ACCRA, GHANA. 27 February 2020/ - The Ghana Rugby Football Union (Ghana Rugby) will once again embrace International Women’s Day in 2020, this time with a competition whereby all the ladies of Ghana rugby or from anywhere in the world will be invited to take part.

The International Women's Day 2020 campaign theme is #EachforEqual. The organisation describes this year’s theme as follows on their website (https://www.internationalwomensday.com/Theme).

“Equality is not a women's issue, it's a business issue.

Gender equality is essential for economies and communities to thrive. 


A gender equal world can be healthier, wealthier and more harmonious - so what's not great about that?

On the day of the fourth anniversary of his election as FIFA President, Gianni Infantino published The Vision 2020-2023: Making Football Truly Global, his proposed action plan for the organisation over the course of the coming years.
“This document lays out a plan to further modernise the football world, make it increasingly inclusive and pave the way to a landscape in which, one day, we will have at least 50 national teams and 50 clubs from all continents at a top competitive level,” said President Infantino. 
The Vision 2020-2023: Making Football Truly Global is a blueprint for FIFA to pursue the objective of making football truly global while navigating a fast-changing world. It revolves around 11 key goals:

• International sports icon calls time on a stellar career which saw her ascend to World No.1 and capture a prestigious career Grand Slam
• Russian star’s popularity transcended tennis and attracted countless new fans to the sport

ST. PETERSBURG, FL, USA – The WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) today paid tribute to Maria Sharapova after the Russian star announced her retirement from professional tennis, having firmly established herself as one of the sport’s all-time greats.

After winning her first WTA title at Tokyo [Japan Open] in 2003, Sharapova etched her name into the history books at Wimbledon in 2004 when, at only 17, she defeated Serena Williams to become the first Russian champion at the All England Club. Later that same year she overcame Serena again to become the first from her country to win the WTA Finals season finale, and by the following summer had become the first Russian woman to achieve the WTA World No.1 ranking.

The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 is off to a flying start, with new crowd, broadcast and digital coverage benchmarks set across the first six matches and four days of competition.
India is the only team to have two wins at this stage of the tournament and remains undefeated following their 18-run triumph over Bangladesh on day four at the WACA Ground in Perth. In the earlier match in Perth as part of a double-header, hosts and defending champions Australia recorded their first win with a thrilling final-over victory over Sri Lanka.
Action will continue on Wednesday 26 February at Manuka Oval in Canberra with a double-header featuring England v Thailand followed by West Indies v Pakistan.
The following is a summary of highlights from the first four days of the event.

Heather Knight says coming out fighting is in England’s DNA as they look to bounce back from defeat to South Africa against Thailand at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
Knight’s side were beaten by India in the opening game of their 2017 Cricket World Cup campaign on home soil before going on to win the tournament. 
And as a below-par batting performance saw them slip to a six-wicket reverse in their opener against the Proteas, Knight wants the Three Lions to show their teeth in Canberra.
“Every game is must-win for us from now,” said Knight.
“It’s really important after the other night that we put in a really strong performance and come out fighting. 
“This team has shown a history of that. When we’ve had a bad performance and haven’t started so great, the way we’ve bounced back in the next game has been outstanding. 

Sophie Devine once again proved unstoppable as her sixth consecutive 50+ score steered New Zealand to victory in their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 opener against Sri Lanka.
Chamari Athapaththu (41) and Hasini Perera’s 60-run first wicket - Sri Lanka’s best opening partnership in T20Is - gave them a bright start but Hayley Jensen’s career-best bowling sent middle-order wickets tumbling at the WACA.
It took time for New Zealand to get the 128-run chase going but captain Devine led by example, becoming the only player, male or female, to register more than five consecutive 50+ scores in the format, en route to the seven-wicket victory.
The Sri Lanka openers put on an impressive 60 for the first wicket, with Devine, Leigh Kasperek and Lea Tahuhu all unable to find a Powerplay breakthrough.

​There are 36 Instant Network Schools currently operating across eight refugee camps in Kenya, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan
GENEVA, Switzerland, February 25, 2020/ -- Mohamed Salah has become the first Ambassador for Instant Network Schools – which connect refugee and host country students to a quality digital education – as the programme prepares to expand into his home country of Egypt for the first time.

Instant Network Schools was set up in 2013 by Vodafone Foundation and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, to give young refugees, host communities and their teachers access to digital learning content and the internet, improving the quality of education in some of the most marginalised communities in Africa.

To date, the programme has benefited over 86,500 students and 1,000 teachers ensuring that refugees and children from the communities that host them have access to accredited, quality, and relevant learning opportunities.

