ASTON VILLA 0 ARSENAL 4

Arsenal Football club created history here by winning the FA Cup for a record 12th   time.  Arsene Wenger also created his own history by becoming the only manager to win 6 FA Cups in the modern era.


Just like the London Buses, after nine barren years, Arsenal have now won back to back FA Cups as they trounced Aston Villa by four goals to nil.  For Villa to stand a chance of winning here they needed to play better than they did when they beat Liverpool here in the semi final but Arsenal simply did not let them as they ripped them to shreds with their passing and movement.

Rival coaches Aqib and Bracewell look forward to the UAE-Ireland encounter

Opposite captains Mommsen and Asghar preview Scotland-Afghanistan match 

All four Associate nations, which recently impressed at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, will be in action from Tuesday in their opening round matches of the four-day first-class Intercontinental Cup 2015-17, which is a pathway for Test cricket.

Ireland will face the UAE at Malahide and Scotland will welcome Afghanistan to Stirling.

Mercury International MD…Martin Michael (Photo Credit: Kerifalah Janneh)

The Managing Director of Mercury International, Mr. Martin Michael on Saturday pledged the company’s continued supports towards sports in the country.

The Sports betting company has over the years become the leading  business entity in sports sponsorship in the country and the MD believe such gesture will still continue.

He said: “Sponsorship as we all know is extremely difficult to get. Many business houses have washed their hands off sports however some continue to show interest but their interest must be encouraged and not discouraged. 

 NEW YORK (May 29, 2015) – MLS WORKS, Allstate Insurance Company, and Univision Deportes have teamed up to launch the Every Save Makes a Difference community program, an initiative created to benefit Hispanic community groups in Major League Soccer markets.


Before every MLS match broadcast on Univision, UniMás or UDN (Univision Deportes Network) during the 2015 season, the two competing clubs each identify a local community organization as that week’s Every Save Makes a Difference beneficiary.


For every save a team makes during the game, $500 worth of soccer equipment is donated to that team’s designated local community program. Three months into the regular season, nearly $45,000 worth of soccer equipment has been donated to various groups.

A 49% increase of women on Commissions (up by one third), since he took office. Changes - also including wider geographical representation - a direct result of Olympic Agenda 2020 reforms

The President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, today announced widespread changes to the composition and function of the IOC commissions for 2015. The changes are a direct result of the reforms stemming from implementation of Olympic Agenda 2020.

The review of the scope and composition of the IOC commissions was one of the 40 recommendations approved by the 127th IOC Session last December in Monaco. The new make-up of the Commissions reflects the philosophy initiated by Olympic Agenda 2020, and will provide a strong support to the IOC Session, the IOC Executive Board and the IOC President in the implementation of the roadmap designed to shape the future of the Olympic Movement. The changes to the function and composition of the Commissions have been undertaken by the IOC President working closely with the IOC Executive Board. 

Alderman Lions grants Solomon Bockarie Dutch citizenship (Photo: Robbin Pieterman)


Sierra Leone is set to lose one of its promising athletes after sprinter; Solomon Bockarie recently acquired Dutch nationality at a Citizenship swearing  in ceremony held at a town hall in the Netherlands.

The 28-year-old has spent several years in the Netherlands and last September joined the Zoetermeer athletics club thanks to the efforts of the municipality and former chairman of ARV Ilion.

Bockarie who represented Sierra Leone in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow applied for Dutch citizenship just after having a successful winter with his club.

31 May 2015 - Minister of Sport and Recreation South Africa, Fikile Mbalula's Statement on the allegations that the Government of South Africa paid a bribe to secure the rights to host the 2010 FIFA Football World Cup following remarks attributed to SAFA President, Dr Danny Jordaan.

We remain concerned at the ongoing media speculation which only plays into the hands of those whose objective is to tarnish the good name and integrity of our country.  We reject these falsehoods with the contempt they deserve. As a government and people of South Africa we are enjoined to combat such propaganda against our country.

Accordingly, we appeal to all our people, media included to desist from speculating on names of individuals who may or not be implicated in the allegations. Equally, we call on all those involved in the bidding and hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup to avoid expressing comments that can only play into the hands of those who seek to perpetuate negative stereotypes against South Africa in particular and Africa in general. 

