Italia Thunder followed up their opening Season VII victory over British Lionhearts with another battling performance in Rome against Morocco Atlas Lions to make it two wins from two in the new campaign. The Italians now lead Group B, while the Atlas Lions are still searching for their first win of the year despite pushing the hosts all the way.
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The Thunder’s Flyweight (52kg) Gianmario Serra was given a tough WSB debut in the opening bout against Morocco’s London 2012 Olympian Abdelali Daraa. Serra started the brighter of the two and delivered some fierce hooks, but Daraa’s trademark attacking style eventually took over, and a unanimous points win gave the visitors’ the early advantage.

​Decathlon, the leading French sports equipment and Sportswear Company is set to open West Africa’s largest sports store in Accra, come April 2017. Selling from an impressive 1,245 square meter area, the Decathlon Store will be located at the Junction Mall in Nungua, Accra.

The much anticipated clash between rivals AshGold and Kotoko is set to take place on Sunday 25th of February 2017 at the Betway branded Len-Clay Stadium in Obuasi.
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After an up-and-down start including one win, one defeat and a draw, AshGold will be looking to snatch victory in their upcoming game, giving their log status a much needed surge, especially considering how closely it will put them to the top of the league. 

​George Lamptey, current 1st Vice President of the Ghana Boxing Federation (GBF) believes he can contribute to the promotion and development of Ghana sports if he is elected as an executive member of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC).

Mr. Lamptey who has been involved in boxing for over two and half decades and became the GBF executive three years ago after many years heading the Greater Accra Amateur Boxing Association is contesting for the position of 3rd Vice President of the GOC at their 2017 executive elections scheduled for March 15 in Accra. 

Within a space of time 2015-2017, Ghana has lost a number of top sports personalities especially coaches like Charles Kumi Gyamfi, Ben Koufie, Jones Attuquayefio, Fred Osam Duodu, Emmanuel Kwesi Afranie, Sam Arday, Kofi Bruce a footballer who founded the Inter Departments League and Erasmus Adorkor, Director of the Winneba Sports College.
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These names readily come to mind because they went within a time and at a period that most Ghanaians fell Ghana Sports and especially Ghana Football is nose diving.

​25 February 2017 – The South African U20 Men’s National Team (Amajita) arrived in Ndola, Zambia late on Friday night (24 February 2017) to be met with logistical issues.
 
They had to change their tournament base due to lack of accommodation space at their initial hotel, and were moved to Kitwe - 25km outside of Ndola.
 
Amajita are in Zambia for the 2017 CAF u20 African Cup of Nations, which kicks off on Sunday, 26 February with the first round of Group A matches in Lusaka.

NOC-SLE President, Dr. Patrick Coker & the SLAA President, Abdul Karim Sesay
 
National Olympic Committee of Sierra Leone (NOC-SLE) has finally broken its silence over the power struggle within the Sierra Leone Athletics Association (SLAA) and the country’s National Cycling Association (NCA).
 
Both the SLAA and the NCA have recently been embroiled in a power struggle of sorts which have seen the emergence of parallel executives recognized by the country’s Sports Ministry while the incumbent bodies are recognized by their respectively international federations.

SA rugby and Nashua have announced its partnership has enhanced rugby in South African through the development of the Nashua Rugby Skills Project (NRSP).
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In collaboration with Brand inc, an integrated communications agency, and ShadowBall, a rugby training ball and skills development aid, the project is endorsed by the Centre for Human Performance Sciences and has former Springbok Rugby player Gcobani Bobo (pictured) as its Ambassador.

​Sierra Leone and Guinea U-21 Beach Volleyball male and female team have automatically gained qualification to the World Championship without hitting a ball following the non-show of the other six Nations.
 
The West African nation were billed to host the 2017 Zone II World Championship qualifiers from February 24th-26th at the newly constructed Beach Volleyball arena in Freetown.

Olympian gold medallist Wayde van Niekerk and T-Systems have announced the initiatives they are taking to improve patient management systems in the neonatal ICU unit at Groote Schuur Hospital.
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Van Niekerk‚ who was born two months premature‚ donated R500,000 to the hospital in August 2016 and secured ICT support through his partnership with T-Systems.

Over 25 sports associations and federations have endorsed the candidature of Ben Nunoo Mensah, President of the Ghana Weightlifting Federation as the new incoming President of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC).
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The GOC goes to the polls in March 15, 2017, and the sports federations have found it idea and better to work as a team to put Ghana Sports in shape again.

The IAAF Doping Review Board has today agreed that the applications of 3 Russians have met the exceptional eligibility criteria to compete in International Competition as Neutral Athletes under Competition Rule 22.1A(b) while the Russian national federation (RusAF) remains suspended.
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The Doping Review Board, which is composed of Robert Hersh (chair), Sylvia Barlag and Antti Pihlakoski, has unanimously accepted the applications of the following athletes:

​23 February 2017 - The President of FIFA, Gianni Infantino showered praises on the South African Football Association (SAFA) for an extremely successful organisation of the first ever FIFA Football Summit on African soil.

