Nigerian athletes to miss Tokyo Olympic Games

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.

Nigerian billionaire set for Sheffield United ownership

Talks with Nigerian billionaire Dozy Mmobuosi is at an advanced stage as he bids to takeover English Championship club Sheffield United.

Mmobuosi, the founder and Group Chief Executive Officer of Tingo Inc, the parent company of Tingo Mobile, has been in talks with the Championship promotion contenders' owner Prince Abdullah,

Nigerian group set up own running club in London

At London's famous Hyde Park at around 11:00 on a crisp Saturday morning, runners gather at some benches - some tall and lean, others broad and sturdy, a few logging into the Strava app, but one common thread unites them - most of them are Nigerians of Igbo extraction.

Night of 10,000m PBs to host the Emsley Carr and Millicent Fawcett Mile races

The prestigious Emsley Carr Mile and Millicent Fawcett Mile races will take place at the Night of 10,000m PBs in Highgate on Saturday 14 May 2022.

The iconic Emsley Carr Mile race has run annually in the UK since 1953 when it was first won by Olympic silver medallist Gordon Pirie. Among the other legends of the sport to have won the race during its 69-year history are Haile Gebrselassie, Sebastian Coe, Steve Ovett, Hicham El Guerrouj and many more.

Night of 10,000M PBs to host the Emsley Carr and Millicent Fawcett Mile races

The prestigious Emsley Carr Mile and Millicent Fawcett Mile races will take place at the Night of 10,000m PBs in Highgate on Saturday 14 May 2022.

The iconic Emsley Carr Mile race has run annually in the UK since 1953 when it was first won by Olympic silver medallist Gordon Pirie. Among the other legends of the sport to have won the race during its 69-year history are Haile Gebrselassie, Sebastian Coe, Steve Ovett, Hicham El Guerrouj and many more.

Nike relent to selling limited number of Earps’ World Cup goalkeeper shirts

England fans will be able to buy Mary Earps replica goalkeeper shirts after Nike said "limited quantities" would go on sale.

No cardiac issues found as reason for Arsenal star Maanum collapse

Arsenal say Frida Maanum has undergone tests which found "no obvious cardiac causes" for her collapse in the Continental Cup final.

No friendships with Archer, says Roach

Bowler Kemar Roach has declared that “there will be no friendship” when West Indies face England fast-bowler, Jofra Archer during the upcoming Test series.

Barbados-born Archer played three times for the West Indies Under-19s before opting to play for England before playing for his new adopted team against the Windies side in the ICC World Cup in 2019.

This summer will be the first time that will face time that he will come up against them in a Test match.

Fellow Barbadian Roach said: “It is all about playing hard cricket and winning.

“Jofra’s made a decision and I think that he’s doing a fantastic job for his career.

“Obviously there will be no friendship at the start of this series.

“It’s all about winning and playing our cricket. If we come up against Jofra, we will devise a fantastic plan to counter it. I’m looking forward to the battle”.

Archer claimed 20 wickets to help England win the maiden 50-over World Cup in 2019, before making his Test debut in the Ashes series against Australia.

No international Olympics and Paralympics fans to be allowed in at Tokyo 2020 Games

Japanese authorities have told the Olympic and Paralympic committees that it was highly unlikely that entry to the country could be guaranteed. Organisers have said that the move now gives clarity to ticket holders and helps ensure a safe and secure Games for all participants and the Japanese public.

The Games are due to begin on July 23 with the Paralympics following a month later, from August 24. Organisers said that the Covid-19 situation in Japan and many other countries, global travel restrictions and emergence of variant strains of the virus had led to the decision and that ticket holders would be refunded.

The Olympics were postponed by a year in March last year because of the growing spread of coronavirus across the world. It is the first time in the event's history it has been postponed, with more than 11,000 athletes from about 200 countries scheduled to take part in 2020.

Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, said: “The move is a great sacrifice for everybody. We share the disappointment of all enthusiastic Olympic Games fans from around the world, and of course the families and friends of the athletes, who were planning to come to the Games. For this I am truly sorry.

