Sports News

According to the findings of an independent review into historical child sexual abuse in the game, "Significant institutional failings" by the Football Association meant it "did not do enough to keep children safe".

It found the FA was "too slow" to have sufficient protection measures in place between October 1995 and May 2000. It said there was no evidence the FA knew of a problem before summer 1995. The report focused on the abuse of children between 1970 and 2005.

It said: "The FA acted far too slowly to introduce appropriate and sufficient child protection measures, and to ensure that safeguarding was taken sufficiently seriously by those involved in the game. These are significant institutional failings for which there is no excuse."

The long awaited 710-page review, led by Clive Sheldon QC and commissioned by the FA in 2016, found:

·         Following high-profile convictions of child sexual abusers from the summer of 1995 until May 2000, the FA "could and should have done more to keep children safe".

·         There was a significant delay by the FA in putting in place sufficient child protection measures in football at that time. In that period, the FA "did not do enough" to keep children safe and "child protection was not regarded as an urgent priority".

·         Even after May 2000, when the FA launched a comprehensive child protection policy and programme, "mistakes were still made" by the FA.

·         The FA failed to ban two of the most notorious perpetrators of child sexual abuse, Barry Bennell and Bob Higgins, from involvement in football.

·         There were known to be at least 240 suspects and 692 survivors, yet relatively few people reported abuse and the actual level was likely to be far higher.

·         Where incidents of abuse were reported to people in authority at football clubs, their responses were "rarely competent or appropriate".

·         Abuse within football was "not commonplace". The overwhelming majority of young people were able to engage in football safely.

·         While several of the perpetrators knew each other, there was not evidence of a "paedophile ring" in football - Sheldon says: "I do not consider that perpetrators shared boys with one another for sexual purposes, or shared information with one another that would have facilitated child sexual abuse."

Sheldon's review has made 13 safeguarding recommendations, and he said: "Understanding and acknowledging the appalling abuse suffered by young players in the period covered by the review is important for its own sake. Survivors deserve to be listened to, and their suffering deserves to be properly recognised. As well as recognising and facing up to what happened in the past, it is also important that this terrible history is not repeated, and that everything possible is done now to safeguard the current and future generations of young players."

On 16 November 2016, former footballer Andy Woodward waived his right to anonymity to talk about how he was sexually abused by Bennell at Crewe Alexandra from the age of 11 to 15. Several other people contacted police in the following days, before former England and Tottenham player Paul Stewart said he was abused as a child by a coach, later named as Frank Roper.

Children's charity the NSPCC set up a hotline with the Football Association dedicated to footballers who had experienced sexual abuse - more than 860 calls were received in the first week. After investigations involving several police forces started, the FA announced an independent inquiry into non-recent child sex abuse, led by Sheldon.

The independent review made its first call for evidence in January 2017, writing to all football clubs in England and Wales, amateur and professional, asking for information about allegations between 1970 and 2005.

Sheldon's review said the FA was not aware that abuse had actually occurred in football prior to the summer of 1995, before Bennell had been convicted in Florida in connection with a football-related tour. The report found that the provision of child protection guidance was "not something which was happening widely within sport".

The report said that for much of the period the review covered:

·         club staff and officials were generally unaware of child protection issues;

·         they were not trained in child protection issues;

·         they did not identify or respond to signs of potential abuse;

·         and if they were aware of the signs, they did not examine them with curiosity or suspicion.

In March 2019, Manchester City set up a multi-million pound compensation scheme for victims of historical child sexual abuse carried out by former coaches. The report said that Manchester City senior management were aware of rumours and concerns about Barry Bennell's conduct in the early 1980s. "The club did not investigate these rumours. It should have done so. The club should also have investigated the arrangements for boys staying at Bennell's house."

Crewe Alexandra have reiterated that they were not aware of any sexual abuse by Bennell until 1994 when he was convicted of sexual assault, and did not receive a single complaint about sexual abuse by him. The Sheldon report said: "It is likely that three directors of Crewe Alexandra FC discussed concerns about Bennell which hinted at his sexual interest in children.

There’s no evidence that the advice of a senior police officer to the club's former chairman to keep a 'watching brief' on Bennell was heeded. The club should also have ensured that there were appropriate arrangements in place for boys staying overnight at Barry Bennell's house.

The boys should have been spoken to periodically to check that they were being properly cared for. Had such steps been taken, this might have led to boys making disclosures to the club".

Stoke City were "also aware of rumours about Bennell" during his time associated with the club in the early 1990s, said the report, and steps should have been taken to monitor his activities. Premier League clubs Aston Villa and Leicester paid damages to five victims of Langford in March 2020. The report said Aston Villa should have reported disclosures about sexual abuse by Langford to the police when his role as a scout was terminated in July 1989.

Southampton admitted "considerable failings" and said they were "deeply sorry" to young footballers abused by Higgins. The report found that Southampton and Peterborough FC were also aware of rumours about the inappropriate behaviour of Bob Higgins, and were aware that boys were staying at his home. This awareness should have resulted in greater monitoring by clubs. Had Higgins been properly monitored this might have prevented some of his abuse of young players.

At Chelsea, in relation to Eddie Heath, the Sheldon report said steps should have been taken to protect the young player who had made a disclosure about abuse in or around 1975. Newcastle United should have acted more quickly following disclosures of abuse by George Ormond at the youth club "Monty's" in early 1997.

Ormond was only removed from the club many months later, and after Ormond had been permitted to travel abroad with young players. The report found that despite being aware of the allegations, no additional safeguards were put in place by the club.