31 May 2015 – The South African Senior Women’s National Team (Banyana Banyana) eased into the third round of the 2016 Rio Olympic qualifiers following a 5-nil victory over a Gabon at the Dobsonville Stadium on Sunday, 31 May.

Banyana Banyana won the first leg 3-2 in Libreville last weekend (Saturday, 23 May) to go through on a 8-2 aggregate.

Head caoch Vera Pauw made no changes to the starting team that won the away match.

A brace by Jermaine Seoposenwe and a goal each by Sanah Mollo, Amanda Dlamini and Refiloe Jane was enough to give the South Africans victory.

ROVINJ, Croatia – Arch prevailed in an intense battle on Sunday against the world’s best pilots and changing winds off the Adriatic Sea to claim the victory in the Red Bull Air Race in Rovinj, Croatia. The Austrian bounced back in style after struggling in training this week and Qualifying on Saturday to win the third race of the 2015 season and turn the eight-race world championship battle into a tight-three way fight at the top. Martin Sonka of the Czech Republic got a career-best second place in the race, where pilots hit speeds of 370 km/h, while Matt Hall of Australia got his third straight podium with third place on the difficult, windswept racecourse set up just off the shorelines of Rovinj.

“It’s special,” said Arch, clearly moved by the support from the Austrian supporters and his family as well as his recovery from a dismal 11th place two weeks ago in Chiba, Japan. “We started slowly here this week in training but I realized my lines were good and I tried to focus on my game and not anyone else. I’m really happy to win in Croatia in front of so many fans.

Lausanne, 29 May 2015 – Tashkent, Uzbekistan, will host the AIBA Pro Boxing Lightweight Cycle I Round 1 on 30 May according to the match schedule below.

LIGHT 60 KG – SATURDAY, 30 MAY (20:00 GMT+5)
Location: Tashkent – Venue: O‘zbekiston Sport Majmuasi

AIBA Pro Boxing (APB) begins Cycle I Round 1 on Saturday night in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, as the Lightweight (60 kg) division compete in four Lightweight (60 kg) matches, which can be watched live at 20:00 (GMT +5) on https://www.youtube.com/user/AIBAproboxingTV.

An excellent main event will delight the audience inside the O‘zbekiston Sport Majmuasi, with home star Hurshid Tojibaev set for a pivotal match with Ireland’s David Oliver Joyce.

The solar-powered Solar Impulse 2 airplane faces its moment of truth this week on its round-the-world journey when the airplane powered by 17,000 solar cells embarks on an historic five-day solo flight of discovery from China to Hawaii.  

NANJING, China – Swiss pilot André Borschberg will take off on the record-breaking five-day non-stop flight across the Pacific Ocean in the solar-powered airplane Solar Impulse 2 that will be the ultimate test for man and machine. In a spectacular demonstration of the potential for renewable energy, the single-seat 2,300-kilogram airplane will not use a single drop of fossil fuel during its 8,175-kilometer long flight from Nanjing in northeastern China to Hawaii that is expected to last 120 hours. 

PARIS, France - An inspired Victoria Azarenka put Serena Williams' Grand Slam winning streak under serious threat at Roland Garros on Saturday night, but there's a reason Williams has 19 Grand Slam titles and the No.1 ranking - she just never stopped fighting, and at the end of the day she got the win.

Watch highlights, interviews and more video from Paris right here on wtatennis.com!

With her trademark combination of aggression and consistency, Azarenka gave Williams all kinds of trouble for the first half of the match, taking the first set, 6-3, then breaking early en route to leads of 3-1 and 4-2 in the second. It looked like Williams' 16-match Grand Slam winning streak was about to end.

Mali can now breathe easily. Some observers had thought that despite their solid rearguard, the Eagles would struggle at the FIFA U-20 World Cup New Zealand 2015, largely because of a lack of threat going forward. As it turned out, Adama Traore - seen by many as the side's great hope - confounded those expectations by scoring the vital first goal late on in his side's opening 2-0 win over Mexico.

