Sports News

Gloucester Rugby and Music Plus Sport have announce Nile Rodgers & CHIC as the next headliners in their summer season of concerts, headlining on Sunday June 9.

Announcing Olly Murs (Friday June 7) as the first headliner at the end of last year, the show soon became one of the hottest tickets in the history of Gloucester Rugby with Nile Rodgers & CHIC expecting to follow suit.

Rodgers is truly exceptional. He amplifies his legacy as a multiple GRAMMY-winning composer, producer, arranger and guitarist by constantly traversing new musical terrain and successfully expanding the boundaries of popular music.

As the co-founder of CHIC, Rodgers pioneered a musical language that generated chart-topping hits like “Le Freak,” sparked the advent of hip-hop with “Good Times,” and won CHIC 11 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominations. His work in the CHIC Organization and his productions for artists like David Bowie (incl. ‘Lets Dance’), Diana Ross (incl. ‘Upside Down’, ‘I’m Coming Out’) and Madonna (incl. ‘Material Girl’, ‘Like A Virgin’) have sold over 300 million albums and 50 million singles worldwide while his innovative, trendsetting collaborations with Daft Punk, Avicii, Sigala, Disclosure and Sam Smith reflect the vanguard of contemporary music.

Releasing their ninth studio album ‘It’s About Time’ in 2018, the release saw the band once again work the cream of the crop of the current music stars ranging from Mura Masa and Stefflon Don to Lady Gaga.

Stephen Vaughan CEO of Gloucester Rugby said; “We are delighted to announce that Nile Rodgers and Chic will be the second act performing at Kingsholm in the summer of 2019 a couple of days after Olly Murs.

Nile Rodgers is an absolute legend in the world of music. He has written, produced and performed on albums that have sold millions of copies worldwide.

Kingsholm Stadium is a unique venue which provides a special setting & atmosphere for concerts and Nile Rodgers and CHIC will put on a superb evening’s entertainment, one that we’re all really looking forward to.”

Co-Founder of promoters Music Plus Sport Simon Halden, MD said; “We are thrilled to bring the legendary Nile Rodgers & CHIC to Kingsholm Stadium for what will no doubt be a highlight of the summer alongside Olly Murs.  Gloucestershire crowds have consistently delivered a great atmosphere for the shows we put on and we know 2019 will be no different.”

Expect to hear some of the best-known pop anthems from the last four decades. With more than 200 production credits to his name, the scope of Nile Rodgers' peerless influence is undeniable.

The three-day 119th Annual Sports of the Government College University Lahore began at a grand inaugural ceremony at Punjab Stadium. About 6,000 students from 30 departments of the University are participating in the annual sports including the march past, athletics meet and gymkhana events. The GCU athletes, led by Haris Qasim took oath that they would take part in annual games abiding by the rules and in the true spirit of sportsmanship for the glory of sports and the honour of their teams.

A good number of foreign students and faculty members also participated in the grand past at the Punjab stadium. About 34 contingents including of the university’s hostels participated in the grand march past, while the musicians hailing from GCU Nazir Ahmed Music Society (NAMS) presented a special anthem for 119th Athletics Meet.

Talking to the media, Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Hassan Amir Shah said sports and co-curricular were as important as academics for the overall grooming and personality development of students, so they should be widely promoted in educational institutions right from the schools to curb the inclination of youth towards negative and unhealthy activities. The VC also appreciated the participation of physically-challenged students in the annual sports.

GCU Director Sports Mr Khadim Ali Khan said that their sportsmen remained busy in camps throughout the year, but the basic objective of these annual sports was involve those students who were not sportsmen in healthy sports activities. He requested that it must be declared mandatory for schools, colleges and universities to have ample sports facilities especially grounds for their students.

Later, the first day of the annual sports event was marked by 1000-metre race which was won by Ali Raza from Physical Education Department. In 3,000-metre race, Physical Education student Ali Haider clinched the first position, while Ali Sukhera of Economics crossed the finish line first in men’s 100m race and break thirteen years old University record and in 400-metre race Waqar Younas break the 32 years old university record. Qasar Abbas from Physical Education Department clinched first position in men’s Shot Put. The most enthralling contest of 4×100 meters relay among boy was won by a team of Physical Education Department.

