Colors: Yellow Color

Tottenham Hotspur forward, Son Heung-min, has won an award for the best performance after he completed his three-week military service in his native South Korea.

Officials said that the 27-year-old Premier League superstar had excelled in his shooting skills and he was also the top performer among a group of 157 trainees.

He was due to serve 21 months, but earned an exemption after being part of the South Korea team which won the Asian Games in 2018 and, as a result, only had to complete three weeks.

Son returned to his homeland, in March, to continue with his recovery from a fractured arm while the season is in suspension due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

It is mandatory that all South Korean men must complete military service in their country by the time they reach 27.

With the Premier League’s ‘Project Restart’ hoping to see the top-flight resume in July, it could mean an official return to group training very soon – which Son could miss, due to him having to spend a period of time in quarantine on his return to the UK.

The Spurs star underwent exposure to rear gas, went on lengthy hikes and was trained in how to fire guns during his national service.

Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspurs, Celtic and Rangers are among a number of leading European clubs who will be using social media platforms to help find missing young people.

The project, which will run on International ‘Missing Children’s Day’, on May 25, was inspired by Serie A giants, Roma.

The Italian club showed videos of missing children when they were signing players over the past two transfer windows, and six children who were featured have since been found.

The ‘Football Cares’ imitative is being supported by world football’s governing body FIFA.

The European Club Association, who is co-ordinating the project, said: “With the huge following and global reach that these clubs boast, we hope that someone, somewhere might recognise one of the missing children and young people in the videos so that they can be reunited with their loved ones”.

Clubs who have signed up for the initiative so far include Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund in Germany, Inter Milan, Juventus and Lazio in Italy, Barcelona, Athletico Madrid and Valencia in Spain, Irish side Cork and Linfield from Northern Ireland.

 The NFL has made the decision to cancel the four gridiron games scheduled to take place in London later this year.

Two of the fixtures, involving the Jacksonville Jaguars were scheduled for Wembley Stadium, with two further fixtures due to be played at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

They will now be rescheduled to be played in the United States after organisers decided it was impossible to arrange games in a different continent because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The London games were set to be played in autumn 2020, but no dates had yet been set.

It will be the first time that an NFL regular-season game has not been played in London since 2006.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell made the decision after consultation with a number of stakeholders including clubs, local governments and medical authorities.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said it was “absolutely the right decision to ensure the safety of everyone involved in the sport”.

Tottenham Hotspurs’ chairman, Daniel Levy, said: “We fully appreciate the difficult decision that the NFL has had to make”.

The NFL had also been planning to play one game at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico, but that too will take place in the US.

The United States Women’s football team’s bid for equal pay has been dismissed by a court, with the judge rejecting the players’ claims that they were underpaid compared to the men.

The lawsuit was filed by 28 women’s national team players last year against the USSF (US Soccer Federation).

They had been seeking $66 million (£52.6m) in damages under the Equal Pay Act.

Molly Levinson, the spokesperson for the players, said that they planned to appeal against the decision.

The players filed the law suit against the USSF alleging that they were underpaid compered to men in the same sport last year.

The Judge, R. Gary Klausner, said that the players haven’t ‘demonstrated a triable issue’ that they’re paid less than their male peers.

The Women’s national soccer team once openly protested against the USSF when, in a game against Japan Women’s team, when they took to the field wearing their warm-up vests turned inside out so that the U.S badge could not be seen.- although the 4 stars, which represent the US Women’s team’s four World Cup victories were left visible.

They left their jersey inside-out during the U.S. national anthem, before turning them the right way round just before the start of the game.

In a statement, issued by Levinson, she said: “We wanted to stand together as a team and make a statement on behalf of all women and girls that the federation’s comments are unacceptable.

“We love this sport and this country and we cannot stand for this misogynistic treatment”.

At the request of supporters, USWNT (United States Women’s National Team) has begun selling officially licenced T-shirts and hoodies emulating the inside-out jersey.

Discussions around the rescheduling of the West Indies; cricket tour of England have included the possibility of the visitors going into isolation for as long as 14 days.

The three-Test series was due to start in June, but the shutdown of the sport in England and Wales has been extended until at least July 1.

