.

There, Bayern Munich players wore warm-up shirts and armbands with the ‘Black Lives Matter’ message on them, whilst Eintracht Frankfurt wore jerseys with the same message.

Following the lead taken by the Bundesliga, which subsequently followed recommendations by FIFA to not discipline players who were in violation of the Laws of the Game for displays of political or personal slogans on the field, the Football Association in England, who previously indicated that it would take steps against such acts, have said in a statement: “Where any behaviours or gestures on the pitch that may constitute a breach of the laws of the game have to be assessed, they would be reviewed on a case by case basis with a common sense approach and understanding of the context.

“The power of football can break down barriers across communities and we remain deeply committed to remove all forms of discrimination from across the game we all love”.

As coronavirus continues to take hold, in addition, the Premier League club’s jerseys are also set to feature patches that will honour the National Health Service workers for their extensive work during the pandemic.

Progress in the fight against racism will only come in football when more Black players become managers, according to Manchester City and England forward Raheem Sterling.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been taking part in anti-racism marches and protests throughout the length and breadth of the UK, following the murder of American George Floyd, in Minneapolis, in the USA.

“The protests are a great starting point to making people’s voices heard”, he said.

“But just protesting alone is not going to make a change in this country”.

He went on to say: “The change is being able to speak to people in Parliament, people at the hierarchy at my football club, clubs across the country, people at the national team, to implement change and give equal chances to not just Black coaches, but coaches from across Britain’s wide multi ethnic communities”.

In 2018, the Football Association announced in an equality action plan that 5% of its leadership roles and 14% of England coaching staff were filled by people from a BAME background.

In the same plan, the FA set targets of 11% and 20% respectively.

“When there’s someone from a Black background I can go to in the FA with a problem”, Raheem went on to say, “I might have within the club, that will be when I know change is happening and not just in my field, also in Parliament”.

England manager Gareth Southgate, who has always encouraged his players to speak out and say what’s on their mind, said that he admired the way in which many of his national team have campaigned since the George Floyd murder in the United States.

He said: “The last few days have seen Jadon Sancho, Raheem Sterling and Tyrone Mings talking so eloquently about the situation across the world and the Black Lives Matter movement”.

On the stance taken by Sterling, he added: “Football is no different to any other big business and it too must change”.

In today’s multi-culturally diverse football in today’s multi-culturally diverse Britain; how multi-culturally diverse is today’s boardrooms who are appointing the managers?

Germany’s top flight Bundesliga teams showed their support for the ever-growing Black Lives Matter movement with a range of protests during fixtures throughout the country over the weekend.

Both Borussia Dortmund and Herther Berlin players all took a knee together around the centre circle before their meeting at Signul Iduma Park.

Dortmund players warmed up in T-shirts with messages which included ‘No Peace, No Justice’, and ‘United Together’.

Bayern Munich players wore T-shirts which said ‘Red Against Racism’ before their 4-2 win at Bayer Leverkusen.

During the game, the Bundesliga leaders also wore armbands which read ‘Black Lives Matter’.

Mainz’s Cameroon-born striker, Pierre Kunde took a knee after scoring his side’s second goal in their 2-0 win against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Around the world, record-breaking Grand Slam legend, Serena Williams, France’s World Cup-winning captain, Paul Pogba and six-time Formula 1 Grand Prix champion Lewis Hamilton MBE have all raised their voices over police brutality against Black people.

It has been announced that golf’s European Tour UK Championship will take place at The Belfry’s world-class, award-winning Brabazon course, which has a rich golfing history having previously hosted a number of significant golf events including The Ryder Cup four times – more than any other venue in the world – and 16 European Tour events, producing some of the most dramatic moments in the history of golf.

While The Belfry is no stranger to hosting high-profile golfing events, the 2020 UK Championship will be the first event of this nature held at the resort since the British Masters in 2008, firmly placing The Belfry back on the tour agenda. The Championship will be broadcast live on Sky Sports and will see the best players in the game back on The Belfry’s most iconic course.

James Macbeth Stewart, Resort Director at The Belfry, said: “We are very proud to be hosting the UK Swing’s UK Championship and to be playing a part in getting golf back up and running. It is also a chance for us to help get the economy moving again as lockdown restrictions lift.

“After a tough few months, we are delighted to see a positive outlook for the future of golf, and we look forward to welcoming players back on the course.”

Following the suspension of the season due to the global Coronavirus pandemic, the European Tour announced its plans for the resumption of the 2020 season with the launch of a new six‐week UK Swing, beginning in July 2020. 

