Sports News

A talented University of Wolverhampton footballer has been selected to play for the English Universities squad.

Student Lowri Walker is captain of the WLV Women’s team who recently won the BUCS Conference Cup.

The 21-year-old Sports Scholar will earn her first cap for the English Universities Women’s Football team at the Home Nations Tournament in Cardiff this month.

Lowri, from Aberystwyth, is in her third year of a BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science at the University’s Walsall Campus.

The central midfielder said: “I’m delighted to have been selected for the English Universities Team and look forward to meeting up with the girls on the 15 April in Cardiff. I have worked hard this year for club and University so it is really nice it has paid off and I impressed at the trial the other week.”

Lowri was one of a select group of leading footballers from women’s football clubs at UK universities who recently visited Barcelona to take part in a programme of events, tours and training focused on leadership.

The Women in Football event, organised by Santander Universities, was designed to help build critical thinking and management skills for female talent, both through sporting and wider leadership activity.

The Home Nations is a university sports competition between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It sees teams competing in a selection of sports across two days to crown an overall nation as champion.

The University of Wolverhampton is leading the way with supporting talented athletes in education after being accredited by a new initiative.

The Sport England-backed ‘Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS)’ programme supports young sportspeople to have the opportunity to gain qualifications alongside their sporting pursuits.

Bess Evans, Head of WLV Sport at the University, said: “We’re delighted to have been awarded TASS Dual Career Accreditation, and although the University has always encouraged and supported flexible learning for our elite athletes, the accreditation goes further to endorse our ambitions to create sporting hubs within the learning environment.

“Our reputation has grown in regards to the delivery of high performance sport, with an emphasis on ensuring it is underpinned by a strong foundation of growing our own talent. We are also very focused on managing expectations – there is no guarantee of success – so student athletes need to back up their sporting potential with a balance of education and qualifications.”

For student athletes, the academic flexibility policies may mean they have the opportunity to access online notes or resources, are able to arrange catch up sessions with lecturers, or even reschedule deadlines or exam dates in exceptional circumstances.

Meanwhile for the University of Wolverhampton, the recognition of becoming a TASS Dual Career Accredited Site is expected to be beneficial by attracting a greater number of talented athletes and building connections with other local sporting institutions.

As a Dual Career Accredited Site, University of Wolverhampton will be an important extension of the network of universities that already partner with TASS, delivering core support services to more than 600 student athletes each year.

All Dual Career Accredited Sites receive training and a toolkit of resources to equip them with practical dual career support and bring together all parties who work with the athlete.

TASS National Director, Guy Taylor, said: “We’re delighted to be awarding TASS Dual Career Accreditation to colleges and universities across England.

“Dual career support is at the forefront of what TASS does and that’s why the Accreditation Scheme is so important for us in recognising those institutions who place precedence on their athletes’ education too.

“We hope that the academic flexibility policies put into place for the accreditation will begin to develop an effective and lasting dual career structure within each institution.

“Congratulations to the successful institutions and we look forward to working alongside many more outstanding colleges and universities in the near future.”

Tottenham Hotspur made an emotional return to Haringey on Wednesday night as the new 62,062 capacity stadium opened its doors for its first Premier League game.

The club have been playing at Wembley Stadium since May 2017 while the new multi-purpose venue has been built, but they finally returned to their spiritual home in Haringey when they faced Crystal Palace.

The council has been working with the club ahead of the big opening and – following two test events – gave final approval for the stadium to officially open its doors.

Haringey’s building control team presented the stadium’s safety certificate to Spurs chairman Daniel Levy on the pitch before the game.

Council Leader Councillor Joseph Ejiofor attended the match and said: “We are thrilled to welcome Tottenham Hotspur back to their home in Haringey and to see them performing at one of Europe’s biggest and best stadiums.

“The victory on Wednesday night was an outstanding way to mark the opening of the new stadium.

“Spurs keep our borough on the world stage, and we can’t wait to welcome visitors from across the globe for matches, NFL games, concerts and other world class events.

“The stadium will provide hundreds of jobs for residents and provide a major economic boost to local businesses. Our number one priority is that this stadium works for our residents and we will continue to work with the club to ensure people in Haringey feel the benefits of this fantastic destination.”

The new stadium – and development around it – will bring in jobs, housing, and a major economic boost to the area. Through the Northumberland Development Project, the club has built 256 affordable homes elsewhere in North Tottenham and a 400-pupil primary school.

This is part of Haringey Council’s wider vision for North Tottenham aimed at improving the area for people living there.

The council’s 2,500-home High Road West scheme will deliver high-quality council homes at council rent which will be managed by Homes for Haringey, plus affordable homes for local people.