There are 36 Instant Network Schools currently operating across eight refugee camps in Kenya, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan.

Uganda and Zimbabwe tied at 19 series points after both legs with Uganda finishing 7 th overall and Zimbabwe 8 th overall for both teams to qualify for the World Series qualifiers

KAMPALA, Uganda, February 25, 2020/ -- Uganda got off to a nightmare start during the second leg of the World Rugby Challenger series in Uruguay when they lost 2 pool games to drop to the 9 th place quarter final but showed great mental strength to win all their games on day 2 to finish 9 th in Uruguay. Uganda kicked off their day againstJamaica and barely had possession the entire game. Jamaica scored one try in the first half but missed the conversion to go into the half time break 5 points ahead. The second half started pretty much as the first with Jamaica holding onto possession but without anything to show for it. That all changed after Philip Wokorach received a yellow card midway the second half for a late shoulder charge and Jamaica capitalised on their numerical advantage to score an unconverted try and held on to keep Uganda scoreless and ran out 10-00 winners.

Inter Miami CF will take the field for their first MLS Regular Season match this weekend with crop of fresh young faces and three-time Liga MX champion Rodolfo Pizzaro leading the charge against the 2019 MLS Supporters’ Shield champions LAFC and reigning Landon Donovan MLS MVP Carlos Vela on March 1 (3 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Miami’s offensive power will be led by 26-year-old Pizarro, a Mexican National Team mainstay who was recently named to the Liga MX Best XI for 2019 Clausura. He will be joined by the young talents of 19-year-old Argentines Matias Pellegrini and Julián Carranza, who both have youth national team experience. Organizing the back will be goalkeeper and three-time Supporters’ Shield winner Luis Robles, who owns the record for most consecutive MLS regular season starts and ranks sixth all-time in wins for a goalkeeper (14).  ​

​Forum de l’Investissement Hotelier Africain (FIHA) conference will discuss how to spend it
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, February 25, 2020/ -- International soccer star Didier Drogba has helped his birthplace, Côte d’Ivoire, strike gold by helping to collect MOUs for a total of $15 billion in commitments to back tourism projects in the west African country.

The breakthrough comes ahead of the UNWTO Forum for Africa, which will take place in Abidjan next week (February 20-22) and the influential Forum de l’Investissement Hotelier Africain (FIHA), which takes place in Abidjan next month (March 23 – 25). FIHA is known for its ability to link up the new investors with developers, consultants, contractors, hoteliers and political leaders.

The former Chelsea striker – and now UN world tourism ambassador – was part of a successful global push to promote the rising success and attractiveness of Côte d’Ivoire’s tourist economy. The country boasts a GDP growth rate of about 8% in 2019 and, as a destination, it’s in third place in Sub-Saharan Africa, with 2 million international visitors, behind South Africa and Zimbabwe, ahead of Uganda, Botswana, Kenya or Mauritius (according to UNWTO 2018 data).

​President Weah noted that society should not frown on a woman who doesn’t have a child but rather celebrate her and stop abusing her
MONROVIA, Liberia, February 25, 2020/ -- By Hawa Dolley

Many infertile women and men in Africa are gradually coming to the realization that infertility is a shared problem of both male and female, unlike the past where most of the burden purely rested on the woman.

Today, several males, including prominent leaders in Africa, are championing the cause to raise awareness on infertility, breaking the stigma as well as taking on initiatives to support and encourage the works of charity organizations such as the Merck Foundation which continues to endeavor to put a smile on the faces of several people struggling with infertility.

Among several programs being initiated by Merck Foundation to reshape the narrative on infertility through a new dimension of awareness, which includes the formulation of dramas, cultural and arts programs as well as songs, it seems like the involvement of prominent individuals has added great traction to the campaign, thereby making the fight against infertility stigmatization more effective and relevant.

PORT LOUIS, Mauritius, February 25, 2020/ -- Rugby Union Mauritius (http://MauritiusRugby.org) launched its 2020 rugby season with a 100% feminine plateau around QuikRip this Saturday, February 22, 2020 at Northfields. The Fit-Touch and Tackle players were able to play Quikrip together, a non-contact rugby game format. Since 2018, the Mauritian federation has used Quikrip, a New Zealand version of the Tag which has enabled significant transmission from “touched” to “tackled” in New Zealand and also in Mauritius. About 70 girls under the age of sixteen came to rugby 7.