The European Tour will take place behind closed doors and for the UK Championship, will have exclusive use of The Belfry Hotel & Resort with the safety and wellbeing of all players, guests and staff being top priority.

The Belfry Hotel & Resort, in Royal Sutton Coldfield, North Warwickshire, will play host to the UK Championship, the conclusion of The European Tour’s new ‘UK Swing’, from 27 to 30 August 2020.

British Athletics are joining forces with British Cycling and British Rowing’ and iconic BBC children’s television show Blue Peter to run, cycle and row the distance from Manchester to Tokyo in just 30 days.

Now officially launched, the ‘Train Your Way to Tokyo’ challenge will see Blue Peter presenter Lindsey Russell team up with athletes from athletics, cycling and rowing to cover the 9948km distance from the Blue Peter studio in Salford to the Japan National Stadium in Tokyo.

Averaging at over 300km a day across the 30 days, Lindsey will try her hand at all three sports and get an insight into how Olympic and Paralympic athletes are currently training.

She will combine her total with the athletes taking part, all completing the challenge from inside their own homes or outdoors within the current government guidance.

Lindsey will be mentored by five-time European champion Laura Muir for the running part of the challenge while British teammates Charlotte Purdue, Melissa Courtney-Bryant, Callum Hawkins, Oliver Dustin, Alex Botterill and Derek Rae among others are counting their kilometres covered in training over the 30-day period towards the overall total. From cycling, Olympic and world champion Elinor Barker is acting as a mentor to Lindsey as is Paralympic and world champion from rowing, Lauren Rowles.

The group effort is running until June 16 with the final film being shown on Blue Peter on June 18 at 17:30 on CBBC and iPlayer. The 2020 Sport Badge was designed by a Blue Peter viewer to celebrate the Olympic Games in Tokyo. To earn a sport badge, kids aged 6-15 must try a new way of getting active.

Five-time European champion, Laura, said: “It is great to be supporting Lindsey as part of Blue Peter’s ‘Train Your Way to Tokyo’ challenge. I loved the show when I was growing up and so jumped at the opportunity to take part. It was so exciting to receive the new Blue Peter badge and I hope everyone watching can learn something along the way.

“I’ll be contributing my normal training miles as part of the challenge and I am excited to be offering my support and tips and advice to Lindsey – I have no doubt she will do a fantastic job.”

Olympic and world champion Elinor Barker said: “I’m enjoying being part of the Train Your way to Tokyo challenge with Blue Peter and already in our first week, myself and my Great Britain Cycling Team teammates have clocked up a good number of kilometres in training to help Lindsey on her way. Hopefully, we will help to inspire the audience to take up more activity themselves especially as we’re in this difficult period of lockdown.”

Paralympic and world champion Lauren Rowles MBE added: “I’m incredibly excited to be part of the Train Your Way to Tokyo challenge with Blue Peter and our friends at British Cycling and British Athletics. During these tough times it’s more important than ever for kids and parents to stay active and I hope this challenge inspires them to get involved in sport and take on new challenges”.

Blue Peter presenter Lindsey Russell said: “Though I’ve completed many Blue Peter challenges, I’ve never taken on a multisport challenge quite like this. It’s daunting but I can’t wait to train with these incredible athletes and hopefully show what can be achieved by working together, all from our own homes.”

Premier League champions-elect Liverpool took a knee around the centre circle at their Anfield home ground to send out a message of support following the brutal death in police custody of African-American George Floyd in Minneapolis.

A picture shows 29 of the club’s players together with the caption ‘Unity is strength. #BlackLivesMatter’.

Other footballers showed their support with Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford of fellow Premier League giants Manchester United adding their voices to the worldwide protests against racism.

In Germany, England forward Jaden Sancho also showed his support for the protest by unveiling a T-shirt with the words ‘Just for George Floyd’ after scoring the first girl before completing a hat-trick for Borussia Dortmund in their Bundusliga game against Paderborn.

He was shown a yellow card for his gesture.

He later wrote on his Instagram: ‘Delighted to get my first hat-trick, a bittersweet moment personally as there are more important things going on in the world today that we must address and help make a change.

‘We shouldn’t fear speaking out for what’s right, we have to come together as one & fight for justice.

‘We are stronger together!

‘#JusticeForFloydGeorge.’

In their game against Union Berlin, Borussia Moenchengladbach’s French striker Marcus Thuram celebrated the first of his two goals for the club by also taking a knee in support of George Floyd.

In 2016, former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick protested against racial injustice and police brutality by taking a knee with the Black Power symbol of clenching his fist skywards during the United States national anthem.

Since then, the gesture has become symbolic to the Black Lives Matter movement.

