Sports News

World and European champion Dina Asher-Smith will compete at the Müller Birmingham Diamond League at the Alexander Stadium.

The two-time Olympic relay bronze medallist - British record holder over 100m (10.83) and 200m (21.88) - is the reigning world 200m champion and was the silver-medallist over 100m and 4 x 100m in Doha 2019.

Olympic high jump champion Gianmarco Tamberi (ITA) will compete at the Müller Birmingham Diamond League, the second meeting of the 2022 Wanda Diamond League series, at the Alexander Stadium on Saturday 21 May.

The former world indoor and European Championships gold medallist - the Italian national record holder with a best of 2.39m - was enjoying his best year ever when he suffered an horrific injury ahead of the Rio Games in 2016.

Emily Borthwick and Amelia Strickler have both received invitations to compete at next week’s World Athletics Indoor Championships, and these have been accepted by UK Athletics.

Borthwick, the Wigan & District athlete, has been in scintillating form in 2022, clearing a personal best of 1.95m in the high jump, and finishing second in the World Indoor Tour series. European and Commonwealth finalist, Strickler will compete in the women’s shot put where she will join Sophie McKinna in the field.

Altitude International Holdings, Inc.  have announced that on March 7, 2022, its wholly owned subsidiary, CMA Soccer LLC  signed a Management Consulting and License Agreement with NYC-based soccer giant, Soccer Partners America, a Colorado not-for-profit corporation.

RUSH Soccer is a national competitive youth soccer club that administers boys’ and girls’ teams internationally (the “RUSH Programs”) with proprietary training methodology, documentation and materials (the “RUSH Material”), proprietary technologies and platforms (the “RUSH Technologies”), and a database of individuals (the “RUSH Database”).

Following the International Hockey Federation’s (FIH) confirmation last week of the teams taking part in the competition, Birmingham 2022 has unveiled the full match schedule for the men’s and women’s tournaments.

Both the women’s and the men’s competitions will begin on Friday 29 July, with the opening session of the women’s tournament featuring reigning champions New Zealand against Kenya and South Africa playing Scotland.

Olympic pole vault bronze medallist Holly Bradshaw (GBR) will open her 2022 Wanda Diamond League campaign at the Müller Birmingham Diamond League at the Alexander Stadium on Saturday 21 May.

The 2013 European indoor champion - a former world indoor and European Championships bronze medallist - jumped a British record height of 4.90m in June 2021 to erase her nine-year-old previous best of 4.87m.

UK Athletics has today announced the first British athletes to be selected for this summer’s World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon (15-24 July). Five marathon athletes will represent Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the men’s and women’s races which are due to take place on the 17th and 18th July respectively.

Team England athlete Hayley Carruthers will help plant a series of trees in Pype Hayes Park to celebrate Birmingham’s status as a Queen’s Green Canopy Champion City tomorrow (Thursday 10 March).

The Birmingham-based marathon runner will join Councillor Mike Sharpe (Birmingham Lord Mayor’s Deputy) Cllr John O’Shea (Cabinet Member for Street Scene and Parks at Birmingham City Council) and members of the local community including Yenton Primary School to plant one thousand new trees at the park in Erdington.

Dawn Staley, who made history as the first female Black head coach for South Carolina Gamecocks Women’s Basketball, is now the highest-paid Black coach in women’s college basketball after signing a 7-year contract worth $22.4 million.

As part of the contract, Staley’s base salary will be $1 million per year with outside compensation starting at $1.9 million on the first year, increasing by $100,000 each year after that.

The first trees have been planted in Solihull as part of Severn Trent’s initiative to create 2022-acres of Commonwealth Forest across the Midlands. The 15 acres of new habitat at Hope Coppice will be open to the public to explore and will equate to around 9,400 trees. 