Former British middleweight champion Tommy Langford will buoyantly start a “new chapter” when he steps up to 168lbs for the first time and join the super middleweight division at Walsall Town Hall on Saturday March 9.

The 29-year-old features on BCB Promotions’ show at their most often used venue, with the bill titled ‘Pride of the Midlands.’

‘The Baggies Bomber’ will have the support of West Bromwich Albion fans behind him, as a season ticket holder and columnist for the match-day programme.

The Devon-born Birmingham man began life in Bideford, but went on to settle in Birmingham as a teenager. His dad, David, was born in Dudley and he still has family in the Black Country.

A rebuilding process currently awaits Langford, after relinquishing and failing to regain the British crown in two blistering clashes with Jason Welborn.

Two barnburners with Welborn in 2018 led to him outpointed on a pair of split decisions, leading to Langford deciding to leave middleweight behind.

That journey continues with his next fight night, where six-round action will begin to get him used to the different path that lays head,

He still dreams of achievements at the top level, having previously competed for an interim WBO world title unsuccessfully.

Avtandil Khurtsidze shattered those dreams in five rounds, handing Langford what remains to date his only TKO defeat.

He’s also held the Commonwealth and WBO Inter-Continental straps during his pro career and retains a thirst for further honours.

He said: “It’s been hard to make middleweight the whole time, to be honest, and I was always big at the weight. I just didn’t feel strong by the end of it.

“I look back at a few years ago and I had more power but, in the past 18 months, I felt like it wasn’t coming through because I was weight sapped.

“When you’re a champion, you carry on going along with it but, when that’s gone, you have to admit that it’s too hard.

“All I could do to get to the limit was run like crazy but, when that goes too far, you can end up wasting away muscle.

“I’ve always had a good engine, perhaps that’s what has got me through to the end of some fights. Those two with Jason Welborn are perfect examples.

“I want a reputation for being in exciting fights and me and Jason certainly managed that. Unfortunately, I didn’t get those decisions.

“Of course, I don’t like to lose and it’s not been easy when that’s happened, but I have to move on and leave that in the past.”

Marlo Sweatman was the lone scorer as Jamaica's Reggae Girlz beat Chile 1-0 at the National Stadium in the first of two friendly international matches. It was the first match for the Reggae Girlz since they first created history by becoming the first Caribbean team to reach the FIFA Women's World Cup.

The Girlz’ slick movement and agility combined saw them take a deserved lead when Chilean goalkeeper Christiane Endler spilled a corner from the left, which set up the goal.

Jamaica's top attacker Khadija Shaw caused concerns to goalkeeper Endler minutes later with a free kick just outside the penalty area on the left, which caused the custodian to dive full stretch to her right to prevent another goal.

Shaw was given a grand opportunity to increase the lead close the end of the half when she was fed a through ball, but with only Endler to beat she fired straight at the goalkeeper from just inside the area.

The Chileans started the second half  on the attack and camped inside the Reggae Girlz' half for most of the first 20 minutes, with their best effort being a long-range shot from Yesenita Huenteo that goalkeeper Nicole McClure had to dive to her right to block.

Then a free-kick from the right by Huenteo had to be cleared off the line at the far post by defender Konya Plummer, after beating goalkeeper McClure.

The Reggae Girlz gradually settled and once again started to take the fight to Chile with a number of quick counter attacks that looked positive at the beginning but fizzled out in the final third or was fired over the crossbar from distance.

Chile was presented with a good opportunity to equalise close to the end when Plummer failed to properly clear from the area and the ball fell to an unmarked Yanara Aedo on the left. She fired powerfully at goalkeeper McClure who blocked the near-post effort.

The Jamaica Women’s team play their second match will take place at the Montego Bay Sports Complex tomorrow.

