This week it was announced that eSports is to become an official medal sport at the 2022 Asian Games. This follows a “strategic partnership” between the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and Alisports, the eSports arm of e-commerce organisation Alibaba. eSports is also due to feature in the programme of the 2017 Asian Indoor and … Continue Reading
As Matthew Rees helped David Wyeth across the finish line of this year’s London Marathon a lifelong friendship was no doubt born together with a feel good story for the ages. Social media went into overdrive at the sight of this selfless act cheered on by both Princes William and Harry and the Duchess of … Continue Reading
Stand-up paddleboarding (“SUP”), once categorised by the popular media as a celebrity fad, has emerged as an unlikely battleground between the sports of canoeing and surfing, with the international federations for both of these well-established watersports seeking to lay claim to discipline at Olympic level, each asserting that SUP is an offshoot from their sport. … Continue Reading
One of the most challenging times in an athlete’s life can be the end of his or her sporting career and their ‘transition’ into a new life and a new career. In the same way that a sporting career is more than just a job: the move from sport to a post-sport career is not … Continue Reading
On Sunday 12 February 2017, golf’s European Tour unveiled a ‘revolutionary and novel short form of the game’ which is designed to ‘embrace innovation and originality in professional golf’. The first GolfSixes event will take place in North West London on 6-7 May 2017 and will feature two-man teams from 16 European nations. The teams … Continue Reading
The 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics seem a long way in the past – we have since enjoyed cheering for our countries and zealously following the medal counts in London 2012 and Rio 2016. However, since the end of the 2008 Games, a number of things have changed to the medal counts for each of those … Continue Reading
Since we launched in August this year Sports Shorts has posted 86 blogs covering a multitude of topics including: a look at new rules concerning Premier League shirt sponsorship; a review of UK Sport and Sport England’s ‘Code for Sports Governance’ consideration of England Rugby’s training camps; an analysis of the FIFA Poppy Dispute (twice); … Continue Reading
On the evening of 29 November 2016 at least one national newspaper was reporting that UK Sport, the body responsible for funding elite sport in the UK, had made a ‘last-ditch funding plea to Government’ against ‘severe cuts’. Against a background of unprecedented sporting success in Rio this summer which led to an outburst of … Continue Reading
It was reported on 26 September 2016 that formal discussions are being held to determine whether the Team GB Rugby 7s squad should become a permanently funded programme. In practice, this would mean a pooling of resources between the Rugby Unions of England, Wales and Scotland (each of whom currently fund a team which competes … Continue Reading
When it comes to sport few subjects cause as much debate as doping. It causes myriad issues from a legal, moral and ethical standpoint. Issues such as using the wrong type of Vicks inhaler, failing to go to Barbados to check the banned substance list and hyperandrogenism to name but a few. This week the … Continue Reading
Three members the doping control review board (DCRB) for FINA (the international federation for swimming) quit their posts on Sunday 4 September 2016. The panel members resigned claiming that: (i) the process that was unanimously agreed by the DCRB prior to the Rio Olympics in relation to which Russian swimmers would be allowed to compete … Continue Reading
On Saturday 20 August 2016, the Brazilian national football team will face Germany in the final of the Olympic football tournament and will hope to win a tournament that has so far eluded them. Brazil has been the runner-up on three past occasions (1984, 1988 and 2012) and won the bronze medal in 1996 and … Continue Reading
“How come they’re doing so well?” It’s the question on everybody’s lips (including those at home) following Team GB’s leap to 2nd place in the medal tables thanks to a raft of successes on Super Sunday saw them win 8 medals. That success has continued this week, with Britain maintaining its place behind the US … Continue Reading
“The popularity of sport transcends all barriers. Sport has an amazing power to spontaneously unite people as one in solidarity.” – Ban Ki Moon, UN Secretary-General Following the events of recent months Team GB’s outstanding performance so far at the Olympic Games has been a ray of light in what has otherwise been a period … Continue Reading
Yesterday, Great Britain’s Justin Rose won a thrilling finale of the Olympic Games Men’s Golf competition beating Sweden’s Henrik Stenson, the 2016 Open Champion, by 2 shots. In doing so, Rose secured Great Britain’s 12th Gold Medal in Rio. While Rose’s achievement was a personal success and a source of great pride to the Brits; … Continue Reading
What do the Pope, Donald Trump, and Theresa May have in common? Within the last week, all three have (amongst others) received a public slap on the wrist from a – fake and now suspended – ‘@Official_Rule40’ twitter account after tweeting good luck messages to Olympic athletes, allegedly in breach of “Olympic guidelines”. Last week, … Continue Reading
It’s a big question isn’t it? A question that can cause heated debate around the World; one that will necessarily include a discussion of the merits of such athletes as Muhammad Ali (or Cassius Clay as he was called when winning gold in Rome 1960) Jesse Owens, Paavo Nurmi, Mark Spitz, Sir Steve Redgrave, Ole … Continue Reading
Rugby’s history at the Olympic Games 18 May 1924, Colombes Stadium, Paris: in front of 50,000 predominantly French fans, the USA beat France 17-3 to win the gold medal and claim the coveted Olympic Champion title. Fast forward 92 years to Rio 2016 and the American rugby team are still reigning Olympic Champions without their … Continue Reading
