Sports News

The British Basketball League (BBL) has confirmed they are able to get their 2020-21 season underway following assurances from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) that appropriate support will be made available to those spectator sports affected by the Government's announcement that fans would not be allowed back into sports venues from 1 October.

BBL and DCMS have been in urgent dialogue since the announcement by the Prime Minister that the planned return of fans to sports venues on 1 October would not be happening. The BBL season had been due to start on 2^nd October with the announcement making a significant impact on the financial viability of the clubs who rely on ticket income throughout the season. 

Full details of the support expected from the Government is to be confirmed but the assurance has meant that plans for the 2020-21 can now resume, with games now scheduled to start on Friday 30 October.

Sir Rodney Walker said, “We extend our thanks to Oliver Dowden, Nigel Huddleston, and DCMS for their swift response in the wake of the decision to not allow fans back into sports venues. This support comes in recognition of the immense work our clubs have done in preparation for the 2020-21 season, not only for competition but also in terms of the extensive work they do in their communities.”

The 2020 London Marathon will involve only elite athletes, with 45,000 'mass-event' runners unable to take part because of coronavirus concerns.

The much-anticipated contest between Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge and Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele was due to take place on a bio-secure closed course.

Reduced fields of 30-40 athletes will also compete for the elite women's and wheelchair titles.

The 2021 race, meanwhile, will be on October 3 rather than a date in April.

That calendar shift from the traditional date is designed to maximise the chances of all runners being able to take part in next year's race.

A plan to include the mass-participation event in the 2020 race, deploying high-tech tracking technology to monitor runners' proximity to each other, had been considered.

However, event director Hugh Brasher said that plan had been made impossible by the logistical challenges of managing spectators and emergency service access across London, especially given the recent cancellation of spectator trials at other sporting events.

Instead, it will only be the elite athletes that tackle a spectator-free course - following a different route to the usual one used for the London Marathon.

That route will consist of laps of roughly 1.5 miles, taking in The Mall, Horse Guards Parade, Birdcage Walk and the spur road running adjacent to front of Buckingham Palace.

The showdown between four-time winner Kipchoge and Bekele, whose personal best is two seconds slower than Kipchoge's world record of two hours one minute 39 seconds, has now been put on the back burner after the Ethiopian had to pull out through injury.

British Paralympic great David Weir will be aiming for a record ninth win in the wheelchair race.

Kenya's defending champion Brigid Kosgei, who beat Briton Paula Radcliffe's long-standing world record in Chicago in October, will headline the women's field, with course record holder Manuela Schar attempting to follow up her 2019 win in the women's wheelchair race.

Athletes' times in the race will be eligible for Olympic qualification for the postponed Tokyo Games in 2021.

While this year's Tokyo marathon took place in a similar form in March, with only elite runners taking part and spectators restricted in number, other major marathons have been cancelled.

The Berlin and New York races, which were scheduled to be held on September 27 and November 1 respectively, are among those that will not take place in 2020.

Runners with a place in the 2020 race, but not in the elite fields, will be able to compete virtually from any location around the world.

They are invited to run or walk 26.2 miles, taking breaks if required, over the course of 24 hours, logging their progress on the event app.

Last year, the London Marathon raised £66.4m for charities and good causes.

Brasher said: "We believe that tomorrow will see a London Marathon like no other, taking the spirit of the world's greatest marathon to every corner of the globe, with runners raising vital funds for the charities that have been so severely affected by the economic effects of the pandemic."

Kenya’s four-time winner and world record holder Eliud Kipchoge says this year’s unique edition of the London Marathon “can bring hope to the world”.

The race will be run over 19 laps of a closed course, screened from public view, as part of Covid-19 measures. The mass participation element of the race will be run ‘virtually’ with only the elite fields gathering in London.

He said: “We can bring hope to the world that we can train behind the scenes and come back in a strong way.”

Asked about his chances of retaining his title, Kipchoge replied: “Kipchoge admitted that the absence of a crowd, which usually numbers tens of thousands, would make a “huge, huge difference” to the event.

The 35-year-old will be taking on Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele, who was just two seconds off his rival’s world record in Berlin last year, in a keenly anticipated duel. The pair have been backed by event director Hugh Brasher to bring the best out of each other despite the forecast wet weather.

“Whatever the conditions, we believe there will be some incredible racing that will live long in people’s memories,” said Brasher. “It could be incredibly quick.”

Four-time Olympic champion, Sir Mo Farah, will be one the pacemakers in the race, although focused on helping a mainly British group achieve the Olympic qualifying time of two hours 11 minutes 30 seconds.

