Sports News

The cricket world is still in mourning after the passing of former Australia batsman Dean Jones whilst he was in Mumbai, where he was working as a commentator covering the Indian Premier League.

Born in Coburg,in Victoria, the stylish middle-order batsman played 52 Tests from 1984 to 1992, averaging 46.55 and winning the Ashes on two occasions. He was also part of the Australia team that won the World Cup in 1987, beating England in a thrilling final.

Best remembered for his innings of 210 in the tied match between Australia and India in 1986, in his 164 one-day internationals, he averaged 44.61.

He also had spells in county cricket with Derbyshire and Durham, and, after retiring from playing, had further careers as a coach and broadcaster.

Following the news of his death Cricket Australia chair Earl Eddings said: "Dean Jones was a hero to a generation of cricketers and will forever be remembered as a legend of this great game.

"Anyone who watched cricket in the 1980s and 1990s will fondly recall his cavalier approach at the crease and the incredible energy and passion he brought to every game he played."

On his Twitter Australia batsman Steve Smith wrote: "Awful to hear the news of Dean Jones passing away in Mumbai. He was a wonderful player for Australia and he will be missed. My thoughts are with his family" Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting said he was "heartbroken" by the news of Jones' passing.

Former England captain Michael Atherton said Jones was a pioneer in cricket and "played the game as it would become in the years after he would retire", whilst another former England captain Michael Vaughan tweeted: "This is so sad ... A hero of mine has gone far too soon ... always offered so much advice to us younger players when he played at Derby."

Aaron Finch, Australia limited-overs captain, wrote: "Still in shock hearing the news of Deano's passing. Thoughts are with Jane and the family at this incredibly tough time. A great man with an amazing passion for the game."

He was 59.

As part of the Mayor’s Giving Day in the West Midlands, Warwickshire County Cricket Club’s Official Charity, the Edgbaston Foundation, has partnered with West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) on a new cricketing initiative which is designed to get more children active.

Launched with Warwickshire CEO Stuart Cain and Captain Will Rhodes at Edgbaston Stadium, the Edgbaston Foundation and WMCA are giving away 1,000 children cricket bats across the region over the next year to encourage more youngsters to stay fit and get involved in the game.

To kick start Mayor’s Giving Day this year Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands, Warwickshire CEO Stuart Cain and Men’s Team Captain Will Rhodes have already virtually handed over the bats to some of the region’s worthy recipients. The project follows on from previous bat giveaways and last year’s inaugural Mayor’s Cricket Cup at Edgbaston, where West Midlands Mayor Andy Street invited adults and children of all ages and backgrounds to take part in the first of its kind intergenerational tournament on the stadium’s hallowed turf.

Ravi Masih, Head of Community Engagement at Warwickshire CCC and lead of the Edgbaston Foundation, said: “Through the Edgbaston Foundation and Warwickshire CCC we’re committed to using cricket to make a difference within our local community by making the game more accessible than ever before.

“The last few months have been a tough for everyone but getting out into the great outdoors has provided some welcome relief. We hope that by providing more equipment and opportunities like All Stars and the upcoming Dynamos programme, we can get many more youngsters involved in cricket.”

With a further 1,000 cricket sets pledged by the Edgbaston Foundation in collaboration with the WMCA over the next 12 months, it will have taken the charity’s total giveaways to 4000 over four years.

Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street said: “Even though we are in different times this year the principle is exactly the same.  The ability to give children and community groups the ability to play sport by donating these bats and balls is part of the combined initiative of ‘giving’. 

“Edgbaston Foundation are supporting the Mayor’s Giving Day for the second year running and as always, I am extremely grateful for all their work within the community and by providing this kit will enable so many young people to be part of this great sport.  Who knows we may see a new star from within our Region.”

Ramla Ali, a boxer who became British champion without her family's knowledge after fleeing civil war in Somalia, has signed a professional deal with Matchroom Boxing.

The 31-year-old, who says she is still aiming to be the first Somali boxer to go to an Olympics, is due to make her professional debut in October.

