By: Editor

In just ten days history will be made when thousands of runners of all ages and abilities will take part in the first-ever Wings for Life World Run. Representatives from 136 nations will all set off at the same time at events in 32 different countries, across six continents. 

Wings for Life aims to raise awareness of spinal cord damage and money for spinal cord research. Austria and Taiwan’s events are now at capacity however there are still places available at the remaining 30 Wings for Life events. The best male and best female runners, plus one randomly selected runner, will win a round the World trip of a lifetime.  

What makes the Wings for Life World Run different from other running events is that a moving finish line will be chasing the runners from behind instead of the runners dashing towards a defined finish line. The run starts at precisely 10am UTC and will end hours later when the last male and female runners are reached by one of the Catcher Cars.

By: Farai Diza

The excitement at the end of this penultimate 2014 Varsity Athletics programme excited the crowd into a frenzy.

The University of Stellenbosch was home to the third leg of the exhilarating Varsity Athletics programme, which took place on Tuesday night at the Coetzenberg Athletics Stadium. Last week’s nail biting atmosphere had clearly moved to the Cape, as the crowd continued the non stop supporting which has come to be synonymous with Varisty Athletics events.

The University of Pretoria, popularly known as the Tuks, came out strongly as the overall winner once again, giving them a clean sweep so far in this year’s programme.

North West University dominated the mens track events, taking three of the five titles on offer namely the 400m huddles, 800m and 5000m. An upset in the 400m huddles saw NWU’s Hardus Maritz cross the finish line first beating the race favorite. Tuks Le Roux Hannan.

The final leg of the Varsity Sports Athletics programme is sure to bring another night of nail biting action. This will take place at the University of Pretoria on 28 April. The games will be broadcast on cable pay channel Supersport 10.

By:Editor

Detailed plans for traffic management around venues in Glasgow during this summer’s Commonwealth Games have been revealed today, Thursday 24 April.

The announcement by the Get Ready Glasgow campaign coincides with a further round of information sessions for business being held during April and May to cover specific plans around what travel and parking options are available.

Temporary traffic management measures being brought in for the Games are intended to protect residents and businesses around competition venues from informal spectator parking. They will also ensure Games related transport, including that provided for athletes and officials, is able to get to venues in time.

The plans are also designed to manage the flow of spectators to and from venues, ensuring that they arrive and exit events as quickly and as safely as possible and have been designed to make sure that walking, cycling and public transport are the best ways to get to the Games encouraging spectators to leave their cars at home.

Within 10 minutes’ walk of a venue, parking restrictions are likely to be in force in order to protect residents and businesses. Some restrictions and diversions may also be in place within 20 minutes’ walk.

To help residents and businesses with their planning, a series of maps have been produced to provide a venue by venue guide of the traffic management and parking measures that will be in place in the run up to and during the Games.

George Vincent, Project Management and Design Manager, said:

"Glasgow will be open for business throughout the Games, but it won't be business as usual. Now is the right time to plan ahead and find out how you might be affected.

"If you live or work near a venue, we are putting in place measures to keep your community moving and help make sure you can enjoy being at the very heart of Glasgow's biggest ever celebration.

"We're already working closely with businesses across the city to make sure they know what these changes mean for them - and we will be returning to venues next month to talk to local people, share the latest information and answer any questions they have as we approach the Games."

John Fryer, Glasgow 2014 Transport Manager, said:

“The success of the Games doesn’t start and end inside the Games venues - we want to make sure that everyone attending the Games is able to get around the city quickly, safely and easily.

“We are encouraging spectators to walk, cycle, use public transport or use a park-and-ride site to get to venues. The measures in the Traffic Management and Parking plans are integral to making this as easy as possible for spectators.


“We are also committed to making sure that the people who live, work and operate businesses in this fantastic host city are able to go about their days with minimal impact. This is central to all our transport plans.”

Hugh Gillies, Head of Transport Scotland’s 2014 team said:

“Business and journey planning is crucial for organisations in and around the city to ensure they can enjoy all the Games has to offer while still operating as close to usual as possible. This is also key to keeping Glasgow and Scotland moving during the summer.

“The plans being shared by Get Ready Glasgow have been developed in partnership with a number of organisations, including Transport Scotland, and we would encourage anyone who thinks they will be affected to attend one of the business briefing sessions.”

Stuart Patrick, Chief Executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, said:

“We were told that April would be the key month when we would get all the information, and we’re encouraged that details of the specific traffic and transport measures around the Games venues are now being revealed.