Among Sheldon's recommendations are the introduction of safeguarding training at several levels in the game, including all players and young people as well as the FA board and senior management team. He also recommends there should be safeguarding officers employed by all Premier League and English Football League clubs.

Chess player Koneru Humpy has won the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year award for 2020, following a public vote. The 33-year-old beat sprinter Dutee Chand, airgun shooter Manu Bhaker, wrestler Vinesh Phogat and India hockey captain Rani Rampal to the award.

Humpy is the World Rapid Chess champion having won the title in December 2019 after a two-year maternity break. In 2020, she won the Cairns Cup, an elite-level tournament for the top female players.

She said: "Being an indoor game, chess doesn't get as much attention as sports like cricket gets in India. But with this award, I hope the game will draw people's attention." She added: "I won over the years because of my willpower and confidence. A female player should never think about quitting her game. Marriage and motherhood are just a part of our life and they should not change the course of our lives."

Born in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, Kuneru was identified as a chess prodigy at an early age by her father. She lived up to the reputation by becoming the youngest female grandmaster, aged 15, in 2002 - the record was broken by China's Hou Yifan in 2008. She received the Arjuna Award, one of India's top sporting honours, in 2003, and India's fourth-highest civilian award, Padma Shri, in 2007.

The BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year initiative was launched in 2019 to celebrate female achievements in sport and highlight the issues and challenges faced by women and girls in India.

Former long jumper Anju Bobby George was given the Lifetime Achievement award for her contribution to Indian sport. She remains the only athlete to win a World Championship athletics medal for her country.

In the run up to the event a 'Sports Hackathon' was held, with the aim of adding more information about Indian sportswomen to Wikipedia in Indian languages. The project focused on athletes about whom there was minimal or no information available on the online encyclopaedia.

More than 300 entries of 50 Indian sportswomen were added into the site in collaboration with 300 journalism students in 13 universities across India.

Following making historical new grounds with Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney taking up ownership of the Welsh club, Wrexham has broken further new grounds by appointing Fleur Robinson as their new Chief Executive Officer.

Following her appointment, on the club’s official website a thrilled Fleur said: “I’m delighted to accept this fantastic position and I’m excited about joining one of the oldest professional football clubs in the world, which has both a proud history and a positive future.

“There are not many jobs that would have pulled me away from Burton Albion, a club I have helped develop from the second tier of non-league to two seasons in the Championship, but the prospect of joining Wrexham at the start of what I believe is about to be an incredible new era for the club was too exciting to pass up.”

Co-owner Reynolds said: “Fleur’s enthusiasm just shone through and having successfully navigated the journey to the EFL from the National League, she was able to offer us something different but exceptionally relevant.”

Fellow-owner McElhenney added: “Fleur will be a great leader for Wrexham. Her commitment to placing the Club at the centre of the community and experience in doing so was exceptionally attractive when you consider the importance we place on that area in our Mission Statement.”

The latest off-field development by the pair will see Fleur Robinson taking up her new position in June after she serves her notice period at her current club.

Former Brighton striker Maheta Molango is set to replace Gordon Taylor as chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association.

The 38-year-old Swiss, who spent four years working as chief executive of Spanish La Liga club Real Mallorca, has been recommended for his new position by an independent advisory panel. Taylor is to leave the role he has held since 1981 at the end of the season.

The players' board has approved of the appointment, but it is not yet formal. A statement from the players' union added that the PFA "will now look to finalise terms" with Molango, who qualified to be a lawyer in Spain after retiring from playing. Four independent non-executive directors have overseen the recruitment process.

The former Lincoln City, Oldham Athletic, Wrexham and Grays Athletic player will become only the second person in 40 years to lead the PFA when Taylor finally stands down two years after first announcing his intention to do so.

An independent QC-led review last year recommended a governance overhaul for the organisation. A Charity Commission investigation into the PFA charity is ongoing.

Qatar Airways, the official airline sponsor, and Qatar Duty Free (QDF), the official retail sponsor of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2021, congratulate the Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili, winner of the annual men’s international tennis tournament held at Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex, Qatar. Basilashvili earned his fourth Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Tour title after defeating the Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut during a thrilling final match on Saturday, 13 March.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “Qatar Airways congratulates Nikoloz Basilashvili on his well-deserved win at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2021 and we look forward to welcoming him back to Doha next year to defend his title.

“The Qatar ExxonMobil Open tournament is a highlight in the country’s thriving international sports calendar and remains an event that both the players and the fans look forward to. We are delighted to have supported the 29^th edition of the annual tennis championship.”

Qatar Airways Senior Vice-President Marketing and Corporate Communications, Ms. Salam Al Shawa, said: “Qatar Airways is proud to bring together the world’s most talented tennis players here in Doha, to the delight of millions of fans who watched this prestigious event online. The successful hosting of such world-class sporting events further supports Qatar’s ambition to achieve sporting excellence in the region and empowers individuals and teams to realise their own potential.”

Qatar Duty Free Vice President Operations Mr. Thabet Musleh said: “It was a great pleasure hosting another successful tournament in partnership with the Qatar Tennis Federation. After an unpredictable and eventful competition, we are thrilled to congratulate Nikoloz Basilashvili on his fantastic win of this year’s ExxonMobil championship.  We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the players and to the QTF for making this much anticipated annual sporting event possible despite the ongoing challenges.”

Top-ranked tennis players including Roger Federer, Andrey Rublev, and Dominic Thiem were among the athletes at this year’s annual star-studded ATP Tour event. In all, 28 players made the entry list for the singles event of this year’s ATP Tour 250 series tournament, while 16 teams took part in the doubles event.

