August 28 - Michel Platini (pictured), the President of European governing body UEFA, has praised the efforts of England to stamp out hooliganism at football matches.

England faces competition from fellow UEFA members Russia, and joint Belgium-Netherlands and Spain-Portugal

August 28 - The race to host rugby's showpiece tournament for women has kicked off with the International Rugby Board today launching the tender process for the 2014 World Cup.

for Sunday, September 5 in London.It willl be the sixth Women’s Rugby World Cup, following Canada, Spain

August 27 - Iberia, Spain’s leading aviation carrier, has become the 68th corporate backer of Madrid's bid to host the 2016 Olympics, it has been announced.

and the media.Mercedes Coghen, the chief executive of Madrid 2016, said: “Iberia is an ambassador for Spain

It shows how much everyone in Spain wants to host the best Games ever."

For Spain they were also an important landmark, coming as they did 500 years since Columbus's discovery

before the Olympics opened the Soviet Union invaded Hungary and in protest Holland, Switzerland and Spain

August 26 - Football officials today claimed that the violence that marred last night's Carling Cup match between West Ham United and Millwal will not harm England's bid to host the 2018 World Cup.

, Mexico, Qatar, Russia, South Korea, the United States and joint bids from Belgium-Netherlands and Spain-Portugal

August 23 - Patrick Ekeji (pictured), the director general of Nigeria's National Sports Commission, has promised an improvement in the performance of the country's athletics team in London 2012.

women's 100 metres hurdles and men's 200m respectively before leaving their homeland to compete for Spain

World Championships after being upgraded from bronze when the original winner, Natalia Rodríguez of Spain

August 23 - Patrick Ekeji (pictured), the director general of Nigeria's National Sports Commission, has promised an improvement in the performance of the country's athletics team in London 2012.    

women's 100 metres hurdles and men's 200m respectively before leaving their homeland to compete for Spain

World Championships after being upgraded from bronze when the original winner, Natalia Rodríguez of Spain

August 22 - Australia can beat England and the other European contenders to win the right to host the 2018 World Cup, its bid leader Frank Lowy (pictured) has claimed today.    

the other bidders are Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Russia and United States as well as joint bids from Spain

Canada - 20 July 2010 - 25 July 2010     20th European Championships Barcelona, Spain

13 December 2009     Women's World Cup Qualifier (Tournament No. 1) Seville , Spain

Final Copenhagen, Denmark - 26 September 2009     European Clubteams Cup Madrid, Spain

August 20 - Britain's basketball team are still heading in the right direction despite a fifth successive defeat, coach Chris Finch (pictured) claimed.    

their final test game tomorrowagainst fellow EuroBasket group opponents Slovenia, who lost 89-71 to Spain