GRUNGECAKE

Category: Sports & Games

  • Senegal prepares to host Africa’s first Olympic event: the Youth Olympic Games 2026

    Thirty-five International Federations (IFs) will be involved in these Games, with 25 sports featuring on the competition programme and 10 to be part of the engagement programme

    Senegal will welcome the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Dakar 2026, the first Olympic sporting event to be held on African soil. Dakar 2026 will take place over two weeks from October 31, 2026, bringing together 2,700 of the best young athletes from around the world.

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    The YOG will be held in three host sites (Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly), and are envisioned to serve as a catalyst to transform Senegal through sport, whilst also aiming to inspire new hope, opportunities and confidence among young people across Africa and become a blueprint for future YOG hosts. This approach is embodied in the Games’ motto, “Africa welcomes, Dakar celebrates”, which underscores the uniqueness of this YOG edition: Senegal is the first African country to host an Olympic sports event. The Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (YOGOC) emphasises that the YOG will be an event for the entire African continent.

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    In creating the motto, Dakar 2026 showed its desire to develop a brand that highlights its unique vision for the YOG, seeking to create an event that combines the Senegalese Teranga — the host nation’s generosity of spirit and hospitality – with sport, youth, hope and celebration.

    Thirty-five International Federations (IFs) will be involved in these Games, with twenty-five sports featuring on the competition programme and ten to be part of the engagement programme. Dakar 2026 will showcase one discipline from each of the twenty-five sports on the competition programme. These are athletics (track and field), aquatics (swimming), archery, badminton, baseball (Baseball5), basketball (3×3), boxing, breaking, cycling (road cycling), equestrian (jumping), fencing, football (futsal), gymnastics (artistic), handball (beach handball), judo, rowing (coastal rowing), rugby (rugby sevens), sailing, skateboarding (street), table tennis, taekwondo, triathlon, volleyball (beach volleyball), wrestling (beach wrestling) and wushu.

    Additionally, Dakar 2026 will feature an engagement programme showcasing ten sports: canoe-kayak, golf, hockey, karate, modern pentathlon, shooting, sport climbing, surfing, tennis and weightlifting. These will not feature in the competition programme but will be promoted through interactive activities on site and via digital platforms, emphasising their role as integral components and an official part of the YOG.

    In total, the Games will feature one hundred fifty one events – split equally between men and women, with seventy-two events for each, alongside seven mixed-gender events. For the first time in the history of the Summer YOG, full gender equality will be achieved – not only in the overall athlete quota but also across every sport, discipline and event.

  • 2025 Basketball Africa League Combine to be held January 10-12 in Rabat, Morocco

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    The Basketball Africa League will host a Combine in Rabat for a second consecutive year from Friday, January 10 – Sunday, January 12. The three-day scouting event, which will be held at the Ibn Yassine Omnisports Hall, will feature more than thirty aspiring players from Africa, Europe, the United States, and around the world taking part in anthropometric and athletic testing, positional skill development, and 5-on-5 games in front of team executives, coaches and scouts. Six coaches who took part in the Africa Coaches Program at the NBA 2K25 Summer League last July in Las Vegas: Ahmed Salam (Algeria), Francois Enyegue (Cameroon), Leonel Manhique (Mozambique), Mohamed Lamine Kriedeche (Algeria), Ruth Glenna (Gabon) and Victor Samnick (Cameroon) will be part of the coaching staff.

    As part of the Combine, the league will host a BAL4HER women’s camp on January 10 to empower and develop talented young female athletes. The one-day camp will bring together twenty U-23 prospects from local communities around Rabat for an on-court development session. BAL4HER is the league’s platform for advancing gender equity in the African sports ecosystem and celebrating women in the sports industry who serve as role models to young women across the continent. The league will also host a coaching clinic for one-hundred local coaches.

