The Nigeria Football Federation has apologized to the Federal Government and the good people of Nigeria for the Super Eagles’s failure at the 4th African Nations Championship in Rwanda.
Leading the Group C table before kick –off of the final matches on Tuesday, the Super Eagles failed to fly in a 0-1 defeat by Guinea in Rubavu that eliminated Nigeria from the continental houseparty in Rwanda.
NFF President Amaju Pinnick reiterated that the African Nations Championship is “both developmental and preparatory for bigger challenges,” and said without mincing words that the Federation would now shift focus to the qualification race for the bigger Africa Cup of Nations.
“We apologise to Nigerians for the poor outing of the Super Eagles in Rwanda, but we toe the line of CAF which states that CHAN is a developmental and preparatory competition. Of course, as Nigerians, we love to win always, and we feel bad when we don’t.
“I want us to take the positives from this tournament. A player like Chisom Chikatara broke onto the global platform and players like Usman Mohammed, Chima Akas, Ikechukwu Ezenwa, Austin Oboroakpo and Ifeanyi Mathew confirmed their class.
“For me, it is disappointing that we did not progress. But the NFF will now focus on the 2017 AFCON qualifiers, and start preparations early for the remaining rounds,” Pinnick said.
The Super Eagles have a quick, top-of-the-table double–take against Pharaohs of Egypt in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying race, with the first leg in Nigeria on March 23 and the return leg in Egypt five days later.
In June, the Super Eagles take on Chad in N’Djamena before hosting Tanzania in the final round of matches in September.
The future stars of international cricket are primed to become household names as the ICC is set to produce live coverage of a record 20 matches from the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup Bangladesh 2016 which, in turn, will be aired around the world by 15 broadcasters.
The live coverage will start in Chittagong on Wednesday, 27 January, when a worldwide audience of over a billion is expected to watch South Africa launch its title defence against host Bangladesh in the tournament opener. The match will begin at 0900 (Bangladesh time).
The ICC, in line with its commitment to enhance the profile of the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup, has put in place an impressive schedule that includes live broadcast coverage of all four matches from the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium (ZACS) in Chittagong, seven matches from Fatullah (including two Super League quarter-finals and five Super League play-offs) and nine matches from the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium (SBNS) in Mirpur, including four first-round matches, two quarter-finals, both the semi-finals and the 14 February final.
The 2016 tournament marks the first time that the ICC, in conjunction with its live production partner, Sunset + Vine, will produce the tournament as ICC TV, which will be carried into cricket’s heartlands by 15 broadcasters, including Star Sports (India and sub-continent), Sky Sports (UK and Republic of Ireland), SuperSport (Africa and sub-Saharan Africa), OSN (MENA) and Willow TV (USA). Local broadcast will be brought to fans by an unprecedented four licensees; Gazi TV, BTV, Maasranga and Star Sports.
The potential reach for this event will easily outstrip any of the previous 10 U19 Cricket World Cup events as this is the first time that 20 matches will be broadcast live. In the 2014 event in the UAE, 11 matches were shown, while 10 matches each were televised from the 2008, 2010 and 2012 events in Malaysia, New Zealand and Australia respectively.
The high-quality broadcast coverage will be through 22 cameras and include HawkEye for ball speeds and other analytical insights, while an the impressive and knowledgeable line up of commentators includes Pommie Mbangwa, Russel Arnold, Ian Bishop, Dominic Cork, Sanjay Manjrekar, Paul Allott, Athar Ali Khan, Daryl Cullinan, Lisa Sthalekar, Alan Wilkins, and Rohan Gavaskar.
To highlight the aspirations of young cricketers participating at the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup, in the lead up the event, the ICC launched the #FutureStars promotional campaign on broadcast and digital. In a series of 4 promotional videos featuring Mehedi Hasan of Bangladesh, Dan Lawrence of England, Wiaan Mulder of South Africa and Ishan Kishan of India, these young cricketers talk about their inspirations and ambitions. These promotional videos can be found here.
The event will also be comprehensively covered on ICC digital channels. The official website http://www.icc-cricket.com will provide live scoring and full match centre coverage for all matches. The 2016 edition is also the first ICC U19 Cricket World Cup ever to have a dedicated mobile App, available on both Android via the Google Play store or iOS via the App Store. Both the website and the app will contain the latest news, columns, video clips, official tournament standings, statistics and much more.
Fans will also be able to catch the Nissan Play of the Day every day on the website and the app, which will be in play for all 18 televised match-days in Bangladesh. On social media, the ICC will have dedicated on the ground coverage from all of the venues in Bangladesh, with bespoke content appearing on all of the @ICC accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+ and YouTube.
The official hashtag for the event is #U19CWC.
ICC Chief Executive David Richardson said: “This is the most important age-group cricket tournament, which has a tradition of producing the next generation of stars. As such, the ICC has decided to expand the reach of this event, providing unprecedented broadcast and digital coverage to ensure that individual and team performances are provided greater exposure and that the youngsters get a taste of a truly global event.”