She started boxing in her early teens after arriving in London as a refugee. "I want to become a world champion," she said. "I hope in doing so people will develop a better view of Somalia."

Ali was a toddler when her family fled the Somali capital Mogadishu in the early 1990s after her elder brother was killed aged 12 by a mortar while playing outside during the civil war.

When the family arrived in London as refugees, having lived in Nairobi in Kenya, Ali was picked on at school for being overweight.

She went to the local gym and tried a boxercise class, but did not tell her family as she thought they would disapprove of the sport for a Muslim girl. When she won the British and English titles in 2016, Ali - who initially represented England before switching to Somalia in 2017 - told her parents she was going out for a run.

Ali, whose mother now supports her boxing, is trained by her husband Richard Moore and will compete at super-bantamweight. She says she "would still love to go" to the postponed Olympic Games, currently scheduled to begin on 23 July 2021, but uncertainty caused by coronavirus made her anxious to compete before then.

"I wanted to get a head start in my professional career so now is the best time to turn pro," Ali added. "I just want to get in the ring and I feel like I can do that sooner being a pro rather than waiting around for an Olympic Games that might not come.

"The Olympic dream is still there but I'm excited to begin my journey in the professional ranks."

Promoter Eddie Hearn said: "Ramla's story is incredible and inspiring. She has gone through so much to get to this point.

"Ramla joins an unrivalled Matchroom stable that boasts some of the very best female fighters on the planet and she is in the perfect place to fulfil her dream of becoming Somalia's first world champion."

Following the Government announcement on September 22 that fans will not be allowed back to sporting events, the BBL (British Basketball League) are currently assessing the impact this will have on professional basketball in the UK.

The UK is a great sporting nation and the positive impact that sport has on communities and on physical and mental health can be seen at all levels from grassroots through to elite levels.

As such, it is no exaggeration to say that the impact of this decision will be deeply felt by all 11 BBL clubs and the communities they operate in.

They say that they recognise that the Government is taking these measures in the interests of the nation’s health and we fully support them in that.

However, to remove the possibility of such a vital source of income only a week before they were due to start their season means they have no option but to call on the Government for immediate support at this crucial time.

“The viability of the league, the only professional men’s basketball league in the UK, is predicated on the ticket income as thousands of fans show their support each week,” a spokesperson said.

“And without this support we are in danger of losing clubs who work in the heart of their communities, as well as the current and future generations of talented sportspeople.”

Footballer Lionel Messi can register his name as a trademark after a nine-year legal battle, the EU's top court has ruled.

The European Court of Justice dismissed an appeal from Spanish cycling company Massi and the EU's intellectual property office, EUIPO.

The Barcelona footballer first applied to trademark his surname as a sportswear brand in 2011.

But Massi argued the similarity between their logos would cause confusion. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) said that the star player's reputation could be taken into account when weighing up whether the public would be able to tell the difference between the two brands.

In doing so, it upheld a ruling by the EU's General Court in 2018 that the footballer was too well known for confusion to arise.

Massi, which sells cycle clothing and equipment, was successful in its initial challenge to the Barcelona striker's application. But it lost out when Lionel Messi brought an appeal to the General Court, which ruled in his favour.

Messi, 33, who wears the number 10 shirt, has been crowned world football player of the year a record six times and is the world's highest-paid soccer player, according to Forbes. It puts his total earnings for 2020 at $126m (£97m).

In August, he made headlines by sending a fax to his club declaring his intention to leave.

But when Barcelona responded by insisting that any team that took him on would have to honour a €700m (£624m) release clause, he changed his mind, saying he did not want to face "the club I love" in court.

As part of UK Coaching Week 2020, UK Coaching has announced a new public-driven awards initiative to recognise those coaches who delivered sport and physical activity during the UK’s coronavirus lockdown.

Through UK Coaching Heroes, the great British public will be able to nominate coaches who implemented great coaching ideas and made a considerable difference to others despite the adversity we faced because of the pandemic.

One such coach, dubbed the nation’s PE teacher, Joe Wicks, delivered 18 weeks of his fitness show ‘PE with Joe’, helping millions of parents and children stay active whilst schools were closed and raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for the NHS.

