Sports News

Prince Harry has encouraged people to show their support for the world’s best Para Athletes when the World Para Athletics Championships London 2017 come to London from 14 – 23 July.

In a joint appeal with Dave Henson, who last year won a Bronze medal at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games and has been selected to compete in this year’s World Para Athletics Championships London 2017, Prince Harry explains why people should buy tickets to this summer’s event.

Prince Harry says: “Buy your tickets, get down there, bring your family and friends and come down and support. Be there with everybody else, creating that atmosphere that’s going to be a life-changing moment for Dave and everyone else.”

Dave, who served with the Royal Engineers was injured in 2011 in Afghanistan when he stood on an IED, resulting in the loss of both his legs. It was during his rehabilitation that Dave found new passion for sport, which was a real catalyst for his recovery. He discovered a real talent for running at the inaugural Invictus Games in 2014, where his Personal Best saw him comfortably into the world top ten. Since then, he has gone on to compete at the 2016 European Championships where he took home Silver before winning Bronze at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

Sharing his experience about watching the London 2012 Paralympic Games and how it helped him during his recovery, Dave explains: “I was still very early on in my recovery and rehab stage, it was a little bit of inspiration because it was suddenly an exposure to people absolutely smashing sport. I went to the Olympic Park a couple of time and it was just such an incredible atmosphere, everyone was so happy.

“I don’t have a World Championship medal, so to take one of those home would be just incredible. I’d love to come away from it with a World Championship medal around my neck. Spectators will see the world’s best para athletes compete in one of the world’s most iconic sports venues. Every single member of the GB team, every single athlete that has qualified is an incredible sportsperson.”

Last month, London 2017 Ltd announced record sales with more than 230,000 tickets sold for the World Para Athletics Championships London 2017. Sales are bigger than all of the previous eight editions of the championships combined and the biggest ever outside of a Paralympic Games. Organisers are urging more supporters to come and support the best para athletes in the world with their #FillTheStadium campaign to ensure as many supporters as possible pack the London Stadium at the event from 14-23 July.

The World Para Athletics Championships London 2017 kick off the Summer of World Athletics and the biggest sporting event in the world in 2017 with the IAAF World Championships following at the London Stadium from 4-13 August. For the first time ever both the World Para Athletics Championships and IAAF World Championships are being held in the same city in the same summer. The summer of World Athletics is the biggest event to be staged at the London Stadium since the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games with 30 sessions scheduled across 20 days.

Every athlete that wins a medal at the World Para Athletics Championships London 2017 will be provided with an additional medal to gift to their coach, it has been confirmed today, with a week to go until the first night of the Championships.

In a milestone first for the World Para Athletics Championships, organisers, in coordination with World Para Athletics have confirmed that coaches of medal winning athletes will also receive medals in recognition of their unique and valued relationship.

The coaches medals, which are based upon similar themes to the athlete medals but differ in design, will be provided to successful athletes following their ceremony, where they will then be able to gift to their coach or significant advisor.

The athlete medals for the World Para Athletics Championships were revealed back in May and are inspired by the notion of ‘What makes an athlete tick?’. The possibility of creating a coaching medal was investigated by UK Athletics who form the LOC for the World Para Athletics Championships.

Paul Macgregor, coach to Paralympic T37 100m and 400m champion Georgina Hermitage, said: “As a coach your focus is on getting your athlete in the best place possible to be able to win medals at major championships. That moment on the podium is rightly theirs but it certainly is nice for athletes to have the opportunity to reward someone who has helped them get to that point. It is not something that has been put forward before and so it is going to be another thing that makes the World Para Athletics Championships London 2017 so memorable.”

Sir Philip Craven, IPC President, said: “I think London 2017 deserve great credit for introducing coaches medals for the first time to the World Para Athletics Championships. Coaches are the unsung heroes behind the scenes and it is fantastic that they will be rewarded for their efforts in coaching medal winning athletes.”

Niels de Vos, Championship Director, said: “As organisers it was important that we made provision for coaches medals for the World Para Athletics Championships. Our #FillTheStadium campaign is encouraging as many supporters to attend and this is another milestone moment for the event and something we are proud to announce with exactly one week to go to the Championships. Athletes deserve their time on the podium but coaches play such a vital role in getting them to that point, so we are pleased to be able to support the athlete to share that success.”

