Gaby Ahrens spoke at the athletes ambassador workshop organised in association with the Nambia National Olympic Committee ©Getty Images
Former and current Olympians in Namibia have attended an athletes ambassador workshop that looks to improve on their media relations and personal brand building skills.
The event was held by the Namibia Athletes' Commission and Namibia Olympians Association, in conjunction with the Nambia National Olympic Committee (NNOC).
Among them was three-time sport shooting Olympian and chairperson of the Athletes' Commission, Gaby Ahrens, who spoke about the necessity for the workshop and how to deal with your mental health in relation to media presence.
Recently, Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka withdrew from the French Open due to mental health concerns, having previously stated she wished to not speak to the media during the event.

The state of emergency in Tokyo will end on June 20 ©Getty Images
Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has announced the state of emergency in Tokyo and eight prefectures will end as planned on June 20, nearly a month before the start of the Olympic Games.
Tokyo has been under state of emergency restrictions since April, which were introduced to help curb the spread of COVID-19.
The measures were originally scheduled to expire at the end of May, but were extended until June 20 to help continue a downward trend of cases.
The Aichi, Fukuoka, Kyoto, Hyogo, Hokkaido, Hiroshima, Okayama, Osaka and Okinawa prefectures have also been under the restrictions.
The state of emergency measures will conclude as planned on Sunday (June 20) in all but one of the prefectures.
Okinawa will remain under tighter restrictions until July 11.

The Minister of Youth & Sports, Hon. Mustapha Ussif on Tuesday had a fruitful discussion with the First Vice President of the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA), Dr. Henry Manly-Spain on the way forward to get more world champions for Ghana and to make lives of boxers and other sportsmen and women better.
He assured the GBA of total support and opportunity when the need arises, as he has come to make all disciplines vibrant and active.
The GBA First Vice President informed the Sports Minister about the impending elections and the need for Ghana to host some international boxing conventions to boast the economy and promote tourism.
He briefed the minister about the GBA TV coming up via traditional and new (social) media as well as involving gyms, coaches and boxers from other regions to move Ghana Boxing high.

The EP Queens and Cell C Sharks Women will kick off the Premier Division action on Saturday in Port Elizabeth at 12h00

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, June 17, 2021/ -- While the scramble for second place on the standings will be a big driving force for a few Women’s Premier Division teams this weekend as the competition enters round seven, the teams participating in Group 2 of the First Division will look to build momentum after kicking off their competition last week.

The EP Queens and Cell C Sharks Women will kick off the Premier Division action on Saturday in Port Elizabeth at 12h00, while the Boland Dames take on log-leaders, DHL Western Province, in the Western Cape derby in Wellington at 14h00, where the hosts will hope to create the upset of the season. Both matches will be streamed live on www.Springboks.rugby.

The main match-up of the round will play out at Loftus Versfeld where the Blue Bulls Women will go full-out to defeat the Border Ladies as they attempt to reduce the gap between the sides on the log with an eye on closing in on second place for a possible final berth. This match will be broadcast live on SuperSport Variety 4 at 13h00.

The two matches in the First Division will see the Pumas begin their campaign against the Valke in Standerton and the Leopards go up against the Limpopo Blue Bulls in Potchefstroom, with both encounters kicking off at 13h00.

​Through this partnership, Acronis and Resello will provide Team Qhubeka ASSOS with award-winning cyber protection technology
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, June 17, 2021/ --  Acronis (www.Acronis.com), a global leader in cyber protection and Team Qhubeka ASSOS (www.TeamQhubeka.com), Africa’s UCI WorldTour cycling team, today announced the Official Cyber Protection Partnership which will be supported by Pan-European cloud services distributor, Resello (www.Resello.com).

Through this partnership, Acronis and Resello will provide Team Qhubeka ASSOS with award-winning cyber protection technology.

“As a cycling team at the pinnacle of the sport we are a high-performance sporting organisation, but it’s our unique purpose that sets us apart as we race to change lives with bicycles.

“As an organization that races across the globe over 250 days a year we are constantly in motion; and by working together with Acronis and their distribution partner Resello, we have a great shared opportunity to showcase the ultimate in integrated data protection and cybersecurity solutions (https://bit.ly/3wDIc1Y).