Kipchoge’s world record stands at 2:01:39. His landmark sub-two hour marathon in Austria last year is not classified as a record because of the nature of the pace-making help and other assistance he received in the time-trial event.

Dakota Schuetz, the 24-year-old American scooter champion known globally as ‘Kota’, has joined the Electric Skootr Championship (eSC) as the series' very first ambassador and development rider.

Kota is regarded internationally as one of the freestyle scooter scene’s most successful riders and innovators. He was the International Scooter Association’s first-ever world champion in 2012 and dominated the scooter scene for seven years – winning a further three world titles and over 60 professional competitions.

As a central figure within the international freestyle community, Kota has built a young and dynamic global audience and developed lasting relationships with some of the scooter world’s most influential figures.

In his official capacity as eSC’s first-announced Rider Ambassador, he will help to converge a diverse community of riders, micromobility advocates and sports fans – building a unique audience for the new eSC series.

His international profile will also play a role in attracting and building up a squad of multi-talented riders to eSC ahead of the series’ roll-out in 2021.

Kota joins eSC’s Sustainability Ambassador, 2014 Formula E Champion Lucas di Grassi, and Safety Ambassador Alex Wurz, a two-time Le Mans winner. Kota is the first rider to be announced as a member of a small team working within eSC to develop and refine its prototype electric race eSkootr, ahead of its competitive debut next year.

The eSkootr, which is being developed in partnership with British engineering firm Williams Advanced Engineering, has already undergone its first real-world tests – with Kota providing detailed feedback on fit, feel, ergonomics, handling and power delivery.

The eSkootr begins a more extensive test programme this month, with Kota being joined by a series of additional riders from different sporting backgrounds in order to grow the engineering footprint of the project.

Dakota Schuetz, eSkootr Championship Rider Ambassador said: “Riding scooters is a big part of my life. Over the past 15 years, I’ve helped to develop and shape the freestyle scooter community, its competitions and its riders. I’m very proud about where it’s come from, where it’s going and the potential for the future.

Now, I’m just as excited to embark on this new project, working with the Electric Skootr Championship to grow the world’s first-ever micromobility sport. With eSC, I see all the signs that were present in the freestyle community all those years ago; with eSC’s team and its mission, I feel confident that the journey ahead will be amazing. I’m really looking forward to help to develop and mould a new sport, and to help build a community of riders all over the world.

After testing the first eSkootr, I’m already hugely encouraged by our progress. Everything feels right about the prototype and I believe we’ve already taken a huge step forward in terms of eScooter tech. I can’t wait to share what’s coming next.”

eSkootr Championship CEO and co-founder Hrag Sarkissian, said:“You can’t talk about the freestyle scooter world without mentioning the name Kota, so we’re absolutely thrilled to have him join us at the beginning of the eSkootr Championship.

As a figurehead for the sport, he will undoubtedly play a central role in attracting new riders and fans to us. And his appointment marks the next stage in our ambition to form strong relationships with outstanding partners as we continue to develop and grow the eSC.”

Khalil Beschir, eSkootr Championship COO and co-founder, added: “At our first track test, Kota’s skill and experience proved hugely beneficial in providing our engineers with additional insight and direction into the development of our prototype eSkootr chassis.

Even at this early stage, we’ve been massively impressed by his analysis and feedback, and we’re extremely pleased at how he’s already playing a significant role in shaping our development programme. He’s a fantastic addition to the eSC team.”

Launched in July 2020, the Electric Scooter Championship is the world’s first micromobility motorsport series.

Using high-performance race eScooters, designed and built in partnership with Williams Advanced Engineering, eSC has been designed to champion progressive micromobility policies and as an advocacy platform promoting smarter, cleaner and safer mobility in our cities.

The series is developing an international sporting calendar and infrastructure that will encourage diversity and inclusivity from a new generation of motorsport competitors worldwide.

Formula E champion Lucas Di Grassi and ex-Formula 1 driver Alex Wurz are founding stakeholders in the organisation.

Lewis Hamilton has vowed to increase the number of Black people in motor racing, naming a group to analyse the causes of a lack of diversity. The six-time Formula 1 world champion said members of his Hamilton Commission "together will make a change" and he will lead the group alongside Dr Hayaatun Sillem, the chief executive of the Royal Academy of Engineering.

The 14 members include former sports minister Tracey Crouch and ex-McLaren Formula 1 boss Martin Whitmarsh.

Mercedes driver Hamilton, 35, has set the commission the target of identifying the "key barriers to the recruitment and progression of Black people in UK motorsport" and providing "actionable recommendations to overcome them".

