Sports News

Team GB and Team England triple jumper Nathan Douglas is to chart progress made during the final 12 months of the Alexander Stadium’s redevelopment in a series of vlogs for Birmingham City Council.

Nathan has been appointed as the council’s official Stadium Redevelopment Correspondent – and has started the assignment with an introductory video available via the Birmingham City Council YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin and Twitter channels. The eight-time British champion, who trains at the stadium and its High Performance Centre, has competed at the Perry Barr venue many times during his long career, and was keen to tell the story of the site’s redevelopment ahead of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Nathan said: “The revamped Alexander Stadium will be an amazing facility. I wanted to find a way that I could tell the story of how things are improving to as wide an audience as possible.

“Social media is a great way to engage with people, whether they have been athletics fans for years, are interested in the upcoming Commonwealth Games, live in Birmingham or been to the stadium in the past. Over the coming months, I’ll be taking a look behind the scenes and speaking to people who have worked or performed at the venue. I hope the buzz and excitement of the stadium redevelopment and upcoming Games is something I can get across to people who see the vlogs.”

As well as his triple jumping and an enthusiasm to enter the world of vlogging, Nathan has always had a passion for performance psychology which led him to achieve a BSc in Sport and Exercise Science (Psychology) from Loughborough University. Nathan is a certified Peak Performance and Resilience Coach, NLP Practitioner and has been trained in Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy at Oxford. Nathan combines his expertise alongside the team at 7Futures to help their corporate clients to build a culture of wellbeing and high performance.

Councillor Ian Ward, Leader of venue owner Birmingham City Council, said: “It’s great to have such a well-respected athlete as Nathan on board for this assignment - I know he is excited by the bold ambition we have for the Alexander Stadium as the centrepiece of leisure, health and wellbeing activity in a regenerated Perry Barr.

“These videos will help inform and excite people in a fun way about the fantastic progress that has been made over the last 12 months on the project and what is going on ahead of the Commonwealth Games.” To find out more about the Alexander Stadium redevelopment, visit the city council’s Perry Barr Regeneration webpages.

British sprints star Dina Asher-Smith will fine-tune her preparations for the Olympic Games when she races over 200 metres in the Müller British Grand Prix in Gateshead.

The world champion was clearly not put off by the wet and windy weather at the Müller Grand Prix Gateshead last Sunday when she beat a world-class line-up in the 100m. Asher-Smith, 25, is keen to come back to the same venue later this summer for a competition that will fall just before her departure to Tokyo.

Dina said: “I’m really excited to return to Gateshead on July 13 for the Müller British Grand Prix. Hopefully we will be allowed to have more fans in the stadium and the athletes will get a great send off before they go to the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

“My first 100m of 2021 last weekend was against some tough opposition and I’m expecting it to be another exciting race when I go back there in a few weeks’ time.”

The event on was originally due to be held at the London Stadium but has been moved to Gateshead International Stadium due to the repercussions of the pandemic and after an agreement was reached between UK Athletics and the London Legacy Development Corporation.

Gateshead Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, Sport and Leisure, Councillor Angela Douglas, said: “We are delighted that athletics will return to Gateshead International Stadium this summer with the Müller British Grand Prix. This is fantastic news for Gateshead and a ringing endorsement of our long-established reputation for hosting major international sporting events.

“It is such a brilliant opportunity to celebrate our great passion for sport in the region and for spectators to get up close to all the action. We look forward to supporting the athletes on their journey to the Olympic Games in Tokyo.”

After successfully welcoming back 2,000 spectators at the Müller Grand Prix Gateshead last weekend (23rd May), British Athletics are hopeful more fans will be able to safely return to the stadium for the Müller British Grand Prix on July 13.

West Midlands Cycle Hire has brought its distinctive grey and green bikes to the streets of central Birmingham.

More than 300 bikes have today been distributed among 43 docking stations placed at key locations in and around the city centre – including bus, train and tram interchanges and popular destinations like Broad Street and Victoria Square.

This number will rise to 83 docking stations and more than 700 bikes later this year – covering an area including the city centre and stretching out towards the University of Birmingham. The bikes are being made by the renowned Pashley company in Stratford-upon Avon.

Today’s launch in Edgbaston follows successful roll outs of the scheme over the last two months in Coventry, Solihull, Stourbridge, Sutton Coldfield, Walsall and Wolverhampton. More than 14,000 people have given the bikes a go since March, clocking up more than 100,000km in the process.