The earliest date that the first Test could actually begin is thought to be July 8.

If the Windies are to be in isolation, they are likely to have access to practice facilities at a locked-down venue.

Both England and West Indies captains, Joe Root and Jason Holder have been involved in talks over rescheduling the Test series.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced that their new city-based tournament – The Hundred – has been postponed until 2021nbecause of the Covid-19 pandemic.

A spokesperson said that “positive and on-going discussion with the ECB and CWI (Cricket West Indies) is continuing”.

At the same time, the ECB also discussed their new competition; The Hundred - the 100-ball competition, involving in separate men’s and women’s tournaments - which was due to begin on July 17 and end on August 15.

That meeting concluded that it was not possible for it to be staged this year.

ECB chief executive officer, Tom Harrison, said: “Whilst we are naturally disappointed that we won’t get to realise our ambitions this season, The Hundred will go ahead in 2021 when we are safely able to deliver everything we intended to help grow the game”.

Game of Thrones actor, Hafthor Bjornsson, has set a new world deadlift record after lifting 501 kg (1,104 lbs).

Bjornsson, a power-lifter who portrayed Ser Gregor ‘The Monster’ Clegane in the HBO series, broke the record at his gym in his native Iceland.

He lifted the barbell for two seconds, before dropping the weights and roaring in delight.

The event was streamed by leading sports broadcaster, ESPN, and filmed for Bjornsson’s YouTube channel.

He said: “It’s just great - there’s nothing better than proving people wrong. So many people didn’t believe in me, so many people that said ; ‘501 kg is never going to go up’…But I also had a lot of support”.

Going on, he added: “I feel healthy, I feel good. I am just absolutely speechless, even though I am talking a lot about it now.

“But I am excited, super excited – this is huge for me”.

The 6ft 9ins Bjornsson previously won the World’s Strongest Man competition in 2018.

Previously, the record was held by British powerlifter, Eddie Hall, who was the first man to lift 500 kg, in 2016.

As talks are taking place to find out the ideal time for football to return in the UK, Manchester City striker, Sergio Aguero, has said that players are scared about the prospect of a return to action as the Covid-19 pandemic continues.

The English Premier League is hoping to restart the season’s action on June 8, which would mean that players would be expected to return for training by May 18.

The Premier League’s current champion’s record goal scorer said: “The majority of players are scared to return because they have children and families.

“I’m scared, but I’m with my girlfriend here and I am not going to be in contact with other people.

“I am locked in my house and the only person I could infect is her”.

He went on: “They are saying that there are people that have but don’t have any symptoms but they can still infect you. That is why I am staying here at home.

Aguero believes that when players do return to action, they will be ‘quite nervous’ but also ‘extremely careful’.

Former footballers, Marvin Sordell and Liam Rosenior, are among several new members of the Football Association’s Inclusion Advisory Board (IAB) – the subcommittee of the English FA board which aims to enhance diversity and equality at all levels of the game.

Former Coventry City and Burton Albion player, Sordell has spoken out about his mental health since he retired at the age of 28, while ex-Brighton and Hull City defender, Rosenior was a lead supporter of the ‘Rooney Rule’ legislation in the game.

IAB chair, Paul Elliot, said: “The standard of candidacies was hugely outstanding and, as such, we are hugely delighted with the outcome.

“It was important to bring in people who can offer a free perspective from both within and outside of football.

“We have made great strides since the Inclusion Advisory Board was formed in 2013 and it is crucial to bring in those who can challenge existing ideas”.

Marvin and Liam are joined by Sandra Hughes, chief executive of the Centre for Mental Health, KPMG’s director of inclusion, diversity and social equality, Edleen John and Staynton Brown, who is the director of inclusion and talent at Transport for London.

Kick It Out chair, Sanjay Bhandari is also added to the board, while Roya Mehdizadeh-Valoujerdy will represent the FA Youth Council.

Prejudice towards women playing football is a “continuous issue across many regions of the world” and too many face adverse labour conditions, say world players’ union Fifpro.

In a released report, Fifpro found that “discrimination, sexual harassment and abuse” are major issue.