A statement said the composition of the commission had been chosen to "represent a wide range of expertise spanning critical areas of influence, including motorsport, engineering, schools, colleges and universities, community/youth groups, as well as major UK political parties". Other members include Professor Alice Gast, the president of Imperial College London and Chi Onwurah, the Labour MP for Newcastle-upon-Tyne and shadow minister for digital, science and technology.

Hamilton is F1's first and only Black driver. The sport's only other non-white competitor is Red Bull's Alexander Albon, a Britain-born Thai. Hamilton said: "What is more concerning is that there are still very few people of colour across the sport as a whole.

"In F1, our teams are much bigger than the athletes that front them, but representation is insufficient across every skill set - from the garage to the engineers in the factories and design departments. Change isn't coming quickly enough and we need to know why.

"This is why I wanted to set up the commission and I'm proud to be working with the Royal Academy of Engineering and our incredible board of commissioners to identify the barriers facing young Black people to take up STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) careers in motorsport.

"We are dedicated to this cause and, together, we will make a change."

Sillem said: "This is a truly unique opportunity to drive transformational change on this crucial issue and, in the process, to learn more about how we can enrich diversity in other parts of engineering and society." Gast said the commission would "not only strengthen Formula 1 and motorsport, but will help bring needed talent into engineering".

"Inclusion and excellence go hand in hand. Lewis is a role model for future stars of engineering and innovation as much as he is a sporting icon and I'm very pleased to be working with him," she added.

Hamilton has been at the forefront of F1's attempts this year to promote an anti-racist and pro-diversity agenda, which includes demonstrations before every grand prix. His Mercedes team have painted their cars black for this season, instead of their trademark silver, as a signal of their commitment to greater diversity and inclusion. Hamilton called the move "an important statement we are willing to change and improve as a business".

The team admitted that "just 3% of our workforce identify as belonging to minority ethnic groups and only 12% of our employees are women".

Mercedes have pledged to increase those numbers and Hamilton has called on all other teams to match that commitment.

F1 as a sport has launched an equality and diversity taskforce to increase opportunity for minority groups and has pledged to work with the Hamilton Commission. Hamilton will publish the findings and recommendations of his commission and take it "directly to key stakeholders who can help implement change".

A statement added: "Commissioners will also support this effort by applying their personal influence to champion the insights and recommendations from the project."

Warwickshire County Cricket Club’s Official Charity the Edgbaston Foundation has made a fitting tribute to the late Edgbaston tour guide and friend of the Club Rick Coleman by naming him as the Community Hero for 2020.

The Edgbaston Foundation is also making a lasting tribute to Rick by awarding him a stone in the Bear & Ragged Staff Wall and through renaming its Community Award, which is presented annually to the Warwickshire player which it believes has made the biggest community impact over the course of a year, as the Rick Coleman Community Award. 

Rick, who passed away aged 77 in June, spent 20 years giving schools, cricket clubs and community groups tours of Edgbaston, whilst he also played a key role in development of the Edgbaston Foundation’s cricket-inspired education programme, the Edgbaston Classroom.

Ravi Masih, Head of Community Engagement at Warwickshire CCC and Lead of the Edgbaston Foundation, said: “Rick gave so much time to Warwickshire CCC and in the development of the Edgbaston Foundation and it’s right that his fantastic efforts are never forgotten, through this initial Community Hero accolade and through the newly named Rick Coleman Community Award.

“Even whilst his health affected how often he could get to Edgbaston in the 12 months prior to his passing, Rick still wanted to play his part and earlier this year he supported the Edgbaston Foundation in a joint project with the National Literacy Trust called ‘Young Birmingham Poets’. Here he provided inspiration for the children to create poetry about cricket and Edgbaston Stadium

“He is sorely missed by the many of us who were lucky enough to work with him over the last 20 years and we are very grateful that we can continue working closely with the Coleman family to honour Rick’s great community legacy.”

The Edgbaston Foundation launched its Community Hero accolade in 2019 and presented its first award during the Ashes Test match to Joel Hales-Waller for his support in establishing the Cricket Full Circle programme, which he also volunteered as a delivery coach.

The cricket world is still in mourning after the passing of former Australia batsman Dean Jones whilst he was in Mumbai, where he was working as a commentator covering the Indian Premier League.

Born in Coburg,in Victoria, the stylish middle-order batsman played 52 Tests from 1984 to 1992, averaging 46.55 and winning the Ashes on two occasions. He was also part of the Australia team that won the World Cup in 1987, beating England in a thrilling final.

