Hazard Headline Belgium EURO 2016 Squad

Chelsea attacker Eden Hazard headlines Marc Wilmots’ 24-man Belgium squad for Euro 2016, with Manchester City defender Vincent Kompany missing out due to injury.

Nacer Chadli, Kevin Mirallas and Thorgan Hazard have to settle for a place on the standby list, while Steven Defour and Adnan Januzaj miss out altogether.

Wilmots has opted to include one extra defender in his provisional squad due to a number of minor injury problems at the back, with one of the nine defenders called up expected to miss out on the final squad.

Squad in full:

Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea), Simon Mignolet (Liverpool), Jean-Francois Gillet (Mechelen)

Defenders: Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham), Nicolas Lombaerts (Zenit st Petersburg), Jason Denayer (Manchester City, on loan at Galatasaray), Dedryck Boyata (Celtic), Bjorn Engels (Club Brugge), Jordan Lukaku (Oostende), Thomas Meunier (Club Brugge), Thomas Vermaelen (Barcelona)

Midfielders: Axel Witsel (Zenit St Petersburg), Marouane Fellaini (Liverpool), Mousa Dembele (Tottenham), Radja Nainggolan (Roma)

Attackers: Eden Hazard (Chelsea), Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Romelu Lukaku (Everton), Dries Mertens (Napoli), Michy Batshuayi (Marseille), Christian Benteke, Divock Origi (Liverpool), Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco (Atletico Madrid)

Standby: Nacer Chadli (Tottenham), Laurent Ciman (Montreal Impact), Laurens De Bock (Club Brugge), Guillaume Gillet (Nantes), Thorgan Hazard (Borussia Monchengladbach), Kevin Mirallas (Everton), Matz Sels (Gent)

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Hazard Headline Belgium EURO 2016 Squad

Verratti Ruled Out Of EURO 2016

Italy midfielder Marco Verratti will undergo surgery on a groin injury that will rule him out of Euro 2016, Paris Saint-Germain have confirmed.

The 23-year-old returned from two months on the sidelines in the French League Cup final a fortnight ago, but has struggled to fully shake off the problem he first sustained in February.

And the Ligue 1 champions have now revealed that Verratti will play no part in this summer’s European Championship.

A PSG statement reads: “In agreement with Paris Saint-Germain, Marco Verratti has decided to undergo surgery to heal the groin problem that has he has been suffering from for several weeks.

“The operation will take place in Doha on May 16 at the Aspetar Centre – the club’s official medical partner. The midfielder, who recently extended his contract with the capital club until 2020, is expected to be sidelined for eight weeks.

“As a result, Marco Verratti will play no part in Paris Saint-Germain’s final matches of the season, or Euro 2016, to be held in France between June 10 and July 10. Paris Saint-Germain wishes the player a speedy recovery and hopes he will soon be fully fit and back to his best for both club and country.”

Italy’s opening game at the Euros is against Belgium on June 13, with the Azzurri also set to take on Sweden and the Republic of Ireland.

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Verratti Ruled Out Of EURO 2016

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain To Miss Euro 2016

England winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been ruled out of this summer’s European Championship after suffering his second knee injury of the season.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger says the 22-year-old, capped 24 times, will be out for a further six to eight weeks.

Oxlade-Chamberlain suffered his initial knee injury in the Champions League defeat by Barcelona on 23 February.

“There is no chance of the Euros for him,” said Wenger. “He will be back at the beginning of July.”

Oxlade-Chamberlain, who made his England debut against Norway in 2012, had been scheduled to feature for the Gunners’ Under-21 side earlier this week.

“He was out for a while and was not overloaded with games,” Wenger added.

“You want a guy of 22 years of age to go to the European Championship, so it is very sad.”

Oxlade-Chamberlain was a surprise call-up to Roy Hodgson’s squad for Euro 2012, becoming the third-youngest England player to feature at a major tournament when he started the 1-1 draw with France in Donetsk.

