News - AFRICAN SPORTS MONTHLY

No change at the top as Germany crowned Team of the Year

12/22/2017

Germany are the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking’s latest ‘Team of the Year’, having ended 2017 atop the global ladder.

The world champions, who qualified to defend their crown in Russia by winning all ten of their qualifiers and have been unbeaten in 15 matches in 2017, succeed Argentina and Belgium, who were ‘Team of the Year’ in 2016 and 2015 respectively. Germany held on to top spot in a largely unchanged Ranking that reflects the fact that just 41 ‘A’ internationals have been played since the previous edition, and that few of those involved teams at the top end of the table.

Massive impact for FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifiers, the unprecedented centrally managed worldwide sports competition

12/22/2017

MIES - Fans showed up in big numbers at venues on all five continents to see their national teams play during the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Qualifiers and many more watched on television or the internet.

A total of 72 national teams worldwide combined to play 76 games during the November 2017 window of the first-ever FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifiers, arguably sport's biggest uniquely centrally managed worldwide competition.

A historical two day FIFA Professional football conference concluded in Cairo, Egypt

12/22/2017

Egyptian capital Cairo hosted a historical event, when FIFA organized a Professional Football Conference in collaboration with Confederation Africaine de Football (CAF) on 19 and 20 December 2017.

EuroCup Women Round of 16 pairings confirmed

12/22/2017

MUNICH, Germany (EuroCup Women) – The field for the EuroCup Women Round of 16 has been set, following the completion of Play-Off Round 1 on Thursday night.

With the top-eight ranked teams from the Regular Season qualified directly for the Round of 16, the remaining eight teams were decided in a home-and-away play-off series.

FIFA Appeal Committee reduces the sanction imposed on Paolo Guerrero to a six-month suspension

12/22/2017

© Getty Images

On 20 December 2017, the FIFA Appeal Committee decided to partially uphold the appeal lodged by the Peruvian international player Paolo Guerrero. The decision rendered by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee on 7 December suspending the player for one year was therefore partially set aside and the initial period of ineligibility of one year imposed against the player has been reduced to six months.

IOC sanctions one athlete for failing anti-doping tests at Vancouver 2010

12/22/2017

The protection of clean athletes and the fight against doping are top priorities for the International Olympic Committee (IOC), as outlined in Olympic Agenda 2020, the IOC's strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement.

The re-analysis of samples from the Olympic Games Vancouver 2010 followed an intelligence-gathering and risk-assessment process that started in January 2017 in consultation with WADA and the International Federations. The process is now completed, ahead of the statute of limitations for the samples collected, expiring in February 2018.

Initial List of 2018 adidas MLS Player Combine Invitees Announced

12/22/2017

Invited players to showcase their talents in front of all 23 MLS clubs in Orlando

NEW YORK (Thursday, Dec. 21, 2017) – Major League Soccer today announced the initial 60 NCAA DI college players invited to participate in the 2018 adidas MLS Player Combine. Top collegiate players from across the country will showcase their talents in front of representatives from all 23 MLS clubs in Orlando, FL from Jan. 11-17, 2018. All invited players will be eligible for selection in the 2018 SuperDraft presented by adidas which will take place on Friday, Jan. 19 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia in conjunction with the United Soccer Coaches Convention.

ICC announces Women's ODI and T20I teams of the Year

12/22/2017

India’s Ekta Bisht only player to feature in both the sides.

Heather Knight and Stafanie Taylor named ODI and T20I captains, respectively
Fans can now vote for the ICC Fans Moment of the Year by clicking here

The International Cricket Council today announced the women’s ODI and T20I teams of the year with England’s Heather Knight named as captain of the 50-over side and Stafanie Taylor of the Windies appointed captain of the 20-over side.

ICC U19 Cricket World Cup has a rich history

12/22/2017

The tournament has developed into an elegant event that showcases the best of the next generation.

Australia and India have won the tournament a maximum of three times each but many other sides too have a lot to look back upon with pride
Former Pakistan leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed on the inaugural 1988 event: “When you start representing your country, you remember everything, when the dream is coming true. I remember every guy who played with me or against me”
South Africa batsman Hashim Amla on 2002 event: There are a few players that I have played with in the South African (U19) team that I managed to (also) play for South Africa afterwards and that experience was hugely beneficial”

FIFA announces award of media rights in Russia and Italy for 2018 FIFA World Cup

12/22/2017

© Getty Images

FIFA has completed deals in Russia and Italy for media rights to the 2018 FIFA World Cup™.
In Russia, rights have been granted to the 2SPORT2 consortium (representing Channel One, RTR, and Match TV), which will ensure comprehensive coverage of the competition in the host country.

IAAF strengthens senior management team heading into 2018

12/22/2017

The IAAF has made three key senior management hires as the international federation ends a strong year for the sport.

Four major championships in 2017 culminated with a World Championship in London, which recorded the greatest number of athletes, the highest level of performances and largest stadium audiences ever seen across the event’s 16 editions.

China announced as host for the next two editions of the FIVB Women’s Club World Championship

12/22/2017

From left to right: Zhejiang Sports Bureau chairman Sun Guangming, FIVB President Dr. Ary S. Graça F° and President of the Eventcourt Board of Directors Stav Jacobi

Lausanne, Switzerland, December 20, 2017 – The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) and Eventcourt are pleased to award the Province of Zhejiang the right to host the next two editions of the FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship in 2018 and 2019.