Best remembered for his innings of 210 in the tied match between Australia and India in 1986, in his 164 one-day internationals, he averaged 44.61.

He also had spells in county cricket with Derbyshire and Durham, and, after retiring from playing, had further careers as a coach and broadcaster.

Following the news of his death Cricket Australia chair Earl Eddings said: "Dean Jones was a hero to a generation of cricketers and will forever be remembered as a legend of this great game.

"Anyone who watched cricket in the 1980s and 1990s will fondly recall his cavalier approach at the crease and the incredible energy and passion he brought to every game he played."

On his Twitter Australia batsman Steve Smith wrote: "Awful to hear the news of Dean Jones passing away in Mumbai. He was a wonderful player for Australia and he will be missed. My thoughts are with his family" Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting said he was "heartbroken" by the news of Jones' passing.

Former England captain Michael Atherton said Jones was a pioneer in cricket and "played the game as it would become in the years after he would retire", whilst another former England captain Michael Vaughan tweeted: "This is so sad ... A hero of mine has gone far too soon ... always offered so much advice to us younger players when he played at Derby."

Aaron Finch, Australia limited-overs captain, wrote: "Still in shock hearing the news of Deano's passing. Thoughts are with Jane and the family at this incredibly tough time. A great man with an amazing passion for the game."

He was 59.

As part of the Mayor’s Giving Day in the West Midlands, Warwickshire County Cricket Club’s Official Charity, the Edgbaston Foundation, has partnered with West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) on a new cricketing initiative which is designed to get more children active.

Launched with Warwickshire CEO Stuart Cain and Captain Will Rhodes at Edgbaston Stadium, the Edgbaston Foundation and WMCA are giving away 1,000 children cricket bats across the region over the next year to encourage more youngsters to stay fit and get involved in the game.

To kick start Mayor’s Giving Day this year Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands, Warwickshire CEO Stuart Cain and Men’s Team Captain Will Rhodes have already virtually handed over the bats to some of the region’s worthy recipients. The project follows on from previous bat giveaways and last year’s inaugural Mayor’s Cricket Cup at Edgbaston, where West Midlands Mayor Andy Street invited adults and children of all ages and backgrounds to take part in the first of its kind intergenerational tournament on the stadium’s hallowed turf.

Ravi Masih, Head of Community Engagement at Warwickshire CCC and lead of the Edgbaston Foundation, said: “Through the Edgbaston Foundation and Warwickshire CCC we’re committed to using cricket to make a difference within our local community by making the game more accessible than ever before.

“The last few months have been a tough for everyone but getting out into the great outdoors has provided some welcome relief. We hope that by providing more equipment and opportunities like All Stars and the upcoming Dynamos programme, we can get many more youngsters involved in cricket.”

With a further 1,000 cricket sets pledged by the Edgbaston Foundation in collaboration with the WMCA over the next 12 months, it will have taken the charity’s total giveaways to 4000 over four years.

Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street said: “Even though we are in different times this year the principle is exactly the same.  The ability to give children and community groups the ability to play sport by donating these bats and balls is part of the combined initiative of ‘giving’. 

“Edgbaston Foundation are supporting the Mayor’s Giving Day for the second year running and as always, I am extremely grateful for all their work within the community and by providing this kit will enable so many young people to be part of this great sport.  Who knows we may see a new star from within our Region.”

Ramla Ali, a boxer who became British champion without her family's knowledge after fleeing civil war in Somalia, has signed a professional deal with Matchroom Boxing.

The 31-year-old, who says she is still aiming to be the first Somali boxer to go to an Olympics, is due to make her professional debut in October.

She started boxing in her early teens after arriving in London as a refugee. "I want to become a world champion," she said. "I hope in doing so people will develop a better view of Somalia."

Ali was a toddler when her family fled the Somali capital Mogadishu in the early 1990s after her elder brother was killed aged 12 by a mortar while playing outside during the civil war.

When the family arrived in London as refugees, having lived in Nairobi in Kenya, Ali was picked on at school for being overweight.

She went to the local gym and tried a boxercise class, but did not tell her family as she thought they would disapprove of the sport for a Muslim girl. When she won the British and English titles in 2016, Ali - who initially represented England before switching to Somalia in 2017 - told her parents she was going out for a run.

Ali, whose mother now supports her boxing, is trained by her husband Richard Moore and will compete at super-bantamweight. She says she "would still love to go" to the postponed Olympic Games, currently scheduled to begin on 23 July 2021, but uncertainty caused by coronavirus made her anxious to compete before then.