Sri Lanka batsmen Kusal Mendis and Oshada Fernando have made major gains in the MRF Tyres ICC Test Player Rankings after anchoring their side to a memorable eight-wicket win in Port Elizabeth that helped complete a historic 2-0 series triumph.

The unbroken 163-run stand from the pair enabled Sri Lanka to become the first Asian team to win a Test series in South Africa and they had individual gains too. An unbeaten 84 from Mendis lifted him to 18th among batsmen while Fernando’s 75 not out helped him jump 35 places and reach 65th position in the list after just two Tests.

Niroshan Dickwella is another Sri Lanka batsman to make a notable improvement in the latest rankings update, moving up eight slots to reach 37th place with his first innings knock of 42 while left-handed opener Lahiru Tharimanne finds himself in the top 100.

Among their bowlers, Suranga Lakmal (up three places to 30th) and Vishwa Fernando (up six places to a career-best 43rd) have advanced after taking four wickets each in the second Test while Kasun Rajitha’s five wickets in the match have helped him move up eight places to 51st position.

The bright spot for South Africa is the continued progress of fast bowler Duanne Olivier, who has moved into the top 20 after only 10 Tests. The 26-year-old’s four wickets in the match have helped him gain three slots to reach 19th position in the list, which has two others fast bowlers from his team ahead of him – Kagiso Rabada in third place and Vernon Philander in fourth.

Meanwhile, South Africa have slipped to third place in the MRF Tyres ICC Test Team Rankings, losing five points and finishing at 105 after losing both Tests to their lower-ranked opposition. Sri Lanka remain in sixth place, but have moved up to 93 points. New Zealand are second with 107 points and will need to win an upcoming three-Test home series against Bangladesh, starting Thursday, in order to retain second place. The predictor function is available here.

Guy Learmonth has been voted by his fellow athletes as captain of the Great Britain & Northern Ireland team for this week’s European Indoor Championships on home soil in Glasgow from 1-3 March.

Learmonth, who made his major senior British international debut at the Championships in Prague four years ago, received the most votes after every member of the record 49-strong team for Glasgow was given the chance to nominate who they would like to be captain.

The 26-year-old has enjoyed a successful indoor season so far, opening up with an indoor 800m personal best of 1:46.98 in Boston before securing his place on the British team for Glasgow with silver at the SPAR British Athletics Indoor Championships earlier this month.

Learmonth follows in the footsteps of fellow Scottish athlete Eilidh Doyle, Andrew Pozzi, Shelayna Oskan-Clarke and Dai Greene in being chosen captain by his teammates and as part of his role, he will deliver the pre-Championships captain’s speech at the British team meeting.

“It is an absolute honour to be named captain of this incredibly strong British team ahead of a home championships this weekend,” Guy said “It is something that never crossed my mind, so it has come as a total surprise.

To everyone that voted for me, thank you, I am truly humbled. Like every championship, we need to set our goals high. I firmly believe we can finish at the top of that medal table and there is no better place to do it than on home soil. I will do my absolute best on and off the track for the rest of the team and be the best captain I can possible be. Glasgow, get ready, this is going to be one to remember.”

Neil Black, British Athletics Performance Director, said: “I am delighted for Guy that he has been chosen as captain for what is truly a home championships for him. Once again, we have asked selected athletes to choose who they want to lead the team and this will mean an incredible amount to Guy. To know you have the admiration of your peers is a special feeling for any athlete and I have no doubt that he will lead by example on and off the track in Glasgow and go above and beyond in his role as captain.”

World indoor and defending European indoor 60m hurdles champion Andrew Pozzi has had his participation at this week’s European Indoor Championships on home soil in Glasgow confirmed.

Pozzi was selected onto the British team for the Championships but having been unable to compete at the SPAR British Athletics Indoor Championships and not originally expecting to regain fitness in time for Glasgow, it was subject to him proving his fitness in the build-up.

The 26-year-old competed over two rounds at the IAAF World Indoor Tour final in Dusseldorf on Wednesday, finishing fifth, and wishing to compete and defend the European indoor title he won in Belgrade in 2017, he has had his fitness confirmed for Glasgow.

