• Hosts England and Wales live up to Duke of Sussex promise for the tournament to deliver a celebration of cultural diversity 
• Over 320,000 tickets had been bought by fans of South Asian teams, highest for any cricket event held in England and Wales
• 95 per cent of tickets had been sold across all 48 matches with over 35 per cent of buyers from England and Wales experiencing cricket for the first time 
• Steve Elworthy, the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Tournament Director, said: "When we started planning the CWC in 2014 we set out an ambition to be one of the most inclusive and diverse World Cups in the history of the event - and we have delivered.”

The Duke of Sussex promised on the opening day of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2019 that England and Wales would provide a celebration of cultural diversity - and the tournament has more than lived up to the promise.
In his inspiring opening address at The Oval, The Duke of Sussex said that 'teams would feel as though they were playing in front of a home crowd every time they take to the field'.
Players, coaches, administrators and commentators alike have rejoiced at the most diverse ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in history - with fans providing a blaze of colour and a cacophony of noise at the packed matches in the Group Stages and semi-finals.

As the curtains close on the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019™, a new FIFA/Coca-Cola Women’s World Ranking order has been established.
It will come as no surprise that back-to-back champions USA (1st, unchanged) have strengthened their position at the very top, defeating four fellow top-six nations in the process to extend their lead to 121 points over Germany (2nd, unchanged) in what is the largest gap in the ranking’s history.
Runners-up the Netherlands (3rd, up 5) are the biggest movers within the top ten after their Cinderella run to the final in what was only their second-ever participation in the world finals. The Oranje Leeuwinnen’s ranking of third is the country’s best-ever position.
Sweden’s (6th, up 3) bronze-medal finish at France 2019 sees them make the second-highest move within the top ten and return to the top six for the first time in over two years.

Nigerian and African football legend Nwankwo Kanu says that football in the continent has greatly improved since his playing days, crediting the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for the efforts they have put in to help grow the game.
Kanu is in Egypt as one of the African legends grazing the 2019 Total Africa Cup of Nations and the former striker, a two time Africa footballer of the year and AFCON finalist with Nigeria in 200 sat down with Cafonline.com for a brief chat.
Cafonline: How would you compare football now to your days?
Kanu: A lot of things have changed since the time I was playing. The CAF we knew before was not the same we know now. The stadia have also greatly developed. The technology has already grown and it is not like in our days where there were no social platforms to follow up the players and the competition.

Sankofa Radio, a Ghanaian-oriented radio station in the United States of America (USA) has been adjudged best online radio at the 2019 Ghana Entertainment Awards USA.
Ghana Entertainments Awards (GEA) was established two years ago to showcase the achievements of Ghanaian creatives and entertainers who are excelling in their craft both within and outside Ghana.
A full list of winners of this year’s edition of GEA held July 29 in New York is available at www.ghentawards.com.
Virginia-based Sankofa Radio beat a host of other stations for the Best Radio in USA category. CEO and Founder of Sankofa Nana Yaw Darko aka DJ RAS told TheAfricanDream.net that “there were 6 other nominees in the category, all of whom are doing a great job. Sankofa is therefore deeply humbled to have climbed to the top, which is why I wish to express my deepest appreciation for this honor done us.“

MTN Mobile Money Limited has handed over a brand new Hyundai i10 salon car to Madam Rebecca Tsotsoo Quaye, a 70 year old trader from Dansoman for emerging the customer with the highest number of MoMo transactions for the month of June 2019 in the MTN MoMo @ 10 promotion. 
The presentation ceremony, which was held at the MTN House in Accra saw other top users receiving prizes such as Samsung 45, 49, 60 and 65 inches smart television sets and e-cash prizes ranging from GHS 1,000 to GHS 3,000.  
An elated Madam Rebecca Tsotsoo Quaye expressed her appreciation to MTN for acknowledging and rewarding her patronage of the service. She urged all customers to use MoMo primarily for the safety and convenience one can enjoy. An excited audience made up of MTN officials and other prize winners welcomed her with applause as she received the keys to the car. 
Addressing the audience at the event, Mr. Eli Hini, General Manager of MTN Mobile Financial Services expressed his appreciation to customers for their loyalty to MTN MoMo over the 10 year journey and also congratulated the winners for believing in MTN to deliver on its promise.