The Qatar ExxonMobil Open tournament is one of two high profile ATP Tour events hosted in the Middle East. The prestigious tennis championship received the ‘Tournament of the Year’ award in the 250 category on three occasions – 2015, 2017 and 2019 – as voted by ATP players.

The award-winning airline is proud to sponsor and support top-level athletes such as Ons Jabeur, the highest ranked Arab player in Women’s Tennis Association’s (WTA) history and Qatar Total Open 2021 wildcard, as well as some of the world’s biggest football clubs including Paris Saint-Germain, AS Roma, Boca Juniors, FC Bayern München, K.A.S. Eupen and Al Sadd SC.

As official FIFA partner, Qatar Airways has sponsored mega events such the 2019 and 2020 editions of FIFA Club World Cup and will sponsor the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. The airline was also recently announced as the official airline sponsor for the UEFA Euro 2020, set to take place from 11 June – 11 July 2021, across 12 European cities.

Former undisputed middleweight world champion 'Marvelous' Marvin Hagler has died. The American dominated the middleweight division from 1979 until his controversial defeat by Sugar Ray Leonard in April 1987.

"Today, unfortunately my beloved husband Marvelous Marvin passed away unexpectedly at his home here in New Hampshire," his wife Kay Hagler said. He fought 67 times during his 14-year professional career, winning 62. He triumphed on 52 occasions by knockout, while he drew two and lost three times.

In September 1980, Hagler fought Britain's Alan Minter at Wembley Stadium to claim his first world titles, winning the WBA and WBC belts. It followed Minter’s controversial outburst when, before the bout he said that he would never be beaten by a Black man. His most famous fight came in April 1985 when he fought Thomas 'Hit Man' Hearns over three brutal rounds - a classic known as 'The War'.

In 1982, he legally changed his name to "Marvelous Marvin Hagler because network announcers often did not refer to him by his nickname ‘Marvelous.’

He made 12 successful title defences until his defeat by Leonard by a split decision and he retired a year later. Former world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis tweeted: "The world is one great man less today.

"This one hits so hard also because he was the one I emulated my own training camps after when I saw how seriously he took his training camps." He added: "Not only was he a living legend, but I was proud to call him my friend. He was so full of life, energy and positivity in our conversations that you would never guess what a wrecking machine he was in the ring.

"Our wives would speak on the phone to connect us and I'll miss his voice saying 'It's Marvelous' on the other end of the line. Boxing lost an all-time great today," said promoter Frank Warren.

Former world featherweight champion Barry McGuigan said he was "shocked and deeply saddened" to hear of the "incredible" Hagler's death. The Irishman added: "I'm honoured to have spent some amazing times with him. My heartfelt sympathies to his wife Kay and his family. Rest in Peace Champ."

British heavyweight Derek Chisora said Hagler was "one of the greatest".

Before the world super flyweight unification fight between Juan Estrada and Roman Gonzalez in Dallas on Saturday night, a "memorial count of 10" was led by ring announcer Michael Buffer, with the bell rung 10 times in Hagler's memory.

Hagler, an inductee of the International Boxing Hall of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame, was 66.

Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha became the first Premier League player not to take a knee before kick-off as he stood before Saturday's win over West Brom, an action he hopes will highlight that more needs to be done to fight racism. In a statement, the 28-year-old said he "will continue to stand tall".

In February the Ivory Coast international said that he would no longer follow the initiative adopted in the Premier League last season after clubs started to take a knee before kick-off to support the Black Lives Matter movement, which rose to prominence following the death of George Floyd in the United States in May 2020.

He said: "My decision to stand at kick-off has been public knowledge. There is no right or wrong decision, but for me personally I feel kneeling has just become a part of the pre-match routine and at the moment it doesn't matter whether we kneel or stand, some of us still continue to receive abuse."

Crystal Palace captain Luka Milivojevic says he is fully behind the stance that has been adopted by his team-mate. He said: "I support him 100%. We are taking a knee to show an example so, when kids see, they are asking why are players doing that. Wilfried is going further, he did it the other way, and I respect him 100%."

Palace manager Roy Hodgson added: "I would be surprised if there is anyone who has suggested for one minute that he is doing it because he doesn't care. He's doing it because he cares perhaps too much. He is making a strong statement. He doesn't think the things we are doing are having the same impact as they were at the beginning."

Zaha joins Championship clubs Derby, Bournemouth and Brentford in no longer taking part in the gesture pre-match. Earlier this season, Queens Park Rangers also stopped the gesture after director of football Les Ferdinand said its impact had been diluted. Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has said taking the knee will continue until the end of the season but there will be fresh talks with players over the most effective way to move forward.

With 500 days to go until the start of Birmingham 2022, organisers have unveiled plans to deliver the first ever carbon-neutral Commonwealth Games. Outlined in its newly published sustainability pledge, Birmingham 2022 has laid clear a series of commitments and the steps it will take with the aim of achieving this milestone, as well as other operational workstreams that will help it become the most sustainable Commonwealth Games to date.

A critical part of this commitment is the forming of a new partnership with Severn Trent. Becoming Birmingham 2022’s Official Nature & Carbon Neutral Supporter, Severn Trent will be responsible for delivering a series of initiatives that help offset the carbon generated by the Commonwealth Games and hopes to leave a positive social and environmental legacy of sustainability in the West Midlands.