• Two out of eight stadiums have been delivered; three more scheduled to open this year
• Infrastructure being developed also includes roads, new metro lines and airport expansion
• FIFA Club World Cup 2019 and 2020 as key operational tests

In exactly 1,000 days, the world will gather again for the biggest football show on Earth – in the most unique setting yet. The compact nature of the first FIFA World Cup™ in the Middle East and Arab world will ensure that fans of all 32 teams are always within reach of the eight stunning stadiums, the FIFA Fan Fest™, some world-class museums, Qatar’s desert dunes and, most importantly, each other.
While the eagerly awaited tournament might still feel a long way off for fans, 136 out of 900 qualifying matches have already been played, and the tournament infrastructure can be seen rapidly evolving in and around Doha. Two stadiums are fully operational: Khalifa International and Al Janoub. Three more venues – Education City, Al Rayyan and Al Bayt – will be inaugurated this year, with the remaining three set to be launched well in advance of the tournament.

ACCRA, GHANA. 24 February 2020./ - The golden thread throughout the Ghana Rugby 2020 Stakeholder Congress (GRSC) ( https://ghanarugby.org/2020-stakeholder-congress/ ) was the Union’s ability to fund its operations in light of the increased demands brought about by its rapid development.

Mr James N.A. Nunoo, Vice President and Board Member of Ghana Rugby, acted as Chairperson of the GRSC and expressed his hopes that the Congress will result in constructive inputs for the revised strategic direction of Ghana Rugby.

In the opening address Mr Herbert Mensah, President and Board Chairman of Ghana Rugby, said that Ghana Rugby has come a long way since its previous Stakeholder Congress in 2014.

“Since 2014 when we started with a clean slate an enormous lot has changed. The changed “State of Ghana Rugby”  is demanding huge sums of money and the situation where the President is playing banker for the Union is not sustainable. The stakeholders of Ghana will have to find a solution in 2020 to change the funding model of the Union, or the Union may be heading for a disaster,” Mensah said.

The second 2020 AIBA Forum was held in the city of Nadi, Fiji, on February 22nd. In total, 16 out of 17 Oceanian National Federations attended the event. New Boxing Academy on Fiji and development programs for Oceania’s coaches and officials are the main results of the meeting.
The forum was led by AIBA Interim President Dr. Mohamed Moustahsane and AIBA Marketing Commission chairman Mr. Umar Kremlev in the presence of Permanent secretary Youth&Sports of Fiji Mr. Jone Nemani Maretino, OCBC President Mr. Ted Tanner, Boxing Fiji President Mr. Manasa Baravilala and ONOC President Dr. Robin Mitchell.

Iconic Brands to Offer Fans Engaging Experiences and Essential Gameday Food OptionsToronto, Canada – (February 21, 2020) – Major League Soccer Canada and Kellogg Canada announced today a multi-year partnership to become the league’s official snack. As part of the agreement, beloved Kellogg’s®brands including Cheez-It®, Pringles®, Rice Krispies®, Pop-Tarts®, Eggo®, Nutri-Grain® and more, will become an integral part of the gameday experience and feed fans’ love for the sport.

The partnership is anchored in a joint, multi-touchpoint marketing campaign designed to connect MLS fans across Canada with Kellogg’s portfolio of iconic brands. Together, MLS and Kellogg will bring Canadians exclusive opportunities including a series of exciting sweepstakes with premium MLS prizing. Programming will also extend to the in-stadium fan experience and retail locations nationwide.

“We are proud to welcome Kellogg, a company with more than 100 years of history delivering quality products and innovation, as an official partner to MLS Canada,” said Diego Moratorio, MLS Canada’s General Manager. “Canada is a vibrant soccer nation with a passionate, multi-cultural and national MLS fanbase. Our dedicated MLS league staff based in Toronto looks forward to working with Kellogg for years to come.”

Miss Cormen Bruce Annan, Corporate Affairs Manager of GNPC who represented Dr. K. K. Sarpong, CEO of GNPC at the launch of the 2020 edition of the Ghana Fastest Human said, their outfit is motivated by the principal objective of projects that unearth talents and nurture them to represent Ghana at international competition like the 2020 Olympic Games to be held in Tokyo, Japan.
GNPC started sponsoring the initiative in 2014 and Ms. Bruce Annan praised Reks Brobbey, the brain behind the initiative, for being a passionate person and a man of integrity in what he engages in.
Ms. Bruce Annan was hopeful more athletes would qualify to the quadrennial biggest sporting event which currently has only Joseph Amoah qualifying alongside some disables athletes for this year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games.      
Brobbey, inventor of the Ghana Fastest Human project, expressed appreciation to his team who are working tirelessly to the success of the project.
Brobbey, an Olympian who represented Ghana at the 1984 Games said, the concept was his biggest achievement in life and that, he has been able to hold the fort for seven consecutive times.