“We called some time ago for easy access to information and support as early as is practical, and to that end we’ve had regular meetings with the City Council and the 2014 Organising Committee.

 “It’s good that information is being supplied as early as possible, allowing businesses to start to plan their operations during the 11 days of the Games.

“We urge all businesses to really think about their plans and to make full use of the suite of tools available on the getreadyglasgow.com website.”

Glasgow is a city familiar with running large events and local residents and businesses around major venues like Hampden, Celtic Park and Ibrox will already be aware of the impact a large event has on the local area.

However, the Commonwealth Games will be unique - many of the venues will be used across the day and evening, more than one group of spectators may come and go from a venue in any one day and a large number of the venues will host sporting action every day for the full 11 days of the Games.  

As a result, the traffic management plans required are, in many cases, different from the plans normally used around existing venues during other types of events.

Further detail on this is available through workshops already under way run for businesses. At these workshops, travel advisors will help businesses understand what this means for them.

A second series of community information events at or near venues are being held in May where residents and businesses will receive more information from Get Ready Glasgow on how they will be affected by the Games. This will include information  on local parking arrangements and details on how to get parking permits. 

The traffic management plans are the second major transport update to be shared through the Get Ready Glasgow campaign. It follows the publication of the Games Route Network (GRN) which was made available to residents and businesses earlier this month.

Glasgow City Council is investing £4.5million in the GRN, which includes upgrades to CCTV and traffic signals; investment in more variable message signs, and improvements to junctions, signing and lining – all of which will create a legacy for Glasgow’s network after the Games.

The Commonwealth Games will touch the lives of everyone in the city, in some way shape or form. The event will also change how the city functions and operates for its duration. Get Ready Glasgow is the campaign to help people across Glasgow plan ahead for the Games.

Glasgow residents and businesses can sign up at www.getreadyglasgow.com for the latest updates on travel and transport and businesses can also register for the Travel Advice for Business workshops.

Get Ready Glasgow is also on Twitter @getreadyglasgow.

By: Editor

“At a very early stage in my life, I found a language that helped me connect to the world and other people, other nations. This was and still is the language of the sport. This is a language without boundaries and it travels freely and safely among the people of the world,”  said the AIBA President.

Lausanne, Switzerland, April 23, 2014 - The President of the International Boxing Association (AIBA) Dr Ching-Kuo Wu was conferred today the Honorary Doctorate from the Bulgarian National Sports Academy “Vassil Levski” (NSA) in Sofia.

In his Honorary Doctorate Acceptance Speech Dr. Wu, who also serves as the Executive Board member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), thanked the Academic Council and underlined that by instilling the Olympic values and culture in the young generation, this educational institution not only produces the best ambassadors of these values, but also fosters better members of our society.

Attending the momentous occasion included the Deputy Minister of Youth and Sport Mr. Yorgan Yevchev, the Bulgarian Olympic Committee General Secretary Mr. Belcho Goranov, and the Bulgarian Boxing Federation President Mr Krasimir Ininski.

The National Sports Academy plays a fundamental role in developing the potential and talent of thousands of students of Bulgaria, and since 1942 has become one of the most important promoters of sporting values in the country, as well as at the international level.

The “Vassil Levski” Academy awards with Doctor Honoris Causa an honorary degree to prominent public and sport-engaged persons, with special contributions to the development of sport education, Olympism and to preserving the values of youth civil and social integration.

This ceremony first took place in 1996, when the Academic Council of the NSA made the decision for conferring the title as a way of honouring distinguished people.

Since then, the honorary sign has been bestowed to 18 world sport and public leaders, among them the former IOC Presidents Juan Antonio Samaranch and Dr. Jacques Rogge.

The AIBA President is visiting Sofia this week on the occasion of the 2014 Youth World Boxing Championships, which is being hosted in the Bulgarian capital.

By: Editor

Participants at the Coaches Course in Ethiopia

Lausanne, Switzerland, April 15, 2014 – The Ethiopian Volleyball Federation organized a VCP Coaches Level I Course from April 6 to 13 under the instruction of FIVB instructor Bernard José Denis from the Seychelles.

A total of 26 men and eight women from Ethiopia took part in the programme. The participants demonstrated good discipline and punctuality.

The overall organisation of the course was very good, with both the General Secretary and the Technical Director present on every day of the programme. 

