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      in Soccer

      Why is there no Team GB men’s football team but a women’s team in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics?

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      THE TOKYO OLYMPICS will see Great Britain field a women’s football team this summer, but there will be NO men’s side.Hege Riise, the Team GB head coach, named an 18-person squad for the games set to be held in Japan between July 23 and August 8.
      Team GB will field a women’s side at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo this summerCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Team GB will take on Japan, Canada and Chile in the group stage.
      But for the second Olympic Games running, there will NOT be a men’s team playing for GB.
      Why is there no Great Britain men’s football team at the Olympics?
      When London won the rights to hold the Olympics in 2012, Great Britain immediately began plans to enter a men’s team for the games.
      The Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish FA, however, expressed doubts over taking part over fears they would lose their Home Nations status which had been established by Fifa.

      Fifa president at the time Sepp Blatter assured all four nations that their individuality would not be lost, despite combining to create Team GB for the Olympics.
      A compromise was reached and only English and Welsh players took part for Team GB in London.
      Plans were put forward for a team to be created for the Rio Olympics in 2016, but they were once again rejected by the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish associations.
      And subsequently, no efforts were made for a men’s team to enter the Tokyo games.
      Ryan Giggs captained the men’s Team GB side at the 2012 OlympicsCredit: PA:Press Association
      But Team GB Chef de Mission Mark England says that potential success from the women’s team may spark up a revival for the men’s side.
      He said: “I would absolutely love to take a men’s football team to the Olympic Games.
      “I think the experiences that the women have had through the home country FAs hopefully will be that positive step and impetus for an open dialogue on men’s teams in the future.
      “Obviously the strength now that we can see in women’s football (means) we’d be very disappointed if, in France in Paris in 2024 and on to Los Angeles in 2028, we weren’t fielding competitive teams across all sports but in particular competitive teams in football as well.”
      However, even if the four football associations had agreed to a Team GB men’s side, they would not have qualified for the Olympics this year.
      The women qualified for the Olympic Games by virtue of England’s run to the semi-final of the 2019 Women’s World Cup.
      However, qualification for the men’s tournament was decided by performance in the 2019 Under-21 European Championship.
      And in that tournament, England failed to get out of the group stage after being beaten by France and Romania.
      As a result of their runs to the semi-finals of that competition, France, Romania, Germany and Spain are Uefa’s representatives at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. More

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      in Motorsport

      F1 British Grand Prix first practice: Live stream, TV channel and full race schedule for Hamilton’s Silverstone return

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      LEWIS HAMILTON will be hoping to win his first Grand Prix since May this weekend at Silverstone.Max Verstappen has taken a front seat in recent weekends and will be eyeing his fourth consecutive race win in a row.
      Lewis Hamilton will return to Silverstone this weekendCredit: Reuters
      Hamilton will also be up against Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, who has become quite the formidable contender himself.
      Silverstone will be the first race of the season to feature F1 Sprint, a new qualifying format which will take place on Saturday.
      When is F1 British Grand Prix first practice?

      The British Grand Prix will make its return to Silverstone this week, starting with the first practice session on Friday, July 15 from 2.30pm UK time.
      First practice will take place at the home of F1 in Great Britain – Silverstone race track, which is in Northamptonshire.
      A massive 140,000 fans will be attending the race.

      🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info
      What channel is it and can it be live streamed?

      You can catch all of this week’s F1 action from the British Grand Prix on Sky Sports F1.
      Coverage of first practice will get underway from 2pm UK time.
      The action is available for live streaming from the Sky Go or NOW TV apps, both of which you can download onto your mobile device, tablet or Smart TV.

