Prince Albert in Canada is set to host one of the three World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Men's Softball World Cup groups in 2024 before also staging the finals in 2025.

After an extraordinary Men's Softball World Cup last month in New Zealand, that showcased the best of

England's Harry Brook and Australia’s Ashleigh Gardner have won the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Player of the Month awards for December 2022, it has been announced.

Player of the Month award for December 2022.She was chosen ahead of England youngster Charlie Dean and New

Zealand opener Suzie Bates, after her superb individual series against India last month.The 25-year-old

who played a starring role in helping Australia to victory at the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup in New

Zealand and then the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has revealed the men’s and women’s player of the month nominees for December.

Head.Azam made plenty of runs across the four Tests that he played in December against England and New

Zealand, managing two hundreds and three fifties across eight knocks.England’s Brook made centuries

December, finishing with 455 runs at an average of 91 with one century.The three women’s nominees are New

Zealand batter Suzie Bates, England all-rounder Charlie Dean and Australian all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner.Australia's

against India ©Getty ImagesIt is the first time that Bates has been nominated for the award, with the New

Heba Saadia is to become the first Palestinian international football referee to officiate at the FIFA Women's World Cup, also becoming one of the first Arab woman to achieve this feat.

her international refereeing badge in 2016.The FIFA Women's World Cup is to be held in Australia and New

Zealand later this year ©Getty ImagesFiras Abu Hilal, secretary general of the Palestinian Football

Saadia is to work at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, scheduled to take

Italy are training in the United States as they look to step up preparations for hosting this year's Women's Softball World Cup Group C.

World Cup Finals in 2024.Italy, ranked number eight in the world, are due to face Canada, Venezuela, New

Zealand, the top team from the Asian qualifier and a wild card in Group C.Group A is scheduled to be

Zambia striker Barbra Banda will be eligible to play at this year’s Women’s World Cup in Australia and New

Zealand.

she did so in Tokyo in 2021 ©Getty Images"We are looking forward to welcoming her to Australia and New

Zealand next year to participate," said Bareman.Bareman also confirmed that FIFA was currently reviewing

A New Year inevitably leads to looking ahead at what is coming up and 2023 offers plenty to get excited

revolution which is threatening to do to Test cricket what Dick Fosbury did to the high jump.Under the new

management team of coach Brendon McCullum, who the term “Bazball” is coined after the New Zealander's

are revolutionising Test cricket ©Getty ImagesThe critics of Bazball claimed after England had beaten New

Zealand and South Africa last summer that it could only work in English bowling conditions.

England's new approach means they are prepared to gamble, risking defeat in the pursuit of victory ©Getty

Stephane Kandler and Bruno Dubois are set to lead a French side in the 37th America's Cup in Barcelona in 2024.

The pair are competing for K-Challenge Racing, looking to dethrone New Zealand's victorious side from

representing the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez.The French challenge was previously accepted by the Royal New

Zealand Yacht Squadron and they have now chosen to formally announce their entry and confirm their proceedings

in the event since 2007.The quintet will race against each other for the right to face Emirates Team New

The last edition of the America's Cup took place in Auckland in 2021 and saw Emirates Team New Zealand

Kereyn Smith, who recently stepped down after 11 years as chief executive and secretary general of the New

Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC), has admitted that she "massively surprised" to be made a Companion

of the New Zealand Order of Merit, one of the highest honours in the country.

Zealand and continues her role as vice-president of the Commonwealth Games Federation."

I really am proud of the opportunity to serve New Zealand sport on the domestic and international stage

Zealand.Kereyn Smith has been pivotal to women's sports development in New Zealand ©Getty ImagesShe

Zealand and being a founding member of the International Working Group on women and sport.Smith was

made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2015 and in the same year, the IOC awarded the NZOC

Former Wales and British and Irish Lions winger Ieuan Evans has been appointed as chair of the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), succeeding Rob Butcher who served for two years in the role but stood down last year.

have shown in me," said Evans, who will continue in his role as Lions Board chair in tandem with his new

that won the Five Nations Championship and won on three tours with the Lions; to Australia in 1989, New

Zealand in 1993, and South Africa in 1997."

Olympic javelin silver medallist Sunette Viljoen-Louw hopes to represent South Africa at their home Women's T20 World Cup next month following her return to cricket.

from 2000 to 2002, including featuring at the 2000 Women's Cricket World Cup in the 50-over format in New

Zealand in 2000.She went on to enjoy a successful career in athletics, earning back-to-back women's

javelin titles at the Commonwealth Games at Melbourne 2006 and New Delhi 2010.At the World Athletics

The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) has unveiled its end-of-year softball and baseball world rankings.

year top for the first time with 3,722 points, following a fourth-placed finish at the World Cup in New

Zealand and a victory at the Under-23 Men’s Softball World Cup qualifier.Canada finished second in the

Esports has been officially recognised by the Indian Government after President Droupadi Murmu requested that it "be included as part of multi-sport events" to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

We applaud our Government for making this decision because it will create new doors for additional investment

Commonwealth Esports Championships in Birmingham earlier this year where its DOTA 2 squad defeated New

Zealand to win the bronze medal.

Olympic champion Sam Bosworth has retired from rowing a year after leading New Zealand's men's eight

I would like to thank everyone who has been a part of my journey particularly Rowing New Zealand, my

I am now excited to be moving to London to take on a new opportunity."

gold in Japan at last year's postponed Olympic Games stands out as the high point, however, as his New

Zealand crew were labelled as outsiders before pipping second-place Germany and bronze medallists Britain

Zealand won bronze in the women's eight final.

World Boxing Council (WBC) President Mauricio Sulaiman says the organisation plans to introduce a new

Sulaiman said the new category would adopt the "at birth" rule, so that a transgender fighter assigned

In boxing, a man fighting a woman must never be accepted regardless of gender change.Boxing New Zealand

universal registration next year, in order to "understand the boxers that are out there".In August, Boxing New

Zealand declared its support for an open category in which transgender athletes would be allowed to

compete, during its participation in a Sport New Zealand consultation on draft guidelines for transgender