He was part of Hodgson’s 23-man World Cup squad in 2014, but did not feature after injuring a knee during England’s final warm-up game against Ecuador.

BBC

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain To Miss Euro 2016

Laureus Awards 2016: Djokovic, Williams, Messi, Spieth All Win

Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams claimed the top accolades at this year’s Laureus World Sports Awards.

The tennis duo were named sportsman and sportswoman of the year at the Berlin ceremony for their 2015 achievements.

Djokovic, 28, reached all four Grand Slam finals, winning three of them, a feat emulated by Williams, 34.

Brazil’s Paralympic swimmer Daniel Dias was named disabled sportsperson of the year after winning seven golds at the IPC Swimming World Championships.

Other awards

Team of the Year: New Zealand, who won the Rugby World Cup

Comeback of the Year: Rugby player Dan Carter, who helped the All Blacks become champions after missing the 2011 final because of injury

Breakthrough of the Year: US golfer Jordan Spieth, who won the Masters and US Open

Action Sportsperson of the Year: German triathlete Jan Frodeno, who became World Ironman champion

Athlete of the Year: Argentina and Barcelona footballer Lionel Messi

Lifetime Achievement Award: Three-time Formula 1 world champion Niki Lauda

Spirit of Sport Award: Dutch football legend Johan Cruyff

Cruyff, who died of cancer aged 68 on 24 March, was recognised for his work helping to deliver sport-related projects for underprivileged children around the world.

“He represented everything that was good about sport,” said Laureus World Sports Academy chairman Edwin Moses.

Credit: BBC

Laureus Awards 2016: Djokovic, Williams, Messi, Spieth All Win

NBA 2016 Playoffs Spurs, Heat, Cavaliers, Clippers Win Game One

The 2016 National Basketball Association (NBA) playoffs began over the weekend as the race to become champions heats up.

There were wins for the San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heats.

Game One of the Playoffs in the Western Conference started with Golden State’s 104-78 blowout of Houston and followed with Oklahoma City’s 108-70 thumping of Dallas on Saturday.

On Sunday, it was San Antonio continuing the trend with a 104-76 drubbing of Memphis and the Los Angeles Clippers handing the Portland Trail Blazers a 20-point beatdown, 115-95.

In the Eastern Conference first round on Sunday, the Cleveland Cavaliers got 20 points each from LeBron James (22 points, 11 rebounds, six assists), Kyrie Irving (31 points, six assists, five rebounds) and Kevin Love (28 points, 13 rebounds) to take a 1-0 series lead over the Detroit Pistons, while Luol Deng (31 points, seven rebounds) and Hassan Whiteside (21 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks) led Miami to a 123-91 blowout of Charlotte.

Recap of the scores:

CAVALIERS 106, PISTONS 101 – Cleveland leads 1-0.

Game Two is on Wednesday in Cleveland.

HEAT 123, HORNETS 91 – Miami leads 1-0.

Game Two is on Wednesday in Miami.

SPURS 106, GRIZZLIES 74 – San Antonio leads 1-0

Game Two is on Tuesday in San Antonio.

CLIPPERS 115, TRAIL BLAZERS 95 – Los Angeles leads 1-0.

Game Two is on Wednesday in Los Angeles.

Monday’s schedule:

Indiana Pacers will be at Toronto Raptors with the Pacers leading 1-0

Dallas Mavericks plays at Oklahoma City Thunder with Thunder leading 1-0.

Houston Rockets plays at Golden State Warriors with the Warriors leading 1-0.

NBA 2016 Playoffs Spurs, Heat, Cavaliers, Clippers Win Game One

Tiger Woods To Miss 2016 US Masters

Four-time champion Tiger Woods will not take part in next week’s Masters because of a back injury.

Woods, 40, has not played competitively since August and has had two operations in an attempt to cure the problem.