      Full F1 British Grand Prix race schedule
      Friday, July 16

      Practice One – 2.30pm GMT
      Qualifying – 6pm GMT

      Saturday, July 17

      Practice Two – 12pm GMT
      Sprint Grand Prix – 4.30pm GMT

      Sunday, July 18

      British Grand Prix – 6pm GMT More

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      in Boxing

      Manny Pacquiao vs Errol Spence Jr date: UK start time, live stream, TV channel, undercard for HUGE welterweight clash

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      MANNY PACQUIAO makes his return to the ring to take on unbeaten pound-for-pound king Errol Spence Jr in Las Vegas.Pacquiao, 42, has the 72nd fight of his legendary career but against a seemingly unstoppable opponent.
      Manny Pacquiao and Errol Spence clash this summer
      COMPETITION: WIN ONE OF FOUR SUPERCARS OR A DREAM CAR AND £100k IN CASH
      Spence’s WBC and IBF welterweight titles are on the line, while Pacquiao has been downgraded as WBA champ to ‘champion in recess’ in a controversial move by the boxing organisation.
      Pacquiao won the title beating Keith Thurman in July 2019 but has not fought since and the WBA gave the reasoning as inactivity.
      When is Manny Pacquiao vs Errol Spence Jr?

      Manny Pacquiao vs Errol Spence takes place on Saturday, August 21.
      The T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas plays host.
      Expect the fight to get underway from 4am BST in the early hours of Sunday morning.

      What TV channel and live stream is Pacquiao vs Spence Jr on?
      Showtime will broadcasting the fight in the US.
      A UK broadcaster has not yet been announced for the bout.
      Pacquiao’s recent fights have been on an array of UK channels, from Sky Sports to ITV to Premier Sports.
      Pacquiao will face Spence in a Las Vegas super-fight
      Who is fighting on the undercard?
      Only the main event of Pacquiao vs Spence has been announced for the card so far.
      We’ll be bringing you all of the undercard fight developments here when they are revealed.
      What have they said?
      Pacquiao on Floyd Mayweather offering to mentor Spence: “You know actually Errol don’t need to have advice from Mayweather, because I believe that Errol is better than Mayweather.
      “I think he will teach Mayweather how to fight toe to toe.
      Spence Jr: “It is a great accomplishment [Pacquiao’s praise], but like I said before, Manny Pacquiao is the kind of guy who will walk you to sleep.
      “He will give you a lot of compliments and gratitude and things like that, and then as soon as the bell rings, he will be jumping all over you, so you know how I take it.” More

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      in Motorsport

      What is F1 Sprint qualifying? The new qualifying format that will be used at British Grand Prix

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      F1 Sprint is finally here with the new race format set to dazzle spectators and excite the masses across three weekends this season. This weekend’s Grand Prix will take place at Silverstone in Northamptonshire, which will see the very first edition of F1 Sprint come to life.
      Lewis Hamilton will race in the first edition of F1 SprintCredit: Getty
      Your favourite stars from Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen will be taking part in the new feature race.
      So what exactly is it?
      What is F1 Sprint?
      F1 Sprint will be part of the race schedule this weekend at Silverstone.
      Essentially, F1 Sprint is a mini race which will be run over 100km on Saturday evening, with the usual Grand Prix distance.
      F1 Sprint is designed to be a flat-out race from start to finish, and is set to excite the 140,000 fans in attendance.

      The first edition will take place from 4.30pm UK time on Saturday, July 17.
      Taking part will be the 20 drivers who qualified on Friday evening and their starting positions will be determined by their qualifying finishes.
      Wherever you finish in F1 Sprint will then determine where you begin the British Grand Prix on Sunday.
      Should you win F1 Sprint, you will start in pole position on Sunday, but should you finish in eighth position, you will start in eighth for the main race.
      F1 Sprint will take place on Saturday, July 17Credit: PA
      The 100km distance means that the race will be 17 laps around the nearly 4-mile Silverstone track.
      F1 Sprint is expected to last around 25-30 minutes, with its fast and exciting nature expected to appeal to viewers and reel in new fans.
      Whoever finishes first in F1 Sprint will receive three points, second place will get two points and third place will receive just one. More

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      in Soccer

      Where is the Marcus Rashford mural and who painted the artwork?