The presence of various officers from either Sports Commissions or the National Olympic Committee demonstrated the interest in volleyball in the country. 

The NOC donated a T-shirt to all the 34 participants and course organizers, to congratulate them on a great achievement for the sport in Ethiopia.

The program was officially closed by the President of the National Federation, Begziabher Alebel, in a short ceremony at the YMCA in Addis Ababa. 

The General Secretary expressed his satisfaction on how the course was run by the instructor and the way he managed the lectures and the practical activities. Overall the course was a great success and the learning atmosphere was excellent.

By: Farai Diza

Veteran marathon runner Hendrick Ramaala will run for the Athletics South Africa (ASA) presidency next month.

Confirming this development after running the Two Oceans Marathon in which he finished second, Ramaala stated that if chosen, he can steer the ship of the embattled ASA in the right direction despite previously contributing to the mess the cash strapped association is in at the moment.

The 42 year old admitted that he has the backing of ASA members.

“I am going to run for office again and I am going to win. Nothing will stand in my way and I believe I am the right person to save ASA. The members like me. I can call and talk to them all the time. the members will vote for me because they believe in me. Our campaign is strong. We will officially start with our campaign this week,” Ramaala testified.

The over confident Ramaala was vice president to James Evans before the entire ASA board was disbanded by the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) due to infighting and maladministration late last year.

By: Editor

Lausanne, Switzerland, April 21, 2014 - The quarter-finals of the AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships took place today in Sofia, where the winners of the 52 contests secured a guaranteed medal in the event.

This has been a competition of high quality so far, and today was no different, with countless contests enthralling the viewing public, and the calibre can only get higher from here on in.

Croatia were the team of the day yesterday, and enjoyed another perfect day in Sofia, while the Italian ladies surprised their more favoured opponents on the eighth competition day.

By: Editor

A set of Sierra Leonean runners are scheduled to take part in the annual Penn Relays in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania slated for the 24th – 27th April 2014.

The delegation of runners in; Michaela Kargbo, Rebecca Ansumana, Agnes Mansaray who will be joined by Matu Davies a rising sprinter who resides and trains in Nairobi, Kenya will be led by former national sprinter James Davies (Turbo Ben) as Head of Delegation to the event.

The delegation was granted a late Visa by the US embassy in Freetown and because of this; there are several constraints to their travel plans. They are looking to raise money for tickets in a few days and also assistance for a training camp that will allow them to train together for the inaugural IAAF World Relays in the Bahamas exactly a month after the Penn Relays and subsequently the Commonwealth Games in Scotland slated for July 22nd 2014.

By: Editor

CAF Secretary General Hicham El Amrani has urged Rwanda to keep up the good work in preparing for the 2016 African Nations Championship (CHAN) tournament.

El Amrani made the remarks after visiting the venues earmarked for the tournament last Tuesday (8 April 2014).

The delegation was led by CAF President Issa Hayatou including 2nd Vice-president Almamy Kabele Camara, who doubles as Chairman of the Organising Committee for CHAN. Rwandan Minister of Sports and Culture Protais Mitali and Infrastructure Minister Silas Lwakabamba, Degaule Vincent Nzamwita, president of Rwanda Football Federation (FERWAFA) were also part of the inspection.

The sites visited and approved include Huye, Rubavu and Kigali which has two stadia Amahoro and Kigali Regional stadium respectively.

The CAF delegation later met with officials of the Local Organizing Committee to discuss issues related to the organization of the tournament.

El Amrani said: “Rwanda is on the right track to host the tournament in 2016 and we are glad because we had the Ministers of sports and culture as well as infrastructure with us while visiting different host venues and this shows commitment at the highest level.

“We know that when President Paul Kagame promises something, he does deliver and Rwanda has always delivered and this was proven by hosting the 2009 U-20 and 2011 U-17 tournaments and there is no reason why it won’t be ready for the CHAN tournament.

“Rwanda has infrastructure and facilities in place but they need to be upgraded and improved for the 16-team CHAN tournament to take place and allow attractive play.”

He added, “We have the commitment from the authorities and local organizing committee to do what is necessary to make sure the tournament is a success.”

Amahoro stadium, Stade de Kigali, Stade de Rubavu and Stade de Huye will be upgraded to meet the standards according to FERWAF President, Nzamwita.

“We have given CAF our commitment to have the stadiums upgraded and ready in time for the tournament. We have no excuse to prepare a successful CHAN tournament. We are ready to host the tournament,” said Nzamwita.