Nominations are open until the 11 October. Then from the 26 October - 8 November, the public will be able to vote for their favourite coaches from the shortlist of finalists.

Two supporters of the initiative are charities Coach Core Foundation and Dallaglio RugbyWorks – the former delivering inclusive and impactful sports coaching apprenticeships across the UK for 16-24 year olds not in education or employment and the latter offering young people of secondary school age (either excluded or on the verge of exclusion from mainstream education) a chance to succeed and progress onto further education, employment or training. Both charities will benefit from any voluntary donations made through the nominations or public vote process.   

UK Coaching’s Director of Coaching Emma Atkins, said: “As part of this year’s campaign, we wanted to implement a unique way in which coaches could be celebrated and recognised by the public for the unparalleled role they’ve had in helping communities stay happy and healthy in this coronavirus era.

“UK Coaching Heroes is for those of us who have benefitted from great coaching during lockdown to show our appreciation for what coaches have done for us and our wider communities. We have seen coaches go online to keep us connected, active and healthy, and have seen coaches step up to run around their local neighbourhoods to ensure those shielding from COVID-19 have food parcels and other everyday essentials.

“There is also a wonderful opportunity to donate money to two amazing charities, who are ensuring that young people, who are often in vulnerable situations, can excel through coaching apprenticeships and development programmes that will help them succeed in life – and ensure the next generation of great coaches!”  

RugbyWorks’ Managing Director Sarah Mortiboys, said: “We’re delighted to support this activity because we know through our interventions that coaching and mentoring can have a great effect on the lives of young people. By creating person-centred relationships with our young people through rugby, we’re helping them to develop resilience, personal responsibility, an understanding of mental well-being and keeping them engaged in learning and education.

“Any donation to RugbyWorks will help us to support a young person in England or Wales achieve a positive and productive future.”

Coach Core’s Chief Executive Officer Gary Laybourne, added: “At Coach Core, we understand that coaching is a very powerful way of upskilling and developing young people of all ages both professionally and personally, whilst also ensuring they become real assets to their local community. Through our programmes, we use apprenticeships to help target deserving young people living and working in some of the UK’s most challenging areas onto a fantastic, long-term career pathway and then put them back into their own communities so that they can become fantastic, inspiring young coaches helping to change people lives.

“As we all know, coronavirus has had a huge impact on the sport and physical activity sector, with substantial decreases in employment for young people in particular really starting to affect our own programmes. If people could keep us in mind for a donation whilst they are nominating so we can continue the work we do, we would be extremely grateful.

Thank you.”  

UK Coaching Heroes is looking for nominations of people who have:

• Connected people utilising sport and physical activity and had a positive impact on people’s well-being
• Created an environment where people felt empowered and motivated either to get active or to stay active during the covid-19 lockdown
• Made a difference and had an impact on others (eg family member, friend, participant).

UK Coaching Week – which empowers athletes, coaches and the public to celebrate great coaching – this year centres on the need to ‘Support Your Coach’, kicking off with the #GreatCoachingPledge that will call on the nation to give some of their own time, sharing thanks and support for the coaching community.

To inspire the world in Tokyo and change the world with Laureus

Eliud Kipchoge, the world’s greatest marathon runner and the first athlete to break the two hour mark for a marathon, has become the newest Laureus Ambassador.

The announcement was made on the second anniversary of one of his greatest athletics feats, when he ran the fastest time ever in a marathon in Berlin in 2 hrs 1 min 39 secs – breaking the previous record by 78 seconds, the biggest improvement on the marathon world record in 51 years.

Eliud, the latest in a long line of distinguished Kenyan long distance runners, and a winner of the Laureus Academy Exceptional Achievement Award, also famously became the only athlete to run a marathon in under two hours, recording 1hr 59mins 40secs, in Vienna in October 2019. It was a landmark achievement, though not an official world record because it was not in open competition.

In an interview with Laureus Academy Member and Olympic legend Michael Johnson on Laureus.com, Kipchoge confirmed his intention to compete in the marathon at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics next year, even though he would be 36.

