By: FIFA.com

After the successful conclusion of the first refereeing course in the country for more than 25 years, the federal government of Somalia has praised FIFA for its remarkable assistance.

Somalia’s minister for youth and sport Khalid Ali Omar said in a press statement that FIFA’s particular consideration to Somalia had demonstrated how world football’s governing body was committed to playing a key role in the country, not only promoting football, but also humanitarian assistance that prevented hundreds of thousands of Somalis from starving to death.

“On behalf of the federal government of Somalia, I would like to praise and thank FIFA under the chairmanship of President Joseph S. Blatter who have been keeping our football alive since Somalia fell into anarchy more than two decades ago” he wrote.

The minister said that the reconstruction of Stadium Banadir was one of the most important steps taken by FIFA towards the development of football in Somalia.

“As we know Stadium Banadir was fitted with artificial turf and with the completion of that huge project we have got an international style facility,” he continued. “I would like to thank President Blatter, his Secretary-General and executive committee members for such a move forward.”

The Somali minister also added that his country would always remember FIFA’s generous donation which helped save the lives of hundreds of thousands of Somalis after the country experienced the worst droughts in more than ten years.

“I can understand that the good cooperation which the Somali Football Federation developed with FIFA was the main reason behind such a unique donation for Somalia,” said Ali Omar. “The cooperation is most important and I thank the Somali Football Federation for its commitment and good relationship with FIFA”.

By: FIFA.com

Brazil will be represented by 18-year-old Rafael Salles Leite Fortes at the 2014 FIFA Interactive World Cup (FIWC) Grand Final in Rio de Janeiro this July after he beat the seven best FIFA14 players in the country to win his place.

This year marks the tenth edition of the FIWC and is the first year the FIWC Grand Final is to be held in the same country and at the same time as the FIFA World CupTM.

Rafael, a student from Rio de Janeiro, won the FIWC Brazil Qualifier today at Flumninense’s historic former stadium Estádio Laranjeiras and advances to face the best in the world at the Grand Final. Rafael fought his way through the group stages and the semi-final to get through to the final.

The final saw the two best FIFA14 players in the country, Rafael and Luccas, go head-to-head in the ultimate showdown with a place at the FIWC Grand Final at stake. Rafael won the match 6-0 playing as Bayern Munich.

Rafael will now have the chance to be crowned the best in the world and win USD 20,000 as well as an invitation to the FIFA Ballon d’Or. Standing in his way will be FIWC defending champion, Bruce Grannec of France, as well as 18 other qualifiers from around the globe.

An overjoyed Rafael speaking about his win said:

“I cannot believe it, I have worked so hard and now I am finally at the FIWC Grand Final. It is a dream come true and I feel honoured to be Brazil’s representative. I am now going to train day and night to ensure I do Brazil proud at the FIWC Grand Final.”

Ralph Straus, FIFA’s Head of Strategy and Brand Management, said:

“I’m delighted to welcome Rafael as the final player to qualify for this year’s FIFA Interactive World Cup Grand Final. It was a tough qualifier event, with a very high standard of play. We are now eagerly awaiting the Grand Final in Rio de Janeiro on 2 and 3 July to see how Rafael fares against the other most talented FIWC players in the world.”

Fluminense players Rafael Sóbis, Wagner and Robert, and former idol Romerito were also in attendance cheering on the eight qualifiers. After he was crowned champion, Rafael took on Robert in a one-off FIFA14 match with Rafael winning 3 -0.

Robert said:

“I am delighted for Rafael as I know how much of an honour it is to represent your country. I fancy myself as a decent FIFA14 player, but Rafael is by far the best I have seen. I wish him all the best for the Grand Final and I’m sure he can do Brazil proud.”

The FIWC is organised by FIFA and its presenting partners EA SPORTS™ and Sony PlayStation® and is recognised by Guinness World Records as the world’s largest online gaming tournament with more than 5,000,000 players taking part since 2009. It is an official FIFA tournament that gives football fans the chance to live out their passion for football and to interact with other fans around the world. Participants from every continent battle it out to qualify for the Grand Final, where the FIWC champion is crowned.

The online tournament takes place on the PlayStation Network and can be accessed through the latest version of EA SPORTS™ FIFA 14 on PS3. For more information on the FIWC, go to: www.FIFA.com/FIWC, www.Twitter.com/FIWC, or www.Facebook.com/FIWC

By: Editor

The Ernic boxing club in Freetown, Sierra Leone, are bracing themselves for their inaugural boxing competition which has been scheduled for mid- May at the Freetown Golf Club in Lumley.

According to lieutenant staff sergeant Orfoy who is the clubs head coach, and also doubles as the assistant coach of the Sierra Leone Boxing team; the tournament is to help the boxing association towards improving the sports and having more competition in a calendar year.