It will be recalled that CAF President Hayatou endorsed Rwanda to host the 2016 edition of CHAN in January 2011 after the country staged two successful youth continental tournaments in a space of three years; 2009 Africa Youth championship and the African U-17 Championship two years later.

CHAN, a tournament designed exclusively for footballers playing in their domestic leagues has since been held in Cote d’Ivoire (2009), Sudan (2011) and South Africa (2014).

By: Editor

Monaco - The IAAF has appointed Ato Boldon, Joanna Hayes and Jackie Joyner-Kersee as Ambassadors to the 2014 IAAF World Junior Championships, which will be held in Eugene, USA, between 22-27 July.

The trio will be very busy while in Oregon. Among their activities, they will conduct interviews with local and international media, provide their thoughts on the Championships live via various social media platforms, and be involved with the medal presentations.

They will also be doing media training for the athletes attending the Championships, including how best to present yourself via social media, and encouraging the competitors with motivational speeches and advice.

The spectators and the general public will get a chance to meet the Ambassadors in a specially constructed Fan Zone alongside the famous Hayward Field stadium.

“Being an Ambassador for this meet is the most important over all my other Ambassador duties. The World Juniors will always be a special meet for me because I won my first two World titles there, and it signalled to me that I could be a world class sprinter,” said Boldon, the 1997 IAAF World Championships 200m winner and now the host of IAAF Inside Athletics.

“Friends that I made at the World Juniors in 1992, like the USA's Amy Acuff, Great Britain's Darren Campbell and Ethiopia's Haile Gebrselassie, are all friends to this day, so the friendships have endured. Making history as the first to ever do the sprint double at that meet is also high on my list of career accomplishments,” he added.

“I am honoured to be an ambassador for the 2014 World Junior Championships. To be part of such an important event is a humbling experience for me. To witness at first hand the future stars of our sport is very exciting for me,” said Hayes, the 2004 Olympic Games 100m hurdles champion.

“One of the important things that I would like to pass on to the new generation is that the legacy you leave starts now. How do you want to be remembered? Winning medals is always a goal and a huge part of our sport, it's great to be remembered as a winner but having the respect and admiration of colleagues is also very important,” she added.

IAAF Hall of Fame member and three-time Olympic Games gold medallist Jackie Joyner-Kersee commented: “I take great pride being able to represent the IAAF as an Ambassador for the World Junior Championship this summer. My message to the next generation is a message of hope to continue to move our sport forward.”

By: Editor

Dakar - In its second and last day of business in the Senegalese Capital of Dakar, the IAAF Council decided that the Russian city of Kazan will be the host of the 2016 edition of the IAAF World Junior Championships on Tuesday (15).

In other business, Council heard a full status report from the organisers of the 2015 IAAF World Championships in Beijing as well as presentations from the IAAF Area Associations outlining details of their own Strategic Plans which assess the challenges and opportunities ahead as they seek to develop and promote the sport of athletics at Area level.

No fewer than 11 IAAF Committee and Commission reports were studied as well.

During a break in Council proceedings, the President of Senegal, Macky Sall, invited its members to the Presidential Palace in Dakar where he invested Lamine Diack with the title of Commander of the Order of the Golden Lion.

Further details of the meeting can be found on the IAAF website by clicking here.

By: Editor

Lausanne, Switzerland, April 14, 2014 - The first AIBA event of 2014, the Youth World Championships opened today in Sofia, Bulgaria with the winners of the bouts at Light Flyweight class (46-49kg) and Flyweight (52kg) advanced to the second round of the preliminaries.

Bout of the day
France's Anthony Gimenez began his boxing career in 2007, stepping up to international level last year when he competed in various youth events. The 17-year-old French Light Flyweight came to Sofia following an unexpected loss in the Brandenburg Youth Cup in February, where he claimed a bronze medal.

Since then, Gimenez raised his training in an attempt to perform better in the AIBA Youth World Championships. The French boxer met Botswana's best youth competitor, AFBC African Youth Continental Championships silver medallist Mohammed Otukile on Day 1.

The African athlete, who trains in a boxing school led by Beijing 2008 Olympic Games quarter-finalist Khumiso Ikgopoleng, stepped up his tactics after the first round, which led to one of the best fights of the day produced by the two exciting youngsters.