“I was really looking forward to running in the Tokyo Olympics. Unfortunately COVID-19 changed the world and health and safety is the first priority,” said Eliud. “I am really looking forward to running next year. It will be an honour to be there next year, I am fit and will do everything I can to make the Kenyan team and represent my country.”

He says he is also looking forward to competing in the re-arranged London Marathon on October 4. “I am happy to be coming back to London for a very different and exciting race. I have prepared as best I can under the circumstances, I think I am ready. We will miss all the fun runners and the crowds. In my mind we will still run together. Actually that is an extra motivation to run a great race.”

In addition to his sporting targets, Eliud is now a member of the Laureus Family whose goal is to use the power of sport to change young people’s lives for the better. He joins a group of more than 200 Laureus Ambassadors and 69 Laureus World Sports Academy Members, all of whom work to support Laureus Sport for Good. Since its inception, Laureus has improved the lives of six million young people in over 40 countries and currently supports more than 200 community sports-based programmes.

Eliud, who has won 12 of the 13 marathons he has entered, said: “I am feeling truly glad to be an Ambassador for Laureus. I will be joining great sportsmen and women of this world to share good ideas about sport. On the other hand I will be involved to see how Laureus is helping foundations that benefit the human family. Laureus uses sport to bring communities and individuals together. This will be even more important in the future as we try to rebuild our world for the better. I am really happy to be an Ambassador.”

Olympic legend and Laureus Academy Member Edwin Moses said: “I am delighted to welcome Eliud to Laureus. I know he is passionate about his beliefs and I know he will put in the same amount of commitment to helping us in our work with disadvantaged youth around the world as he does in his marathon running. What he has achieved is frankly amazing. The very first Laureus project, launched 20 years ago, was in Nairobi and it’s great to have Eliud on our team to help us with our work there and in Africa.”

Laureus Sport for Good was created 20 years ago in the aftermath of a remarkable speech by Nelson Mandela at the inaugural Laureus World Sports Awards in 2000. He declared: ‘Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. Sport can awaken hope where there was previously only despair.’ President Mandela became the first Patron of Laureus.

In the interview with Michael Johnson on Laureus.com, Eliud revealed: “Nelson Mandela inspires me. This quote hangs on a poster by my bed in Kaptagat, as a motivation and as a reminder for me. Actually when I see that poster, I remember that running is also about inspiring others and encouraging people to believe that nothing is impossible. Sport can join people together, it is something that connects the world, and also makes us equal.”

Within six months of its creation Laureus was supporting its first programme in one of the poorest areas of Naorobi: MYSA (Mathare Youth Sports Association). Disease was widespread and AIDS was a serious problem.  The programme pioneered the use of football as a tool to encourage co-operation and raise self-esteem in the young people of the community. 

Over 14,000 youngsters play in over 90 football leagues, where success is measured not just by the goals scored in matches, but by the work the young people do in cleaning up the slums.

Young people who have been involved in Mathare since the beginning have become role models and youth leaders in their community. Laureus still supports this programme – after 20 years.

Hannah Cockroft enjoyed a dream afternoon at the British Wheelchair Athletic Association Grand Prix in Stoke Mandeville as she revised the world records in the women’s T34 100m (16.71), 200m (30.09), 400m (55.98) and 800m (1:49.85).

Last weekend would have marked the end of the Tokyo Paralympics Games, however, with a year to go until the Games kick off in 2021, Cockroft showed her class as she sliced significant margins off her previous bests.

One of the largest improvements came in the 800m as she pushed to a magnificent PB of 1:49.85 which improved her previous best of 1:55.73 set back in 2017.

The remarkable times were reflected across the field as Sammi Kinghorn followed in 1:49.88, Melanie Woods sealed a huge improvement as she crossed the line in 1:53.87, while Kare Adenegan also recorded a two second lifetime best, setting 1:57.47. There were also PBs for Lizzie Williams and Fabienne André (Jenny Archer; Weir Archer Academy – T34) – 2:07.53 and 2:16.66 – in the standout race of the day.

