The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) Coordination Commission is set to visit Birmingham later this week with just over three years to go until the start of the 2022 Commonwealth Games. 

The Coordination Commission (CoCom) is responsible for delivery oversight of the Games. It is tasked with monitoring Games delivery to scope, schedule and budget with a focus on efficiency and effectiveness.
 
The CoCom will be held in Birmingham from 12-13 June. It will be their second visit to the West Midlands to look at preparations for the 2022 Commonwealth Games following the first in December 2018.
 
The CoCom is Chaired by Chris Jenkins, CGF Regional Vice-President for Europe and CEO of Commonwealth Games Wales.

The first Elgon Cup leg is on 22nd June in Kisumu and the return leg in Kampala Uganda on the 13th of July

NAIROBI, Kenya, June 10, 2019/ -- The provisional Kenya Lionesses 15s squad on duty this year has been named and it features a total of 40 ladies.

The ladies have been in session for the last one month preparing for Elgon Cup and the Rugby World Cup Qualifiers in August. As part of their preparation after World Rugby introduced the RWC Qualifiers tournament, the ladies started off with the three week long Aberdeen Shikoyi Franchise where for them to make the cut into the National 15s team, they had to participate in at least two legs.

Head Coach Felix Oloo started off with a 50-player squad which was then narrowed down to 40 after the first week of skills tests. Within the next three weeks, Oloo confirms that the performance has improved massively in the set pieces and in the backline.

More people run than do any other sport on the planet, but a trend towards sedentary lifestyles, particularly among young people, still threatens the health of our communities, IAAF CEO Jon Ridgeon warned in his opening address at the first IAAF Global Running Conference, in Lanzhou, China yesterday.
The three-day conference of 600 attendees, representing 100 IAAF Label races from around the world, is discussing the benefits that mass participation road races bring to host cities, the economic benefits to cities, the health benefits to participants and their demographics, as well as best practices for organising events in environmentally sustainable ways.

Captain of the Black Stars, Andre Ayew has assured Ghanaians the team will do everything possible to end the 37 years Africa Cup of Nations of no cup.
Speaking at the farewell dinner hosted by the President of Ghana, Nana Addo-Dankwah Akuffo-Addo, Ayew introduced his colleague players which did not include general captain Asamoah Gyan and vice-captain Kwadwo Asamoah who will join the team in Dubai
“I will like to say a big you to the team management who have hugely followed us, from the technical team to the big men, the Black Stars management, we have a tough discussion and you asked what we needed, what we wanted and his excellence you did everything possible for us.

Olympic Torchbearer application process and uniforms also revealed to eager public


The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) today unveiled the Olympic Torch Relay route over which the symbolic Olympic Flame will be proudly relayed to a huge number of local areas in Japan in the final 121 days culminating in the Olympic Games, igniting enthusiasm across Japan and around the world. Tokyo 2020 also unveiled the torchbearer uniforms, the Tokyo 2020 Torch Relay Background Music and the application guidelines for members of the public eager to participate as inspirational torchbearers in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch Relay.

Ghana president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has urged the Black Stars to win the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) to honour the nations 'Year of Return' slogan. 
The four-time champions are hoping to end a 37-year wait for a fifth title at the June 21 to July 19 championship in Egypt where they have been drawn against Cameroon, Benin and Guinea-Bissau in Group F. 
The president was speaking at a dinner on Thursday as the team prepared to depart for camping in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday. 
“Teamwork is at the heart of every success. Without it, you cannot succeed in football, and as it is, in every enterprise," President Akufo-Addo stated, as published on the Government of Ghana website.
“Teamwork means all of you have to work for each other. Religious, ethnic and other divisions do not advance teamwork.

The President of the Republic of Ghana, HE Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has assured the senior national football team, the Black Stars, of the unflinching support of government and the people of Ghana, ahead of their participation in the 2019 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
According to President Akufo-Addo “it sounds almost unbelievable when we think its 37 years since we last won it, especially since, from 2008 up to 2017 we hold the record of six consecutive semi-final appearances, which requires that we just need one more step to get over the barrier, and I think we are going to do it.”
The President made this known when the players, technical team and management committee members of the Black Stars called on him on Thursday, 30th May, 2019, at Jubilee House, to bid him farewell ahead of their final training tour in the United Arab Emirates and the 2019 AFCON.