27 Jan –South Africa v Bangladesh, ZACS, Chittagong
28 Jan – Ireland v India, SBNS, Mirpur
29 Jan –England v West Indies, ZACS, Chittagong
30 Jan – India v New Zealand, SBNS, Mirpur
31 Jan –England v Zimbabwe, ZACS, Chittagong
1 Feb – India v Nepal, SBNS, Mirpur
2 Feb – West Indies v Zimbabwe, ZACS, Chittagong
3 Feb – Pakistan v Sri Lanka, SBNS, Mirpur
5 Feb – Super League quarter-final 1 (AA1 v DD2), SBNS, Mirpur
6 Feb – Super League quarter-final 3 (DD1 v AA2), Fatullah
7 Feb – Super League quarter-final 4 (CC1 v BB2), SBNS, Mirpur
8 Feb – Super League quarter-final 2 (BB1 v CC2), Fatullah
9 Feb – Super League semi-final 1 (winner Super League quarter-final 1 v winner Super League quarter-final 4), SBNS, Mirpur
9 Feb – Super League play/off semi-final 1* (loser Super League quarter-final 1 v loser Super League quarter-final 4), Fatullah
10 Feb – Super League play/off semi-final 2 (loser Super League quarter-final 2 v loser Super League quarter-final 3), Fatullah
11 Feb – Super League semi-final 2 (winner Super League quarter-final 2 v winner Super League quarter-final 3), SBNS, Mirpur
11 Feb – Super League play/off 7th/8th positions* (loser Super League play/off semi-final 1 v loser Super League play/off semi-final 2), Fatullah
12 Feb – Super League play/off for 5th/6th positions (winner Super League play/off semi-final 1 v winner Super League play/off Super League semi-final 2), Fatullah
13 Feb – Super League play/off four 3rd/4th positions (loser Super League semi-final 1 v loser Super League semi-final 2), Fatullah
14 Feb – Super League final (winner Super League semi-final 1 v winner Super League semi-final 2), SBNS Mirpur
The members of the Press Commission were gathered at the FIVB headquarters in Lausanne to ensure the International Volleyball Federation remains ahead of the curve in the world of sport.
The meeting began with a review of actions taken in 2015 following last year’s commission meeting, including a focus on video highlights, the use of social media and editorial coverage of the FIVB’s competitions.
FIVB President Dr Ary Graca magnified the role of media as a big engine for the continuous progress of volleyball as beloved sport all over the world. Even media is included in the major items in the FIVB 9 Goals Project presented to the commission.
International Volleyball Federation, (FIVB) President Dr Ary Graca Magnifies the role of the media in Volleyball development
“I’m happy to have a stimulating discussion about the role of the press in today’s world,” explained FIVB President Dr. Ary S. Graça F° during his opening address. “We face many challenges and the Press Commission has to understand what is happening now in the world of the media. We must look at ways to stimulate the audience. After all the greater innovations and changes we have made in the past three years, we have a great chance to promote volleyball even more, especially with such an iconic Olympic Games coming up in Brazil.
“We have to look to the future. When you’re driving a car you have to look forward. We have made progress, we are good, but we must strive to be excellent.”
The members of the commission heard a report on the FIVB’s key activities. A presentation of the FIVB 9 Goals Project detailed the federation’s long term strategic plan, which was developed to help direct the future work of the FIVB and ensure it realises the sport’s huge global potential. Discussion also turned around the Volleyball Your Way campaign, which aims to get everyone, at every level, to play volleyball.
Looking ahead to 2016, further improvements to the website were presented and social media statistics discussed. Media operations and accreditation issues were also examined. The meeting was completed with reports from the confederation press officers and a discussion focusing on social media, video, match highlights, the effective use of content and event promotion.
The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), LG Electronics (Korea Stock Exchange: 066570) and host Women’s Baseball Association of Korea (WBAK) today announced that LG, one of the world’s leading technology brands, has been selected as the official title sponsor of the WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup 2016.
The LG Presents WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup 2016 — the 7th edition of the flagship women’s baseball competition — will be staged in Gijang County, Busan, South Korea from 3-11 September.
The nation’s television giant, SBS, will serve as the host broadcaster and showcase the games to national audiences across its multi-platform network, which is best positioned to reach South Korea’s population of approximately 51 million.
The new agreement on the 2016 Women’s Baseball World Cup, which was signed at the LG Twin Towers headquarters in the capital city, also extends and expands upon the WBSC-LG partnership on the LG Cup, an annual international women’s invitational baseball tournament for clubs, launched in 2014.
“WBSC is very excited to enter into this new and expanded partnership with LG, a Fortune Global 500 company and industry innovator,” said Masaru Yokoo, WBSC Baseball Marketing Director. “This is a significant accord — for WBSC, the Women’s Baseball World Cup and women’s sport, in general — that highlights the continued growth and attraction of international baseball properties that feature the sport’s top National Teams, across both genders.”
japan, at the Women’s Baseball World Cup
Twelve nations, expanded from eight at the 2014 WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup, will compete for the world championship in Gijang. The Women’s National Baseball Team of Japan, “Madonna Japan”, are the four-time defending World Champions and current No. 1 in the WBSC Women’s Baseball World Rankings.