Representatives of local cycling groups joined the West Midlands Mayor Andy Street and cabinet member for transport and the environment Cllr Waseem Zaffar for the launch at the University of Birmingham. There are eight docking stations on or around the campus.

The cycle hire scheme was launched by Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), to encourage more people to become active and healthy and offer a convenient and more environmentally-friendly alternative to the car for shorter journeys.

Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street said: “It is incredibly exciting to launch our cycle hire scheme in Birmingham, and I know riders across the city have been itching to get out and try our bikes. They are already available in a number of boroughs across the West Midlands and have proven to be incredibly popular with more than 14,000 people giving them a go.

“Not only is cycling brilliant for people’s fitness and physical health, but it also helps reduce the number of cars on the road, helping us to tackle congestion, air pollution, and the climate emergency we are all facing.  I hope by making bikes more accessible for people both young and old through our cycle hire scheme, more people will make the decision to go out on two wheels and reap the benefits.”

Investment in cycling facilities is a key part of the region’s plan to encourage more alternatives to the car for shorter journeys around busy towns and cities with a view to reducing congestion, improving air quality and helping the region achieve its #WM2041 net zero-carbon target.

Cllr Zaffar said: “For many people living and working in Birmingham, cycle hire provides a more convenient alternative to buying a bike and, of course, it’s healthier and better for our environment.

“This scheme has the potential to open up cycling opportunities to more people, and I’m proud that in Birmingham we have a growing network of segregated cycle routes to facilitate this safely.”

When fully rolled-out later this year there will be 170 fixed docks and 1,500 bikes for hire across the region, of which 150 will be powered e-bikes. The pedal cycles have three gears to cope with hilly parts of the region and are fitted with high quality laser safety lights.

As an introductory offer everyone who signs up will get their first 30 minute bike ride for free. The normal cost of unlocking a bike is £1 with a 5p per minute charge after that. This means a 20minute cycle will cost £2 and an hour £4.

The five-year contract with Serco, the operator of London’s successful Santander Cycle Hire scheme, offers the opportunity for more docks and bikes to be provided as demand increases. As well as having the bikes made locally, the contract with TfWM means the docking stations and locks are also being manufactured here in the West Midlands.

Simon Bailey, managing director of Serco’s Leisure business, said: “We are delighted to be working with TfWM and University of Birmingham to launch the West Midlands Cycle Hire in Birmingham. It is the largest launch so far and follows successful roll-outs in Wolverhampton, Coventry, Solihull, Stourbridge and Walsall. The cycle scheme is already becoming part of the transport infrastructure in the West Midlands and has seen over 14,000 unique users since March.”

The bikes can be hired using the Beryl Cycle Hire app. Later this year, they will also be available via the new Swift App. This will be the first app for the West Midlands to offer ticket purchases, the Swift Collector, departure information, journey planning, car hire and more, all in one place.

Edgbaston Stadium’s hosting of the second match of the LV= Insurance Test series between England and New Zealand will be the first pilot event within the second phase of the Government’s world-leading Events Research Programme.

Taking place in Birmingham from Thursday 10 to Monday 14 June, Edgbaston will be able to accommodate around 18,000 spectators each day, 70 per cent of total stadium capacity. Each individual ticket holder must present a negative COVID-19 result from an NHS Rapid Lateral Flow Test, completed within 24 hours in advance of the day they are attending, and give consent to take part in the programme.

The pilot event will be used to analyse testing protocols for all spectators in attendance, the use of social distancing and face coverings when moving around the stadium, and gathering further evidence on the risk of transmission at mass participation events. As part of these Government protocols all ticket holders will need to be aged 16 and over.

The process was today agreed by Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden and supported by Public Health England, the England & Wales Cricket Board, Birmingham City Council and Edgbaston’s own Safety Advisory Group.

Stuart Cain, Chief Executive of Edgbaston Stadium, said: “Whilst public health is the priority, the first stage pilots have shown how people can safely start to enjoy the things they love; live sport and music. It will be great to welcome cricket fans to Edgbaston and give the England team a huge boost as nothing beats the atmosphere that crowds create here.

“Edgbaston is unique as a cricket venue in having such a large stadium footprint, but we also have a vastly experienced operational delivery team, which has hosted many major events and a spectator pilot last summer. We have always been hopeful of featuring in the pilot programme and are delighted for the thousands of ticket holders who will now be able to attend.

