Sports News

A care home in Tettenhall, in the West Midlands, has been taking part in an unusual type of exercise to start the New Year. Residents at Foxland Grange on Wergs Road have kick-started the new year quite literally with a series of karate lessons as part of Care UK’s ‘Let’s Get Physical’ initiative – which aims to encourage residents to get up and active by trying something new.

UK Athletics have confirmed the two new Non-Executive Directors who will join the board from today (February 1). Following an open process launched last autumn by UKA Chair Ian Beattie, Marilyn Okoro and Wendy Sly have been appointed to the UKA board.

Marilyn Okoro is a double Olympian, having competed in Beijing 2008 and London 2012 and has won medals at Olympic, World and European level. As an 800m athlete she is ranked 10^th all-time in the UK and was a key part of the women’s 4x400m team.

Viktor Hovland produced a spectacular finish to win the DP World Tour’s 2022 Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic and $1,333,330 winner's share of the $8,000,000 purse, in a play-off after two-time winner Rory McIlroy blew his chances of a third title on the last hole.

McIlroy had looked to have the tournament within his grasp. He was tied for the lead with Hovland and Bland heading down the 18th hole, only to send his approach shot from 267 yards into the water in front of the green. 

After winning the World Cup, three Champions League winners’ medals and several league titles over an iconic 24-year career, Brazilian World Cup-winning left-back Roberto Carlos managed to beat the winter transfer deadline when signing for his latest club…. in the Shrewsbury & District Sunday Football League.

Establishing himself as the world’s best left back and one of the best players of his generation, the one-time ‘best left-back in the world’ will be turning out for Division One side Bull In The Barne United after the pub team – who represent the Bull In The Barne pub – entered and won eBay’s ‘dream transfer raffle’ which cost them just £5 to take part.

Leicester Riders lifted the BBL Cup after beating Manchester Giants 83-69 in the final at Birmingham’s Utilita Arena.

The Riders capped a memorable afternoon in front a record crowd for a BBL Cup final as a capacity crowd of Basketball fanatics turned out to an incredible match. Geno Crandall was named MVP after he dominated the showpiece event at both ends of the court.

Manchester City and England international Jack Grealish made a special appearance at Expo 2020 Dubai’s Festival Garden for a live in-person Q&A.

Jack Peter Grealish is a professional footballer who plays as a winger or attacking midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City and the England national team. He joined Aston Villa at the age of six, and made his debut for the club in May 2014, following a loan at Notts County.

After ending Australia's long wait for a home singles champion, she became the first home player to win the Australian Open men's or women's singles title in 44 years.

Cementing her reputation as a national hero, following her first Grand Slam at the 2019 French Open and success at Wimbledon last year, the ecstasy and relief of a nation proved palpable to the extreme.

Birmingham 2022 and Games Partners officially launched the ‘Get Set for the Games’ programme which will provide useful information for businesses and residents, to help ensure the region is ready to welcome a huge influx of visitors from around the UK and the world this summer.

Birmingham 2022 is the biggest multi-sport event to be held in the UK since the London 2012 Olympics and it is the largest event ever to be held in the West Midlands region.

Following an Independent Safeguarding Case Review commissioned by UK Athletics (UKA) in 2021, a recommendation has been made to UKA concerning the sanctions applied to a number of cases reviewed as a result of this exercise.

The review, commissioned from Sport Resolutions was requested by UKA to address any inconsistency in the application of sanctions across historical safeguarding cases.

The world’s foremost sporting honours will return in April when the winners of the 2022 Laureus World Sports Awards are announced. Due to the ongoing limitations and uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2022 Awards will build on the success of Laureus’ 2021 ‘virtual’ Awards.

The showcase event will continue to celebrate the achievement of athletes and the inspirational stories from the world of sport, which last year included the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games and Euro 2020.

Research has revealed the highest-rated football stadiums in Europe, with three British stadiums ranking top ten - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Millennium Stadium and Wembley Stadium. The study by money.co.uk analysed stadium reviews across several review platforms to reveal the best (& worst) reviewed football stadiums in Europe, as well as the UK.  

The  Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries recently visited the Sandwell Aquatics Centre, a major new sports facility which is being built to host the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games this summer.

Alongside Paralympic swimming champion Ellie Simmonds, the Culture Secretary applauded a major milestone in the delivery of the state-of-the-art facility. Combined, the competition swimming pool and dive pool have now been filled with 1.2 million gallons of water.

