Draws Made For 2016 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Zone Group I events

The ITF has announced the official draws for the three Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Zone Group I events taking place on 3-6 February.

The three Zone Group events are Europe/Africa Zone Group I in Eilat, Israel; Americas Zone Group I in Santa Cruz, Bolivia; and Asia/Oceania Zone Group I in Hua Hin, Thailand.

All nations contesting the Zone Group I events will be bidding to qualify for the Fed Cup World Group II play-offs on 16-17 April, with two teams qualifying from the Europe/Africa Zone, and one team from both the Americas and Asia/Oceania Zones.

Five top 50 players will contest Europe/Africa Zone Group I, with Svitolina joined by countrywoman Lesia Tsurenko, Yanina Wickmayer and Alison van Uytvanck of Belgium and Johanna Konta of Great Britain. Teliana Pereira of Brazil and Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan head the nominations for Americas Zone Group I and Asia/Oceania Zone Group I respectively.

Nominations for the 2016 Fed Cup World Group and World Group II first round ties on 6-7 February will be announced on Wednesday 27 January.

Fed Cup by BNP Paribas is the World Cup of Tennis. It is the largest annual international team competition in women’s sport, with 101 nations entered in 2016. The competition is 53 years old having been founded in 1963. The title sponsor is BNP Paribas, the Official Bank of Fed Cup. International sponsors are Adecco (Official HR Sponsor) and Betway (Official Betting Sponsor). beIN SPORTS is the Official Global Media Rights Partner. Follow all the action on http://www.fedcup.com, http://www.fedcup.com/es, http://www.twitter.com/fedcup, http://www.facebook.com/FedCup, http://www.Weibo.com/fedcupofficial and http://www.fedcup.tv.

EUROPE/AFRICA ZONE GROUP I
Venue: Municipal Tennis Centre, Eilat, Israel (hard – outdoors)
Dates: 3-6 February

GROUP A

Sweden (1)
Rebecca Peterson
Susanne Celik
Jacqueline Cabaj Awad
Cornelia Lister
Captain: Lars-Anders Wahlgren

Ukraine
Elina Svitolina
Lesia Tsurenko
Kateryna Bondarenko
Olga Savchuk
Captain: Mikhail Filima

Portugal
Michelle Larcher de Brito
Ines Murta
Barbara Luz
Maria Joao Koehler
Captain: Neuza Silva

Heather Watson
Photo credit: Tatiana
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode

GROUP B

Great Britain (2)
Johanna Konta
Heather Watson
Anna Smith
Jocelyn Rae
Captain: Judy Murray

Georgia
Sofia Shapatava
Ekaterine Gorgodze
Sofia Kvatsabaia
Oksana Kalashnikova
Captain: Margalita Chakhnashvili

South Africa
Chanel Simmonds
Ilze Hattingh
Madrie le Roux
Michelle Sammons
Captain: Earl Grainger

GROUP C

Croatia (3)
Ana Konjuh
Donna Vekic
Petra Martic
Darija Jurak
Captain: Iva Majoli

Turkey
Cagla Buyukakcay
Ipek Soylu
Basak Eraydin
Pemra Ozgen
Captain: Alaaddin Karagoz

Estonia
Anett Kontaveit
Kaia Kanepi
Valeria Gorlats
Maileen Nuudi
Captain: Marten Tamla

Israel
Julia Glushko
Shahar Peer
Alona Pushkarevsky
Shelly Krolitzky
Captain: Tzipora Hirsh-Obziler

Elina Svitolina
photo credit: Александр Осипов
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode

GROUP D

Hungary (4)
Reka-Luca Jani
Dalma Galfi
Anna Bondar
Fanny Stollar
Captain: Gabor Juhasz

Belgium
Yanina Wickmayer
Alison van Uytvanck
An-Sophie Mestach
Ysaline Bonaventure
Captain: Ann Devries

Bulgaria
Tsvetana Pironkova
Elitsa Kostova
Isabella Shinikova
Dia Evtimova
Captain: Dora Rangelova