"I wanted to get a head start in my professional career so now is the best time to turn pro," Ali added. "I just want to get in the ring and I feel like I can do that sooner being a pro rather than waiting around for an Olympic Games that might not come.

"The Olympic dream is still there but I'm excited to begin my journey in the professional ranks."

Promoter Eddie Hearn said: "Ramla's story is incredible and inspiring. She has gone through so much to get to this point.

"Ramla joins an unrivalled Matchroom stable that boasts some of the very best female fighters on the planet and she is in the perfect place to fulfil her dream of becoming Somalia's first world champion."

Following the Government announcement on September 22 that fans will not be allowed back to sporting events, the BBL (British Basketball League) are currently assessing the impact this will have on professional basketball in the UK.

The UK is a great sporting nation and the positive impact that sport has on communities and on physical and mental health can be seen at all levels from grassroots through to elite levels.

As such, it is no exaggeration to say that the impact of this decision will be deeply felt by all 11 BBL clubs and the communities they operate in.

They say that they recognise that the Government is taking these measures in the interests of the nation’s health and we fully support them in that.

However, to remove the possibility of such a vital source of income only a week before they were due to start their season means they have no option but to call on the Government for immediate support at this crucial time.

“The viability of the league, the only professional men’s basketball league in the UK, is predicated on the ticket income as thousands of fans show their support each week,” a spokesperson said.

“And without this support we are in danger of losing clubs who work in the heart of their communities, as well as the current and future generations of talented sportspeople.”

Footballer Lionel Messi can register his name as a trademark after a nine-year legal battle, the EU's top court has ruled.

The European Court of Justice dismissed an appeal from Spanish cycling company Massi and the EU's intellectual property office, EUIPO.

The Barcelona footballer first applied to trademark his surname as a sportswear brand in 2011.

But Massi argued the similarity between their logos would cause confusion. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) said that the star player's reputation could be taken into account when weighing up whether the public would be able to tell the difference between the two brands.

In doing so, it upheld a ruling by the EU's General Court in 2018 that the footballer was too well known for confusion to arise.

Massi, which sells cycle clothing and equipment, was successful in its initial challenge to the Barcelona striker's application. But it lost out when Lionel Messi brought an appeal to the General Court, which ruled in his favour.

Messi, 33, who wears the number 10 shirt, has been crowned world football player of the year a record six times and is the world's highest-paid soccer player, according to Forbes. It puts his total earnings for 2020 at $126m (£97m).

In August, he made headlines by sending a fax to his club declaring his intention to leave.

But when Barcelona responded by insisting that any team that took him on would have to honour a €700m (£624m) release clause, he changed his mind, saying he did not want to face "the club I love" in court.

As part of UK Coaching Week 2020, UK Coaching has announced a new public-driven awards initiative to recognise those coaches who delivered sport and physical activity during the UK’s coronavirus lockdown.

Through UK Coaching Heroes, the great British public will be able to nominate coaches who implemented great coaching ideas and made a considerable difference to others despite the adversity we faced because of the pandemic.

One such coach, dubbed the nation’s PE teacher, Joe Wicks, delivered 18 weeks of his fitness show ‘PE with Joe’, helping millions of parents and children stay active whilst schools were closed and raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for the NHS.

Nominations are open until the 11 October. Then from the 26 October - 8 November, the public will be able to vote for their favourite coaches from the shortlist of finalists.

Two supporters of the initiative are charities Coach Core Foundation and Dallaglio RugbyWorks – the former delivering inclusive and impactful sports coaching apprenticeships across the UK for 16-24 year olds not in education or employment and the latter offering young people of secondary school age (either excluded or on the verge of exclusion from mainstream education) a chance to succeed and progress onto further education, employment or training. Both charities will benefit from any voluntary donations made through the nominations or public vote process.   

UK Coaching’s Director of Coaching Emma Atkins, said: “As part of this year’s campaign, we wanted to implement a unique way in which coaches could be celebrated and recognised by the public for the unparalleled role they’ve had in helping communities stay happy and healthy in this coronavirus era.

“UK Coaching Heroes is for those of us who have benefitted from great coaching during lockdown to show our appreciation for what coaches have done for us and our wider communities. We have seen coaches go online to keep us connected, active and healthy, and have seen coaches step up to run around their local neighbourhoods to ensure those shielding from COVID-19 have food parcels and other everyday essentials.

“There is also a wonderful opportunity to donate money to two amazing charities, who are ensuring that young people, who are often in vulnerable situations, can excel through coaching apprenticeships and development programmes that will help them succeed in life – and ensure the next generation of great coaches!”  