As Birmingham 2022’s Official Nature & Carbon Neutral Supporter, Severn Trent is delivering a series of initiatives to leave a social and environmental legacy following Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Birmingham 2022, the organisers of this summer’s Commonwealth Games, has issued a reminder that the search for 20 talented local people to be part of the Games as In Venue Hosts and Announcers ends on 6 March. The successful applicants will be able to kick start a career in sports presentation, carrying out roles which will involve them engaging with the thousands of spectators expected to fill each of the official competition venues this summer.

Katarina Johnson-Thompson, Holly Mills and Charlie Da’Vall Grice have been added to the British team for the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Belgrade, Serbia later this month. Reigning pentathlon champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Holly Mills have received invitations from World Athletics, which have been accepted by UK Athletics, to compete in the five-event competition in Belgrade next month.

The Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay has now completed half of its journey to all 72 nations and territories in the Commonwealth. The Baton spent its 147th day in Niue, a Pacific Island in Oceania, which marked the halfway point through its journey. The Queen’s Baton Relay is a tradition that celebrates, connects, and excites communities from across the Commonwealth during the build up to the Games. It officially began on 7 October when Her Majesty The Queen placed her Message to the Commonwealth into the Baton.

The Relay will officially come to an end in 147 days at the Birmingham 2022 Opening Ceremony on 28 July, when the Queen or her representative, will read out her Message to the Commonwealth. During a visit from the Baton, Commonwealth Games Associations (CGAs) host a busy schedule of events and activities that aim to tell the untold stories of communities, through local heroes, whilst showcasing landmarks, and highlighting projects that addresses at least one of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Most recently, the Queen’s Baton Relay has been visiting the Pacific Islands in Oceania. In Fiji, Batonbearers took part in a coral planting activity as part of a global conservation initiative, led by hotels and resorts in Fiji in partnership with governments, private industries and conservation organisations. The initiative aims to protect coral reefs through coral planting opportunities, beach clean-ups and other activities to support the health of the ocean. Team Fiji’s Chef de Mission for Birmingham 2022, Sale Sorovaki, was among the Batonbearers to take the plunge and plant coral.

Fijian Batonbearers Jerry Tuwai, and Rusila Nagasau, respectively silver and bronze medallists at Gold Coast 2018, handed the Baton over to His Excellency the President of Fiji, Ratu Wiliame Katonivere. The Baton was then received at the British High Commissioner’s residence from para-athlete, Leslie Tikotikoca.

While in Papua New Guinea, the Baton visited Kambaramba, a village built entirely on stilts in the Sepik River. This way of living has allowed generations of families to live in the area, without exploiting the natural environment. Bradley Simon, Sports Project Officer to Hon Governor Allan Bird’s Office and former Agmark Gurias rugby league team member, represented his community as one of the nation’s Batonbearers.

The Baton was also taken to Unity Square in the Solomon Islands, which is home to the biggest flag and tallest flagpole in the Pacific region. In Samoa, the Baton visited a celebration of sport at Samoa Cricket Oval. It also visited Mount Vaea, which serves as the final resting place of Robert Louis Stevenson, the Scottish writer whose notable works include Treasure Island and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Samoan Athletes El Shaddai Eniata, Jireh Westerlund, Johnny Key, Jirhel Levy, William Hunt, and Esau Masina all carried the Baton on Mount Vaea.
The Baton visited Captain Cook’s Landing Place in Tonga, which marks the location where Captain James Cook came ashore to the island in 1777. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth visited and commemorated the location with a plaque in 1970. Tongan athlete Ronald Fotofili and sprinter Siueni Filimone represented Tonga as Batonbearers during the visit.

While visiting the world’s smallest island nation, Nauru, the Baton visited all 14 of the island’s districts, where local members of the communities had hand painted signs to welcome the Baton’s arrival. The Baton was also taken to the Nauru Museum, which is home to the first ever Nauruan flag. 18-year-old Nauruan weightlifter, Nancy Abouke was honoured to bear the Baton on home soil.