After regaining the T34 100m world record on her way to the World Para Athletics Championship title in November last year, Cockroft took a further 0.06 seconds off that mark, lowering the global best to 16.71 (+1.6 m/s). Sammi Kinghorn won the race in a time of 16.29 which was only 0.08 seconds off her lifetime best.

Over the 400m, it was a similar outcome to the race at the Müller British Athletics Championships as Cockroft came out on top against Kinghorn and did so in a huge personal best.

55.98 was the time recorded which reduced her previous best from 57.48, a big improvement over the one-lap distance. Kinghorn crossed the line in 56.58. The 200m world record was particularly sweet for the 12-time world champion as she revised her best from 2015, clocking 30.09 (-1.1) a 0.42s improvement. Again, Kinghorn won the race in 29.75.

After her successful day on the track, the five-time Paralympic champion said: “There was no pressure, no expectations, it was all about going out there and doing what we love to do.

“I think that really helped me going into the 800m. Obviously Sammi was there. I always look to Sammi as being the one to chase down – I’m not normally in front of her. We said whoever gets to the line first (after 400m) takes the pole and whoever tires, we will just go around them. We both wanted to go for it and see what we could do. I’m pretty sure the whole women’s 800m field got PBs. It was a great race – we just powered through. It was pretty impressive!

“I didn’t even look at the clock (at the halfway stage) to be honest. Sammi started pulling out at 300m in, so I was kind of watching how she was moving out. Normally the clock would be the first thing I would look at, but I didn’t even look up. So, we kept going. I was holding over 18 mph on the back straight, so I was thinking ‘this is pretty quick’. At 200m to go, Sammi was telling me I had to kick so we just went. It helped me to have someone there to push me.”

Reflecting on the 2020 season and looking ahead to 2021, she added: “That’s it for me this year. I have no more races, so I’ll be taking a week off now. Everything is still unknown – we didn’t know if we would get any of these races in over the last few weeks. So, me and Nathan (Maguire) will get back into training. We have really committed over lockdown. We built a gym in the garage, we found new road routes and at no point have we stopped. We have eliminated any excuse that we could have given ourselves. I am really glad that it has paid off.”

“No one has ever had this situation before – no one has had to train during a pandemic or lockdown before. Everyone on the track today will have been in the same situation, guessing over the last few months. Should I be training, should I be resting, should I be sprinting or doing long distance. We are just glad the things we chose were the right ones, thankfully.”

McDonald’s and the UK Football Associations are inviting parents to sign up for one of over 160 McDonald’s Fun Football Centres, designed to give fun, free physical activity to thousands of children across the country. A new survey shows that over-half (52%) of parents are facing financial difficulties as a direct result of the pandemic, and 72% are desperately seeking  opportunities for their children to be more active - meaning the centres will be more important than ever for families.

From Aberdeen to Yeovil the sessions up and down the country aim to introduce thousands of 5-11 year olds to the nation’s favourite game for the first time regardless of gender or ability. With almost-a-third (30%) of parents saying their children have avoided similar sporting events before because they didn’t feel confident to go alone, and almost-half (48%) wanting the appropriate Covid-19 safety measures to be in place, the activity is relaxed, welcoming and set-up to be a fun, simple and easy way to introduce children to football.

Every session is designed to be as safe as possible, and all activity follows the latest guidance from the Football Associations, government and public health authorities.

Recent research also found that 93% of UK parents said they are likely to enrol their child in organised sporting activity as soon as they become available, showing the clear appetite following months of lockdown and isolation. The programme gives those families who have missed out on sport and peer-to-peer interaction over the past five months, a chance to safely enjoy football. The Fun Football curriculum includes introductory activities perfect for children with no footballing experience, helping them develop their all-round skills, get active and make new friends.

Paul Pomroy, McDonald’s UK and Ireland Chief Executive Officer said: “This Autumn we will run more than 800 free football sessions for 5-11 year olds to get them playing the beautiful game. As a dad of two football-mad children desperate for activities during lockdown, I know how important it is kids to get out and about, socialising and being active. Through our Fun Football programme we are proudly providing 5 million hours of football for children and introducing more than half a million new players to the game by 2022.”