Between 29 July and 8 August, the venue will play host to hundreds of athletes and thousands of spectators across diving, swimming and para swimming competitions. With 66 medal events in total set to be held at the facility, it will be the stage for more medal moments than any other Birmingham 2022 venue.

Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Nadine Dorries, said:“My ambition is to make sure that every child in the UK, whether they grow up in Sunderland or Smethwick, has access to excellent sports facilities. This world-class aquatics centre will help do just that. Not only will it showcase the talents of some of the greatest swimmers and divers on the planet but its legacy will be its use by people in the West Midlands for generations after the Games.

“Sandwell is a clear example of why the UK bids for major events and why we are so good at hosting them. Events like Birmingham 2022 can be a catalyst for levelling up access to sport and culture.” 

Birmingham 2022 will be the first ever major multi-sport event to feature more medals for women than for men and will have the biggest ever para sport programme at a Commonwealth Games. Sandwell Aquatics Centre - which is being funded by DCMS, Sandwell Council, Sport England and other local partners - is set to be completed in spring, and will be open to the public next year. 

Located four miles west of Birmingham, the centre will be a clear example of the lasting legacy the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will leave. According to PHE data, the estimated percentage of physically active adults in the Sandwell region is lower than the England average. With long-term community health in mind, the site will feature the West Midlands’ first 10m diving platform, as well as a 50m pool, brand new exercise facilities, a football pitch and a women-only gym. 

Birmingham 2022 board member and five-time Paralympic champion, Ellie Simmonds said: “It’s amazing to visit the Sandwell Aquatics Centre and to see the fantastic progress that has been made. Not only will this be an incredible venue for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games but it will also be a wonderful facility for local people to use for years to come.”

Councillor Kerrie Carmichael, leader of Sandwell Council, said: “As always it is fantastic to be visiting the Sandwell Aquatics Centre to see how much further we have come to completing the venue. 

“It’s incredible to see the swimming pools filled and you can now visualise how the venue will look during the 11 days when we will be hosting the swimming and diving events for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Sandwell residents can now really get a sense of what the venue has to offer when it will be open to the public as a leisure centre for all to use. I look forward to seeing the final touches being added to the venue in the coming months in readiness for the Games this summer.” 

The centre will improve access to swimming and diving for local residents, schools and clubs, and there is a long-term partnership in place with the University of Wolverhampton to maximise opportunities for local staff and students. The government continues to support the elite, grassroots and leisure sectors with an unprecedented £1 billion to ensure sport remains accessible for all throughout the pandemic.

Since launching Sporting Future in 2015, Sport England has allocated over £1.5 billion to nearly 5,000 organisations within the UK.

A British-born former DJ is to become Jamaica's first Alpine skier at the Winter Olympics - six years after taking up the sport.

Benjamin Alexander is set to compete in the giant slalom in Beijing, having only starting skiing in 2015 when he skied on holiday in Whistler, in Canada, where he had been invited to DJ at a party.

Fixtures for the 2022 domestic season have been announced and men’s LV= Insurance County Champions Warwickshire will begin their title defence at Edgbaston versus Surrey starting on Thursday 7 April. Having lifted the Championship for the eighth time in September, Warwickshire also host Essex, Northamptonshire, Lancashire, Kent, Somerset and Hampshire in the seven First Class fixtures at Edgbaston this summer.

The eSkootr Championship™ (eSC) has appointed Tracy Novak as Director of Communications. Novak joins eSC with over two decades’ experience working at the highest level in motorsport, including Formula One teams, the governing body for world motorsport - the FIA - and most recently its national sporting authority Motorsport UK where she was Director of Marketing and Communications. 

Novak’s arrival comes at a pivotal time for eSC as the Championship builds towards its debut season, with the race schedule, rider line-up and details of the eSC Commission soon to be announced.

 UK Athletics has commenced recruitment of a new Chief Executive Officer to take the organisation forward. The process opened on Tuesday (January 18) and the closing date for applications is 20 February 2022.

This recruitment phase comes at a key time for the organisation which has been under the leadership of Chair Ian Beattie since October, and with four major senior track and field championships scheduled for 2022, the incoming CEO will take their seat at an exciting time for the sport. Interim CEO Mark Munro (pic.) has confirmed that he will not be applying for the permanent role of CEO at this time for personal reasons but will remain at UKA and continue his already successful work area overseeing Development.