He was one of the stars of the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Birmingham this time last year, winning gold in a thrilling final, and is one of six selected onto the British team to have claimed gold at the European Indoor Championships previously.

Andrew said: “I thoroughly enjoyed competing again in Dusseldorf last week. It’s been a few days since then and I’m delighted to say that my body has recovered well. To be able to defend my European indoor title is an exciting opportunity and it’s great that we have all decided to go ahead and move on to Glasgow. World indoors last year in Birmingham was so special and now I’m excited to concentrate on what needs to be done in Glasgow in front of another brilliant home crowd.”

Organizers of a sporting event in Wales have taken the step of banning boys from its national netball competition; saying it was aimed at encouraging more girls to take part while boys' physical strength sometimes put them at an advantage.

The Urdd National Sports Festival, which takes place in Aberystwyth, is one of many annual events it puts on and primary schools were – despite the ruling - told girls will be able to play in the football competition with boys at the same tournament.

Pupils have criticised the move, with some saying: "Netball isn't just for girls, it's for boys and girls. If they're taking away netball from the boys, why don't they take a sport away from the girls?"

Another pupil said: "Why can't boys play netball? I'm normally into football, but I wanted to try something different. If girls are allowed to play football, why can’t we do netball?"

The Urdd Gobaith Cymru was set up in 1922 to provide opportunities for children through the medium of Welsh.

José Mourinho has paid fulsome tribute to former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger, who was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Laureus World Sports Awards in Monaco this week. Mourinho describes himself, Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson as ‘sweet enemies’.

Speaking exclusively to @LaureusSport, Mourinho, who had an intense rivalry with Wenger and Ferguson in England when he was manager of Chelsea, questions whether any team can match Wenger’s success in 2003/04 when Arsenal remained unbeaten in the English Premier League, becoming known as ‘The Invincibles’.

Mourinho says: “Where are the next Invincibles? Today’s football is about results. Who did better than him? I arrived in England and I found 'The Invincibles' and I found Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson very much hurt by that invincible Arsenal season.”

Among Jose Mourinho’s other comments:

• On his rivalry with Wenger: “There were some episodes along the road that I don't like to say I regret, nor should Mr Wenger regret it too, because this is really part of our history….but what I can say is that the real respect is always there.”
• On Wenger’s future: “The Award is very much deserved. I just hope that it’s an Award for what he did until today and that tomorrow or very, very soon, he’s back to where he belongs which is to football.”
• On Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson: “I arrived [in England] with the ambition to win and waiting for me were two of the biggest managers in football history that wanted to try to stop me. We were fighting for same. We were like sweet enemies.”

A Shropshire boxing coach says winning a Thrive Mental Health Award means helping more people by changing lives through sport.

Bright Star Boxing Club was named Mental Health Star in the Team, Service, Organisation category for Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and Herefordshire, Cannock Chase and Tamworth at the recent West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) Thrive Awards.

Club development manager Joe Lockley said people became part of a family and a community in Bright Star, with role models they may never have had before.

He said: “Sport can be used as such a vehicle for change – the benefits are so much more than just physical.

The way boxing has supported people is incredible – and actually it’s not just boxing, I think it’s sport in general.

I’ve seen how it can help people – we’ve seen people overcoming addiction, anxiety and depression and people who are really socially isolated starting to feel part of a family, a community.

A lot of us are mental health first-aid trained and we can create that environment and I think we are seen as positive role models for the young people we’re working with.”

Joe said the award was an inspiration onto even bigger and better things.

“Winning this award is absolutely incredible for us and will help spur us on to do more amazing things and hopefully get more referrals from hard to reach groups,” he commented.

Bright Star has helped people at risk of offending, people who have been sexually abused and had a life changing impact on a lot of people.

The academy takes referrals from other organisations and also has sessions running outside the club for women who have been sexually abused, children in care, substance misuse and  children at risk of offending.

