Nicola Adams became the first female boxer to become an Olympic champion in 2012. At the London Summer Olympics she won fly weight title. She went on to successfully defend her title at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. She began her career as an amateur representing Haringey Police Community Club. She went on to win the entire set of amateur championships available to her - Olympic, Commonwealth and European Games titles. She turned professional in 2017 and went on to capture the WBO flyweight title. She only fought 6 ties as a professional - winning 5 and drawing her last contest. In her rematch with Maria Salinas she suffered a torn pupil and after consultation retired, undefeated. I’m immensely honoured to have represented our country- to win double Olympic medals and then the WBO championship belt is a dream come true. Nicola Adams. (Nicola became the first openly LGBT person to win an Olympic boxing gold medal.) Sources Wikipedia Women in Sport by Rachel Ignotofsky

Didier Yves Drogba played for the Ivory Coast He was captain of the Cote d’Ivore national team. Excellent header of the ball. Eusebio da Silva Ferreira played for Portugal First black player to win the Balloon d’ Or (1965) Athletic, fast & agile Garrincha - Manuel Francisco dos Santos played for Brazil Garrincoho means 'people.‘s Joy’. His wife was singer Elza Soares George Manneh Oppong Weah played for Liberia For important matches wore red boots. Powerful header of the ball. Marta Vieira Silva (female) played for Brazil World’s best female. Scored almost a goal a game in internationals. Neymar da Silva Santos Junior plays for Brazil PSG paid a World record £200 million for him - a dribbler - a virtuoso Paul Pogba plays for France Changes hairstyle for big matches. Imitates a rapper when he scores. Pele - Edson Arantes do Nascimento played for Brazil The greatest player. Scored more than 1,000 goals in his career. Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima played for Brazil Always kept the ball a few centimetres from his feet. Samuel Eto’o Fils played for Cameroon He was naturally 2 footed Sources Wikipedia Fantastic Footballers by Jean-Michel Billioud

In the Olympics we compete under the Great Britain Flag. Anthony Oluwafemi Olaseni Joshua (b. 1989), or simply Anthony Joshua,. As an amateur he won Olympic gold at the 2012 Olympics in London. He won the super-heavyweight boxing title. In 2014 he turned professional. He currently shares the titles of World Heavyweight Champion with Tyson Fury. Christine Ijeoma 0hurogu ( b, 1984) was a British track athlete who specialised over the 400 metres. She is a former Olympic, World and Commonwealth champion. She became Olympic Champion in 2008 at Beijing. She also won medals as a member of the 4x400 relay team. In June 2018 she confirmed she had retired from athletics. Darren Andrew Campbell (b. 1973) is a former British sprint athlete. He was an excellent and consistent relay runner. He competed in the 100, 200 and 4 x100 relays. He won gold in the 4 x 100 relay in Athens in 2004. He retired in 2006. He was the sprint coach at Wasps rugby club for the 2015-6 season. Denise Lewis (b. 1972) is a former athlete who specialised in the heptathlon ( 7 events over 2 days). She won her Olympic gold medal in the event at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. She is ranked 3rd on the all time British lists. Since retiring she has worked regularly as a presenter and pundit for athletics. Dame Jessica Ennis Hill (b 1986) was the ‘cover’ girl for London in the 2012 Olympics. She won her gold medal for the heptathlon. She also won 3 World titles. She is ranked 2nd in the all time British list. Today Jessica is regularly seen in adverts. She is a columnist for the The Times. Dame Kelly Holmes ( b 1970) was a very successful British middle distance runner over 800 & 1500 metres. She joined British Army and in 1993 turned professional. She won medals but was prone to injuries. In 2004, which proved to be her final championship -the Athens Olympics - she won double gold! Today she is a regular face on the media. Linford Cicero Christie (b 1960)- sprinter. He is the only British man to have won gold medals at all 4 Championships. In 1992 he finally won gold, aged 32 at Barcelona Olympics. 9.96 for 100 metres. 1993 BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year. Nicola Adams (b 1982) -female flyweight boxer - won gold in London (2012) and Rio (2016) as an amateur. Won full set of titles. Turned professional in 2017 but now retired because of eye injury. Sir Mohamed Muktar James Farah (b1983) - MoJo. Britain’s greatest long distance runner - won gold at 5 and 10, 000 metres in 2012 & 16. The first person to win the quadruple double. BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year 2017. 2018 won Chicago Marathon. Theresa Ione ‘Tessa’ Sanderson - javelin - won gold at 1984 Los Angles. Fatima Whitbread was her British rival. Won 10 AAAs championships. She competed in 6 Olympics. Tessa was the first black British woman to win Olympic gold . 1999-2005 Vice-chairman of Sports England. In 2012 Tessa was appointed as a board member of the Olympic Park Legacy Company.