It will also deliver jobs, a new library and learning centres, a civic square for activities and cultural events, green spaces including gardens, a play area and an outdoor gym, plus shops and restaurants.

There will be more than £10million in social and economic support for businesses and residents.

With the new stadium’s increased capacity, there will also be some changes around the stadium when it comes to travel and road traffic management, controlled parking zones and the closure of roads in the build-up to the game.

Cllr Charles Adje, Cabinet Member for Strategic Regeneration, said: “The new stadium – and development around it – will provide jobs, housing, and a major economic boost to the area. Alongside this, the council has committed to delivering thousands of new homes in North Tottenham to meet urgent need, including a large contribution to our pledge of delivering 1,000 new council homes by 2022. Our number one priority is that any change in Tottenham works for our existing residents and businesses – they are at the forefront of all of our plans and always will be.”

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy said: “Last month we achieved a safety certificate for Test Events. I should like to thank the Planning and Building Control departments of Haringey Council for the many hours and hard work to get us to this stage.

“We did not just want to build a stadium. We wanted to change the prospects for those that live in this part of London, and for our stadium to be the flagship development that kickstarted its regeneration.

“We see it as bringing hope, prosperity and uplift to Tottenham, embracing the local community, building on the character and talents of the area. Our vision is that our neighbourhood is a prosperous mixed community. If you live here you should be able to study, work and play here.”

Watford FC goalkeeper Ben Foster has become a Patron of blood cancer charity Cure Leukaemia. The 36-year-old former England international shot stopper has been an active supporter of the charity since taking part in Cure Leukaemia’s London 2 Paris bike ride in 2015 to aid his recovery from a knee injury.

Having cycled alongside the charity’s co-founders Professor Charlie Craddock CBE and Graham Silk, CEO James McLaughlin and fellow Patron Geoff Thomas that year, Ben was fully immersed in the charity and has been keen to help ever since.

Ben, who lives near Leamington Spa, has helped raised over £10,000 for Cure Leukaemia through auctioning the match-worn shirts of his Premier League opponents which this season have included Liverpool’s Alisson Becker and Manchester United’s David de Gea.

He has also supported Cure Leukaemia with numerous video messages for patients and supporters, helped the charity launch its £1m Appeal to expand the Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s globally significant Centre for Clinical Haematology in early 2017 and he donated a plaque for three years on a special wall that will soon be installed at the Centre in Birmingham.

Speaking at a recent event in Leamington Spa promoting Cure Leukaemia’s cycling events he said: “I am thrilled to be a Patron of Cure Leukaemia. I’ve been involved with the charity for four years now and it has become very close to my heart. I am very fortunate that my family has not been touched by blood cancer but we have seen the football community rocked by Carl Ikeme and Stiliyan Petrov being diagnosed in recent years and of course Geoff Thomas too.

“It is such an indiscriminate disease that affects people from all walks of life, young or old and any level of fitness and Cure Leukaemia is a charity that is fighting back and being proactive in trying to find a cure as quickly as possible.”

Ben met a teenage leukaemia patient called Harrison Price at the launch event in 2017 and he has followed his treatment closely ever since and he was delighted to see him with his family last week.

“It was great to see Harry, I love that kid, he always has a massive smile and I forgive him for being a big Aston Villa fan! I know he has a rare form of blood cancer and it’s another reason why supporting charities like Cure Leukaemia is so important so that more can be done to help people like Harry.

“I know Harry’s mum and dad are cycling the Velo Birmingham and Midlands on 12th May so I’m going to sponsor them with the funds raised from David de Gea’s shirt! I’m so glad the shirt idea has worked so well, I’m really grateful to all the players that have supported this and everyone who has bid to raise funds for the charity.”

Cure Leukaemia Chairman Ian Allen said: “Ben is a fantastic person and typifies the spirit of Cure Leukaemia. We are delighted to have him as a Patron and I know that his involvement will be a huge benefit to our charity for years to come.

We wish him well for the rest of the season and for the FA Cup Semi-Final this weekend.”

There will be a ‘first’ at Brands Hatch this weekend as Reema Juffali will be making her British Formula Four debut – being the first Saudi Arabian female racing driver to do so. The 27-year-old will be racing for reigning F4 champions Double R Racing in the FIA-sanctioned series. She only started racing just under a year ago –after her country lifted the ban on women driving; becoming the first Saudi female license holder to compete in a series at the TRD86 Cup in Abu Dhabi last October.

An excited Reema says: “It’s a good time in Saudi to be doing such a thing and all the support I’ve gotten from friends, family, people I don’t even know, has been fantastic and it’s only been pushing me to do better.”

On the F4 season, she said: "Brands Hatch is the heart of motorsport and this will be such a great thing for me to do and represent my country.