Batonbearers in Vanuatu took on extreme modes of transport with Benneth Malas ziplining 300m, another rode a quad bike, while a third went horseback riding with the Baton. Another Batonbearer crossed the Vanuatu Sky Bridge, 65m above a canyon, while carrying the Baton. In Niue, the Baton visited Matapa Chasm, which is known locally as the King’s Bathing Hole as it used to be frequented by Niue Royalty.

The chasm has a rich marine life and is home to many tropical species of crabs and crayfish. In the final 147 days, the Baton is set to continue its journey in Oceania, with upcoming visits to more islands in the Pacific Ocean and New Zealand, where the Baton will celebrate Commonwealth Day, before travelling on to Australia.

Following visits to the remaining Pacific Islands and CGA’s in Oceania, the Baton will visit the Americas, the Caribbean, and Europe, before finally returning home to England on 4 July, where the Baton will spend 25 days visiting cities, towns, and communities across the country.
Jerry Tuwai, Fiji Sevens team member and Batonbearer, said: “I felt so privileged to be one of the first Batonbearers in Fiji to take on the Relay and represent my country during the Queen’s Baton Relay. It is an amazing feeling to take part in such an important journey.”

President of Niue Island Sports and Commonwealth Games Association Maru Talagi, said: “It is such an honour to have been able to host the Queen’s Baton Relay during its landmark celebration of being halfway through its journey. I have enjoyed seeing the Relay so far and I am excited to see how the remaining countries and territories welcome the Baton.”

Lisa Hampton, Head of the Queen’s Baton Relay, said: “Being halfway through the Queen’s Baton Relay is such an incredible landmark to reach. This is bigger than just the numbers, it’s about the remarkable individuals we’ve met as Batonbearers, and the captivating stories told from communities visited that are testament to the success of this journey so far.

“I have been constantly amazed by the activities and events that the Commonwealth Games Associations have organised to celebrate the arrival of the Baton in each nation and territory. They have managed to make the Relay such a special experience for everyone around the Commonwealth to watch and enjoy with them.

“I am really looking forward to each of the remaining 147 days and to get to know each remaining Commonwealth nation and territory through the Queen’s Baton Relay.”
Dame Louise Martin, President of the Commonwealth Games Federation, said: “It is amazing that the Queen’s Baton Relay has now completed half of its journey across the 72 nations and territories of the Commonwealth.

“The Baton has received a warm and vibrant welcome from our Commonwealth Games Associations, whilst creating huge excitement and anticipation for Birmingham 2022. We are all now looking forward to the second half of the journey as the Baton continues to provide hope and inspiration on route to the Birmingham 2022 Opening Ceremony on 28 July.”

UK Athletics has today announced the team which will represent the country at the European Throwing Cup in Leiria, Portugal on 12-13 March 2022. 12 athletes will head to the annual European Athletics event as several athletes’ target qualification marks for this summer’s World and European Championships.

Katie Head has been one of the in-form throwers in the country so far this season, achieving a mark of 69.72m twice which moved her to second on the UK all-time list behind Olympic medallist, Sophie Hitchon.

UK Athletics has announced the British team selected for the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Belgrade, Serbia on the 18-20 March.

Several athletes confirmed their places in the squad at the UK Athletics Indoor Championships at the Utilita Arena Birmingham last weekend including 2018 world indoor champion Andrew Pozzi [60m hurdles], in-form Elliot Giles [800m], and 2016 world indoor medallist Lorraine Ugen [long jump].

There were 18 national champions crowned and eight athletes automatically qualified for the World Athletics Indoor Championships after two days of the UK Athletics Indoor Championships were celebrated in Birmingham.

With championship records set and another equalled, competitors really rose to the occasion, and nowhere was that more evident than on the sprint straight, with the men’s 60m proving to be a top-class affair, fans were treated to some high-quality competition at the Utilita Arena Birmingham, as athletes were able to secure their places at next month’s World Athletics Indoor Championships in the process.