“Our team is underpinned by the philosophy of Ubuntu – I am because we are – and this valued partnership is yet another opportunity to highlight the platform that our team is able to provide in making a meaningful, positive, impact in the world,” said Douglas Ryder, founder of Team Qhubeka ASSOS.

International Boxing Association (AIBA) set a prize fund of $320,000 USD for the medalists of the EUBC U22 European Boxing Championships, the first bouts of which start today. The finals, both men’s and women’s, are scheduled for June 24. 
The winners will receive $8,000 USD. For silver medalists, AIBA provides a prize of $4,000 USD, for both bronze medalists – $2,000 each. The awards are equal for both genders in all 10 weight classes.  

TOKYO (Japan) - Hosts Japan's women will face the Russian Olympic Committee in what will forever be remembered as the first-ever 3x3 game in Olympic history in Tokyo, Japan on July 24, 2021.

Launches fundraising campaign at the inaugural World Test Championship Final.The International Cricket Council (ICC) through its Cricket for Good initiative today launched a fundraising campaign to support UNICEF’s emergency COVID-19 response in South Asia. The campaign was launched at the inaugural World Test Championship Final being played in Southampton between India and New Zealand from June 18th and 22, 2021.
COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on South Asia, which is home to nearly 2 billion people, and more than a quarter of the world’s children. The sheer scale and speed of the latest surge of COVID-19 across the region has outstripped countries’ abilities to provide life-saving treatment and essential services.

London Marathon Events (LME) today (Thursday 17 June) announced Abbott, the global healthcare company, has extended its partnership with the event for another three years, from 2022 until 2024.
Abbott, a leader in Covid-19 testing technologies, has been an official sponsor of the London Marathon since 2015 and was instrumental in helping LME stage the elite races at the 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon on a bio-secure closed-loop circuit around St James’s Park. 
LME is continuing to work with Abbott to support the safe and successful delivery of the 2021 Virgin Money London Marathon. The event takes place on Sunday 3 October, when 50,000 people are expected to take on the traditional route from Blackheath to the Mall, while 50,000 take part virtually from wherever they are in the world, creating a historic total of 100,000 participants and the biggest marathon ever staged. It promises to be a spectacular and memorable 2021 Virgin Money London Marathon.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced a major long-term partnership with Upstox (aka RKSV Securities), one of India’s largest investment platforms. The association, which runs to the end of the ICC’s current commercial rights cycle, begins with the inaugural ICC World Test Championship Final between India and New Zealand starting tomorrow (18-23 June, Southampton, UK).

• The partnership will encompass all ICC events until the end of 2023

Established as RKSV securities in 2009, Upstox has grown rapidly over the years to become one of the largest online investment platforms in India. With 4 million+ customers onboarded, this collaboration with ICC will be pivotal in taking Upstox to the next phase of growth. Engaging with millennials has been the focus of Upstox’s strategy, as the brand continues to execute its vision of making financial investing easy, equitable, and affordable for all.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced today the details of its project to plant the “Olympic Forest” in Mali and Senegal, an element of the IOC’s climate-positive strategy.
​The project is a contribution to the Great Green Wall initiative, which restores degraded landscapes across Africa’s Sahel region. It will involve planting around 355,000 native trees across approximately 90 villages in Mali and Senegal – host of the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 – and will cover a combined area of around 2,120 hectares.
More than planting trees, the Olympic Forest will contribute to increasing the local communities’ food and economic security. The IOC will work hand in hand with local communities to ensure the Olympic Forest creates diverse social, economic and environmental benefits in an area which has experienced increased droughts and floods, leading to a steady degradation of land and sources of food.

The bright opening ceremony of the EUBC U22 European Boxing Championships was held in Roseto degli Abruzzi to mark the start of the tournament. The first fights are scheduled for today, June 17. 
Roseto Major Mr. Sabatino Di Girolamo and FPI Vice President Mr. Fabrizio Baldantoni greeted the participants and officials.
EUBC President Mr. Franco Falcinelli declared the tournament opened. 
'The EUBC U22 European Boxing Championship is a further testimony that our continent has shown great courage and a strong commitment that we will defeat the Covid-19 pandemic. There are 41 countries that have registered their boxers and we can expect a high number of participants: 211 men and 96 women,’ Mr. Falcinelli said.
‘From the 17th to 22nd of June boxing fans can follow the event on live streaming from the preliminary contests until the semi-finals while the finals will be broadcasted by the Italian National TV, RAI at the Palazzo dello Sport, Pala Maggetti of June 24,’ he mentioned.

