ICC Launches Official ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 App

Available to download now across Android and Apple platforms on both Mobile and Tablet devices

The ICC, in partnership with Reliance Communications, today launches the official ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 app – now available for free download from the App Store and Google Play. The ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, the 11th edition of cricket’s flagship event, gets underway on 14th February and will see 14 of the best teams in the world compete for cricket’s top prize.

The 2015 edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup promises to be the biggest and best in the event’s history. Whether fans are on the ground in Australia and New Zealand or anywhere around the world, anybody can get closer than ever before to the event by downloading the new ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 App for free direct to their smartphone or tablet.

The App will have a number of unique features and has been designed to enhance the user experience and enjoyment of ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. It will keep fans thrilled with its innovatively designed features and allow everyone to keep themselves up-to-date with all the latest news during the tournament – along with experiencing the best of ICC’s digital activations for the World Cup. So fans can play the Official ICC Cricket World Cup Fantasy League, Pick their Greatest All-Time World Cup XI, Play the Official ICC Cricket World Cup Quiz or look back over the 100 Greatest World Cup Moments Countdown all on their smartphone or tablet.

The App will provide access to the new ICC Match Centre that will keep fans abreast of the live action with the fastest source of live scores and ball-by-ball commentary. It will also contain video highlights and the most important moments of the match that will ensure that those who haven’t caught the action live on television, will not miss out on anything. The video highlights will include all the dismissals, the magic moments, the big innings, the best dismissals and the post-match press conferences.

Fans will also be given a chance to pledge their support for their favourite ICC Cricket World Cup team within the app. When they choose their side, they will be notified of the latest news and updates surrounding their team throughout the tournament. In addition, the App will list all the relevant tournament statistics, so that scores, the top of the charts in run-scorers and wicket-takers, are all within easy reach.

The App will also have details of all the fixtures and results. Viewers can read the reports that will be carried for every match and catch all the breaking news and any exclusive interviews that are conducted during the course of the tournament. There will also be interactive features of the app, where viewers can express their opinions through various polls that will sync with in-broadcast and get involved via the Social Hub section.

The ICC will also have several former legends of the sport contribute exclusive columns that will offer their perspective on the spectacle that will be the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, all of which can be accessed through the App.

The App is designed intuitively for your smartphone and tablet, automatically reacting to your screen size to give the best user experience and will ensure that for all cricket fans, the tournament never sleeps.

The Official ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 App is available free from the App Store on iPhone, iPad or iPod touch or at; https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=956440606&mt=8.

The Official ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 App is available free from the Google Play Store on All Android Devices or at; https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pl.cwc_2015.

Lagos FA Electoral Committee Releases Guidelines And Timeline For LSFA Election

The race for election into the board of Lagos State Football Association, LSFA has begun with the commencement of the sales of Nomination forms, for the election holding on the 24th of February 2015.

According to the Guidelines and Timelines for the election into the board, released by the the Kehinde Iroche led Electoral Committee, the forms will be on sale from 27th of January through 4th of February, 2015, while submission of completed nomination forms is between 4TH and 9TH of February.

The release also indicated that the screening of candidates for the election will hold on the 11TH and 12TH of February with the list of screened candidates presented to the media immediately after.

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While the Appeals committee will sit over any protest arising from the screening on the 13TH to 16TH with the election taking place on the 24TH.

The statement revealed that forms for candidates for the post of Ordinary Board membership will cost N50,000:00, the forms for the Vice Chairmanship is N75,000:00, while Chairmanship forms go for N100,000:00.

The guidelines and, timelines for the election are available on the Lagos State FA official website, http://www.ekofootball.com. The statement noted.

Afghanistan And Ireland Receive Opportunity To Qualify For The ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 With Full Members

Top eight on 12-team rankings table to qualify directly

Kenya and Nepal will take their places in the ICC World Cricket League Championship

The ICC Board on Wednesday approved that Afghanistan and Ireland will join the 10 Full Members in the rankings-based qualification system for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.

The top eight-ranked sides on the Reliance ICC ODI Team Rankings as at 30 September 2017 will qualify automatically to the 2019 event, while the bottom four will play in the 10-team ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018 that will determine the final two teams in the line-up.

As a result, Afghanistan and Ireland will no longer play in the ICC World Cricket League Championship, the ICC’s one-day competition for the leading Associate and Affiliate sides.

The final two positions in the ICC World Cricket League Championship will now be filled by Kenya and Nepal, who finished third and fourth, respectively, in the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 2 in Namibia last week. They will join Hong Kong, Namibia, Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, Scotland and the United Arab Emirates in the two-year competition, which is scheduled to start in mid-2015.

The new structure also includes a promotion and relegation system for Associate and Affiliate Members, with a challenge series to take place between the lowest-ranked Associate Member on the Rankings table and the winner of the ICC World Cricket League Championship. The winner of the play-off will be included on the Rankings table for the next cycle, and the loser will compete in the ICC World Cricket League Championship.

Ireland and Afghanistan will continue to play in the four-day, first-class ICC Intercontinental Cup 2015-17, along with Hong Kong, Namibia, Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, Scotland and the United Arab Emirates.

ICC Chief Executive David Richardson said: “Both Afghanistan and Ireland have excelled on and off the field in recent years, and this decision is a critical step forward to the ICC’s aim of having more competitive teams in international cricket.

ICC Cricket world Cup Spectators, photo credit Dhammika Heenpella
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“The decision also provides even greater context to One-Day International cricket, and provides a fully meritocratic pathway into ICC’s Cricket World Cup and Champions Trophy events. It also compliments the recent decision by the ICC Board to introduce opportunities for Associate and Affiliate Members to play Test cricket through the ICC Intercontinental Cup and ICC Test Challenge.