The newly expanded LG-WBSC partnership and the flagship event’s new 12-nation format follow the historic introduction of women’s baseball on a multi-sport platform, the 2015 Toronto Pan American Games, where the world No. 2 U.S. Women’s National Team captured the first-ever Pan Am gold medal in women’s baseball by defeating world No. 4 Canada in the finale.
The next generation of professional Nigerian boxing stars is set to be unveiled at the GOtv Boxing NextGen Search, an event billed to hold between 17 and 19 February at the Lagos Boxing Hall of Fame Gymnasium on Olatilewa Street, Surulere, Lagos. The GOtv Boxing NextGen Search is open to professional as well as amateur boxers wishing to turn pro.
According to Jenkins Alumona, CEO of Flykite Sports, promoters of GOtv Boxing Night, GOtv NextGen Search was conceived to give hidden boxing talents an opportunity to demonstrate their prowess as a route to getting selected for big fight events, particularly, GOtv Boxing Night, the biggest ever boxing event in Nigeria.
“We are calling on professional boxers as well as amateurs ready to turn professional from every part of the country to come and show what they can do.
“GOtv Boxing NextGen Search is part of the ongoing plan to revive boxing by widening the access to GOtv Boxing Night, which is broadcast in 47 African countries by SuperSport.
“It is a launch pad to development and sporting stardom for boxers with ability,” explained Alumona.
The event, which will feature five distinguished boxing coaches as judges, will open on 17 February with the unveiling of the partnership between GOtv Boxing Night and the Lagos Boxing Hall of Fame. The same day, sparring sessions by boxers registered for the event will begin and continue the next day under the watchful eyes of accomplished coaches, who will select the brightest talents.
The final day will be devoted to free medical examination for boxers who make the grade. Selected boxers will also have the opportunity of attending a sports /medical seminar to be addressed by famous sports personalities and doctors on how boxers can take care of themselves and grow in the sport.
Each boxer who makes the cut will have his boxing licence paid for by the sponsors, GOtv.
Popular Nigeria Dancehall, artiste Patrick Nnaemeka Okorie a.k.a Patoranking is the latest celebrity act to sign on for the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon.
The multi-award winning musician was at the Lagos City Marathon office at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere, Lagos on Tuesday where he picked a form to register for the first full international marathon in Nigeria in three decades.
SSA On Sports To Lagos State Governor Anthony Adeyinka Adeboye looks on as Patoranking fills out his registration form
Patoranking after completing his registration formalities said he was quite excited at the Lagos Marathon project and he hinted that he will be going the whole mile on February 6, 2016 when over 20,000 athletes are expected to participate in the first edition of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon.
“Of course, I am happy to sign on for the race, trust me I will run on that day, I know I can go the whole 42km” Patoranking boasted.
The accomplished dancehall artiste said if he was not into music, he would definitely have been into sports as he also has a soft spot for keeping fit and staying healthy.
“If not music, I am sure I will have been a sports person, I really like this idea of a marathon, even if you say I don’t have fats to burn; running can help me ease out stress so I am going to be one of the participants on February 6.” The Lagos-born artiste submitted.
Dancehall Star Patoranking with Deji Tinubu Chairman Lagos State Sport Commission and Chairman LOC Access Bank Lagos Marathon
Already positive that the Lagos Marathon will be a huge success, Patoranking enjoined those yet to register to make the most of the little time left to also register and be part of history.
On his part, Chairman of Lagos State Sports Commission and head of the organising committee for the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon, Deji Tinubu commended Patoranking for identifying with the Lagos race while he again assured that everything is on course to see that February 6, 2016 will be a memorable day in Nigeria’s sports history.
SSA On Sports To Lagos State Governor Anthony Adeyinka Adeboye with Patoranking (middle) and LOC member Yusuf Alli
The immediate past Team Manager of National League Division One side, Bussdor United of Port Harcourt Sam Obu, has joined Abia Warriors Football Club of Umuahia as the Assistant Coordinator/Welfare Officer.
Sam, who is the elder brother of Nigeria’s former National U-17 and U-20 coach, John Obu, moved to Umuahia after serving in Bussdor for about three years.
The former Vasco Dagama of Enugu, Spartans of Owerri and Sharks of Port Harcourt attacker, who later travelled to the United States where he played for the Atlanta Chiefs while studying Estate/Industrial Management at the Fort-Valley State University, Georgia, has already settled down to his new assignment at Umuahia.
Sam Obu
Sam, who owns the Mben United Football Academy, Aba, told Abia Warriors website that he decided to join the Warriors to enable him contribute his quota towards the club’s dreams of lifting the league diadem for the first time and commended the club’s management led by Chief Emeka Inyama for running Abia Warriors Football Club professionally.
The Ohafia born administrator had joined Vasco Dagama of Enugu immediately after his secondary school education at the famous St Augustine’s Grammer School, Nkwere in the present Imo State. He later played for the Spartans of Owerri and two Port-Harcourt based sides, Sharks and the Nigeria Port Authority (NPA) before he travelled to the United States of America to further his studies.