The American insists he is “making progress” in his recovery but has put no timescale on his return to action.

“I’ve decided it’s prudent to miss this year’s Masters,” read a statement. “I’ve been hitting balls and training daily, but I’m not physically ready.”

Former world number one Woods also pulled out of the tournament in 2014 with a back problem and finished in a tie for 17th last year.

“I’ve said all along that this time I need to be cautious and do what’s best for my long-term health and career,” he added. “Unfortunately, playing Augusta next week wouldn’t be the right decision.

“I’m absolutely making progress, and I’m really happy with how far I’ve come, but I still have no timetable to return.”

The 14-time major winner, who has slipped to 472nd in the world rankings, will attend the Champions Dinner at Augusta National on Tuesday.

Credit: BBC

Tiger Woods To Miss 2016 US Masters

Rampant Mighty Warriors lift 2016 Keta Cup

Keta based side Havedzi Mighty Warriors defeated Kogi Confluence from Nigeria 2-0 in a exhilarating encounter at the Aborigines Beach Soccer Arena to win the 2nd edition of the Keta Cup.

The tournament featured the likes of Kogi Confluence (Nigeria),  Team Bricks (Togo) as well as last year’s champions Owibeseb Beach Soccer Club (Nigeria) as part of the Easter celebrations.

Mighty Warriors capitalized on the home support to edge their spirited Nigerians in a thrilling 2-0 win in the final of the tournament’s second edition.

Most Valuable Player of the tournament and Havedzi winger, Alfred Torsu reveled in the dominant performance from his team mates ahead of the resumption of the domestic beach soccer league where they are billed to take on stern rivals Sunset.

“It is going to psyche us up psychologically because we were able to beat them over here and last season when we met them we beat them so we know their weaknesses and if we meet them again we can overcome them again” he told sportscrusader.com.

Experience trainer for the Nigeria National Beach soccer team and head coach of the Kogi Confluence, Ejo Aludo, tagged the triumph over his side as a result of the continual presence of beach soccer league.

Also addressing the media, Nigeria Beach  Soccer National Team and Kogi Confluence coach Awudu Ejo  Adamu said the fact that Ghana has an active Beach soccer league has improved their game.

 

“Really the game is good because Ghana play a league and Nigeria doesn’t,” he said.

“My team Kogi Confluence is situated in the North of Nigeria and we don’t have a beach, we have to travel seven hours to Badagry to come train and that was three days before this competition which isn’t enough,” he added.

 

He however says he had his reservations about officiating during the tournament and suggests tournament organisers  update officials on the latest FIFA rules.

“There are some new rules and maybe these rules are not yet available to some officials.

May be FIFA has sent it but the referee could have  collected it from the GFA”, the Nigerian said.

The Ghana Beach Soccer league resumes next week after the Easter break.

Rampant Mighty Warriors lift 2016 Keta Cup

Iddrisu Adams Wins 2016 Upper West Millennium Marathon

Twenty nine year old Iddrisu Adams has won the 2016 edition of the annual Milenium marathon.

The energetic Ghana Revenue Authority staff stormed his way to the finishing line in the 10.5km race held in wa ahead of the over 500 athletes.

The Nakore born athlete stepped up from his second place in the 2015 edition of the event with a time of 29 minutes 31 seconds.

Solomon Kofi, a staff of the Ghana Prisons Service picked up the second slot at the hugely patronized event.

The 27 year old Obuasi Secondary Technical School graduate shook off threats from John Domabekpulo for the silver medal spot.

Representing the students on the podium was 19 year old John Domabekpulo, an Agric students from Ullo SHS with a bronze medal for his efforts.

John came inches close to usurping Solomon for the second slot but run out of energy on the final hurdles.

Over 20 second cycle institutions registered for the one day event with some coming with over 100 athletes.

