A second workshop will be held today (Tuesday 29 June) for local sports clubs and physical activity providers which want to claim a grant of £1,000 towards the costs of being Covid-19 compliant.

Volunteer-led sports clubs and physical activity providers in Wolverhampton are eligible for a Covid Compliance Grant offered by the City of Wolverhampton Council to encourage regular rapid Covid-19 testing and Covid-safe environments by offsetting the costs involved in this.

Sports clubs and physical activity providers in Wolverhampton can apply for the grant by calling 01902 290242 or visiting www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/covidcompliant, and are invited to find out more at the virtual workshop taking place tomorrow from 4pm-5pm.

It will cover what being Covid-compliant looks like, how organisations can be Covid-secure and how to apply for the grant. There will also be a question and answer session and further information about testing and risk management. To register, please visit https://bit.ly/3iY5H1t. Please note, it is not compulsory to attend the workshop in order to apply for the grant, it is for guidance only.

Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, said: “A third of people with Covid-19 don’t have any symptoms and could therefore pass it onto others unknowingly. Regular testing is helping to track down these cases and prevent onward transmission, protecting individuals and the wider community.

"That’s why we are asking people in Wolverhampton to get a free rapid test twice a week, either at one of our public test centres, at home or in the workplace where available.

“The Covid Compliance Grant is intended to help our city’s grassroots sports clubs and physical activity providers get back on their feet and, at the same time, encourage them to be Covid-secure and embrace a routine of regular coronavirus testing.

“This will give people confidence that clubs are doing all they can to protect participants from Covid-19 and keep the wider community safe from this deadly virus.

“I would encourage eligible organisations to join the free workshop to find out more about the scheme.”

Six reigning Paralympic champions are among the first group of 12 athletes selected to represent ParalympicsGB at the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games this summer.

Hollie Arnold, Jo Butterfield, Hannah Cockroft, Aled Davies, Sophie Hahn and Richard Whitehead all won gold at Rio 2016 and are part of a stellar group of athletes who are announced in the first wave of para-athletics selections.

Five-time Paralympic champion Cockroft, who lowered her own world records in the women’s T34 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m in Switzerland last month, is joined by fellow T34 wheelchair racer and Rio 2016 silver and bronze medallist, Kare Adenegan, in the women’s T34 100m and 800m.

For Whitehead and Davies, Tokyo 2020 will be their third summer Games - both claimed gold at London 2012 and Rio 2016. Whitehead has been selected to compete in the T61 200m, while Davies will go in the F63 shot put.

Hollie Arnold – selected for her fourth Games - will be looking to defend the title she won five years ago in the women’s F46 javelin, while reigning world champion Jonathan Broom-Edwards – a silver medallist at Rio 2016 – is selected in the T64 high jump. Sabrina Fortune, who won her first world title in 2019 to add to the bronze she won in Rio, will line up in the women’s F20 shot put.

Reigning Paralympic, world, European and Commonwealth champion, Sophie Hahn will go for a tilt at her second T38 100m Paralympic title in Japan. Meanwhile, Rio 2016 bronze medallist Andrew Small has sealed his place in the men’s T33 100m.

Scottish sprinter Maria Lyle, who won three Paralympic medals in Brazil five years ago, was in terrific form at the recent European Championships, claiming two golds to take her tally of European titles to eight since making her debut in 2014. The 21-year-old will compete in the T35 100m and 200m in Tokyo.

Lyle’s compatriot and defending Paralympic F51 club throw champion, Jo Butterfield (Phil Peat, Forth Valley Flyers), completes the duo of Tokyo-bound Scots in this first wave of selected athletes.

20-year-old Thomas Young makes his Paralympic debut after impressive performances on the European and world stage in recent years, including T38 100m gold the European Para Athletics Championships earlier this month.

Great Britain and Northern Ireland finished third in the para-athletics medals table at Rio 2016, behind China and USA.