“The city’s authorities have worked with us to make this happen so I would like to thank Councillor Ian Ward and his team for their support and also Andy Street, Mayor, for his help along the way.”

Ticket holders will be contacted by Edgbaston with next steps regarding their tickets and the opportunity to claim a refund should they no longer wish to attend. Those with under 16s as part of their booking will be provided with options regarding their tickets.

Any remaining tickets for these first three days and the additional tickets for days four and five will be released on general sale in a limited time window between 10am on Wednesday June 2 and 5pm on Friday June 4.

Chief Executive of the ECB, Tom Harrison, said: “Having crowds back into cricket grounds is so important for the game and for our fans too. The last 15 months have shown just how big a role cricket plays in many people’s lives, and we cannot wait to welcome a growing number of fans back to our stadia over the coming months.”

A documentary in which former Rangers Aston Villa and Liverpool player Mark Walters looks back at the racism he received playing for the club is out as the former England international uncovers Black footballing pioneer Andrew Watson, who captained Scotland in 1881.

In the documentary Mark looks back at his career with the Glasgow club to assess the racism he faced while playing for them. Watching harrowing footage of his early matches, he vividly describes the visceral atmosphere as he was targeted by opposition fans. In a candid conversation with Graeme Souness, the player-manager who brought him to Ibrox, Mark reveals the inner resilience that got him through those tough games and reflects on the role unconscious bias in TV commentary has on how Black footballers are perceived today.

He also finds out about early Black footballing pioneers in Scotland, including an early multi-racial football team who played a stone's throw from Rangers’ Ibrox stadium. He unearths the incredible story of Andrew Watson, the world’s first Black international player, who captained the Scotland national team in 1881 to its greatest ever win over England.

Watson was a complex figure who was both the descendant of slaves and the beneficiary of slavery. Mark asks how Andrew overcame racism to be welcomed into the footballing elite in the 1880s.

Already broadcasted on BBC Scotland, Mark Walters In the Footsteps of Andrew Watson is available on iplayer.

Aston Villa beat Liverpool 2-1 at Villa Park to win the FA Youth Cup for the fourth time after making a strong start to the game and taking an early lead when Ben Chrisene turned home a cutback.

Brad Young converted a penalty soon after to make it 2-0, before Villa twice hit the post. A Melkamu Frauendorf volley deflected in off Seb Revan in the closing stages but Villa held firm to win the FA Youth Cup for the first time since 2002.

Six of the players in Villa's side also started against Liverpool's first team in the 4-1 FA Cup defeat in January after a Covid-19 outbreak had ruled out the club's senior players. The home side won their fourth FA Youth Cup and the first since 2002. That experience showed during the early stages as a team which had scored 26 goals in five ties ran rings around opposition who had conceded only three times – and never more than twice – on their way to the final.

On social media, one of the winning heroes, Aaron Ramsey, wrote: "It's everything we dreamed of," whilst on the club’s @AVFCOfficial twitter account it simply said: ‘The ??????’ with a picture of the winning team celebrating their victory.

Joint manager Sean Verity said: "The club has a totally different feel about it which is down to the owners. We had Christian Purslow shouting the lads on and when you've got that from the top... This club is going places."

The Sport Monitoring Advisory Panel has announced it is developing a Race Report Card. The Panel will use the Race Report Card to encourage and measure National Governing Bodies of Sport and professional sports clubs against progress for inclusion of Black communities at all levels in their organisations.

The Race Report Card will play an integral role in holding sporting organisations to account by monitoring progress, with the Panel advising organisations and showcasing good practice demonstrated throughout the sector to increase opportunities for Black communities. One of the Panel’s key goals is to keep up the momentum with a sustained commitment rather than a knee jerk response, that included many positive statements announced last year after George Floyd’s death and the public outcry on the systemic racism that disadvantages Black communities across the country.

The Race Report Card, which will be developed over the Summer of 2021, will be distributed to senior representatives from National Governing Bodies of Sport and professional sports clubs once finalised and will require statements and evidence amounting to the following:

1.    Policies, strategies, and action plans that were put into place after the Black Lives Matter protests of Summer 2020, and how these were for the benefit of Black communities in particular;

2.    The effectiveness of these policies, strategies, and action plans. Importantly, this will involve examining the workforce statistics to monitor diverse appointments of those in decision making roles (professional coaches, middle management, senior leadership, Chief Executives and Board members);

3.    Examining ethnically diverse representation of national sports teams across different levels, leagues, competitions etc.