Two of the standout initiatives that Severn Trent will be delivering on behalf of Birmingham 2022 include the creation of 2022 acres of forest, as well as 72 tennis-court-sized mini forests, to be built in urban areas across the West Midlands. Each mini forest will be linked to one of the nations and territories competing at the Commonwealth Games in 2022. The 2022 acres of forest, intended to be based in the West Midlands, will feature native species, and will not only help local people reconnect with nature, but will also help offset the carbon generated by the Games.

Improving the natural environment has a positive impact on natural water sources, which is why alongside already pledging to be a net zero carbon organisation by 2030, Severn Trent has committed to planting 1.3 million new trees and enhancing 5,000 hectares of biodiversity as part of its existing Great Big Nature Boost initiative.

Ian Reid, Chief Executive of Birmingham 2022 said: “We have always had strong ambitions to set new standards in all we do with these Commonwealth Games and make significant progress in areas that matter. 

“Our plan not only outlines how we will continue to support the regionwide economic recovery, but also demonstrates how we will leave a credible piece of social and environmental legacy. 

“Our new partnership with Severn Trent is incredibly important to achieving these ambitions, and it sets a compelling benchmark for how we deliver on all aspects of sustainability over the next 18 months.  Our commitment to become the first carbon-neutral Games is a significant one, and this marks just the start of our journey to make these Commonwealth Games the most sustainable to date”. 

CEO of Severn Trent, Liv Garfield, said: ‘’We’re delighted to be partnering with the Commonwealth Games and to play a leading role in helping make Birmingham 2022 the most sustainable games ever.  We’re passionate about making a positive impact on the communities and the environment where we live and operate, and to the lives of everyone that we serve. 

“And that’s why we just had to be involved. Through this exciting partnership we’ll build on our existing work and ambitions to deliver lasting social and environmental change by creating new green urban spaces, further enhancing biodiversity, promoting plastic-free thinking and ultimately delivering a carbon neutral legacy for generations to come.’’

CGF President, Dame Louise Martin said: “Birmingham 2022’s plan to stage the first ever carbon-neutral Commonwealth Games is an historic moment for Commonwealth Sport. It reinforces our commitment to ensure that the Games leaves a positive social and environmental legacy for generations to come.

“The creation of 2022 acres of forest, as well as 72 new urban forests in the West Midlands, is an inspired initiative that will provide numerous benefits for the local community. This will set a long-term blueprint for future Commonwealth Games that will make our event a global leader when it comes to staging sustainable, environmentally-sound sporting competition. I would like to give special recognition to our excellent team at CGF Partnerships (CGFP) in securing Birmingham 2022’s Official Nature & Carbon Neutral Supporter.  Severn Trent is the perfect partner to help us deliver a carbon neutral legacy and we are delighted to be working with them.”

Nigel Huddleston, Minister for Sport and Tourism said: "I'm delighted to support Birmingham 2022's ambition to be the first ever carbon-neutral Commonwealth Games. I hope this will set a new standard for major events as we look to build back greener and play our part in building a more sustainable future for us all.”

In addition to the ambition on carbon, and further detailed in its newly published sustainability pledge Birmingham 2022 lays clear the seven key pillars it will work on to become the most sustainable Commonwealth Games to date, including:

1.       Addressing carbon and air quality

Birmingham 2022 aims to be the first carbon neutral Commonwealth Games. It has conducted an independent, credible analysis of the Games likely carbon footprint to determine the baseline. The primary goal is to reduce carbon at every possible opportunity and offset what remains through credible initiatives with support from Severn Trent. The Games will also help the region to change the way it thinks about sustainable travel as it actively encourages the use of public transport and active travel to reduce congestion. This will help directly improve air quality, as well as overall health and wellbeing. Birmingham 2022 is working with experts on maximising the use of cleaner generators, supplying a modern and cleaner bus fleet, and aspiring to develop a car fleet containing hybrid and electric vehicles. In addition, the three-site campus village model which will see some athletes staying close to their training and competition sites will support us to reduce travel and carbon emissions.

2.       Promoting a circular economy (reducing and encouraging waste reduction)

Birmingham 2022 will work with subcontractors to reduce waste across the full Games footprint. It will also install free drinking-water refill points wherever possible to encourage people to use refillable water bottles. Additionally, wherever possible the Games will hire rather than buy equipment, and where it does buy equipment it will repurpose, reuse, and redistribute as many assets as possible at the end of the Games

3.       Delivering new conservation initiatives

The contractors working on the new Sandwell Aquatics Centre and Alexander Stadium developments, are being actively encouraged to increase the levels of biodiversity and bring improvements to the local environment. Furthermore, the Games partners will clean and clear 22 miles of canals through the ‘United by 2022’ partnership that exists with The Canals & Rivers Trust.  Conservation and sustainability will become core themes as part of the Games’ regional and international education programmes, and it will continue to work with expert organisations such as the National Trust, Environment Agency, and Carbon Trust, to make sure all activities are credible and measurable.

4.       Setting new standards in accessibility

The Games will offer the largest fully integrating para-sports programme in history.  This means accessibility has been firmly embedded from the outset in early planning for the Games and its existence. Offering access to sport for all means providing accessible venues, facilities, and barrier-free environments so that these once in a lifetime Games can be enjoyed by everyone and it is possible to do that independently. Birmingham 2022 has an ambition to reduce the disability employment gap. As a Disability Confident Employer the Games continues to review its processes to remove barriers for paid roles and volunteering opportunities to make them accessible to all.  Birmingham 2022 is also working to deliver the best accessibility standards across the Games, going beyond best practice for other major multi-sport events.