Latvia
Jelena Ostapenko
Diana Marcinkevica
Darta-Elizabete Emulina
Anna Ozerova
Captain: Daiga Juska

AMERICAS ZONE GROUP I
Venue: Country Club Las Palmas, Santa Cruz, Bolivia (clay – outdoors)
Dates: 3-6 February

GROUP A

Paraguay (1)
Montserrat Gonzalez
Camila Giangreco Campiz
Sara Gimenez
Lara Escauriza
Captain: Alfredo de Brix

Colombia
Mariana Duque-Marino
Paula Andrea Perez-Garcia
Maria Fernanda Herazo Gonzalez
Emiliana Arango
Captain: Catalina Castano

Mexico
Marcela Zacarias
Victoria Rodriguez
Ana Sofia Sanchez
Renata Zarazua
Captain: Bruno Echagaray

Bolivia
Maria-Fernanda Alvarez-Teran
Noelia Zeballos
Hortencia Birnbaumer
Daniela Ruiz
Captain: Rolando Nieva

GROUP B

Argentina (2)
Maria Irigoyen
Nadia Podoroska
Julieta Lara Estable
Catalina Pella
Captain: Maria-Jose Gaidano

Brazil
Teliana Pereira
Gabriela Ce
Beatriz Haddad Maia
Paula Cristina Goncalves
Captain: Fernando Roese

Ecuador
Charlotte Roemer
Domenica Gonzalez
Rafaella Baquerizo
Camila Romero
Captain: Manuel Balda

Peru
Bianco Botto
Anastasia Iamachkine
Patricia Ku Flores
Dominique Schaefer
Captain: Percy Melzi

ASIA/OCEANIA ZONE GROUP I
Venue: Hua Hin Centennial Sports Club, Hua Hin, Thailand (hard – outdoors)
Dates: 3-6 February

GROUP A

Japan (1)
Nao Hibino
Kurumi Nara
Eri Hozumi
Shuko Aoyama
Captain: Toshihisa Tsuchihashi

Thailand
Luksika Kumkhum
Peangtarn Plipuech
Kamonwan Buayam
Bunyawi Thamchaiwat
Captain: Pracharapol Khamsaman

Uzbekistan
Nigina Abduraimova
Agkul Amanmuradova
Sabina Sharipova
Arina Folts
Captain: Dmitriy Tomashevich

India
Ankita Raina
Prerna Bhambri
Prarthana G. Thombare
Sania Mirza
Captain: Zeeshan Ali

GROUP B

Kazakhstan (2)
Zarina Diyas
Yaroslava Shvedova
Yuliya Putintseva
Galina Voskoboeva
Captain: Dias Doskarayev

China, P.R.
Zheng Saisai
Wang Qiang
Wang Yafan
Liang Chen
Captain: Wang Peng

Korea, Republic
Jang Su Jeong
Han Na-Lae
Lee So-Ra
Choi Ji-Hee
Captain: Cho Yoon Jeong

Chinese Taipei
Hsieh Su-Wei
Chang Kai-Chen
Chan Yung-Jan
Chan Hao-Ching
Captain: Wang Shi-Ting

Abuja 2016 ITF Junior Circuit: Quadri, McLeod, Itodo lead Nigeria’s title defense, As Fund Stops LOC

2014 ITF/ CAT Top 8 Junior Masters fifth-ranked player, Oyinlomo Quadri, Angel McLeod, Christopher Itodo and South Africa-based Adetayo Adetunji will be leading Nigeria’s quest for a third successive title as the 2016 ITF West & Central Africa Junior Circuit gets underway in Abuja on Sunday.

According to the Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF), the quartet, who also played major roles in Nigeria’s winning outings at the last two editions of the tournament in 2014 and 2015, will lead a 24-player team which also has Bulus Christopher, Michael Oshewa, Gabriel Friday, Marylove Edwards, Suleiman Ibrahim, Daniel Adeleye, Timipre Maxwell and Rebecca Peter in Team A.
Peter Lawal, David Amusu, Favour Moses, Mariam Balogun, Sani Musa, Saminu Abubakar, Toyin Asogba, Chidinma Eze, Filippo Troimbi, Gabriel Richard, Fortune Joseph and Oyza Yakubi are in the team B of the host nation.