After receiving the required information via collation of digital survey results, the Panel will analyse the data and evidence, with reports on findings expected at a later date. By collecting, analysing and reporting on this data, the Panel is looking to showcase best practice and positive impacts made within the sector but also highlight areas for improvement. A year after the inequalities faced by Black communities came to the fore in all areas of society, and across the world, the Panel is hoping to see real evidenced change and effort towards improving experiences within the sport sector.

Sporting Equals devised the Sport Monitoring Advisory Panel as a broad response to the increasing instances of racism and the Black Lives Matter protests of Summer 2020. The Sport Monitoring Advisory Panel consists of a group of esteemed individuals dedicated to all sport, passionate about race equality and determined to create more opportunities to Black communities throughout the sport sector.

On the announcement of the Race Report Card, Densign White MBE, Chair of the Sport Monitoring Advisory Panel commented: “The societal disadvantages faced by Black communities are evident, and put more into focus, a year after the tragic death of George Floyd.

“I am pleased to announce that we are developing a Race Report Card that will score the progress made by sports organisations on policy and strategy, workforce profile and national team representation. The Race Report Card will actively hold sporting organisations to account, specifically looking into what has been done to improve inclusion and representation at all levels.

“The Race Report card is a conclusive assessment of recruitment of ethnically diverse people in the sport sector and considers composition assessed by the racial makeup of players, coaches, management and leadership in sports organisations.  I am proud of the progress the Panel has made in such a short period of time and grateful to Sporting Equals for founding the Panel and aiding with the development of this Race Report Card.”

Maggie Alphonsi MBE, Panel member and a former Rugby Union England International and Captain, said: “I got involved with the Sport Monitoring Advisory Panel because I wanted to ensure that the sport sector in the UK did more to support the inclusion of Black communities at all levels, particularly after the statements of intent from sporting organisations following the tragic death of George Floyd.

“I want to see greater representation not only at the national level, but also at a local or grassroots level where there are many key decision-making roles on Boards and Committees. It is important that we see greater diversity here to ensure the opportunities are available at every level within the leadership pathway. The Race Report Card will play a key role in measuring positive change and ensure that organisations stay focussed when it comes to race equality.”

The Sport Monitoring Advisory Panel meets regularly throughout the year and will share results and analysis from the Report Card, as well as highlight good practice via Sporting Equals.

The British & Irish Lions and SA Rugby have announced Laureus Sport for Good as Global Charity Partner of the 2021 Castle Lager Lions Series.

Since it was launched by Nelson Mandela in 2000, the vision of Laureus Sport for Good has been to use sport as a powerful, accessible and cost-effective tool to help children and young people overcome violence, discrimination and disadvantage in their lives.

As the first ever Lions Series Global Charity Partner, Laureus Sport for Good will raise funds to support rugby-based community sports programmes in Britain & Ireland, South Africa and Japan which tackle social issues facing young people.

The one-year partnership, which will dovetail the existing official charities of the Lions and SA Rugby, sees both organisations support the charity’s important work by allowing Laureus to utilise its digital platforms for promotional purposes, as well as access to the Lions and Springbok squads, Lions legends and 2021 Tour memorabilia for fundraising.

Laureus Sport for Good currently supports more than 200 programmes in over 40 countries that use the power of sport to transform lives. Every programme which Laureus supports addresses at least one of the following six social issues, which are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:

• Health: Enhancing mental wellbeing and encouraging healthy behaviour change
• Education: Increased access to and completion of education
• Women and Girls: Promoting equality, empowerment and safety
• Employability: Developing skills and creating pathways to employment
• Inclusive Society: Creating communities which embrace ethnic, cultural and physical difference
• Peaceful Society: Resolving conflict, promoting community peacebuilding and creating safe spaces

Ben Calveley, Managing Director for The British & Irish Lions, said: “We are thrilled to confirm our partnership with Laureus Sport for Good – one of the most effective and recognised charitable organisations in the world.

“Like Nelson Mandela, we believe that sport has the power to change the world, and we look forward to working with them to highlight the important work they do and help make a difference.”

South Africa Rugby CEO, Jurie Roux, commented: "We have a long-standing and wonderful relationship with Laureus, and we're very proud of what they have achieved over the years as their roots are firmly here in South Africa. "Locally, our focus will be on two key initiatives - the Chris Burger Petro Jackson Players Fund, the Official Charity of the Springboks who support players that have sustained disabling and life changing head, neck or spinal cord injuries while participating in rugby, as well as our Women’s Rugby Legacy programme, which aims to create a sustainable structure and action plan with how we plan to uplift women’s rugby. We are living in extraordinary times, but we are excited to take hands with Laureus and work with them to make a difference in the lives of so many of our countrymen and women - and especially younger people - who face different challenges every day."