He said an invitation will be extended to all boxing clubs in the country because they want the competition to have a great impact as this will be their first competition in 2014.

“We are expecting over forty boxers to participate in the competition. It is going to be the first fight in the calendar year that is why we are very much excited to invite all the boxing clubs especially the forces,” he said, adding that the forces are the true owners of the discipline in the country.

The assistant national coach further revealed that the invited boxers will not be fighting for money but for other top prizes and certificate.

By: FIFA.com

Sudan has been picked to host East and Central Africa's first ever pre-Olympic football qualifying competition this year in a bid to enhance its chances of reaching the 2016 games.

Nicholas Musonye, the secretary of the East and Central Africa Football Federation (CECAFA) said the U-23 tournament in Khartoum in September will be used to prepare the region ahead of the African Olympic football qualifiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo next year.

"We are all aware that no football team from the East and Central African region has ever qualified for the Olympic Games. That is why we are holding this event to nurture the teams towards the African qualifiers. We are keen to have at least one team coming from this region in the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro," Musonye told a news conference in Nairobi.

Sudan will also stage CECAFA's maiden Nile Basin Cup Winners Cup for league runner-up teams in May and June this year.

Musonye has lamented the failure of football clubs from the 12-member countries of CECAFA to progress beyond the second round of both the African Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup competitions this season. "It shows a bad sign for football in this region. Our teams have not realized that African football is tricky and very demanding and they tend not to prepare well for it."

By: Farai Diza

World number 15 Ireland and 11th ranked Investec South Africa women’s hockey team drew their opening Champions Challenge Pool B match 2-2 at Scotland’s National Hockey Center in Glasgow on Sunday.

Sullete Damons opened the scoring in the 11th minute, Ireland made a superb equalizer through Anna Flanagan in the 44th minute before Dirkie Chamberlain regained SA’s lead five minutes later (49th).

Audrey OFlynn went low to the far corner in the 58th minute for the 2-2 final.

“We weren’t good enough in the end zone (in both attack and defence) and gave away too many corners in the second half. We created enough chances but you have got to put them away if you want to win. I was happy with how we played to get the ball there, we had very many scoring chances but you have got to score then and that’s the difference,” said SA head coach Giles Bonnet.

By: Editor

Iracema Beach in Fortaleza is set to be the place to be in June and July 2014 when the FIFA World Cup™ comes to town. FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke and Member of the LOC Board Ronaldo joined local music sensations Aviões do Forró, to make a special visit to the site where hundreds of thousands of football fans will celebrate the FIFA Fan Fest™.

Representatives from the Host City took the time to present their event plan to the delegation as well as media onsite, with FIFA’s Secretary General, Jérôme Valcke impressed with the city’s work:

“Fortaleza has a fantastic location for the FIFA Fan Fest. Standing on the beach this morning it was hard to imagine that in less than 6 weeks time, tens of thousands of football fans will be celebrating the FIFA World Cup here. The city of Fortaleza has shown great excitement and support for this project and I’m delighted to be here today to hear more about the plans.”

“We are traditionally known as warm and partying people,” said the Municipal Secretary for the FIFA World Cup Patricia Macedo. “We know how to party and how to deliver with competence and the city of Fortaleza would like to display our welcoming tradition to those who visit the FIFA Fan Fest. We are looking forward to receiving an event of such magnitude, and offering a specially-designed space where everyone can watch the matches in a joyful and relaxing setting, gathering fans of all nationalities."

“The city of Fortaleza is a city which is already well-known for its welcoming and hospitable spirit, and this fits very well with the atmosphere of celebration which will be inspired by the FIFA World Cup and all of the activities inherent to it. We are sure we will be great hosts, showcasing the cheerful and supportive nature of our people. We want to demonstrate once again through the FIFA Fan Fest how we love to welcome visitors,” said Mayor of Fortaleza, Roberto Cláudio Rodrigues Bezerra.

“The FIFA Fan Fests are a great opportunity to experience the World Cup and to show visitors the Brazilian way of enjoying watching matches in the open, in a unique party atmosphere. The FIFA Fan Fests offer the perfect solution to watch matches with family and friends. I’m certainly planning to watch a few matches there during the event,” explained Ronaldo.

The talent on show at the FIFA Fan Fest will not be limited to the football on the big screens. TV Globo and the Host Cities have combined to offer a selection of top quality entertainment, including some of Brazil’s best musical talent. Xand, lead singer from the famous local band Aviões do Forró, revealed the band’s delight at being asked to take part, saying: "It's a joy to perform at such a huge event, at home in Fortaleza. People attending the FIFA Fan Fest will be provided with the perfect blend of the Northeast: forró and football."

A perfect solution for fans looking to experience the magic of a FIFA World Cupä together in a live setting, FIFA Fan Fests have exploded in popularity since their official introduction at the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany, with over 24 million football fans having watched matches at FIFA Fan Fest over the last two tournaments.