Para Athletics Head Coach Paula Dunn said: “I am very pleased to confirm our first wave of athletes for this summer’s Paralympic Games. It has been a long wait for these athletes, but this is a significant milestone in their career, so I hope they savour this moment and reflect on their achievement so far and use it to fuel them in the final few weeks of preparation for the Games. 

“I am proud of how these athletes have conducted themselves over the last year or so under very challenging circumstances. They have kept their focus on their goals in a year like no other, and I wish them all the best over these final few weeks of preparation prior to the Games. I am looking forward to seeing how they all perform out in Tokyo.”

ParalympicsGB Chef de Mission Penny Briscoe said: “It’s a great pleasure to welcome such talented athletes to the ParalympicsGB team with just over 60 days to go before the Games get underway in Tokyo.

“This tremendous group of athletes from both track and field has already shown great ability on the global stage, including gold and silver medal-winning performances at the last World Championships. I am in no doubt that their talent and experience will stand them in great stead at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and I look forward to joining them on that journey.” The rest of the para-athletics team will be announced on Wednesday 21 July 2021.

The athletes selected for the Paralympic Games:

Kare Adenegan (Job King, Coventry) – Women’s T34 100m and 800m

Hollie Arnold (David Turner, Blackheath and Bromley) – Women’s F46 Javelin

Jonathan Broom-Edwards (Graham Ravenscroft, Newham and Essex Beagles) – Men’s T64 High Jump

Jo Butterfield (Phil Peat / Shona Malcolm, Forth Valley Flyers) – Women’s F51 Club Throw

Hannah Cockroft (Jenni Banks, Leeds) – Women’s T34 100m and 800m

Aled Davies (Ryan Spencer-Jones, Cardiff) – Men’s F63 Shot Put

Sabrina Fortune (Ian Robinson, Deeside) – Women’s F20 Shot Put

Sophie Hahn (Leon Baptiste, Charnwood) – Women’s T38 100m

Maria Lyle (Jamie Bowie, Team East Lothian) – Women’s T35 100m and 200m

Andrew Small (Rick Hoskins, Stockport) – Men’s T33 100m

Richard Whitehead (Keith Antoine, Southwell) – Men’s T61 200m

Thomas Young (Joe McDonnell, Charnwood) – Men’s T38 100m

Former Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers striker, Marlon Harewood, has been named as an official ambassador for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, to help raise awareness of the organisation’s vital work across the region.

41-year-old Marlon, who led a successful footballing career across the world for over 20 years, now resides in the Midlands, and is supporting the rapid response service as part of his community-oriented activities.

For several years from 2007, Marlon played for West Midlands’ Premier League teams Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers, clocking up over 45 appearances during his time at the local clubs. His affiliation with the charity is a natural fit for the sportsman, as sporting event incidents are a regular occurrence for the lifesaving crews of Midlands Air Ambulance Charity.

Hanna Sebright, chief executive for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, said: “We are so pleased to welcome Marlon Harewood as an ambassador for the charity during our 30^th anniversary year.

“His support will help to raise awareness and draw attention to the lifesaving work of the charity which receives no Government or NHS Charities Together funding and relies solely on the generosity of the general public for its 4,500 missions in the region each year.”

On becoming an official ambassador for the much-loved charity, Marlon said: “I have always admired the work of the charity and now as an ambassador, I look forward to officially supporting the organisation, starting with the Jail or Bail event. It’s so important to raise the profile of this lifesaving service, both locally and nationally, as no one knows when they could need the assistance of the incredible medically advanced aircrews.”

To find out more about Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, visit midlandsairambulance.com and follow the service on social media.

Johannes Vetter is the latest global track and field star to sign up to the Müller British Grand Prix and all eyes will be on whether he can break Jan Zelezny’s world javelin record at the Wanda Diamond League event in Gateshead on Tuesday July 13.