The union also surveyed 186 players from the 2019 Women’s World Cup.

Of those, more than half said that they are not enough support staff at clubs.

The union called for the introduction of global standards for players as they say adverse labour conditions “still plagues the women’s game.

Of the 186 elite women players questioned in the survey, 51% said that there were not enough staff at their club to fulfil their playing needs. 41% said they do not receive health insurance from their club, while only 3% received help to relocate after a transfer and 17% said that they received no non-financial benefits from their clubs.

A spokesperson for Women in Football said: “We regularly support women who face discrimination and sexual harassment in the workplace.

“The significant increase in the number of sexist reports received by us is of concern, but sadly not a great surprise.

“What is clear is that this is just the tip of the iceberg: for every offensive tweet or comment posted and reported to us, there are dozens that are not. And we know from our 2016 research, that women who experience sexism at work rarely report it – just 1 in 10 according to our landmark industry survey”.

Premier League side, Manchester United have said that they have received permission to install 1,500 barrier seats – standing with rails – at their Old Trafford stadium as a trial measure.

The club says that they will be installing the new section in the north-east quadrant for the 2020-23 season after receiving approval from Trafford Council.

If the trial proves to be successful, the club says that it will look to install barrier seats in other areas of the stadium.

Standing at grounds in England’s top two divisions is banned although clubs have ;looked to find a ‘middle-ground’, with Wolverhampton Wanderers installing rail seats at their Molineux stadium last year.

A statement from Old Trafford said; “United will now discuss installation options with potential supplier, working within current government recommendations relating to construction site operating procedures and social distancing”.

Manchester United has struggled to deal with the problem of persistent standing at the ground for a number of years.

 

The chief doctor of football’s world governing body, FIFA, has warned against any restart of football after the worldwide interruption of the 2019-20 season and have suggested that preparation for any sort of action to be made for next season instead.

With some professional clubs returning with restarting training – although player5s do so in isolation from each other - Michel d’Hooghe said: “As a doctor, I would be very sceptical about continuing any of the leagues amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The chair of FIFA’s medical committee said: “My proposal is that if it is possible, avoid playing football in the foreseeable weeks.

“Try to be prepared for the start of good competition next season”.

Despite the ‘high’ of a survey which showed that more people were exercising, the situation is at a ‘low’ as it is said that many in lower socio-economic groups are less likely to be active.

The Sport England Active Lives Survey of 181,535, in the 12 months to November 2019, found that 28.6 million in England met the chief medical officer’s recommended 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity a week, which is an increase of 404,600 people on the previous 12 months.

That does, however, ‘fly in the face’ of Sport England – the governing body which funds grassroots sport – who reported a significant decline in the levels of activities being carried out – especially those between the ages of 16 and 34.

11.1m adults in England are inactive; with the country’s low socio-economic group some affluent groups.

Now, in addition, with the Covid-19 pandemic taking its global grip, there is fears that the trend for sporting inactivity may grow, with sporting bodies, including those sending athletes to the Olympic Games, in Tokyo, are fearing that they could go under.

Several governing bodies have said that they are facing a heavy financial crisis to the extent of having to cancel events; with financial implications that may well be irreversible.

A spokesperson for UK Sports said: “The current situation, which has caused the cancellation of the sporting calendar for the foreseeable future, has created a significant financial challenge for major sporting bodies.

“We are making sure that we do everything within our powers to support all sporting, at all levels, where possible.

 

 

Finishing the season in a 40-day window was one of the scenarios discussed at a Premier League meeting.

Top-flight clubs remain committed to playing all 92 remaining fixtures this season but did not discuss a deadline by which action must resume. Clubs were expected to debate a 30 June deadline to end the season but instead discussed "possible scheduling models".

Meanwhile, the Women's Super League (WSL) season could be completed over a six-week period, with the 45 games left played behind closed doors at one central base. St George's Park, the Football Association's national football centre, is understood to be under consideration to host teams and matches.

No WSL fixtures have been played since February 23, with the suspension of elite football across England coming after a two-week international break for the SheBelieves Cup and the Women's League Cup final.

With the Premier League (PL) being suspended since March 13, because of coronavirus, they say that it "remains our objective" to complete matches but currently "all dates are tentative".