Dortmund (GER) has been confirmed as the venue for the Final of the FEI World Cup™ Vaulting 2015/2016 series from 3-6 March 2016. The FEI Bureau had originally allocated the Final to Vienna (AUT), but when the Vienna Organising Committee announced on 18 November 2015 that their event was cancelled, the application process was re-opened. Bids were subsequently received from Dortmund and Saumur (FRA).
The FEI Bureau decided to allocate the Final to Dortmund, and with the host agreement now in place it is all-systems-go for a thrilling finale to the winter-long series.
A total of six Male and six Female vaulters have made the cut for the Final, along with four Pas-de-Deux partnerships.
Maximum score
Switzerland’s Simone Jaïser secured her third win of the five-leg qualifying series when coming out on top in Leipzig (GER) earlier this month where she posted a maximum 10 artistic score in the first round of competition. The 29-year-old, who was runner-up at the 2015 FEI World Cup™ Final, claimed the European individual title in fine style at Aachen (GER) last summer and is right on top of her game. Her only defeat this season was at the hands of Italy’s Anna Cavallaro who topped the line-up in Salzburg (AUT) in December, pipping the Swiss vaulter by the narrowest of margins.
The Dortmund Final will be a fascinating re-match for this pair, as Cavallaro had to settle for silver behind Jaïser at the FEI European Championships in Aachen last August. The Italian was a double-winner in the current season’s qualifying series, also coming out on top in Paris (FRA) in November where Jaïser did not compete.
Completing the list of those qualified for the Female Individual Final are Anne-Sophie Musset from France, Germany’s Kristina Boe, Isabel Fiala from Austria, and Switzerland’s Nadja Büttiker.
High-energy performances
Jannis Drewell (GER), who set last year’s FEI European Championships alight with his high-flying and high-energy performances, has continued through the winter series in the same vein and looks untouchable for the FEI World Cup™ 2015/2016 Individual Male title. On his three appearances during the five qualifying rounds he was nothing short of sensational, with breath-taking jumps and exceptional strength earning big scores for the 24-year-old whose infectious enthusiasm captivated spectators as he registered three successive victories in Salzburg (AUT), Mechelen (BEL) and on home turf at Leipzig.
He will be joined at the Final by compatriot Daniel Kaiser, who topped the podium at the opening leg of the series in Madrid (ESP) in November, and by French vaulters Clement Taillez and Vincent Haennel, along with Switzerland’s Lukas Heppler and Lukas Klouda from the Czech Republic.
The reigning European Male Individual champion, has been thrilling audiences throughout the FEI World Cup™ Vaulting 2015/2016 qualifying rounds and has his eyes firmly set on the 2016 title at the Final on home soil in Dortmund. (FEI/Daniel Kaiser) Pic Daniel Kaiser & Pascal Duran
Crowd-pleaser
The Pas-de-Deux has really established itself as a crowd-pleaser in recent years and the reigning European silver medallists, Germany’s Pia Engelberty and Torben Jacobs, asserted their authority when securing their second victory of the FEI World Cup™ Vaulting 2015/2016 qualifying season at Leipzig 10 days ago.
However Italy’s Erika Di Forti and Lorenzo Lupacchini really sparkled in Salzburg, where they pinned Germany’s Jolina Ossenberg-Engels and Timo Gerdes into runner-up spot. The Italian duo were hampered by a fall in Leipzig where they had to settle for second place, but they could prove the strongest opposition to Engelberty and Jacobs at the much-anticipated Final in which Ossenberg-Engels and Gerdes, and the exciting American sister-act of Kimberly and Cassidy Palmer who topped the podium in Paris, will also compete.
The full list of qualified vaulters, calendar of events, results and standings here.
Check out the schedule of for the FEI World Cup™ Vaulting 2015/2016 season on FEI TV here
The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) has announced a collaboration with the International Centre for Sport Security Europe (ICSS EUROPE) to work together to help protect and safeguard Commonwealth sport.
As part of the far-reaching cooperation agreement, the CGF and ICSS EUROPE will work in partnership to promote the highest standards of good governance, transparency and integrity in sport. The CGF will also collaborate with ICSS EUROPE as it looks to help encourage the development of a global independent, neutral, multi-stakeholder integrity alliance for sport.
The agreement is built on the shared belief that sport is an activity that, when governed correctly and with integrity, is a powerful tool that contributes to achieving a number of goals, including promoting health and well-being, physical activity, education, youth empowerment, gender equality, social cohesion and inclusion, cultural integration and community development.
As part of the collaboration and in line with its commitment to service sport and support organisations across all sectors, ICSS EUROPE will also independently audit the CGF’s governance model and assist with the development of a code of conduct on sports betting and integrity to maintain the Commonwealth Games body’s position as a global leader in the field of sports policy, governance and integrity.
The signing took place at a reception in the House of Commons with the special permission of the Rt. Hon John Bercow MP, Speaker of the House of Commons. The function gathered key stakeholders from sport, business and government to further ongoing efforts to establish a new global alliance for sport integrity, address current challenges facing the sporting industry and develop new thinking around much-needed and long-overdue reforms.