Iddrisu Adams Wins 2016 Upper West Millennium Marathon

CHAN 2016: Referee Lamptey to handle Gabon/Morocco game

The Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) has appointed Ghanaian referee Joseph O. Lamptey, as the centre referee for the second game of the Championship of Africa Nations (CHAN) between Gabon and Morocco on Saturday, January 16, in Kigali Rwanda.

Referee Lamptey, according to CAF will be assisted on the lines by Marwa Range of Kenya and David Laryea of Ghana, with David Ogenche Omwero as the fourth referee.

Other officails for the match include Salifou Camara of Guinea who will act as the Match Commissioner with Paul Ekong Bassey of Nigeria as the General Coordinator.

The game is referee Lamptey’s first game in the competition and the Ghanaian is likely to handle a lot of matches in the competition following his performances in the continental assignments.

CHAN 2016: Referee Lamptey to handle Gabon/Morocco game

Referee Lamptey for CHAN 2016

Ghana’s leading referee Joseph O. Lamptey, has been selected by the Confederation of Africa (CAF) to officiate in the 2016 Championship of African Nation (CHAN) in Rwanda.

The Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) referee Joseph O. Lamptey and one assistant referee David Laryea, managed to survive the rigorous physical test physical fitness test on Monday, January 11 ahead of the competition.

Referee Lamptey and Laryea, would be among the team of referees that will handle matches at the three week competition.

He said in an interview that, though the physical fitness was very rigorous they managed to overcome it and are now set to officiate in the competition.

Referee Lamptey, has been Ghana’s leading middle man in recent years having officiated in series of CAF Champions League Matches, the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations and FIFA Under 20 World Cup in Equatorial Guinea and New Zealand respectivley last year.

The Championship has since commenced in Rwanda.

Referee Lamptey for CHAN 2016

Quote of the Day

Quote of the Day

Give EC Free Hand To Prepare For 2016 Polls"

Former deputy chairman of the Electoral Commission, David Kanga, has advised Ghanaians to give the electoral body a free hand to prepare for next year’s general elections.

 

 

Mr Kanga, who is currently a member of the Council of State, gave the advice at the 28th annual Samanpiid festival of the chiefs and people of Kasaug Traditional Area of the Upper East region.

 

 

 

 

Speaking at the ceremony, he said: “Once we have expressed our opinions before the body that was set up to that effect, let us wait and respect whatever the outcome of the EC’s final decision on the matter is.”

 

 

 

“We have come a long way in our democratic dispensation, and nothing should tempt us to doubt the credibility of the process,” he added.

 

 

A five-member committee set up by the EC to collate views on whether a new register should be compiled for the 2016 polls presented its report about a week ago.

 

The Commission is yet to make the report public.

 

 

 

Give EC Free Hand To Prepare For 2016 Polls"

Ghana"s Health Sector In Danger

A total of 500 midwives are due to retire from active service across the country’s public health institutions, a situation health authorities fear would have dire consequences on health delivery.

 

 

Ghana currently does not have enough midwives in the country, particularly in the rural areas, which has affected reproductive and maternal health.

 

 

The Ghana Health Service is currently taking steps to ensure that the 500 midwives in public health institutions who are due for retirement, are retained until replacements are found.

 

 

“The challenge that we are facing is that 500 midwives between this year and next year are going on pension and so we’ve written to the government to help us to retain them where they are as we accelerate the production of more midwives,” Dr. Ebenezer Appiah-Denkyira told TV3.

 

 

Dr. Appiah-Denkyira who is the Director General of the Ghana Health Service in the meantime is urging the private sector to save the situation by absorbing those midwives who will be retiring, indicating that Ghana needs them badly.

 

 

“Ghana needs the people but the ability to engage them is the problem because of the financial ceiling. The World Bank came and saw that the government has become the major employer and for a country that is developing into a middle country status, it should not be,” he noted.