RugbyWorks’ Managing Director Sarah Mortiboys, said: “We’re delighted to support this activity because we know through our interventions that coaching and mentoring can have a great effect on the lives of young people. By creating person-centred relationships with our young people through rugby, we’re helping them to develop resilience, personal responsibility, an understanding of mental well-being and keeping them engaged in learning and education.

“Any donation to RugbyWorks will help us to support a young person in England or Wales achieve a positive and productive future.”

Coach Core’s Chief Executive Officer Gary Laybourne, added: “At Coach Core, we understand that coaching is a very powerful way of upskilling and developing young people of all ages both professionally and personally, whilst also ensuring they become real assets to their local community. Through our programmes, we use apprenticeships to help target deserving young people living and working in some of the UK’s most challenging areas onto a fantastic, long-term career pathway and then put them back into their own communities so that they can become fantastic, inspiring young coaches helping to change people lives.

“As we all know, coronavirus has had a huge impact on the sport and physical activity sector, with substantial decreases in employment for young people in particular really starting to affect our own programmes. If people could keep us in mind for a donation whilst they are nominating so we can continue the work we do, we would be extremely grateful.

Thank you.”  

UK Coaching Heroes is looking for nominations of people who have:

• Connected people utilising sport and physical activity and had a positive impact on people’s well-being
• Created an environment where people felt empowered and motivated either to get active or to stay active during the covid-19 lockdown
• Made a difference and had an impact on others (eg family member, friend, participant).

UK Coaching Week – which empowers athletes, coaches and the public to celebrate great coaching – this year centres on the need to ‘Support Your Coach’, kicking off with the #GreatCoachingPledge that will call on the nation to give some of their own time, sharing thanks and support for the coaching community.

To inspire the world in Tokyo and change the world with Laureus

Eliud Kipchoge, the world’s greatest marathon runner and the first athlete to break the two hour mark for a marathon, has become the newest Laureus Ambassador.

The announcement was made on the second anniversary of one of his greatest athletics feats, when he ran the fastest time ever in a marathon in Berlin in 2 hrs 1 min 39 secs – breaking the previous record by 78 seconds, the biggest improvement on the marathon world record in 51 years.

Eliud, the latest in a long line of distinguished Kenyan long distance runners, and a winner of the Laureus Academy Exceptional Achievement Award, also famously became the only athlete to run a marathon in under two hours, recording 1hr 59mins 40secs, in Vienna in October 2019. It was a landmark achievement, though not an official world record because it was not in open competition.

In an interview with Laureus Academy Member and Olympic legend Michael Johnson on Laureus.com, Kipchoge confirmed his intention to compete in the marathon at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics next year, even though he would be 36.

“I was really looking forward to running in the Tokyo Olympics. Unfortunately COVID-19 changed the world and health and safety is the first priority,” said Eliud. “I am really looking forward to running next year. It will be an honour to be there next year, I am fit and will do everything I can to make the Kenyan team and represent my country.”

He says he is also looking forward to competing in the re-arranged London Marathon on October 4. “I am happy to be coming back to London for a very different and exciting race. I have prepared as best I can under the circumstances, I think I am ready. We will miss all the fun runners and the crowds. In my mind we will still run together. Actually that is an extra motivation to run a great race.”

In addition to his sporting targets, Eliud is now a member of the Laureus Family whose goal is to use the power of sport to change young people’s lives for the better. He joins a group of more than 200 Laureus Ambassadors and 69 Laureus World Sports Academy Members, all of whom work to support Laureus Sport for Good. Since its inception, Laureus has improved the lives of six million young people in over 40 countries and currently supports more than 200 community sports-based programmes.

Eliud, who has won 12 of the 13 marathons he has entered, said: “I am feeling truly glad to be an Ambassador for Laureus. I will be joining great sportsmen and women of this world to share good ideas about sport. On the other hand I will be involved to see how Laureus is helping foundations that benefit the human family. Laureus uses sport to bring communities and individuals together. This will be even more important in the future as we try to rebuild our world for the better. I am really happy to be an Ambassador.”

Olympic legend and Laureus Academy Member Edwin Moses said: “I am delighted to welcome Eliud to Laureus. I know he is passionate about his beliefs and I know he will put in the same amount of commitment to helping us in our work with disadvantaged youth around the world as he does in his marathon running. What he has achieved is frankly amazing. The very first Laureus project, launched 20 years ago, was in Nairobi and it’s great to have Eliud on our team to help us with our work there and in Africa.”

