Sports News

Local teenager and second black-belt UK karate champion Chloe Barnes is getting set to kick the competition with a renewed boost from local car dealership Lookers Vauxhall Birmingham for a third year running.

The Streetly Shukokai Karate Club pupil has taken the martial arts world by storm over the last number of years, reaching new highs and adding coveted sports titles to her impressive list of accolades. The World Karate Championship title holder has collected an outstanding 70 gold, silver and bronze medals, four trophies and was named 2020 GB Karate Sportsperson of the Year.

Nico Ali Walsh paid tribute to his grandfather Muhammad Ali as he won his debut professional bout wearing a pair of shorts he had given him.

The 21-year-old made easy work of the fight, knocking down Jordan Weeks after 70 seconds.

Olympic silver medallist CJ Ujah has denied wrongdoing and said that he is shocked and devastated after a positive drugs test.

Ujah, 27, ran the first leg as Great Britain's 4x100m men's relay team narrowly missed out on gold in Tokyo. He has been provisionally suspended after a test showed the presence and/or use of two prohibited substances.

Troicki this half term to host an exclusive two-week tennis residency on island. The Davis Cup winner, who achieved a career high world ranking of No.12, will offer Amilla guests top-class tailored coaching, practice workshops and pro tips from 26 October to 6 November 2021.

Troicki became the first tennis player in the Open era to win all three major team competitions, with the World Team Cup in 2009, Davis Cup in 2010 and partnering with Novak Djokovic to win the inaugural ATP Cup in 2020. 

Birmingham and West Midlands based artists can now submit proposals for commissions of up to £25,000 to create new public space works in any art form that creatively respond to sports that will be competed at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The Birmingham 2022 culture programme is offering four artists the chance to create work based on four sporting events at the upcoming Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games; Aquatics – Swimming and Para Swimming, Athletics and Para Athletics, Basketball 3x3 and Wheelchair Basketball 3x3 and Lawn Bowls and Para Lawn Bowls.

To bring over 10,000 athletes - from 206 nations – together, during a pandemic, as, seemingly the most impossible of impossible tasks, but, in the end turned out to be impossible to forget. Despite being bereft of fans, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games will, for many, go down as one of the best ever.

For a relieved Thomas Bach, president of the IOC (International Olympic Committee), he declared: “We did it.

The eSkootr Championship (eSC) is pleased to announce that Sharon Fuller has been appointed as Chief Content Officer. Fuller brings a wealth of experience to the world’s first racing series for electric scooters, moving from her position as Global Head of Central Content Creation at Red Bull. In her new role, Fuller will oversee all content creation, distribution, media partnerships and manage and work with influencers and production partners.

Emmy nominated and multiple award-winning Fuller has over 20 years’ experience in Sports Broadcasting, beginning in radio in her home town of Norwich and progressing through roles to work in a management position in a small Production Company on projects such as Moto GP and International football.

English Premier League side Aston Villa have announced the signing of winger Leon Bailey for £25m from German Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen.

The 23-year-old Jamaica international, who has scored 28 goals in 119 appearances for Leverkusen, has signed a deal until 2025. On completing his signature Villa boss Dean Smith said: "Leon is a hugely exciting young striker with great pace and creativity.

Work has begun to remove the large Ricoh signs from the roof of Coventry Building Society Arena. A huge 32 metre boom lift is being used to reach the four-metre-tall roof signs which can be seen clearly from miles around and on major roads near the Arena.

The signs, which have been in place for over ten years, are made of a canvas-type material stretched over metal frames and will have to be dismantled before they can be removed. Coventry Building Society Arena signs will take their place in a few months’ time and an indication of what they will look like was given last week when the new logo for the Arena was revealed.

US shot-putter Raven Saunders has made the Tokyo Olympics' first podium demonstration, after winning her event's silver medal.

As the medallists posed for photos, Saunders raised her arms and crossed them into an X shape. She said that it represented the intersection of where all people who are oppressed meet.