Kate Agyeman, the Ghana University Sports Association (GUSA) Games 100m women’s champion with a time of 11:86secs has confidently disclosed her ambition and desire to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games to represent her mother land, Ghana.
Kate, a student at University for Development Studies (UDS), Tamale who has won the Ghana's Faster Human in 2016 and again in 2018 told Yours Truly that she is capable and can make it because she is preparing big time and taking her training very serious.
According to Kate, her dream now is to qualify to Tokyo 2020 to make herself, family and the entire nation proud.

When Facebook makes friend suggestions, it usually recommends complete strangers or people from your past that you’d rather not reconnect with.
Sporting legends, however, rarely pop up as a friend suggestion on the social network.
So when Ivan Pedroso’s profile picture appeared on Yulimar Rojas’s Facebook feed alongside the question, ‘Add Friend?’ back in 2015, Rojas didn’t hesitate.
She clicked the button and waited. Soon after, the 10-time global long jump champion accepted her request.
“I dared to contact him and told him how much I admired him and that I dreamed of training with him,” recalls Rojas. “He said he had followed my career and believed I had a great talent.”

South Africa have been fined 20 per cent of their match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate against Australia in the first Twenty20 International in Johannesburg yesterday.
Andrew Pycroft of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanctions after Quinton de Kock’s side was ruled to be one over short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration.

Stafanie Taylor’s all-round class helped West Indies survive a scare against debutants Thailand in their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 opener in Perth.
Thailand chose to bat first on their global debut but struggled to score heavily at the WACA, leaving teenage keeper-batter Nannapat Khoncharoenkai to step up and anchor the innings with 33 from 48 balls.

Captain Taylor held their Group B opponents to 78 for nine with her three wickets, but Thailand’s fielding strength came to the fore with Lee-Ann Kirby, Hayley Matthews and Deandra Dottin all departing before the seventh over to spark thoughts of an upset. 

But Taylor and Shemaine Campbelle stayed firm and their unbeaten fourth-wicket partnership of 53 sealed the win.

Stafanie Taylor says West Indies are breathing a collective sigh of relief after surviving a scare against Thailand in their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup opener in Perth.
Taylor’s side beat the tournament debutants by seven wickets in the first game to be held at the WACA Ground, but the win was not as flattering as the scorecard may suggest.
West Indies looked to be on their way to a comfortable victory when restricting their opponents to 78 for nine from the full 20 overs.
But Thailand’s impressive fielding display saw three quick wickets fall before the seventh over – including that of the dangerous Deandra Dottin – to set the nerves racing in the dugout.

Many captains would fear facing England in their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 opener but Dane van Niekerk certainly isn’t one of them.
Instead the South Africa skipper is relishing the task – nearly three years on from when the Proteas were denied a place in the Women’s Cricket World Cup Final by Heather Knight’s side.
The two meet again at the WACA on Sunday, with Van Niekerk thrilled to have the chance to call upon all her key names for the first time since they went to England.
“I think the last time we had a full-strength side was in 2017 and we did really well there,” she said.
“So hopefully that counts in our favour and we still have to play really good cricket and stay true to the brand of cricket we want to play

Trisha Chetty says South Africa will be keen to avenge past shortcomings when they meet England in their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup opener on Sunday.
Memories of facing England on the global stage are far from fond for the Proteas, having lost to them in both of their recent semi-final appearances - first at the 2014 Women’s T20 World Cup before missing out on a 50-over final to the eventual champions in 2017.
But 31-year-old Chetty, who was on the losing South African side on both occasions, believes her side are stronger than ever and will be able to enact revenge at the WACA.
“England have always had the upper hand against us,” she said. “They’ve beaten us in two World Cup semi-finals across the two formats now so we’re determined to start the tournament on an improved note against them.

Ghana's Omar Abdul Wahid scored an unanimous points victory over Kenya's Joseph Shigali at the African Olympic Qualifiers in Dakar, Senegal. 
According to reports reaching Yours Truly, the stocky Kenyan put up a gutsy show, but the experienced Ghanaian's ring generalship won him the fight as he poked at the Kenyan with his jabs and timely combinations against the flat-footed Kenyan cop.
Before, Ghana national boxing team, the Black Bombers captain, Sulemanu Tetteh has qualified for the Quarter Final stage of the Men's Flyweight (-52) Category at the 2020 Olympics qualification at the Dakar Boxing Arena after outclassing his Egyptian opponent Mostapha Mohammed.