"Every decision has to respect the principle of safety first. I know that our Japanese partners and friends did not reach this conclusion lightly. We stand shoulder-to-shoulder at the side of our Japanese partners and friends, without any kind of reservation, to make the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 a great success."

International Paralympic Committee president Andrew Parsons said: "Difficult decisions had to be made with safety the top priority.

"It goes without saying that in an ideal world we would prefer to have international spectators at the Games. But at the moment we must acknowledge that due to the global pandemic we are not living in an ideal world."

The British Olympic Association (BOA) said that while it is a very disappointing situation, it highlights the extreme determination to stage a safe event during the pandemic. A BOA statement said: "This is very sad news, not only for British fans but particularly for the family and friends of athletes."

The exclusion of international fans comes as another major financial blow to the Tokyo Games.

Noah Lyles to contest 100m at the 2024 London Athletics Meet

With just under three months to go until the London Athletics Meet, part of the Wanda Diamond League series, the USA’s six-time world champion Noah Lyles has been confirmed to compete in the men’s 100m on Saturday 20 July at the London Stadium.

Nominations announced for 2021 Laureus World Sports Awards

The world’s sports media have cast their votes and the nominees for the 22nd annual Laureus World Sports Awards have been revealed. The greatest sportsmen, sportswomen and teams will discover in the next few months if they have won a prestigious Laureus Statuette. This year the Laureus Awards will not be presented at an open ceremony, but individually to winners due to the continuing global pandemic. The winners will be announced in May as part of a ‘Virtual’ Awards event.

The Awards will reflect a unique year of sport when athletes used their platforms to instil hope, influence change in society and prove that sport can change the world for the better. While celebrating the highest sporting achievements, this year’s Laureus Awards will also honour those whose actions have transcended the court, track or field of play.

Former winners Lewis Hamilton and Rafael Nadal have been nominated again for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award. In 2020 Hamilton won a record-equalling seventh Formula One World Championship and Nadal won his 20th Grand Slam to tie Roger Federer. Also nominated are NBA super star LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers, Robert Lewandowski of Bayern Munich, winner of the Best FIFA Men’s Player award, and two hopeful Olympians – Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei, who broke both the 5,000 and 10,000 metres world records, and Sweden’s Armand Duplantis, who created new outdoor and indoor pole vault world records.

Reflecting on his nomination, Lewis said: “It’s an honour to have been nominated for ‘Sportsman of the Year’ alongside some truly incredible athletes. When I look back at the award ceremony last year, it’s hard to believe just how much has changed. 2020 was a difficult year for so many people, for many different reasons and of course the world of sport was hugely affected. I was fortunate enough to be able to race and I’m so proud of what we, as a team, were able to achieve together. I’m even prouder of the journey we began towards making the motorsport industry more diverse and inclusive. Nelson Mandela was the inspiration behind Laureus and I’m sure he would support everything we can do, to use sport to achieve a greater good.”

On his nomination, Robert Lewandowski said: “I have been working so hard for many, many years to reach the point I did in 2020 and I am grateful that the world’s media acknowledged that. I was honoured to win the FIFA Best Player Award and now to be nominated for this Laureus Award is special. I know that Lionel Messi is the only team player to win, and he had to share it with Lewis Hamilton, so maybe I can go one better. Thank you to the hundreds of members of the international sports media who voted for me. It is a great honour for me.”

Australian Open champion, Naomi Osaka, winner of the Laureus Breakthrough Award in 2019, is nominated for the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award, after her second US Open win in September. Also short-listed are Holland’s Anna van der Breggen, who won both road race and time trial at the World Cycling Championships, Italy’s Federica Brignone, skiing’s World Cup winner, Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei, winner of the London Marathon, Wendie Renard, captain of Lyon who won a fifth straight Women’s Champions League, and basketball’s Breanna Stewart, who led Seattle Storm to the WNBA Championship.