Nigeria’s coach Mohammed Ubale expressed confidence in the team to retain the regional title but stressed that more importantly, the country need to clinch the maximum eight spots available for the country to the main tournament billed for Pretoria, South Africa in March.

Angel Mcleod, daughter of the deceased, Beauty Mcloed

Meanwhile the NTF has stated that there will be no Local Organizing Committee for the tournament due to shortage of funds.

The event will now be coordinated by a team led by the Vice President of the Confederation of African Tennis Zone 2, Mr. Yemi Owoseni. He will be supported by a technical team which has Bulus Hussein, Rotimi Akinloye, Saidu Musa and NTF secretary general, Gloria Ekwempu-Chinwuko.

Benin, Cameroun, Cote d’Ivoire, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo will compete alongside Nigeria at the tournament billed for the Package B of the National Stadium, Abuja.

On Yee To Play In Betfred World Snooker Championship

Reigning world ladies snooker champion Ng On Yee has qualified to take up a place in the qualifying rounds of this year’s Betfred World Snooker Championship.

On Yee, 25, from Hong Kong, became the first non-British winner of the World Ladies Snooker Championship last year and is now set to play in the sport’s biggest event at Ponds Forge International Centre in Sheffield in April. She will need to win three qualifying matches to reach the televised stages at the Crucible Theatre.

On Yee, who ended the ten-year reign of Reanne Evans in the semi-finals of the ladies event, is coached by Terry Griffiths’ son Wayne and also went on to win the LITEtask UK Ladies Championship for a second time last September.

Last year, Evans played 1997 world champion Ken Doherty at the Betfred World Championship qualifiers in a tightly contested match, eventually won 10-8 by the Irishman.

Ng On Yee

“I am very excited by the prospect of competing in the best competition in the world,” said On Yee. “It will be a great opportunity to learn more about the differences between the ladies game and the professional tour.

“Playing at the very top level is a dream come true for me. I am excited to see new doors being opened in snooker, with more opportunities for ladies to participate in different competitions.

“After such a good year of results in 2015, I want to build on that and try to become even stronger in 2016. This added opportunity to compete with and learn from some of the best players in the world is a chance I am very grateful for. I will work very hard to represent myself, Hong Kong and ladies snooker in the best possible way. My goal will be to make the most of this opportunity as I look to improve in the future.”

The WPBSA, snooker’s world governing body, recently announced a restructure of ladies snooker whereby World Ladies Billiards and Snooker Association (WLBSA) became World Ladies Billiards and Snooker (WLBS), after becoming a subsidiary company of the WPBSA.

“On Yee’s success at the 2015 World Ladies Championship was an incredible achievement and she thoroughly deserves the opportunity to now play in the World Championship in Sheffield,” said Jason Ferguson, Chairman of the WPBSA.

“Snooker is a sport with no boundaries and as the first non-British winner of the World Ladies Championship, On Yee is a tremendous example to all who aspire to compete in our sport at the highest level.

Ng On Yee with the Ladies World Snooker Championship trophy

“Following the recent restructure of the WLBS we are hugely excited by the future of the ladies game and looking forward to continuing its growth globally as we continue to promote the core values of the Olympic movement.”

The qualifiers for the 2016 Betfred World Championship will run from 6-13 April 2016, with the draw to be made after the seeding revision following the conclusion of the China Open.

Pinnick wants Police to intensify search for Ogude’s wife

NFF President Amaju Pinnick has called on the Nigeria Police to intensify search for the wife of Super Eagles’ midfielder Fegor Ogude, who was kidnapped at the family’s house in Warri, Delta State on Monday night.

Gunmen reportedly stormed the Ogudes’ residence and took away the wife of the Russia –based player – a member of Nigeria’s 2013 Africa Cup of Nations – winning squad

“I am calling on the Nigeria Police to please expedite action with regards to the search for Fegor’s wife. The player is very, very worried in Russia where he is based and he can no longer concentrate on his professional duties.