In Brazil, the FIFA Fan Fests will once more offer free admission to secure, iconic locations where both Brazilian and international football fans will be able to come together and FIFA World Cup matches in an entertaining, family-friendly environment. The locations of the FIFA Fan Fests in the other 11 Host Cities of the FIFA World Cup™ can be found here or by clicking the relevant link.

By: FIFA.com

MacDonald Taylor became the oldest recorded player to feature in a FIFA World Cup™ qualifier when he took the field for US Virgin Islands at the age of 46 in February 2004.

The veteran defender, born in Trinidad and Tobago on 27 August 1957, turned out against played in the game against St Kitts and Nevis but never made the FIFA World Cup itself, where Cameroon legend Roger Milla holds the age record at 42.

Dino Zoff, meanwhile, is the oldest player to appear in the Final, turning out for Italy in the 1982 showpiece at the grand old age of 40.

By: Joel Chriwa

Lusaka, April 24: Zambia government has declared three days of national mourning for legendary soccer commentator Dennis Liwewe.

The government made the declaration through Secretary to the Cabinet Roland Msiska.

The period of national mourning will run from today (24 April) to Saturday (26April) the day of his burial.

“The period of national mourning will run from Thursday April 24 to Saturday April 26 when the late football commentator will be laid to rest in Lusaka’s Leopards Hill Memorial Park preceded by a memorial service at Cathedral of the Holy Cross,” the magazine reported.

Liwewe, 78 died Tuesday this week at Levy Mwanawasa General Hospital in Lusaka where he was hospitalised.

According to Zambia online media, the late Liwewe   had been suffering Liver ailment.

Meanwhile, Zambia President Michael Sata has paid tribute to the deceased commentator calling him an icon who revolutionised Zambian football through his commentaries and many administrative roles he played.

“I have known Dennis for many years as a passionate football commentator who helped to raise the standards of Zambian football to the level it is today.

Dennis has been part of the country’s football journey through the many successes and challenges, and at no time did he drop his chin,” said President Sata.

By: Farai Diza

Siya Mqambeli, one of three South Africans sponsored for a once in a lifetime opportunity to run in the Virgin Money London Marathon, finished the race in 36th position overall early this month.

Overcoming financial constraints and the impacts of recent crime, the three undertook their first ever trip overseas and excelled in their opportunity to participate in a high profile international marathon abroad.

32 year old Mqabeli who lives in Soweto finished in a time of 2;29;27, becoming the first South African man to cross the line and achieving his dream of placing well in a high profile international event. compatriots Patrick Kanyane placed 176th in a time of 2:41;36 despite having been injured only weeks before and Joshua Mathebula placed 908th in a time of 3:04;17.

“This is a lifetime opportunity every runner would like to be offered. It has always been my dream to run in the world’s biggest marathon like the London marathon where I will get to experience running with the world’s best athletes. Being unemployed since January 2013 and struggling to find work, I decided to take my running seriously and getting an opportunity to run the London Marathon was a unique opportunity for me to shine on an international level,” said Mqabeli.

The three were sponsored by Virgin Money South Africa in association with Adidas who supplied the team with running kits while Virgin Active sponsored two months training in a club of their choice.

By: Farai Diza

The Super Rugby competition enters its round eleven today with high profile matches taking place tomorrow. Here are some of the matches to watch.

Brumbies vs Chiefs

Chiefs are not playing like the Chiefs we have seen win two straight Super Rugby titles and furthermore making six changes for a big game like this one should basically hand the Brumbies an easy win.

Sharks vs Highlanders

Sharks will continue to take full advantage of their easy schedule with a dominant win against the Highlanders in Durban. The Sharks are currently the pace setters and comfortably lead the log standings as they are yet to lose a match.

Hurricanes vs Reds

Really impressed with how the Hurricanes have been performing lately and the opposite is to be said about the Reds. Add on that, the Hurricanes are at home and they will try by own means to maintain their dominance over the Reds.

Force vs Bulls

Could another SA side, after the Cheetahs and Stormers, come back home from their overseas tour winless? It is looking that way for the Bulls who have encountered back to back defeats in Australasia.

Cheetahs vs Stormers

I am not entirely convinced that the Stormers were an improved side last week. They had 40 minutes of “okay” rugby with the ref firmly on their side and were playing against a team that was terrible the full 80 and they still lost the second half.

The Lions and Crusaders have byes.

By: Editor

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced that Ralfs Freibergs of Latvia has been excluded from the XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.

Freibergs, 23, provided a urine sample on 22 February whose A and B samples indicated the presence of a prohibited substance.

