Sports News

Japan’s stunning victory over Germany, in the group stages of the FIFA Qatar World Cup 2022, left their football fans in a state of joyous disbelief and got the rest of the world firmly behind them.

But it’s their supporters who are earning praise in Qatar for their off-pitch tradition that appears to be uniquely Japanese: Cleaning up stadiums after other football fans have left. In what was becoming an increasingly common sight, Japanese fans stayed behind after their team’s win and helped to clean up the Khalifa International Stadium.

West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite said he had full confidence in his young side, despite two crushing Test defeats to Australia, insisting they will learn from their mistakes.

The Caribbean team put up a fight in the first Test at Perth, taking it to a fifth day before losing by 164 runs. But in Adelaide, they were completely outclassed, being dismissed for just 77 in their second innings.

The FIFA Qatar 2022 World Cup continues to throw up stories of ‘romance’, ‘shocks’, ‘tears’ ‘dejection’ and ‘celebrations’ as, following France’s place being the last to be booked for the semi-finals, this has, already, got to be the most open celebration of unpredictability of a tournament that has given loads.    

Baku City Circuit (BCC), Promoter of the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, has confirmed a change to its senior management structure that sees Arif Rahimov leave his position as Executive Director of the organisation after seven highly successful years.

Magsud Farzullayev has been named as the new General Director and brings with him a wealth of experience delivering major sporting events to Azerbaijan.

Jess Warner-Judd has been chosen to captain the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team at this Sunday’s European Cross Country Championships in Turin, Italy. The Olympian has been an ever-present in GB & NI cross country squads throughout her career, competing in every age-group team and in the mixed relay over the last 10 years.

UK Athletics has announced the cohort of athletes on the Olympic and Paralympic Futures Programme for 2022/23, which is supported by Nike.

The Programme is a key step in the pathway to support athlete and coach development with the aim of progressing to become a successful senior athlete, and transition onto the World Class Programme (WCP) in the next cycle.

Brazil are favourites to win the 2022 World Cup with Gracenote's updated predictions estimating a 25% chance of the team lifting the trophy on December 18. Argentina are the main challengers with a 20% chance of winning followed by Portugal on 13%, the Netherlands and France (both on 11%), and then England, estimated to have 10% chance of winning.

Brazilian great Pele's condition is improving in hospital, say doctors in Sao Paulo.

The 82-year-old world renounced legend was admitted last Tuesday, before, on Saturday, reassuring his fans that he was improving by the day and getting stronger and with a lot of hope.

Sydney McLaughlin and Armand Duplantis were named world athletes of the year at the World Athletics Awards.

American, McLaughlin, broke her own world record by almost three-quarters of a second as she won world 400m hurdles gold in July. She clocked 50.68 seconds in Oregon, where she also won 4x400m gold.

More than ever before businesses, whether for profit businesses or otherwise, are now focused on profit for purpose. Most now agree that the work they do in the community says a lot about people, culture, and values. Getting involved with local grass-roots sports team like Pathway Group’s newly formed relationship with Kingswinford Hockey Club, gives Pathway Group the chance to bring their values and culture to life, both for their team members and for the local community.   

Following an extensive recruitment process carried out by the league’s board of directors, Radin’s appointment comes at a crucial moment for the BBL as the league looks to accelerate its growth to achieve its full potential.

Radin moves to the BBL after compiling a successful track record across a 30-year professional career. He has held increasingly senior-level positions at a multitude of sports, media and tech organisations such as the NBA, The Walt Disney Company, NBCUniversal and Meta.

Bermuda has been chosen as the host country for the finals of the Americas Region Qualifier for the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup to be staged in the West Indies and United States, officials have announced.

BCB (Bermuda Cricket Board) president, Arnold Manders, said the tournament will be held in Bermuda from September 28 to October 8, 2023.

Olympic silver medallist and World bronze medal winner Laura Muir will mark her return to the West Midlands at the Birmingham World Indoor Tour Final on Saturday 25 February as she attempts to break Maria Mutola’s world indoor 1000m record.

It will be Muir’s first appearance back in front of a Birmingham crowd since she won 1500m gold and 800m bronze at this summer’s Commonwealth Games.

On 29 November 2022 the Census Data for 2021 was published. The data collected indicated that the British population is the most diverse it has ever been since records began. 18.3% of the population are ethnically diverse, nearly one in five people.

Sporting Equals has been encouraging sports governing bodies and organisations to set a target of 20% representation for ethnically diverse people in positions of leadership such as the Board, senior management and coaches.

Renowned Birmingham entrepreneur and corporate networker Professor Paul Cadman is to help disadvantaged youngsters from across the West Midlands secure better life chances after becoming a ‘Business Ambassador‘ for a leading personal development charity.

Paul, who was recently made an Honorary Fellow of University College Birmingham, is the latest influencer to join Digbeth-based Sport 4 Life UK, which harnesses the power of sport to improve employability skills among 11- to 29-year-olds.

A team of 40 will represent Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the 2022 European Cross Country Championships in Turin, Italy on Sunday 11 December.

Trial winners Jess Warner-Judd and Emile Cairess lead the senior teams heading to the Championships in just under two weeks’ time, while two reigning European gold medallists, Megan Keith and Charles Hicks are also selected to compete.