“To be here is quite unbelievable and to have done it in such a short space of time, I’m very grateful and happy about that.”

Talking further – about the coming season – she added: "It's going to be a tough year in such a competitive championship, but I'm ready for the challenge."

Saudi Arabia issued driving licences to women for the first time in decades in June 2018. It hosted a round of the all-electric Formula E series last December, with a number of women drivers testing there afterwards.

An innovative project to get college students involved in women’s futsal is set to be launched by the University of Wolverhampton.

Sports teams from local colleges will be invited to take part in the women’s futsal competitions organised by students and Birmingham FA at the University’s Walsall Campus.

Futsal is played on a hard court which is smaller than a football pitch and is mainly indoors. It is played in more than 170 countries.

The University has secured £1,450 funding from the British Universities and Colleges Sports (BUCS) Women’s Football and Futsal Innovation Fund in partnership with the FA to run the programme.

A taster session will take place in June with the main competitions from September/October.

The events will be run by University students who will be involved in aspects such as refereeing, media and managing the day.

Tracy Nash, Professional and Workforce Sports Manager at the University, said: “We’re delighted to have received funding from BUCS for this project which will see us set up a number of competitions and festivals throughout the year for local colleges linked to football clubs we currently have links with.

“As part of the project University of Wolverhampton students will get involved in the delivery through organising, refereeing, media and managing the day.

“Workshops in coaching and refereeing futsal would also be offered to participants and to the student workforce involved to upskill both college students and University students enabling the game to grow further.”

The University is one of 12 institutions to have received funding from the innovation fund to run projects which aim to provide solutions to participation and workforce challenges in women’s and girls’ football and futsal that can be shared across the sector.

Institutions will upskill a diverse student workforce to deliver the activity and work with both university and local community partners.

A London-based father has posted a request online looking for a hypnotist to make his son switch from supporting Tottenham Hotspur to Arsenal, after trying everything to get his son to back the Gunners. The father says he’s willing to pay £3,000 to the chosen hypnotist, and says that his wife ‘isn’t aware’ he’s doing this.

A UK-based father has posted a request online looking for a hypnotist to make his son switch his allegiance from Tottenham to Arsenal, after trying everything he can to persuade the six-year-old to support the red North London side.

The request was posted on Bark.com last week, but so far has had no responses from hypnotists in London, prompting the father to launch a public appeal.

The request states that the father recently received a ‘bonus from work’ and is willing to pay £3,000 to any hypnotist who can make his son support Arsenal and carry on his family’s tradition. He says that his son is six years old and despite his best efforts, has been swayed towards Spurs by some of his friends at school in the last six months. The ad states that his infatuation with Tottenham started last year after watching Harry Kane win the Golden Boot at the World Cup.

The father explains that his family has always lived in London and have traditionally been passionate supporters of Arsenal until his son decided he wanted to switch to Spurs. The dad also says that he wants his son to find his passion for the Gunners in time for next season, as he wants to take him to the Emirates Stadium for their first Premier League game.

The dad also said that his wife doesn’t know he’s doing this, and says ‘it’ll be easier to ask for forgiveness than permission’.

The Bark app and online platform Bark.com, Europe’s leading local services marketplace, connect customers with local professionals for any project, including accountants, cleaners, DJs, personal trainers, plumbers, web designers and wedding photographers, to name a few. Bark.com’s goal is to revolutionise how people find and sell local services online, get quotes, read reviews, message the professionals and hire - all through the app and website.

Kai Feller, Bark.com co-founder, said: “People love to argue about sport, especially when family members support different teams. We don’t know if it’s even possible to change someone’s loyalty like this, but hopefully someone will be able to help out this father and unite the family in their support of Arsenal!”

On a fantastic day for cross country running in Aarhus, Denmark, the senior women’s team impressed as they placed fourth overall after a stunning set of performances by the British squad, while two juniors placed in the top 25 of their respective races.

The senior women showed great spirit on the 10km course, forming a superb team effort to place fourth overall behind Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda.

They were led home by a strong finishing Kate Avery who built into the contest fantastically, running conservatively in the early stages before picking off her opponents over the 10km course.

After coming through in 60^th after lap one of the 2km course, the Shildon athlete found her stride around the undulating Danish course, moving into the top 40 after the second lap. She overtook the fast-starting Jennifer Nesbitt on lap three, staying with a small group hoping to break into the top thirty. As she rounded ‘the berm’ at the bottom of the museum roof downhill section, she had to fight for her 30^th position, holding on for an encouraging result.

Avery commented post-race: “There were certain parts when I thought my legs were going to give way, but when it came to the hills, in my head I kept saying ‘jog, jog, jog’ and it seemed to work because others weren’t. I’m really happy to be the first Brit home, I had the top 30 in my head when I saw the course, so I’m really pleased I did that well.

