Unified world lightweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko is prepared to contest one of boxing's biggest fights behind closed doors to ensure coronavirus does not rob him of a "dream" chance.

Lomachenko will defend his WBA, WBO belts and his WBC franchise title against IBF champion Teofimo Lopez.

The bout on 17 October is the biggest since the Covid-19 pandemic began.

Asked why hold it now without fans, Lomachenko told BBC Sport: "Because nobody knows when this finishes."

The 32-year-old Ukrainian added: "Because it is close to my goal, my dream. That's why I want to take this."

Lopez (right) is undefeated in 15 bouts and won the IBF lightweight title in December

​Portland Timbers midfielder Diego Valeri was voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Week for the 12th week of the 2020 MLS season.
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Valeri powered Portland to a dominant 6-1 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday behind two goals and an assist, the ninth regular season multi-goal performance of his MLS career. Valeri now has six goals and five assists in the 2020 regular season, each mark tied for sixth-most in the league, while his combined 11 goals and assists are tied for fifth-most. Portland is tied for fourth in the Western Conference standings with 18 points (5-4-3 overall record).  
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​DUBLIN, Ireland, September 22, 2020 -- Twenty-four winners confirmed across six men’s and women’s award categories; New Zealand men’s and women’s champions presented with series trophies; HSBC Dream Teams include a trio of New Zealand women and two Fiji and South Africa men; Ireland’s Jordan Conroy and New Zealand’s Stacey Fluhler named Gilbert Top Try Scorers; More than 2,000 fans vote to determine UL Mark of Excellence and Cigna Pressure Play award winners; Stats based Capgemini Momentum Tracker and DHL Impact Player award winners confirmed.


​World Rugby today confirmed the winners of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2020 Awards. The awards recognise and celebrate the players and teams who have performed at the highest level across the season.
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The Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad, first held in 1896, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once in four years.

Tokyo, the capital city of Japan, was announced to host the 29th Olympic Games - its second Summer Olympics - at the 125th IOC session in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

​(Un)fortunately Tokyo 2020, the biggest international multi-sport event originally slated for July 24 to the 9th of August 2020 had to be rescheduled to the 23rd of July through August 8 2021 due to the unprecedented and never projected COVID-19 pandemic.
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​The government has decided to cater for the Coronavirus testing of players and officials of clubs ahead of the return of the local league next month, the Presidential advisor on health Dr. Nsiah Asare has confirmed.

During an address to the nation on Sunday night on Covid-19 by H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, he announced that the restrictions on football have been lifted to allow clubs to commence training in anticipation to the start of the Premier League and the Division One League in October.

To ensure safety and avoid the spread of the Coronavirus disease, all players and officials of clubs will have to be tested before training resumes.
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​Duke Micah has vowed to do all within his power to become the latest Ghanaian to win a world boxing title and says his opponent in Saturday’s world title showdown, John Riel Casimero, is one of the best fighters in the division ahead of their slugfest on September 26.

Micah, who is undefeated in 24 fights, is hopeful of bringing home the WBO bantamweight title by wresting it from his Filipino opponent - who has been a champion in three divisions - when they slug it out in Connecticut on Showtime’s Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) pay per view card.
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The 29-year-old Ghanaian’s maiden world title fight will be one of five world championship bouts on the night, with the Charlo twins, Jermall and Jermell, set to headline the bill with separate fights.

​Female footballer, Alberta Yawo Ahialey is always willing to play, but petty injuries have hidden her from reaching where she desires, but now she wants to step up the level of bravery and leap to the domain of fame, fortune, favour and flavour.

She was born into a sports family to parents who are top sports personalities, Mercy Addy aka ‘Shower’ - an athlete - and Steve Dotse, a boxer; both performed well at national and international levels.

After experiencing professional football in Portugal at Sporting Braga and Atlhletico Ouriense in the last three years, she feels matured to move on to bigger challenges and opportunities.
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​Kudus Mohammed made his official debut for Ajax in their 3-0 thrashing of Waalwijk at the Johan Cruijff Arena on Sunday, in the Dutch Eredivisie.
 
The youngster who joined Ajax this summer for €9m from Nordsjælland and watched Ajax’s first game against Sparta Rotterdam on the bench made his first official appearance against Waalwijk on Sunday.
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​The president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Mr. Ahmad Ahmad has expressed his condolences on the demise of over seven young footballers in a fatal motor accident which occurred in the Ashanti Region of Ghana.

In a letter addressed to the president of the GFA, CAF President Ahmad Ahmad, said “I am shocked and saddened to learn of the deaths of six young sons of our great Football family who died following a car accident on Saturday”.

​​“I hasten to extend to you, on behalf of all the members of the CAF Executive Committee, the sincerest condolences and I wish a speedy recovery to the injured”, the CAF president stated in the letter which was sent on Sunday.