Six of the coaches are mental health first aid trained and the academy has shown that with the right volunteers boxing can support high anxiety, depression, offending behaviour and young people struggling with anger and substance misuse.

Young people receive mentoring to help them set goals and free one-one sessions are offered to young people with high anxiety to enable them to take part.

Grammy award winning singer Junior Giscombe is back with a new album dedicated to his musical routes.

‘Every Ting Set’ sees the south London musician team up with a number of reggae artists and features new versions of his huge hit - 'Mamma Used to Say.' 

Originally a big hit in 1984, the No 7 UK Chart hit single also gave him Top 5 R&B in the United States which earned him a ‘Best Newcomer’ award from Billboard magazine. His follow-up single, ‘Too Late,’ also made the Top 20 in the UK.

Although not a regular in the Charts, he made a brief return to the Top 10 in 1987 with ‘Another Step (Closer to You)’ - a duet with then queen of pop Kim Wilde.

The uncle of celebrated British comedian and EastEnders star Richard Blackwood, who sampled ‘Mama Used to Say’ on his own single ‘Mama – Who Da Man’ in June 2000,

Giscombe was also a prolific songwriter for various artists, including Sheena Easton, Maxi Priest, Penny Ford (ex of Snap), Amy Stewart, and Ruby Turner.

Over the years, artistes such as Heavy D, Warren.G, Cam’rom and Brand Nubians have sampled the classics’ Mama Used To Say and Too Late.’        

British motorsport looks set to be excluded from a planned overhaul of EU motor insurance rules after a European Parliament vote on Wednesday.

MEPs, meeting in Strasbourg, supported an amendment tabled by Conservative MEP for the West Midlands Dan Dalton to insist that motorsport teams and drivers would not be required to buy costly third party liability insurance.

Many teams, suppliers and other companies in the UK contacted Dan to warn that European Commission proposal would drive up costs.

However, motorsport events are already covered by comprehensive public liability insurance in the UK.

The Commission’s draft law came after a 2014 ruling by judges in Luxembourg that off-road vehicles should have unlimited third party liability insurance, including on private land.

Conservative MEPs said the legislation was so vague that it could have effectively shut down British motorsport as amateur clubs would struggle to cope with the extra costs, while many underwriters said they would refuse to offer this kind of insurance for larger events.

But Dan’s amendment included the phrase “in traffic” to mitigate the impact of the Commission’s proposal, which won the support of the European Parliament today,

This was a badly drafted proposal that should have been clearly thought through before it ever saw the light of day,” said Dalton, whose father used to volunteer as a marshal at motorsport events up and down the UK. “The vote is a victory for common sense regulation.

This would be catastrophic for grassroots enthusiasts. How could clubs produce the next motorsport stars of the future?

The next step is for negotiators from the European Parliament, EU governments and the European Commission to thrash out a compromise text that would eventually become the final law.”

He concluded: “I think MEPs have sent a clear message today. Everyone involved d: should make sure that motorsport is left unaffected by this new legislation. This is more than just a job for some people; it is a way of life,"

If the law takes effect before Brexit, or during the planned two-year transition phase, then it will apply in the UK.

The motorsport industry is worth more than nine billion pounds to the British economy. Motorsport Valley, which stretches from the West Midlands to East Anglia, employs more than 40,000 people.

British Athletics have accepted a European Athletics invite for Niamh Emerson to compete in the pentathlon at next week’s European Indoor Championships on home soil in Glasgow – the Amber Valley & Erewash athlete being only the second British athlete ever to win the IAAF World Junior Championship heptathlon title during a stellar 2018, which also included Commonwealth bronze, and has begun this year indoors in fine style with victory in the pentathlon at the Combined Events International in Cardiff with a personal best 4544 points.

That score placed Emerson fourth on the all-time British rankings and currently fourth on the 2019 world and European indoor rankings and has led to an official European Athletics invite to compete for Great Britain & Northern Ireland in Glasgow.

With Katarina Johnson-Thompson already announced, Emerson’s invite means there will be two British athletes in the pentathlon for the third time since the event was introduced onto the European Indoor Championships programme in 1992.