“My only concern was pacing it right. I’m pleased with how the cross season has gone. I'm still not back up to what I was doing previously so I need to get back to that level.”

52^nd, 41^st, 37^th, 35^th and 32^nd were the positions Mhairi McLennan held after each lap in the contest, the final placing a staggering achievement for the Scottish athlete. It was the great show of strength, moving through the field expertly and working hard on the hills.

She moved passed Nesbitt in the final stages, and it was also a great World Cross debut for the latter, leading the Brits for long periods of the race, before placing as the third counter – 34^th overall - in the best European outfit on the day.

Team captain Jess Piasecki was not too far behind, finishing strongly for 36^th to confirm four Britons inside the top 40 on the world stage.

Piasecki added: “There are no other words to describe that course other than a monster. On the first lap I thought ‘I feel OK here’ even though I told myself not to go too hard. I let some people go through, but you can’t rehearse for a challenge like that.

“I’m happy I came through because normally I die a death and managed to take some positions on the final lap and stuck it out for the team. The girls had storming runs.”

Emily Hosker-Thornhill crossed the line in 48^th, while Amelia Quirk at just 19 years-old and making her senior British debut, came home in 79^th place, battling hard for the team.

As for the senior men, Patrick Dever was the standout performer as he came through the field majestically to seal 37^th place, contributing to the ninth-place finish of the team overall.

Following the Loughborough-based athlete was Mahamed Mahamed who negotiated the course very well, pacing it perfectly as he moved into 44^th place at the end, having come through the first few laps outside the top 70.

Making his first World Cross appearance for 12 years, Adam Hickey was next home in 51^st while Oliver Fox was 58^th, not too far behind the Essex athlete.

Ross Millington and Luke Traynor placed 64^th and 107^th respectively.

Joshua Cheptegei (UGA) won the race, making up for his dramatic finish in Kampala two years previously, when he missed out on a medal in the closing stages.

Trials winner Grace Brock (Cornwall) continued her excellent cross-country season by finishing as the first British finisher in 25^th place in the junior women’s contest. She built into the race fantastically, moving from 59^th on the first lap, into the top 30 after the second lap, and kept on moving up the field.

Placing as the second European behind Italy’s Nadia Battocletti, it was a step-up by Brock who placed 11^th at the European Cross country just four months ago.

An ecstatic Brock spoke afterwards: “It was amazing – and the European champion only overtook me on the last bit. To make that jump from 11th at Europeans and to be second European here is more than I could have asked for. It was an amazing atmosphere all around the course and that really spurred me on in the closing stages.

“I knew the start was going to be fast, so my plan was to hold back a bit and then when it started to stretch out, I would start to move up. That was my plan and I felt like I executed it really well. I maybe didn’t kick quite as well as I would have liked at the end, but I am really pleased. 25th place is a higher placing than I was expecting so I’m over the moon.”

Another debutant, Amelia Samuels, enjoyed her maiden appearance for Great Britain & Northern Ireland, crossing the line in 35^th and the second Brit. Samuels was 57^th after the first lap but continued to pick her rivals off, helping the team on their way to seventh position overall.

Becky Briggs and Charlotte Alexander placed 44^th and 49^th, while Eloise Walker battled well to 51^st position. Olivia Mason admitted she paid the price for a fast start but ran a solid race to place 57^th overall.

The British team finished seventh overall, the top Europeans in the field. Ethiopia took the team title overall with Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet winning the race individually.

There was an eighth-place finish for the British junior men’s team, with Matt Willis (self-coached; Wrexham) matching the 25^th position of his compatriot in the women’s race, similarly the second European finisher behind the prolific Jakob Ingebrigtsen.

It was an excellent result for the Welshman who was the top Briton at the European Cross-Country Championships in Tilburg last year. He certainly played the course to his strengths, battling hard in the downhill sections when his opponents were reeling from the hill climb. It was a demonstration of strength from the youngster, moving from 34^th on lap one to the top 25 after 7km.

Willis spoke afterward: “I’m really happy; I wasn’t expecting to run that well at all. I’m just over the moon to finish in 25th.

“The first lap was ok but then it became a lot harder on the other laps. The sand was particularly hard to run through. The hills were hard, but I adored the downhills; I used my strength wisely to make up for my weaknesses on the uphill sections.”

On finishing as second European in the field, he added: “It gives me hope for Europeans in December and gives me that extra bit of motivation.”

After admitting he didn’t “show his best” at the European last December, Rory Leonard (Morpeth) made amends in Aarhus, fighting his way through the field to claim 37^th place and in doing so, was the second counter for the GB & NI team.