Laureus Sport for Good was created 20 years ago in the aftermath of a remarkable speech by Nelson Mandela at the inaugural Laureus World Sports Awards in 2000. He declared: ‘Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. Sport can awaken hope where there was previously only despair.’ President Mandela became the first Patron of Laureus.

In the interview with Michael Johnson on Laureus.com, Eliud revealed: “Nelson Mandela inspires me. This quote hangs on a poster by my bed in Kaptagat, as a motivation and as a reminder for me. Actually when I see that poster, I remember that running is also about inspiring others and encouraging people to believe that nothing is impossible. Sport can join people together, it is something that connects the world, and also makes us equal.”

Within six months of its creation Laureus was supporting its first programme in one of the poorest areas of Naorobi: MYSA (Mathare Youth Sports Association). Disease was widespread and AIDS was a serious problem.  The programme pioneered the use of football as a tool to encourage co-operation and raise self-esteem in the young people of the community. 

Over 14,000 youngsters play in over 90 football leagues, where success is measured not just by the goals scored in matches, but by the work the young people do in cleaning up the slums.

Young people who have been involved in Mathare since the beginning have become role models and youth leaders in their community. Laureus still supports this programme – after 20 years.

Hannah Cockroft enjoyed a dream afternoon at the British Wheelchair Athletic Association Grand Prix in Stoke Mandeville as she revised the world records in the women’s T34 100m (16.71), 200m (30.09), 400m (55.98) and 800m (1:49.85).

Last weekend would have marked the end of the Tokyo Paralympics Games, however, with a year to go until the Games kick off in 2021, Cockroft showed her class as she sliced significant margins off her previous bests.

One of the largest improvements came in the 800m as she pushed to a magnificent PB of 1:49.85 which improved her previous best of 1:55.73 set back in 2017.

The remarkable times were reflected across the field as Sammi Kinghorn followed in 1:49.88, Melanie Woods sealed a huge improvement as she crossed the line in 1:53.87, while Kare Adenegan also recorded a two second lifetime best, setting 1:57.47. There were also PBs for Lizzie Williams and Fabienne André (Jenny Archer; Weir Archer Academy – T34) – 2:07.53 and 2:16.66 – in the standout race of the day.

After regaining the T34 100m world record on her way to the World Para Athletics Championship title in November last year, Cockroft took a further 0.06 seconds off that mark, lowering the global best to 16.71 (+1.6 m/s). Sammi Kinghorn won the race in a time of 16.29 which was only 0.08 seconds off her lifetime best.

Over the 400m, it was a similar outcome to the race at the Müller British Athletics Championships as Cockroft came out on top against Kinghorn and did so in a huge personal best.

55.98 was the time recorded which reduced her previous best from 57.48, a big improvement over the one-lap distance. Kinghorn crossed the line in 56.58. The 200m world record was particularly sweet for the 12-time world champion as she revised her best from 2015, clocking 30.09 (-1.1) a 0.42s improvement. Again, Kinghorn won the race in 29.75.

After her successful day on the track, the five-time Paralympic champion said: “There was no pressure, no expectations, it was all about going out there and doing what we love to do.

“I think that really helped me going into the 800m. Obviously Sammi was there. I always look to Sammi as being the one to chase down – I’m not normally in front of her. We said whoever gets to the line first (after 400m) takes the pole and whoever tires, we will just go around them. We both wanted to go for it and see what we could do. I’m pretty sure the whole women’s 800m field got PBs. It was a great race – we just powered through. It was pretty impressive!

“I didn’t even look at the clock (at the halfway stage) to be honest. Sammi started pulling out at 300m in, so I was kind of watching how she was moving out. Normally the clock would be the first thing I would look at, but I didn’t even look up. So, we kept going. I was holding over 18 mph on the back straight, so I was thinking ‘this is pretty quick’. At 200m to go, Sammi was telling me I had to kick so we just went. It helped me to have someone there to push me.”

Reflecting on the 2020 season and looking ahead to 2021, she added: “That’s it for me this year. I have no more races, so I’ll be taking a week off now. Everything is still unknown – we didn’t know if we would get any of these races in over the last few weeks. So, me and Nathan (Maguire) will get back into training. We have really committed over lockdown. We built a gym in the garage, we found new road routes and at no point have we stopped. We have eliminated any excuse that we could have given ourselves. I am really glad that it has paid off.”

“No one has ever had this situation before – no one has had to train during a pandemic or lockdown before. Everyone on the track today will have been in the same situation, guessing over the last few months. Should I be training, should I be resting, should I be sprinting or doing long distance. We are just glad the things we chose were the right ones, thankfully.”