The World Para Athletics Championships London 2017, and the IAAF World Championships London 2017, are together the biggest sporting event in the world in 2017. The biggest event to be staged at the London Stadium since the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games – it is the first time both Championships have been held in the same city with over 3,000 athletes from over 200 nations competing over 20 days of action.

Major hit record selling American female vocal group, The Three Degrees, will be headlining at The Jam House Birmingham on 24^th August.

The famous girl band are most renowned for their record ‘When Will I See You Again’, which was a major hit throughout the world, topping the chart in the USA, UK, Japan and most European countries. Prince Charles himself publicly acclaimed that The Three Degrees are his favourite group, ‘Charlie’s Angels’ as they were tagged. The group were particularly successful in the UK, achieving 12 Top 50 hit singles between 1974 and 1985.

 More than four decades on, the threesome retain their sparkling choreography and precise vocal quality, having amassed an impressive list of hit records since their first debut. Today, the line-up consists of Valerie Holiday, Helen Scott, and Freddie Pool. Valerie has been with the band since 1967, Helen since 1963 (having took a ten-year break in-between), and Freddie joined in 2011, replacing Cynthia Garrison. So it is, that after more than four decades of existence, The Three Degrees are the longest running female vocal group in history.

Their highly anticipated performance at the Jam House will see the return of hit favourites ‘Dirty Ol’ Man’, ‘TSOP’, ‘When Will I See You Again’, Year of Decision’, ‘Woman in Love’, and many, many more.

Helen Scott, Bandmember of The Three Degrees, comments: “We love the Jam House! The club lives up to its name, people really jam there. So much energy and the staff are always so friendly. I will tell you a little secret - we always get there early enough to have dinner!  A lot of venues don't have great food but the Jam House does.  And the sound is great - loud and in your face but a great atmosphere.”

Not since Gary Linaker, in 1986, has an England goal scoring icon, signed for the Spanish giants, but England international Toni Duggan's move to Barcelona from Manchester City Women is another developing chapter in her already stellar at club and international level.

It’s fair to say that not many transfers in the women’s game get so much news attention, but this one is ground-breaking. Not quite of Gareth Bale proportions but, nevertheless, immeasurable in what it could mean for women’s football in this country and the player herself.

The 25-year-old Liverpudlian first broke into the Everton in 2007 before helping City win their first Women's Super League One title in 2016 and the 2016-17 Women's FA Cup. In 2007, a 15-year–old Duggan came off the substitute's bench to score on her debut for England Under–17s.

A regular, at every level since, she was part of England's squad for the FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada - coming third in the competition and securing the bronze medal.

"I’ve had a lot of success in England and I’ve really enjoyed my time with Manchester City but I wanted to challenge myself even further by playing abroad,” Toni said. “Barcelona is one of the world’s biggest clubs and I’ve totally bought into their philosophy. I’m also looking forward to learning Spanish and living in the city."

Duggan is not only the first English footballer to join Barcelona since Lineker 31 years ago, her move confirms a new era for the women’s game, one which will be dominated by the big names of the men’s game.

Ultra-endurance athlete Mark Beaumont has set off on his record breaking attempt to cycle around the world in just 80 days. In 2008 Mark successfully cycled around the world in 194 days, this time he will attempt to do it in less than half the time.

Inspired by Jules Verne's classic adventure novel Around the World in Eighty days published in 1873, Mark will attempt to circumnavigate the globe over 144 years later by bicycle rather than balloon as he embarks on the Artemis World Cycle.

Mark departed from Paris at 04:00 this morning, making his way towards Poland en route to Beijing through Lithuania, Russia, and Mongolia before cycling between Perth and Brisbane in Australia.

In New Zealand Mark will head for Invercargill and Auckland with the fourth leg of his challenge taking him between Anchorage in the United States and Halifax in Canada. He will attempt to complete his journey by cycling from Lisbon back to Paris with the aim of arriving by Thursday 21st September.

Mark comments: “This is my chance to shoot for the stars and take on the ultimate endurance cycling challenge. Since I last pedalled around the world nearly ten years ago, there has been a growing desire in me to push the boundaries of what is possible and to retake the circumnavigation World Record at a whole new level. I know what I'm getting myself in to, this will be the toughest challenge of my life and will be an immense physical, mental and logistical battle before I reach the finish line.

“I have spent the last three years creating an amazing support team, who are in charge of my nutrition, logistics, navigation and safety, allowing me to purely focus on my performance and being an athlete. I don't think anyone has ever tried to go this fast and this far before and I have been building on my experience as an endurance rider over two decades to prepare for this journey”.