The Fun Football sessions are part of the four year deal between McDonald’s and the four UK Football Associations, which will see the restaurant company provide over 5 million hours of football to 5-11 year olds by 2022, having already delivered 2.8m by March this year. This round of Fun Football Centres will provide a further 20,000 hours with Covid-19 safety measures in place.

Having worked with The FA over the past 18 years, McDonald’s is the longest-standing supporter of grassroots football in the UK and the opening of these Fun Football Centres is another important step in building on this ongoing partnership.

The University of Wolverhampton Race Team (UWR) unveiled its new Formula 3 racing car livery at one of the country’s most iconic racing venues – taking its place in motor sport history. The UWR Formula 3 racing car was steered into pole position and is on display for two weeks at the Silverstone Experience, the new £20M visitor attraction at Silverstone Circuit.

The University is a Founding Partner of the Experience and has a five-year sponsorship deal with the new attraction based in Northampton, working with the team to inspire the next generation of engineers with the hands-on family attraction.

The Silverstone Experience is an archive of the British Racing Drivers’ Club which is on display in a newly-restored Second World War RAF hangar, telling the story of Silverstone motor racing circuit. The project, which is supported by HRH Prince Harry and stars from across motor sport, including world champion Sir Jackie Stewart, Formula 1 engineer Ross

Brawn and commentator Murray Walker, was opened last year.

Sally Reynolds, CEO of Silverstone Heritage Ltd, says: “Creating a home to tell the historic story of Silverstone was first discussed by the BRDC as long ago as 1971, so I am immensely proud to see this seven-year long project come to fruition.

“We should have up to 40,000 school children coming through on formalised trips to do workshops, experience the tech labs, learn about tyres and how brakes work and really to understand why science, engineering, technology and maths are such important subjects.

“We’re really pleased to have the support of the University of Wolverhampton and we’re looking forward to working with the team to inspire the next generation of people to work in the engineering industry.”

UWR Racing Driver, Shane Kelly, said: “This is really a match made in heaven for the University because the Silverstone Experience really touches on the British legends, the winners but also the wider industry.

“To have our car here next to Hamilton’s and Mansell’s is a real honour. We’ve got a graduate who has been hand-picked by Hamilton’s team to work on his car which and it’s our aim to promote careers in the industry to young people who visit the Experience.”

Visitors can learn about the science behind the modern-day sport as well as seeing historic cars and bikes including Barry Sheene’s 1979 Suzuki, leathers and helmet – modified with a hole to allow him to smoke whilst wearing it – and Nigel Mansell’s 1992 British Grand Prix-winning Williams.

Unseen items including programmes and trophies from the BRDC archives are also on display including a driver scrapbook from the 1940s, a valuable collection of BRDC gold stars won by Formula 1 champion James Hunt and a 1992 grand prix signing-on sheet featuring the signatures of Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, Mansell and Damon Hill.

It has been announced that this year's London Marathon will take place on a closed-loop circuit around St James's Park.

The event, moved from April because of the coronavirus pandemic, is restricted to elite athletes, who will be in a bio-secure bubble during race week. The finish line will be in its traditional place on The Mall, with no spectator access to the course.

Event director Hugh Brasher said: "We are confident we have created the safest environment for everyone. Sports fans all over the world are eagerly anticipating these great races in this unique environment." The revised route will feature 19.6 laps, taking in The Mall, Horse Guards Parade, Birdcage Walk and the spur road running adjacent to the front of Buckingham Palace.

Kenya's defending champion Eliud Kipchoge will take on Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele, who went within two seconds of Kipchoge's world record last year. In the women's race Brigid Kosgei of Kenya, who beat Briton Paula Radcliffe's long-standing world record in Chicago last October, will also be trying to defend her title in London.

British Paralympic great David Weir will be aiming for a record ninth win in the men's wheelchair race, with course record holder Manuela Schar attempting to follow up her 2019 win in the women's wheelchair race.