5.       Embedding Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in all aspects of Games delivery

The Games will be an event that is inclusive to all, regardless of gender, age, race, sexuality, ethnicity, or socio-economic background. We will actively seek to recruit a diverse workforce and build an inclusive environment for our employees as well as thousands of volunteers that are representative of the region and we will be transparent about workforce demographics; it will host the first Commonwealth Games with more female medal events than male medal events, and the largest ever integrated para sport programme; and provide an accessible ticketing policy to maximise participation across the local community.

6.       Promoting social value through all practices

The Games will provide jobs to try and help reduce unemployment and serve to upskill the workforce of the West Midlands. It will create around 40,000 new jobs and skills opportunities through its wider supply chain including over 12,500 volunteering roles. This will aid regional recovery from the economic impact of the pandemic, as well as helping to reduce poverty and exclusion. By measuring social value, we will contribute to how other publicly funded events and organisations could evidence social value and added benefits.  

7.       Ensure human rights are at the heart of the Games

The Games will align with all Human Rights law and UN best-practices, embedding human rights training at every level of the Games team’s structure to incorporate ethical trading, safeguarding, and freedom of speech. Furthermore, the Games will require all contractors and suppliers to demonstrate robust anti-slavery and anti-human trafficking measures.

The Birmingham 2022 sustainability pledge is intrinsically aligned to the Commonwealth Games Federations’ impact areas of peace, sustainability and prosperity as well as the United Nation’s (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These goals are clear and compelling, and task us all to work together to drive positive environmental, social, and economic outcomes by 2030.

Councillor Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “As a city that aims to take a leading role in tackling climate change, there is so much in this sustainability pledge and the partnership plans with Severn Trent that complements what we are already doing.

“We have stated through our own Route To Zero project that we want to get to net zero carbon in the shortest possible time and only this month were reconfirmed as a Tree City of the World. The other social and economic pillars of the sustainability pledge also resonate strongly with everything we are doing at a city level. This pledge, when delivering on its ambitions, will undoubtedly bolster our efforts to improve life in Birmingham.”

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street said: “The West Midlands is facing a very serious climate emergency, and in order to reach our #WM2041 goal of carbon neutrality by 2041 there are going to have to be some very radical steps taken.

“Today’s announcement about the Commonwealth Games being the first ever carbon-neutral games is exactly that, and the organisers alongside Severn Trent deserve enormous praise for such a bold and courageous move that sets a precedent right across the globe. We’re looking forward to working with Severn Trent on the really exciting plans to create 2022 acres of forest across the region in places that will benefit people across the West Midlands.”

“The move to carbon-neutrality for the Games should also help create thousands of jobs across the West Midlands, working hand in glove with my plan to get 100,000 people into work in the next two years to help the region recover from the economic damage the Covid-19 pandemic has caused.”

A team of 25 amateur cyclists will begin riding the full 21 stages of the 2021 Tour de France route, one week ahead of the professionals in exactly 100 days. The Tour 21, which takes place from Saturday 19^th June – Sunday 11^th July, aims to raise in excess of £1,000,000 for national blood cancer charity Cure Leukaemia and the team are halfway to their fundraising total after recently surpassing £500,000.

Cure Leukaemia, which was announced as the first ever official Charity Partner of the Tour de France in the UK for the next three years, recorded a £1,500,000 fundraising shortfall in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and The Tour 21 team, which was increased from 20 to 25 riders after this event’s postponement last summer, aim to help the charity address this shortfall in funding by completing all 3,384km of the world’s most famous and prestigious professional cycling event.

All funds raised by The Tour 21 team will be invested in the national Trials Acceleration Programme (TAP) which has been solely funded by Cure Leukaemia since January 2020. TAP is a network of specialist research nurses at 12 blood cancer centres located in the UK’s biggest cities and a facilitatory hub based at the Centre for Clinical Haematology in Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital. This network enables accelerated setup and delivery of potentially life-saving blood cancer clinical trials to run giving patients from a UK catchment area of over 20 million people access to treatments not currently available through standard care.

Leading the team on his final Tour de France challenge is ex-England footballer, blood cancer survivor and Cure Leukaemia Patron Geoff Thomas, 56, who said: “We all know that this event will be gruelling and will test us to the limits both physically and mentally but the reason we are doing it is to raise over £1,000,000 for Cure Leukaemia to claw back the £1,500,000 fundraising shortfall the charity suffered. However tough the challenge is for us it is nothing compared to what blood cancer patients have to go through and I know that from personal experience.

“I am delighted that, as a team, we have reached the halfway mark with our fundraising, but we must keep our foot down now to ensure we can set off from Brittany on June 19^th knowing that we have exceeded £1,000,000 to sustain the TAP network and give hope to the 38,000 people diagnosed with blood cancer in the UK each year.”

Cure Leukaemia Chief Executive James McLaughlin continued: “It is fantastic to see The Tour 21 team reaching £500,000 raised this far out from the start of the event but after such a challenging year in 2020. With a range of sponsorships opportunities still available for this event

including the jersey, team bus and comprehensive video content of the whole 21 stage event, it would be great if companies worldwide could support Geoff and the team surpass their fundraising target.

“With this being Geoff’s final major cycling challenge, we encourage everyone who has supported him over the years can do so once again to ensure he can hang up his cleats knowing this team has made a huge impact for blood cancer patients across the UK.”

Vertu Motors plc, the Gateshead-based motor retail group, has acquired the naming rights to the Eagles Community Arena in Newcastle in a five-year deal.