72 young athletes, aged between 14-18, have been selected to represent Team England at this year’s Commonwealth Youth Games in The Bahamas.

The 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games will provide young athletes with a fantastic opportunity to gain valuable experience of a multi-sport competition to support their development.

A host of future stars will be heading to the Caribbean from 19-23 July 2017 competing in athletics, swimming, rugby 7s, beach volleyball, judo, boxing and tennis.

Notable young athletes in the squad include two-time national junior boxing champion Ivan Price, 2016 European Youth Championships Long Jump gold medallist Holly Mills and Beach Volleyball U20 British Champions Joaquin and Javier Bello, who will all have the opportunity to represent Team England for the first time.

They will follow in the footsteps of Team England and Olympic heroes Jessica Ennis-Hill, Beth Tweddle, James de Gale and Danny Care in representing England at the Commonwealth Youth Games.

The 2017 Bahamas Games will feature up to 1300 athletes who will compete across nine sports for 94 medals including Judo and Beach Volleyball for the first time.

Sarah Winckless, Chef de Mission for Commonwealth Games England said:

“I’m delighted that we will be taking such a talented group of young athletes to the Commonwealth Youth Games. For many this will be their first experience of a multi-sport Games environment and a key milestone on their pathway.

“These young athletes represent the pride of England and I know everyone back home will be wishing them all the best for the competition.

“This is the largest team we’ve sent overseas to a Commonwealth Youth Games and for the team behind the team the Commonwealth Youth Games represents an important staging post on the road to the Gold Coast next year.”

The first Commonwealth Youth Games was held in Edinburgh in 2000 and Team England has taken part in all editions since. Bahamas 2017 will be the largest international sporting event ever hosted in The Bahamas, and the largest-ever edition of the Commonwealth Youth Games.

The most recent Commonwealth Youth Games were in Samoa in 2015, when England came third in the medal table behind South Africa and Australia.

Young swimming sensation Layla Black, who claimed two gold medals at Samoa 2015 will get the chance to experience her second Commonwealth Youth Games, having been selected to represent Team England at this year’s edition.

Swimmer, Layla Black said:

“It feels great to have been selected for my second Commonwealth Youth Games. It fills me with a great sense of pride to have been chosen to represent my country again.

“I am looking forward to swimming fast, meeting new people and experiencing a new culture in the Bahamas.”

A fat-fighting football weight-loss scheme for men is appealing for new players.

The MAN V FAT scheme, funded by Sandwell Council’s public health team, is starting a new league at Hadley Stadium in Smethwick next month (July). The sessions will be on Monday nights, 7-9pm.

Every week men weigh in, play football in an organised team tournament and earn bonus goals if players in their team lose weight, rewarding them for scoring both footie and weight goals.

To date, 83 men taking part in the scheme at Portway Lifestyle Centre in Oldbury have lost 80 stone - the equivalent in weight of 80 FA cups - in just 12 weeks.

Men can also get nutrition advice as part of the scheme. After 14 weeks men can choose to stay on the league to continue to play football and keep the weight off.

Sandwell Council’s cabinet member for public health and protection Councillor Elaine Costigan said: "This is a really fun, successful, appealing project to help men get fitter and shed the pounds.

“The results they’ve had so far are just incredible – I hope more men sign up for the new sessions and that they see the same great results.”

Wolverhampton’s WV Active leisure centres will be throwing open their doors for a day of free fitness activities this Super Saturday, 1 July.

Visitors are invited to drop into WV Active Aldersley, WV Active Bilston-Bert Williams and WV Active Central to take part in a packed schedule of fitness classes, swimming sessions and sports activities.

The free family event will see the official launch of a series of new High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) fitness classes including HIIT Blitz, HIIT Abs and HIIT Pulse at each of the City of Wolverhampton Council-run leisure centres.

WV Active Aldersley will be offering tennis, netball, athletics and cycling sessions, while Central and Bilston–Bert Williams will be holding swimming sessions.

Free mini health checks, including weight, height and blood pressure, will also be available at WV Active Aldersley and WV Active Bilston–Bert Williams on Super Saturday.

The City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for City Environment, Councillor Steve Evans, said: “Super Saturday is a great opportunity for residents to see the leisure facilities that we have on offer, including the recently refurbished WV Active Central.

“I’d encourage people to make the most of this free event and try out some of the many activities available at our WV Active centres.”