Reacting to her nomination, Osaka said: "It is an honour to once again be nominated for a Laureus Award by the world's media. For me this is special because Laureus sees the big picture – not just sport on the court or the pitch, but how it can help young people around the world. This is a time that sport can make a big difference in so many ways and really help to change the world."

Football’s Bayern Munich, winners of the Champions League, and Liverpool, who won their first English Premier League title for 30 years, are nominated for the Laureus World Team of the Year Award, along with NBA champions the Los Angeles Lakers, Formula One constructors’ champions Mercedes AMG-Petronas, the Kansas City Chiefs, who won the 2020 Super Bowl, and the Argentina Men’s Rugby Team.

The nominations for the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award include some of the most incredible young sporting talent to make an impact in 2020. Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar, 21, became the youngest rider in a century to win the Tour de France, Barcelona’s Ansu Fati, 17, is Spain’s youngest ever goalscorer, while his fellow Spaniard Joan Mir, 23, won his first Moto GP World Championship. Poland’s Iga Swiatek, 19, won the French Open to become the youngest women’s singles champion at Roland Garros since Monica Seles in 1992, while Austria’s Dominic Thiem, 27, won his first ever Grand Slam at the US Open. Patrick Mahomes led Kansas City Chiefs to their first Super Bowl win in 50 years.

The Laureus World Comeback of the Year Nominees personify the true spirit, determination and tenacity of athletes who have overcome hurdles to return to action. Top women’s skier Mikaela Shiffrin came back from a break following her father’s death to start winning again, Japan’s Kento Momota, badminton’s world No 1, returned to competition after surviving a serious car crash, Canada’s Max Parrot recovered from cancer to win two X-Games snowboarding gold medals, Alex Smith came back to play for Washington in the NFL 728 days and 17 operations after a leg injury, baseball’s Daniel Bard returned to top level pitching after a seven-year hiatus due to ‘yips’, and US football star Alex Morgan made her debut for London club Tottenham just 184 days after giving birth.

For the first time ever, three Sport for Development programmes have been shortlisted alongside the Nominees for the Laureus Awards, reflecting the outstanding contribution made by grassroots sports organisations throughout the Covid-19 Pandemic. In contention for the Laureus Sport for Good Award are; Boxgirls Kenya, a programme using boxing to empower at-risk girls in underserved slum communities in Nairobi; Fundación Colombianitos, a Colombian organisation using football and rugby to promote education and bridge gender gaps and KICKFORMORE, a football organisation that encourages participants to make positive contributions in their communities in Germany.

As well as recognising the most memorable sporting performances to have taken place in 2020, despite the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic, this year there will be additional special Laureus Awards acknowledging the wider impact on society made by athletes.

The Awards will tell the inspirational stories of people who have worked tirelessly to combat the pandemic, and will highlight the advocacy of sportsmen and sportswomen who have used their positions of influence to make a powerful impact on issues and conflicts which transcend sport.

Sean Fitzpatrick, Chair of the Laureus World Sports Academy, whose 68 members vote for the winners of the Awards, said: “After a challenging year, we are more determined than ever to ensure that Laureus honours the men and women who made such an effort to return to sport, in many cases in a very different environment and without spectators. They gave everybody an emotional lift at a difficult time.

“As Academy Members, we are also proud to see the three shortlisted Sport for Good Award programmes among these high achieving athletes. Working in often challenging circumstances in disadvantaged communities around the world, these programmes showcase the best of sport, and they have all done so well to continue using sport as a tool for social change in the face of adversity.”

In view of the significantly reduced amount of activity which took place in some sports in 2020, the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award and the Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year Award will not be presented, although sports from these categories will be recognised elsewhere in the Awards show.