The purpose-built community, events and sports arena, which is home to the Newcastle Eagles basketball club, the most successful British Basketball team of all time, and the award-winning Eagles Community Foundation, will now be known as the Vertu Motors Arena.

The deal will see signage featuring the Vertu Motors name added to the Scotswood Road venue’s exterior, as well as new branding throughout the popular destination, which will be seen by hundreds of thousands of people visiting the city and watching British Basketball League games live on Sky Sports.

In addition to being the state-of-the-art venue for top-flight men’s and women’s basketball, the venue, which is owned and operated by the charity foundation, is a community and education hub with flexible spaces to host a wide range of business, entertainment and sporting events – ranging from meetings, conferences and weddings across its hospitality spaces up to large scale exhibitions and events in its multi-purpose arena with capacity crowds of up to 3,000 people.

As part of the arena’s firmly rooted commitment to its local area, since the start of the pandemic it has also been utilised as a COVID-19 testing centre, a base for food and sporting activity pack distribution and most recently it became the region’s biggest vaccination centre with up to 5,000 jabs being administered on site over a weekend.

Vertu Motors has a long-standing relationship with both the club and the charity. The region’s most successful sports team’s staff and players drive an iconic fleet of cars from the arena’s neighbouring Vertu Motors Honda dealership, which extended its support further into developing future generations of basketball players by sponsoring teams of young players participating in one of the foundation’s outreach programmes.

Robert Forrester, chief executive of Vertu Motors plc, said: “We are delighted to have our name above the door on this important events, sporting and community venue.

“The Vertu Motors Arena is a standout landmark in the city, which is visited not only by sports fans but businesses and local people and to have our name associated with it is an excellent opportunity for the business.

“The Arena is a hub for the local area, and we are proud to have the chance to support the valuable work the Foundation does and the many community initiatives that make the Arena a genuine community asset.

“Newcastle Eagles are an iconic sports team in the North East and one we are already working in partnership with and to extend that collaboration is extremely exciting.”

Sam Blake, chief executive officer of the Eagles Community Foundation, said: “It’s fantastic to have such an incredible investment from Vertu Motors for the future of the foundation, this venue and our community.

“The past twelve months have been a tough road to walk for all of us, so we hope this news brings a much-needed boost and a smile to all of our Eagles families, friends and volunteers.

“We know everyone is looking forward to the return of sport, leisure, education and events over the coming months and we can’t wait to welcome it all to our newly renamed Vertu Motors Arena.”

It has been announced that Patrice Motsepe is the new president of the Confederation of African Football (Caf) after the South African ran unopposed in elections in Morocco. Known for being one of Africa's richest men, Mr Motsepe is also the owner of 2016 African champions Mamelodi Sundowns.

Patrice Motsepe is the ninth-richest person in Africa, according to Forbes magazine, and one of the country's first black billionaires. The founder and chairman of African Rainbow Minerals, he became a billionaire in 2008 - with Forbes calling him the first African to do so.

His rise in prominence and wealth has not been lost on Black people in a country where oppressive apartheid laws shut out the majority of the population from a good life, not to mention business opportunities, for many decades. He has become a representation of wealth.

Motsepe founded his first mining company in 1994, and started buying low-producing gold mines a few years later at a time when the gold market was experiencing a slump and prices were favourable. Before long, those mines were turned around and made profitable.

His big break was closely linked to the Black Economic Empowerment policies introduced in South Africa to address the inequality created by decades of white-minority apartheid rule, which ended in 1994. Mining companies had to have at least 26% black ownership before a mining licence would be granted. Ever since, Motsepe's mining empire has grown and now has interests in cobalt, nickel, iron ore, copper and coal.

Born on 28 January 1962, Motsepe was named after Patrice Lumumba, the first elected prime minister of what is today the Democratic Republic of Congo. As a youngster he first learned about entrepreneurship from his father Augustine Motsepe, a member of the Tswana royal family.

The chief owned a spaza shop (a type of convenience store popular in South Africa's townships) in Hammanskraal, outside the capital, Pretoria. During school holidays, he worked alongside his father as he started to learn the basics of business. Years later, he would qualify as a lawyer and become the first Black partner in one of the country's leading law firms, Bowman Gilfillan.

The father of three also holds a degree in mining and business law from Johannesburg's University of the Witwatersrand. With an estimated net worth of $3bn (£2.15bn), Motsepe is today a mining magnate, investor and owner of Pretoria-based Mamelodi Sundowns, who have won a record 10 titles since South Africa's Premier Soccer League started in 1996.

Not just good at amassing wealth, it seems Motsepe, who has considerable work to do as he bids to revive an ailing Caf, enjoys giving it away too. The philanthropist supports various education and health projects through his foundation, with his love for learning perhaps sparked by being raised by parents who were teachers.

In 2013, Motsepe was the first African to sign Bill Gates' and Warren Buffett's Giving Pledge, committing to give at least half his wealth to charity. Last year, his Motsepe Foundation pledged to donate 1bn rand ($65.6m) to assist the coronavirus pandemic response in South Africa.

Married to Precious Motsepe, a physician and businesswoman in her own right, the future Fifa vice-president is no stranger to the world of politics. South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa is his elder sister's husband, while Jeff Radebe, the country's most experienced minister, is married to another of his sisters.

While everything Motsepe touches seems to turn to gold, he has been targeted by some political parties who have suggested that his powerful family ties give him an unfair advantage. But he has distanced himself from the allegations, adding that he has always "come from money" and that his wealth was not ill-gotten.