Britain’s biggest stars of track and field will receive a huge send-off to the IAAF World Championships at the Müller Anniversary Games on 9 July.

The Müller Anniversary Games will also be the last chance for many of the world’s best athletes to compete ahead of this summer’s global athletics event in London from 4-13 August.

Eleven reigning Olympic champions including Sir Mo Farah, 24 Olympic silver and bronze medallists from Rio, and ten current world champions will take part in this year’s star-studded meet.

Former World and double European indoor 60m champion Richard Kilty, European 100m champion James Dasaolu and fellow sub-10 man Chijindu Ujah, will lead the charge for Britain in the men’s 100m.

While former European 200m champion Adam Gemili, who finished fourth in Rio last year, and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, the only two British men to have run sub-10 for 100m and sub-20 for 200m, will battle it out against a strong 200m field which also includes Britain’s Zharnel Hughes.

European indoor champion Andrew Pozzi has enjoyed a fantastic 2017 so far and will face a world class 110m hurdles field that includes world record holder Aries Merritt and the silver and bronze medallists from the Rio Olympics, Orlando Ortega and Dimitri Bascou.

Andrew Pozzi said: “We’re incredibly lucky. We have a home World Championships first and foremost, but to have the Müller Anniversary Games, it really is the biggest meet on the circuit.

“You look at the start list and every event is always absolutely packed, so it’s really good to have that in the calendar as the last major meet, because it gets everyone focused and ready and almost a taste of the home support before coming back to the World Championships.”

Double European 400m champion Martyn Rooney (Graham Hedman) and 2014 European silver medallist Matthew Hudson-Smith (Tony Hadley) will also go head-to-head in the men’s 400m.

The four members of the Olympic bronze medal winning 4x100m women’s relay team, Dina Asher-Smith (John Blackie), Asha Philip (Steve Fudge), Daryll Neita (Jonas Dodoo) and Desiree Henry (Rana Reider), will line up against each other and the world’s best sprinters in the 100m.

2014 European 400m hurdles champion and Rio Olympic 4x400m relay bronze medallist Eilidh Doyle (Brian Doyle), will face a tough international field in the 400m hurdles, which includes the Rio Olympic silver medallist Sara Slott Petersen

Four British long jumpers, world silver medallist Shara Proctor (Rana Reider), European indoor silver medallist Lorraine Ugen (Shawn Jackson), European silver medallist Jazmin Sawyers (Kelly Sotherton) and 2014 world indoor long jump silver medallist Katarina Johnson-Thompson, will face both the Olympic champion and silver medallist from Rio, Tianna Bartoletta and Brittney Reese.

Shara Proctor said: “I can’t wait for the Müller Anniversary Games. The best athletes in the world always want to compete there, and the stakes are even higher this year because the World Championships is on the same track just a few weeks later.

“The crowd in the London Stadium is always fantastic and I’m sure the send-off for the British athletes will be an amazing spectacle and really loud.”

British Athletics is encouraging fans to turn out in red, white and blue for the Müller Anniversary Games and cheer on the Brits as they prepare for one of the biggest sporting events in the world.

With summer just around the corner, thoughts are turning to BBQs, the beach, and bikini shopping.

But if you’re like a third of young women who are too self-conscious to go swimming, instead of looking forward to stripping down to a bikini on the beach, you might find yourself missing out through body anxiety.

Swim England recently launched its plan to get the nation swimming:

“Our aim is to encourage everyone to take part in swimming in the way that suits them. Whether that is for fitness, to be the best they can, or as a volunteer teaching people to swim. Together we will reach our goal of a happier, healthier and more successful nation through swimming.”

If you can muster up the confidence to go swimming, it has amazing health and fitness benefits, as Carly Yue, personal trainer at DW Fitness Clubs explains:

‘Swimming is an amazing all round body workout, it has minimal impact on your joints so is a great option for injury rehabilitation.

You can get a workout from simply walking up and down in the pool as the water resistance means you need to put in more effort (and burn more calories) than simply walking on a treadmill.’

Longer working hours and the rise of obesity has been cited as the reason less of us are swimming, but other answers to the survey included poor health and not having enough time with children.

Public health experts in Sandwell are urging men to do something about their ‘belly fat’ as part of this week’s national Men’s Health Week.

The campaign is highlighting the dangers of abdominal obesity, better known as ‘belly fat’.