Zelezny’s mark of 98.48m was set 25 years ago in Jena, but Vetter came close to surpassing it last year with 97.76m in Poland – the longest throw in the world for more than two decades.

The 28-year-old from Germany looks in world record-breaking form this year, too, as he threw 96.29m to win his event by 11 metres at the European Team Championships last month. The omens are good as well when it comes to Vetter attacking Zelezny’s record at Gateshead.

The last time he competed in Britain he won the world title in London in 2017. It is also not unusual to see javelin world records set in England. Czech legend Zelezny threw a world record of 95.66m in Sheffield in 1993, whereas Britain’s Steve Backley broke the world record with 90.98m at Crystal Palace in London in 1990.

Vetter said: “I have been really pleased with my form so far this year and am hoping for another good performance at the Müller British Grand Prix in Gateshead next month. It will be an important test ahead of the Tokyo Olympics and I look forward to throwing well there.

“I have good memories of competing in England. My world title in 2017 was won in the Olympic Stadium in London and there is always good support at British meetings from their knowledgeable crowd.” On attacking the world record, the German said earlier this year: 

“The conditions have to be right and in the javelin you need your whole body. You need the right speed, a good plant foot, the right release point, trajectory and transfer of weight. Trying to throw long is like going into a casino and playing roulette – the odds are against you.”

The news of Vetter’s participation follows the announcement of a world-class women’s pole vault line up that sees British record-holder Holly Bradshaw taking on Olympic champion Katerina Stefanidi, world outdoor champion Anzhelika Sidorova, world indoor gold medallist Sandi Morris and world leader in 2021 Katie Nageotte. In addition, British star Dina Asher-Smith will be racing over 200m and Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands will compete in the women’s mile, with further announcements to follow in coming days.

Gateshead staged the first Wanda Diamond League event of 2021 in May after it was moved from Rabat in Morocco to the North East of England and now, on July 13, the same venue will host the seventh Diamond League of the season after it was moved from its original home of London. The Müller British Grand Prix will be broadcast internationally from 7-9pm with BBC showing the action live for domestic viewers.

A group of 22 athletes have been selected in the first of two waves of selections for next month’s European Athletics U20 Championships in Tallinn, Estonia (15-18 July).

Two athletes selected are currently ranked number two in the 2021 European U20 standings: Sophie Ashurst [women’s pole vault] and Temi Ojora [women’s triple jump].

Sale Harriers Manchester’s Sophie Ashurst cleared a personal best of 4.16m in the pole vault in Loughborough earlier this year and won the trial event at the England Athletics U20/U23 Championships last weekend. The 18-year-old earned her first British vest as GB Junior at the Loughborough International where she finished in third place.

Meanwhile, Temi Ojora has been in consistent form during the 2021 season to date and sits second in the European rankings with a mark of 13.62m last month. The US-based athlete earns her first call-up to a British team in Tallinn.

Welsh athlete Osain Perrin is ranked third in the European U20 rankings in the men’s 5000m, and he set his PB of 13.53.03 on his way to victory in the trial race at the BMC Grand Prix in Watford earlier this month.

Additionally, Mary John lies third in the women’s 400m rankings after she posted a career best time of 53.49 in Lee Valley at the start of the month.

Under 17 sprinter Success Eduan pipped Sophie Walton to the victory at the trials at the weekend, but both have received a call-up for the 200m in Tallinn. Walton is ranked fourth in Europe in the U20 rankings this year, with Eduan sixth, so both will be targeting high placings at next month’s championships.

In the men’s 100m, Toby Makoyawo booked his place in the team after clocking 10.64 to win at the trials at the weekend. His PB of 10.37 ranks him fourth in Europe (U20) so far this year.

Dominic Ogbechie and Charlotte Payne, both on the British Athletics Futures Academy Programme, are selected for the men’s high jump and women’s hammer respectively.

The rest of the team for the European Athletics U20 Championships will be announced in the second wave selections on Tuesday 6 July 2021.