The IOC Disciplinary Commission, composed for this case of Denis Oswald (Chairman), Gunilla Lindberg and Claudia Bokel, decided the following:

I           The Athlete, Mr Ralfs Freibergs, Latvia, Ice Hockey is disqualified from the Men’s Play-offs Quarterfinals – Canada vs Latvia match.

II.          The Athlete is considered as excluded from the XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi in 2014.

III.         The Athlete’s diploma (for placing 8th) is withdrawn.

IV.        The International Ice Hockey Federation is hereby requested to make appropriate mention of the above in the record of the sports results, and to consider whether it should take any further action within its competence.

V.         The Latvian Olympic Committee is hereby requested to return to the IOC, as soon as possible, the diploma awarded to the athlete in relation to the above-mentioned event.

VI.        This decision shall enter into force immediately.

Under the IOC Anti-Doping Rules applicable to the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, testing took place under the IOC's auspices from 30 January (the date of the opening of the Olympic Villages) to 23 February 2014 (the date of the Closing Ceremony). Within that period, the IOC systematically performed tests before and after events. After each event, the IOC systematically carried out tests on the top five finishers plus two at random. The IOC also performed unannounced out-of-competition tests. Over the course of the Sochi Games, the IOC carried out some 2,812 tests (2,186 urine and 626 blood) – an Olympic Winter Games record.

The full decision is available here.

By: Editor

Monaco - There is little more than a week to go before the first starting gun fires at the 2014 IAAF World Race Walking Cup, which will be held in the Chinese city of Taicang on 3-4 May.

With no global outdoor championship this year, this is the most important event on the 2014 athletics calendar for walkers and many of the world’s top stars of the discipline will be making their way to China for the event.

Russia’s 2013 IAAF World Championships 20km race walk gold medallist Aleksandr Ivanov, Ireland’s Moscow 2013 50km winner Robert Heffernan and China’s London 2012 Olympic Games champion Chen Ding will clash in the shorter of the two senior men’s championship distances.

The senior men’s 50km race features Russia’s Mikhail Ryzhov, Australia’s tree-time Olympic medallist Jared Tallent, who took the silver and bronze medals behind Heffernan over the longer distance in Moscow last summer.

The senior women’s 20km features seven of the top 10 from Moscow, including the Russia’s Anisya Kirdyapkina and China’s Liu Hong, the silver and bronze medallist respectively.

In the junior 10km races, all eyes will be on the Czech teenage talent Anezka Drahotova, who won the European title over the same distance on the track last summer.

Nearly 400 walkers from 50 IAAF Member Federations have been entered across the five races to be contested.

Entry lists as of 24 April are now available (pdf) on the IAAF website:

http://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-race-walking-cup

The IAAF World Race Walking Cup is the third of the five IAAF World Athletics Series events in 2014, and this year also sees the inaugural edition of the IAAF World Relays.

By: Editor

ST. PETERSBURG, FL, USA – The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) today announced a strategic partnership with Vixlet, the leading edge technology platform that allows fans to socially connect with players, tournaments and other passionate fans worldwide. The WTA will be the first international sports league on Vixlet's platform.

"Vixlet's innovative technology and state-of-the-art platform aligns perfectly with our strategic goal to continue to grow our international fan base," said WTA Chairman and CEO, Stacey Allaster. "The partnership with Vixlet will support stronger fan engagement and provide a natural extension to our existing digital properties to help share exciting stories through our social channels."

"The WTA is a global leader in sports entertainment and we are excited to develop this relationship, introducing Vixlet to both casual and avid tennis fans around world," said Vixlet CEO Lisa Gopala.

"The WTA will utilize leading-edge features of Vixlet built around its key assets including, players and tournaments, for a best in class fan engagement experience” said Vixlet Chairman Krishna Gopala.

Vixlet helps sports leagues and brands shape the relationship between players and fans, with the opportunity to monetize content, increase sponsorship and advertising opportunities, and launch global interactive marketing campaigns. The platform will be unveiled later this year through an integrated web and mobile app with support for multiple languages, including English and Chinese. 

At the end of 2013 the WTA defined a new vision, "To be the most inspirational and exciting sports entertainment experience on earth." The introduction of the Vixlet partnership will allow fans to access exclusive content; receive personalized event information; and utilize social features, promotional messaging and rewards, in an effort to unite, engage and showcase the international WTA community.

 

By: Editor

Los Angeles (April 24, 2014) – The dream continues this weekend for more than 400 aspiring young soccer players as Sueño MLS 2014 – Presented by Allstate, the nationally-televised player search, moves to Southern California with tryouts April 26-27 at the Bell Gardens Sports Center in Bell Gardens, CA, hosted by the LA Galaxy. 

While pre-registration for the LA Galaxy event is full, players are encouraged to sign up in person for the “walk-up” list starting Saturday, April 26 at 8 a.m. PT.