It focuses on encouraging men to be aware of the size of their waist, to help them become fitter and healthier.

Jyoti Atri, Sandwell’s Director of Public Health, said: “We have high levels of obesity amongst our men and this increases their risk of developing disease and early death. Men who have a waist measurement of over 37 inches have increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer and stroke.”

Sandwell Council Leader Councillor Steve Eling added: “We want to offer support to men to help them reduce their risk of these diseases, by watching their weight, taking more exercise and eating healthily.”

There’s plenty of support on offer. Sandwell’s Weigh2GO self-monitoring programme enables people to weigh themselves at various locations in Sandwell and to track their weight loss on their phone, with additional online support.

There’s also the Man vs Fat football scheme, where men take part in a weekly tournament and get advice about nutrition.

Paul said: “Every time I have come I have lost weight and met some new people as well. There is nothing malicious in the football and everybody gets on. It’s not just about winning on the pitch – you can still win by losing weight.”

Kevin added: “We get to play the game with like-minded people who need to lose a few pounds, and the exercise really helps. It’s a good laugh, it’s not overly-competitive, some players have never played the game before, so come along and enjoy it.”

Also, Weight Watchers is offering 12 weeks of free sessions for Sandwell residents. There are more than 20 sessions in the local area which people can attend.

Joining Weight Watchers also provides you with free access to online support for up to 16 weeks. Weight Watchers sessions are now available for wheelchair users at Portway Lifestyle Centre.

With exactly one month to go to the start of the Summer of World Athletics, official inspiration programme Team Personal Best is in full swing and growing with more than 100 events signed up. Having already held a host of inspiring events, any athletics or running-themed activity can get involved between now and the end of September.

The World Para Athletics Championships (14-23 July) and IAAF World Championships London 2017 (4-13 August) will be the biggest sporting event in the world in 2017. It is the first time ever that both Championships are being held in the same city in the same summer and the inspiration programme and Team Personal Best have been created to inspire anyone and everyone to get involved in grassroots athletics.

Events that have taken place already include disability festivals at the Copper Box at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to taster sessions at clubs around the country. There was even a running takeover from two-time British Olympian Mara Yamauchi as she joined local community groups in East London and shared advice and tips, whilst community fitness group GoodGym have signed up all their sessions to Team Personal Best from now until September.

14 athletes have been selected for the inaugural World Para Athletics Junior Championships in Nottwil, Switzerland to be held between 3-6 August 2017.

The championship offers an opportunity for developing athletes who are on the pathway towards individual medal success at a future senior world championships or Paralympic Games.

In the wheelchair racing events, under 20 athlete Jack Agnew is one of the key athletes to watch out for. He will compete across a series of T54 events; the 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m. The Northern Irish athlete has lowered his personal bests in all of these events except the 200m so far in 2017, so he will be one of the in-form athletes competing in the Swiss town.

He is joined by two further wheelchair racers; U20 Craig Boardman and U18 Eden Rainbow-Cooper . The former has been rapidly improving, and enjoyed a successful Swiss series recently. The latter has been studying exams lately, but did achieve victory at the Westminster mile event last month.

British Athletics Parallel Success Event Academy athlete Amar Aichoun and Amy Carr  wrap up the quartet of under 20 age-group athletes representing the British team, competing in the T38 100m & 200m, and T37 100m, 200m & long jump respectively.

Para Athletics Head Coach, Paula Dunn, commented on the team selection:

“The World Para Athletics Junior Championships provides a valuable opportunity for our talented young athletes to gain experience in the major games environment. I have no doubt that the 14 athletes selected will use this championship wisely and hopefully learn plenty from it.

“This is an important part in the development pathway for these athletes as we build towards the Tokyo Paralympic Games in 2020. For many, this will be their first appearance in a British vest, and it will be crucial as we progress over the next few years.”

Dacia UK has partnered with Service by Emergency Rider Volunteers across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Northamptonshire (SERV OBN), providing a Duster 4x4 to aid its voluntary emergency riders in transporting blood and blood products to patients in need of urgent medical attention throughout the area. The Duster 4x4 Laureate dCi 110 was chosen by the service for its dependability and four-wheel drive capability and will be supporting the rapid response bikes as the region’s only four wheel vehicle.