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      MARCUS RASHFORD is one of the most popular footballers in Britain today.So much so, a Manchester-based artist has painted a huge mural on the side of a building in Withington.
      Marcus Rashford’s mural in Manchester is being restored by artist AkseCredit: Getty
      Where is the Marcus Rashford mural?
      The Manchester United and England star’s portrait appears on the side of a building in Withington in Manchester.
      The building is a row of shops including a cafe and fruit and vegetable shop on Moorfield Street off Copson Street in southern Manchester.
      Alongside the artwork, some words are scrawled on the brickwork, written by the artist.
      They say: “Take pride in knowing that your struggle will play the biggest role in your purpose.”
      The piece was defaced by a vandal in the moments after Rashford missed a penalty for England during the Euro 2020 final against Italy.
      But hundreds of admirers covered up the ugly writing with letters, flags and PostIt notes containing supportive messages.
      Who painted the Marcus Rashford mural?
      The portrait was done by Manchester artist Akse.

      The French-born graffiti artist is of Vietnamese heritage and has lived in Manchester since 1997.
      It is not the first time one of Akse’s artworks has been defaced by racists, after his George Floyd mural at Stephenson Square was attacked by bigots in June 2020.
      Akse has painted dozens of similar pieces around Manchester including those of singers Nina Simone, Ray Charles and Marvin Gaye.
      He also painted a one of Captain Tom Moore and another of an NHS nurse wearing a mask with a halo above her head.
      Akse’s George Floyd mural was defaced by racists in June last yearCredit: The Times More

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      in Soccer

      Football fixtures at Tokyo Olympics: Who will Team GB women face and what sides are in men’s draw?

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      IF Euro 2020 wasn’t exciting enough, there is plenty more football to come at the Tokyo Olympics.And Team GB have their women’s team BACK at the Games, where they are looking to go for the gold they missed out on at London 2012.
      Brazil took gold last time out at Rio 2016, after beating Germany in a penalty shoot-out in the finalCredit: Splash News
      Team GB’s women starred at the London 2012 Games but were knocked out in the semi finalsCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      The likes of France, Mexico, Spain, Argentina, Brazil and Germany will be competing in Japan as football makes it’s long awaited return to the Olympics.
      The Team GB women’s football team will be right in the mix as well.
      The tournament itself will start on Wednesday, July 22 – two days before the opening ceremony – until Saturday, August 8.
      Hege Riise’s women’s side are due to play Chile in the first match of the tournament in Group E, on July 21 before also playing Canada and Chile in their other initial group games, which will all be played at the Sapporo Stadium. 
      ⚽️ EXPLAINED: Why is there a Team GB women’s team but no men’s team?
      Team GB women’s Group E fixtures:

      Wednesday, July 21 – Great Britain vs Chile – 8.30am UK (4.30pm Japan)
      Saturday, July 24 – Japan vs Great Britain – 11am UK approx (7pm Japan)
      Tuesday, July 27 – Canada vs Great Britain – 11.30am UK approx (7.30pm Japan)

      *Kick off times marked approximate are because games are clustered into sets of two, the Olympic organisers only give kick-off times for the early matches.
      What are the Olympic football groups?
      The men’s competition will consist of sixteen teams split up four by four per group and the women’s competition will consist of 12 teams split up in three groups.
      Men’s groups

      Group A: Japan, South Africa, Mexico, France
      Group B: New Zealand, South Korea, Honduras, Romania
      Group C: Egypt, Spain, Argentina, Australia
      Group D: Brazil, Germany, Ivory Coast, Saudi Arabia

      Women’s groups

      Group E: Japan, Great Britain, Chile, Canada
      Group F: Brazil, Netherlands, China, Zambia
      Group G: USA, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand

      The GB Women’s team qualified for the Olympics by virtue of England’s performance at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, when they finished fourth in France.
      Defending champions Germany will not field a women’s side at the Olympics after they lost their World Cup quarter-final to Sweden.
      And unlike the men’s event – which is an under-23 tournament – the Olympics is one of women’s football’s biggest events, with no age restrictions.
      Olympic football fixtures in full
      Games in the same group are being played two at a time in various stadia, so second kick-off times are approximate.
      Wednesday July 21 – Women

      E: Great Britain vs Chile – 8.30am UK (4.30pm Japan)
      E: Japan vs Canada – 11am UK approx (7pm Japan)
      F: China vs Brazil – 9am UK (5pm Japan)
      F: Zambia vs Netherlands – 11.30am UK approx (7.30pm Japan)
      G: Sweden vs USA – 9.30am UK (5.30am Japan)
      G: Australia vs New Zealand – 12 Noon UK approx (8pm Japan)