List of nominees for Laureus World Sports Awards 2021:

Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award

Joshua Cheptegei (Uganda) Athletics – broke both 5,000 and 10,000 metres world records in 2020
Armand Duplantis (Sweden) Athletics – broke outdoor and indoor pole vault world record in 2020
Lewis Hamilton (UK) Motor Racing – won record-equalling seventh Formula One World Championship
LeBron James (USA) Basketball – LA Lakers star, won his fourth NBA title and fourth Finals MVP award
Robert Lewandowski (Poland) Football – 55 goals as Bayern Munich won Champions League, Bundesliga
Rafael Nadal (Spain) Tennis – won 13th French Open; his 20th career Grand Slam to equal Roger Federer

Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award

Anna van der Breggen (Netherlands) Cycling – won both road race and time trial at World Championships
Federica Brignone (Italy) Skiing – first Italian woman to win Overall World Cup; also Combined and G. Slalom
Brigid Kosgei (Kenya) Athletics – won rescheduled London Marathon by more than three minutes
Naomi Osaka (Japan) Tennis – won second US Open in 2020, her third career Grand Slam, at age 22
Wendie Renard (France) Football – captain of Lyon who won a fifth straight Women’s Champions League
Breanna Stewart (USA) Basketball – led Seattle Storm to WNBA Championship; won Finals MVP award

Laureus World Team of the Year Award

Argentina Men's Rugby Team - first ever win over three-time world champions the All Blacks
Bayern Munich (Germany) Football – won Champions League, Bundesliga, German Cup under Hansi Flick
Kansas City Chiefs (USA) American Football – won the Super Bowl for the first time since 1970
Liverpool (UK) Football – under Jurgen Klopp won first English Premier League title for 30 years
Los Angeles Lakers (USA) Basketball – inspired by LeBron James, won their 17th NBA Championship
Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team (Germany) – record 7th consecutive Constructors’ Championship

Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award

Ansu Fati (Spain) Football – at 17, became youngest scorer for Spain and in El Clasico for Barcelona
Patrick Mahomes (USA) American Football – at 24, led Kansas City Chiefs to first Super Bowl win in 50 years
Joan Mir (Spain) Motor Cycling – at 23, won his first Moto GP World Championship
Tadej Pogacar (Slovenia) Cycling – at 21, became the youngest rider in a century to win the Tour de France
Iga Swiatek (Poland) Tennis – at 19, became the youngest French Open winner since 1992
Dominic Thiem (Austria) Tennis – won first ever Grand Slam at US Open; reached final of Australian Open

Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award

Daniel Bard (USA) Baseball – successful return to top level after not pitching for seven years because of ‘yips’
Kento Momota (Japan) Badminton – world No 1 returned to competition after surviving serious car crash
Alex Morgan (USA) Football – debut for London club Tottenham just 184 days after giving birth
Max Parrot (Canada) Snowboarding – recovered from cancer to win two X-Games gold medals in 2020
Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) Skiing – came back from break following father’s death to start winning again
Alex Smith (USA) American Football – back for Washington 728 days and 17 operations after leg injury

Laureus Sport for Good Award

Boxgirls Kenya Boxing – supports and empowers at-risk girls in underserved slum communities in Nairobi
Fundación Colombianitos (Colombia) Football & Rugby – bridges gender gaps and promotes education through sport
KICKFORMORE (Germany) Football – empowers youth to make positive contributions in their communities

Nominations announced for the Laureus World Sports Awards 2025

The Nominees for the Laureus World Sports Awards have been announced – beginning the countdown to the greatest show in sport.

Nominations open for Sport Caerphilly Sport Awards 2024

Sport Caerphilly is excited to announce that nominations for the Sport Awards 2024 will officially open tomorrow (Monday, 8th July), and will close on Friday, 23rd August.

Nominations open for Sporting Equals Awards 2024 to celebrate race equality in sport and physical activity

Sporting Equals, an independent body that champions race equity across sport, have launched the 2024 Sporting Equals Awards to celebrate the contributions made by ethnically diverse people and communities in sport and physical activity.

Nordqvist set to captain Team Europe in 2026 Solheim Cup

It has been announced by the Ladies European Tour that three-time major winner Anna Nordqvist is set to succeed Suzann Pettersen as Team Europe captain in the 2026 Solheim Cup.