Friends and family of participating players, as well as the general public, are invited to watch the tryouts and enjoy the interactive fan zone presented by the event partners. LA Galaxy star Marcelo Sarvas, as well as Univision Network’s República Deportiva personalities Carolina McCallister and Carla Aranguren are scheduled to make special appearances.

In addition, Mexican goalkeeping legend Martin “El Pulpo” Zuñiga will host a free public goalkeeping clinic on Saturday, April 26, between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. followed by an autograph session.

 

WHO:               -  More than 400 aspiring young soccer players

                        - LA Galaxy Brazilian midfielder Marcelo Sarvas (on Sunday, April 27 from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. PT)

-  LA Galaxy team scouts

-  Allstate’s Sueño MLS Ambassador Martin “El Pulpo” Zuñiga

-  Univision Network’s República Deportiva personalities Carolina McCallister and Carla Aranguren

 

WHAT:              LA Galaxy Tryouts for Sueño MLS 2014 – Presented by Allstate

 

WHERE:           Bell Gardens Sports Center

8000 Park Lane, Bell Gardens, CA 90201

WHEN:             Saturday, April 26 from 8 a.m. to approximately 6 p.m. PT

                        Sunday, April 27 from 7 a.m. to approximately 8:30 a.m. PT

WHY:               To find the top six undiscovered young soccer players in Southern California that will compete for the Sueño MLS title at the National Final held in Carson, California, May 13-18, 2014.

 

For the event press release, which includes player eligibility, timeline and past winners, click here.

By: Editor

24 April 2014: - The Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup supreme committee issued a statement on Thursday April 24 about media reports that they were in the process of reducing the amount of venues previously allocated for the World Cup Soccer showcase saying:

“We would like to clarify news reports which state that Qatar has reduced the number of proposed Host Venues for the 2022 FIFA World Cup™ because of cost concerns and delays.

The process of selecting the final proposed line-up of host venues is on-going in consultation with FIFA. Given the size of our country, FIFA and the Local Organising Committee decided to look into reducing the originally proposed 12 venues to fit the country’s specifications while ensuring best playing conditions for all 64 matches. Generally FIFA requests a minimum of eight stadia for hosting the FIFA World Cup.

The 2022 Local Organising Committee will submit by December 2014 a proposal for an appropriate number of host venues, whilst ensuring a suitable legacy for the country and the national league after the tournament. The approval of the final number of stadiums is envisaged by the FIFA Executive Committee by March 2015.”

By: Editor

The excitement is starting to mount with exactly one month to go until the first gun goes at the inaugural IAAF World Relays, which will be held in Nassau, The Bahamas, on 24-25 May 2014.

Although most of the expected teams have yet to make their final squad selections, it is already known that the sport’s superpowers with a baton, like Kenya, Jamaica, the USA and many European nations, will be sending their strongest men and women’s teams to contest the five disciplines on the programme of this innovative event.

Into the bargain, the host nation with its own fantastic relay tradition, is out to ensure that some medals remain in The Bahamas.

There are two big incentives for nations to send their best squads to contest the 10 events which will be staged in the newly-built 15,000-seater Thomas A Robinson Stadium, with both men and women competing in the 4x100m, 4x200m, 4x400m, 4x800m and 4x1500m.

The top eight teams in both the men’s and women’s 4x100m and 4x400m will automatically qualify for the IAAF World Championships Beijing 2015.

In addition, the top eight teams in each event will be awarded prize money with the gold medallists taking home no less than USD $50,000. In the event that a team breaks a World record in Nassau, an additional bonus of USD $50,000 will also be awarded.

Preliminary entries suggest that more than 700 athletes from 48 IAAF Member Federations will take part in Nassau.

Whetting the appetite for the forthcoming relay extravaganza, 2014 has already seen the US men set a World indoor 4x400m record and a quartet of Kenyan women running a 4x1500m faster than ever before.

Into the bargain, regardless who is in their team, Jamaican sprinters have collectively said that they will be targeting the World record in the men’s 4x200m in Nassau.

By: Editor

In just ten days history will be made when thousands of runners of all ages and abilities will take part in the first-ever Wings for Life World Run. Representatives from 136 nations will all set off at the same time at events in 32 different countries, across six continents. 

Wings for Life aims to raise awareness of spinal cord damage and money for spinal cord research. Austria and Taiwan’s events are now at capacity however there are still places available at the remaining 30 Wings for Life events. The best male and best female runners, plus one randomly selected runner, will win a round the World trip of a lifetime.  

What makes the Wings for Life World Run different from other running events is that a moving finish line will be chasing the runners from behind instead of the runners dashing towards a defined finish line. The run starts at precisely 10am UTC and will end hours later when the last male and female runners are reached by one of the Catcher Cars.

By: Editor

Lausanne, Switzerland, April 22, 2014 – Accreditation for the Intercontinental Round of the FIVB World League is now open on the FIVB’s Media Club platform.