The British team (first wave) for the European Athletics U20 Championships, Tallinn, Estonia

Women:

100m: Joy Eze (Michael Donnelly, Gateshead)

200m: Success Eduan (Anita Richardson, Sale Harriers Manchester) Sophie Walton (Trevor Williams, Horwich)

400m: Mary John (Alan James, Woodford Green Essex Ladies)

5000m: Alice Garner (Mick Woods, Aldershot Farnham and District)

100m Hurdles: Lily Parris (Julie Benterman, Chelmsford)

Pole Vault: Sophie Ashurst (Andy Ashurst, Sale Harriers Manchester)

Triple Jump: Temi Ojora (Nick Newman, Windsor Slough Eton and Hounslow)

Shot Put: Nana Gyedu (John Hillier, Blackheath and Bromley)

Discus: Samantha Callaway (David Callaway, Newham and Essex Beagles)

Javelin: Elizabeth Korczak (Bob Willows, Brighton and Hove)

Hammer: Charlotte Payne (Paul Dickenson, Reading)

Heptathlon: Abigail Pawlett (Joe Frost, Stockport T&F)

Men:

100m: Toby Makoyawo (Peter Griffiths, Windsor Slough Eton and Hounslow)

400m: Edward Faulds (James Wright, Rugby and Northampton)

5000m: Osian Perrin (Andrew Walling, Menai)

3000m Steeplechase: Kristian Imroth (Stephen Murphy, Shaftesbury Barnet)

110m Hurdles: Joseph Harding (Laura Turner-Alleyne, Basildon)

400m Hurdles: Adam Booth (Graeme Gourlay, Poole AC)

High Jump: Sam Brereton (Fuzz Caan, Birchfield) Dominic Ogbechie (Marius Guei, Highgate)

Long Jump: Brad Davies-Pughe (Jake Awe, Shaftesbury Barnet)

Birmingham Phoenix have finalised their coaching teams ahead of the start of The Hundred.

Andrew McDonald is unable to travel over to England this summer due to scheduling issues caused by the pandemic. Former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori will step up from his Assistant Coach role to the role of Men’s Interim Head Coach this summer while McDonald will continue to support the side in an advisory role before his planned return as Men’s Head Coach in 2022, subject to international commitments.

After a hugely successful playing career that sees him remembered as one of New Zealand’s greatest ever cricketers, Vettori has gained extensive coaching experience having had spells in charge of Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash, Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL and Middlesex in the Vitality Blast. He will be supported by two Assistant Coaches - Alex Gidman & James Franklin who have extensive experience in England, both on and off the field, and are currently Head Coaches at Worcestershire & Durham respectively.

Ben Sawyer remains as Head Coach of the Women’s side with some exciting additions to his backroom staff. Former England cricketer Caroline Foster (nee Atkins) is one of three Assistant Coaches alongside Dominic Ostler and Gareth Davies who currently coach the Warwickshire and Worcestershire Women’s sides.

Foster is a former World Cup and Ashes winner and coached Western Storm to the final of the Kia Super League in its inaugural season in 2016.

Daniel Vettori said: “I feel really honoured to be asked to step up and take the reigns from Andrew this year. Andrew has helped build a very strong squad we’ll continue to communicate regularly, and Andrew’s advice and support will be vital to hopefully bring The Hundred trophy to Birmingham.”

Andrew McDonald commented: “Unfortunately I am no longer able to travel to the UK this summer and coach the team, which is disappointing; but I will be doing everything I can in my revised role to support Dan, his coaching team and the playing group. Dan has been an integral part of the planning and I’m confident we can achieve success in The Hundred this year.”

Caroline Foster said: “I feel thrilled to be working with Birmingham Phoenix this summer. Ben is a fantastic coach who has experience around the world and I can’t wait to work with him and the players ahead of what is an incredibly exciting moment not just for Birmingham Phoenix but for women’s cricket as a whole.”