Team of the day
Two Mongolian boxers had the honour of fighting on this opening day, and both secured their places in the last 32. Battamir Ganbold competed in the last edition of the AIBA Junior World Championships, and his experience showed as he shocked South Korea's medal contender Han Younghun in the opening round.

The Korean boxer was silver medallist at the ASBC Asian Youth Continental Championships in Bangkok in January, but could not solve Ganbold's tactics in Sofia.

Ganbold’s compatriot, the Youth National Champion Tumurkhuyag Bat-Ochir also defeated his first opponent today. The 17-year-old Mongolian athlete controlled his bout against South Africa's Edwin Tshabalala, who moved down to the Light Flyweight category just before the competition.

Despite Tshabalala’s best efforts, he lost the bout by unanimous decision, giving Mongolia their second triumph in the tournament.

AIBA Road to Sofia boxer of the day
Abednego Kyalo won the Kenyan Youth National Trials earlier this year, and he was invited to the AIBA Road to Sofia training camp before the Championships. The Kenyan only turned 17 in January, but his extra skills saw him beat Bhutan's Children of Asia Games bronze medallist Tashi Wangdi.

After a quiet first round for the Kenyan, Kyalo was able to present better attacks from the second, and become the first AIBA Road to Sofia athlete to win.

Another program member in Tajikistan's AIBA Junior World Championships quarter-finalist Umed Yakubov was not so lucky with his draw, and he was defeated by Russia's current Youth National Champion Pavel Fedorov in the first session of the day.

Surprises of the day
Turkey's Mert Karaklic won the Danas Pozniakas Youth Memorial Tournament in Lithuania last month, but he had a tough draw against Thailand's current ASBC Asian Youth Continental Champion Thani Narinram.

The Turkish Light Flyweight surprisingly won every round 10:9, which saw him drawn in the next stage of the AIBA Youth World Championships, where he will meet Germany's Denis Weber.

Another Turkish boxer, Omer Koc was the favourite against Algeria’s Jugurtha Ait Bekka and he opened the first round with excellent jabs. His Algerian opponent rallied well however, and won the rest of the fight decisively.

Ones to watch
Azerbaijan’s EUBC European Youth Continental Championships silver medallist Masud Yusifzada is one of the favourites at Flyweight . His rhythm and tactical skills are some of the best in his weight category, and he needed to use all of his knowledge against Japan’s southpaw Kantaro Juri.

The 18-year-old Azeri boxer operated with quick combinations, and his counter-attacks reached the target in the second round, ensuring his hand was raised after the bout.

Muhammad Ali is one of the most iconic names in boxing, with England's new youth hope sharing the same name as the US boxing legend. Ali performed well in the first preliminary round in Sofia.

The 18-year-old English Flyweight turned around his bout against Venezuela's South American Youth Games winner Franklin Gonzalez, in a contest that provided high quality boxing.

Tomorrow’s program
The Bantamweight (56kg) and the Lightweight (60kg) categories will be in action and among the men boxers will be Kazakhstan's AIBA Junior World Champion star Abylaykhan Zhussupov.

The youth women also open their Championships at Flyweight (48-51kg). With 36 athletes in the field, eight of them must step into the ring in the second competition day in order to reach the last 32 of the competition.

By Editor

Monaco – The second episode of IAAF Inside Athletics is available to watch online now.

This show features an exclusive and in-depth interview with Ethiopia’s 2014 World Indoor Championships 3000m gold medallist Genzebe Dibaba, whose sensational indoor season also included world indoor records over 1500m and 3000m, as well as a world indoor best over two miles.

IAAF Inside Athletics is hosted by Trinidad and Tobago’s 1997 World 200m champion Ato Boldon, who is now an internationally respected broadcaster.

This year’s series was launched two weeks ago.

Exclusive to the IAAF, the show appears on the IAAF World Athletics Club Facebook Page.

The first episode this season received more than 87,000 views.

Fans can interact and ask questions, either on Facebook or by email to [email protected].

To watch the latest episode, ‘like’ the IAAF World Athletics Club on Facebook and click here.

By: Editor

Dakar - The IAAF Council chaired by President Lamine Diack met on Monday (14) in the Senegalese capital for the first of a two-day meeting of the executive of Athletics’ world governing body.

It is the third time that a Council meeting has been held in Dakar and it is an emotional occasion for President Diack as it will be the last time he will host such an event in his native country.

Among the key decisions on the first day were the approval of the timetable for the 2015 IAAF World Championships in Beijing, and the entry standards for the 10,000m, marathons, race walking and combined events.