David Grevemberg CBE, Chief Executive of the Commonwealth Games Federation, said:
“As a values-driven movement connecting athletes and communities across the Commonwealth, we are proud to be a leading voice in the drive to protect, promote and safeguard sport and look forward to a successful collaboration with ICSS EUROPE and its partners.
“Good governance and strategic partnerships are key pillars of Transformation 2022, and today’s announcement amplifies our responsibility and commitment to use Commonwealth sport to build peaceful, sustainable and prosperous communities globally.”
Mohammed Hanzab, Founder and President of the ICSS, said:
“The mounting and complex challenges to the integrity of sport are more apparent than ever. The ICSS was founded to benefit and serve sport and we remain determined to work with key organisations across all sectors, including governments and sports bodies, to stand up to the growing threats that sport now faces.
“This new collaboration with the Commonwealth Games Federation is an important milestone for ICSS EUROPE and we acknowledge and fully support the vital role that the CGF plays in developing sport across the Commonwealth.
“On behalf of the ICSS, I would like to thank the Commonwealth Games Federation for its commitment to safeguarding sport and look forward to advancing efforts with them to address the very real challenges sport now faces to its integrity and credibility.”
Dr Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros, CEO of ICSS EUROPE, said:
“Recent events have shown that there is a real and urgent need for a new approach to the integrity and governance of sport. What is also clear is that this new approach must be credible, coordinated, holistic and global.
“This agreement with the Commonwealth Games Federation demonstrates a growing momentum developing across a range of sectors to protect and safeguard sport integrity. It also represents a unique opportunity for ICSS EUROPE and CGF to make a real difference to sport across the Commonwealth, as well as advance ongoing discussions with key stakeholders about establishing an independent sport integrity global alliance.”
Cricket’s finest young talent will be on display when the ICC U19 World Cup 2016 starts in Chittagong, Bangladesh, on Wednesday, 27 January, with South Africa opening its title defence against host Bangladesh and England facing Fiji.
Starry-eyed teenagers drawn from nine Test-playing nations and seven Associate and Affiliate Members – Afghanistan, Canada, Fiji, Namibia, Nepal, Ireland and Scotland – will battle for supremacy in the 19-day event that will unveil the stars of the future.
Teams have been divided into four groups with the top two in each advancing to the Super League quarter-finals and the other two qualifying for the Plate Championships.
The previous ten editions have thrown up stars such as Brian Lara, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Chris Gayle, Virender Sehwag, Michael Clarke, Yuvraj Singh, Steven Smith, Virat Kohli, Brendon McCullum, Angelo Mathews, Kagiso Rabada, Mushfiqur Rahim, Joe Root and others, and the 2016 event promises to be no different.
Three-time winner India is coached by batting great Rahul Dravid and captained by wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan, who hails from Jharkhand, the same state as World Cup-winning skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
The Indians showed it will be the team to beat as it piled a mammoth 485 for three against Canada in a warm-up match and then defeated Pakistan by five wickets in another practice game ahead of the tournament.
Two rounds of warm-up matches for all the teams produced eight centuries and eight hauls of five wickets or more to raise prospects of exciting contests ahead.
England, seeking to end 18-year drought after winning its only title way back in 1998, is led by Brad Taylor, an off-spinning allrounder from Hampshire who is one of nine players in the squad to have played county cricket at the senior level.
Two-time champion Pakistan warmed up for the tournament by winning a tri-series against Australia and New Zealand in the United Arab Emirates earlier this month, albeit on run-rates after all three teams secured two wins each in the double-leg event.
Bangladesh will fancy its chances on home turf with a side that boasts of five players who also took part in the previous edition in the UAE in 2014. Mehidy Hassan Miraz will captain the host nation for the second time – he led the team in the UAE two years ago when he was just 16.
South Africa will defend the title under Tony de Zorzi, hoping to repeat its UAE performance where it defeated Pakistan in the final to make up for two runners-up spots in 2002 and 2008.
The seven non-Test-playing nations are determined to stand up and be counted as well, especially fast-improving Afghanistan, which finished seventh two years ago and is aiming to progress even further in the tournament.
“We dream of winning the title,” said Afghan captain Ihsanullah Janat, adding his team was inspired by the senior team which qualified for the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand for the first time.
The tournament opens with a potential Group A humdinger between Bangladesh and South Africa in Chittagong, a match in which the host nation hopes to continue the recent winning streak over the defending champion both at home and away.
With Scotland and Namibia the other teams in their draw, the winner of that match will fancy its chances of topping the group, but Bangladesh’s captain was not looking too far ahead.
“Of course, we want to become world champion, but you can only think of playing the quarter-final, semi-final and final if you make it to the second round,” said Mehidy, who dismissed suggestions that his team will be under pressure at home. “On the contrary, I think we will be even more determined and charged up because this is rare chance to play a world event in front of family and friends.”