Once logged into the FIVB Online Accreditation System, media representatives can select the tournament for which they would like to request accreditation.

Representatives who have previously successfully registered through the FIVB's online accreditation system can log in to request accreditation under the 'My Accreditation' tab.

Those media representatives who have not previously registered through the FIVB's online accreditation system, will need to follow the steps detailed here: http://www.fivb.org/en/media/accreditation.asp

The FIVB Volleyball World League is set to begin on May 23 with the Finals taking place in Florence, Italy from July 16 to 20.

The excitement and action of the World League is set to get more intense this year as the 25th edition of the FIVB World League sees the competition increase from 18 to 28 teams split into seven pools of four teams each.

It is the first time the FIVB’s premiere event will feature such a large number of teams having had 16 teams from 2001-2003 and 2006-2012. The World League featured eight teams in its inaugural year in 1990, 10 in 1991, 12 from 1992-2000 and 2004-05 and then 18 in the 2013 edition.

By: Farai Diza

The excitement at the end of this penultimate 2014 Varsity Athletics programme excited the crowd into a frenzy.

The University of Stellenbosch was home to the third leg of the exhilarating Varsity Athletics programme, which took place on Tuesday night at the Coetzenberg Athletics Stadium. Last week’s nail biting atmosphere had clearly moved to the Cape, as the crowd continued the non stop supporting which has come to be synonymous with Varisty Athletics events.

The University of Pretoria, popularly known as the Tuks, came out strongly as the overall winner once again, giving them a clean sweep so far in this year’s programme.

North West University dominated the mens track events, taking three of the five titles on offer namely the 400m huddles, 800m and 5000m. An upset in the 400m huddles saw NWU’s Hardus Maritz cross the finish line first beating the race favorite. Tuks Le Roux Hannan.

The final leg of the Varsity Sports Athletics programme is sure to bring another night of nail biting action. This will take place at the University of Pretoria on 28 April. The games will be broadcast on cable pay channel Supersport 10.

By: Joel Chirwa

Blantyre, April 23: Football Association of Malawi has barred Mighty Wanderers Football Club from engaging its technical development officer, Charles Manda as caretaker coach.

Manda had been named to take over the coaching job at Wanderers on temporally basis following the resignation of its head coach Stuart Mbolembole over the weekend.

The FA chief executive officer, Suzgo Nyirenda reportedly said that Wanderers cannot hire Manda services because of the contract he signed with the FA requires him to work for the FA full time.

“Manda is working fulltime for the association and as per contract; he is not supposed to be engaged by any other institution or club.

Secondly, we have not received any official communication on the issue, as such, I need to sit down with him to get down to the bottom of the issue,” explained Nyirenda in an interview with country’s online publication The Nation Online.

Manda was unavailable for his side of story when this reporter tried to sought his view on the latest development.

However, Wanderers FC vice general secretary Chris Kananji reportedly told the local media that Manda had accepted the offer.

Kananji further disclosed that his club would engage on permanent basis, Gerald Phiri Snr who is currently assistant coach of the Malawi Under-20 national soccer team.

“The thing is that we want to engage [Manda] on part time basis until the issue of Gerald Phiri is finalised. Manda informed us that there would be no problem,” Kananji told The Nation online.

Kananji also conceded that his club had not consulted the FA before making public the appointment of Manda.

Apart from Manda, Wanderers has also announced that they had engaged the team’s legend Kannock Bruno Munde and Thom Milanzi as team manager and vice-team manager respectively.

Meanwhile, Wanderers FC have terminated the services of assistant coach Albert Mpinganjira, team manager, Chiyembekezo Zidana and Vice-team manager Vales Kamzere. 

The trio were part of Mbolembole backroom staff.

Wanderers had a bumpy start of this year league season which kicked off last Saturday they lost 2-0 on their own backyard Blantyre to Lilongwe based rivals Silver Strikers.

By: Farai Diza

South Africa cricket legend Dr Ali Bacher feels AB De Villiers should become the new test captain, with Faf du Plessis as his deputy following the retirement of Graeme Smith earlier this year.

Smith retired from the Proteas after 13 years as skipper leaving a gaping hole in the number one test side’s line up. With De Villiers the ODI skipper and Du Plessis the T20 leader, it is unclear who will be given the test reins.

But Bacher, a former Protea’s captain and head of Cricket South Africa (CSA) feels De Villiers is the best bat, as he is more dynamic and vocal, while Du Plessis will do a good job as the more measured and quiet adviser.

“I will give AB de Villiers the captaincy and appoint Faf as vice captain. As a combination, they complement each other well and their leadership qualities will be terrific for South Africa,” he told MVP.