      Thursday July 22 – Men

      C: Egypt vs Spain – 8.30am UK (4.30pm Japan)
      C: Argentina vs Australia – 11am UK approx (7pm Japan)
      A: Mexico vs France – 9am UK (5pm Japan)
      A: Japan vs South Africa – 11.30am UK approx (7.30pm Japan)
      B: New Zealand vs South Korea – 9am UK (5pm Japan)
      B: Honduras vs Romania – 11.30am UK approx (7.30pm Japan)
      D: Ivory Coast vs Saudi Arabia – 9.30am UK (5.30am Japan)
      D: Brazil vs Germany – 12 Noon UK approx (8pm Japan)

      Saturday July 24 – Women

      E: Chile vs Canada – 8.30am UK (4.30pm Japan)
      E: Japan vs Great Britain – 11am UK approx (7pm Japan)
      F: China vs Zambia – 9am UK (5pm Japan)
      F: Netherlands vs Brazil – 11.30am UK approx (7.30pm Japan)
      G: Sweden vs Australia – 9.30am UK (5.30am Japan)
      G: New Zealand vs USA – 12 Noon UK approx (8pm Japan)

      Sunday July 25 – Men

      C: Egypt vs Argentina – 8.30am UK (4.30pm Japan)
      C: Australia vs Spain – 11am UK approx (7pm Japan)
      B: New Zealand vs Honduras – 9am UK (5pm Japan)
      B: Romania vs South Korea- 11.30am UK approx (7.30pm Japan)
      A: France vs South Africa – 9am UK (5pm Japan)
      A: Japan vs Mexico – 11.30am UK approx (7.30pm Japan)
      D: Brazil vs Ivory Coast – 9.30am UK (5.30am Japan)
      D: Saudi Arabia vs Germany – 12 Noon UK approx (8pm Japan)

      Tuesday July 27 – Women

      G: New Zealand vs Sweden – 9am UK (5pm Japan)
      E: Chile vs Japan – 11.30am UK approx (7.30pm Japan)
      G: USA vs Australia – 9am UK (5pm Japan)
      E: Canada vs Great Britain – 11.30am UK approx (7.30pm Japan)
      F: Brazil vs Zambia – 12.30pm UK (8.30pm Japan)
      F: Netherlands vs China – 12.30pm UK (8.30pm Japan)

      Wednesday July 28 – Men

      D: Germany vs Ivory Coast – 9am UK (5pm Japan)
      C: Australia vs Egypt – 11.30am UK approx (7.30pm Japan)
      D: Saudi Arabia vs Brazil – 9am UK (5pm Japan)
      C: Australia vs Egypt – 11.30am UK approx (7.30pm Japan)
      B: Romania vs New Zealand – 9.30am UK (5.30am Japan)
      A: South Africa vs Mexico – 12 Noon UK approx (8pm Japan)
      B: South Korea vs Honduras – 9.30am UK (5.30am Japan)
      A: France vs Japan – 12 Noon UK approx (8pm Japan)

      Friday July 30 – Women

      Women’s quarter final 1 – 9am UK (5pm Japan)
      Women’s quarter final 2 – 10am UK (6pm Japan)
      Women’s quarter final 3 – 11am UK (7pm Japan)
      Women’s quarter final 4 – 12 noon UK (8pm Japan)

      Saturday July 31 – Men

      Men’s quarter final 1 – 9am UK (5pm Japan)
      Men’s quarter final 2 – 10am UK (6pm Japan)
      Men’s quarter final 3 – 11am UK (7pm Japan)
      Men’s quarter final 4 – 12 noon UK (8pm Japan)

      Monday August 2 – Women

      Women’s semi final 1 – 9am UK (5pm Japan)
      Women’s semi final 2 – 12 noon UK (8pm Japan)

      Tuesday August 3 – Men

      Men’s semi final 1 – 9am UK (5pm Japan)
      Men’s semi final 2 – 12 noon UK (8pm Japan)

      Thursday August 5 – Women

      Women’s bronze medal match – 9am UK (5pm Japan)

