Sports Groove

As Adeniyi rallies Team Nigeria for glory, do everything possible to bring title 15 home    By Maxwell Kumoye      With confidence high and expectations even higher, Team Nigeria has departed Abuja on a bold mission, to conquer Africa once again. Led by the President of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, the contingent left the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on Tuesday, setting course for Alexandria, host of the 2026 African Wrestling Championships. The tournament, scheduled from April 27 to May 2, will feature U-17, U-20, and Senior categories, with Nigeria fielding a strong squad of: • 18 wrestlers • 10 women • 8 men They are ready to battle across multiple weight divisions. But it is in the women’s category that Nigeria’s dominance truly echoes across the continent. Fourteen-time champions. A record unmatched in Nigerian sport. And now, a shot at a historic 15th title. Addressing the team before departure, Adeniyi deli...

The Badminton World Federation membership has approved the introduction of the system, with the new format set to come into effect on 4 January in two years time, the sport's world governing body announced on Saturday. The proposal was passed by the required two-thirds majority of votes cast at the 87th BWF Annual General Meeting in Horsens, Denmark, according to a federation press release. BWF President Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul said the decision marked an important milestone for the future of badminton. "We are building a sport that speaks to the next generation, while continuing to invest in the long-term future of our players," she said. The BWF said the 3×15 system is designed to increase excitement and competitiveness, improve scheduling consistency, and offer benefits for player welfare and recovery. Leeswadtrakul added that the format aims to produce closer scores and more dramatic finishes by bringing high-pressure moments earlier in matches, help...

The Nordic country has said it will not host international championships while the governing body continues to allow athletes from both to compete, joining Norway and Poland as tensions escalate. Members of the Nordic Swimming Federation contacted by Reuters have also distanced themselves from World Aquatics' earlier decision this month to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to return to competition with full honours. The move marks a reversal of earlier restrictions introduced after Russia's 2022 war of Ukraine, when athletes from the two countries were largely restricted to neutral status. Further talks among federation members are scheduled for Monday. The group includes representatives from Denmark, Estonia, the Faroe Islands, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden. World Aquatics has permitted Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in its events in their national uniforms, with flags and anthems, since 14 April, and confirmed that both cou...

In June 2027, the para-sporting spotlight will turn to Uzbekistan as the nation becomes the first in Central Asia to host the flagship para-athletics event, a decision reflecting the country's rapid rise as a sporting powerhouse. World Para Athletics has officially confirmed that Tashkent will host the 2027 World Para Athletics Championships. This announcement marks a historic first for the region, as the most significant single para-sport event on the global calendar heads to Uzbekistan. The competition is scheduled to take place at the Olympic City Main Stadium in June 2027. Tashkent 2027 will represent the 13th edition of the championships and the fifth time the event has been staged in Asia. Uzbekistan follows in the footsteps of recent hosts including Doha (2015), Dubai (2019), Kobe (2024), and the most recent edition in New Delhi (2025). The organisers expect to welcome approximately 1,300 athletes representing more than 100 nations. While the final list of events...

The Estonia Olympic Committee's former president was ousted on Monday at an extraordinary assembly after a no-confidence vote, following weeks of internal tensions and criticism over funding, the coaching system and her leadership style. The institutional crisis in Estonian sport reached its breaking point with the removal of Kersti Kaljulaid as head, after an extraordinary general assembly approved a no-confidence motion by simple majority. The result exposed a deep division within the organisation: 61 votes supported her removal, 50 opposed it and three ballots were declared invalid. The session was attended by 114 of the 123 members (the minimum required for a quorum was 62), comfortably exceeding the threshold needed to take a decision of this magnitude. The initiative had been promoted by Heino Märks, who gathered the required signatures to convene the assembly amid growing internal discontent. Among those backing the motion were prominent figures in Estonian sport...

  As calls for the Polish Olympic Committee chief to step down grow over a sponsorship deal signed with the cryptocurrency platform, the sports administrator promised this week to terminate the agreement should the company fail to transfer money it owes to athletes. "If by April 30, as stipulated in the contract, the funds are not transferred to us, to PKOl, I have grounds to terminate the agreement and it will be terminated without cost, without any complications for PKOl," Radosław Piesiewicz told RMF FM.  The head of the governing body had previously said that there were no grounds to terminate the sponsorship agreement signed in October 2025, despite ongoing investigations into the crypto trading company's liquidity and reports on unpaid rewards from several Team Poland athletes. Speed skater Damian Żurek said he could not cash out PLN 100,000 (€23,624) worth of tokens awarded for his performance at the Milano Cortina Winter Games, and ski jumper Kacper To...

The Association of Summer Olympic International Federations has introduced a refreshed visual identity aligned with its 2026–2032 Strategy. The updated framework reflects the organisation's vision for the future. As with any rebranding exercise, this visual overhaul launched on Monday is far more than a matter of aesthetics, it signals the beginning of a new strategic trajectory for the years ahead, designed to reinforce the collective influence of international federations within the Olympic Movement. Founded in 1983, the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations, ASOIF, defines its mission as "to represent, strengthen and expand the collective influence of the Summer Olympic International Federations within the Movement", as stated on its official platform. The launch of its 2026-2032 Strategy, driven by ASOIF President Ingmar De Vos in close collaboration with member federations, ushers in a new phase for the organisation, characterised by ren...

Last weekend, Nexus Seawoods in Navi Mumbai, India, hosted a high-profile event confirming the collaboration between Marine Pro Boxing Promotions and the International Boxing Association to promote boxing in India. A combination of elite international match-ups, emerging domestic talent and strong engagement from fans and the wider sporting community made for a prestigious evening featuring a varied fight card with boxers from around the world, as well as the next generation of Indian boxing prospects. India is one of the markets where the IBA has focused its attention, and the event in Navi Mumbai clearly demonstrated boxing's growing appeal. Notable guests included six-time world champion Mary Kom and Harish Choudhary, who is closely linked to sporting initiatives. Prominent figures from the entertainment industry also attended, including Bollywood actor Pulkit Samrat, television actor Divyenndu and filmmaker Karan Anshuman, highlighting the growing cross-sector appea...

The US body brought together more than 1,000 leaders last week at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas, where the tourism sector highlighted its economic impact and reinforced the country's position as a global hub for events, business, and expansion. The Sports Events & Tourism Association closed a record edition of its annual Symposium in Las Vegas, with the sense that something more than an event had taken place. Over four days at Caesars Forum, the organisation brought together 1,200 industry figures and confirmed a trend that had already been building: sport, tourism and global business are increasingly converging in the United States. The closing delivered strong figures and even stronger signals. The report presented during the week, which for the first time unifies participatory and spectator sports tourism, outlined an economic impact of nearly $275 billion (€233bn), including around $111bn (€94bn) in direct spending, 1.6 million jobs and more than $20bn (€17bn) in s...