It is understood some clubs expected to discuss the proposed 30 June deadline at Friday's meeting but it was decided this was not the right time to do so.

A Premier League spokesperson said: "In common with other businesses and industries" clubs were "working through complex planning scenarios.

It remains our objective to complete the 2019-20 season, but at this stage all dates are tentative while the impact of Covid-19 develops."

Sixteen of the 20 Premier League teams have nine games to play, with four having 10 left.
The Premier League earlier said play will only resume when "it is safe and appropriate to do so". 

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden spoke to PL bosses and signalled the government was content for them to start contingency planning.

In a section on player welfare at the meeting, it was decided tests for coronavirus would have to be widely available to the public before the widespread testing of players.

When and how football resumes has been widely debated across the sport as clubs face up to financial difficulties and the logistical issues caused by a late finish to the season.

If the season is extended beyond that date there is a possibility clubs will lose players before fixtures are concluded.

Lower down the football pyramid in England, the EFL has sent a letter to clubs recommending they return to training on May 16 at the earliest. The EFL has not discussed a league restart date with the government but told clubs: "Our planning needs to be agile enough to allow us to be as prepared as possible for a start at relatively short notice."

The remaining options for this campaign were outlined to WSL clubs during a conference call, including the possibility of having to void the season with the n FA spokesperson saying: "We are in the early stages of assessing what options are available for when it is safe and appropriate to resume the FA WSL and FA WC seasons.
"This includes the potential use of neutral venues.

The FA is understood to want the top women's divisions next steps to be in line with any decisions made by the Premier League, as well as following guidance from European football's governing body UEFA, with the top two WSL teams set to qualify for the Women's Champions League.

That means there could yet be some flexibility around the proposed restart start in June, but nevertheless the WSL is understood to have two main options remaining as the most likely.

Tiers three to seven of the women's pyramid in England were formally declared null and void after that decision was ratified on 9 April and the top two tiers could follow suit depending on the health advice given.

The English Football Association (FA) has launched an advisory group to study why anterior cruciate ligament injuries are more prevalent in women’s football.

Women players are 8-times more likely to injure their ACLs than men.

During this season, 12 players in the top two divisions in the women’s game – the WSL (Women’s Super League) and the Woman’s Championship – have suffered with the serious knee injury during this season with the FA saying that the results will be “carefully assessed”.

An FA spokesperson said that the results from the Female Athletics Scientific Advisory Group will be carefully assessed over time.

The spokesperson said: “The audit, already in its early stages, will be carried out by a group of experts from institutes involved in producing results in women’s athletics and football.

“Then, we will be able to assess any particular injuries – including ACLs.

“We will then be able to analyse rates of injuries in comparison to previous audits in men’s and women’s football, as well as in other sports.

A programme of ACL strategies - set up by the FA - is already in place, where experts deliver contents on the prevention, and rehabilitation from, to club medics.

Manchester City defender, Aoife Mannion, is one of the WSL players to suffer the potential career-ending knee injury and, after undergoing surgery, will be on the side-lines for a lengthy period.

Fellow WSL club, Bristol City, is undergoing research into the possible relation of the menstrual-cycle in ACL injury prevention.

 

Jan Frodeno, Olympic gold medallist and three-time winner of the Ironman Triathlon World Championship, has shown that COVID-19 cannot stop all sport if you are creative and determined enough.

Laureus Ambassador Frodeno today found an imaginative way to complete a sporting challenge amid COVID-19 restrictions and raise OVER €200,000 for healthcare institutions in Girona and Laureus Sport for Good.

Now in lockdown in Girona, he completed the Ironman distance ‘AT HOME’ – in a remarkable time of 8hrs 33mins and 39secs.

That’s 3.8 km in his counter-current swimming pool, 180 km cycling on his roller trainer, and running a 42.2km marathon on his treadmill.

Jan said: “That was certainly different and great fun. I’m really pleased we were able to make this happen, and to raise money for such good and important causes. We’ve been subject to lockdown for almost 4 weeks now and there is strict monitoring of compliance with these rules, and rightly so.