The Hungarian ambassador to Ghana Andreas Szabo on Tuesday marked the arrival of Teqball in the country with a presentation of teqball table to the Ghana Teqball Federation.
The event which was also served as a media-launch of the sporting discipline was attended by the GTF President, Kofi Poku, CEO of Dreams FC Kurt Okraku, former Ghana striker Augustine Arhinful and some bigwigs from the football fraternity.
Addressing the gathering, the Andreas Szabo said that the new sport will aid the refinement, honing and development of skills of footballers in the country.
“We want to launch this new sport in Ghana for two purposes. First is that this table was invented in order to enhance skills for young footballers. We all know that Ghana is a football superpower and this table can help the players develop their skills”. All over Europe big clubs have it and they use it for their players”.

African Games Round 1 Justifier Results
The 12th African Games will take place from 19th to 31st August 2019 in Rabat, Morocco. The African Games serves as a platform for athletes in Africa to compete and win laurels. In readiness towards the African Games, the Ghana Table Tennis Association has started a justify your inclusion tournament of top Table Tennis players in the country. 
The justifies, are in three stages, the group stage, which commenced on 3rd and concluded on 4th July 2019, the round robin stage, which commences from the 10th to 12th of July 2019 and the final stage which would commence from 17th to 18th July 2019.
3rd July saw thirty two male and eighteen female players parade the Hathiramani sports hall for what turned out to be a festival of Table Tennis. Our spot light was on the junior players who participated in the World and African Junior Cadets competition held in the Trust Emporium, in Accra Ghana.
The national under 21 champion, Emmanuel Ofori was one of the junior players who qualified from the group stages after two days of justifies. He played arguable the point of the justifies thus far when, he dispatched Enerst Mawutor Quarcoo by three games to one (3 : 1), in a match which was characterized by long rallies from both players.

CEO Jon Ridgeon has committed the IAAF to doing its part to address a slide in global sports participation which is endangering the health of future generations and of organised sport.
In a keynote address to the Sports Decision Makers Summit in London on Wednesday (10), Ridgeon said he was shocked by some of the recent research on general sports participation among children and young people and declared that the IAAF was ideally placed to be part of the solution.
He said the latest evidence, which showed that 81 percent of adolescents aged between the ages of 11 and 17 fell below the World Health Organisation’s recommended minimum of physical activity to maintain good health, was a call to arms for all sports federations.
The WHO recommends that each person should do at least two and half hours of moderate activity a week (20 minutes a day), or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week (ten minutes a day).
Ridgeon urged other sports organisations to join the IAAF in fighting for the future health of the global population.

The Estádio Bezerrão in Brasília (Gama) will make football history on 26 October when it hosts the opening match of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, the first-ever edition of this prestigious tournament to be staged in Brazil. The competition has previously served as a springboard for an array of world stars, such as Gianluigi Buffon, Francesco Totti, Ronaldinho, Xavi, Toni Kroos and Neymar.
The other tournament venues will be Goiânia’s Estádio Olímpico and Estádio da Serrinha, as well as the Estádio Kléber Andrade in Vitória (Cariacica), in line with FIFA and the LOC’s commitment to bringing the excitement of the FIFA U-17 World Cup to local communities that have never before hosted a FIFA event.

FIFA and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) are delighted to unveil the Official Emblem of the FIFA U-17 World Cup Brazil 2019. The emblem launch further whets appetites ahead of the draw, which will take place at the Home of FIFA in Zurich tomorrow, 11 July at 15:00 CET and will be live‑streamed on FIFA’s YouTube channel.
The emblem takes its inspiration from the country’s rich history and diverse landscapes, with a variety of distinctive elements coming together to form the shape of the tournament trophy. The base evokes the lush green of Brazil’s natural scenery. Sweeping vegetation leads the viewer’s eye past the intense reds of the Brazilian soil and yellowy orange of the country’s world‑famous gemstones towards a celebratory figure. That figure, in turn, reaches towards a ball, the design of which is inspired by the iconic curved columns of Brasília cathedral, a masterpiece by renowned Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer.

A record number of people are playing rugby worldwide as the sport continues to grow and prosper in Africa and across the globe

DUBLIN, Ireland, -- 9.6 million players globally, including a 28 per cent rise in registered female players; More than one million registered players in Africa – up 26 per cent since 2017; Over 2.2 million girls and boys participated in Get Into Rugby around the world in 2018; South Africa tops global table for Get Into Rugby participation; Burkina Faso newest addition to World Rugby’s (https://www.World.Rugby/) global family.

A record number of people are playing rugby worldwide as the sport continues to grow and prosper in Africa and across the globe, according to the World Rugby Year in Review 2018 (http://bit.ly/2XSDBL4).