Further details of the decisions made at this meeting can be found on the IAAF website by clicking here.

By: Editor

Lausanne, Switzerland, April 13, 2014 - Compared to their 5-0 victory last week in Havana, the Cuba Domadores had a slightly more complicated night at Rockingham Park in Salem, New Hampshire. With a 8-2 score on aggregate, they join the World Series of Boxing (WSB) Season IV semi-finals where they will face the Russian Boxing Team.

The night opened at Light Flyweight (46-49kg) with Puerto Rico 19-year-old Anthony Chacon for the Knockouts, and Cuban Yosbany Veitia, ranked Number 1 in the WSB. The 22-year-old southpaw Domadores controlled the first round with his lethal right jab reaching the target. Chacon had a much better defence in the second round and tried to attack more carefully.  The young Puerto Rican tried to turn up the heat in the following rounds but was less protective and was counted in the fourth after a quick right hook from Veitia. This close fight ended with a split decision in favour of Veitia which meant that a miracle qualification was not up for grabs for the Knockouts.

At the Light Welterweight (64kg), USA Knockouts 19-year-old Carlos Adames from Dominican Republic stood in front of virtuoso and experienced Yasnier Toledo Lopez (3-1 prior to their contest). Toledo's body shots opened the bout as the Cuban was dancing away from Adames' attacks. The Dominican reduced the distance in the second round and started to be more efficient, but Toledo's excellent and speedy footwork was enough for him to stay ahead of the fight all the way through and be awarded a unanimous decision.

USA Knockouts London 2012 Olympian Middleweight (75kg) Marlo Delgado from Ecuador had only won one bout in his WSB career before facing Domadores’ newcomer in the shape of Cuban National Championships silver medallist, 20-year-old Yaciel Despaigne. The South American landed more efficient punches in the opening round and kept the same level of attacks in the second frame. Despaigne came back from nowhere in the third and forced Delgado to raise his level of boxing in the fourth and fifth to win a narrow battle. Delgado made perfect use of his range overall to win with a unanimous decision.

Unfortunately, both teams were awarded a walk-over at Bantamweight (56kg) for USA Knockouts’ Ramon Cardenas Jr. and at Heavyweight (91kg) for Cuba Domadores’ Erislandy Savon.

The Cubans advance to the WSB semi-finals to face the Russian Boxing Team, which defeated the Ukraine Otamans in the quarter-finals. Russia will host Cuba on April 25 before the action shifts to Cuba on May 2. The winner of this semi-final will qualify for the WSB Finals (May 30-31) and face the winner of the other semi-final contested by defending Champions, the Astana Arlans Kazakhstan and the Azerbaijan Baku Fires.

By Editor

They are the Gold, Silver and Bronze prizes that are the focus of training and commitment for 4,500 athletes across the Commonwealth and to mark 100 Days to Go to the Opening Ceremony, the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games Medals were revealed to the public for the first time.

The medals were unveiled tonight (Monday 14 April) in spectacular style at Glasgow’s iconic Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum which provided a stunning backdrop to the reveal.

The unique awards are silver gilt (for the gold) silver and bronze – the traditional make-up of medals at Commonwealth and Olympic events, and weigh in at 100g each.

They have been designed by internationally renowned jeweller and maker Jonathan Boyd who worked with a team of eleven specialist jeweller-makers at the prestigious Glasgow School of Art (GSA) to hand make the Gold, Silver and Bronze medals through a series of complex and skilled processes meaning each one is truly unique.

They were revealed at a special event which also recreated the medal procession ceremony showing the ceremonial outfits to be worn by the male and female medal bearers, the trays the medals will be placed in and specially created gifts which will be given to the winning athletes.

The creative team behind the medal ceremonies also includes Paul Hodgkiss, designer of the wooden podiums, trays and gifts and fashion designer Kerry Nixon, who designed the dresses worn by the female medal bearers and styled the male medal bearers with the support of Harris Tweed who made the specially-commissioned fabric.

The design team has drawn inspiration from many elements of Scotland including the Isle of Harris itself to the parks of Glasgow. Incorporating the unique and iconic Harris Tweed fabric into the Medal Ceremony demonstrated the age-old tradition and artisan skills of the weavers in a modern and contemporary setting.

The event gave a glimpse of the moments of a lifetime for winning athletes which will be broadcast around the globe and highlighted the talents of three designers who have come together to create a beautiful and unique Glasgow 2014 Medal Ceremony which will be seen by a global audience of 1.5 billion.