Euan Brennan used his mountain running pedigree to good effect, crossing the line in 50^th, and was one of several athletes to speak about the sheer speed of the race. Debutants Josh Cowperthwaite and Zakariya Mahamed were 62^nd and 66^th respectively, while Ben West unfortunately did not finish.

The race was won overall by Milkasa Mengesha (ETH) with Ethiopia taking the team gold, with GB & NI in eighth overall.

Lewis Hamilton claimed victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix after an engine problem hit runaway leader Charles Leclerc's Ferrari late in the race.

Leclerc had dominated after retaking the lead following a poor start and was on course for a maiden victory when his hybrid system failed.

Hamilton closed an eight-second deficit within three laps and swept by for his first win of 2019 with nine laps to go.

Leclerc would have slipped down to fourth behind Hamilton's team-mate Valtteri Bottas and Red Bull's Max Verstappen but was saved by a late race safety car.

As victory slipped from his fingers, the despair in Leclerc's voice was clear as he asked the team what had happened, and was told he had suffered a failure of the MGU-H, the part of the hybrid system that recovers energy from the turbo.

It cost him 40km/h on the straights and left him helpless as first Hamilton and then Bottas closed in at five seconds a lap.

"Oh my God," he said, as he saw a fairytale victory slip from his grasp on a weekend on which he had destroyed his four-time world champion team-mate Sebastian Vettel.

Vettel, meanwhile, made yet another high-profile error, spinning his car while being passed by Hamilton for what at the time was second place with 20 laps to go.

Vettel already needed a pit stop for fresh tyres, but he also suffered a front wing failure as he toured around to the pits, and the German finished fifth, two places behind his team-mate.

"That was extremely unfortunate for Charles," Hamilton said over the radio on his slowing down lap. "We have work to do to keep these guys on our tails."

It was a bitter blow for Leclerc, who thoroughly deserved the win, but the Monegasque had already done enough to announce himself as a major title contender.

He had started from pole position, but a poor start meant he dropped behind Vettel and Bottas on the first lap.

But he passed Bottas at the start of the second lap and then Vettel on lap four, around the outside of Turn Four, and proceeded to underline his superiority over Vettel by cruising off into a comfortable lead.

Until the Ferrari hit trouble in the closing laps, the race was all behind Leclerc, as Vettel and Hamilton swapped positions behind him.

Hamilton jumped Vettel at the first pit stops, but Mercedes's choice of soft tyres, while the Ferraris fitted mediums, left him struggling.

Vettel closed him down and passed for second on lap 24.

Hamilton felt he was in dire trouble, but he managed to keep Vettel in sight, so when both pitted for a final stint on mediums Hamilton was able to close on Vettel.

The world champion passed Vettel around the outside of Turn Four with 20 laps to go, and the German spun on the exit of the corner.

"Aargh," he said. "New tyres. Box."

It was another mistake that raised questions about Vettel's ability to race in high-pressure situations after a series of errors last year dashed his title hopes long before they should have died.

Vettel said he believed his front wing had failed because of the vibrations from his damaged tyres. Regardless, the dynamics within the Ferrari are now fascinating.

Vettel had started the season as their leader but Leclerc has now staked his claim and proved he will be a major force this season.

Arsenal first team players Mesut Ozil, Bernd Leno, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Shkodran Mustafi were treated to a tour of Dubai, visiting the city’s latest attractions and legendary landmarks, and taking in the striking architecture and impressive skyline.  The players were picked up on a hop on hop off City Sightseeing bus, making their first stop at the Dubai Frame. The players toured the spectacular structure, which boasts panoramic views of both old and new Dubai at 150 metres high.

The players stepped onto the glass bridge in the transparent viewing deck, and even showed off their fancy footwork to the delight and amazement of the other visitors at the Dubai Frame. Dubai’s latest architectural landmark is a giant rectangular frame situated in a unique location that offers views via its 93 metre bridge observatory.  The players then continued to Burj Khalifa, and also passed the Dubai Canal during their sightseeing tour.

Arsenal is set to play a friendly match with Al Nasr Sports Club at Al Maktoum Stadium on 26 March. The players are also taking part in warm weather training sessions, to prepare for the final weeks of the 2018/19 football season. Last week, the players arrived on a specially-branded Emirates A380 Arsenal aircraft, and the airline is supporting the visit by connecting football enthusiasts in the UAE with one of the game’s most iconic clubs.

Arsenal first team players Mesut Ozil, Bernd Leno, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Shkodran Mustafi were treated to a tour of Dubai, visiting the city’s latest attractions and legendary landmarks, and taking in the striking architecture and impressive skyline.  The players were picked up on a hop on hop off City Sightseeing bus, making their first stop at the Dubai Frame. The players toured the spectacular structure, which boasts panoramic views of both old and new Dubai at 150 metres high.

