Sports News

Yorkshire County Crick Club have been suspended from hosting England matches following the fallout from the club's investigation into racism allegations made by former player Azeem Rafiq.

The investigation found former spinner Rafiq had been a victim of racial harassment and bullying - but the club said it would take no action.

Following the news that MPs are investigating claims of institutional racism at Yorkshire Cricket Club, leading sponsors Emerald Publishing and Yorkshire Tea have severed their ties with Yorkshire Cricket Club.

This latest fall-out comes as news came out that former player, Azeem Rafiq, will be giving evidence in person (to MPs) into a report about allegations of racism he made against the club.

Leading athletes have joined hundreds of mourners at the funeral of Kenyan runner Agnes Tirop, who was stabbed to death in her home.

Her husband, Ibrahim Rotich, appeared in court as a suspect in her killing. Ms Tirop was being buried at her parents' home in Nandi County, Kenya, on what would have been her 26th birthday.

Jamaica's first Olympic gold medallist was a life-long learner and an establishment rebel, his daughter has said. Dr Arthur Wint was 28 when he won gold in the 400-metre dash at the 1948 London Olympics.

Dr Wint said: "He always wanted to better himself, expand his mind and use that to better other people's lives, that's his legacy."

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) virtually conducted the official final draw for the expanded 12-team AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2022, with the host, India, are the hosts, being automatically drawn in Group A. The tournament is set to begin on January 20, 2022 and will be played across three venues in the country, with defending champions Japan in Group C along with Korea Republic, Vietnam and Myanmar.

The latest and final venue for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games has been confirmed, with Victoria Square in Birmingham city centre revealed as the official finish area for the Marathon which will be held on Saturday 30 July 2022.

The square will be a welcome sight for the finishers in all four races that will be held on the first Saturday of the Games, with the men’s marathon, women’s marathon and the men’s and women’s T53/T54 events all taking place on the same course which will start at Smithfield, another Birmingham city centre venue that has previously been announced as the home of beach volleyball and basketball 3x3 and wheelchair basketball 3x3 during the Games.

Yorkshire County Cricket Club say they will not be taking disciplinary action against any player, employee or executive after a report found former player Azeem Rafiq had been a victim of racial harassment and bullying whilst at the club.

Last year Rafiq made said institutional racism at the club left him close to taking his own life.

UK Athletics (UKA) and its four partner Home Country Athletics Federations (HCAFs) has officially launched the Coaching Strategy for the sport of athletics in the UK. The formation of the strategy – a significant milestone – has been led by UK Athletics’ Interim CEO and Director of Development Mark Munro and new Head of Coach Development Jackie Newton, along with the respective HCAF coaching leads and follows a period of listening to the coaching community and detailed consultation across the sport.

Over the course of the pandemic the global community has seen the true extremity of disparities that pre-dated and were exacerbated by Covid-19. This included key events such as the death of George Floyd and subsequent worldwide outrage that brought the Black Lives Matter movement to a boiling point. A universal point of reflection and action was required, this stretched to individuals, institutions and sectors; including the sport and physical activity sector.

He spent the first dozen years of his life in Jamaica before moving to the UK with his family in 1975. Six years later he was a professional footballer, distinguishing himself for Watford, Liverpool and England, and in the process becoming this country's most prominent Black player.

One of English football's first Black players, Walter Tull, has been posthumously inducted into the National Football Museum's Hall of Fame.

Originally signed for Tottenham Hotspurs in 1909, he moving to Northampton Town two years later, where he played more than 100 games between 1911 and 1914 before he was killed in action during World War One, aged 29.

One of Test cricket’s biggest fixtures is coming to Birmingham in 2022 with the England men’s team meeting India at Edgbaston Stadium from Friday 1 to Tuesday 5 July in a Test series decider. Following discussions with the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Edgbaston has agreed to step in and host the rearranged fifth LV= Insurance men’s Test match, which was originally scheduled to be played in September 2021, due to the unavailability of the original venue.

England have been ordered to play one match behind closed doors as a punishment for the unrest at Wembley Stadium during the Euro 2020 final. UEFA also imposed a ban for a second game, which is suspended for two years.

The Football Association was fined 100,000 euros (£84,560) for the lack of order and discipline inside and around the stadium for the game.

42 athletes have been offered membership to join the British Athletics Paralympic World Class Programme (WCP) for 2021/22. The WCP is UK Sport’s National Lottery funded initiative supporting the delivery of success at named milestone targets, namely outdoor track World and European championships, and the Paralympic Games.

The WCP is split into several levels reflecting the actual and potential performance levels of athletes: Podium, Podium Potential and Confirmation. Paralympic T20 400m bronze medallist, Columba Blango, is offered Podium membership for the first time, while Tokyo champion in the T20 1500, Owen Miller moves up to the same level from Podium Potential.

A group of 67 athletes have been offered membership to join the British Athletics Olympic World Class Programme (WCP) for 2021/22.

The WCP is UK Sport’s National Lottery funded initiative supporting the delivery of success at named milestone targets, namely outdoor track World and European Championships and Olympics Games.

The relaxation of travel restrictions means that golfers looking to enjoy a round under the winter sun can now head overseas much more easily. Both Spain and Portugal are popular destinations with golfers thanks to their easy access from the UK, pristine courses and inviting weather with both Iberian nations looking forward to an influx of golfers over the next couple of months.