“Fegor Ogude served this country meritoriously and was in the Super Eagles that brought glory to Nigeria at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. I am making a special appeal to the Police to intensify the search for Mrs Maimunat Ogude, but I also call on the kidnappers to consider Fegor’s contributions to Nigeria football and release his wife immediately, hale and hearty.”

On Thursday, when Fegor Ogude spoke to thenff.com from his base in Russia, he was a very disturbed man.

“I am very worried. The kidnappers have not made any contact with any member of the family and this is three days after. I am very anxious that nothing untoward should happen to my wife.”

Reports said the gunmen threw Fegor’s children out of the car and drove away with his wife. The car has since been recovered, but the whereabouts of Mrs Maimunat Ogude remains unknown.

Full List Of Winners At The GLO CAF Awards 2015, Plus Africa’s Finest XI

Full List Of Winners At The GLO CAF Awards 2015, Plus Africa’s Finest XI

*Referee Of The Year:
Bakary Papa GASSAMA – Gambia.

*Coach Of The Year:
Herve Renard

* African Legends Awards Winners:
Charles Kumi Gyami – Ghana
Samuel Mbappe Leppe – Cameroon

*The Leader Of The Year Award:
Abdiqani Said Arab – Somalia

* National Team of the Year:
The Elephants of Cote d’ Ivorie.

* National Team Of The Year (Women):
The Cameroon National Women’s Team

Etebo is most promising talent of the year https://t.co/QljIr1h7kD

— CAF (@CAF_Online) January 7, 2016

*Most Promising Talent Award:
Oghenekaro Etebo – Nigeria

* Youth Player Of The Year:
Victor Osimhen – Nigeria Golden Eaglets

* Women Player Of The Year:
Gaelle Enganamouit – Cameroon (Winner)

* African Player Of The Year Based In Africa:
Mbwana Samatta – Tanzania

Pierre Emerick Aubameyang is crowned African Player of the Year with (143 Points) #GloCAFAwards2015

— CAF (@CAF_Online) January 7, 2016

* Caf Footballer Of The Year.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – Gabon

* Club Of The Year:
TP Mazembe

* Fair Play Award:
Allez Casa – Senegal

* Platinum Award:
Muhammadu Buhari, President of Nigeria

Africa Finest XI:

Goal Keeper:
Robert Muteba KIDIABA (DR Congo)

Defenders:

Serge AURIER (Cote d’Ivoire), Aymen ABDENNOUR (Tunisia), Mohamed MEFTAH (Algeria)

Midfielders: Andre AYEW (Ghana), Yaya TOURE (Cote d’Ivoire), Sadio MANE (Senegal), Yacine BRAHIMI (Algeria)

Forwards: Mbwana Aly SAMATTA (Tanzania), Pierre-Emerrick AUBAMEYANG (Gabon), Baghdad BOUNEDJAH (Algeria)

Nigerian Tennis Star’s Mum Killed By Police For Burial Friday

The remains of Beauty McLeod, mother of Nigerian tennis junior champion, Angel, will be laid to rest today at Ogbunka Town, Orumba South LGA of Anambra State.

The 37-year-old, who is also an active tennis player, was killed last October in Lagos during an altercation with a mobile policeman attached to the Victoria Island, Lagos hotel in which she had lodged.

Angel Mcleod, daughter of the deceased, Beauty Mcloed

A member of the prestigious Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Beauty relocated to Nigeria from Dubai in 2014 and was preparing for the Governor’s Cup among other domestic tournaments before the tragic incident. Her last major tournament was in May last year when she featured in the CBN Open in Lagos.

The Nigeria Tennis Federation President in a tribute by its president, Engr. Sani Ndanusa, commended the deceased for the great role she played in the blossoming career of her daughter, who has been identified by experts as a global star prospect.

