Sports News

Team GB’s badminton squad and some of Europe’s finest players were preparing for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Birmingham’s Barclaycard Arena. Cllr Ian Ward, Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council, met some of the players during a break in training including Kirsty Gilmour and Rajiv Ouseph, to wish them well in Rio. The training camp was arranged at the Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham, home of the Yonex All England Open Badminton Championships, to give Team GB’s players the opportunity to train with many of Europe’s top players from across all five events.

Sense, the national deafblind charity, has beenawarded a grant of £424,958 from Sport England to increase opportunities for people with deafblindness to participate in sport and physical activity through its ‘Sporting Sense’ project. Sense will use the investment to continue developing a wide range of physical activity programmes for England’s growing deafblind population, who are among the hardest to reach within the disability sector.

Leicester Riders' British forward Anthony Rowe has announced that he will depart following four seasons and having won multiple pieces of silverware with Riders. "I've been trying to avoid this decision for quite some time now." Rowe confessed. "Three knee surgeries later would suggest that I have escaped the grasps of retirement on several occasions. But now it's finally time to accept it. I am sad to leave the game that I love, but I am very excited for a new career. My mind is saying play another decade or two, but my knees are saying no more!"

The England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed that Birmingham's Edgbaston Stadium has been awarded England's first Test Match of the Investec Series against the West Indies from Thursday 17 to Monday 21 August. Edgbaston already has five prestigious fixtures - including India v Pakistan, England v Australia and a semi-final - confirmed in 2017's ICC Champions Trophy and will also host NatWest T20 Blast Finals Day for the fifth consecutive year on Saturday September.

On his first return to international competition for three years, triple jumper Nathan Douglas has been announced as captain of the British Athletics team for the European Athletics Championships in Amsterdam, Netherlands on 6-10 July. Discus thrower Jade Lally will lead out a 97-strong team at the Olympic Stadium on 6 July, having been bestowed with the honour of Flag Bearer for the British Athletics team at the Opening Ceremony.

Black Country Chamber of Commerce held their fourth annual 5 a-side football competition at Powerleague Halesowen. The event was co-ordinated to take place on the eve of the start of the Euro 2016 competition and the teams all played in colours to represent the participating countries. Before the 16 teams kicked off Hannah Fahy from Macmillan Cancer Support introduced Male Cancer Awareness week and some of the teams pledged to put up posters and support Macmillan through a workplace Euro sweepstake.

The charity Right To Play and British Athletics, the governing body for athletics in the UK, have today announced a partnership to inspire athletics fans and highlight the value of sport and play in creating life-changing opportunities for disadvantaged children across the world. The partnership will raise awareness and funds for Right To Play’s work in 18 countries across Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

While the eyes of the footballing world focus on the European Championships and Copa America, the Laureus Real Heroes campaign is shining a light on football projects improving the lives of young people around the world. From helping young people in the poorest slums of Nairobi towards an education to bringing young people from different countries and cultures together in Germany, the Laureus Real Heroes are making a difference and improving the lives of young people through sport.

Being a sports fan cost UK adults over £20 billion in the last year, according to new research from Post Office Money Credit Cards. With Euro 2016 kicking off a summer of sport, we are set to become a nation obsessed – with over half of all UK adults classing themselves as sports fans (58 per cent) and almost as many regularly forking out to pursue their hobby (50 per cent).

Summer 2016 is an auspicious time for football fans – not only will the 15th UEFA European Championship be taking place from 10 June and until 10 July, but Saturday 30 July sees the 50th anniversary of England's outstanding 1966 World Cup victory. Evan Evans London's largest sightseeing company, which specialises in city tours and out-of-town excursions, has introduced an all NEW Football Stadium & Historic London Pubs tour, which is the perfect celebration of all things football.

Sporty Erdington students had a real spring in their step when an Olympian triple jumper hopped into school. Birmingham-based Nathan Douglas, a two times Olympian and two times European medallist, who hopes to compete at Rio this year, visited Stockland Green School at the end of term. He spent a day working with year 9 as part of the ‘Sky Sports Living for Sport’ project, which aims to boost confidence, change behaviours, increase attainment and improve life skills.

Birmingham is set to confirm its status as the UK’s home of athletics this month when it hosts two key athletics events on the road to Rio. Both the Birmingham Diamond League yesterday, and the British Championships from 24 to 26 June are organised by British Athletics, in partnership with Birmingham City Council, and both will be held at the city’s Alexander Stadium.

An Aston mum has revealed how she’s gone from ‘heffer’ to half-marathon hopeful in just 18 months – losing SIX stone in the process. Shah Begum, aged 37, used to think events like the Great Birmingham Run on Sunday, October 16, which she has just signed up for, were only for super-fit folk. Not being ‘scraped off the road’ was all the paralegal at city centre legal firm Gowling WLG thought she could hope for when she initially agreed to run the Great Birmingham 10k on Sunday May 1.

Birmingham is leading the way in tackling the inactivity crisis thanks to a range of FREE initiatives aimed at getting Brummies off the couch. As Sport England unveiled new four-year plan to tackle inactivity, people across Birmingham were embarking on another day of FREE, fun activities aimed at getting Brummies off the couch. Initiatives such as Active Parks, Big Birmingham Bikes, Run Birmingham and Be Active are helping thousands or people lead active lives - with an emphasis on participation rather than simply competition.

Sport England is to triple the amount of money it invests in tackling inactivity (£250 million over four years) as part of its new strategy for supporting grassroots sport. More than one in four people in England (28 per cent) do less than 30 minutes of physical activity a week. But research shows that those who are least active stand to benefit the most, even if it’s just small changes like gentle jogging, swimming or playing rounders in the park.

After Team GB picked up 24 cycling medals at the Invictus Games last week we are sure you have been inspired to get on your bike. We all know Michigan as the home of the American car industry, but with rolling hills, stunning lakeside paths and unique architecture, there is no better way to experience this Great Lake State than on two wheels and a little pedal power.  There are over 1,300 bike trails throughout the state, but you don't just have to go off road to get on your bike in Michigan.