May 2011

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today launched the bid process for the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in 2020. National Olympic Committees (NOCs) have been invited to submit the name of one city within their jurisdiction as an applicant to host the Games in a little under nine years’ time.

The NOCs have until 1 September 2011 to submit the name of an Applicant City, and these cities will then be required to submit their application files and guarantee letters to the IOC by 15 February 2012. The election of the Host City for the 2020 Olympic Games will take place on 7 September 2013 during the 125th IOC Session in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The key phases and dates of the procedure are as follows:

The city of Daegu was abuzz with excitement as the Local Organising Committee and the host city hosted a series of promotional events to mark 100 days to the IAAF World Championships Daegu 2011.

Nigerian Damola Osayomi won the third successive race on her comeback in spectacular fashion at the "Grande Prêmio Internacional Caixa São Paulo", an Area Permit Meeting that is part of the 2011 Brazilian Athletics Tour yesterday.

Nigerian Oludamola Osayomi, the reigning All-Africa Games sprint double champion, put away her recent troubles to win the women's 100m in 11.32 secs (+0.8) at the GP Caixa Sesi de Uberlândia - the 3rd leg of the Brazilian Tour in the mining town of Uberlândia last night.

Kenyan Olympic marathon champion Samuel Kamau Wanjiru was killed when he jumped off the balcony of his home after a domestic dispute involving his wife and another woman, police in Kenya revealed today.

Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie clinches the BUPA Great Manchester Run win yesterday in 28 minutes and 10 seconds ahead of Briton Chris Thomson (28:21) and Ukraine's Sergiy Lebid (28:25).

Kenyan Grace Momanyi will join an international field that include Ethiopian Berhane Adere, who will be chasing a third Manchester success, for the BUPA Great Manchester 10K race on Saturday May 15, 2011.

The BIG 25 Berlin have confirmed its position as the world's leading 25K race. Despite the warm weather, world leads for the men and women were established at the Berlin Olympic Stadium.

The Minister of Youth and Sports in Ghana, Clement Kofi Humado, has partly blamed the sinking level of Ghana sports to the collapse of the National Sports Festival.

Milcah Chemos Cheiywa led a Kenyan 1-2-3 in the women's 3000m steeplechase, Ethiopia's Yenew Alamirew upsets Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge in the men's 3000m and South African pair checkmated American Bershawn Jackson at the Samsung Diamond League meeting in Doha.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has suspended the accredited laboratory in Tunis, Tunisia from carrying out anti-doping analyses for six months.

Half a dozen world records were broken at the BIG 25 Berlin so far. It was a year ago, when Germany's oldest big city road race had its greatest day regarding winning times.

The IAAF has announced that any athlete who surpasses a World record at the IAAF World Championships will be awarded US$100,000 donated by IAAF Partners Toyota (for Women) and TDK (for Men).

The 31st edition of Germany's oldest major city road race, BIG 25 Berlin, should again produced very good times on Sunday May 8 after organisers confirmed the participation of two top Kenyan runners - William Kipsang and Filomena Chepchirchir.

Injury has forced Kenya's 800m World record-holder, David Rudisha, to withdraw from Friday's opening leg of the 2011 Samsung Diamond League meeting in Doha, Qatar.

The 9th World Conference on Sport and the Environment concluded today in Doha, Qatar, with the sports world renewing its commitment to the environment by framing a clear agenda for action.