Sean Fitzpatrick, Chair of the Laureus World Sports Academy, said: “A Lions Tour is up there at the pinnacle of rugby, both for players from Britain and Ireland, and those players from South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Each Series consists of some of the toughest and most rewarding rugby matches you can take part in.

“At Laureus Sport for Good, we are proud to become the first ever Global Charity Partner of a Lions Series, and we look forward to working with The British & Irish Lions, SA Rugby and partners to support young people facing tough challenges and tackling discrimination in their own lives.

“21 years ago, today, Laureus’ First Patron President Nelson Mandela stood on stage at the inaugural Laureus World Sports Awards and said ‘Sport has the power to change the world… It laughs in the face of all types of discrimination’. More than two decades on, Mandela’s words ring true and this partnership will bring them to life.”

Over the last 21 years, Laureus Sport for Good has raised more than €150m for the Sport for Development sector and, together with its partners, reached and helped change the lives of more than six million children and young people.

Laureus Sport for Good currently supports over 50 Sport for Development programmes in South Africa, Britain and Ireland, with coverage in all four Home Nations.

The news follows The Lions Charitable Trust’s recent announcement of four new charity partnerships which all have rugby at the heart of what they do: Matt Hampson Foundation, My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, The Atlas Foundation and Wooden Spoon.

May 25 marked the first anniversary of the tragic murder of George Floyd in the USA.

This terrible event resulted in a global groundswell of anger, frustration and grief. Followed by contemplation, determination and then action.

On this day, one year on, UK Athletics once again reaffirms its commitment to zero tolerance of racism and all forms of discrimination.

In the weeks and months following 25 May 2020 UKA launched its Let’s Talk about Race Programme which led to 17 separate focus group sessions taking place throughout the summer, covering many aspects of UKA’s work and its impact on race.   The establishment of the RACEquality Network was a key outcome from these discussions.

The RACEquality Network monitors the outcomes decided within the “Let’s Talk about Race” programme and these are captured within the UKA Diversity Action Plan 2021-2024.  The network also supports race, religion and belief advocates with their initiatives as well as the Race at Work Charter commitment. 

However, these are not just the commitments of those individuals who are members of the RACEquality network. They are commitments that UKA has made as an organisation and will continue to deliver against.

The athletics family spoke loudly last year and UKA listened. Action was taken and we have continued with this commitment most recently by further increasing the diversity of our board, and we will continue to ensure we are representative of the sport and athletes we serve.

We would be delighted to hear from anyone else who wishes to work with and be a part of our newly formed RACEquality network.

Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

A new ‘Football Rebooted’ campaign has been launched today by the UK’s leading smart energy supplier, Utilita, and former England and Premier League goalkeeper, David James MBE. The campaign has been created to help the nation recycle at least one million pairs of ‘pre-played’ football boots and astro boots, saving families a small fortune, as well as 136,000 tonnes of carbon – the same as taking 7,000 cars off the road for a year, or turning the energy off in one million medium-sized houses for a week.

The ‘donate and claim’ campaign, enables anyone with spare football boots or astro boots to request a freepost ‘boot bag’ to donate their boots, after which their boots will appear at one of many claim stations that will pop up in parks, training grounds, and at some of the UK’s largest football clubs. Premium pairs of the ‘most wanted’ retro boots and former and current players’ boots and other items will also be in the mix, giving anyone a chance to come along and grab a pair to be proud of.  

The campaign is strategically designed to put an aspirational spin on a mechanic that will get good boots through to families struggling to afford new ones, after Utilita’s State of Play report revealed that out of the 74 percent of families who had been impacted financially by the pandemic, 18 percent won’t be able to send their kids back to grassroots football as they can’t afford boots and other items such as goalie gloves and shin pads. 

Campaign ambassador and keen environmentalist, David James, and the Utilita team held focus groups with families, which revealed the barriers to boots finding new homes – the biggest being pride. The donate and claim mechanic avoids families needing to accept charity from people they know, and makes claiming a new pair an aspirational activity, whereby people are impacting the environment, too.  