Thursday, 26th August 2021 Jaco van Gass, who was born in South Africa, has just won GB another gold medal. Jaco, a member of the British Armed Forces Parachute Regiment before he was seriously injured by a RPG (Rocket Propelled Granade)has just won the Men’s 3,000 Cycling Pursuit gold medal.

I have put together a number of phrase/vocabulary sheets plus some Poetry Aids about sport. I have tried to divide up winter and summer sports. Some sports of course are played throughout the year. I have added, at the end, a exam type sheet about trainers -sample answer included.

Word search England’s squad v France 2024 A list of phrases and a vocabulary for those wanting to write a report on a rugby match - differentiated easier sheet included. Poetry Aid Word search Rugby Vocabulary List Clip Art

Women’s football has taken off in an enormous way in 2022. These 4 women were there at the beginning. 4 wikipedia profiles Amandine Henry French b. 1989 known as The conqueror Marta Viera da Silva Brazilian b.1986 known asThe Brazilian pear**** Mia Hamm American b 1972 known asWoman with the golden feet** Nadine Angerer German b.1978 known as The invincible These 4 are included in Fantastic Footballers 40 inspiring icons written by Jean-Michel Billiou a WIde Eyed publication

Madge was a figure skating champion. She participated in the Men’s category in 1902 because there was no women’s category . She came second smashing everyone’s expectations! Madge Syers was world figures-skating champion in 1906.and 1907. At the London Summer Games in 1908 she won the Olympic title in the ladies competition, and bronze, with her husband and trainer,Edgar. She is the only female skater to win both individual and pairs at the same Olympics. She always wore a hat when performing. She also took her ice-skates every where she went. Madge was the first to perform technically perfect jumps. She retired shortly after 1908, due to poor health, and wrote books about the art of figure skating 1920 was the last time figure-skating was included in the Summer Games. In 1924 it became part of the first Winter Olympic Games held in Chamonix, France. Sources used Wikipedia Amazing Athletes by Jean-Michel Billioud

Mildred ‘Babe’ Didrikson was born in Port Arthur, Texas. Her parents were immigrants from Norway. She was the sixth of seven children. The family moved to 850 Doucette in Beaumont, Texas aged 4. Her mother called her ‘Bebe’ from a toddler. She was nicknamed Babe - after Babe Ruth - when she scored 5 home runs in a chidlhood baseball game. She left school without graduating and went on to become an American athlete who excelled in golf, basketball, baseball, plus track and field. At the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics she set 4 world records. 80 metres hurdles -11.7 Javelin 43.69 metres - the first woman Olympic champion high jump 1.657 metres then 1,67 (same height as Jean Shiley who got the gold because Mildred used an improper technique). (Apparently she also twice broke the long jump record but the judges ruled them as fouls.) Mildred is the only athlete, male or female, to win individual Olympic medals in separate running, throwing and jumping events. In 1934 she tried Baseball . Mildred is still recognized as the world record holder for the farthest baseball thrown by a woman. She then became America’s first female golf celebrity and was the leading player of the 1940s and early 1950s. As an amateur and professional she won many golf tournaments. Serious illness ended her golfing career in the mid 1950s. Mildred was indeed a very talented sports woman. Sources Wikipedia Amazing Athletes by Jean-Michal Billioud

Harpal Singh - a former professional footballer who played for Bradford City , Bristol Rovers, Bury, Leeds, Stockport County, Sligo Rovers, Bohemians and Dundalk. Jazz Juttle- former Scottish footballer who was part of the Rangers youth system -eventually played for Greenock Morton, He was one of the few from Scottish Asian descent to be involved in professional football in Scotland Mark Chopra -position striker - spent 6 years at Newcastle United but never secured a regular place in the first team. Went on loan to Watford, Nottingham Forest and Barnsley. Played for Cardiff ( four), Sunderland, Ipswich Town, Blackpool, Kerala Blasters (twice) and Alloa Athletic. Represented England at under 16, 17,19 and 20 levels. Mark Ravin Ramprakash - a gifted former right handed cricketer. Selected for England aged only 21 but rarely performed to his full potential in his long but intermittent international career in Tests and ODI (1991-2002) . Played originally for Middlesex and then moved to Surrey -averaged over 100 first class runs in seasons 2006 and 2007 . He scored 100 first class centuries. In 2014 appointed as England’s batting coach. Neil Taylor- footballer - played for Wrexham, Swansea City and Aston Villa - made international debut for Wales in 2010 Ravi Bopara - cricket all-rounder - bats right handed and bowls right arm medium- played for Sussex. He was part of the England team from 2007-15. He scored 3 consecutive 100s for England against the West Indies in 2008-9 but then struggled to find best form and was dropped. In 2016 he took over the captaincy of the Essex one day team. Ronni Irani- former England cricket all-rounder- right-handed batsman and right arm medium bowler - found niche in One Day Internationals (ODI). Began career with Lancashire then spent most of his career at Essex County Cricket Club. he was an all-rounder until 2003 when a knee injury stopped him from bowling. Retired from first class cricket in 2007. He scored 20,000 runs and took 650 wickets. Yan Dhanda - he is an attacking midfield footballer - began career at West Bromwich, spent 5 years in the youth ranks at Liverpool, now plays for Swansea City. Represented England at U16 and U 17s. He says racism inspires him to play his best.