    The BAL’s milestone fifth season will tip off on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat, Morocco and culminate with the 2025 BAL Finals on Saturday, June 14 at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa, marking the first BAL games in Morocco and the first time the BAL Finals will be held in South Africa. The 2025 BAL season will feature the top twelve club teams from twelve African countries playing forty-eight games in Rabat; Dakar, Senegal; Kigali, Rwanda; and Pretoria.

    The twelve teams will once again be divided into three conferences of four teams each. Each conference will play a twelve-game group phase during which each team will face the other three teams in its conference twice. The Kalahari Conference group phase will take place from April 5 – Sunday, April 13 in Rabat. The Sahara Conference group phase will take place from Saturday, April 26 – Sunday, May 4 at the Dakar Arena in Senegal. The Nile Conference group phase will take place from Saturday, May 17 – Sunday, May 25 at BK Arena in Kigali. Eight teams from across the three conferences will qualify for the Playoffs in Pretoria, which will tip off on Friday, June 6 and culminate with the 2025 BAL Finals on Saturday, June 14. Fans can register their interest in tickets to games in all four markets at this link.

  • TIME names WNBA star player Caitlin Clark TIME 100’s ‘Athlete of the Year’

    Caitlin Clark has been named “TIME 100’s Athlete of the Year for 2024”, a testament to her transformative impact on women’s basketball and sports culture. The twenty-two-year-old phenom has shattered records and redefined the fan experience during her illustrious career at the University of Iowa and now in the WNBA. Clark’s electrifying performances have captivated audiences, setting attendance and viewership records. She led Iowa to the 2023 NCAA Championship game, during which nearly ten million viewers tuned in—a milestone for women’s college basketball viewership. Her unparalleled scoring ability, including a record-breaking 191 points in the 2023 NCAA tournament, solidifies her as one of the sport’s all-time greats.

    Beyond statistics, Clark’s influence extends to boosting the sport’s visibility. Her games consistently draw massive live audiences, and she’s been credited with bringing newfound attention and respect to women’s basketball. TIME’s recognition celebrates her not just as an athlete, but as a cultural icon who has elevated women’s sports to unprecedented levels.

    From her collegiate stardom to her professional journey, Caitlin Clark continues to inspire young athletes while breaking barriers in sports. This accolade cements her place in history as a trailblazer redefining what’s possible on and off the court.

  • Kendrick Lamar to perform at Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show in 2025

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    Today, Roc Nation, Apple Music, and the NFL announced Kendrick Lamar will perform at the Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show at The Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana on Sunday, February 9, 2025, airing on FOX.

    “Rap music is still the most impactful genre to date. And I’ll be there to remind the world why. They got the right one.” – Kendrick Lamar

    “Kendrick Lamar is truly a once-in-a-generation artist and performer. His deep love for Hip-Hop and culture informs his artistic vision. He has an unparalleled ability to define and influence culture globally. Kendrick’s work transcends music, and his impact will be felt for years to come.” – Shawn “JAY Z” Carter

    “The Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show is a celebration of the music we love and the incredible artists who make it, all on the world’s biggest stage. Apple is thrilled to bring this show, starring the absolutely incomparable Kendrick Lamar, to fans worldwide with Apple Music’s industry leading Spatial Audio quality along with tons of exclusive videos, interviews, playlists and so much more across Apple Music.” – Oliver Schusser, Apple’s Vice President of Apple Music, Apple TV+, Sports, and Beats.

    “Few artists have impacted music and culture as profoundly as Kendrick Lamar. Time and time again, Kendrick has proven his unique ability to craft moments that resonate, redefine, and ultimately shake the very foundation of Hip-Hop.” – Seth Dudowsky, Head of Music at the NFL. “We’re excited to collaborate with Kendrick, Roc Nation, and Apple Music to deliver another unforgettable Halftime Show.”

