Mai Sakaguchi deferred graduating for six months to become a Basketball for Good volunteer in Fiji
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SUVA – There are not many people who would link Fiji and Japan, yet when Japanese university student Mai Sakaguchi decided to volunteer with Basketball Fiji for 6 months, she was surprised to find many similarities.

​The Bukom Boxing Arena in Accra would be set alive with an exclusive entertainment and sports package as Ghana’s Joseph Agbeko will clash with Nick Otieno from Kenya as Fresh King Entertainment have drawn a juicy bundle for boxing fans.
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Boxing enthusiasts will not only see a fistic clash between the exciting boxers that will be fighting on the night, but they will get the opportunity to witness the finest musicians in Ghana.

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• FIFA launched Football for Hope initiative in 2005
• Football for Hope Forum ran from 26-28 June in Kazan, Russia
• FIFA Confederations Cup semi-finals are today and tomorrow

A large and vibrant gathering of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) who are passionate about social development through football met with representatives of FIFA and the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ LOC in Kazan during the third edition of the Football for Hope Forum. 

© Getty Images
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FIFA has opened an invitation to tender (“ITT”) in Greece for the media rights to the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™. These media rights will cover TV, internet, mobile and radio transmissions.

This tender process will allow FIFA to select the media companies that are best placed to operationally secure the required transmission commitments and to achieve FIFA’s objectives of reaching the widest possible audience and providing a high-quality viewing experience for fans. 

• Chile advance to Confederations Cup final for first time
• Captain Claudio Bravo saves all three of Portugal's penalty kicks
• Relive: As it happened, stats and more

Chile advanced to the FIFA Confederations Cup Russia 2017 final with a dramatic 3-0 victory over Portugal on penalties after their semi-final clash ended goalless in front of 40,855 fans at the Kazan Arena.
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Following an enthralling 120 minutes that saw both sides produce genuine chances and Chile hit the post and crossbar in quick succession, the match went to penalty kicks. In contrast to a semi-final that was closely fought, the spot-kicks were lopsided. 

Kwesi Appiah, head coach of the Black Stars has explained the importance of the team's upcoming double-header international friendly games against Mexico and the USA.
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The four time Africa champions will lock horns with El Tri of Mexico tonight at the NRG Stadium in Houston Texas before engaging the Yankee Boys of USA on July 1 in the a double-header international friendly games.

​MIES, Switzerland (Basketball Champions League) – Twenty one current national champions are among the 56 teams which will take part in the 2017-18 Basketball Champions League which gets under way on September 19 with the first of three qualifying rounds ahead of Regular Season tip off on October 10.

The final lineup was validated and confirmed by the Board of Basketball Champions League meeting at the House of Basketball today.

​Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic, June 28, 2017 – Turkey faced Morocco in the FIVB Men’s U21 Championship and celebrated victory in 3 straight (25-21, 25-23, 25-18) sets thanks to Spiker Abdullah Cam, who contributed 18 points. 
 
Morocco struggled from the beginning in the first set. With Turkey overpowering the team 25-21, the team were out on a winning streak.  

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• Shylo Malsawmtluanga hails from the Mizoram region of India
• North-east of the country has become a footballing hotbed
• ‘Mama’ is widely regarded as finest player to emerge from the region

To be labelled the 'Godfather' of football in a certain region would perhaps be something that would afford some a slightly lofty air. However, Shylo Malsawmtluanga, who is often called the 'Godfather of Mizo footballers' due to him being one of, if not the biggest name to emerge as a prominent professional footballer from the north-east Indian state of Mizoram, is actually humble, taciturn and ever-smiling. 

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• Mexico's Javier Hernandez explains his more versatile role as a footballer
• 'Chicharito' relishing Thursday's semi-final clash against Germany
• Hernandez plays his club football in Germany with Bayer Leverkusen

When Javier Hernandez first arrived in Europe, fans marvelled at his finishing ability. Somehow, he always managed to put the ball into the back of the net, sometimes by the most inexplicable of means. If, at that point, football observers had been asked to describe the clinical Mexican by using just one word, they may simply have said 'goalscorer'.  

South Africa batter Mignon du Preez: “We would have liked to compete for two points, but it’s still better than nothing.”
 
New Zealand and South Africa suffered a frustrating day in Derby, as they endured the first washout of the 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup on Wednesday.

​The Ghana Football Association, in partnership with RGG Sports, LLC and its local partners, the Ghana-Houston Chamber of Commerce in Houston, TX and the Ghanaian American Journal in Hartford, CT have organized an Expo to attract investment to Ghana during the two international soccer engagements.

The National Armwrestling Team – Golden Arms must be lucky to get corporate support from Kasempa Enterprise Limited, producers of Original Abɛ Nsuo for their trip to Nigeria to participate in the African Championships.
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The alcoholic beverage company presented the team with a cash of GH¢5,000.00 and 10boxes of the Original Abɛ Nsuo.

