The Corona Virus May have the world on edge and down in spirit but we shall prevail in the end. 
African Sports Monthly and the Team at ASMN and the Africa Sports Report Podcast Celebrates International Day of Sports for Peace and Development this April 6th 2020.

World Athletics welcomes the decision of the IOC and the Japanese Government to postpone the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games to 2021. It is what athletes want and we believe this decision will give all athletes, technical officials and volunteers some respite and certainty in these unprecedented and uncertain times.
Athletics will continue to do whatever we can to preserve and create an outdoor season of one-day meetings in 2020, starting and ending later than usual, so athletes, when they are able and it is safe to, will have access to competitions in every region. This will help them benchmark their performances and adjust their training accordingly for an Olympic Games in 2021. In light of this announcement, we will also expedite our current review of the Olympic qualification system, in cooperation with the IOC, and release any changes to the process as soon as possible so athletes know where they stand.

THE PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE (IOC), THOMAS BACH, AND THE PRIME MINISTER OF JAPAN, ABE SHINZO, HELD A CONFERENCE CALL THIS MORNING TO DISCUSS THE CONSTANTLY CHANGING ENVIRONMENT WITH REGARD TO COVID-19 AND THE OLYMPIC GAMES TOKYO 2020.

They were joined by Mori Yoshiro, the President of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee; the Olympic Minister, Hashimoto Seiko; the Governor of Tokyo, Koike Yuriko; the Chair of the IOC Coordination Commission, John Coates; IOC Director General Christophe De Kepper; and the IOC Olympic Games Executive Director, Christophe Dubi.

President Bach and Prime Minister Abe expressed their shared concern about the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, and what it is doing to people’s lives and the significant impact it is having on global athletes’ preparations for the Games.

In a very friendly and constructive meeting, the two leaders praised the work of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee and noted the great progress being made in Japan to fight against COVID-19.

Captain Sornnarin Tippoch believes Thailand’s final ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 innings is a statement of what to expect in their cricketing future.
Openers Natthakan Chantam (56) and Nattaya Boochatham (44) led the way in a stunning exhibition at the Sydney Showground, their partnership of 93 setting the foundations for a total of 150 for three.
Their bid to defend the score and pick up a maiden Women’s T20 World Cup win was curtailed by the rain but the bad weather didn’t dampen the skipper’s spirits in their tournament closer.

Watching Australia and New Zealand battle it out in front of a brilliant Junction Oval crowd has really capped off a superb ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 group-stage.
From the opening game between the hosts and India at Sydney Showground, we’ve seen what it means to have big support and it’s only going to get better.
Looking ahead to the final, I think the tournament is on track to get a huge crowd at the MCG which will be a fitting end to an already amazing tournament.

Young amateur boxer, Samuel Takyi has confidently disclosed his desire to win an Olympic medal when he represents Ghana at the upcoming Games come July and August.
The 19 year old enterprising pugilist who found his way into the Black Bombers team this year said he is very sure of winning an Olympic medal, because the exposure his first international exposure has given him means he can do better and more for his country.
Samuel Takyi, a product of the Discipline Boxing Gym at Ussher Town in Accra missed the gold medal at the finals of the Dakar Qualifications dubbed ‘Road To Tokyo 2020’, but was marvelous at the third place match and settled for bronze as well as his ticket in a grand style against Isaac Masembe of Uganda in the Men's Featherweight (52-57kg).

NEW YORK (Monday, March 2, 2020) – Seattle Sounders FC forward Jordan Morris was voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Week for the opening week of the 2020 MLS season.

Morris started the match on the bench but came on at halftime to score two goals in Seattle’s 2-1 victory over Chicago Fire FC at CenturyLink Field on Sunday, ensuring the defending MLS Cup winner’s championship celebration was not spoiled. The 25-year-old academy product recorded his second career MLS brace on opening day, one of four players in League history to accomplish the feat twice, and first to do so in back-to-back years. Morris is currently tied for the league lead with two goals scored, while Seattle sits tied atop the Western Conference standings with three points.

The Blitzboks had a tackle completion rate of 69,2% in Los Angeles and have a season average of 68%

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, March 2, 2020/ -- What to do when your coach calls you off the bench with one second (and basically one play) left on the clock and your side trail the World Series champions by seven points in the final of the HSBC LA Sevens?