    Multi-platinum, GRAMMY and Emmy award-winning artist and co-founder of creative imprint pgLang, Kendrick Lamar, has achieved massive critical and cultural success since his debut album ‘Good Kid, MAAD City’ released in 2012. Since its release, Lamar has accumulated seventeen GRAMMY wins, and became the first non-classical, non-Jazz musician to win a Pulitzer Prize for his 2017 album ‘DAMN’. Lamar’s latest album ‘Mr Morale & The Big Steppers’, was released in May 2022. In April of this year, ‘Like That’ by Future, Metro Boomin, and Kendrick Lamar spent three weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and in June, Lamar’s record-breaking, ‘Not Like Us’ spent two weeks at #1.

    Creative Direction for Lamar’s performance will be provided by pgLang.

    The Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show telecast will be produced by DPS with Roc Nation and Jesse Collins serving as executive producers, and Hamish Hamilton serving as director. Roc Nation will also serve as the strategic entertainment advisor of the live performance.

    Apple Music’s multi-year partnership with the NFL and Roc Nation brings together the Super Bowl Halftime Show — the most-watched musical performance of the year — with Apple Music, which celebrates musicians, songwriters, producers, and fans, and offers the world’s best music listening experience with a catalogue of over one-hundred million songs and immersive sound powered by Spatial Audio. Apple revolutionised the music experience with iPod and iTunes and continues the award-winning tradition with Apple Music.

    Earlier this year, The Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Starring Usher became the most-watched halftime performance of all time and garnered three 2024 Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Variety Special (Live). In 2023, The Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show Starring Rihanna scored five Emmy nominations, taking home two, including Outstanding Directing For A Variety Special, a first in Super Bowl Halftime history. In 2022, Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show Starring Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J Blige, and Kendrick Lamar garnered five Creative Arts Emmy nominations. The critically-acclaimed performance won three Emmys, including Outstanding Variety Special (Live), a first-ever for the show.

  • Paris plans to name sports venue after slain Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei

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    “Paris willl neber forget you.”

    According to a report on Reuters, the French capital plans to pay tribute to the Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei. It was announced on Friday by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo. Unfortunately, the thirty-three-year-old marathon runner was set on fire by her boyfriend. Subsequently, she died on Thursday “four days after she was doused in petrol and ignited by her boyfriend in Kenya.” Kenyan and Ugandan media reported that Rebecca Cheptegei suffered from burns to more than seventy-five per cent of her body in the attack. She was the third woman, prominent in the sports world, to be killed in Kenya since 2021.

  • FIFA announces Bank of America as official bank sponsor of FIFA World Cup 26

  • Trusted financial institution becomes FIFA’s first-ever global sponsor in the banking category
  • Together FIFA and Bank of America will engage communities, promoting human connection through football
  • FIFA World Cup 26 to take place across 16 host cities, including 11 in the USA

    • FIFA is proud to announce Bank of America as its Official Bank Sponsor of FIFA World Cup 26, confirming a historic partnership that underscores the global financial institution’s commitment to promoting wellness, supporting the pursuit of excellence and making a human connection and community impact through the power of sport.

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    Through this new partnership, FIFA and Bank of America will work together to support the growth of the global game and the tournament’s impact on football fans of all ages, abilities and backgrounds.

    Bank of America partners with the most iconic brands in sports who share a vision for driving progress. This landmark agreement with FIFA, running through 2026, aims to further strengthen ties with and create lasting impact in the communities where the banks’ teammates and clients live and work around the world. The partnership complements the company’s global and local market strategies, engaging a worldwide audience as it unites to experience unforgettable moments that connect people in ways that only live sport can.

    Celebrating the agreement, FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, said: “We are extremely excited to welcome Bank of America as a global sponsor of this groundbreaking FIFA World Cup. Bank of America’s commitment to community engagement both domestically and globally aligns with our goals for the tournament and beyond, while their support of FIFA on an international basis is a major milestone for our organisation as we continue to serve our game for the benefit of the entire world.”