McDonald’s and the UK Football Associations are inviting parents to sign up for one of over 160 McDonald’s Fun Football Centres, designed to give fun, free physical activity to thousands of children across the country. A new survey shows that over-half (52%) of parents are facing financial difficulties as a direct result of the pandemic, and 72% are desperately seeking  opportunities for their children to be more active - meaning the centres will be more important than ever for families.

From Aberdeen to Yeovil the sessions up and down the country aim to introduce thousands of 5-11 year olds to the nation’s favourite game for the first time regardless of gender or ability. With almost-a-third (30%) of parents saying their children have avoided similar sporting events before because they didn’t feel confident to go alone, and almost-half (48%) wanting the appropriate Covid-19 safety measures to be in place, the activity is relaxed, welcoming and set-up to be a fun, simple and easy way to introduce children to football.

Every session is designed to be as safe as possible, and all activity follows the latest guidance from the Football Associations, government and public health authorities.

Recent research also found that 93% of UK parents said they are likely to enrol their child in organised sporting activity as soon as they become available, showing the clear appetite following months of lockdown and isolation. The programme gives those families who have missed out on sport and peer-to-peer interaction over the past five months, a chance to safely enjoy football. The Fun Football curriculum includes introductory activities perfect for children with no footballing experience, helping them develop their all-round skills, get active and make new friends.

Paul Pomroy, McDonald’s UK and Ireland Chief Executive Officer said: “This Autumn we will run more than 800 free football sessions for 5-11 year olds to get them playing the beautiful game. As a dad of two football-mad children desperate for activities during lockdown, I know how important it is kids to get out and about, socialising and being active. Through our Fun Football programme we are proudly providing 5 million hours of football for children and introducing more than half a million new players to the game by 2022.”

The Fun Football sessions are part of the four year deal between McDonald’s and the four UK Football Associations, which will see the restaurant company provide over 5 million hours of football to 5-11 year olds by 2022, having already delivered 2.8m by March this year. This round of Fun Football Centres will provide a further 20,000 hours with Covid-19 safety measures in place.

Having worked with The FA over the past 18 years, McDonald’s is the longest-standing supporter of grassroots football in the UK and the opening of these Fun Football Centres is another important step in building on this ongoing partnership.

The University of Wolverhampton Race Team (UWR) unveiled its new Formula 3 racing car livery at one of the country’s most iconic racing venues – taking its place in motor sport history. The UWR Formula 3 racing car was steered into pole position and is on display for two weeks at the Silverstone Experience, the new £20M visitor attraction at Silverstone Circuit.

The University is a Founding Partner of the Experience and has a five-year sponsorship deal with the new attraction based in Northampton, working with the team to inspire the next generation of engineers with the hands-on family attraction.

The Silverstone Experience is an archive of the British Racing Drivers’ Club which is on display in a newly-restored Second World War RAF hangar, telling the story of Silverstone motor racing circuit. The project, which is supported by HRH Prince Harry and stars from across motor sport, including world champion Sir Jackie Stewart, Formula 1 engineer Ross

Brawn and commentator Murray Walker, was opened last year.

Sally Reynolds, CEO of Silverstone Heritage Ltd, says: “Creating a home to tell the historic story of Silverstone was first discussed by the BRDC as long ago as 1971, so I am immensely proud to see this seven-year long project come to fruition.

“We should have up to 40,000 school children coming through on formalised trips to do workshops, experience the tech labs, learn about tyres and how brakes work and really to understand why science, engineering, technology and maths are such important subjects.

“We’re really pleased to have the support of the University of Wolverhampton and we’re looking forward to working with the team to inspire the next generation of people to work in the engineering industry.”

UWR Racing Driver, Shane Kelly, said: “This is really a match made in heaven for the University because the Silverstone Experience really touches on the British legends, the winners but also the wider industry.

“To have our car here next to Hamilton’s and Mansell’s is a real honour. We’ve got a graduate who has been hand-picked by Hamilton’s team to work on his car which and it’s our aim to promote careers in the industry to young people who visit the Experience.”

Visitors can learn about the science behind the modern-day sport as well as seeing historic cars and bikes including Barry Sheene’s 1979 Suzuki, leathers and helmet – modified with a hole to allow him to smoke whilst wearing it – and Nigel Mansell’s 1992 British Grand Prix-winning Williams.

Unseen items including programmes and trophies from the BRDC archives are also on display including a driver scrapbook from the 1940s, a valuable collection of BRDC gold stars won by Formula 1 champion James Hunt and a 1992 grand prix signing-on sheet featuring the signatures of Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, Mansell and Damon Hill.