“Both AB and Faf are potentially good leaders. AB is dynamic, enterprising, the best all round batsman in the world today and full of enthusiasm. Faf is quieter on the field. He posses big match temperament. He is focused, determined and I like his body language. He doesn’t lose his cool,” said Bacher.

By: Farai Diza

The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) has congratulated Paralympian wheelchair racer and hand cyclist, Ernst van Dyk who made history on Monday by winning a record 10th wheelchair title in the Boston Marathon.

Van Dyk crossed the finish line in an hour, 20 minutes, 36 seconds and holds the record for most Boston Marathon wins.

Some of van Dyks achievements include being awarded the Laureus World Sports Award   for Sportsperson with a Disability in 2006, winning a bronze medal in the 400m at the 2000 Summer Paralympics in Sydney, silver medal in the 800m at the 2004 Summer Paralympics and another silver in the 1500m, and a bronze in the 5000m.

He also won a gold medal in the hand cycling road race at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Beijing as well as bronze in the wheelchair marathon. At the last Paralympics, in London two years back, van Dyk won silver in the road race.

“Well done to Ernst for such a great performance at the Boston Marathon. You continue to fly the South African flag high and this is a positive outcome on our Road to Rio in 2016. We are positive you will continue to perform exceptionally going forward,” said SASCOC CEO, Tubby Reddy.

Van Dyk is a six time Paralympian athlete who has competed in three different sports mainly swimming, athletics and cycling.

By:Editor

Detailed plans for traffic management around venues in Glasgow during this summer’s Commonwealth Games have been revealed today, Thursday 24 April.

The announcement by the Get Ready Glasgow campaign coincides with a further round of information sessions for business being held during April and May to cover specific plans around what travel and parking options are available.

Temporary traffic management measures being brought in for the Games are intended to protect residents and businesses around competition venues from informal spectator parking. They will also ensure Games related transport, including that provided for athletes and officials, is able to get to venues in time.

The plans are also designed to manage the flow of spectators to and from venues, ensuring that they arrive and exit events as quickly and as safely as possible and have been designed to make sure that walking, cycling and public transport are the best ways to get to the Games encouraging spectators to leave their cars at home.

Within 10 minutes’ walk of a venue, parking restrictions are likely to be in force in order to protect residents and businesses. Some restrictions and diversions may also be in place within 20 minutes’ walk.

To help residents and businesses with their planning, a series of maps have been produced to provide a venue by venue guide of the traffic management and parking measures that will be in place in the run up to and during the Games.

George Vincent, Project Management and Design Manager, said:

"Glasgow will be open for business throughout the Games, but it won't be business as usual. Now is the right time to plan ahead and find out how you might be affected.

"If you live or work near a venue, we are putting in place measures to keep your community moving and help make sure you can enjoy being at the very heart of Glasgow's biggest ever celebration.

"We're already working closely with businesses across the city to make sure they know what these changes mean for them - and we will be returning to venues next month to talk to local people, share the latest information and answer any questions they have as we approach the Games."

John Fryer, Glasgow 2014 Transport Manager, said:

“The success of the Games doesn’t start and end inside the Games venues - we want to make sure that everyone attending the Games is able to get around the city quickly, safely and easily.

“We are encouraging spectators to walk, cycle, use public transport or use a park-and-ride site to get to venues. The measures in the Traffic Management and Parking plans are integral to making this as easy as possible for spectators.


“We are also committed to making sure that the people who live, work and operate businesses in this fantastic host city are able to go about their days with minimal impact. This is central to all our transport plans.”

Hugh Gillies, Head of Transport Scotland’s 2014 team said:

“Business and journey planning is crucial for organisations in and around the city to ensure they can enjoy all the Games has to offer while still operating as close to usual as possible. This is also key to keeping Glasgow and Scotland moving during the summer.

“The plans being shared by Get Ready Glasgow have been developed in partnership with a number of organisations, including Transport Scotland, and we would encourage anyone who thinks they will be affected to attend one of the business briefing sessions.”

Stuart Patrick, Chief Executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, said:

“We were told that April would be the key month when we would get all the information, and we’re encouraged that details of the specific traffic and transport measures around the Games venues are now being revealed.

“We called some time ago for easy access to information and support as early as is practical, and to that end we’ve had regular meetings with the City Council and the 2014 Organising Committee.

 “It’s good that information is being supplied as early as possible, allowing businesses to start to plan their operations during the 11 days of the Games.

“We urge all businesses to really think about their plans and to make full use of the suite of tools available on the getreadyglasgow.com website.”

Glasgow is a city familiar with running large events and local residents and businesses around major venues like Hampden, Celtic Park and Ibrox will already be aware of the impact a large event has on the local area.

However, the Commonwealth Games will be unique - many of the venues will be used across the day and evening, more than one group of spectators may come and go from a venue in any one day and a large number of the venues will host sporting action every day for the full 11 days of the Games.  