Kaepernick’s stance was his way of replicating the Black Power gesture carried out by US Olympics medal-winning athletes Tommy Smith and John Carlos who both held their single clenched, black-gloved fists in protest against Black injustices in their country whilst on the medals podium as the US national anthem was being played during the 1968 Games in Mexico City.

At Liverpool, a point was made as each of the players stood around the centre circle whilst facing a camera that was high up in the stand, was they emphasised their point by wearing different versions of the club kit – some in red, others in their black away colour

They became the first Premier League club to publically offer support to the Black Lives Mattermovement,

England footballer was among a number of sports stars to add their voice to the worldwide protest against growing racism.

Protests have been held after George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, died while being restrained by Minneapolis police.

Sancho unveiled a ‘Justice 4 George Floyd’ T-shirt after scoring for Borussia Dortmund in their match against Paderborn.

He went on to complete the first hat-trick of his young career in his first start since the Bundesliga returned to action.

Earlier, Sancho’s teammate Marcus Thuram took a knee after scoring in the game.

In other sports, Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown led a massive peaceful protest through downtown Atlanta, Georga, after putting out the call on social media for people to meet at the Martin Luther King Jr. national History Park after saying; “I will be peacefully protesting tomorrow.

LeBron James, Colin Kaepernick and Stephen Curry were among other high-profile sports stars in the US to speak out of the George Floyd death with James sharing a side-by-side image of the officer kneeling on Floyd’s neck and Kaepernick kneeling on the sidelines during the national anthem.

James, who is often vocal about issues facing Black Americans, wrote; ‘Do you understand NOW!!?? Or is it still blurred to you??”

Other stars who voiced their protests include tennis’ latest teenage sensation Coco Gauff, NFL’s number one draft pick for 20220, Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Brown wide receiver Odel Beckham Jr.

Protesters took to the streets in New York, Detroit, Oakland, Dallas, Phoenix, Indianapolis, Denver, Atlanta, Portland and other US cities whilst outdoor protests also took place throughout the UK as thousands converged onto Trafalgar Square and the US Embassy in London, in Manchester city centre and Cardiff, in South Wales, in the UK, as well as in Canada and Germany

Denying the legitimacy of the protests in the US, President Trump stated, in defiance of fellow what Republicans and Democrats, by saying that there is “no racism” in the police force.

The police officer at the centre of the tragedy, Derek Chauvin, was sacked and has been charged with third degree murder of 46-year-old Floyd.

Cricket West Indies have agreed “in principle” to the Test tour of England, in July, although players and staff will have to take a 50% pay cut.

The ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) is expected to announce a revamped summer schedule next week.

The three-Test series between England and the West Indies is set to start on July 8.

The matches are set to be played behind closed doors in a bio-secure environment at the Ageas Bowl – which is the home of Hampshire C.C.C. and Lancashire C.C.C.’s Old Trafford ground.

The series must first be approved by the UK government and, under the current rules, the West Indies squad would have to quarantine for 14 days on arrival.

A Cricket West Indies statement said: ‘The board gave approval in principle for the proposed tour of England.

“The decision comes only after Cricket West Indies medical and cricket-related representatives and advisors have been involved in detailed discussions with the ECB and its own medical and public health advisors”.

In the earlier part of May the International Cricket Council revealed plans to ban the use of saliva to shine the cricket ball amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Olympic Federation of Ireland’s call for exemptions to current Covid-19 restrictions to assist athletes has been supported by Irish competitors.

The Federation says that restrictions including a 5km travel limit in the Republic, puts athletes “at a significant disadvantage that may become too big to breach”.

Peter Sherrard, the OFI’s chief executive, said: “The solution is a simple waiver”.

He added that different restrictions and thus training options in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland was a “concern”.

He also noted that Banbridge rower, Phillip Doyle, is training on the River Lagan and is unable to travel to the National Rowing Centre in Cork.

“There are also issues with UK guidelines on swimming for example and Irish athletes are wondering what system are they in”, he said.

Sherrand believes that a waiver would help “this small number of athletes so that they can travel the required distance to train, just as their competitors, internationally, have been granted weeks ago.

Frustrations of this nature are being experienced by elite athletes from a variety of sports.

“Our Olympics sports have all prepared very detailed protocols which have been reviewed medically for a return to the venues like the Sport Ireland Campus, the Sport Ireland Institute and the National Aquatic Centre and National Rowing Centre, in advance of, and in isolation from the general public as is happening in other European countries”.

Tennis ace, Andy Murray, is set to play in a tournament that has been organised by his brother, Jamie, to raise money for the NHS Charities Together.

