After a unanimously agreed by clubs to conduct a feasibility study into the idea at a shareholders' meeting last month, and in the wake of the massive impact made by England during the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the English Premier League has moved a step closer to taking over the Women's Super League from the Football Association.

It follows recent talks between the Premier League and FA, but no timeframe has yet been proposed.

The FA, who set up the WSL in 2011, has overseen its development, seeing the WSL becoming the only full-time professional competition with 12 teams for 2019-20 with Premier League-affiliated clubs making up 13 of the 22 sides in the women's top two divisions, with the top flight securing a £10m sponsorship deal with Barclays.

Attendances, though, have dropped below an average of 1,000, and some Premier League clubs now feel there is significant scope for growth in sponsorship and broadcasting deals, especially after England reaching the World Cup semi-final - which was watched by record television audiences.

A spokesperson for the FA said: "We can confirm that we are supporting the Premier League in exploring the long-term feasibility of the Premier League running the Women's Super League. This is a purely exploratory project and based on a long term timescale”.

Continuing, the spokesperson said: "The FA is proud that it set up the first European women's professional league and the relevant player pathways as part of its commitment to growing the women's game. We have recently established a joint WSL/Women's Championship Board with the clubs to oversee the future strategy and policy of the professional game.

"It is this Board that will recommend the best way forward to The FA as it determines what is in the best interests of the leagues. However, The FA has always been clear that it is open to an external body running the WSL in the long term, as The FA's remit is to support the game from grassroots to elite teams."

Further to that, it is also understands that talks are ongoing about the possibility of playing multiple matches at Premier League stadiums on the opening weekend of the 2019-20 WSL season, which starts on Saturday, September 7 - during an international break for the men's sides.

Any possible takeover, though, could still be several seasons away.

The sports industry is known to be dominated by men. But Khalia Collier didn't let that stop her from owning her own sports team back in 2011.

At just 23, Collier became the owner and general manager of the St. Louis Surge, the only women's professional basketball team in St. Louis, Missouri, in the USA.

She has always loved basketball since she was a child - and she was good at it.

She used to join basketball teams from grade school, high school, and college. Collier, who finished college with a degree in Marketing, has also been interested in business from seeing her mother, who is an entrepreneur herself

Khalia started thinking about owning a team when she became a player for the Surge. As she continued learning more about team ownership, she thought it would be a great opportunity to buy the team she used to play for.

Aside from the business aspect, it is also important for Collier to "show and prove that a women's franchise is not only viable but sustainable in the market," she said in an interview with Shoppe Black. And it actually happened. She became one of the youngest owners in sports at any level.

Since then, the St. Louis Surge has successfully won five regional championships and two national championships play at Washington University. What's more, she herself is a winner for she is able to inspire other women that they could be leaders as well.

"My responsibility as a woman is to create more opportunities for women that look like me not just providing a platform for professional athletes but leadership and front office positions. Once the door is open it is my responsibility to leave it open for all of the incredible women willing and prepared to work hard to achieve their dreams."

With the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) warmly welcoming the decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session to include Breaking on the sports programme, b-boys and b-girls are already sharpening up their moves and groves ready for its inclusion in the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

Breaking made its Olympic debut last year at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, but its inclusion on the Paris 2024 programme is the first time any DanceSport discipline has appeared at an Olympic Games.

“This is history for the DanceSport community and the discipline of Breaking,” said WDSF President Shawn Tay. “We are sure Breaking will be an outstanding success in Paris and will add lots of energy, athletic excellence, innovation and youth appeal to the Olympic Games. WDSF, together with the Breaking community, is ready to collaborate closely with Paris 2024 and the IOC to make the Olympic dream of the world’s best b-boys and b-girls come true.”

The Paris 2024 organisers proposed four sports - Breaking, together with Skateboarding, Sport Climbing and Surfing - in response to a new level of flexibility afforded to Olympic Games Host Cities to encourage innovation in the Olympic programme. Host Cities, beginning with Tokyo 2020, now have the option of suggesting new sports and events for inclusion in their edition of the Games that are not binding on future Games hosts.

The new sports were proposed in February by the Paris 2024 Organising Committee for inclusion at the XXXIII Olympiad. In March, the IOC Executive Board (EB) gave the green light to the proposal, which was then put to a vote by the IOC Session (the assembly of all IOC members), currently meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland.