 

 

He said the Service has resolved to deploy midwives to the various CHP compounds which were hitherto manned by Community Health nurses. “The CHIPS used to have only community health nurses but now we say there should be a midwife there because studies have shown us that if you place the midwife close to the people as possible, mortality is curtailed,” he stated.

 

 

A 2010 statistics puts the midwife-patient ratio one is to 7,200. The statistics also showed Ghana needs an additional 8,000 midwives to fill the gap if maternal health is to be developed to an appreciable standard.

 

 

Midwives play a crucial role towards the achievement of national goals and targets in reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health.

–

tv3network.com

Ghana"s Health Sector In Danger

London Buses To Run On Meat Waste From 2016

A third of London’s buses will run on fuel made from meat from next year, transport bosses have revealed.

By March, 3,000 of the capital’s 8,900 buses will use B20 green diesel, which is blended with waste from the meat industry.

Animal fat and cooking oil are among the ingredients that will be churned into the bus fuel.

The buses are all owned by Stagecoach and Metroline, while the diesel will be supplied by Argent Energy.

More than 640 buses already run on the modified fuel as part of a two-month trial.

Deputy Mayor for environment and energy Matthew Pencharz said the development would “slash the overall carbon emissions of the fleet and make use of fuels that would otherwise be clogging up our drains”.

He added: “These buses will be a proud addition to what is already the greenest bus fleet in the world, including hybrid, pure electric and pure hydrogen vehicles.

“We will continue to work with our industry partners to use more of London’s used cooking oil turned into biodiesel right here in the city, creating green jobs and fuel self-sufficiency benefits.”

TfL’s buses director Mike Weston said: “This improvement, which will reduce CO2 emissions by 21,000 tonnes each year, is being introduced now with no extra spend needed and no long delay for the fitting of new kit.”

Argent’s development director Dickon Posnett said he hoped other cities would follow London’s cue and start using the B20 blend in buses.

TfL’s Ultra Low Emission Zone plan means all 300 single decker buses operating in central London must be electric or hydrogen-powered by 2010.

All 3,100 double decker buses must be hybrids by the same date.

–

standard.co.uk

London Buses To Run On Meat Waste From 2016

2016 Elections Would Be Tough For NDC - Veep

The Vice President, Paa Kwesi Bekoe Amissah Arthur has said next year’s general election was going to be tough for the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

He has therefore called for more work at the grass root level to ensure victory. “Anybody who tells you it’s going to be easy does not know what he’s talking about,” he stated.

He indicated that this was partly because the past few years had been very difficult for the NDC government with low international prices for gold, cocoa and oil which he noted affected government’s ability to make easy the economic pressures on the people.

The Vice President was speaking at a national conference of the Tertiary Education Institutions Network (TEIN) of the NDC in Cape Coast on Monday.

“The opposition can easily take advantage of this and use it against us.”

He said despite these challenges, the NDC had managed to invest heavily in infrastructure in the areas of education health and security.

He said with the insurgence of Boko Haram and ISIS activities around the world government had spent a lot of money to improve on the security system to make the nation safer.

He called for “action” in 2016 to ensure victory in 2016.

Development Guarantee

Mr Amissah Arthur said despite all these it was obvious that Ghanaians believed in the NDC as a party that guaranteed development especially in the rural communities.

He said President Mahama was a visionary leader with a committed team ready to ensure development got to every Ghanaian everywhere.

Ghanaians not decided

“We need the victory. More than half of Ghanaians have not decided yet who to vote for and we have to convince them that President Mahama is a safe pair of hands to manage the nation.”

Vice President Amissah Arthur said the NDC appreciated the role of the TEIN in the party and would resource it to communicate the achievements of the NDC to Ghanaians.

The General Secretary of the NDC, Mr Johnson Asiedu-Nketiah said the main opposition party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) needed the rule of law and not the rule of persons to keep them united.

He called on the Inspector General of Police to let Ghanaians know what had become of investigation of ammunitions found at the headquarters of the NPP.