As a result, the traffic management plans required are, in many cases, different from the plans normally used around existing venues during other types of events.

Further detail on this is available through workshops already under way run for businesses. At these workshops, travel advisors will help businesses understand what this means for them.

A second series of community information events at or near venues are being held in May where residents and businesses will receive more information from Get Ready Glasgow on how they will be affected by the Games. This will include information  on local parking arrangements and details on how to get parking permits. 

The traffic management plans are the second major transport update to be shared through the Get Ready Glasgow campaign. It follows the publication of the Games Route Network (GRN) which was made available to residents and businesses earlier this month.

Glasgow City Council is investing £4.5million in the GRN, which includes upgrades to CCTV and traffic signals; investment in more variable message signs, and improvements to junctions, signing and lining – all of which will create a legacy for Glasgow’s network after the Games.

The Commonwealth Games will touch the lives of everyone in the city, in some way shape or form. The event will also change how the city functions and operates for its duration. Get Ready Glasgow is the campaign to help people across Glasgow plan ahead for the Games.

Glasgow residents and businesses can sign up at www.getreadyglasgow.com for the latest updates on travel and transport and businesses can also register for the Travel Advice for Business workshops.

Get Ready Glasgow is also on Twitter @getreadyglasgow.

By: Editor

Cairo, April 23, 2014 – The Confederation of African Football Monday 5 May 2014 marks another milestone in continental football development as president Issa Hayatou, FIFA president Sepp Blatter and members of the CAF Executive Committee converge on Yaounde for the official commissioning of the first CAF Football Centre

of Excellence.

The official opening of the Center of Excellence Mbankomo is scheduled for 10:00hours local time at the complex which is 30kilometres outside Yaounde. It will be  followed  by  similar  centres  in  Addis  Ababa,  Ethiopia  and  Dakar,  Senegal  in  the coming months.

Built in the environs of lush vegetation on approximately 6 acres of the 23 given in concession by the Government of Cameroon to CAF, construction of the first phase of the Centre of Excellence Mbankomo was completed in 2009. It became operational in 2010 and has played host to CAF training and development workshops and seminars, served as a retreat for Cameroon's Indomitable Lions, training base for the Stallions of Burkina Faso ahead of CAN2012 and hosted a number of first division games of the Cameroon national championship.

Mbankomo has three football fields (two synthetic turf and natural grass), spaces for basketball, handball, volleyball, an Olympic swimming pool, a gymnasium equipped with fitness equipment at the cutting edge of technology, a conference room with 110 seats, four meeting rooms with quality sound equipment seating up-to 30 persons each for technical preparation of players, seminars and workshops, a restaurant with seating capacity of 104 seats, a terrace bar and luxurious rooms.

To  ensure  uninterrupted  operations,  Mbankomo  has  autonomous  electric  power, with three generators and a treatment plant with a storage capacity of 120,000 liters of water.

For  further  details  on  the  official commissioning  of  Mbankomo  and  any  other CAF matters, contact CAF Media Department through email:

By: Editor

“At a very early stage in my life, I found a language that helped me connect to the world and other people, other nations. This was and still is the language of the sport. This is a language without boundaries and it travels freely and safely among the people of the world,”  said the AIBA President.

Lausanne, Switzerland, April 23, 2014 - The President of the International Boxing Association (AIBA) Dr Ching-Kuo Wu was conferred today the Honorary Doctorate from the Bulgarian National Sports Academy “Vassil Levski” (NSA) in Sofia.

In his Honorary Doctorate Acceptance Speech Dr. Wu, who also serves as the Executive Board member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), thanked the Academic Council and underlined that by instilling the Olympic values and culture in the young generation, this educational institution not only produces the best ambassadors of these values, but also fosters better members of our society.

Attending the momentous occasion included the Deputy Minister of Youth and Sport Mr. Yorgan Yevchev, the Bulgarian Olympic Committee General Secretary Mr. Belcho Goranov, and the Bulgarian Boxing Federation President Mr Krasimir Ininski.

The National Sports Academy plays a fundamental role in developing the potential and talent of thousands of students of Bulgaria, and since 1942 has become one of the most important promoters of sporting values in the country, as well as at the international level.

The “Vassil Levski” Academy awards with Doctor Honoris Causa an honorary degree to prominent public and sport-engaged persons, with special contributions to the development of sport education, Olympism and to preserving the values of youth civil and social integration.

This ceremony first took place in 1996, when the Academic Council of the NSA made the decision for conferring the title as a way of honouring distinguished people.

Since then, the honorary sign has been bestowed to 18 world sport and public leaders, among them the former IOC Presidents Juan Antonio Samaranch and Dr. Jacques Rogge.

The AIBA President is visiting Sofia this week on the occasion of the 2014 Youth World Boxing Championships, which is being hosted in the Bulgarian capital.