Athletes will be tested for Covid-19 four days prior to travel and again on arrival at a hotel outside London, which will be used exclusively by athletes and support staff.

Testing will continue at the hotel until the Friday before the event on October 4.

The hotel was chosen for its 40 acres of grounds where athletes will be able to train during race week. It will be mandatory for everyone inside the bubble to observe social distancing rules and wear face coverings.

Barcelona's all-time leading goal scorer Lionel Messi says he is staying because it is "impossible" for any team to pay his release clause and he does not want to face "the club I love" in court.

The Argentine, 33, sent a fax to the club saying he wanted to exercise a clause in his contract which he said allowed him to leave for free. But they said his 700m euro (£624m) release clause would have to be met.

The legendary maestro said: "I thought and was sure that I was free to leave.

"I told the president and, well, the president always said that at the end of the season I could decide if I wanted to go or if I wanted to stay and in the end he did not keep his word. Now I am going to continue in the club because the president told me that the only way to leave was to pay the 700m clause, and that this is impossible."

Messi, whose contract expires next summer, says the fact he did not tell Barca he wanted to leave before 10 June was crucial, and had he done so his release clause would not have had to be met.

He added: "Now they cling to the fact that I did not say it before 10 June, when it turns out that on 10 June we were competing for La Liga in the middle of this awful coronavirus and this disease altered all the season.

"There was another way and it was to go to trial. I would never go to court against Barca because it is the club that I love, which gave me everything since I arrived. It is the club of my life; I have made my life here."

His father Jorge had held talks in Barcelona this week and insisted his son could leave for free, only for La Liga to back Barca's stance over the release clause.

Manchester City were among the clubs linked with Messi when he made clear he wanted to end his 20-year stay at the Nou Camp, nine days after an 8-2 defeat by Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals.

That result meant Barca ended the season with no silverware, and they replaced manager Quique Setien with former Everton and Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman.
Messi is yet to train with his team-mates since Koeman's arrival and admits the club's lack of recent success influenced his decision to ask to leave.

"I looked further afield and I want to compete at the highest level, win titles, compete in the Champions League," he said. "When I communicated my wish to leave to my wife and children, it was a brutal drama.

"The whole family began crying, my children did not want to leave Barcelona, nor did they want to change schools.
"I love Barcelona and I'm not going to find a better place than here anywhere. Still, I have the right to decide.

"I was going to look for new goals and new challenges. And tomorrow I could go back, because here in Barcelona I have everything."

British Athletics has today announced Christian Malcolm as the newly appointed Olympic Programme Head Coach.

Malcolm, who since January 2019 has been Head of Performance and Coaching at Athletics Australia was appointed following an open recruitment process and will take up his post later this year. As Head Coach Malcolm will work alongside athletes and coaches to support performances across all disciplines and event groups, as well as lead the Great Britain & Northern Ireland senior teams at major championships.

Following an impressive competitive career from which he retired in 2014, Malcolm had previously been British Athletics technical lead for sprint relays, a position he held from March 2015 to December 2019. The highlight of that was the double sprint relay medals won by the 4x100m teams at the home World Championships London 2017. The women’s team won silver, whilst the men’s 4x100m team won a global gold sprint relay medal for the first time since the Athens Olympics in 2004.

This achievement saw Malcolm named jointly Coach of the Year at the 2017 BBC Sports Personality awards, alongside Stephen Maguire and Benke Blomkvist.

As a coach to individual athletes he has also enjoyed success in the para athletics programme, most notably in his role as a Performance Coach at Disability Sport Wales for just under three years. He coached Jordan Howe to T35 100m silver and Rhys Jones to a personal best - finishing fourth in the T37 100m - at the World Para Athletics Championships London 2017.

Before his 2014 retirement Malcolm had represented Great Britain & Northern Ireland to the highest level. His World junior sprint double gold in 1998 heralded his credentials to the sport, going on to compete in four Olympic Games. With European Indoor gold and silver, World Indoor and European Championship silver, Commonwealth silver and bronze, as well as two World bronze medals as part of the GB & NI 4x100m relay team, his competitive career has certainly helped underpin his success in the coaching ranks.