Ghana striker, Richmond Boakye-Yiadom, has completed a three-year deal with Serbian giants Red Star Belgrade ahead of the upcoming European season.
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The 23-year-old who featured for the Black Stars at the 2013 African Cup of Nations Tournament in South Africa sealed a permanent move to the Belgrade side after a successful 4 month loan spell where he scored 16 goals.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) has welcomed the widespread and significant changes made to the constitution of the International Cricket Council (ICC) as well as the revised financial model for all member countries.
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CSA played a lead role in challenging the previous ICC resolutions that had concentrated power and money in the hands of a few and had been working towards what it viewed as a more acceptable model for governance and revenue sharing.

​Zimbabwe served emphatic notice of their potential to grab a record-breaking fifth COSAFA Castle Cup title with a 4-0 pasting of Mozambique in the opening Group B game at the Moruleng stadium on Monday.

Madagascar also made a winning start to extend their winning streak this year to six games as they overcame fellow Indian Ocean islanders Seychelles 2-0 in the second game of the night as the tournament completed its second day.

​NEW YORK(Tuesday, June 27, 2017) – Chicago Fire forward David Accam was voted the Alcatel MLS Player of the Week by the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) for the 17th week of the 2017 MLS season.
 
Accam scored three goals and added an assist in Chicago’s 4-0 victory over Orlando City SC on Saturday at Toyota Park, recording his first career MLS hat trick and becoming the seventh Fire player to do so. The Ghana National Team player is tied for third in the Golden Boot standings with 10 goals scored to go along with six assists, as he is tied for the league lead in combined goals and assists this season. After winning its third consecutive match, and extending its unbeaten mark to nine games, Chicago now sits in second place in the Eastern Conference and Supporters’ Shield standings with 34 points (10-3-4 overall record).

NEW YORK, N.Y.—The Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) has granted full membership status to Argentina. Argentina, along with Belgium (also approved for full membership status), expands FIL’s full member roster to 34 out 58 member nations. FIL Director of Development Bob DeMarco said that both organizations were approved unanimously by the board.
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“We’re ecstatic to have Argentina as a full member. Argentina has set the model of how you advance the sport of lacrosse from inception to building into an organization and growing into an associate member to full membership.”

The World Games 2017 will be held in Wrocław, Poland 20–30 July. To celebrate this special event the Polish Postal Service issued a special commemorative stamp.
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Karol Tabaka, artistic creator of the commemorative stamp, used his design to depict three athletes - an American football player, a kick boxer and a speedway racing driver - all in motion. In doing so, he chose to display three of the four invitational sport disciplines (along with Indoor Rowing) chosen by the host city Wrocław to be added to the usual line of the Games’ sport disciplines. The First Day Issue envelope will also feature a picture of the newly renovated Olympic Stadium, host venue to American Football and Speedway.

Following the inaugural #67 Matches for Madiba soccer tournament powered by Discovery Soccer Park and sponsored by Octagon Chartered Accountants in honour of Mandela Day last year, these partners will again join forces in staging this event as part of efforts to do 67 minutes of good for Madiba.
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 #67 Matches for Madiba is a 67-match, five-a-side soccer tournament hosted on behalf of the Smile Foundation – the NGO established at the personal request of Madiba to help a young girl to smile again – with all funds raised going to assist children in Gauteng with facial anomalies in need of corrective surgery.

Discovery Communications and TIM have announced an Olympic Games partnership, bringing the games to more people across more screens. 
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The official mobile broadcaster designation gives TIM the exclusive opportunity to co-brand with the Olympic Rings and offer their customers a differentiated viewing experience with access to a 24/7 operator-branded linear news and highlights channel and exclusive short form content that will enable fans to follow their national heroes at home, online and on the go.

 “We don’t really set targets too much, it’s about getting as many runs as we can,” says Knight 
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Maiden centuries by Natalie Sciver and Heather Knight helped England post its highest-ever ICC Women’s World Cup total on way to beating Pakistan by 107 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) Method at the Grace Road in Leicester on Tuesday.

© AFP
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The new chairpersons of the independent Ethics Committee, Maria Claudia Rojas of the investigatory chamber and Vassilios Skouris of the adjudicatory chamber, have decided to publish the Report on the Inquiry into the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup Bidding Process (the so-called “Garcia Report”). 

​© Getty Images

• Action on the wings could be key during Germany-Mexico
• Captain Julian Draxler has been thriving in central role
• Mexico's familiarity may tip the balance

As the current kings of world football prepare to square up with CONCACAF's latest conquerors for a spot in the FIFA Confederations Cup Russia 2017 final, there will be plenty to catch the eye when Germany and Mexico step onto the field. 

Wheelchair Tennis South Africa (WTSA) are just four days away from hosting the two important international tournaments at Arthur Ashe Tennis Complex in Jabavu, Soweto and local stars are primed for the challenge.
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The Joburg Open, an International Tennis Federation (ITF) Level 2 event will kick start on Sunday, 2 July to 5 July in Jabavu and will be followed by Soweto Open, an ITF Futures tournament which will run from 7-10 July.