B-boy, Mounir, the Vagabond Crew member who joined the Paris 2024 delegation presenting at the IOC Session, said: “This is historic. We were humble, but we never doubted. A pessimist never changed the world. We started from nothing, we learned how to make more with less, we believed in the impossible and today the impossible becomes possible.”

DJ Renegade, who has been involved in UK breaking since the 1980s, said the proposal for the event to be at the 2024 Olympics was "one of the most exciting things that's happened in our scene.

He said: "People were mentioning this back in 1983".

"Right now people are training in train stations.

"We don't have any gyms or studios, you have to pay for that stuff. It would be nice if there was an academy where you can go and learn about the culture."

The 2024 Summer Olympic Games are scheduled to take place in the French capital from 26 July to 11 August.

Britain’s men’s sprint relay teams are set to take on the world, in one of the biggest 4x100m relay races of the year, at the Müller Anniversary Games, in the London Stadium on 20–21 July.

Two Great Britain & Northern Ireland 4x100m quartets will line up against Australia, China, Chinese Taipei, Germany, Japan, Netherlands and Poland for an exciting showdown, which is sure to set the stadium alight.

Great Britain’s men’s sprint relay teams have returned to top form with some exceptional performances in recent years. In 2017, they produced an unforgettable display to win gold at the IAAF World Championships in London, and they have also won the 4x100m at the last three European Championships.

European 100m and 4x100m relay champion Zharnel Hughes has established himself as one of Britain’s leading relay runners and will be aiming for selection for the Müller Anniversary Games and beyond.

He believes the 4x100m will be one of the most exciting events of the weekend at the Diamond League meet, which takes place just ten weeks before the start of the IAAF World Championships in Doha.

Hughes said: “The men’s sprint relay at the Müller Anniversary Games is going to be a huge race. We’ll have two GB men’s relay teams battling each other for supremacy and taking on some of the best sprint quartets in the world. So, the fans can expect some fireworks in the London Stadium.

“The 4x100m relay is a really special event for the GB sprinters and it’s a privilege for me to be part of this exciting, current quartet. Racing as part of team that’s perfectly in sync, is a truly magical feeling.

“The crowd always goes wild when the relay is on, and the noise in the London Stadium when Great Britain won gold there two years ago was unbelievable. I hope lots of fans will come and cheer the Brits on again this year, at the Müller Anniversary Games.”

The Müller Anniversary Games has seen history made on numerous occasions in recent years, with some memorable performances from British names such as Sir Mo Farah, Laura Muir and Dina Asher-Smith, while para athletics stars Kare Adenegan and Sophie Hahn both broke world records at the 2018 edition of the event.

Former England, Crystal Palace, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Nottingham Forest footballer, leukaemia survivor and Patron of blood cancer charity Cure Leukaemia Geoff Thomas, has announced he will ride the full Tour de France route one day ahead of the professionals for the last time in 2020 to mark 15 years since he was declared in remission from the disease.

Yesterday marked exactly 16 years since Geoff was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia and told he had just three months to live. Luckily, he lived close to Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Cure Leukaemia’s co-founder Professor Charlie Craddock CBE. Under his care, Geoff was able to access the latest treatments for this form of blood cancer enabling him to undergo a life-saving stem cell transplant as his sister, Kay, was a perfect match.

Reflecting on this time he said: “I was so lucky. Had I not met Charlie (Professor Craddock), been able to receive the latest treatment for the disease and my sister not been a match I would not be here today. So many patients I met during that time didn’t make it and that’s why I have dedicated my life to giving back ever since.”

During his treatment Geoff drew inspiration and comfort from Lance Armstrong’s book ‘It’s Not About The Bike’ which detailed the American’s own battle with cancer. Geoff continued:

“It gave me hope that there could be a future for me and it’s the reason I took up cycling, and the rest is history!”

In 2005, just months after being declared in remission from blood cancer, Geoff defied the odds and first took on the full Tour de France route, one day ahead of the professionals.

“It was the start of a true love/hate relationship for me! It was incredibly tough but it was the memory of the patients who didn’t make it that drove me on. I made great friends during that challenge in the world of cycling, the likes of Matt Lawton, Neil Ashton, Matt Dickinson and Tom Cary and they have supported me ever since.”