At Athletics Australia Malcolm was tasked with ensuring the coaching structures were world class, working with the high-performance team to support elite athletes and their coaches towards major championships.

Christian Malcolm said: “Words can’t describe how excited I am to have the opportunity to take this role on and be part of a new start for British Athletics. As an athlete I knew I wanted to give back to the sport when I finished competing.

“In all my coaching and advisory roles so far, I have wanted to help athletes avoid the errors I made and support them and their coaches to get the best out of themselves. I’ve worked with some world class coaches throughout my career whilst competing, as part of the GB relay set up and whilst at Athletics Australia. They’ve all helped me to grow in various ways, but I know my first coach Jock Anderson would have been the most pleased to see me take this role and use all that he taught me about helping athletes prepare.

“I’m very excited to be re-joining British Athletics at this time. Jo (Coates) and Sara (Symington) have a great outlook as to what the sport can achieve from playground to podium. There is a new energy and drive and I’m looking forward to helping athletes and coaches towards success in Tokyo, Paris and beyond.”

British Athletics CEO Joanna Coates said: “I am really pleased to appoint Christian to this role. His credentials are numerous but most impressive was the energy and vision he had for the Head Coach role during the recruitment process.

“The panel were incredibly impressed by both his technical knowledge and approach to high performance – putting the athlete first, championing welfare and also a change in culture that will really enhance the World Class programme.

“Alongside Sara, Christian will bring a fresh new approach to the performance team as we head towards Tokyo and future Olympic cycles.”
 

Anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out has revealed a 42% increase in reports of discrimination in English professional football last season, which it describes as "shocking". They says reports it received rose from 313 in 2018-19 to 446, despite some games being behind closed doors.

Reports of racism in the professional game rose 53% and those of abuse based on sexual orientation increased by 95% with a poll also finding that 71% had seen players targeted by racism on social media.

The YouGov poll of 1,000 fans, commissioned by Kick It Out, also showed that 30% of fans had heard racist comments or chants at a match.

The chair of Kick It Out, Sanjay Bhandari, said football had "responded positively" to the coronavirus pandemic and the death of George Floyd in the United States, which led to global protests.

But he added: "Beneath the surface, hate and division in society remains a lurking pernicious threat. Our reports indicate a steep rise in discrimination reports over the last two years, which reflect the hate crime statistics from the Home Office that show marked national increases over the last four years.

“We know that reports to Kick It Out are just the tip of the iceberg. We only report what is reported to us."
When the Premier League and Championship resuming in June without fans in stadiums, there were still instances of players being racially abused on social media, with Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha and Sheffield United striker David McGoldrick among those targeted.

The poll also found 32% of fans said they had heard homophobic comments at a football match last season and, of those, 41% of respondents have witnessed homophobic abuse aimed at footballers on social media.
Before fans were denied access to stadiums last season, there were several instances of homophobic chants at Premier League games.

Bhandari added: "Social media can be a battleground of hate. We need to work together across society to win this battle.
"We need better regulation and enforcement and we need social media companies to be part of the solution. We need clubs and governing bodies to continue to lobby for change, sanction offending supporters and support law enforcement processes with the provision of evidence.

“We need players to continue to use their powerful voices. Kick It Out will play its part with campaigning, education and talent programmes that diversify the face of football. But this is everyone’s responsibility. We all need to take a stand."

In the grassroots game, reports of discrimination fell by 14%, although amateur seasons were cancelled in March because of the Covid-19 pandemic. When comparing like-for-like time periods to the previous season, there was an 11% rise.

Paul Elliott, chair of the Football Association's inclusion advisory board, said: "The FA has made huge strides in recent years to ensure that English football is a diverse and inclusive game, but we know there is more to be done.

"We strongly condemn all forms of discrimination and, while only participants fall under the FA's jurisdiction, we investigate all reported forms of discriminatory abuse in English football at every level of the game, and work closely with the relevant authorities to ensure matters are dealt with appropriately."

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. 

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.