    As FIFA’s first-ever global sponsor in the banking category, Bank of America will leverage this opportunity to connect with communities. Bank of America’s approach to responsible growth through community outreach, youth programming, and financial education initiatives aligns with FIFA’s commitment to develop football while positively impacting people across the globe.

    Bank of America’s Chair and CEO, Brian Moynihan, added: “Football connects the world like no other sport. FIFA World Cup 26 is a tremendous opportunity to celebrate the pursuit of excellence and how we deliver for our clients, teammates and the communities we serve across the United States and around the world.”

    FIFA World Cup 26 will be the biggest and most innovative in the tournament’s history. Featuring 104 matches with 48 teams from around the world across sixteen host cities in the USA, Canada and Mexico, the tournament will provide a platform for brands to engage on a truly global level, as players and fans alike take centre stage.

  • NBA Africa and Agence Française De Développement launch Youth Development Programme in Kenya

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    NBA Africa and Agence Française de Développement (AFD), France’s inclusive public financial institution committed to financing and technical assistance for projects that improve the lives of people in developing and emerging economies, today announced the launch of the Jr NBA & AFD Basketball Experience in Nairobi, Kenya.

    Basketball Experience is a youth development program that will feature weekly basketball and life-skills sessions to educate Kenyan youth about the importance of physical and mental health and wellbeing.

    The initiative builds on NBA Africa and AFD’s existing Basketball Experience programming in greater Casablanca, Morocco and Lagos, Nigeria, and aims to use basketball as a platform to promote social inclusion and inspire secondary school children as change makers in their local communities.

    To celebrate the announcement, NBA Africa and AFD today unveiled two refurbished outdoor basketball courts at Kenya Academy of Sports (KAS) in Nairobi and hosted a basketball clinic for 150 boys and girls ages sixteen and under. The refurbished courts are expected to benefit more than a thousand boys and girls from the surrounding communities.

    The unveiling was attended by French Ambassador to Kenya Arnaud Suquet, AFD Kenya Country Director Bertrand Willocquet, NBA Kenya Senior Director and Country Operations Lead Michael Finley and NBA Africa Director of Basketball Operations Kita Matungulu.

    “At AFD, we are team players. We strongly believe that greater impacts can be reached when we work together and connect”, said Willocquet. “The NBA was our first partner in the field of sport for development. Together, we have launched the Jr NBA & AFD Basketball Experience program that seeks to promote youth empowerment and improve access to sport for all.”

    “The launch of Jr NBA & AFD Basketball Experience reflects our commitment to making basketball more accessible to Kenyan youth and teaching them about the importance of a healthy, active lifestyle”, said Finley. “Our selection of the KAS as the venue also speaks to our commitment to developing elite talent in Kenya. We thank AFD for sharing that commitment and look forward to positively impacting the boys and girls who participate in this program in the months and years to come.”

    The Jr NBA, the league’s global youth basketball participation program for boys and girls, teaches the fundamental skills as well as the core values of the game at the grassroots level in an effort to help grow and improve the youth basketball experience for players, coaches and parents. Last year, Jr NBA programming directly reached more than 170,000 youth across Africa.

  • Lawrence Taylor, football Hall of Famer, arrested for failing to report address changes

    This week, Lawrence Taylor faced another arrest for not following conditions imposed on him as a registered sex offender. According to TMZ, the former football legend (ex-New York Giants star) turned himself in on Wednesday evening around 5 o’clock. He was jailed for failing to report changes linked to his residence. He was released Thursday morning (July 18). In 2021, he was locked up for a similar offence.

    His attorney, Mark Eiglash said the following in a statement:

    “My client, Lawrence Taylor, will be pleading ‘Not Guilty’ to the recent charges”, Eiglarsh said. “As with the previous incident involving the same allegations, Mr Taylor did not knowingly commit any criminal offense. This situation is a significant misunderstanding.”