Northern Ireland makes history to reach Euro 2022 Finals

Marissa Callaghan and Nadene Caldwell scored to give Kenny Shiels' side a 2-0 win on the night and a 4-1 victory on aggregate in the two-legged play-off.

Captain Callaghan tucked home on 55 minutes and Caldwell netted in injury time to secure the win against Ukraine, who had Natiya Pantsulaya sent off. The Euro 2022 finals will be Northern Ireland's first major tournament. It caps a remarkable 17-year journey for Northern Ireland, whose women's national team only reformed in 2004.

After a goalless first-half, Callaghan broke the deadlock 10 minutes into the second-half when she beat Ukraine goalkeeper Kateryna Samson to the ball and slotted into the empty net. It was a goal which perfectly summed up Northern Ireland's persistence as Callaghan won the initial header from Julie Nelson's free-kick before showing awareness to get to the second ball ahead of the sleeping Ukraine defence to give the home side the cushion they craved.

Caldwell secured the victory after Pantsulaya was sent-off late on. Simone Magill won the ball on the edge of the area and Caldwell, who had just come on the pitch as a substitute, beat the stranded Samson to spark wild celebrations. The celebrations at full-time marked an unbelievable journey for a team who were written off before a ball was kicked in qualifying.

Moments such as Ashley Hutton's last-minute goal against Wales or a superb 1-0 victory away to Belarus with 10 players demonstrate where the unwavering belief stems from. From arriving in May 2019, Shiels and his coaching team, which includes son Dean, have done a remarkable job changing the mentality and tactics of this side.

For players like Nelson, who has been through thick and thin since making her debut 17 years ago, it has been a life-long dream. For younger players like Rebecca McKenna or Chloe McCarron, this will a high point in their fledgling careers that they hope will be the first of many.

It's impossible to name every player but it has been a real team effort to get to this point - and every player in a green shirt played their part. It was an occasion and performance which deserved a packed house at Seaview, but this history-making team can expect the Green and White Army to follow their every move for years to come.

This team dared to dream, and now they will enjoy every moment of the reward they have worked so hard to achieve. Northern Ireland, ranked 25 places below their opponents, looked relaxed from the first whistle as they went about finishing the job they began by securing a lead in Ukraine.

Just as in Kovalivka, Northern Ireland came flying at their opponents right from the first whistle, with Kirsty McGuinness and Magill harrying Ukraine's defence. The positive approach settled any lingering nerves, and while manager Shiels is renowned for his enterprising style of football, it was a direct approach from set plays which gave his side half openings.

Laura Rafferty, one of two changes from the first leg, was inches away from opening the scoring when she poked wide after the ball dropped to the defender from an early corner.

Again, in a similar pattern to the first leg, Ukraine grew into the match and began to dominate the midfield as the half wore on.

Despite Ukraine's growing possession on the artificial pitch, Northern Ireland looked comfortable in defence and Magill, who had a shot comfortably saved by Kateryna Samson, and Callaghan provided an outlet for Shiels' side. McKenna, on her 20th birthday, continued where she left off from the first leg and Rebecca Holloway had the best performance of her short NI career to date as both players were tasked with providing width in both attack and defence.

However, it was the experienced head of Nelson who made the most-important intervention of the first half when she superbly denied Olha Ovdiychuk with some last-ditch defending following a rare lapse of concentration for NI just before the half-time whistle. Cheered on in the stands by the vocal Rachel Furness, who missed the match after sustaining a broken ankle in the first leg, NI came out for the second-half like and looked like a team with the weight off their shoulders.

That soon turned to pandemonium when Callaghan showed tremendous persistence to beat Samson to the ball and score - a goal that meant Ukraine had to net three times to overcome their opponents. It was akin to when men's captain Steven Davis scored twice against Greece in 2015 to fire Northern Ireland to the Euro 2016 finals in France as Callaghan led from the front.

Northern Ireland dropped deep but still looked in command as the visitors ran out of ideas as the clock ticked down. They put plenty of crosses into the danger area but goalkeeper Jackie Burns and the defensive trio of Rafferty, Nelson and Ashley Hutton stood strong as NI began to pick Ukraine off on the counter.