De Zorzi, the South Africa captain, played down his team’s recent defeats against Bangladesh, saying he now knows what to expect from the hosts. “It works both ways,” he said. “If they know a lot about us, we also know a lot about them. On the day, it will just come down to who wants it more.”
India, which faces New Zealand, Ireland and Nepal in Group D, has one of the strongest batting line-ups in the tournament led by Sarfaraz Khan, who has already made a name for himself with his big-hitting in India’s domestic competitions.
Skipper Kishan, who said he has received captaincy tips from Dhoni and has honed his batting under Dravid’s watchful eyes, insisted the all-round ability of his side will help to win matches.
“The strength of my team is that almost every batsman can bowl,” said Kishan. “We have a good pace bowling attack, a good fielding unit, and our batting goes till number eight. This will help us in the matches.”
Pakistan, the only nation to win back-to-back titles in 2004 and 2006, will need to survive a tough Group B, which includes Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Canada, if it is to make its second final in a row.
“We are confident,” said Pakistan captain Gohar Hafeez. “The other teams are good but we will accept the challenge and beat them all. We are here to win the World Cup.”
If both India and Pakistan top their respective groups and also win their quarter-final matches, they will set up a mouth-watering semi-final clash in Mirpur on 11 February.
Sri Lanka, which defeated Pakistan at home last year, aims to top the group with skipper Charith Asalanka promising bright cricket from his side in Bangladesh.
“Every team’s target is to win the World Cup and it is my responsibility to get the job done,” said Asalanka, a left-handed batsman like his hero Kumar Sangakkara. “We beat Pakistan at home and that has given us a lot of confidence.”
England, which reached the semi-finals two years ago, is favourite to win Group C against the West Indies, Zimbabwe and first-timer Fiji.
Skipper Taylor said a tri-series in Sri Lanka before Christmas last year, which was won by India, will help his side adjust quickly to conditions in Bangladesh. “We have plenty of options for sub-continent pitches in our team and we have experience of playing in the sub-continent,” he said. “The bowlers and batsmen know how to adjust to the conditions.”
The Super League quarter-finals will be played between 5 to 8 February, the semi-finals on 9 and 11 February and the final in Mirpur on 14 February. The semi-finals and the finals will have reserve days.
Fixtures for Wednesday (matches start at 0900 local time):
Group A: South Africa v Bangladesh, ZACS, Chittagong
Group C: England v Fiji, MA Aziz, Chittagong
Groups:
Group A: South Africa, Bangladesh, Scotland, Namibia
Group B: Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Canada
Group C: England, West Indies, Zimbabwe, Fiji
Group D: India, New Zealand, Nepal, Ireland.
Super League (quarter-finals, 5-8 February):
A1 v D2; D1 v A2; C1 v B2; B1 v C2
Plate Championship (quarter-finals, 4-5 February):
A3 v D4; D3 v A4; B3 v C4; C3 v B4
The England number one goalkeeper has been in blistering form keeping 10 clean sheets in the Premier League this season. He had an outstanding performance against West Ham at the weekend making a world class from West Ham midfielder Dimitri Payet’s free kick.
Right back- Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea):
The Serbian defender had a stand-out performance against Arsenal at the Emirates stadium on Sunday and capped it off with a lovely assist for Diego Costa’s goal.
Centre back- Ashley Williams (Swansea):
The Welsh defender continued his excellent form at the weekend making 15 clearances against Everton.
Centre back- Craig Cathcart (Watford):
Craig Cathcart has been fantastic for Watford in defence this season and last weekend was not an exception. He capped off his fine defensive display with a lovely goal against Newcastle United.
Left back- Patrick van Aanholt (Sunderland):
Patrick van Aanholt continued his impressive form with a top-class performance at the weekend against Bournemouth. His attacking and defensive ability is a joy to watch. He scored his team’s only goal to salvage a draw at home on Saturday.
Newfanzone BPL Team Of The Week (Game week 23)
Centre midfield- Dele Alli (Tottenham):
The young English midfielder had an outstanding performance at the weekend and he capped it off with a fantastic volley which would definitely be a contender for goal of the season.
Centre midfield- Danny Drinkwater (Leicester City):
Danny Drinkwater had an awesome game on Saturday at the King Power stadium. He scored a lovely goal and got an assist in his team’s 3-0 win over Stoke City.
Attacking midfield- Andre Ayew (Swansea):
Andre Ayew had an outstanding performance against Everton on Sunday, scoring a lovely goal and winning a penalty for his team.
Left-forward- Enner Valencia (West Ham):
The Ecuador forward was at his best at the weekend scoring two well-taken goals against Manchester City.
Right-forward- Roberto Firmino (Liverpool):
The Brazilian forward had an awesome game at the weekend,scoring two beautiful goals and made an assist for Jordan Henderson’s goal
Forward- Sergio Aguero (Manchester City):
The Argentine striker was at his best at the weekend scoring a well-taken penalty and a beautiful strike to salvage a draw for his team against West Ham.
The first big hit out of Olympic and Paralympic sailing in 2016, Sailing World Cup Miami presented by Sunbrella, opened up with the 711 sailors being tried and tested in a light Miami breeze.