The players stepped onto the glass bridge in the transparent viewing deck, and even showed off their fancy footwork to the delight and amazement of the other visitors at the Dubai Frame. Dubai’s latest architectural landmark is a giant rectangular frame situated in a unique location that offers views via its 93 metre bridge observatory.  The players then continued to Burj Khalifa, and also passed the Dubai Canal during their sightseeing tour.

Arsenal is set to play a friendly match with Al Nasr Sports Club at Al Maktoum Stadium on 26 March. The players are also taking part in warm weather training sessions, to prepare for the final weeks of the 2018/19 football season. Last week, the players arrived on a specially-branded Emirates A380 Arsenal aircraft, and the airline is supporting the visit by connecting football enthusiasts in the UAE with one of the game’s most iconic clubs.

Former BMX and track cycling World Champion Shanaze Reade has been announced as the first West Midlands Cycling and Walking Ambassador.

The British cyclist’s appointment was confirmed on the day that regional transport chiefs agreed a £17 million funding package to take spending on cycling in the West Midlands to £10 per head per year up to April 2021.

The grant, from the region’s £71 million Transforming Cities Fund (TCF) transport package, will be invested in safe cycle routes across the West Midlands.

As Ambassador Shanaze, the three time BMX World Champion and twice Team Sprint track world champion, will promote and guide development of cycling throughout the West Midlands.

She welcomed the West Midlands commitment to increasing participation in cycling and walking and the increased funding for safe cycle routes and infrastructure.

She said: “I look forward to helping people discover the amazing benefits of cycling and walking – both for pleasure and as a convenient method of transport. The benefits are endless from saving money, the sense of freedom, mental wellbeing from the exercise and keeping fit. With the infrastructure being put in place there will be no excuse to get out those trainers or on your bike.”

One of her first duties as Ambassador will see Shanaze join Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street, transport bosses and cycling representatives at a summit on May 22.

Last month Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), adopted a new Walking and Cycling policy which outlined the ambition to develop a cycle route network across the region.

The WMCA Board has now approved the award of £17 million cycle funding. This follows the award of a £6 million TCF grant last October.

Combined with expected investment from councils and developers it means that spending on cycling in the West Midlands will reach the target of £10 per head.

Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street said: “Shanaze will make a brilliant Ambassador for cycling and walking. She has excelled on the track, is a superb role model and will inspire many young people here to get on their bikes.

“We set out to raise investment to £10 per head and are doing just that. In the West Midlands we are serious about cycling – it is fun and great for our health and as an alternative to the car can help ease traffic congestion and improve the quality of the air we breathe.”

The £23 million Transforming Cities Fund will be spent on cycling infrastructure. Last month the WMCA Board approved a new cycling and walking policy which outlined ambitions for a network of safe cycle routes across the region.

Councillor Ian Ward, leader of Birmingham City Council and WMCA portfolio holder for economic, said: "For decades the West Midlands has been associated the world over with motoring, but it's clear that we need to change the way people travel across the region. In addition to getting more people onto public transport, one of our key ambitions is to increase levels of cycling and walking.

"That's why, in recent years, we've launched innovative schemes to get people on their bikes. Through the Birmingham Cycle Revolution and initiatives like the award-winning Big Birmingham Bikes, we've focussed on education, training and of course promoting the many benefits of cycling.

"Now we're looking to build on that success and the creation of this new region-wide role underlines our determination to improve air quality, tackle congestion and improve the health of people across the region."

The appointment has been welcomed by the Department for Transport and British Cycling, the sport’s governing body.

Transport Minister Jesse Norman said: "Massive congratulations to Shanaze on her appointment as West Midlands Cycling and Walking Ambassador.

“And massive congratulations to TfWM for using our new Government grant money to build new cycling infrastructure, as part of a region-wide transport investment programme."

British Cycling chief executive, Julie Harrington, said: “Shanaze has always been a fantastic ambassador for our sport and I am sure she will be equally brilliant in her new role in the West Midlands.

“We are proud that our riders – both past and present – make such a valuable contribution to communities across Britain, and we look forward to watching Shanaze work with Mayor Andy Street to enable more local people to get around by bike in the coming years.”

The Cycling Summit, hosted by the Mayor and Shanaze, will be held in Birmingham and is open to members of the public and organisations. It will set out the mission to supercharge the development of cycling and walking across the West Midlands.

The Special Olympics World Games, the world’s largest humanitarian sporting event and a global movement which focuses on the empowerment of people of determination with intellectual disabilities through the power of sport was held in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates - the first time in the Middle East North Africa since the movement’s founding over 50 years ago – with Pakistani sprinter, Syeda Kazim, one of the headline acts when she made her “dream come true” after winning bronze medal in the 200 meters division sprint race at the Dubai Police Officer’s Club.