Plans to get more people in the West Midlands cycling as part of the legacy of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games has been given a £2 million boost from the Department for Transport.

The aim of Cycling for Everyone is to work with communities across the region’s most disadvantaged areas to encourage and enable more people to get on a bike to improve both their health and the environment, as well as providing access to both employment and education. Funding for the Cycling for Everyone programme has come from the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Active Travel Legacy Package announced.

Manchester Giants have returned their local core of North West talent as Jack Hudson, David Ulph, and Jordan Whelan have all agreed contract extensions for the 2021-22 British Basketball League (BBL) campaign.

All three made strong contributions last season, starting a combined 54 games, playing a total of over 2400 minutes, and combing for 31 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists for the team per outing. That chemistry was evident as the group of local stars go way back, with Hudson and Whelan having played alongside each other for North West teams as juniors; while Hudson and Ulph have played on the same teams progressing through the divisions in the last five years for both Liverpool Basketball Club and Lancashire Spinners.

Up to 10 thletes from Nigeria will not be allowed to take part in the Tokyo Olympic Games, for failing to meet the minimum testing requirements under Rule 15 of the Anti-doping Rules. Another 10 athletes from Belarus, Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco and Ukraine were also disqualified.

In a statemen released by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), athletes from ‘Category A’ countries grouped as ‘high risk’ because of deficiencies in their testing programmes were required to undergone at least three no-notice out-of-competition tests (urine and blood) in the 10 months leading to a major event.

It’s a sell out at Edgbaston for Birmingham Phoenix on Sunday 1 August as the women’s and men’s team return home to play their second home games in The Hundred versus Midlands’ rivals Trent Rockets.

Having welcomed more than 12,000 spectators for the first back-to-back games at Edgbaston one week ago, ticket sales have soared with Sunday sold out and limited space available for the subsequent home games against Oval Invincibles (Wednesday August 4) and Welsh Fire (Monday August 9).

As the one-year countdown began, a festival of sport was showcased as many of the events that will be part of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games programme – including a boxing ring, basketball court, netball court, squash court and sprint track - was on show in Centenary Square in the city.

Former footballers from seven Midlands clubs will try their hand at a different sport in aid of a mental health charity.

Leicester City’s Alan Smith, Aston Villa’s Stephen Warnock and West Bromwich Albion’s Chris Brunt are just some of the names who will be playing in The Midlands Legends Charity Golf Day in support of The Kaleidoscope Plus Group. Event organisers Watson Metters Golf have organised the event in aid of the charity which supports people living with mental ill health and are encouraging keen golfers and football fans alike to join in the fun and form a team.

Gary Wheway, Head of Business Development and Fundraising said: “We’re excited to be clubbing together with Watson Metters Golf to launch the first Midlands Legends Charity Golf Day in support of Kaleidoscope.

“It’s going to be a great day and we’ve got some big names involved. You could be teeing off in a team of four alongside one of your favourite footballing legends in a bid to be crowned champion team of the Midlands.

“There will be prizes for closest to the pin and fines for anyone that goes in the bunkers. We’ve also got a live interactive scoreboard so no matter where you are on the course, you’ll know who you’ve got to beat to reach the top of the board.” The event will be held at the Forest of Arden Golf Club, an 18-hole course, in Birmingham, on October 29 and compered by Talksport’s Tom Ross.

Mike Watson from Watson Metters added: “With household names taking part representing Wolves, West Brom, Aston Villa, Birmingham City, Leicester City, Derby County and Nottingham Forest the day is shaping up to be one to remember.

“It’s been an absolute pleasure to work alongside the Kaleidoscope Plus Group. We have no doubt the day will be the springboard for a fantastic relationship for years to come and we can't wait to see the benefits the day will bring to those that need it most.”

All players will receive breakfast before the action on the course begins. This will then be followed by a dinner reception in the evening which includes a live auction, prize giving and entertainment. Golf and Dinner Tickets are £199pp+VAT with dinner-only tickets and sponsorship packages also available.