Since then, Geoff has taken on cycling’s toughest challenge three more times to raise funds to support others and in 2020, 30 years after he captained Crystal Palace in the FA Cup Final, he will ride over 3,400km, one day ahead of the likes of Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas with the aim of raising £1m for Cure Leukaemia.

He continued: “Yes this is it! I can’t keep doing these Grand Tour challenges and this feels like the right time. Cure Leukaemia recently announced its nationwide expansion thanks to the UK Charities of the Year partnership with Deutsche Bank. From January 2020, Cure Leukaemia will be funding specialist research nurses across the UK and the funds we raise from GT15 will connect so many more patients with the treatments I was lucky enough to receive 16 years ago.

“Our vision is to accelerate the global progress that is being made in the world of blood cancer and help find effective treatments for all forms of the disease within the next 15 years.”

To raise £1m for Cure Leukaemia, Geoff is looking for 14 amateur cyclists to join him for this ultimate experience next summer.

“I am looking for a team to join me for my last tour. It’s a year away so there is time for people to prepare for this experience. I’m not going to dress it up, it is tough, really tough but it is amazing what people can achieve when they have a focus and determination to succeed. There are no blockers here – young or old, male or female we would like to hear from you.”

Cyclists who are keen in joining Geoff should go to www.GT15.co.uk where they can register their interest. It costs £10,000 per rider to take part initially with a commitment to raise at least a further £20,000.

Geoff added: “It is vital that the fundraising is not forgotten about in this story – it’s why I took up cycling and it’s why I am going through the pain of another Tour. To finish my cycling career knowing that we have raised at least £1m for this fantastic charity would be so special to me.

“We would love a headline sponsor for the event to ensure more funds go to Cure Leukaemia and we would welcome conversations with interested businesses.

“It’s nice that next year will be 30 years since the FA Cup Final as well, bringing everything together in the same year. Perhaps our shirt sponsor from that year might be interested in being a part of this challenge?”

As part of its three years to go celebrations, the team behind Birmingham 2022 is dialling up the countdown to the Commonwealth Games by rolling out an art-led community research project that aims to connect communities across the West Midlands.

Birmingham 2022 is staging an innovative research project called Common Ground, which will visit nine locations across the region throughout June and July, inviting people to have a conversation about the Games and to explore how Birmingham 2022 can benefit their community and create a legacy in the region.

Featuring local artist illustrators Room 0121 and Void One who will be joined by a team of researchers, Common Ground hopes to engage local people to explore how they feel the Games can bring people together and provide a catalyst for change to benefit them and others living in their local area. The findings will be used by the artists to create a visual interpretation of the conversations, as they happen, at each location.

Common Ground will conclude with an exciting Birmingham 2022 milestone, an event called Commonwealth Social taking in Birmingham city centre on Saturday 27 July. The Commonwealth Social will mark the momentous milestone of three years to gountil the Opening Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in 2022 by uniting the people of the city and the region, who are pivotal in helping to shape Birmingham’s inaugural Games. The Commonwealth Social will also reveal the new Birmingham 2022 brand identity, which has been co-created with local communities across the West Midlands to truly reflect the region.

Common Ground will take place in the following locations on the dates below:

Saturday 22 June        Cannock                     Cannock Shopping Centre

Saturday 6 July           Coventry                     Broadgate

Sunday 7 July             Wolverhampton          Wolverhampton Food & Drink Festival

Friday 12 July             Stourbridge                 Ryemarket Shopping Centre

Saturday 13 July         West Brom                  Sandwell Arts Café, New Square

Sunday 14 July           Sutton Coldfield          Community Games - Wyndley Leisure Centre

Wednesday 17 July    Solihull                        Touchwood Shopping Centre

Saturday 20 July         Walsall                         Saddlers Shopping Centre

Saturday 27 July         Birmingham                City Centre – Centenary Square

Josie Stevens, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for Birmingham 2022, said: “We’re putting local people at the heart of the Games and celebrating what makes the region special. For us to do this effectively it’s important that we hear from local communities and give them a voice to share their ideas, which in turn will help shape our approach. We want to create a Commonwealth Games that unites the region, benefits local people and marks the occasion in a way that only Birmingham can.”

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that will bring athletes, officials, spectators and local people together in a unique celebration of sport, culture and business, creating growth and positive change in Birmingham and wider the West Midlands.