If your name is Branco du Preez, you first execute the perfect restart to hand your side the possession, then you score a try and convert it from a tight angle two minutes into injury time.

And then, in extra time, you again run strongly, make a crucial tackle and celebrate when the team pull off one of the most unlikely victories seen in the 21 years of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.

If Hollywood, and Los Angeles in particular and the USA in general, are the places where dreams come true, Du Preez, South Africa's most capped player in the World Series, can tell you all about it.

Black Stars Head Coach, Charles Kwablan Akonnor will hold a press conference on Tuesday, March 3 to announce his squad for Ghana's back-to-back games against Sudan later this month.
The senior national team is set to host Sudan at Cape Coast Stadium on March 27 in Group C of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying.
The game, which will be followed by a reverse fixture in Omdurman within three days is Akonnor’s first as Black Stars coach.

The Sport Programme for Trinbago 2021 has now been confirmed with eight exciting sports set to feature at the Commonwealth Youth Games next year.
 
Trinidad and Tobago were awarded the right to stage the seventh edition of the Games by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) in June last year with the competition set to take place from 1-7 August 2021.

​Second tournament victory in the 2019/20 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series
CAPE TOWN, South Africa, March 2, 2020/ -- The Springbok Sevens team claimed a dramatic 29-24 win over Fiji in the final of the HSBC LA Sevens in Los Angeles early Monday morning (SA time) for their second tournament victory in the 2019/20 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.

The sudden death victory in the final – in which they trailed 19-0 after five minutes – came in extra time after the Blitzboks scored a converted try deep into injury time to draw level with Fiji, with Branco du Preez kicking a brilliant conversion to extend the match.

The Blitzboks then scored the golden try – when Sako Makata was worked into space – in extra time to claim 22 tournament points, closing the gap on the World Series log leaders, New Zealand, to four points (match report here). (http://bit.ly/3cpiQLi)

The New Zealanders have 93 points as the teams head to the HSBC Canada Sevens in Vancouver next weekend, followed by South Africa (89), Fiji (72), France (67) and England (64).

​The score of 39 to 19 is a bit misleading as it was a tough match that could have gone any way in the second half after a half-time score of 15 for Hurricanes and 9 for Griffons
ACCRA, Ghana, March 2, 2020/ -- Dansoman Hurricanes RFC was crowned as the 2019/20 Ghana Rugby (www.Ghana.Rugby) Club Men’s Fifteens Champions when the beat Griffons RFC by 39 points to 19 on Saturday 29 February 2020 at the St Thomas Aquinas Park in Accra, Ghana.

The President and Board Chairman, Mr Herbert Mensah, was delighted with the conclusion of the domestic league and congratulated both teams for the camaraderie displayed after the match from his home in London (https://youtu.be/k0hl_SWgubo). (http://bit.ly/3clcGff)

Mensah also congratulated all the members of the Organising Committee with special reference to Board Member and Tournament Commissioner, Mr Steve Noi.

Mention was also made by Mensah that Ghana Rugby is looking at a Super Club Championship between neighbouring countries as part of the WARS (West African Rugby Series) subject to funding thereof. 

The score of 39 to 19 is a bit misleading as it was a tough match that could have gone any way in the second half after a half-time score of 15 for Hurricanes and 9 for Griffons.

Hurricanes, however, took control in the second half and ran in a number of tries.

MIES (Switzerland) - FIBA has decided, after careful consideration, to change several events due to the ongoing developments of the COVID-19 virus.
 
FIBA 3x3 Olympic Qualification Tournament postponed
The FIBA 3x3 Olympic Qualification Tournament, which was scheduled to be held in Bengaluru, India, from March 18 to 22, 2020, has been postponed.
 
FIBA is now working in close collaboration with the International Olympic Committee, on the best solution possible in the circumstances, considering that this tournament needs to take place before the FIBA 3x3 Universality Olympic Qualifier Tournament scheduled to be played in Budapest, Hungary, from April 24 to 26, 2020.

ACCRA, GHANA. 27 February 2020/ - The Ghana Rugby Football Union (Ghana Rugby) will once again embrace International Women’s Day in 2020, this time with a competition whereby all the ladies of Ghana rugby or from anywhere in the world will be invited to take part.

The International Women's Day 2020 campaign theme is #EachforEqual. The organisation describes this year’s theme as follows on their website (https://www.internationalwomensday.com/Theme).