Emerson’s inclusion takes the number of athletes to have stepped up having competed at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Finland last year to four with Kristal Awuah (Herne Hill), Joe Brier (Swansea) and Alex Haydock-Wilson (Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow) all major senior international debutants for the British team.

The likes of 2018 Commonwealth Games and European Championship gold medallis Dina Asher-Smith and 1500 metre European, two-time 2017 European Indoor champion, 1500m/3000m double, and two-time 2018 World Indoor Championship medallist Laura Muir alongside the world’s very best, have been regular names at this event, the Muller Grand Prix Birmingham, lane-by-lane, with other major figures in this, the Muller Indoor Grand Prix Birmingham - ranked as the best one-day indoor meeting in the world – will see more world-class head to heads expected to light up the Arena Birmingham today.

With the city known loving its athletics, and having produced many a British and world legends of the sport, such as Sir Mo Farah, today’s fare, part of the IAAF World Indoor tour, promises even greater excitement than ever before.

And it’s just another taster for when the very best in the Commonwealth comes to Birmingham in 2022.

Organizers of a sporting event in Wales have taken the step of banning boys from its national netball competition; saying it was aimed at encouraging more girls to take part while boys' physical strength sometimes put them at an advantage.

The Urdd National Sports Festival, which takes place in Aberystwyth, is one of many annual events it puts on and primary schools were – despite the ruling - told girls will be able to play in the football competition with boys at the same tournament.

Pupils have criticised the move, with some saying: "Netball isn't just for girls, it's for boys and girls. If they're taking away netball from the boys, why don't they take a sport away from the girls?"

Another pupil said: "Why can't boys play netball? I'm normally into football, but I wanted to try something different. If girls are allowed to play football, why can’t we do netball?"

The Urdd Gobaith Cymru was set up in 1922 to provide opportunities for children through the medium of Welsh.

The Müller Indoor Grand Prix Birmingham welcomes more than 50 global medallists to Arena Birmingham this Saturday at the world’s number one ranked indoor athletics event with Olympic, world and European medallists on show for fans to see go head to head at the sold-out event.

Britain’s European 1500m champion Laura Muir competes in the women’s mile with an eye on Kirsty Wade’s 31-year-old British record of 4:23.86. Following her victory at the SPAR British Athletics Indoor Championships over 3000m and her Scottish indoor record over 800m in Torun, Muir’s race will be one of the highlights of the meet.

Just 0.01 seconds outside the world indoor mile record in at the Millrose Games in New York last week, Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha’s next race on the track will be greatly anticipated as he goes over 1500m with Hicham El Guerrouj’s 22-year world indoor 1500m record of 3:31.18 under threat.

Among the Olympic champions in action are Jamaal’s Rio 2016 double gold medallist Elaine Thompson and Katerina Stefanidi, of Greece, who will feature in highly competitive women’s 60m and women’s pole vault fields respectively.

Thompson takes on the reigning European Indoor champion, Asha Philip, who claimed the SPAR British Athletics Indoor Championships title last weekend – her tenth national title in total - and Ivory Coast’s double world medallist Marie-Josée Ta-Lou.

Stefanidi has won almost all there is to win in the sport, and with only a few weeks until she aims to defend her European Indoor title, she’ll take on a strong field in Birmingham including European bronze medallist, Team GB star, Holly Bradshaw who cleared a British Indoor Championship record of 4.80m last weekend at Arena Birmingham.

Furthermore, five 2018 world indoor champions return to the venue including men’s and women’s long jump champion Juan Miguel Echevarria of Cuba, Serbian Ivana Spanovic and Ethiopian Samuel Tefera over 1500m, in addition to Kejelcha and Stefanidi.

World number two in 2019 following his 6.53 clocking in Berlin two weeks ago, Reece Prescod (GBR) goes in the men’s 60m, taking on world indoor silver medallist Su Bingtian of China. Newly-crowned British champion Dominic Ashwell and second-place Adam Thomas will have a last chance to chase European Indoor championship qualifying times.