The sport’s unprecedented growth continued in 2018 with 9.6 million men, women and children playing the game around the world. This includes 2.7 million women, up 10 per cent on the previous year and accounting for more than a quarter of the total global playing population. In Africa alone, the number of registered players topped one million (1,004,674), an increase of 26 per cent since 2017 as the sport continues to thrive on the continent.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed the appeal filed by the Albanian football club Klubi Sportiv Skënderbeu against the decision issued by the UEFA Appeals Body on 26 April 2018 (the “Challenged Decision”), which confirmed the decision issued on 29 March 2018 by the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (the UEFA CEDB) which found KSSkënderbeu responsible for various match-fixing activities and excluded the club from participating in the UEFA Club Competitions for which it would qualify during the next ten years, and ordered the club to pay a fine of EUR 1,000,000.

Referee Melissa Borjas awards France a penalty after a VAR review during the FIFA Women's World Cup France 2019 group A match between Nigeria and France at Roazhon Park on June 17, 2019 in Rennes, France. Photo by Catherine Ivill - FIFA via Getty Images
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A few days after French referee Stephanie Frappart blew the final whistle at the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019, FIFA reflected with satisfaction on the performance of the referees and how the implementation of Video assistant referee (VAR) had contributed to the resounding success of refereeing at the event.
The Chairman of FIFA’s Referees Committee, Pierluigi Collina, highlighted the good work done by the FIFA Refereeing department and in particular Kari Seitz, the project leader at France 2019.

• FIFA Guardians™ is a new major initiative to help member associations and confederations around the world introduce stronger child safeguarding measures in football.
• Click HERE to read more about FIFA Guardians™

Millions of children around the world are involved in football, almost all of whom follow a favourite team. Many children play in organised matches or kick-abouts and some also take an early interest in coaching and refereeing. 
However they may be involved in the game, what these children all have in common is the right to enjoy football in a safe environment and a culture of respect and understanding.
With this firmly in mind, today FIFA launched a new dedicated programme and toolkit – FIFA Guardians™ – designed to enhance child safeguarding standards within football. 

Official competition between MLS and Liga MX clubs to feature ball stands, Concacaf officials, Video ReviewNEW YORK AND MEXICO CITY  – Major League Soccer (MLS) and Liga MX today announced the Competition Guidelines for the new annual competition between the two top soccer leagues in North America, Leagues Cup, to begin July 23-24 with four quarterfinal matches in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and Salt Lake.

• To find the complete 2019 Leagues Cup Competition Guidelines, click here.
• For the complete 2019 Leagues Cup bracket, visit www.LeaguesCup.com

 
Some of the highlights of the Competition Guidelines, based on the recently updated Rules of the Game by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), include:

• 32 of the world’s best EA SPORTS FIFA 19 players will compete to become the official World Champion and win the top prize of USD 250,000
• FIFA eWorld Cup will be live-streamed on FIFA’s and EA’s digital platforms and provide fans with the chance to experience the broadcasted event on-site at The O2 on 4 August
• Limited event tickets are now available on fifa.com/fewc

FIFA has announced today that the FIFA eWorld Cup™ will return to London later this year, confirming that this season’s pinnacle event will once again take place at The O2 from 2 to 4 August 2019.
Having already played host to last year’s final, which saw Mosaad Aldossary crowned world champion, 32 of the world’s best EA SPORTS FIFA 19 players will compete once more at The O2. They will battle it out to become the FIFA eWorld Cup champion and to win a life-changing USD 250,000 in prize money, along with a trip to The Best FIFA Football Awards™.
As a further indication of the growing interest in competitive FIFA, the total prize money for the FIFA eWorld Cup has also been increased compared to last year’s final, and a total of USD 500,000 will be distributed among the 32 competitors.

#1 Spiced Rum Brand Promises There’s More Fun to Be Had by Committing to Soccer Fans Through 2022; Will Also Sponsor Several Individual Clubs

NEW YORK  – Continuing what has already been a huge summer for soccer, Captain Morgan announces that it’s signed with Major League Soccer (MLS) to become the league’s official spiced rum and exclusive spirits partner through 2022. The Captain’s message to soccer fans is clear: there’s more fun to be had. The new deal names Captain Morgan as an official sponsor of MLS All-Star – taking place in just a few weeks in Orlando – Campeones Cup (August 14) and MLS Cup (November 10). 
 
The rum brand also becomes an official sponsor of the following clubs: Chicago Fire Soccer Club, D.C. United, New York City FC, Philadelphia Union and Seattle Sounders FC. With Captain Morgan as a fellow supporter, fans of these five teams can expect even more fun during the season. Additionally, fans of legal drinking age will soon be able to purchase custom labeled bottles of Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum featuring official team colors and crests to be enjoyed responsibly with their fellow supporters.