“It’s very clear to all that she (Beauty) wants her daughter to succeed as a tennis player. She laid a very good foundation by making sure that she provides everything Angel needs both in material and human support.

“Beauty has been a reference point of how a parent-child synergy helps bring the best out of kid(s) talent in sports. She sponsors her daughter to tournaments within and outside the country. She also travelled with her everywhere just to give her the psychological support for her to excel,” he said.

The Late Beauty Mcloed

Ndanusa, a former sports minister, pledged that the federation will strive to make sure that Angel attained a professional status in the coming years to fulfill her mum’s dream.

“The first step that we have taken is to send her to the ITF Training Center in Morocco where she will be based for some few years. Thereafter, we will see to her need to feature in different tournaments across the world in order to bring out the best in her.”

Transfer Round Up For January 7th 2016

Here are The top football transfer rumours, speculations, Done deals and Titbits making the round at the moment as compiled by Paul Ayorinde, Please follow @NewFanzone and @El_Pauleta for more football transfer updates and much more.

Done deals:

– Morgan Amalfitano has officially signed for Lille on a two and a half year deal.

– Hertha Berlin have completed the signing of Sinan Kurt from Bayern Munich.

– Coventry have completed the signing of former England midfielder Jole Cole on a free transfer.

– Brighton have completed the signing of Anthony Knockaert from Standard Liege for an undisclosed fee.

– Gent have completed the signing of Lucas Deaux from Nantes for an undisclosed fee.

– Turkish international striker Mevlut Erding has joined Guingamp on loan until the end of the season from Hannover.

More details
Chelsea’s Willian (left) and Radamel Falcao,
photo credit: @cfcunofficial (Chelsea Debs) London
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode

Today’s reports and rumours:

– Radamel Falcao’s loan deal at Chelsea is to be cancelled, according to reports.

– Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda has announced he will not be leaving the Ligue 1 club during the transfer window.

– Mark Hughes is confident the club’s ongoing contract talks with Marko Arnautovic will result in an agreement being reached despite Paris Saint-Germain showing interest in signing the player.

– Liverpool look set to make a bid for Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Granit Xhaka, according to reports.

Romelu Lukaku signs for Everton Fc- photo credit evertonfc

– Manchester United are weighing up a bid for Everton striker Romelu Lukaku, according to reports.

– Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce says the deal to sign Lorient defender Lamine Kone is off.

– AS Monaco have made a offer for Corinthians striker Vagner Love, according to reports.

– Mark Hughes refused to rule out a move for Porto midfielder Gianelli Imbula.

– According to reports, Louis van Gaal has rejected four bids for defender Paddy McNair.

– Talks between Leicester City midfielder Gokhan Inler and FC Schalke have stalled, the Bundesliga club’s coach Andre Breitenreiter has said.

– Watford striker Odion Ighalo says he would find difficult to turn down a “dream move” to Manchester United if they bid for him during the January transfer window.

– Real Madrid are reportedly tracking Hatem Ben Arfa’s progress and the Frenchman is keen to work under Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane.

– Jonathan Calleri’s father warned the move to Inter “will be decided by Sunday or he’s staying at Boca Juniors.”

– According to reports in France, Stoke are interested in Lorient’s defensive midfielder Didier Ndong.

– Liverpool have recalled Sheyi Ojo from his loan spell at Wolves.

– Lazio coach Stefano Pioli has criticised forward Felipe Anderson amid claims the Brazilian is awaiting a bonus payment before quitting the club for Manchester United this month.

Chelsea’s Eden Hazard takes on Norwich City’s Jonny Howson
photo credit: Ben Sutherland
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode

– Eden Hazard will not commit his future to Chelsea until the next manager is chosen, according to reports in England.

– Inter Milan defender Andrea Ranocchia has agreed to join Liverpool, according to reports in Italy.

– Norwich agreed deal to sign right-back Ivo Pinto from Dinamo Zagreb on a three-year deal, according to ESPN Soccernet sources.

– Marouane Fellaini won’t be joining AC Milan anytime soon, according to the Serie A club’s CEO Adriano Galliani.