It was a ‘head out the boat’ kind of day with sailors looking to play the shifts and read the current to advance in large packs of racers. The morning opened with 4-6 knots from the north that slowly swung to the east, coming in at 7 knots and peaking at 10.
Only the Laser fleet completed the scheduled number of races in what was a challenging day for sailors and officials alike. Four days of fleet racing remain ensuring adequate time to catch up on races lost ahead of Saturday’s live Medal Races that will be available to view on YouTube worldwide and on ESPN3 in the USA.
Dutch sailor Rutger van Schaardenburg knows the importance of not risking too much during the first few races of the regatta. But he’s not afraid of opportunity. So when the opening’s presented themselves during the first two races in the Yellow group of the Laser division, he pounced. The reward: a pair of first-place finishes.
“It’s obviously an ideal start,” said the lanky Dutchman. “For me it was important not to have very bad races because tricky wind conditions today—light wind [that] could come from any direction—so I didn’t want to start with a bad result and that worked out.”
The first race was a wire-to-wire win, by nearly two minutes over the second place boat. The second required some work, and van Schaardenburg isn’t afraid to say, a little help from above after struggling off the line. The comeback could be broken into two distinct components. Halfway up the first beat, a favourable shift helped him to get back in touch with the lead group. Then he was able to move from 10th to first on the run.
“Downwind [it was] both being in the pressure and having the opportunity to go quick not having anyone on the back blocking the wind from me,” said van Schaardenburg. “Freedom, pressure and obviously the boatspeed was good.”
Milivoj Dukic of Montenegro also had a strong day with a third and a second, as did van Schaardenburg’s countryman, Nicholas Heiner, who stands third with nine points.
With their start pushed back due to the mid-day lull in the breeze, the first of two fleets of Laser Radials didn’t get started until after 15:00 local time, and the second didn’t cross the line until after 16:00. In both groups a familiar face lead the way around the track. Anne-Marie Rindom (DEN), the reigning world champion, won the earlier race, beating Emma Plasschaert (BEL) by 18 seconds. In the second group, it was London 2012 Olympic Gold medalist Lijia Xu (CHN) crossing the line first, followed by Silvia Zennaro (ITA).
Sailing World Cup Miami is the second of six regattas in the 2016 series. From 25-30 January 2016, Coconut Grove, Miami, USA is hosting more than 780 sailors who are competing across the ten Olympic and two Paralympic classes on the beautiful waters of Biscayne Bay.
49er and 49erFX
Following two races in the Blue and Yellow 49er fleets, Nico Delle-Karth and Nikolaus Resch (AUT) and Portugal’s Jorge Lima and Jose Costa are tied on four points after a bullet and a third apiece.
However, the top of the pack could be different. Having won the opening race in the Yellow fleet Jonas Warrer and Anders Thomsen (DEN) crossed the finish line of the second thinking they had the perfect start with back to back victories.
Unfortunately, it was not to be as the pair were black flagged as Warrer explained, “We were a little surprised by the current. I think we got caught about a minute, half a minute before. We won the race even though we had a bad start and we sailed well, we’re happy about that but it’s a shame that we were over the line, that’s life. It’s important that we sailed well.”
Counting the 32nd the Danes sit in 25th but Warrer and Thomsen won’t be disheartened. They know the venue well, taking bronze together in 2015 with Warrer winning gold in 2014 with Peter Lang.
“We like Miami and the shifty stuff as we’re used to shifty conditions from back home,” said Warrer.
“It’s good to come over here this time of year. We’ve come from cold, grey and raining in Denmark and Miami is a good place to sail.
“The level is high, it’s always like this with a year until the Olympics. Everybody is improving, including ourselves and the level goes up. A lot of boats can win races. You can be punished for even small mistakes.”
Sailing World Cup Miami acts as a Danish qualifier for Rio 2016 but Warrer and Thomsen are left uncontested so will book their spot to the Olympic Games this week.
Sailing World Cup Miami is the second of six regattas in the 2016 series. From 25-30 January 2016, Coconut Grove, Miami, USA is hosting more than 780 sailors who are competing across the ten Olympic and two Paralympic classes on the beautiful waters of Biscayne Bay.
After a number of years of Danish skiff success, resulting in Warrer winning gold at Beijing 2008 and Allan Norregaard and Peter Lang picking up bronze at London 2012 the lack of strong Danish skiff crews in Miami can be seen as a bit of surprise.
“I guess I scared everybody away,” smiled Warrer. “It’s a shame but most of the sailors were my age and stopped, wanting to try something else. We have good young crews coming up but they need one, two or three years more.
“It is a challenge for us as we need to find someone outside of Denmark to train and to push us. We’ve found that. We are training with the Germans and it’s a really good cooperation and good teamwork. It’s good for us as they’re based in Kiel but it would be easier if we had some Danish crews at our level. Give it two years though and it will come.”
For now, the Danes are focusing on racing in Miami and have four further races on Tuesday that they will use to propel themselves up the leaderboard. The day’s other race win went the way of France’s Kévin Fischer and Yann Jauvin.