GSA has been involved with developing both the medals and the dress fabrics with the school’s Centre for Advanced Textiles printing the distinctive Glasgow 2014 Official Tartan material onto the silk fabric.

Former Commonwealth Gold Medallist and TV presenter Iwan Thomas hosted the event which also featured Scotland’s most decorated athlete, Allan Wells, MBE and aspiring future athletics star Joseph Amouzou, 18, who attends The Glasgow School of Sport. Joseph is the reigning Under 20 Indoor Triple Jump champion and hopes to compete in future Commonwealth Games.

The event was also attended by Glasgow 2014 Games Partners and representatives of business and civic Scotland.

Chairman of Glasgow 2014, Lord Smith of Kelvin, KT, who spoke at the ceremony said:

“These medals are the coveted prize that all the athletes coming to compete at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games have in their sights – the ultimate reward for all those years of toil, training and dedication.  Our medals are unlike any I have seen before and are a unique representation of the stunning, contemporary vision of Scotland that will be beamed around the world.  With just 100 days to go until the Opening Ceremony, the stage is now well and truly set for an outstanding XX Commonwealth Games.”

Michael Cavanagh, Chairman of Commonwealth Games Scotland, said:

“To win a Commonwealth Games medal is one of the highlights of any athlete’s career, but to win a medal on home soil would be something else and mean so much more. Since Scotland was awarded the Games in 2007, athletes across the country have aspired to be a part of Team Scotland at Glasgow 2014 and I am sure we will see some truly awe inspiring performances, as they aim to realise their dreams in just over 100 days and make Scotland very proud.”

 

Shona Robison, Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport, said:

""It is fantastic to see the medals for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games revealed.  They look absolutely stunning and I'm sure that all the athletes, who have worked so hard to get here and compete, will be honoured to receive one of these medals.  The Games are proving a great showcase for Scottish designers from these fantastic medals designed by Jonathan Boyd, to the wooden quaichs by Paul Hodgkiss and the dresses for the female medal bearers by Kerry Nixon.

"We are celebrating 100 days to go today before we are host to the largest sporting and cultural event ever seen in Scotland.  The final pieces are all coming together as we get ready to deliver the best Games ever and to showcase Scotland on a global stage. "

Councilor Gordon Matheson, Leader of Glasgow City Council, said:

 

 “100 Days to Go is the last lap on our preparations for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, the biggest event in the city’s history.  It is very fitting that we celebrate this landmark by unveiling these fantastic medals, which will reflect modern Glasgow when we host the Games this summer, and I would like to offer my congratulations to the designer, Jonathan Boyd.”

Jonathan Boyd said:

"It’s a real honour to have been invited to design the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games medals. As someone who is extremely proud to live in the city of Glasgow and an avid sports fan, I am thrilled to be given this opportunity. I hope I have designed something that stands proud as an interesting and unique object but, more importantly, something that celebrates each athlete's individual achievement.


“Each of the medals was handmade in Glasgow by a group of internationally recognised jewellers. This could only have been achieved at The Glasgow School of Art. It has been a wonderful commission both for me and my colleagues in the Silversmithing and Jewellery department.”

 

 

 

Kerry Nixon said:

 

"I’m delighted to be a part of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.  It’s a huge honour for me to design and now showcase the Medal Bearer’s dress and represent my hometown of Glasgow at such an exciting time for the City.”

 

Paul Hodgkiss said:

 

"It is a real honour being asked to design and create the athletes gifts, medal trays and podiums.

I am so very proud that the winning athletes will experience an atmosphere we have helped to create in my home city and that they will take home with them not only good memories but, literally, a little piece of Glasgow.”

 

By Editor

Glasgow 2014 has today (Monday 14 April) marked 100 days to go until the start of the Commonwealth Games with a stunning aerial shot of Hampden Park, Scotland’s national football stadium temporarily transformed into an Athletics venue for the Games.

The Venue for Track and Field had a giant ‘100’ painted onto the grass infield for an iconic image which shows the still in-construction running track for the first time.

Hampden will be the centrepiece of the Games with more than a thousand athletes going all out for Gold and glory in over 48 events in seven days of competition.

By Editor

1. Women’s Boxing and the Mixed Team Relay event in Triathlon will make their Commonwealth

Games debut at Glasgow 2014.

2.       Glasgow 2014 will have the largest ever number of fully integrated Para-Sport events with 22

medals up for grabs in five sports within the programme.