“It was a dream come true for me,” she recalled. “I was extremely happy to be a part of the Special Olympics World Games, especially after bagging the bronze medal.

Winning a bronze medal at Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi 2019 was ‘like a dream coming true.”

Syeda, who lives in Karachi, trained for two hours each day to prepare for the World Games, travelling two hours from her home to Karachi’s National Stadium to use the running facilities.

Team GB cycling star Kiera Byland was another headline act, taking gold medal in her race – the 20-year-old athlete was first across the finish line in the women’s 15-kilometer Road Race final held at Yas Marina Circuit.

“I said to my teammates ‘I hope I do really well in my first race’ and then, obviously, I’ve done really good,” Kiera said. “I’ve done all the training and put the effort in with help from my coach and my family.

“I’d like to say thank you to everyone who supported me. I’m just so happy.”

More than 40,000 spectators at Zayed Sports City and millions of viewers worldwide celebrated the Special Olympics World Games with spectators witnessing the largest number of nations take part as every athlete showcase their sporting talent on a global stage; with a stellar line-up of world-renowned musicians  include Avril Lavigne, Paul Oakenfold And Hussain Al Jassmi amongst others.

Legendary stars; Ivory Coast’s Didier Drogba and Brazillian World Cup winner, Cafu, playing alongside Special Olympics footballers at the Unified Sports Clinic.

During, and post Games, initiatives are running daily in schools and community spaces across Abu Dhabi and the UAE to create unity and understanding between the public and people of determination with intellectual disabilities.

A University of Wolverhampton web developer has his sights set on sprinting to success in an international triathlon championship competition.

Adam Jones, 29 from Stourbridge, is crowdfunding to help him take part in the age group triathlon competition at the Team GB Championship being held in Russia later this year.

The web developer, who works in the External Relations department at the University and also coaches young athletes in his spare time, competed in the 2018 European Championships in Glasgow and hopes to take part in Kasan, Russia, in July this year.

The ‘sprint’ triathlon competition is made up of three different sports – swimming (750 metres), running (5 kilometres) and cycling (20 kilometres).

He said:  “It felt amazing to represent our country in the championships last year and I’m hoping to do it all again.

“As an age group athlete you have to fund everything yourself – the kit, flights, accommodation and visas – so I thought that crowdfunding would be an ideal way of helping me achieve my goal.”

Adam will be creating a video diary so that funders can track his progress on his journey towards achieving his goal in Russia.

British Athletics have today named a team of 26 athletes with 78 major international outdoor medals between them for the IAAF World Relays in Yokohama, Japan from 11-12 May 2019. The 26-strong British team includes seven Olympic, 17 World Championship and 21 European Championship relay medallists.

Adam Gemili, Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake and CJ Ujah, who helped Great Britain & Northern Ireland to world 4x100m gold in 2017, are all selected and will be joined by fellow European champion from 2018 Harry Aikines-Aryeetey as well as British champion and European silver medallist over 100m Reece Prescod and two-time world indoor champion Richard Kilty.

In the women’s 4x100m, Olympic bronze medallists from 2016 and world silver medallists from 2017, Desiree Henry, Daryll Neita and Asha Philip; have been named on the British team. They’ll be joined by European champion from 2018 Bianca Williams, European champion from 2014 Ashleigh Nelson and double world junior bronze medallist Kristal Awuah.

In the women’s 4x400m, Emily Diamond, Eilidh Doyle  and Anyika Onuora all have Olympic bronze medals from 2016 and earn selection alongside Finette Agyapong, Amy Allock, Zoey Clark and Laviai Nielsen Clark and Nielsen won world silver with Diamond and Doyle in 2017 while Agyapong and Allcock won their first international relay medals with European bronze last year.

Martyn Rooney – the most decorated athlete on the team alongside Doyle with seven major outdoor relay medals – is the seventh Olympic medallist selected following his 4x400m bronze from 2008 and headlines a squad including fellow world bronze medallists from 2017 Dwayne Cowan, Rabah Yousif and Matthew Hudson-Smith–  also the reigning European champion over 400m.

European champions Dina Asher-Smith and Zharnel Hughes have been given permission by British Athletics not to compete at the IAAF World Relays in line with their individual competition plans for the 2019 season.

The 14 athletes selected across the men’s and women’s 4x400m are the athletes from which the team for the mixed 4x400m will be selected, which is being introduced to the IAAF World Championship schedule for the first time ever in Doha this year. Great Britain & Northern Ireland will not participate in the 4x200m, shuttle hurdles or 2x2x400m relays.