IOC sanctions 11 Russian athletes as part of Oswald Commission findings

12/22/2017

Tatyana Ivanova in Photo

Today, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has published 11 new decisions from the Oswald Commission hearings, which are being conducted in the context of the Sochi 2014 forensic and analytic doping investigations.
As a result, the following Russian athletes have been sanctioned:

WRF launches Indoor World Championship

12/21/2017

The World Rowing Federation, FISA, will hold its first Indoor World Championships next year as part of plans to capitalize on the growing interest in the discipline.

The event will take place on February 17-18 in the US city of Alexandria, Virginia. World Rowing has launched the event in partnership with US Rowing, exercise equipment manufacturer Concept2 and the organising committee of the local Erg Sprints event. Erg Sprints is a series of indoor rowing competitions staged around the world.

Zouita named FIBA Africa Champions Cup 2017 MVP, headlines All-Star Five

12/21/2017

Association Sportive de Salé v Etoile Sportive Radès, 2017 FIBA Africa Champions Cup for Men - Final Round, Rades - Salle Multidisciplinaire de Radès(TUN), Final, 20 December 2017

RADES (FIBA Africa Champions Cup 2017) – With an impressive performance which led to his team, Association Sportive Sale of Morocco winning the FIBA Africa Champions Cup for the first time in the club history, forward Abdelhakim Zouita was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) and also made the All-Star five list.

NBA announces new partner and global tournament

12/21/2017

The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced the Jr. NBA World Championship, a first-of-its kind global youth basketball tournament for the top boys and girls teams ages 14 and under from around the world.

Olympics Will fight to the end for justice

12/21/2017

It has emerged from the corridors of Great Olympics that the Club's top hierarchy are bent on clawing points due them from the GFA board room.

The club's officials have cited the Olympics-Elmina Sharks as well as the Olympics-Bechem United games which both fielded unqualified players as instances that will hand them legitimate points due them avoid relegation

The Dolihos Ultra runs 255km from Delphi to Olympia

12/21/2017

Photo credit: Dolihos Organisers

Any runner with a desire to run a long distance race in Greece has a range of choices, all with historic roots. The Athens Marathon is where the famous test of endurance began, giving rise to the first race of its kind when the modern Olympic era began with the 1896 Games and it takes place to this day, every November, on the original course. The Spartathlon is for devotees who might regard a marathon as a gentle warm-up: a classic ultra distance event from Athens to Sparta, held over 246 kilometres every September. But next year will bring the seventh edition of another Greek race which has the potential to develop to the level of international renown held by the Spartathlon, although it is at present relatively unknown. The Dolihos combines the ancient sites of Delphi and Olympia and with a length of 255 kilometres is even longer than its more established counterpart, the Spartathlon.

SA Rugby gets Consolation

12/21/2017

South African Rugby is set for a R330m windfall from the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.

France was surprisingly awarded hosting rights - despite World Rugby recommending South Africa hold the tournament - it was revealed they had promised the highest financial return of £350m (R6 billion) to the sport's governing body.

Sports: Torbo MP Hon. Anim Commends Media For Bringing Ideas On OlympAfrica Conceptual Plan

12/21/2017

Member of Parliament for Torbo Amasaman Constituency, Hon. Moses Anim has commended the sports media for supporting the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) in its ambition to develop and bring to life the proposed site for the OlympAfrica Sports Complex.

MTN GHANA WINS PR ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR – TELECOMMUNICATIONS

12/21/2017

MTN Ghana has emerged the PR organization of the year in the telecommunications sector for the third consecutive time at the just ended 6th IPR awards in Accra. The event was organized under the theme “Deriving Value from Values.”

At the same event, MTN Ghana was also adjudged the best in non-profit communication and the best in crisis and issues management. The IPR Excellence Awards aims at honouring and generating public recognition for the achievements and positive contributions of Public Relations units in their organisations. It was also instituted to promote professionalism in the practice of PR in Ghana.

ManCity to launch soccer school in China

12/21/2017

Premier League leaders Manchester City have partnered with Beijing-based Kaiwen Academy to open a new soccer school in China.

The Kaiwen Manchester City Football School, which will launch in September 2018, will be led by City Football Schools coaches in order to provide Chinese students with an experience which replicates the training philosophy used for the top-flight English club’s first team and academy sides.

Williams renews with AccorHotels

12/21/2017

Tennis player Serena Williams has partnered with Accorhotels for a third consecutive year.

Williams, who has won an Open-era record 23 Grand Slam singles titles, will once again be the hotel chain’s official ambassador for the first Grand Slam of the season, the Australian Open.

IOC launches anti-corruption taskforces

12/21/2017

International Olympic Committee (IOC) with its other international partners has established three new task forces in an attempt to deal with corruption in sports.

These task forces will work towards, reducing the risk of corruption in procurement relating to sporting events and infrastructure; ensuring integrity in the selection of major sporting events, with an initial focus on managing conflicts of interest; and optimising the processes of compliance with good governance principles to mitigate the risk of corruption.

MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER AWARDS EXPANSION CLUB TO NASHVILLE

12/21/2017

NASHVILLE – (Wednesday, December 20, 2017) – Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber today announced that the historic and culturally dynamic city of Nashville, Tennessee has been awarded an MLS expansion club.

Nashville’s MLS team will be owned by the investment group, Nashville Soccer Holdings, LLC, led by John R. Ingram, the chairman of Ingram Industries Inc. Ingram’s partners in the soccer club include Minnesota Vikings owners Mark, Zygi and Leonard Wilf, and the Turner Family, managing partners of Nashville-based MarketStreet Enterprises.