Although a household name, Motsepe has rarely courted controversy but last year he became the subject of social media furore over a comment he made at a World Economic Forum dinner Davos. In January 2020, he told then US President Donald Trump : "Africa loves America, Africa loves you" - a comment the controversial statesman was visibly pleased with. Yet it raised the ire of people at the time because of Trump's seemingly callous handling of the Black Lives Matter protests back home. Motsepe later apologised, saying he had no right to speak on behalf of anyone but himself.

His life having been characterised by many firsts, the billionaire has been described as an astute businessman with a good eye for the next "big thing". This would not necessarily bring to mind Caf, as the organisation needs a major overhaul given its struggling finances, associations of corruption in light of his predecessor's ban and poor image in the eyes of both sponsors and the public.

So as he repeatedly stresses the need for the injection of private funds into Caf's coffers, this tycoon now has one of his biggest challenges - namely, restoring credibility to one of Fifa's most troubled confederations.

Former England, Warwickshire and Surrey bowler Joey Benjamin has died after reportedly suffering a heart attack.

Benjamin was born in St Kitts but made his name in English cricket and went on to take 387 first-class wickets in an 11-year career. His only Test came at the Oval against South Africa in 1994 when he took 4-42 in the first innings.

It was remembered for Devon Malcolm's match-winning nine-wicket haul. He also played two one-day internationals for England.

Benjamin signed for Warwickshire in 1988 after a spell in the minor counties before seven years with Surrey between 1992 and 1999.

In a statement Warwickshire said: “It is with great sadness that today Warwickshire County Cricket Club has learned of the passing of former fast bowler Joey Benjamin.

“Benjamin enjoyed four seasons with the Bears where he made 25 first-class and 26 List A appearances, taking a combined 87 wickets across both formats. The thoughts of everyone at Warwickshire CCC are with Joey’s family and close friends at this difficult time.”

"He hustled batsmen and nicked them off with his outswinger. He was a fine bowler and even though he didn't start until pretty late he was unlucky not to play more Test cricket," his former team-mate Martin Bicknell told Surrey's website. "It's come as a massive and terrible shock to all of us that he's been lost to us, he seemed so incredibly fit."

Former England and Yorkshire quick Darren Gough remembered his trip Down Under fondly, calling him “a great tourist” on Twitter.

He was 60.

It has been reported that EFL Championship side Coventry City are close to finalising a deal to return to the Ricoh Arena next season. It is understood a deal with rugby union side Wasps - the owners of the ground - is all but agreed and could be confirmed as early as Friday. The Sky Blues have shared Birmingham's St Andrew's stadium since August 2019.

The English Football League will discuss the issue at a board meeting tomorrow, when some of the details are expected to be signed off. The deal, which contains break clauses, will be for up to 10 years, although Championship side Coventry will be guaranteed a minimum of seven years back at the Ricoh Arena.

Club owners Sisu still aim to build a new stadium on the south-west edge of the city, on land owned by the University of Warwick. An agreement to end Coventry's groundshare deal with Birmingham is yet to be reached, with a significant cost understood to come with ending the deal. Coventry left Highfield Road in 2005 to move to the Ricoh Arena but, after a long-running rent row escalated, they spent the 2013-14 season at Northampton Town's Sixfields.

The Sky Blues returned to the Ricoh in September 2014, followed by Wasps moving in three months later. The ground, part-owned by the city council, was then sold to the Premiership rugby union club. City then spent the next four full seasons there but Sisu could not reach an agreement with Wasps to play the 2019-20 campaign there and found alternative arrangements at St Andrew's.

For the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, the club have been tenants at Birmingham City 's St Andrew's stadium, 22 miles away from the Ricoh Arena. Previously, they were groundsharing at Northampton Town's Sixfields Stadium for three seasons.

Coventry City had been looking at options for a new stadium after being involved in a rent dispute with Ricoh owners Arena Coventry Ltd (ACL).

Plans to utilise the final third of Birmingham City Council’s £6million Commonwealth Games Community Fund are due before the council’s Cabinet on March 16. Under the proposals, the £2million would be invested across three thematic areas:

• Stronger Communities;

• The Commonwealth Games Learning Programme;

• Physical Activity and Wellbeing.

Last year the remaining £4million of the Community Fund was split equally between Creative Communities (focussing on cultural activity) and Celebrating Communities (a project which will see all 69 council wards receive a slice of funding to enable people to embrace the Games at a grassroots level).

The thematic areas detailed in the March 16 Cabinet report are as follows: Stronger Communities (£0.5million) This strand is designed to provide a mechanism for Birmingham citizens to offer constructive challenge, advice and feedback to all Games Legacy workstreams through the creation of a community stakeholder panel, ensuring that tackling inequality is the cross-cutting thread that runs through all Games-related activity the council is involved in.

In addition, the proposed funding will enable the council to work with communities in the city to design and deliver projects falling under three themes – Inclusive City, Connected City and Know Your City – all taking into account learning and feedback from the city’s recent Community Cohesion consultation as well as learning from communities throughout the COVID pandemic.

Physical Activity and Wellbeing (£1million)

A region-wide programme of funding to support physical activity and wellbeing activity is being created as part of the work by Games Partners to secure a legacy from the Commonwealth Games, but the proposed Physical Activity and Wellbeing strand of the council’s community fund gives the opportunity to focus on Birmingham specific activity, enhancing some existing projects that are already underway in the city and to maximise engagement opportunities for residents across the city.