British Athletics Performance Director Neil Black said: “We are extremely proud of the successes of our relay teams over the past three years and our athletes take each and every opportunity to compete on the international stage incredibly seriously, as proven by the sheer strength of the team selected for Yokohama.

“We expect our athletes to continue that tradition of success in Japan and guarantee qualification for all five events for the IAAF World Championships later in the year. The introduction of the mixed 4x400m for Doha is something we are all excited about and we look forward to testing our skills in that event.

“The IAAF World Relays provides us with a great opportunity as we prepare for not only Doha but also for the Olympic Games, which we all know are also being held in Japan in 2020. The opportunity to train and compete in Japan 14 months before the Games is invaluable to all those selected.”

In his first fight at super-middleweight, former British and Commonwealth middleweight champion Tommy Langford was made to work hard for his points win against Frenchman Baptiste Castegnaro at the Walsall Town Hall on a BCB Promotions event.

Langford didn’t have it all his own way against the tough 28-year-old from southwest France with the six-round super-middleweight contest scored at 58-56 to the 29-year-old from Birmingham.

He started off on the front foot and took the fight to the Frenchman, who has previously shared the ring with Olympic bronze medalist Joshua Buatsi.

Langford, born and raised in North Devon, was dominant behind his double jab and landed a neat left to the body midway through the first round. Castegnaro did manage to have some success in the opener and when he landed cleanly, it visibly incentivised him to follow up, forcing the home fighter backwards. The French fighter did manage to ruffle Langford’s feathers a little bit, who took a tiny tumble at the end of the opener, but was ruled as a slip.

He started the second stanza behind a stiff jab, backing Castegnaro up. They were soon tangled up in the centre of the ring until Castegnaro forced Tommy back to the ropes without managing to land anything at all as Langford ducked and weaved and soon answered with a one-two to the head. It was a clean, controlled round for Langford on the scorecards, as he began to lose his nerves and find his rhythm.

Langford landed a peach of a left hook as the pair traded in the centre of the ring in the third, but Castegnaro managed to score back with one of his own seconds later. This round was contested in close quarters for the first time in the fight as Castegnaro held his feet a bit longer and there was success for both parties during the three minutes of action.

Despite Langford producing the more dominant and aggressive display, Castegnaro enjoyed spells of success and produced a late flurry seconds before the end of the fourth segment.

The fifth round was far more controlled, as Tommy stalked his opponent, who occupied all four corners of the ring for the duration of the round as he attempted to move away from danger. Langford unloaded when he trapped Castegnaro in his home corner and a left hook to the body followed by another to the head sent the Frenchman backpedaling across the ring.

Castegnaro came out swinging in the final round and the pair finished with a firefight in the middle of the ring.

The official scored it four rounds for Langford and two for the visitor.

Langford commented post-fight, “Back to winning ways! I was a little jittery to begin with, I have to admit, but I soon warmed up. To be completely honest, I was actually very nervous and a bit tentative early on, which resulted in a hesitant first few rounds.

“It was to be expected after the lay off and moving up a weight division, but I warmed into it and started to box well and by the end I was really dominating and hurting my opponent, especially with the left hook.

“It was good to get the experience at 168lbs against a fully-fledged super-middleweight who has fought two of the best light-heavyweights in the country in Olympian Joshua Buatsi and English champion Liam Conroy.

“He was a strong, durable opponent, so the experience will be invaluable as I push on to bigger fights. Many others would have had a more conventional or less dangerous opponent for their first step up to a new weight, and, if I’m going to be completely honest, I probably would have liked to have had an easier opponent, but now the job’s done and I’ve come through well, I’m very happy.

“It means the questions that I’ve had have been answered and I’m happy to push on now and look for bigger opportunities at 168lbs.”

The ‘Baggies Bomber’, named so by his huge following of West Bromwich Albion FC fans, has already declared his intentions to become a two-weight British or Commonwealth champion. Zach Parker from nearby Swadlincote is the current British super-middleweight titlist and world title challenger Rocky Fielding last held the Commonwealth strap.

“I’m fully aware that most domestic champions won’t want to give me a shot at their titles, so I’m prepared to work my way into the mandatory position.”

He concluded, “Big thank you to all the fantastic support, it always means a lot. Thanks to BCB Promotions for giving me the platform to fight. We move on to the next one!”

The BCB Promotions ‘Pride of the Midlands’ event also featured Midlands Area middleweight champion Tyler Denny (10-1-2) who earned a shutout points win over six-rounds and has plans to fight for bigger titles in 2019.

Ricky Hatton-trained welterweight Conah Walker (4-0) remained unbeaten as he scored his second KO and unbeaten lightweight Connor Lee Jones moved up to 3-0 with a points win.

Wolverhampton welterweight Kirstie Bavington (2-0-1) scored her first stoppage win in a very one-sided fight.