McCarron's cross was just out of reach of Magill and Ukraine were reduced to 10 players when Pantsulaya was dismissed for cutting across the outstanding Sarah McFadden as she raced through on goal. Caldwell then struck in the final seconds to spark jubilant scenes and cap off a superb display as Shiels' team continue to outshine their underdog status.

Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales learn Euro 2025 play-off rivals

Scotland will face Hungary, Northern Ireland have been drawn against Croatia, while Wales will take on Slovakia in the first round of play-offs for the Euro 2025 finals in Switzerland.

Norwegian star Ingebrigtsen joins Müller Grand Prix Gateshead line-up

Middle-distance talent Jakob Ingebrigtsen is the latest big-name athlete to sign up to compete at the Müller Grand Prix Gateshead.

The event at Gateshead International Stadium in just over a week’s time is the first meeting in the 2021 Wanda Diamond League series and the 20-year-old from Norway is racing over 1500 metres. One of the most exciting runners in the world, Ingebrigtsen is the European record-holder for the distance with 3:28.68 set in Monaco last year and he is the reigning European champion at 1500m and 5000m.

Ingebrigtsen said: “I had a great time racing in Glasgow at the European Indoor Championships a couple of years ago and I’ve also run a few times at the Olympic Stadium in London. So, I’m hoping for another good experience in Britain at the Diamond League in Gateshead next week.

“I’ve been training hard lately but I enjoy testing myself in competition and this meeting will be a good race to see where I am in the run-up to the Olympics.” Indeed, on one of recent visits to the UK he won 3000m gold and 1500m silver at those European Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow before capturing gold at both distances at the same championships in Poland in March this year.

At Gateshead he will face, among others, British middle-distance runners Elliot Giles, George Mills, Piers Copeland and Archie Davis. Giles impressed during the recent indoor season when he clocked a sizzling 1:43.63 for 800m to smash the long-time British record held by Sebastian Coe, whereas Mills is the reigning British 1500m champion and the son of former England footballer Danny Mills.

With the meeting moving from Rabat in Morocco to Gateshead in England, it means British Athletics is able to offer more valuable competition opportunities to domestic athletes in the run-up to the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. Mills and Copeland are also part of the Futures Academy Programme which is supported by Nike.

Australia will also have a strong presence in this race with Stewart McSweyn leading the charge. Last year McSweyn ran an Australian 1500m record of 3:30.51 and in Gateshead he is joined by talented fellow countrymen Ollie Hoare, Matthew Ramsden and Ryan Gregson.

Added to this, the meeting is set to feature a women’s 100m with Dina Asher-Smith, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Elaine Thompson-Herah and Sha’Carri Richardson, while the men’s pole vault sees a clash between Mondo Duplantis, Sam Kendricks and Piotr Lisek. In addition, Laura Muir, will race in the UK for the first time in over a year when she tackles the 1500m.

The Müller Grand Prix Gateshead will be broadcast live internationally from 7pm-9pm and for the domestic audience on BBC2 from 7pm. However, the meeting will start at 6pm with a series of para athletics events, as well as some of the Wanda Diamond League field competitions.

Following the recent announcement from the UK Government regarding Step 3 of the roadmap, we are delighted to announce that we will welcome up to 2,000 spectators for the Müller Grand Prix Gateshead on Sunday May 23. We are working closely with stakeholders, including Gateshead Council, the Director of Public Health and the Gateshead Safety Advisory Group to ensure spectators can return to the stadium with safety and social distancing as our priority.

Nothing but net: #ProjectSwish returns for 2022

Basketball England’s #ProjectSwish campaign is back for 2022, enabling ballers up and down the country to invest in their local outdoor court. #ProjectSwish’s mission is to improve outdoor basketball facilities across England by getting people involved in one of three easy ways:

Novak Djokovic earned £2,186 per minute, during the US Open

The conclusion of the 2023 US Open saw Coco Gauff and Novak Djokovic victorious, securing their Grand Slam titles.