The SERV OBN voluntary riders are usually used to riding motorbikes to ensure a quick delivery of medical products, however, the fully-equipped emergency vehicle is aimed at improving the service carried out by 124 volunteers from across the region. The Duster will be used to provide a quicker response to larger load requirements, as before the Duster was available, volunteers would have to use their own cars to transport products when two or more ‘Long Journey Boxes’ were to be transported on one journey. The Duster will also offer immediate access to a vehicle when the bike fleet is grounded during adverse weather conditions or when all bikes on duty are in use and there are further needs for SERV OBN’s services.

Paul Stothard, SERV OBN said: “The Dacia Duster 4x4 will make such a difference to the efforts of SERV OBN transferring potentially life-enhancing products to hospitals throughout the region. As a service, our voluntary riders undertook 1,500 journeys in 2016, however if we’d had the capabilities of a vehicle such as the Duster, that number could have been a lot higher. On some occasions, our riders have needed to use their own cars for journeys when they were unable to use their motorbikes. The Duster will remove the need for that and, given its livery, is much more appropriate for use. The Duster will provide a life-saving service for those in need of it.”

Louise O’Sullivan, Head of Dacia UK said: “The Dacia Duster 4x4 truly is a robust, go-anywhere vehicle, well suited to take on the demanding tasks the SERV OBN volunteers will put it through. Dacia UK is proud to support the humbling work the team do throughout the region and hope the arrival of the Duster contributes to SERV OBN saving many more lives.”

SERV OBN are a volunteer rapid response medical transport service delivering much more than just blood as any other urgently needed medical products are supplied out of hours, 365 days a year – all free of charge to the NHS. SERV OBN receives no government funding and relies on donations from the public and sponsorship to keep the service working. The volunteers receive no payment for their time or costs, saving the NHS thousands of pounds a year and allowing hospitals to divert funds to where they are needed the most. SERV OBN are founder members of the Nationwide Association of Blood Bikes.

Basque Country by Ibérica will showcase the best food and wines from northern Spain to celebrate World #TapasDay.

With the highest concentration of Michelin-starred restaurants in the world, Spain's Basque Country is a foodie's paradise. Some of the best produce in this region is 'pintxos': eaten standing up in a bar with a glass of Txakoli (white wine from the region) or Basque Rioja wine.

At this summer's Taste of London (14th – 18th June) visitors will be able to experience the culture of pintxos as if they were in the Basque Country with the pop-up pintxos bar “Basque Country by Ibérica”. The pinxtos bar will be hosted by group head chef of Ibérica, César García, and created by the Basque Country and Spanish Tourist Office (at stand A6).

Visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy a glass of Basque wine with a complementary delicious 'Pintxo' (the Tapas of northern Spain). There will also be food and wine tastings and cookery demonstrations by renowned chefs from the Miniature Pintxos Congress and Ibérica Restaurants.

Basque Country by Ibérica will offer a stunning range of dishes from Ibérica restaurants prepared by their head chef César García and based on their menus at their popular UK restaurants. Dishes have been designed to delight guests and to highlight the diversity of Basque Country's many twists on traditional pintxos:

• Spanish Omelette and Green Pepper from Gernika
• Cod Fritter with Vizcaína, an onion and red dried pepper purée sauce
• Sautéed Baby Broad Beans with Serrano Ham and Fried Quail Egg
• Guindilla de Ibarra Chilli Pepper and Crab Meat Mayo Salad
• Mushroom and Prawn in a Pil-Pil Sauce
• Gilda: Ibarra Peppers, anchovies and olives

Javie Piñanes, Director of the Spanish Tourist Office said: “The Spanish Tourist Office is looking forward to bringing some of the unique flavours the Basque County to Taste of London as well as offering a gastronomic journey through the Basque Country; one of Spain's greatest culinary regions.”

The premiere League of Legends league in North America is getting a major face lift in 2018, including giving teams permanent spots, opening up revenue sharing, and forming a player’s association.

Riot Games’ North American League of Legends Championship Series (NA LCS) will begin to emulate traditional sports leagues like the NBA and MLB next year by expanding revenue sharing and increasing player pay, kicking of a player’s association so players have a say in how things run, and introducing team franchising — the first existing esports league to do so. This means team owners will have permanent partnerships with the NA LCS and will no longer have the fear of relegation looming over them if they’re having a bad season.

This changes will be implemented at the start of the 2018 season. In the meantime, Riot will be accepting applications from teams to be permanent fixtures in North American League of Legends. With these applications, Riot will be focusing on team branding (connecting with fans and merchandising), the owners’ business plans, team development and strategies, and the owners themselves.