“Equality is not a women's issue, it's a business issue.

Gender equality is essential for economies and communities to thrive. 


A gender equal world can be healthier, wealthier and more harmonious - so what's not great about that?

On the day of the fourth anniversary of his election as FIFA President, Gianni Infantino published The Vision 2020-2023: Making Football Truly Global, his proposed action plan for the organisation over the course of the coming years.
“This document lays out a plan to further modernise the football world, make it increasingly inclusive and pave the way to a landscape in which, one day, we will have at least 50 national teams and 50 clubs from all continents at a top competitive level,” said President Infantino. 
The Vision 2020-2023: Making Football Truly Global is a blueprint for FIFA to pursue the objective of making football truly global while navigating a fast-changing world. It revolves around 11 key goals:

• International sports icon calls time on a stellar career which saw her ascend to World No.1 and capture a prestigious career Grand Slam
• Russian star’s popularity transcended tennis and attracted countless new fans to the sport

ST. PETERSBURG, FL, USA – The WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) today paid tribute to Maria Sharapova after the Russian star announced her retirement from professional tennis, having firmly established herself as one of the sport’s all-time greats.

After winning her first WTA title at Tokyo [Japan Open] in 2003, Sharapova etched her name into the history books at Wimbledon in 2004 when, at only 17, she defeated Serena Williams to become the first Russian champion at the All England Club. Later that same year she overcame Serena again to become the first from her country to win the WTA Finals season finale, and by the following summer had become the first Russian woman to achieve the WTA World No.1 ranking.

The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 is off to a flying start, with new crowd, broadcast and digital coverage benchmarks set across the first six matches and four days of competition.
India is the only team to have two wins at this stage of the tournament and remains undefeated following their 18-run triumph over Bangladesh on day four at the WACA Ground in Perth. In the earlier match in Perth as part of a double-header, hosts and defending champions Australia recorded their first win with a thrilling final-over victory over Sri Lanka.
Action will continue on Wednesday 26 February at Manuka Oval in Canberra with a double-header featuring England v Thailand followed by West Indies v Pakistan.
The following is a summary of highlights from the first four days of the event.

Heather Knight says coming out fighting is in England’s DNA as they look to bounce back from defeat to South Africa against Thailand at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
Knight’s side were beaten by India in the opening game of their 2017 Cricket World Cup campaign on home soil before going on to win the tournament. 
And as a below-par batting performance saw them slip to a six-wicket reverse in their opener against the Proteas, Knight wants the Three Lions to show their teeth in Canberra.
“Every game is must-win for us from now,” said Knight.
“It’s really important after the other night that we put in a really strong performance and come out fighting. 
“This team has shown a history of that. When we’ve had a bad performance and haven’t started so great, the way we’ve bounced back in the next game has been outstanding. 

Sophie Devine once again proved unstoppable as her sixth consecutive 50+ score steered New Zealand to victory in their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 opener against Sri Lanka.
Chamari Athapaththu (41) and Hasini Perera’s 60-run first wicket - Sri Lanka’s best opening partnership in T20Is - gave them a bright start but Hayley Jensen’s career-best bowling sent middle-order wickets tumbling at the WACA.
It took time for New Zealand to get the 128-run chase going but captain Devine led by example, becoming the only player, male or female, to register more than five consecutive 50+ scores in the format, en route to the seven-wicket victory.
The Sri Lanka openers put on an impressive 60 for the first wicket, with Devine, Leigh Kasperek and Lea Tahuhu all unable to find a Powerplay breakthrough.

​There are 36 Instant Network Schools currently operating across eight refugee camps in Kenya, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan
GENEVA, Switzerland, February 25, 2020/ -- Mohamed Salah has become the first Ambassador for Instant Network Schools – which connect refugee and host country students to a quality digital education – as the programme prepares to expand into his home country of Egypt for the first time.

Instant Network Schools was set up in 2013 by Vodafone Foundation and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, to give young refugees, host communities and their teachers access to digital learning content and the internet, improving the quality of education in some of the most marginalised communities in Africa.

To date, the programme has benefited over 86,500 students and 1,000 teachers ensuring that refugees and children from the communities that host them have access to accredited, quality, and relevant learning opportunities.

There are 36 Instant Network Schools currently operating across eight refugee camps in Kenya, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan.