President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo has lifted the ban on contact sports, paving the way for the resumption of competitive football activities in Ghana. The President said this on Sunday, September 20, 2020 during his update number 17 on measures taken against the spread of Corona Virus.
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President Akufo-Addo has declared that the football leagues in the country can resume on October 30, 2020.

This comes after six months break due to the Coronavirus outbreak which led to the cancellation of the 2019/20 league season.
In the president’s 17th address since the lockdown, the football fraternity will be allowed to train for the first time in months as the government steadily eases restrictions on contact sports in the nation.

According to President Akufo-Addo, the progressive easing of restrictions has led the government to allow the resumption of training in all contact sports, taking into consideration the imminent participation of “our national teams in international competitions. Indeed, some national teams have already been given the dispensation to begin training, ahead of their international engagements. All sports people, who are camped, are to be tested regularly.”
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There is a group of female athletes banned from participating in official sports competitions because they have natural testosterone levels above average. Considered by some specialists as a sign of intolerance, prejudice and lack of empathy, this norm has prematurely ended the career of dozens of athletes and nowadays threatens the journey of several runners, including the three women who won medals in the 800m competition in Rio 2016 Olympic Games: Francine Niyonsaba from Burundi, Margaret Wambui from Kenya and the twice Olympic champion Caster Semenya from South Africa, whose appeal has recently been denied by the Swiss Supreme Court and who will only be able to compete if she takes medication to lower her testosterone levels. Male athletes are not limited by a natural testosterone level to compete.
 
The defeat of the South African athlete in the Swiss Court is the last episode of a long history. Being one of the top names in the world’s track and field competitions, Caster was banned by the World Athletics (WA), former International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), from defending her title in Tokyo 2020. The Federation said she could only take part if she took hormone suppressants. The case recalls the “nude parades” from the 1960s when female competitors had to take a humiliating biological sex test.
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The Official Mascot of the FIFA Futsal World Cup Lithuania 2021™ danced his way into fans’ hearts and onto social media today, 21 September 2020. Ivartito showed his moves and his personality in a digital launch featuring choreography by a local dance studio. The young stork’s youthful enthusiasm shined as he danced around the three host cities: Vilnius, Klaipeda, and Kaunas, making stops at the dramatic Gediminas Castle, a picturesque Baltic Sea beach, and Nemunas Island, in the heart of Kaunas.
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As mascot, Ivartito is an advocate for the tournament and the sport, bringing openness and passion to everything he does. His friendly nature makes him a great team player and his name – taken from the Lithuanian word for goal “įvartis” – is a nod to the fast-paced, high-scoring nature of futsal. The stork has been the national bird of Lithuania since 1973 and is a symbol of the country’s ecological diversity and natural beauty. Storks are also thought to bring harmony, happiness, and luck.
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The International Cricket Council (ICC) today launched the tender process for the appointment of both a Host Country Merchandise Licensing Partner and an Online Merchandise Licensing Partner for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.

Both events will be hosted in India and the ICC would like to invite interested and qualified applicants to deliver a ‘turnkey’ solution to offer fans in India and around the world to purchase official ICC event branded products in the lead up to and during the events.
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 PARIS, France, September 21, 2020/ -- The final stage of the 2020 Tour de France saw the traditional finish on the Champs-Élysées end with fireworks as Sam Bennett (DQT) claimed victory on the famous cobbled finale. NTT Pro Cycling’s (www.NTTProCycling.com) Max Walscheid was 10th concluding his debut Tour de France.
 
Earlier on in the day, Team UAE celebrated their success taking in the gathered crowds along the run in to Paris, as Tadej Pogacar’s claimed overall victory in an enthralling edition of the Tour.
 
For NTT Pro Cycling it was an eventful race, as we finished twice on the podium and scored numerous top-10 finishes but also suffered from injuries in the early stages. Sprinter Giacomo Nizzolo had a mishap on the opening stage finishing in the minor places when he looked destined to challenge for the victory, and followed it up with a third place on stage three in Sisteron. While climber Domenico Pozzovivo was cruelly taken out in a crash on the opening stage, after striking a fan, and amazed us all with his resilience to fight through to the first rest day before eventually being forced to abandon the race, and hopes of a strong showing on the general classification.

Super Eagles’ Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr has called up 25 players ahead of next month’s friendly matches against the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire and the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia, scheduled for Austria. Five other players have been put on standby.
 
In the three –time African champions’ first games this year, as a result of the prolonged global coronavirus pandemic, Rohr has listed top names Ahmed Musa, Kenneth Omeruo, William Ekong and Wilfred Ndidi, as well as new brooms Frank Onyeka and Chidera Ejuke.

The ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of a mini-stadium in Birnin Kebbi, capital of Kebbi State on Monday turned out a very colourful event, as Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu led top officials of his administration to the site of the project powered by world football –governing body, FIFA and enabled by the Nigeria Football Federation.
 