This was also the first official visit by FIFA President to South Africa since his election into office last year.

MUNICH, Germany (EuroCup Women) - The EuroCup Women Quarter-Finals pairings have been arrived upon, following a draw in Munich on Thursday morning. 
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Following the completion of the EuroCup Women Round of 8 on February 16 which decided the first four Quarter-Finalists, the remaining four were confirmed following the completion of the EuroLeague Women Regular Season on Wednesday evening. The 5th and 6th placed teams from each of the two EuroLeague Women Regular Season groups round out the eight teams.

The London Marathon Charitable Trust has today announced new grants totalling more than £1.02 million for projects in London and Surrey, taking the total amount of money awarded in The Trust’s history to more than £65.5million.
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The Trust supports organisations with a track record of getting people more active by providing funding towards capital projects which encourage and support people who are currently inactive to participate regularly in sport and physical activity.

The National Sports Authority (NSA) of Ghana is the main body with the mandate to oversee the organization of sports programmes and events in the country.

They also register and license sporting disciplines as well as manage and lead all international sporting travels involving the national teams.
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By the new Sports Act 934, the NSA has been given powers by the Legislature of Ghana to manage promote sports and related issues.

​The Wrocław Organising Committee (WOC) has announced the sale of tickets for the largest sporting event of the year in Poland - The World Games 2017.

From the 20th to the 30th of July, Wrocław will be the host city of the 10th edition of the multi-sports event comprising 31 sports which will bring together an estimated 4,000 athletes from more than 100 countries around the globe.

Photo Credit: Hochzwei / Haspa Marathon Hamburg
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Jessica Augusto will have her sights set on record-breaking when she stands on the start line of the Haspa Hamburg Marathon on April 23. It's a record with special significance for the Portuguese runner on Hamburg's fast course because Augusto will be going for the Portuguese national record, still in the possession of Rosa Mota. The latter is a running legend, winner of the Olympic Marathon in Seoul in 1988, who set the national record of 2:23:29 in Chicago in 1985. Portugal's tradition in producing world class women distance runners has continued but none has since succeeded in beating that time. Jessica Augusto's participation along with a number of elite women was announced in a press conference by the Haspa Hamburg Marathon organisers today. They join an elite field which already includes Stephen Kiprotich, the men's Olympic Marathon champion from Uganda. 13,800 runners have so far entered the race on April 23.

​MTN, Ghana’s leading telecommunications service provider, has engaged the Ghana Institution of Engineers in a program dubbed “Engineers Time with MTN.”
 
“Engineers Time with MTN” is a thought leadership engagement organized by the Ghana Institution of Engineers to understand MTN’s position on vital issues related to the Institution and also to deepen members’ understanding of MTN Ghana’s operations. The engagement session was also aimed at promoting MTN’s innovations in the telecommunication industry.
 

The Minister for Youth and Sports, Honourable Isaac Kwame Asiamah has reiterated the government’s commitment to ensure that all recognized sporting disciplines in the country receive equal support in furtherance of national sports development.
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The Minister observed that aside football, other sporting disciplines have the potential to win laurels for the country hence the need for government to support their activities.

David Maina was named head coach of Kenya Women team ahead of FIBA Women's AfroBasket 2017 zone 5 qualifiers

NAIROBI (FIBA Women's AfroBasket 2017) – Newly crowned Kenya League champions Equity's head coach David Maina has been handed the top job to lead the women’s national team at the upcoming FIBA Women's AfroBasket Zone 5 Qualifiers.
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The regional qualifier will take place in Cairo, Egypt, from 12-18 March.

Kiribati Basketball Federation's Hoops for Health program in action
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KIRIBATI - The tiny Pacific nation of Kiribati has caught basketball fever. The country made up of 33 atolls, reef islands and one raised coral island has fallen in love with the sport.

The people of Kiribati are not playing for accolades or trophies, instead, the community basketball teams from Kiribati's main island Tarawa, deciding to 'bring a plate' to finals day, so a feast of chicken, beef, rice and vegetables awaits the victorious team.

Nii Adotey Gyata 1 President of the Ghana Kick Boxing Association (GKBA) believes one man cannot save Ghana Sports and has urged all sports associations to back Ben Nunoo Mensah (BNM) to be elected as the President of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC).
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He told Yours Truly he was happy that the Weightlifting Federation President accepted to lead the GOC to a better and higher level after nine months of meeting with other sports federations.

​The 20th edition Total U-20 Africa Cup of Nations Zambia 2017 is just days away from kick-off, with the finalization of the squad lists of the eight competing teams.
 
Click below for the 21-man squad list of the eight competing teams for the final tournament scheduled from 26 February to 12 March 2017. 

The Ghana Cycling Federation (GCF) has endorsed President Mohammed Sahnoon for the position of secretary General at the upcoming general elections of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC).
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Sahnoon has been the president of the GCF since he was elected into office unopposed in 2010 and his hard work aimed at developing the sport recently gained him recognition at the international level as the first and only Ghanaian elected onto the International Cycling Union (UCI) arbitral board and disciplinary commission.