MTN always seeks to promote a positive relationship between the brand and the customer by demonstrating unique understanding of customer need. 
At the launch of the MTN Skate Soccer in Kumasi, Mr. Simon Amoh, Senior Manager, General Trade of MTN Ghana said they appreciate the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of unique and creative people.
He said organising the Skate Soccer is one of such exciting ways to help the physically challenged while brightening their lives. 
“The story of these skaters are amazing and typically resonates with MTN’s Leadership and relationship values. We are inspired by the tenacity and strength of these people. More importantly, we hope that with the growth of this sport, other people will be attracted into the teams and it will keep them meaningfully engaged” he expressed,

Tokyo, 31 May 2019 – The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) today welcomed Yahoo Japan Corporation as a Tokyo 2020 Official Supporter, the third domestic tier of the Tokyo 2020 Sponsorship Programme.
The company has been attributed the category “Internet-based information and navigation services (including: Web/App or internet search engine systems and services, Internet-based navigation and mapping services, Online local directory services and Provision of weather/meteorology and disaster alert information services)”. Its addition brings the total number of Tokyo 2020 domestic partners to 63*, including 15 Gold Partners, 32 Official Partners and 16 Official Supporters (including one Official Supporter which sponsors only the Paralympic Games), all of whom will play vital roles in the successful delivery of the Games.

Odera is currently the Head Coach for Chipu – the Under 20 National Team that recently qualified for the JWRT for the second time

NAIROBI, Kenya, -- With the close of the regular fifteen a side season, the Kenya Rugby Union (www.KRU.co.ke) would like to announce the appointment of a technical team to manage The Simbas for the upcoming 2019 assignments.

Paul Odera comes in as Head Coach. Odera is currently the Head Coach for Chipu – the Under 20 National Team that recently qualified for the JWRT for the second time. First time was in 2009 when Kenya hosted the tournament. He holds a World Rugby Level 3 Coaching Certificate and is also a World Rugby Coach Educator.  He is a teacher at Peponi House Preparatory School.

His technical team shall comprise of Jimmy Mnene (Team Manager), Ben Mahinda (Team Physiotherapist), Edwin Boit (Team Analyst), Michael Owino (Strength and Conditioning Coach) and Albertus Van Buuren (Backs Coach).

Following on from a FIFA inspection visit to Brazil and further discussions with the Local Organising Committee (LOC), FIFA can today confirm that the FIFA U-17 World Cup Brazil 2019 will be played from 26 October until 17 November.
The venues and the full match schedule will be confirmed ahead of the draw, which has been scheduled for 11 July 2019 at the Home of FIFA in Zurich. Media representatives interested in attending the draw can email media@fifa.org. 
“Throughout the past years, Brazil has successfully hosted a variety of competitions, including the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics. We are convinced that Brazil’s event expertise, coupled with the unique football passion of their fans, will contribute to the success of the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2019. We would like to thank the CBF and all Brazilians who have embraced this tournament, demonstrating once more their unique love for the beautiful game,” says FIFA Deputy Secretary General (Football) Zvonimir Boban.

Character for one of Tokyo 2020’s four NIPPON Festival programmes conveys recovery and charm of Tohoku region to the world


The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) on Wednesday unveiled the design of a 12-meter-high puppet which will make appearances during one of the four main cultural programmes organised by Tokyo 2020 for the Cultural Olympiad. Puppets and mascots are popular symbols in Japanese culture, so Tokyo 2020 has created a giant puppet, named MOCCO, to symbolise the strength, resilience, and kindness of people in the disaster-affected Tohoku region. MOCCO will be displayed at multiple festivals in the region to collect messages written by local people, and eventually it will be taken to Tokyo with the messages. The initiative is expected to unite people affected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami and demonstrate to the world the charms of the Tohoku region, which is still recovering.

Offering traditional Kyoto craft products bearing Tokyo 2020 Olympic emblems


The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) today opened its first retail outlet in Kyoto. The city—Japan’s ancient capital, famous the world over—is one of Japan’s most popular destinations for overseas visitors, and offers an attractive mix of Japanese traditional culture and atmosphere. The new outlet is located inside Bic Camera, one of Japan’s best-known electronic goods shops, which is connected directly to JR Kyoto station, allowing visitors to easily stop by and purchase the products as souvenirs.

Trusted travel and tour company, Kenpong Travel and Tours has rolled out an attractive package for soccer fans and corporate entities intending to travel for this year’s Africa Cup of Nations( AFCON) in Egypt.
The package included; flight ticket, accommodation, internal transport, match tickets and visits to tourists sites for the Group matches, and as far as the Black Stars stay in the competition.
A release issued by Kenpong Communications, a subsidiary of the Kenpong Group stated that the package has been designed for corporate entities and supporters.