      Friday August 6 – Women and Men

      Women’s gold medal final – 3am UK (11am Japan)
      Men’s bronze medal match – 12 Noon UK (8pm Japan)

      Saturday August 7 – Men

      Men’s gold medal final – 12.30pm UK (8.30pm Japan) More

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      in Soccer

      Hibs vs Arsenal: Live stream, TV channel, kick-off time and team news for pre-season friendly

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      ARSENAL kick off their pre-season preparations with a match vs Hibs in Edinburgh.Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has some of his big guns back in training and could also unleash a new signing.
      £7m left-back Nuno Taveres has joined Arsenal from Benfica
      COMPETITION: WIN A MERCEDES AMG A45S WORTH £51,000 PLUS UP TO £50k IN CASH
      When is Hibs vs Arsenal?

      Hibs vs Arsenal takes place on Tuesday, July 13.
      The match kicks off at 6pm BST.
      Easter Road plays host to the friendly.

      What TV channel and live stream is Hibs vs Arsenal on?
      Hibs vs Arsenal will be broadcast live on Arsenal Player and Hibs TV.

      What is the team news?
      New signing Nuno Tavares could get his first taste of action in a Gunners shirt.
      The left-back, 21, is unlikely to start since his move was only confirmed over the weekend but he could get some minutes at Easter Road.
      Instead, Cedric Soares could start at left-back with Sead Kolasinac also on the bench after returning to the Arsenal squad since the players came back to training last week.
      The Bosnian’s Arsenal future had looked in doubt after he was loaned to a struggling Schalke side in the second half of last season.
      Cedric could be joined in the back four by Calum Chambers, Pablo Mari and Rob Holding, with Alex Runarsson expected to start in goal ahead of youngsters Arthur Okonkwo and Karl Jakob Hein.
      Mikel Arteta could also welcome Pepe and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang back to the side, with the latter a notable absentee in photos of the squad’s first day back at London Colney.
      Alexandre Lacazette could also start despite rumours circulating about his future, with the club reportedly desperate to offload him this summer. More

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      in Soccer

      Why is Jack Grealish playing with bandage on his hand during Euro 2020?

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      JACK GREALISH is lighting up Euro 2020 after a series of stunning displays for England.But eagle-eyed fans have noticed that the Aston Villa playmaker – who has been England’s most-fouled player so far at the Euros – is wearing a bandage on his left hand, but why?
      Jack Grealish has been playing at the Euros with a very visible bandage on his left hand
      The protective padding on the bandage is surrounding Grealish’s thumb
      Why is Jack Grealish wearing a bandage on his hand?
      Jack Grealish has been playing at the Euros with a broken left thumb which he suffered in a victory at Tottenham towards the end of last season.
      The midfield ace has been seen with a bandaged left hand in his three games so far following a rough challenge in Villa’s 2-1 win over Spurs on May 19.
      Asked about the injury, England’s No 7 said: “[Japhet] Tanganga from Tottenham threw me on the floor and I broke my thumb.”
      On whether it had healed, the attacker showed reporters how bent his thumb was and added: “It’s still like that a little bit isn’t it?”
      Though Grealish has revealed the worst part of having a thumb injury – he can no longer play his PlayStation.
      Jack Grealish clashing with Japhet Tanganga in the match on May 19
      He finished the game with a makeshift bandage on his left hand
      Speaking of how he relaxes in his downtime, the 25-year-old said: “From what the guys have said they set up a lot of stuff but I suppose it is just the normal, Netflix and Playstation…
      “I can’t actually play at the moment because I have broken my thumb.
      “I have had to knock it on the head a little bit at the moment so I can’t play.”

      Who is Jack Grealish?
      Jack Grealish is a 25-year-old attacking midfielder who plays for Aston Villa in the Premier League and England. He has made 10 appearances for the Three Lions.
      He was born in Birmingham on 10 September 1995, and has made over 200 appearances for Villa.
      Through his grandparents’ nationality, Grealish was capped by the Republic of Ireland at under-21 level before confirming he decision to play for England in 2016.

      Jack Grealish explains to fans how he styles his much talked about hair More