Uganda and Zimbabwe tied at 19 series points after both legs with Uganda finishing 7 th overall and Zimbabwe 8 th overall for both teams to qualify for the World Series qualifiers

KAMPALA, Uganda, February 25, 2020/ -- Uganda got off to a nightmare start during the second leg of the World Rugby Challenger series in Uruguay when they lost 2 pool games to drop to the 9 th place quarter final but showed great mental strength to win all their games on day 2 to finish 9 th in Uruguay. Uganda kicked off their day againstJamaica and barely had possession the entire game. Jamaica scored one try in the first half but missed the conversion to go into the half time break 5 points ahead. The second half started pretty much as the first with Jamaica holding onto possession but without anything to show for it. That all changed after Philip Wokorach received a yellow card midway the second half for a late shoulder charge and Jamaica capitalised on their numerical advantage to score an unconverted try and held on to keep Uganda scoreless and ran out 10-00 winners.

Inter Miami CF will take the field for their first MLS Regular Season match this weekend with crop of fresh young faces and three-time Liga MX champion Rodolfo Pizzaro leading the charge against the 2019 MLS Supporters’ Shield champions LAFC and reigning Landon Donovan MLS MVP Carlos Vela on March 1 (3 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Miami’s offensive power will be led by 26-year-old Pizarro, a Mexican National Team mainstay who was recently named to the Liga MX Best XI for 2019 Clausura. He will be joined by the young talents of 19-year-old Argentines Matias Pellegrini and Julián Carranza, who both have youth national team experience. Organizing the back will be goalkeeper and three-time Supporters’ Shield winner Luis Robles, who owns the record for most consecutive MLS regular season starts and ranks sixth all-time in wins for a goalkeeper (14).  ​

​Forum de l’Investissement Hotelier Africain (FIHA) conference will discuss how to spend it
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, February 25, 2020/ -- International soccer star Didier Drogba has helped his birthplace, Côte d’Ivoire, strike gold by helping to collect MOUs for a total of $15 billion in commitments to back tourism projects in the west African country.

The breakthrough comes ahead of the UNWTO Forum for Africa, which will take place in Abidjan next week (February 20-22) and the influential Forum de l’Investissement Hotelier Africain (FIHA), which takes place in Abidjan next month (March 23 – 25). FIHA is known for its ability to link up the new investors with developers, consultants, contractors, hoteliers and political leaders.

The former Chelsea striker – and now UN world tourism ambassador – was part of a successful global push to promote the rising success and attractiveness of Côte d’Ivoire’s tourist economy. The country boasts a GDP growth rate of about 8% in 2019 and, as a destination, it’s in third place in Sub-Saharan Africa, with 2 million international visitors, behind South Africa and Zimbabwe, ahead of Uganda, Botswana, Kenya or Mauritius (according to UNWTO 2018 data).

​President Weah noted that society should not frown on a woman who doesn’t have a child but rather celebrate her and stop abusing her
MONROVIA, Liberia, February 25, 2020/ -- By Hawa Dolley

Many infertile women and men in Africa are gradually coming to the realization that infertility is a shared problem of both male and female, unlike the past where most of the burden purely rested on the woman.

Today, several males, including prominent leaders in Africa, are championing the cause to raise awareness on infertility, breaking the stigma as well as taking on initiatives to support and encourage the works of charity organizations such as the Merck Foundation which continues to endeavor to put a smile on the faces of several people struggling with infertility.

Among several programs being initiated by Merck Foundation to reshape the narrative on infertility through a new dimension of awareness, which includes the formulation of dramas, cultural and arts programs as well as songs, it seems like the involvement of prominent individuals has added great traction to the campaign, thereby making the fight against infertility stigmatization more effective and relevant.

PORT LOUIS, Mauritius, February 25, 2020/ -- Rugby Union Mauritius (http://MauritiusRugby.org) launched its 2020 rugby season with a 100% feminine plateau around QuikRip this Saturday, February 22, 2020 at Northfields. The Fit-Touch and Tackle players were able to play Quikrip together, a non-contact rugby game format. Since 2018, the Mauritian federation has used Quikrip, a New Zealand version of the Tag which has enabled significant transmission from “touched” to “tackled” in New Zealand and also in Mauritius. About 70 girls under the age of sixteen came to rugby 7.