The National Youth Organizer of the NDC, Sidii Abubakar Musa said the conference was part of forums to strategize to ensure a 57 percent win for President Mahama in the 2016 general elections.

He called on the party leadership to make resources available to TEIN to help them work for total victory in 2016.

The National Organizer of the NDC, Mr Kofi Adams, urged the members of TEIN to educate the communities on government projects and how these would change their lives.

–

Graphiconline.com

2016 Elections Would Be Tough For NDC - Veep

Air Travellers To Pay Cheaper Fares In 2016

Air fares are expected to reduce next year, as a consequence of the Cape Town Convention ratification by Parliament early this month.

The Convention was part of eight other conventions and treaties tailor-made for the aviation sector that were ratified by Parliament.

By this, domestic airlines are now able to secure relatively inexpensive aircraft leases that will ultimately translate into reduced direct operating costs. This is expected to translate into cheaper fares for passengers.

Prior to ratification of the Cape Town Convention, airlines (lessees) have had to pay about US$500,000 per month to their lessors for the use of the lessor’s equipment on wet lease. The cost of aircraft leasing is expected to reduce by some 20-30 percent following ratification of the Convention.

The Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment and Protocol to the Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment on Matters Specific to Aircraft Equipment, otherwise known as the Cape Town Convention, is designed to facilitate asset-based financing and leasing of aviation equipment, expand financing opportunities, and reduce costs; thereby providing substantial economic benefits.

It does so by reducing a creditor’s risk and by enhancing legal predictability in these transactions, including in case of a debtor’s insolvency or other default. The Cape Town Convention entered into force in 2006.

“On Dec 9, through the Committee on Roads and Transport, these agreements were rectified by Parliament. It is divided into three categories – we have those that border on security, aviation sector generally, those on airlines and those that border on passengers.

“Non-ratification of the Cape Town Convention made it difficult for the acquisition and finance of equipment, and made the cost of equipment for domestic airlines very high. With this law (Cape Town Convention) in place, they can acquire equipment’s more easily,” Theophilus Tetteh Chaie, Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Roads and Transport told the B&FT.

Passengers are expected to benefit from approval of the Cape Town Convention, with improved service and increased capacity on all four domestic routes — Kumasi, Takoradi, Tamale, and Sunyani.

There has been a public outcry over the increase in airfares between Accra and Kumasi, Sunyani, Tamale and Takoradi.

The increase, due largely to the depreciation of the local currency against major trading currencies, especially the dollar – and 17.5 percent Value Added Tax (VAT) imposed on the gross ticket prices this year, has led to a significant reduction in the volume of passengers choosing air travel as an option.

A one-way ticket from Accra to Kumasi that used to cost under Ȼ250 one-way now costs about Ȼ297 as a result of imposing 17.5 percent VAT on the gross fare – which already includes a mandatory Ȼ5 cedi airport tax.

Passengers now travelling to the Ashanti regional capital Kumasi, the largest domestic destination, now prefer to t by road in a comfortable conditioned WIP buses charges a mere Ȼ40 one-way

President John Mahama acknowledged the difficulty created by imposition of the a recent Ghana Airports Company Limited Annual General M saying: “We are willing to look at it again when all the facts are presented to government”.

Executive Chairman of the State Enterprises Commission, Dr. Camynta Baezie calls for an immediate review of imposing VAT on domestic airfares.

“The State Enterprise Commission would like I to the attention of the Pi sector ministry and importantly, the Mini Finance the high cost of flights is something that said over and over again.

“We need to reduce airfares, and to do that government needs to take out 17.5 percent VAT and remove taxes on aviation fuel. Taxes are meant to benefit the people, and removal will lead to domestic passenger travel and create jobs- and employment for the benefit of the very people that we are the taxes on,” Dr. Baezie said.

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Myjoyonline.com

Air Travellers To Pay Cheaper Fares In 2016