– Simone Zaza’s agent says his client is “happy at Juventus” despite reported interest from England.

– Napoli defender Henrique will reportedly have a medical with Brazilian side Fluminense tomorrow.

– According to reports in England, Napoli have rejected a £14.1 million Swansea City offer for Manolo Gabbiadini.

– Daniele Rugani’s agent slammed Juventus for snubbing the defender. “The whole football world expected him to play.”

– Sampdoria are reportedly looking to bring veteran midfielder David Pizarro back to Serie A.

– The agent of Napoli midfielder Jonathan De Guzman says talk of a Carpi move is “just rumours”.

– Reports in Italy suggest Valencia are preparing a €5m bid for Milan’s Keisuke Honda.

– Inter could offer Assane Gnoukouri on loan as part of their bid for Udinese full-back Silvan Widmer, according to reports.

– Norwich have put a £15m price on winger Nathan Redmond in an effort to put off Premier League rivals Crystal Palace, who are interested in the 21-year-old, according to reports.

– Striker Jermain Defoe will only leave Sunderland in this transfer window if the club receive an offer they simply cannot refuse, according to manager Sam Allardyce.

– Liverpool defender Kolo Toure has said he wants to remain in the Premier League even if his contract is not extended at Anfield, while joking he could join Real Madrid.

Football tit bits:

– Swansea have appointed Alan Curtis as their manager until the end of the season.

– FIFA’s ethics committee said on Thursday it has opened formal proceedings against Jérôme Valcke, after its investigators recommended a nine-year ban against the former secretary general.

– Philippe Coutinho will be sidelined at least until the end of January and Dejan Lovren for the next 10 days with hamstring injuries sustained against Stoke City, Liverpool’s manager, Jürgen Klopp, has confirmed.

Michel Platini
photo credit: Piotr Drabik
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode

– Suspended UEFA president Michel Platini says he will not stand in the FIFA presidential election next month.

– Luis Enrique has dismissed reports that striker Luis Suárez threatened Espanyol players in the tunnel after Barcelona’s
4-1 Copa del Rey victory at Camp Nou on Wednesday.

– Chelsea midfielder Oscar has denied he was involved in a training-ground bust up with team-mate Diego Costa.

– Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney does not make the top 100 in a list of football’s most valuable players put together by football think-tank the CIES Football Observatory.

FC Barcelona top IFFHS Club World Ranking 2015

FC Barcelona has topped the Club World Ranking for 2015 as published by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS). This table is calculated on the basis of results in all official competitions.

According to the IFFHS, Barcelona was the best team of 2015 with a massive 379 points. Two Italian clubs finished second and third, Champions League finalists Juventus with 286 points and Napoli with 268 points.

Fc Barcelona are League Champions! 2014-2015! photo credit fcbarcelona.com

IFFHS Club World Ranking 2015

1 FC Barcelona 379 points

2 Juventus 286 points

3 SSC Napoli 268 points

4 Bayern Munich 263 points

5 Paris Saint-Germain 257 points

6 Real Madrid 241 points

7 Club Independiente Santa Fe 240 points

8 Fiorentina 236 points

9 River Plate 234 points

10 Wolfsburg 232 points

ROME AND BYDGOSZCZ TO HOST REALLOCATED 2016 IAAF WORLD ATHLETICS SERIES EVENTS

IAAF Council has today decided the host cities for two 2016 IAAF World Athletics Series events:

IAAF World Race Walking Team Championships, 7-8 May 2016

HOST CITY – Rome (Italy): 9 votes

Guayaquil (Ecuador) 4, Kiev (Ukraine) 4, Monterrey (Mexico) 2.

IAAF World U20 Championships, 19-24 July 2016

HOST CITY– Bydgoszcz (Poland): unanimous

No other bidders
(Australia and India had expressed interest but did not submit bids)

A total of 19 Council members took part in the two votes.

IAAF President Sebastian Coe, for the sake of neutrality as the head of the Council, did not participate and will also not vote in any future host city decisions.