​ST PETERSBURG, FL, USA – Czech Republic’s Lucie Safarova retired from professional tennis today after playing her last match in the women’s doubles competition at Roland Garros. Partnering with Slovakia’s Dominika Cibulkova, the popular lefthander exited the Grand Slam stage in the first round at the hands of Sofia Kenin and Andrea Petkovic, 64 60. 

Safarova enjoyed an impressive career that saw her capture seven WTA singles titles and 15 WTA doubles titles, highlighted by five Grand Slam doubles trophies at the Australian Open (2015, 2017), Roland Garros (2015, 2017) and US Open (2016) alongside her longtime friend and doubles partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands. The pair were also finalists at the WTA Finals in 2016, while Safarova qualified in singles for the season-ending showpiece in 2015 in Singapore.

The Badminton Association of Ghana (BAG) has announced plans to begin a nationwide coaching and officiating course from Friday, June 21.
The exercise is to train more coaches and technical officials as part of its Badminton in Schools Programme.
The training programme is dubbed “Badminton in Schools National Coaching and Officiating Course” is a first level of coaching course.
According to BAG, the training programme is targeted at Physical Education (PE) teachers and technical officiating for anyone interested in developing a coaching and technical officiating career in badminton.
Mr. Evans Yeboah, in an interview with the GNA Sports said the training was under the Shuttle Time programme, which was aimed at developing the sport at the grassroot level.
“Shuttle Time is a comprehensive badminton Schools programme for primary and secondary schools in Ghana. Ghana Badminton Shuttle Time is the Badminton World Federation’s Schools/Clubs Badminton Programme.

​It seemed improbable and were considered a long shot by many basketball analysts and watchers to go all the way and win an NBA Championship when the 2018/19 season started, but that is exactly what they the Toronto Raptor did against all odds.
 
They defeated the defending NBA Champion, the Golden State Warriors in game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals to win their first ever NBA Franchise title.
 
Trading Demar DeRozan to the San Antonio Spurs and picking up a stud of a player in Kawhi Leonard the Toronto Raptors GM Masai Ujiri took a Gamble and today Thursday June 13th2019, everything came full circle for a Franchise that had been searching for a title and legitimacy as a contender, by winning against a resilient and seasoned NBA Championship Franchise in the Golden State Warriors with a final score of 114 – 110.

​Divine Oduduru representing the Red Raiders of Texas Tech University stamped his name in the annals of NCAA and Track and Field History on a steamy Friday evening in Austin Texas when he blew away the competition to take the Men’s Title in the 100 meters with a time of 9.86 seconds and a bit later on with a 19.73 seconds run in the 200 meters, lowering the Nigerian Record of 19.76 seconds which he had set a few weeks back when he broke the almost 20 years old 19.84 seconds record of Francis Obikwelu.

The 69th FIFA Congress convened today in Paris and, by acclamation, re-elected Gianni Infantino as the President of FIFA until 2023.
The ninth president in the history of the organisation was first elected at an Extraordinary Congress in February 2016 and now starts his first full four-year term of office after running unopposed and being elected by acclamation by FIFA’s 211 member associations.
“In just over three years, this organisation went from being toxic, almost criminal, to being what it should be: an institution that develops football,” said Infantino when addressing the Congress. “This new FIFA has a mission and a plan for it, which is why the next four years have, in fact, already started: we have laid solid building blocks for the future.”

The strategic partnership – the first of its kind in Africa and the Middle East - brings together two leading players in their respective fields providing customers with powerful turnkey solutions

LONDON, United Kingdom, June 3, 2019/ -- Getty Images (www.GettyImages.com), a world leader in visual communications, and APO Group (www.APO-opa.com), a leading media relations consultancy and press release distribution service, have announced a wide-reaching collaboration to promote integrated text, photo and video solutions to organizations operating across Africa and the Middle East.

• Tournaments to serve as test events for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™
• FIFA administration to recommend potential hosts of 2021 revamped edition at next Council meeting
• Amended regulations reinforce zero tolerance of racism and sexual abuse

In the lead-up to the 69th FIFA Congress and the opening of the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019™, the members of the FIFA Council convened in Paris today for meeting no. 10 of the decision-making body.
Following the approval of a revamped FIFA Club World Cup with 24 teams, the pilot edition of which will be played in 2021, the FIFA Council decided to award Qatar the right to host the next two editions of the tournament in its existing format in 2019 and 2020.

​A Few Days to FIFA’s 69thCongress and days before the kick off of the women’s World Cup in France the membership of Football World’s Governing body’s Council met to address a number of key items and key amongst that was lifting of the suspension of the ban of Sierra Leone in International football due to violations of its policies against government and political interference of its functions. In a release dated June 3rd2019 it stated;