BWB Africa 2019 will bring together the top male and female players ages 17 and under from throughout Africa to learn directly from current and former NBA and FIBA players

DAKAR, Senegal, July 9, 2019/ -- The National Basketball Association (NBA) (www.NBA.com), the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) (FIBA.basketball) and the Senegalese Basketball Federation today announced that Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Africa 2019 will take place Sunday, July 28 – Wednesday, July 31 in Senegal.  The 17th edition of BWB Africa will be held at The NBA Academy Africa in Saly (https://on.nba.com/2LIlq4d) and at the Dakar Arena in Dakar.

BWB Africa 2019 will bring together the top male and female players ages 17 and under from throughout Africa to learn directly from current and former NBA and FIBA players, coaches and legends and to compete against the best young players from the continent.  BWB Africa will also include NBA Cares and Jr. NBA outreach efforts in partnership with local community organizations.

Madam Ester Akua Gyamfi, a legal practitioner who supervised the 2019 elective congress of the National Paralympic Committee (NPC) has cautioned the new executive against personal egos that can bring down the sports associations.
Speaking to delegates, observers and the media at the congress after a misunderstanding between the electoral commission officer conducting the process and the delegates on an added ballot paper to the presidential candidates to tally at 14 instead on 13, she calmed tempers and ensured that the issue was solved amicably and winner was declared free and fairly.
After the dicy event, Mr. Samson Deen, president of the Ghana Para Powerlifting Association got 7 votes to be declared winner and president of the NPC.
He promised to unite the front of para sports in Ghana and operate a transparent administration for every member to benefit.

Aegis Home Healthcare Agency on Saturday held a screening exercise at Abelemkpe in Accra to make people aware of their health status and also offer medical advice. 
The program was a health screening organized by Pan African TV as part of their yearly event of which aegis healthcare conducted the screening. 
The people who attended the programme were screen on Malaria, Hepatitis B, Blood pressure (BP), Sugar and Body mass index (BMI)
About 200 people benefited from the health programme.

MEXICO CITY (Mexico) – Novi Sad (SRB) had one of the most impressive performances in World Tour history as they went 5-0, including a 21-11 against NY Harlem (USA) in the final, at the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Mexico City Masters on July 6-7, 2019.
One month after Chengdu, Novi Sad won their second Masters of the season. The number one team in the world seemed like they had an early flight to catch: they won all 5 games before the 10-minute limit. Even more impressive:their most difficult success was an 8-point landslide!

Thompson became a double Olympic champion at Rio 2016 with gold medals in the 100 and 200 meters, while Fraser-Pryce has seven World Championship titles and two Olympic golds of her own from Beijing 2008 and London 2012.

KINGSTON, JAMAICA (June 29, 2019) — With only 27 days left until the start of the continent's biggest sports festival, Panam Sports has incredible news to share for all lovers of sport, especially fans of Athletics. 

The Olympic Committee of Jamaica has confirmed the official nomination of the athletes who will participate in the Lima 2019 Pan American Games. The incredible list of athletes not only features Team Panam Sports Ambassador Briana Williams, but also two of the greatest sprinters in history: Elaine Thompson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.

MIES, Switzerland - FIBA's Executive Committee met on Friday at the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball. It was the last meeting of the 2014-2019 cycle.
With only 63 days to go to the first game of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 in Beijing, the Central Board received a detailed update on the final preparation works for FIBA's flagship event, including the promotional, operational and commercial aspects. Set to feature a record 32 national teams, the FIBA Basketball World Cup will be played in eight Chinese cities from August 31 to September 15.

​Former Kaizer Chiefs star Pule Ekstein has joined Sabah FC on a two-year contract and will be playing his football in Azerbaijan next season.

His agent Palesa Mkhize said the player jetted out of the country on Wednesday night to begin life in the Azerbaijan Premier League

“Ekstein boarded the flight to Azerbaijan on Wednesday night to join Sabah on a twoyear deal.

“He’s very excited to realise his dream of playing overseas‚” said an equally elated Mkhize.

*Preparation towards the future of Ghana Sports
*6 years Renaissance Plan to move Ghana forward
The International Games & Competitions Committee on Thursday held a meeting with the Press at the Media Centre of the Accra Sports Stadium.
The members of the Committee were introduced and they briefed the media on their activities and mandate.
Some of the members who spoke were Magnus Rex Danquah, Professor Peter Twumasi and Dr. Emmanuel Owusu Ansah.
Present were executive board members of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), secretary general, Richard Akpokavie, deputy secretary general Rev. Richmond Quarcoo, Nana Adu Mankatta aka George Owusu Ansah and president of the GOC Ben Nunoo Mensah