    “We are confident that, once the prosecutors review the exculpatory evidence demonstrating Mr. Taylor’s innocence, he will once again achieve a favorable outcome.”

    Taylor was declared a sex offender in 2011 for being intimate with a sixteen-year-old girl.

  • Sprayground and Soulja Boy collaborate on anime-inspired backpack design: See photo

    It captures the high-energy lifestyle and extravagant personality that Soulja Boy is known for.

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    This month, Sprayground introduced its latest collaboration with Soulja Boy, inspired by anime. The Soulja Boy Anime Drifter Collab Backpack boldly features the face of the legendary and innovative rapper with blinding gold chains. In a statement describing the daring design, the company said the backdrop showcases an exhilarating blend of shiny cars and stacks of money, encapsulating the essence of luxury and success that Soulja Boy embodies. The name “Draco” is boldly displayed across the bottom in block print, adding a powerful finishing touch to this standout design.

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    Visit this link to purchase a durable travel backpack ($80). If you cannot order it online, you may find art and streetwear-inspired backpacks around the country in exclusive boutiques.

  • MTN Rwanda named official digital partner of the 2024 Basketball Africa League Playoffs and Finals

    MTN Rwanda will enhance the digital experience for BAL fans throughout league’s Playoffs and Finals

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    The Basketball Africa League (BAL) and MTN Rwandacell Plc (MTN Rwanda), a market leader in mobile telecommunications in Rwanda, today announced a collaboration that makes MTN Rwanda the Official Digital Partner of the 2024 BAL Playoffs and Finals.

    The collaboration will see MTN Rwanda enhance the digital experience for BAL fans throughout the Playoffs and Finals taking place this week at BK Arena in Kigali through promotions, sweepstakes, and access to Ayoba, an all-in-one free app developed by MTN that offers free instant messaging; voice and video calling; sports, fashion, food, and entertainment news; games; and other content. MTN Rwanda customers will also have access to BAL content on Ayoba, including highlight packages and episodes of ‘BAL Daily’, a magazine programme produced by the league featuring highlights of the games and surrounding events, interviews with players and coaches, and analysis from BAL commentators and other personalities.

    “Our collaboration with MTN will bring Rwanda’s passionate Basketball Africa League fanbase even closer to the excitement of the BAL Playoffs and Finals”, said BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall. “As a pan-African mobile telecommunications brand deeply rooted on the continent, MTN has been instrumental in providing enriched experiences for its customers in Africa. We have a shared ambition to empowering communities, driving innovation, and building a sustainable ecosystem for long-term growth. We look forward to working together to extend this impact to BAL fans in Rwanda.”

    “We are thrilled to work with the BAL as their official digital partner”, said MTN Rwanda CEO Officer Mapula Bodibe. “Our customers can look forward to an unforgettable showcase of talent. As a token of appreciation, we will be giving out free tickets to our valued customers, so keep an eye out on our social media platforms for the giveaway. Additionally, BAL attendees will also receive a 35% discount when they pay for their tickets via MoMo. This collaboration reflects our commitment to supporting initiatives that unite communities and empower Rwandan youth, fostering national unity.”

    MTN Rwanda joins the BAL’s roster of partners that also includes Foundational Partners Rwanda Development Board, NIKE, Jordan Brand, and Wilson, as well as marketing partners Afreximbank, Bank of Kigali, Castle Lite, Hennessy, and RwandAir.

    The 2024 BAL Playoffs and Finals will continue on Wednesday, May 29 with two semifinals games. In the first game, Rivers Hoopers (Nigeria) will take on Al Ahly Ly (Libya) at 5 PM CAT. In the second game, Petro de Luanda (Angola) will face Cape Town Tigers (South Africa) at 8:00 PM CAT. The complete game schedule is available at BAL.NBA.com and will culminate with the 2024 BAL Finals on June 1 at 4:00 PM CAT. Tickets for the Playoffs and Finals are on sale now at bal.nba.com and ticqet.rw.