By Editor

Record crowds were rewarded with two course records and one world record at the 34th Virgin Money London Marathon today as Kenyans Wilson Kipsang and Edna Kiplagat won two thrilling elite races in the glorious London sunshine, while Tatyana McFadden and Marcel Hug raced to victory in the wheelchair event.

London 2012 rowing gold medallists Katherine Grainger and Anna Watkins set 36,337 runners on their way from Greenwich this morning after 36,621 had registered to run by close of play on Saturday at the London Marathon Expo. By 6pm this evening, 35,864 runners had crossed the famous finish line on The Mall after passing more than three quarters of a million spectators along the route.

By Editor

Lausanne, Switzerland, April 14, 2014 – FIVB Medical Commission and IOC Medical Commission member Roald Bahr is part of the organizing committee for the IOC World Conference on Prevention of Injury & Illness in Monaco, which wraps up Monday. 

The conference, which began April 10, is the premier international conference for those interested in clinical aspects of sports and exercise medicine, according to the IOC.

“The diverse faculty represent the pre-eminent international authorities in injury and illness prevention.

By Editor

After a year’s hiatus Africa’s first ever and only comprehensive sports magazine has returned with a bang. In this issue of African Sports Monthly we dedicate the front cover to the greatest African that ever lived in Nelson ‘Madiba’ Mandela for his incomparable contribution to Africa especially so in the world of sports. Nelson Mandela died on December 5th 2013 but his legacy in many facets of life, most particularly his recognition of the value of sports within society will forever remain with us in Africa. He stands alone as one of the very few African leaders who knew and saw the true value of sports as a vehicle of social mobilization to achieve a myriad of significant milestones one of which was in uniting South Africa which was at the crossroads to a brutal Civil War back in the mid 1990’s

By Editor

It is our tradition at African Sports Monthly to award the best Male and Female African Sports Personalities for their exploits on and off the field of play every year. .

African Sports Monthly Magazine initiated the two category Awards for male and female athletes in 2010 at the year of our founding and have continued that tradition ever since save for the 2012 Award which was cancelled due to an internal decision by our organization.

By Sahr Morris Jr

Sweden based Sierra Leonean sprinter, Hamza M Kamara won the 100 & 200 meters sprint double at the 86th edition of the annual Sierra Leone Amateur Athletics Association Boxing Day Sports Meet. 

Kamara who travelled from Sweden specifically for the event easily triumphed over the home based athletes in both events clocking 21:50 seconds in the 200meters and 10:56 seconds in the 100meters.
Freetown based Jimmy Thoronka followed closely with a 21:93 seconds in the 200meters taking the silver medal whilst Mohamed L Bangura secured bronze with a 21:94 seconds clocking.

In the 100meters, Michael Konomanyi scooped silver after clocking 10:61 seconds behind Kamara whilst Thoronka settled for the bronze with 10:67seconds.

By Leslie Koroma

I have been in contact with Blessing Okagbare since 2009 when she was still at UTEP; University of Texas at El-Paso chronicling her progress through interviews and articles about her performances on the track which has been nothing but sensational as well as about her life off the track.

Recently Blessing broke the African Record lowering it to 10.79 seconds; a feat that has been a long time coming for her as I had no doubt that among the current crop of African women sprinters, she stood the best chance of vanquishing it.

Blessing is a humble and very unassuming athlete who is a very hard worker that does not leave anything to chance despite her natural talent. I say despite because when some individuals realize they do have natural talents to be great in doing something in life they tend to take the lax approach to it, in Blessing’s case, she does not take anything for granted.

Blessing has come a long way from a onetime triple jumper, an event which earned her an athletic scholarship to the University of Texas at El Paso to the now current African record holder in the 100 meters for women.

By Leslie Koroma

Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia; the Queen of women’s middle distance running showed the world again why she is the undisputable ruler of the 10,000 and 5,000 meters as she showed true grit in the final 500 meters of a grueling race led by Japan’s Hitomi Niiya for the most part. Dibaba started sprinting from the 500 meters mark reminiscent of her surge at the London 2012 Olympics with Kenya’s Gladys Cherono and fellow Ethiopian Belaynesh Ojira hanging close behind her pushing her all the way but with 200 meters to go she separated herself from the two surging away as If she was contesting a 200 meters dash race to finish the race in spectacular form claiming the Gold medal in the 10, 000 meters with a time of 30:43.35.