Natasha HASTINGS 400m – (USA)
photo credit: Elisabeth-
https://www.flickr.com/photos/12224997@N03/9240124051/in/photolist-f5LaiW-f5vDiB-f5w2AZ-f5vMw8-f5w3XD-f5LdD3-f5vEdg-f5KV1u-f5LeEQ-cbpA1Q-cbpzHb

Sebastian Coe commented: “Many congratulations to Rome and Bydgoszcz. The speed in which you assembled detailed applications and at such short notice has been inspiring. Your bids were impressive and we look forward to celebrating the achievements of the world’s best race walkers and under-20 aged athletes in your cities. I gratefully acknowledge the interest shown by all the member federations who took part in this process. Thank you on behalf of the athletes for helping us to ensure that these competitions will take place.”

An accelerated bidding process was opened on 3 December 2015 for these two IAAF World Athletics Series events following the full suspension of the Russian IAAF Member Federation ARAF, who were originally set to stage both championships.

By 9 December seven IAAF Member Federations had sent letters of interest, with five countries going on to formally submit bid applications by 22 December 2015.

Michel Platini Withdraws From FIFA Race.

Michel Platini has announced he is withdrawing from the race for FIFA Presidency.

“I’m withdrawing from the race for FIFA presidency,” Platini told the Associated Press.

“The timing is not good for me. I don’t have the means to fight on equal terms with the other candidates. I have not been given the chance to play the game. Bye bye FIFA, bye bye FIFA presidency.”

The election which is slated for February 26 is to succeed Sepp Blatter, who has also been banned for eight years and stepped down following an American investigation into criminal activity.

Platini was banned for eight years as well for receiving a £1.35m payment, which is also the subject of a criminal investigation in Switzerland.

Michel Platini
photo credit: Piotr Drabik
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode

“I’m taking this philosophically, let’s wait and see what happens. But injustice is revolting me and I’m trying to fight it. I can’t have any regret in that story because things fell upon my head while I haven’t done anything wrong. I’m struggling to understand what happened, unless there was a will somewhere to prevent me from bidding.”

“Many national federations wanted me as President. I had 150 associations thinking that I’m the right person to solve FIFA’s problems. It won’t happen. But there is no age limitation, so maybe I’ll come back in 20 years. Who knows?” He said

Manchester United confirm Adnan Januzaj return as Dortmund loan deal is cancelled

Manchester United have confirmed that Adnan Januzaj’s year-long loan at Borussia Dortmund has been cancelled and he will return to the club immediately.

Adnan Januzaj who has three years left on his Manchester United contract didn’t start a single match at Dortmund since joining the German club in the summer transfer window.

#mufc confirms Adnan Januzaj will rejoin the squad, after Borussia Dortmund agreed to cancel his loan deal. pic.twitter.com/Uxeq2NtfJT

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 7, 2016

The Belgium international made just six appearances for Dortmund ans did not establish himself in Thomas Tuchel’s first team.

A statement on the Manchester United website read: “Adnan will rejoin the first-team squad immediately. He has returned to Manchester in order to clarify the details,”

Borussia Dortmund have also confirmed the news on their official website.

Paul Ayorinde

Winter issue of ITFWorld Magazine Published Online

The Winter 2015 issue of the International Tennis Federation’s official magazine ITFWorld has been published online and can be viewed at:

http://www.itftennis.com/news/220935.aspx

The 44-page magazine features Davis Cup by BNP Paribas champions Great Britain on the cover and the following articles are included inside:

Introducing David Haggerty: an exclusive interview with the new ITF President, in which he outlines his vision for tennis in the next four years and his priorities for the sport.

They are the champions: profiles of the recently-crowned ITF World Champions in a celebration of the sport’s star performers in 2015.

Old edition of the ITFWorld magazine

Queens of Fed Cup: a report on the Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Final, which the Czech women won for the ninth time to cement their status as the best team in the modern era of the competition.
Living the dream: a feature on Great Britain’s historic success in 2015 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas as Andy Murray led his country to the men’s team title for the first time in 79 years.