El Tri had piled on the pressure, with Hirving Lozano flying down the flanks and Alejandro Diaz doing his best leading the line, but their efforts were not rewarded. A yellow wall marshalled by captain Ichaka Diarra halted their every advance. So far, so predictable: after all, Mali booked their ticket to New Zealand after conceding just once in the group stage of the CAF African U-20 Championship. 

THE DAY REPLAYED – Three of the four games on the opening day of the FIFA U-20 World Cup ended in draws, but those who were expecting more closely-fought encounters were in for a surprise on day 2 of the tournament in New Zealand. A thrilling day's action included seven goals, four victories, three highly satisfied favourites and one minor upset. A memorable day of attacking football was capped by Portuguese substitute Nuno Santos, who scored one and assisted another - after being brought on in the 89th minute.

Portugal had cause for celebration following their 3-0 victory over Senegal, as did Colombia, who extended their unbeaten tournament run against members of the AFC to nine games with a 1-0 success over Qatar. Uruguay, who finished runners-up in 2013, secured a routine win over Serbia, while Mali pulled off the shock of the day by beating an ambitious Mexico side 2-0. That result might just carry the Africans through to the knockout stages on a wave of euphoria. 

“‘Speak softly and carry a big stick”; is a phrase that will ‘sum’ up (no pun intended) the demeanor and character of Kenya’s Eunice Sum who has been very dominant lately in the women’s 800 meters race.

Sum who is a world Champion in the race came through on Saturday in Eugene at the Nike Prefontaine Classic meet to beat a world class field with a time of 1:57.82 holding off the USA’s Ajee Wilson who tested and pushed Sum in the homestretch of the two lap race but had to settle for second place as Sum dug deep to hold off Wilson all the way through the finish line.

Seven teams have participated in all six previous FIFA Women’s World Cup™ competitions: Brazil, Germany, Japan, Nigeria, Norway, Sweden and USA.

All seven sides will also be present at Canada 2015 where Japan will look to defend their crown, Germany and USA will be gunning for a third title, Norway aim for a second Trophy, and Brazil, Nigeria and Sweden look for their maiden championship. 

Minister in the presidency Jeff Radebe has denied allegations that South Africa paid roughly R120 million ($10million) to secure the hosting rights to the Fifa 2010 World Cup.

According to the BBC, Radebe said leading accounting firm Ernest & Young had given South Africa a “clean audit report” at the end of the World Cup.

This week, the biggest scandal to have ever rocked the football world came to light after US officials arrested a number of Fifa executives in Zurich, Switzerland, on Wednesday, for their alleged involvement in corruption worth millions of dollars.

Among the allegations in the US investigation, is that the South African government paid a bribe to Fifa executive Jack Warner and Fifa executive Chuck Blazer ahead of its successful bid for the 2010 World Cup.

The Steval Pumas and DHL Western Province have travelled as far afield as Windhoek, Secunda, Kimberley and Caledon, and will converge on Cape Town this weekend for the Vodacom Cup Final.


The match – the first time ever the Vodacom Cup Final will be hosted in Cape Town – will form part of Newlands celebrating its 125th year of existence this weekend. And to add a little spice, it’s a replay of last year’s quarter-final, won 13-8 by the Steval Pumas in Nelspruit.

 
One member of that Steval Pumas side, who will be watching from the sidelines in the colours of the DHL Stormers, is Vincent Koch. Ten of his team-mates from last year’s quarter-final will return to Cape Town this weekend – Jacques Momberg, Frankie Herne, DJ Terblanche, Marius Coetzer, Uzair Cassiem, JC Roos, Wilmaure Louw, Jerome Pretorius, JW Bell and Reynier van Rooyen.

Veteran midfielder Josta Dladla has announced he will depart Kaizer Chiefs after six-and-a-half years at Naturena.

The former Mamelodi Sundowns winger will become a free agent next month after agreeing to part ways with AmaKhosi, although the 35-year-old still has ambitions of extending his career by one or two more seasons.

"I am in great shape, I have been training and feeling better than I have ever felt in a long time and I am looking forward to playing football and passing on some of the experience I have to the youngsters," Dladla said in a statement.