Campaign ambassador, David James MBE, comments on why the campaign is so important: “Right now, there are millions of pairs of football boots that people have grown out of or replaced, and we need to make sure they don’t end up in landfill. Getting these boots replayed through Utilita’s Football Rebooted campaign will not only save players a few quid but will also act as an important reminder about the power of upcycling and reusing items that still have a lot of life left in them.” 

Bill Bullen, founder of Utilita - the only energy company created to help households use and waste less energy - comments on why Utilita has created the Football Rebooted campaign saying: “Most consumers are becoming more thoughtful about how their choices impact the environment, but sometimes life gets in the way of making the right choice. That’s why we have created Football Rebooted, which makes recycling football boots with plenty of life left in them, really easy. 

“The campaign has been shaped by grassroots football players, coaches and parents, so uses carbon-saving examples that really resonate with this audience - home energy usage and taking cars off the road. It’s been incredibly encouraging to see football players as young as six years old talk passionately about the importance of protecting the environment.”

Premier League and EFL clubs across the UK, including Portsmouth, Southampton, Derby County and Leeds United, have already signed up to donate the football boots worn by their academy players, while first-team players have also donated their own boots in the interests of the environment. As part of the new campaign, schools can request boots be sent to them for children who they identify as needing football boots to enable them to play in or outside of school. 

English Schools' FA (ESFA) Chairman, Phil Harding, said: "The last 12 months have been very difficult for families, teams, players and schools alike and, as the National Governing Body for Schools' Football, the ESFA welcome any campaign to help ensure children have every opportunity to take part in a sport that they are passionate about, but that is also so beneficial for both their physical and mental health. The Football Rebooted campaign not only has a great environmental message but is also working towards helping children to be active, participate and enjoy school sport." 

Former England international, Eniola Aluko has been appointed Los Angeles-based Angel City FC's first sporting director. The former Chelsea and Juventus forward has left her position as Aston Villa's sporting director.

Following her appointment, she said: "This is an incredible opportunity to help write Angel City's first chapter." Angel City are set for their first season in the US National Women's Soccer League in 2022.

She continued: "I have no doubt the club will be a trailblazer, not just in the NWSL and women's soccer, but for sports clubs globally.

Angel City founder and president, Julie Uhrman, said: "As a former player, the club's determination to make an impact both on the field and in the community is something that I fully support, and I can't wait to get started.

“Appointing Eniola Aluko, a world-renowned international soccer player with extensive experience in technical positions, is a landmark moment for us." One of the club's co-founders is actor Natalie Portman, and other founding investors include tennis icons Serena Williams and Billie Jean King, and retired US soccer greats Mia Hamm and Abby Wambach.

Eni won 102 England caps and helped the Lionesses to third place at the 2015 Women's World Cup, as well as playing five times for Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics.

She is England's joint-10th most capped international, scoring 33 goals in 102 senior appearances.

Start lists are live for the first Wanda Diamond League event of 2021 – the Müller Grand Prix Gateshead – with eight reigning world champions and two current Olympic gold medallists set to compete this Sunday, May 23, in the North East of England.

Athletes in the line-ups have a combined number of 112 global outdoor world and Olympic medals between them. In addition, they own a whopping 156 European, Commonwealth, world indoor and European indoor medals. The women’s 100 metres is a preview to the Olympic final we will see later this summer in Tokyo as Olympic gold medallist Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica faces reigning and four-time world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica, world 200m gold medallist Dina Asher-Smith and current world leader Sha’Carri Richardson of the United States.

Thompson-Herah is also the reigning Olympic 200m champion, while Fraser-Pryce won the Olympic 100m title in 2008 and 2012. In total, the sprinters in this event alone in Gateshead have earned a staggering 41 global championship medals during their careers. The pole vault sees the 1-2-3 from the last World Championships in Doha enjoying a rematch. Sam Kendricks of the United States won gold on that occasion – and also took the world title in London 2017 – ahead of Mondo Duplantis of Sweden and Piotr Lisek of Poland, although Duplantis has since captured the world record.

Other global gold medallists in action at Gateshead include high jumper Mariya Lasitskene, triple jumper Caterine Ibargüen and javelin thrower Anderson Peters. Russia’s Lasitskene, who is competing on the circuit as an Authorised Neutral Athlete, is the reigning and three-time world champion.

In Gateshead she will take on, among others, the silver medallist at the 2019 World Championships, Yaroslava Mahuchikh of Ukraine. Colombian Ibargüen is reigning Olympic champion in her event and two-time world gold medallist as she uses the Gateshead meeting as a stepping stone toward her title defence in Tokyo.

