A mother has spoken out against the UK government's National Child Measurement Programme after one of her twin sons was classified as overweight. Abbey Burrow, whose son Michael was deemed overweight whilst his brother Teddy was not, has raised concern that reliance on a single measurement could result in anxiety and embarrassment for children. Parents and carers can choose to remove their child from the programme, but critics have called for more meaningful action to tackle childhood obesity, including greater food industry regulation.
14-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal is in danger of missing the tournament, according to reports. Nadal has held an astonishing 112-3 record at Roland Garros but has not played competitively since suffering an intractable hip problem during the Australian Open in January. Nadal, who has never previously missed the French Open, will announce whether he will be able to take part later today. His absence would offer the chance for Novak Djokovic to claim a 23rd Grand Slam title, which would push him past Nadal in the all-time standings. The French Open runs from Sunday 28 May to Sunday 11 June.
The US PGA Championship has begun at the Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York with the tournament’s first practice sessions taking place. Scheduled for May, the tournament was postponed to August due to the coronavirus pandemic. A winter frost delayed the start of play which is due to begin at midday with the first of the “big-name” groups expected to be teeing off at 1 pm. Major culling of trees as part of a course redevelopment has seen the creation of a new hole. Notable absences from the tournament this year are Tiger Woods, who is recovering from ankle surgery, and fans due to the pandemic.
Nottingham Forest, Everton, Leeds United and Leicester City are all fighting to stay in the Premier League. Nottingham Forest faces potential issues with Financial Fair Play following heavy spending this season and most of the squad will have their wages reduced if the club is relegated, leading to potential sales of players. Meanwhile, Everton would face a financial nightmare as the club already has a precarious fiscal situation, and financially and emotionally a relegation by Everton would be catastrophic. Leeds United has implemented wage reductions for its players in case of relegation, and would likely face a firesale of major player assets to make up the financial shortfall. Leicester City players would have their salaries slashed between 35% to 50%, with its best players James Maddison and Harvey Barnes almost certain to be sold if the club is relegated.
Beth Mead, the Arsenal and England striker says there needs to be more breaks built into the calendar for women's football. He points to the demands being placed on the world's best players by a crowded schedule. This summer's World Cup is the third major international tournament in as many years, following the Olympics in 2021 and the European Championship in 2022, while the club calendar is packed with European, league and cup competitions. Studies have shown that women can be two to six times more likely to suffer an ACL rupture, but there are no conclusive answers as to why. There are theories, the anatomical differences between the sexes, the impact of the menstrual cycle, social factors, but Mead's own experiences this season have highlighted that there is no singular reason. Wienroither has moved in with Mead and Miedema as she starts the recovery process, and Arsenal's injured contingent have pulled together, creating their own support network. “I’ve been in touch with Leah and Lau has been living with us as she is all alone in a foreign country and we are probably the best people to look after her,” says Mead.
World number one Jon Rahm is confident of winning more majors this season after winning four times in 11 events, including The Masters. The Spaniard is now halfway to completing a career Grand Slam and will join Matt Fitzpatrick and Cameron Smith at Oak Hill this week. Meanwhile, Jordan Spieth's hopes of winning all four majors and completing a career Grand Slam have been hampered by a wrist injury that forced him to withdraw from the Texas-based AT&T Byron Nelson tournament last week. If Spieth wins the US PGA Championship, he will become the sixth player to accomplish the feat after Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen, although he has a difficult start; he's paired with Viktor Hovland and Shane Lowry for the first two rounds of the championship.
The World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) has recognised testosterone's performance-enhancing properties and banned athletes from using it, both male and female, while the International Olympic Committee remains unsure on the subject. WADA adds a substance to its banned list if it meets any two of three criteria: it has the potential to enhance or enhances sport performance, it represents an actual or potential health risk to the athlete, or it violates the spirit of sport. In contrast, the IOC recently published a framework that left the decision around whether transgender women can compete against biological women up to individual sports.
New figures reveal that the funeral and lying-in-state of the late Queen Elizabeth II cost UK taxpayers an estimated £161.7m. More than 250,000 people passed through Westminster Hall to pay their respects before the Queen’s coffin was buried in the King George VI Memorial Chapel in Windsor. The Home Office spent £73.7m and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport £57m. The Scottish Government spent £18.8m while the Northern Ireland Office, the Ministry of Defence, the Welsh Government, the Department for Transport, and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office each spent up to £3m.
The UK government spent an estimated £161.7m ($220m) on the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, which was held at Westminster Abbey on 19 September last year, according to figures released by the Treasury. The period of national mourning before the ceremony involved more than 100,000 people in paying their respects. The UK Home Office spent £74m, while the Department of Culture, Media and Sport spent £57m. Other costs were incurred by the ministries of defence, transport and foreign affairs, as well as the Northern Irish, Scottish and Welsh governments.