"My legs can still go and I feel like I want to keep on going. I have spent nearly seven years at Kaizer Chiefs and I feel like it’s time for a new challenge.

In what she described as not one of her best outings till date for the early going of the 2015 season Blessing Okagbare-Ighoteguonor came up short behind fellow African Muriel Ahoure of the Ivory Coast who tied with Jamaica’s Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce for 1st place with a time of 10.81 seconds, which is the world leading time in the event thus far this year and the USA’s Tori Bowie who was second with a time of 10.82 seconds to clock a season best herself with a time of 10.87 seconds.

Okagbare-Ighoteguonor who later attested that she did not execute well in the race from start to finish has to be proud of the time she ran despite the shortcomings as she recorded her seasons best. It is natural for a top level athlete to feel dejected when they do not perform well and this was the case for Blessing on Saturday at the Nike Prefontaine Classic in Eugene Oregon.

Portugal overcame Senegal with a dominant 3-0 win in their FIFA U-20 World Cup opener to move joint-top of Group C.

Martins fired the fourth-quickest goal in the tournament's history, netting in 26 seconds, before a late flurry saw substitute Nuno Santos set up Andre Silva, then add another of his own.

That opening goal was a real team effort. Senegal kicked off but great pressing by Portugal saw the Africans forced into a mistake and the ball feel at the feet of Silva. His slide-rule pass picked out Martins and though Ibrahima Sy closed down the Sporting forward, he was left powerless as the shot looped into the top corner. 

She is entirely in a league of her own as a dominant force in the Track world these days and as she cruised around the track in a wide lead ahead of her closest competition Genzebe Dibaba now a multiple world record holder in several middle distance races strides with supreme confidence cheered on by the Track loving crowd at the Nike Prefontaine Classic Meet in Oregon.

Even uncontested by her closest competitor in the final laps of the race Genzebe Dibaba took off down the homestretch of the 5000 meters race in an all out sprint to the finish thrilling the crowd even more as she eventually crossed the in a new meet record of 14 minutes 19.76 seconds.

She takes a Diamond League leading what promises to be another dominant year for her.

The Junior Springbok squad arrived in Italy on Thursday afternoon for the World Rugby Under-20 Championship and immediately settled in at their tournament base in Parma.

Conditioning coach, Dr Warren Adams, took the squad of 28 players for an active recovery session which consisted of a good stretch followed by a swim in the pool.

The squad left Cape Town on Wednesday afternoon and travelled via Johannesburg and Frankfurt in Germany to Milan, from where the South Africans took a bus to their tournament destination.

Hanro Liebenberg and his squad are in a good condition after attending an intensive training camp of almost two months at the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport.

SA Football Association (SAFA) President Danny Jordaan must appear before Parliament’s Sport Committee to explain the allegations South Africa’s 2010 Bid Committee facilitated bribes to secure hosting rights for the World Cup, the Democratic Alliance said on Thursday.
 

This week the biggest scandal to have ever rocked the football world came to light after US officials arrested a number of FIFA executives in Zurich, Switzerland, on Wednesday, for their alleged involvement in corruption worth millions of dollars.

 

Among the allegations in the US investigation, is that the South African government paid a $10 million (R120 million) bribe to Jack Warner and FIFA executive Chuck Blazer ahead of its successful bid for the 2010 World Cup.

Mali have taken an early lead in Group D at the FIFA U-20 World Cup after a 2-0 win over Mexico at Dunedin's Otago Stadium. The match was won and lost in a crazy second-half in which three players - one Malian, two Mexican - were sent off before two goals in three minutes decided the outcome.

El Tri will be cursing themselves, having been a man up and firmly on top, and the CONCACAF champions certainly dominated a poor first half. However, in a game of few chances, they could ill afford to miss the kind of gilt-edged opportunity Guillermo Martinez passed up on 34 minutes. He did all the hard work, jinking cleverly into the box after racing clear on the the right, but his finish was wild with the goal at his mercy, with the ball flying high and wide.

If the first period was fairly dull, the second was anything but. Passions had been slowly rising as the game became increasingly physical and Hamidou Maiga paid the price, receiving his marching orders on 56 minutes after clumsily bringing down Hirving Lozano.