World champion Peters of Grenada takes on, among others, Keshorn Walcott, the 2012 Olympic champion from Trinidad & Tobago. Tajay Gayle of Jamaica, meanwhile, the reigning world gold medallist in the men’s long jump, leads the entries in his event.

Andre de Grasse of Canada won three Olympic medals at the Rio Games and he takes on Britain’s Adam Gemili and in-form American Kenny Bednarek at 200m in Gateshead. De Grasse won 200m silver in Brazil behind Usain Bolt plus bronze in the 100m and 4x100m. Nine gold medallists from the recent European Indoor Championships in Toruń are in the line-ups too; include Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway, who won the 1500m and 3000m titles in style in the Polish city in March.

Laura Muir, a multiple European champion indoors and out in recent years, is part of a 1500m field that includes former world champion Jenny Simpson of the United States and recent European indoor champion Elise Vanderelst of Belgium. A series of para-athletics sprints races to open the programme will feature four reigning Paralympic champions – Sophie Hahn, Libby Clegg, Kadeena Cox and Richard Whitehead. Leading the way, Hahn has a grand slam of major titles under her belt – Paralympic, world, European and Commonwealth – despite still only being 24-years-old.

Former QPR youth player Kiyan Prince has been added to Fifa 21 to mark the 15th anniversary of his death.

The promising star was stabbed to death at 15 while trying to break up a fight at school. He will also be listed as a QPR squad member during the 2021-22 season and his likeness will feature on a special edition trading card.

On seeing his son as a 30-year-old, Dr Mark Prince OBE said: "It was very emotional. I could see Kiyan in there. I'm really proud." Special effects studio Framestore virtually recreated him (Kiyan) and the imagery will also feature on billboards as part of an advertising campaign.

The west London tweeted: "Kiyan Prince returns to life as the professional footballer he should have been."  Dr Prince set up the Kiyan Prince Foundation to educate young people about the consequences of knife crime, and in 2019, QPR renamed their Loftus Road ground after the charity.

He said: "I want my son to be remembered not for the tragedy of his death but for the triumph of his achievements.

"Through this campaign my hope is that the world finally gets to glimpse Kiyan's incredible potential fulfilled, we get to honour his talent and, hopefully, we can inspire other kids to honour their own talent too - whatever their own strengths might be."

QPR's director of football Les Ferdinand said: "If one person who plays Fifa can look at this and put his knife down, that's the important legacy we want." He explained that when the club renamed their stadium, they invited Kiyan's father to speak with their players.

"The squad were truly humbled by Mark's bravery and his dedication to use his pain to prevent others from having to walk the same path he has had to walk," added the former QPR and England striker. "As a club, we have worked closely with the Kiyan Prince Foundation and it has been an honour to get to know Mark on a personal level during that time. What he has been through is every parent's worst nightmare and his response to such a tragedy has been truly inspiring."

So, after being delayed by Covid for over a year, Africa's new basketball league finally tipped-off with the continent’s top sides faced-off in the newly-formed professional competition.

Designed to promote the sport, drive economic growth and unearth rising talent, the Basketball Africa League (BAL) - backed by the NBA, who is helping to organise a league outside of the United States for the first time - sees 12 featured teams, from 12 countries, in a competition which replaces the old Africa Basketball League, another pan-African club tournament, which had been running since 1971.

The 12 teams involved are the national champions from Angola, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal and Tunisia – who were all guaranteed a spot, with representatives from Algeria, Cameroon, Madagascar, Mali, Mozambique and Rwanda, with the other six teams having to go through qualifying rounds.

President of newly-formed BAL side Patriots, Brian Kirungi, said: "Now they can touch and feel basketball in their own arena. I see a huge potential - attract more investment, more partners, the corporate world in Africa to say: 'look, we are taking ourselves from an amateur to a professional stage'."

Adam Silver, the Commissioner for the NBA, said: "We think that we can have the biggest impact in Africa and we see a great opportunity there with well over a billion people who have an amazing affinity for basketball."

Basketball's world governing body Fiba is also involved in the hunt for the next big African superstar to follow the likes of Congolese-American former professional Dikembe Mutombo, who said: "Africa is a continent full of secrets and treasure and I think all this treasure is going to be found.

"As this game is about to start, there will be more players coming out from the continent that we haven't seen before."