Robbie Brightwell was captain of the GB team at the i1964 Olympics in Tokyo. He was a 400m runner. He came fourth in the individual 400m; the 4x400 men’s team won silver. He married Ann Packer-( the surprise GB winner of the individual 800m gold medal ) after the Olympics. After his own disappointment in the individual 400m he had encouraged the reluctant Ann to run in the 800m. Both received MBEs in 1965 for their services to athletics.

Mary Denise Rand (nee Bignal) is a former English track and field athlete. In 1964 she won the gold medal for the long jump, in a new world record - 6,76 metres, at the Summer Tokyo Olympic games. At the same Olympics she also won silver in the Pentathlon (5 events) and bronze in the 4 x 100 relay. Mary remains the only GB athlete to win medals in a single games.

Ann, at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, was the unexpected winner of the 800m winning in world record time of 2:01.1 minutes. This was only her eighth race over the distance. She had already won silver in the 400m. Her local club was Reading Athletic club where she competed in 200m, 400m, 800m, 4 x 100 and 4 x400 relays, hurdles and long jump. After winning the gold she announced her retirement. She, with her future husband, Robbie Brightwell, were awarded MBEs in 1965 for services to athletics. In 2011 they published a book detailing their careers Robbie Brightwell and his Golden Girl:The Posh and Becks of Yesteryear. Source Wikipedia

Tanni was christened Carys Davina Grey but when her sister saw her for the first time she referred to her as ‘tiny’, pronouncing it ‘tanni’- the nickname stayed. She was born with spina bifida. (Spina bifida is when a baby’s spine and spinal cord do not develop properly in the womb - causing a gap in the spine.) This did not stop her from enjoying and competing in sports. As a young athlete she competed in wheelchair basketball. Tanni became an outstanding GB Paralympic champion in wheelchair racing, winning 11 gold medals over 100-800 metres between 1992-2004, plus 4 silver and 1 bronze medals. She broke/held over 30 world records and won the London Marathon 6 times between 1992-2002. She retired from competing on 27th February 2007 Tanni continues to be an inspiration for disabled athletes. Her contribution to inclusivity and equal rights for the disabled resulted in her becoming The Right Honourable The Baroness Grey-Thompson in the 2012 New Year’s honours list. Her autobiography Seize the Day was published in 2001. Sources Wikipedia Women in Sport by Rachel Ignotofsky

In 1908 Florence Madeline (Madge) Caves became Great Britain’s first female Olympic figure skater . In those days, during the winter, men and women enjoyed figure skating but women were not allowed to compete in competitions- they thought it would cause too much stress on a woman’s weak body. Madge was such an amazing skater that she gained notoriety and respect from the skating community to become an Olympic champion gold medalist. Men only took part in competitions before Madge competed - officials checked the rules to try to stop her but found there was no explicit rules to exclude women. She became a regular at the Prince’s Skating Club in Knightsbridge. In 1899 Madge met Edgar Syers (18 years her senior). Together they competed in pairs competitions and in 1900 they came second in one of the first pairs events staged in Berlin. Also in 1900 they got married. Edgar became her coach and started to teach her the more fluid International style. In 1902 she entered to compete in the Championships in in London which was regarded as an all male event. They reluctantly allowed her to compete and she came second. The winner Ulrich Salchow was so impressed by her performance that he offered her his gold medal. In 1903 the ISU Congress voted 6 to 3 in barring women from the championship!! In 1905 the ISU Congress established a separate ladies’ event- held at a different date and venue from the men’s event. Madge won the first two events. The Summer Olympics in London in 1908 saw Madge compete as an individual and in the pairs event with her husband Edgar. Madge won the gold; together they won bronze. Madge retired after the Olympics due to fading health. She died of heart failure on 9th September 1917 The Syers produced 2 books The Book of Winter Sports (1908) The Art of Skating (1913) Her bravery and excellence helped future women show their talents to the world. Besides being a proficient figure skater she was a gifted swimmer and equestrienne. Sources used Wikipedia and *Women in Sport * by Rachel Ignofsky

Dame Katherine Granger began rowing in 1993 while attending university in Edinburgh. She competed in both the double and quadruple skulls, plus the coxless pairs. In 2000, at the Olympics in Sydney, Australia, medals were awarded to females for the first time in rowing- she won a silver in the quadruple skulls event. For a number of Olympics she gained medals but it was not until 2012 that she won gold in the double sculls with her partner Anna Watkins. I n 2012 she was the first female to win medals at 4 consecutive Olympic games. In 2016, in Rio, she won a further silver medal with Victoria Thornley after having a break of 2 years from the sport! In the 2017 New Years Honours list Katherine was awarded a DCM (Dame Commander of the British Empire) for services to sport and charity.