“The situation here is really dire. That’s why I’ve been training at home. However, when I see what the people here in the hospitals are doing for us, this small sacrifice is one I wholeheartedly make.”

Frodeno was planning to compete at the Challenge Roth in Bavaria, but it was called off because of the pandemic.

He said: “In the beginning it was actually just a crazy idea, with me thinking: ‘If I can’t do my race, I’ll just do it at home.’ Then we thought more about how and why we should actually do this. I just wanted to attract attention in order to raise money.

“A portion of the donations will help Laureus Sport for Good in building a project to help young people in my home city, Girona. My sponsor Mercedes-Benz is a Global Partner of this charity and I have been involved in it as an Ambassador for many years.

“Laureus is a wonderful organisation that supports around 200 programmes around the world which use the power of sport to help young people. A lot of this work has had to stop, or has to take place remotely now because of COVID-19. For these young people, many of them disadvantaged, this is a double disaster.

“The rest of the donations will be given to local healthcare institutions here in Girona. I have so much respect and regard for the doctors, nurses and helpers here who are risking themselves to beat this terrible thing.”

Fans around the world tuned in to a live stream of Jan’s #TriatHome Challenge. Throughout the day, he was joined on the stream by a number of the world’s greatest sporting legends, including Laureus Academy members Boris Becker, Fabian Cancellara, Mike Horn and Chris Hoy.

For anyone wishing to support Jan’s initiative, the donation page is www.viprize.org/frodeno.
                           

Ex-England, Crystal Palace, Wolves, Nottingham Forest, Crewe, Barnsley and Rochdale footballer, blood cancer survivor and Cure Leukaemia Patron Geoff Thomas has reluctantly announced the cancellation of his GT15 Tour de France challenge with view to completing it in 2021.

Geoff and 18 other amateur cyclists had been training to cycle the full Tour de France route, a day ahead of the professionals, this summer with the aim of raising £1,000,000 for national blood cancer charity Cure Leukaemia.

Their fundraising would directly fund the UK Trials Acceleration Programme (TAP) network which comprises 12 blood cancer centres across the UK. The specialist research nurses funded within these centres allow pioneering clinical trials for blood cancer to run benefitting a catchment area of 20 million people and many of these nurses have now been redeployed to help run clinical trials to fight the COVID-19 virus.

Unfortunately, due to the unprecedented global impact from the COVID-19 crisis, Geoff and the charity have made the decision to cancel the event with a view to completing the challenge next year, a decision that the whole GT15 team are in complete agreement with, despite the main Tour de France announcing its postponement to August 29th this summer.

Thomas, 55, who was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia in 2003, said: “I am devastated to cancel this event which was due to be my final Tour de France challenge. Whilst the official organisers have announced the new date there is still too much uncertainty and risk from a logistical and operational perspective for our event to take place. However, I am so grateful that the majority of the team have already assured me that they will complete the event in 2021.

“Our aim was to raise £1,000,000 for Cure Leukaemia to fund our amazing research nurses across the UK, many of whom have been redeployed to directly fight COVID-19 on the front-line and I am so proud that, as a team, we have already raised over £350,000. I want to thank everyone involved in GT15 for the hours of training and fundraising they have already dedicated to this challenge and we will still do what we can to get as close to our £1m target this year.

“I also want to thank our fantastic sponsors for their support especially our official headline sponsor Farr Vintners who have committed to the event in 2021. We have made this decision with a heavy heart, but we are now even more determined to go well beyond the £1m target when this event can take place in 2021.”

Cure Leukaemia Chief Executive James McLaughlin said: “After careful consideration and communication with Geoff and the team and despite today’s announcement, we decided that it is the sensible and right decision to cancel this year’s event. I am immensely grateful to all of our major sponsors and event director Andy Cook for their understanding of the situation and their continued support.

“In cancelling the event, this inevitably creates a potential significant shortfall and we will be doing everything we can for the remainder of the year to ensure we can provide vital funds for the amazing research nurses we fund at 12 blood cancer centres across the UK so they can continue to help save lives.

“I want to thank all of the GT15 riders for their phenomenal dedication to training and fundraising for Cure Leukaemia and their understanding of this decision.”