In the 34-boat 49erFX pack, Norwegian twins Ragna and Maia Agerup took the single race win late in the day. They were followed by Danish sisters Maiken Foght and Anne-Julie Schütt.
Four races follow for both fleets on Tuesday. The 49er Blue fleet will start at 10:00, Yellow at 10:20 and the 49erFX at 14:00.
Men’s and Women’s 470
Being first wasn’t necessarily lucky for the 470 fleets competing in the 2016 Sailing World Cup Miami presented by Sunbrella. While Miami woke up to a nice breeze, it had started to fade by the time the first gun sounded at 10:00. There was enough wind to make it through one race for both fleets, but that was it. After waiting in vain for something to materialize, the 470s were sent in for the day.
The race for first in the Men’s 470 race came down to a battle between Asenathi Jim and Roger Hudson from South Africa and the Ducasse brothers of Chile. The South Americans had the upper hand initially, but Jim and Hudson ground them down on the second beat to take the win.
American medal hopefuls Stu McNay and David Hughes struggled off the line, but managed to stem the bleeding and go on the attack.
“We did not have a very good start because of our own errors, but were able to be in the mix with the peleton working our way up [the first beat],” said crew Hughes. “We got flagged [for a rule violation] during the run, but we ended up only losing one boat on those penalty turns. Things really came together for us on the second upwind, we were able to pass a few more boat.”
Skipped by one more boat on the final run lifted the Americans into fourth, a solid opening race. The Australian team of Thomas Klemens and Timothy Hannah was third in the race, with Onan Barreiros and Juan Curbelo Cabrera of Spain in fifth.
The duo of Fernanda Oliveira and Ana Luiza Barbachan (BRA) won the only Women’s 470 race, getting the upper hand in a see-saw battle with Tsuf Zamet and Stav Brokman (ISR). The Israeli team led around the first mark, and stretched away to nearly a half minute lead on the run. But Oliveira and Barbachan turned the tables on the second beat and took over the lead, which they held for the remainder of the race. Marina Gallego and Fatima Reyes (ESP) finished third with Xiaomei Xu and Ping Zhang (CHN) in fourth and Lara Vadlau and Jolanta Ogar (AUT) in fifth.
Sailing World Cup Miami is the second of six regattas in the 2016 series. From 25-30 January 2016, Coconut Grove, Miami, USA is hosting more than 780 sailors who are competing across the ten Olympic and two Paralympic classes on the beautiful waters of Biscayne Bay.
Nacra 17
Early days in the Nacra 17 as two races were completed. Dutch racers Mandy Mulder and Coen de Koning enjoyed the best of the day with two single digit scores, a first and a seventh. They lead and are followed by race two victors, Santiago Lange and Cecilia Carranza Saroli (ARG).
Men’s and Women’s RS:X
Chinese light wind specialists came to the forefront in the Men’s RS:X. Chunzhuang Liu claimed the opening victory and was followed by compatriot and 2015 Olympic test event winner Aichen Wang.
London 2012 gold medallist Dorian van Rijsselberge (NED) completed the top three.
Van Rijsselberge’s compatriot Lilian de Geus revelled in the light breeze, taking the single Women’s RS:X race. De Geus beat Patricia Freitas (BRA) to the post by eight seconds with defending champion Bryony Shaw (GBR) a further 26 seconds behind.
Finn
Like a fine wine, Jonas Hoegh-Christensen (DEN) appears to only be getting better with age.
The silver medalist from the 2012 Olympics and two-time world champion rounded the first mark in third, jumped into the lead by the leeward mark and never let go. He was, however pushed all the way to the finish by Lei Gong (CHN) who was within 10 seconds of the lead around the final two marks. Teammates Arkadiy Kistanov (RUS) and Aleksey Borisov (RUS) finished third and fourth with Facundo Olezza in fifth. American sailors finished seventh, eighth, 12th, 13th and 15th in the first race of the selection series for the Finn berth at the Rio Olympics.
Alistair Young(AUS)
Paralympic Events
France’s Bruno Jourdren, Eric Flageul and Nicolas Vimont-Vicary put their 2015 Para World Sailing World Championships disappointment behind them on the opening day of Sonar racing.
The French trio have been a mainstay on the Sonar podium following a fourth place at London 2012 but the Worlds in Williamstown, Melbourne saw them finish seventh overall.
They came out firing in the single Sonar racing, winning by a massive three minute 30 second margin over Norway’s Aleksander Wang-Hansen, Jacob Haug and Per Eugen Kristiansen.
In the light Miami breeze the French pair showed their worth but with the wind to pick up on Tuesday they’ll have bigger challenges ahead.
One race was completed in the 2.4mR and the victory was picked up by Canada’s Bruce Miller. He was followed by Charles Rosenfield of the USA and Peter Eagar (CAN).
Racing resumes on Tuesday 26 January at 10:00 local time. Having lost races on Monday, the Race Committee will use the day to catch up on the schedule.
Daniel Smith and Stuart Streuli, Sailing World Cup Miami
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