Dame Ellen Patricia MacArthur on the 7th February 2005 broke the world record for a single-handed, non-stop circumnavigation of the globe with a time of 71 days, 14 hours, 18 minutes and 33 seconds. The very next day she became a Dame Commander of the British Empire (DBE) and granted the rank of Honorary Lieutenant Commander, Royal Naval Reserve on the same day Born in 1976 she went on a yacht for the first time aged just 4. Aged 8 she began saving up for a boat of her own! Aged 18 she sailed solo around Great Britain . Aged 20 she raced across the Atlantic. Aged 29 she sailed solo no-stop around the world in her trimaran B&Q/Castorama. (Read her Professional Sailing Career and Sailing Records)- it is incredible what she achieved. Ellen retired in 2009 having set up many sailing records along the way. In 2003 she set up the Ellen MacArthur Trust (now the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust) to help 8-24 year olds to regain confidence while recovering from cancer, leukaemia and other serious illnesses. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, which promotes the use on the circular economy, was launched in 2010. It does this by developing and promoting the concept of recycling rubbish to make new products by working with business, policy makers and academics. This world, that I thought as a child was the biggest, most adventurous place you could image, is not that big, and there’s an awful lot of us on it. Ellen MacArthur Sources used Wikipedia Women of Sport by Rachel Ignotofsky

Those born earliest Viv Anderson born 1956 Ian Wright born 1963 November 3rd John Barnes born 1963 November 7th Des Waler born 1965 Paul Ince born 1967 David James born 1970 Sol Campbell born 1974 Emile Heskey born 1978 January 11th Rio Ferdinand born 1978 November 7th Ashley Cole born 1980 10 of England’s former black footballers

I have put together some information about some Asian British Sports personalities -there is an emphasis on cricket. Adil Rashid is an English cricketer who plays for Yorkshire and England as a leg spinner. He was part of the England squad that won the 2019 Cricket World Cup. His England captain,Eoin Morgan, regards him as a strong asset. He belongs to the Mirpuri community. Isa Guha is former England cricketer. She is now a cricket commentator,television and radio broadcaster. A member of the winning 2009 World Cup for women. She played for Thames Valley and Berkshire Manish Tailor is the founder of Swaggarlicious- founded in 2011 - which uses the power of football and education to engage with diverse community groups and organisations with mental illness. Her inspiration is her twin brother, who aged 18 had serious mental problems.A former headteacher she has received many awards for her contribution to community and sport. Moeen Ali is a former English international cricketer and captain- retired September 2021. He is a left handed batsman but a right-arm off- spinner. Represented England in all the formats. A member of the England’s 2019 winning squad. Former Warwickshire player now plays for Worcestershire. Monty Panesar is a former English international cricketer. He was a slow left-arm orthodox spinner. He made his debut in 2006. He was not a regular member of the team - Graeme Swann replaced him. He played for several different counties Naomi Dilip Dattani is an English professional cricketer who plays for and captains Middlesex Women and also plays for Sunrises and London Spirit. She is an all-rounder- she bats left handed and bowls left-arm medium. In 2020 she was one of 25 players awarded regional retainer contracts by the England and Wales Cricket Board. Nasser Hussain is a former England captain (1999-2003) and regarded as one of England’s most able captains. He played 96 test matches and 88 One day international games. He was a right handed batsman who scored over 30,000 in his career. He is now a commentator. Ruqsana Begum is a female professional kickboxer and boxer. She was a British and World Kickboxing Association Atomweight MuayThai boxing champion and captain of the British Muay Thai team. In 2018 she switched to boxing. Salma Bi is a former cricketer, who bowled off-spin and played for Worcestershire, Northampton and MCC. Today she runs a range of cricket schemes and sessions for girls and was rewared with an BEM in the new Year Honours list. Samera Ashraf is a police constable in Scotland and has a blue belt in karate and kickboxing. She hopes to inspire women to join Police Scotland. Sheneela Ahmed is a Criminal Lawyer Advocate and a Lawyer Football Agent. In 2014 she was crowned with Asian Woman Achievement Award 2014. She is also a Women of the Future (WOFT) Ambassador and received HSBC top 50 Women Global Award, Sonia Odedra is an Eglish cricketer who plays for Nottinghamshire, Lig