Governor Bagudu, his deputy, Colonel Samaila Yombe-Dabe (Rtd), members of the State executive council, permanent secretaries and special advisers joined the representative of the NFF President, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, a couple other NFF officials and the contractors to set off the project.

The Rugby Federation of Libya under the presidency of Mustapha Hoty inaugurates today their first state-of-the-art rugby stadium at the university of Benghazi, home to 150,000 students of which 2,000 are studying sports. The modern facility complies with international standards and will facilitate trainings and the organisation of national as well as international competitions in Libya in the future.
 
The project has been a team effort of everyone involved, namely the Ministry of Youth and Sports and National Olympic Committee of Libya, and all the individual contributions. Managers, trainers, referees and officials have all invested their time and resources extensively to make the construction of the stadium possible.

Britain’s Lauren Price and Pat McCormack have been ranked as the number one boxers in their weight divisions as the countdown continues to the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

The latest update to the world rankings has placed seven members of the GB Boxing team in the top five in their weight class.

GB Boxing says the rise of Price and McCormack reflects their achievements over the past two years, with both boxers having secured a medal at every major tournament they have taken part in during the period.

Ashley Broadley, PA Media head of sport, is the new chair of the Sports Journalists’ Association. He takes over from co-chairs Andy Elliott and Janine Self.

The association also has a new secretary, long-serving committee member Philip Barker replacing Nick Townsend after four years in the job.
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The changes were made at the annual general meeting, which had been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic and which was held via Zoom.

Teofimo Lopez doesn’t like the arrogant attitude that he sees from Vasily Lomachenko. He doesn’t want to EVER hear his name again in his presence after he whips him next month on October 17th.

Teofimo (15-0, 12 KOs) intends on knocking WBA/WBC/WBO lightweight champion Lomachenko (14-1, 10 KOs) off his high horse and teach him some humility along the way after he finishes dealing with him.

IBF lightweight champion Lopez and Lomachenko, 32, are set to fight on regular ESPN and ESPN Deportes on October 17th at ‘The Bubble’ at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada Although the fight has been advertised as being for the undisputed 135-lb championship, it falls short of that.
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Ben Fokou Head Coach of the national under-17 team, the Black Starlets, has said, he is convinced the team will excel with the right approach to planning and hard work.
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The Starlets, two-time World Champions, resumed camping on Thursday, September 17, to begin preparation for the 2020 WAFU U-17 Cup of Nations scheduled for Benin from October 17-31, 2020.
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CAPE TOWN, South Africa, September 18, 2020/ -- Excitement in the air as Springbok Women mark one year to go to RWC; Laurian Johannes to join Springbok Women at RWC as coaching intern.
 
Springbok Women’s coach Stanley Raubenheimer and key players, Nolusindiso Booi (lock) and Zintle Mpupha (centre), expressed their excitement about the 2021 Rugby World Cup on Friday as they celebrated exactly one year to go to the kick-off of the international showpiece in New Zealand.
 
It was an equally big day for South Africa U20 Women’s coach, Laurian Johannes, who made history last year by becoming the first female head coach of a South African national rugby team, as she was unveiled as the team’s coaching intern for the RWC in line with World Rugby’s commitment to supporting the development of female coaches.

​LAUSANNE, Switzerland, September 18, 2020 -- AIPS (https://www.AIPSmedia.com) is delighted to present its new digital initiative. From September 28th to 29th, the International Sport Press Association will be holding the conference entitled “Racism and Discrimination in Sport”, with the purpose of discussing the most pressing topics related to discrimination within the sporting framework.

The two-day conference will cover different areas starting from some historical anecdotes of racial discrimination in sport. Thanks to the expertise and competence of some of the most inspiring personalities in the international sports panorama, we will be also treating the way sports media and governing bodies deal with racism and discrimination, as well as the implications of the gender issue. ​
 
FORMAT The conference will take place on Zoom.us, in line with AIPS’ previous positive experiences on the platform. For each day of the conference, the panels will last around 120 minutes. English will be the language of the event, but participants will have access, once again, to the simultaneous interpreting service Interprefy, which will offer translations in Spanish, French and Arabic.
 
OPENING AIPS Gianni Merlo will give the opening speech, while Secretary General Jura Ozmec will be the moderator for the duration of the event.
 
SPEAKERS Journalists, athletes and administrators have been invited to share the virtual stage on September 28-29, in an effort to build a comprehensive and influential dialogue which reflects AIPS’ long-lasting commitment to connect journalism and sport in the purest forms, free from prejudice. ​

The National Sports Authority(NSA) Boss, Prof Peter Twumasi, disclosed that the Government of Ghana will assist teams  participating in the Africa Inter Club Continental competition.

Asante Kotoko and Ashanti Gold will represent the Country in this seasons CAF Champions League and CAF Confederations league respectively.
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