“With a system of promotion and relegation in place, I look forward to seeing the leading Associate and Affiliate teams become even more competitive as they battle for the opportunity to compete at the very highest level of one-day cricket.”

Cricket Ireland CEO Warren Deutrom said: “We are absolutely delighted with the opportunity to qualify directly to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. Ireland has worked very hard over recent years to prove itself as the leading Associate side and has beaten a number of Full Members over the years.

“We are confident that we can now accelerate our progress as part of this qualification structure with the Full Members, while this is also an excellent boost as we put our finishing touches on our preparations for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.”

ITTF Africa Senior Championship: Nigeria Dominates Men’s Doubles Event

Already claiming three gold medals in some of the events concluded so far, Egypt failed to clinch the fourth gold after their dominance in the ongoing International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Africa Senior Championship was halted on Tuesday night by Nigeria in the men’s doubles event.

In the semi-final stage of the Men’s Doubles event, El-Sayed Lashin and Ahmed Ali Saleh, the top seeds, suffered defeat at the hands of Nigeria’s Makanjuola Kazeem and Quadri Aruna, the no.4 seeds (9-11, 11-8, 7-11, 9-11, 11-6, 12-10, 11-9); the reverse coming soon after another decision had gone the way of Nigeria.

Ojo Onaolapo and Jide Ogidiolu, the no.11 seeds, ousted Khalid and Omar Assar, the no.2 seeds (7-11, 11-9, 5-11, 11-9, 5-11, 12-10, 11-2).

Nigeria’s Ojo Onaolapo serves the ball to India’s Kamal Sharath Achanta (unseen) during their Bronze Medal Team table tennis match at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on July 28, 2014. AFP PHOTO / ANDREJ ISAKOVIC

“I think we communicated a great deal during the match and we did not allow them to attack”, said Ojo Onaolapo. “I just told my partner not to be under pressure and ensure he put the ball on the table because I realized that they cannot cope with my topspin play; we were very focused.”

A focused Ojo Onaolapo; it was also a very determined Makanjuola Kazeem.

“I knew that with the way we played in the first game, if we were able to play like that we have the chance to beat the Egyptians”, said Makanjuola Kazeem. “Before the competition, I had said I want to come and beat the Egyptians and thank God it has become a reality.”

It was a fine effort but of course he had very good support; his partner has stunned the world in the past six months.

“Quadri Aruna told me to play short whenever possible and see what comes next; I did that and it worked well”, added Makanjuola Kazeem. “I am so happy that we were able to break the Egyptians dominance of the competition in this doubles and we hope for more in the singles.”

With the two wins for Nigeria at the semi-final stage of the Men’s Doubles event, it was the exact reverse in the same round of the Women’s Doubles competition.

Olaide Atinuke and Olufunke Oshonaike, the no.6 seeds, suffered a heart breaking seven games defeat against Congo Brazzaville’s Han Xing and Onyinyechi Nwachukwu, the no.2 seeds (6-11, 11-9, 13-15, 11-7, 11-3, 7-11, 13-11).

Nigerian Women’s Team, at the 2015 ITTF-Africa Senior Championships

The defeat came after Cecilia Akpan and Offiong Edem, the no.4 seeds, had been beaten by Egypt’s Nadeen El-Dawlatly and Dina Meshref, the top seeds (11-3, 11-7, 7-11, 4-11, 12-10, 15-13).

“I think we played better after we won the first game; they started to raise their game and we lost concentration, after being two-nil ahead”, said Dina Meshref. “We figured out that they were rushing us, we slowed down the game and this gave us an edge to win.”

“We played with a great deal of top spin”, added Dina Meshref. “At the 2011 All Africa Games we had lost to them, so we were really motivated.”

Australia Open: Wawrinka, Djokovic Through As Keys Defeats Williams.

2014 Wimbledon semi-finalist and big serving Canadian Milos Raonic lost a chance to play a second Grand slam semi-final after losing to Serb Novak Djokovic in straight sets 7-6(5),6-4,6-2.

The win against Raonic,was Djokovic tenth win without a loss against Canadian opponents.

Defending Champion Stanislas Wawrinka continued his impressive title defence with a straight sets 6-3,6-4,7-6(6) over Japanese Kei Nishikori.

“It wasn’t really a bad week for me. It is not easy getting to a quarter final at Grand slams. But I have to keep doing this;playing tough all the time,playing a lot of matches,especially at Grand slams”.Nishikori said after losing to Wawrinka.

Nishikori could not replicate the form that saw him defeat Wawrinka and Djokovic en route his first Grand Slam final.

Wawrinka will now face Djokovic is what promises to be an exciting semi-final clash and Novak has said that “the crowd are definitely expecting a marathon like the last couple of years and am sure both of us will give our best to perform the best possible tennis”.

Novak Djokovic, photo credit David Jones
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In the ladies, America Madison Keys overcame a major injury scare to defeat Venus Williams 6-3,4-6,6-4.

The World No.35 won the opening set in 29 minutes but went behind 4-1 in the second set due to an injury. Keys returned with her leg strapped to finish the second set which she lost but she was too good in the third as she send Venus packing.

“It was definitely a flashback to wimbledon for me”. I have had some problems with that part of my leg so it was kind of an overwhelming moment. It was scary”. Keys said after eliminating Venus.

In the other semi-final Serena Williams just needed 65 minutes to dispatch Dominika Cilbukova in straight sets 6-2,6-2.

Cibulkova admitted that she was definitely second best against the American saying “it was a tough match for me today. She was just playing really well today,I have to say. She was putting so much pressure on the serve and return. I didn’t have a chance to play my game and felt under so much pressure. It was a good day for her”.

Serena will next face her sister conqueror and fellow American Madison Keys in the last four.