Manchester City's dominance under Pep Guardiola makes it difficult for other Premier League teams to compete and the increased high standards set by City are a cause for concern for the competitiveness of the league. With City on course for their third successive title, other teams are playing for second place, with City's financial backing supplemented by Coach Guardiola's tactics resulting in formidable performances since the international break. Recent performances have been described as the most complete seen from any football team and only Guardiola's presence on top of their financial backing can account for it. While other teams can hope for Guardiola's departure to open up competition, the era of City's domination shows no signs of abating.
Tennis player Rafael Nadal has said he will take time out to regenerate physically, meaning he will not play again in 2018 and miss Wimbledon, beginning 3 July. In a press conference he said he had done “everything I could” to recover from a hip injury sustained in January in time for the French Open, but added that his body had made the decision that he cannot compete. Nadal hopes to return to the ATP Tour next year, but said he had not set a deadline for his return. The 32-year-old, who has won 16 Grand Slam titles, suggested 2024 would be his final year on the tour.
Manchester City has launched legal challenges to fight the 115 charges it faces for breach of rule allegations in the Premier League. City intend to challenge the Premier League’s decision to involve Murray Rosen KC as the person who appoints the chair of the disciplinary commission as he is both a member of the MCC and an Arsenal FC supporter, and is therefore not independent. City is disputing the charges, claiming that they should not apply to investigations into the alleged rule breaches before relevant changes in Premier League rules in 2019.
The cost of Queen Elizabeth II's funeral has been put at £162m ($217m), according to the UK Treasury. The Home Office spent the most on the event, £74m, followed by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport at £57m. The late Queen died last September at the age of 96 and had served on the throne for 70 years. The public, Commonwealth, and the world's eyes were upon the UK, resulting in the grandest of processions and the finest fanfare. The government's priority was to ensure that "these events ran smoothly, with the appropriate level of dignity, while at all times ensuring the safety and security of the public", said John Glen, chief secretary to the Treasury.
West Ham United will field their strongest available line-up for Thursday night’s Europa Conference League clash with AZ Alkmaar, with David Moyes making nine changes from the defeat by Brentford as the Hammers aim to reach their first European final in 47 years. West Ham lead 2-1 from the first leg, and Moyes returns to the Dutch club where he masterminded a European victory 14 years ago when his Everton side became the only team to inflict a home loss on AZ Alkhmaar during its 32-game unbeaten run.
Liverpool's manager Jurgen Klopp will be suspended and fined for remarks made about the officials following Liverpool's match with Tottenham in April. The Football Association's regulatory commission handed Klopp a two-match touchline ban and a £75,000 ($105,500) fine. Klopp had made post-match comments about the match officials, which the FA deemed "beyond the immediate match". The fine and ban only relate to the Aston Villa home game on 8 May, with the additional fixture suspended until the end of next season. Klopp has apologised for his outburst, however Liverpool raised the point that their player Mohammed Salah has been subject to controversial decisions by officials in previous matches. Klopp will return to Liverpool's dugout for the end of the season match against Southampton on 22 May.
Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal may not return to competitive play, admitting that his plans to train for a return are on hold indefinitely. Nadal pulled out of the French Open and his future career plans are uncertain. He said retirement would come when he couldn't "compete and enjoy", adding that he wanted to say goodbye to key events that were important to him. The 14-time French Open winner may wrap up his pro career by 2024, although omens are not good for a full-scale comeback, given his injury history.
Oxford University has pushed back against allegations that it is restricting freedom of speech. The University issued a statement saying that both the university and its associated colleges hold “hundreds of events each term” and that freedom of speech is “alive and well at Oxford,” with a policy of allowing “difficult views” to be heard. The statement added that although student union had concerns about the activities of the Oxford Union debating society, it would continue to encourage open discussion and dialogue. The remarks followed a letter from former Oxford Union President Nick Gallagher, who said that the union had been barred from last year’s freshers fair because of action by the student union.
Newcastle United secured a 4-1 win over Brighton, pushing them four points ahead of Liverpool in the race for the Champions League places with two games played. Captain Kieran Trippier has reportedly used the phrase "pressure and privilege" in every team huddle before each game, a mantra the team put into action during the high-stakes match. Newcastle's victory followed concerns that they would "wobble and fall" under pressure from rivals Liverpool and Manchester United, but the team defied critics to secure a win and move closer to a top-four finish decision.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was handed a two-game ban for comments about referee Paul Tierney, with one game suspended. He was also fined £75,000. Klopp had criticised Tierney’s performance after the team’s 4-3 win over Tottenham Hotspur last month. The Football Association (FA) stated: “Klopp admitted that his comments regarding the match referee during post-match media interviews constitute improper conduct… and are personal, offensive and bring the game into disrepute”. Liverpool have said that they will fully support Klopp and will not appeal against the ruling.
Manchester City’s new director of football for the club’s women’s team, Nils Nielsen, believes he can help the team become the best in the country. Aged 51 and hailing from Greenland – where traditional pursuits included hunting seals and polar bears – Nielsen has a strong reputation within women’s football, having coached Denmark and Switzerland’s women’s teams, as well as China’s under-20s. His predecessor, Gavin Makel, has left the club after four years to join the Football Association as head of women’s national football development.
