Latest - The New Zealand born Samoan rugby league player Mose Masoe has taken another step, literally, in his recovery from a serious spinal injury.
Masoe has been videoed walking unaided.
Mose Masoe takes his first steps unaided just eight months after suffering a serious spinal injury and being told he'd be lucky to walk again. Just incredible! here and see more on @Calendar at 6. pic.twitter.com/xcJdFlL4x1
— Arif Ahmed (@ArifAhmedITV) September 23, 2020
The 31 year old was stretchered off the field while playing for English club Hull Kingston Rovers in January.
The prop was told that he'd never play again and was likely facing the rest of his life as a quadriplegic.
Masoe was born and raised in Wellington and played junior rugby league for Randwick Kingfishers and the Wellington Orcas in the Bartercard Cup.
He also played four years in the NRL for the Roosters and Panthers.
-BBC
Tour de France suspects released
French police have released two people who were being questioned as part of an investigation into suspected doping by the Arkea-Samsic team at this year's Tour de France.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
During a raid on the team's hotel in Meribel after the competition's 17th stage, investigators found health products, including substances and items that could be linked to doping.
Investigators had been questioning two people among the close entourage of the team's lead rider Nairo Quintana, a twice runner-up in the Tour de France and a Vuelta and Giro champion.
Quintana, who was allowed to continue working with his own doctor when he signed a three-year deal with Arkea-Samsic this year, denied using any banned substances. He said he had earlier answered investigators' questions with "a clear conscience".
The investigation continues.
-Reuters
Uefa shortlist for players of the year
Kevin De Bruyne, Robert Lewandowski and Manuel Neuer have been short-listed for the UEFA men's football Player of the Year award.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Lewandowski guided Bayern Munich to their sixth Champions League title, finishing as the competition's top scorer with 15 goals.
The Polish striker netted 55 goals in 47 games in all competitions as Bayern won the treble.
Neuer, also part of Bayern's treble-winning squad, kept six clean sheets in the Champions League and missed just one game the entire season.
City midfielder De Bruyne provided a record-equalling 20 assists in the Premier League last season, the highest in Europe.
Manchester City full back Lucy Bronze, Chelsea striker Pernille Harder and Olympique Lyonnais defender Wendie Renard were short-listed for the women's award.
-Reuters
Barney on his way back
Five-time world darts champion Raymond van Barneveld has announced plans to come out of retirement and attend the Qualifying School in 2021.
Raymond van Barneveld Photo: Photosport
Van Barneveld will try to win back a tour card, having relinquished his professional status at the end of 2019.
The 53-year-old Dutchman, known widely as 'Barney', is one of only three players to win five world titles.
"It's very simple. I miss it terribly," Van Barneveld he told RTL News.
-BBC
Sports people in Times 100
U.S. Open champion Naomi Osaka, American football player Megan Rapinoe and Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes were among the athletes named on the 2020 "Time 100" list of the most influential people in the world.
The annual list, which is not ranked, honours individuals who have had the most significant impact on the global landscape that year and includes heads of state, business leaders, activists and entertainers, among others. There is no winner named.
Four-times Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) champion and twice Olympic gold medalist Maya Moore, who skipped two seasons of her sport to fight for criminal justice reform in the United States, was also named on the list and penned Osaka's tribute.
Other athletes named on the list included six-times Olympic gold medal-winning sprinter Allyson Felix, six-times world champion Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton, retired 13-times NBA All-Star Dwyane Wade and back-to-back NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
-Reuters
Howley back in rugby
Rob Howley has been appointed Canada assistant rugby coach, with the 49-year-old making his return to the sport after being banned for breaching betting rules.
Lions assistant coach Rob Howley Photo: Photosport
The former Wales assistant coach was banned for 18 months, with nine months suspended and the sanction backdated to Sept. 16, the day he was sent home from Wales' Rugby World Cup campaign in Japan.
An investigation found that Howley, who earned 59 caps for Wales between 1996-2002, placed 363 bets, including some on Wales, on rugby between November 2015 and September 2019, featuring 1,163 matches in total.
He has been eligible to return since June 16 and his new role will see him link up with former Wales international Kingsley Jones in Canada's coaching team.
-Reuters
Further investigations for South Africa to play in Europe
South African Rugby is in negotiations with PRO14 organisers to add additional teams to the European competition in the coming seasons.
The Cheetahs and Southern Kings have competed in the competition since 2017, though the latter will be replaced in 2021 after being put into liquidation by SA Rugby.
SA Rugby chief executive Jourie Roux confirmed previously that the union is looking at options outside of Super Rugby for its domestic teams. Talk of moving away from playing Australasian and Argentine teams in favour of European opposition has been mooted for some time.
The attraction of Europe to SA Rugby is its lucrative television market, similar timezone and ease of travel that will help with player welfare.
The PRO14 contains teams from Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Italy.
-Reuters
Olympic athletes will need to be tested
Organisers of next year's delayed Olympic Games will require coronavirus tests of foreign athletes upon their arrival in Japan.
Japanese athletes and other participants living in Japan will face the same requirements, according to the measures, which are still being discussed.
Although foreign athletes and other participants will not have to undergo a two-week quarantine period, virus tests will be required on arrival and departure, under the plan.
Organisers also propose to limit travel within Japan for athletes, who will be restricted to such places as towns hosting national delegations and training sites.
-Reuters
53 year old plays in J-League
Thirty four years after making his professional debut, Japanese forward Kazuyoshi Miura became the oldest player to appear in a J-League first division match when he led Yokohama FC at the age of 53.
The player known as "King Kazu", who started his career in Brazil in 1986 because Japan did not have a professional league for him to play in, was given the captain's armband, but he could not inspire his team who lost 3-2 to league leaders Kawasaki Frontale.
The match was Miura's first in the Japanese top flight since 2007. Yokohama played in the second division for 12 years before winning promotion last season.
Miura, who scored 55 goals in 89 appearances for Japan and played his last international in 2000, broke the record set by forward Masashi Nakayama, who was 45 years old when he played for Consadole Sapporo in 2012.
-Reuters