The ‘Schroder Battle of the Brits’ tournament is due to take place behind closed doors at the National Tennis Centre, in Roehampton, from June 23 to 28.

The tournament, which will have both singles and doubles champions, will be featuring the likes of current GB greats such as Dan Evens and Kyle Edmund and it will be shown on the Amazon Prime platform.

It is hoped that the event will raise somewhere in excess of £100,000 for the NHS charities.

Jamie Murray said: “The last few months have been incredibly challenging times for everyone and we see this event as our way of giving back.

“A lot of work has been put into making sure that this could happen and we are excited to be able to bring an action-packed week of tennis, while raising valuable funds for NHS heroes and sheroes to say thank you for the amazing work that you are doing”.

He added: “I am really excited to be, for the first time, bringing together the current generation of top British male players to compete against one another while raising significant funds for charity”.

Andy Murray has not played any competitive tennis since the Davis Cup Finals in November due to a bruised pelvic bone, but he has been contemplating a return to the ATP Tour in Miami in late March when professional tennis was suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The 2020 Netball Superleague season has been terminated with immediate effect because of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

The season was suspended on March 15 after only three full rounds of fixtures, with governing body, Netball England, making the “difficult decision” following consultation with the league’s board, all of the 10 teams and stakeholders.

Instead, a “stand-alone short-form” competition could be held in the autumn if it is “achievable and safe”.

England Netball chief executive, Fran Connolly, said: “It has become clear that large sporting gatherings will unlikely be deemed safe in coming weeks, or months.

“So, after lengthy discussions, we believe that it would be illogical or unsustainable to reignite the season without crowds.

“It was, though, very disappointing to have to make this announcement and we couldn’t keep teams and players in limbo on the matter”.

She also said that she was in discussions over a small-scale international tournament with Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, which could take place in the autumn to keep up the national side’s sharpness, provide revenue for the Superleague and keep the sport in the public eye.

Premier League players could be 25% more susceptible to injury when football resumes because of the intense schedule, research shows.

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters is "as confident as we can be" of restarting in June.

Time will need to be found for the FA Cup before the 2020-21 season starts in "late August, early September".

Based on Project Restart's provisional return date of 20 June, Manchester City players could face 13 games in 49 days.

City have played one fewer match than the majority of Premier League clubs but these figures do not take into account the completion of the Champions League, which has the potential of adding another four games should they reach the final - if the tournament can be concluded.

Research conducted by artificial intelligence platform Zone7, which specialises in injury risk forecasting and works with 35 professional football teams worldwide, shows that playing eight matches in a 30-day period increases the incidence of injury by 25% when compared with playing four to five matches in the same timeframe.

Eight matches in 30 days may seem a regular occurrence but only 4% of players across a season are subjected to such a run of games.

It is not just the congestion of the fixture list that poses a concern, but the time provided for teams to transition from individual, socially distanced training to higher-intensity group training, something Watford manager Nigel Pearson and Newcastle boss Steve Bruce are concerned about.

The Bundesliga was only officially given the go-ahead to recommence on 7 May, just nine days before the first fixture kicked off. Eight players picked up injuries in the six games on 16 May - a rate well above normal.

A standard pre-season schedule runs for a period of 30 days, or even longer.

But when examining data from 11 top-division professional teams from the past two seasons, Zone7 found that when the preparation period shortens, due to an international tournament or entry into European competition, 75% of teams had higher prevalence of injury in the first half of the season when compared to those that had more planning time.
Flaminia Ronca, an exercise physiologist at the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health, part of University College London, is working with Premier League players to assess what health risks they may face when returning after the suspension.

She said: "It's possible that the players may have lost up to 15% of their fitness, which they now need to regain in a very short time.

"And I think this is really where the science of training becomes so crucial. Coaches will have to be very creative and combine the most effective methods of training with the safest injury prevention methods, all condensed into this very tight timeframe."

Over five million hours of performance from various sports, including those 35 professional football teams, has been gathered by Zone7 and this data is used to assess the probability of a player sustaining an injury in the following seven days.

Millions of data points are taken from wearable technology that tracks workloads from training and matches, player injury history, fitness tests, and even sleep patterns to generate daily risk forecasts.

Historical data is used to detect data patterns that precede injuries and alert when those data patterns emerge and help prevent the injury before it occurs.

From here, teams are given risk forecasts and not only can they identify the type of injury a particular player could sustain if they are deemed "high risk", modifications can be made to that player's bespoke training schedule to avoid the injury occurring. Zone7 states it can provide accurate and timely alerts for 75% of injuries.