​The Staff at Africa Sports Monthly names Walter Hodge of Egyptian sports giants Zamalek SC of the Basketball Africa League as the Athlete of the Month for June 2021 
 
Hodge who was named the MVP of the Inaugural Season of the Basketball Africa League was also named to the BAL 2021 first team, leading his team to an undefeated season of 6 wins averaging 15.5 Points, 5.7 Assists and 5.0 Rebounds Per Game.

​As the Track and Field season builds up and national trials ensue around the world to select teams that will be headed to Tokyo this summer for the Olympic Games, Blessing Okagbare of Nigeria who has been nothing but spectacular this season in a slew of performances gave Nigerians and Africans a reason to believe that finally an African Woman sprinter will be in contention for an individual 100 Meters Sprint Medal at the Olympics.
 
A 100 Meters Olympic Finals Medalist has been the most elusive for Africa in the history of the Olympics but reminiscent of a Usain Bolt like dominance of the 100 meters at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, perennial Nigerian and African Sprint Queen Blessing Okagbare stormed off the blocks leaving her competitors in her wake as if they themselves were spectators in awe at what they were seeing in front of them, in a race that will now go down in history as the most dominant 100 Meters sprint performance by a woman on African soil, stopping the clock at 10.62 seconds which was later rounded to 10.63 seconds.

The drama surrounding the match between the Leone Stars of Sierra Leone and the Squirrels of Benin in Conakry Guinea on June 15th 2021 is unlike any ever seen in Football in recent times. 
 
From Positive to Negative COVID tests to a rescheduling of the match that was supposed to have been played in March as one of the last of the qualifiers for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations slated to be hosted in Cameroon to the changing of venue to a neutral one, ended up being a spirit booster for Sierra Leoneans around the world courtesy of a lone Spot Kick by MLS Superstar Kei Kamara.
 
The encounter was a tight one as both sides brought their best to bear and seize the high ground to qualify their teams to the next edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, which will be held in Cameroon in 2022. 

Former World No. 1 Odunayo Adekuoroye laid down the marker in the 57kg class ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, impressively claiming gold at the Poland Open on a day her compatriot Blessing Oborududu won silver at the Ranking Series tournament in Warsaw.

In the qualification round, Commonwealth champion Adekuoroye took out Ukrainian Tetyana Kit 10-0 via technical superiority, before utterly destroying World and Olympic champion Helen Maroulis (USA) 13-0 in the quarter-finals in their first meeting since the 2018 Beat The Streets tourney in New York.

The 3-time World Championships medalist overcame Russian Valeria Zholobova 10-0 via superiority in the semi-finals to set up a final showdown against Iryna Kurachkina of Belarus.

Nigeria handball international goalkeeper Olatunde Adam has attributed hard work and determination as vital ingredients for his club's triumph at the Arab Handball Super Cup.

Olatunde Adams was on goal as his club Al Shamal of Qatar edged fellow Qatari club Al Gharafa with a slim 23-22 victory to lift the coveted regional cup

Adams, who last played for Nigeria at the All Africa Games in 2019, said the victory was important to him and his club because they were determined to secure a victory in the regional competition for their fans and family.

"It was a very important victory for us and fans who waited all along for us to win the trophy after placing 5th in the league". Adams told HFN Media

ABUJA, Nigeria – June 02, 2021: IBB International Golf and Country Club joined the network of the world’s golf community in celebration of women and girls in the sport with the 2021 Women’s Golf Day event in Abuja on June the 1st.
 
The event opened with an array of colourful appearances of women golfers.
 
Men golfers also came in show of support and solidarity for the women.
 
Attendees came in splashing colours of red tops on white pants with a red/white face-cap to the event organised by the Ladies Section of the club.