Commonwealth Games Learning Programme (£0.5million)

The Games Learning Programme is set to be delivered by the Birmingham 2022 Organising Committee (OC), with the city council involved in key elements of programme design. The £0.5million will be supplied to the OC to support an additional Birmingham-specific targeted strand of activity to ensure young people in every ward of the city have access to at least one Games opportunity either through schools or community participation. This strand is in addition to what will be available at regional and national level.

The aim of the £0.5million investment is to create direct opportunities for at least 100,000 children and young people in Birmingham, working with at least 72 schools across the city as well as a variety of the networks of youth clubs/groups, community partners, sport and cultural organisations and local groups for whom the programme will be widely accessible. Connecting with communities in every council ward, this will be in addition to the core offer of the Learning Programme.

Councillor Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “These exciting plans underline how being a Proud Host City can help Birmingham become an even greater place in which to live, work and grow. “We cannot wait to offer a warm welcome to the athletes and officials from 72 competing nations and territories next summer, but the Games are about much more than that for the people of this city. “Through this funding, we aim to bring our communities together, to improve health and wellbeing, reduce inequalities and to inspire our young people.”

British Athletics has confirmed the appointments of Darren Campbell as Head of (short) Sprints and Relays and Tim Benjamin as Head of (long) Sprints and Relays, following an open recruitment process. The decision to split the role of Head of Sprints and Relays into long and short sprints was taken recognising the specialist expertise both candidates bring to this event group. Both roles are part time but offer full time coverage.

The key purpose of this role is to ensure high levels of engagement with targeted athlete-coach pairings and to provide support in line with the Individual Athlete Plan (IAP). As well as liaising closely with those on the World Class Programme, the position will help to support the development and transition of sprinters on the periphery of the programme. It will also ensure any specific sprint camps best prepare and deliver sprint squads into milestone target events. Both Benjamin and Campbell will begin their new roles with immediate effect.

Olympic Head Coach, Christian Malcolm said: “These are great appointments for the sport. Darren and Tim bring a wealth of experience to the roles following their successful careers in and out of the sport. I am pleased to bring them into the team as we continue to support athletes and coaches to achieve their goals during 2021 and beyond.”

Olympic 4x100m relay gold winning champion Darren Campbell said: “I’m really pleased to accept this role and work with Tim, Christian and Sara. I felt like it was the right time to get involved with the sport again. I’m excited by the new leadership and the new direction it’s headed in by putting the athlete first.

“I’ve had experience across the board competing, coaching, mentoring and mediating and understand what the athletes and their coaches will be looking for. When I was competing, I don’t feel we always got what we needed, and support wasn’t offered properly. I know I can bring that experience and help to ensure athletes have what they need to be successful.

“I’m looking forward to putting my energy into this, giving encouragement to the athletes so they can perform when they need to.”

Fellow-sprint relay legend, Tim Benjamin said: “I am delighted to be offered this role alongside Darren. I’ve remained a big fan of athletics throughout my retirement and had always wanted an opportunity to give back to my sport. I’ve had 11 years in the commercial world yet my heart has always been here.

“I had a great competitive career and have worked with world class coaches such as Jock Anderson, Tony Lester, Colin Jackson and Linford Christie. I’ve been exposed to so many differing approaches and I’ve also made my fair share of errors as an athlete which means I can bring this insight and experience to help support the athletes and coaches I work with in this role.”

Following a recruitment process for the Head of Endurance role, no appointment has been made; instead a wider and longer term strategy for endurance will be driven via a wide consultation across a range of stakeholders. Chris Jones will be seconded with the agreement of Welsh Athletics on a two-day a week basis to lead on this project in conjunction with Christian Malcolm and Sara Symington.

Rob Denmark will continue on an interim basis to act up as the main point of contact for those athletes targeting Tokyo until after the Games.

Qatar Airways and Qatar Duty Free (QDF), the Official Airline and Retail Sponsor of the Qatar Total Open 2021, congratulate Petra Kvitova on being crowned the winner of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) event in Doha after her 6-2, 6-1, victory in last night’s final. This is her second win of the prestigious annual tournament which was held at the state-of-the-art Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha, and featured the presence of renowned international female tennis players.

His Excellency Mr Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, said: “I would like to extend my congratulations to Petra Kvitova in securing the this year’s Qatar Total Open 2021 title. Over the years, Qatar Airways has been a proud sponsor of this prestigious tournament, and once again the State of Qatar continues to demonstrate its dedication toward hosting world-class sporting events. We look forward to taking part in future tennis championships for years to come.”

Qatar Airways Senior Vice President Marketing and Corporate Communications, Ms. Salam Al Shawa, said: “Qatar Airways is delighted to congratulate Petra Kvitova after her victorious performance in this year’s annual Qatar Total Open. With every passing season, we are privileged to witness world-class athletes as they entertain us, and bring people of all ages and backgrounds together through sport.”

Mr Thabet Musleh, Qatar Duty Free Vice President Operations, said: “Qatar Duty Free extends heartfelt congratulations to Petra Kvitova on her well-deserved win at the Qatar Total Open 2021.  We thank all the players for an exciting tournament. Thank you also to the WTA 500 and the Qatar Tennis Federation for bringing this global sporting event to Doha each year for spectators to enjoy both here in Qatar and across the world.”    

With its recent announcement as the Official Airline for the UEFA EURO 2020, Qatar Airways’ continues to strengthen its presence in the world of sport; with the likes of FIFA, CONMEBOL, Paris Saint-Germain, AS Roma, Boca Juniors, FC Bayern München, K.A.S. Eupen and Al Sadd SC in the carrier’s global football sponsorship portfolio, further representing its alignment with the national vision of Qatar.