The BAL was set to start in March last year, with matches originally set to be played in Kigali in Rwanda, Dakar in Senegal, Cairo in Egypt, Lagos in Nigeria, Luanda in Angola, Tunis or Monastir in Tunisia and Rabat in Morocco, but because of Covid pandemic, it finally arrived - 14 months late.

Newcastle Eagles have won the BBL Play-off Final for the seventh time in their history, leading all teams in that regard, after overcoming London Lions 68-66 in one of the tensest finals in memory at the Morningside Arena in Leicester.

Having finished fourth in the BBL Championship, the Eagles showed great resilience to come through tough post-season ties against B. Braun Sheffield Sharks and Leicester Riders, and needed every ounce of that in the showpiece game.

Newcastle trailed by double-figures on four separate occasions, finding themselves in such a hole after just three minutes, and despite a couple of comebacks they were still in that situation when the deficit peaked at 54-42 inside the final three minutes of the third quarter.

From there Cortez Edwards took over, as he scored six straight points in an 8-0 burst towards the end of the third, before he opened the fourth with the first five points and then lobbed up an 'alley-oop' pass for Evan Maxwell to give Eagles a 57-55 lead, their first since the opening possessions.

In total, it was a 15-1 surge in five and a half minutes over the third quarter break in which Edwards had scored 11, half of his points as he went on to be awarded MVP with a double-double of 22 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and four steals.

Lions weren't done, as they came back to tie the game three times and the teams were knotted at 66 heading into the final minute. Edwards drove hard and drew a foul, icing both free-throws, and they proved decisive as a series of strong defensive stands saw Eagles through, before Rahmon Fletcher intentionally missed a final free-throw so London couldn't call timeout and were forced to throw up a desperate heave.

Head Coach Ian Macleod spoke to Sky Sports immediately after the game, commenting: "I'm very happy. If you'd have said it was going to be 68-66 I'd have probably said, 'OK, what's going to happen in the fourth quarter?' I thought our defence was incredible, and it feels like we did a great job defending the three-point line.

"We're three of three in finals in the most difficult year that most of us will ever remember. That's success. What else is success to us? Themba Yabantu playing 27 minutes in the game at Bristol and not looking out of place, when he came to us at 10-years-old. There's lots of different measurements of success. Externally it looks like trophies, and we have two of those this season."

Italian racing team Iron Lynx will propel a young racer on her first step towards single-seater glory this weekend, as she competes in her first ever car race.

Dutch-Spanish driver Maya Weug is 16 years old and having triumphed in last year’s “FIA Girls on Track – Rising Stars” programme, has become the first girl to join the prestigious Ferrari Driver Academy.

Having previously raced in karts, Maya joins the Iron Lynx squad in Italian Formula 4 with teammates Leonardo Fornaroli, who has been setting fastest times in pre-season testing, and Pietro Armanni, another promising Iron Lynx debutant. The opening three races take place at the Paul Ricard circuit in the south of France across Saturday and Sunday.

Maya also joins the Iron Dames, an initiative led by Deborah Mayer, which supports women in motorsport, and is the perfect environment to nurture new talents. As well as Formula 4, the Iron Dames race Ferrari GT cars in the World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC), European Le Mans Series (ELMS), 24 Hours of Le Mans, Michelin Le Mans Cup and Ferrari Challenge Europe.

Also this weekend, Iron Dames Rahel Frey, Michelle Gatting and Manuela Gostner are competing a Ferrari 488 GTE Evo in the four-hour second round of the ELMS at Red Bull Ring in Austria, where team-mates Claudio Schiavoni, Giorgio Sernagiotto, Paolo Ruberti, Miguel Molina, Matteo Cressoni and Rino Mastronardi will also be hoping to build on Iron Lynx’s impressive showing last time out in Barcelona, where the #80 car took the LMGTE class win.

Speaking about the weekend ahead, Iron Dames founder and accomplished racer Deborah Mayer said, “Maya’s first race this weekend is a very significant step for the Iron Dames, for the Ferrari Driver Academy and for the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission. We welcome her to the team and wish her every success, meanwhile we thank all our followers for their support as we take six Iron Lynx racing cars into the weekend”.

Both racing series offer viewers the opportunity to watch live online, while both Iron Lynx and Iron Dames can be followed on Facebook and Instagram. Racing with Ferrari at iconic circuits all around Europe, Iron Lynx’s season continues to inspire and engage as the team looks ahead to further success in the weeks and months ahead.