By Mike Rowbottom April 20 - Kurt Fearnley (pictured), the Australian defending champion, has been forced to pull out of this year’s Virgin London Marathon men’s wheelchair race because of the closure of European airports following the Icelandic volcanic eruption.

Hokinoue of Japan, Rafael Botello Jiminez and Roger Verdaguer of Spain, and Krige Schabort of South Africa

Since her idea of recuperation was to drive a land cruiser down the East Coast of Africa with a friend

April 13 - Nigeria's new Sports Minister Ibrahim Bio (pictured) has promised that he will try to raise the standard of all sports in the country not just football.

Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa and the eighth biggest in the world, has only ever won two

April 6 - Caster Semenya (pictured), the world 800 metres champion at the centre of an investigation into her gender, plans to return to international competition in Zaragoza, Spain, on June 24, she announced today. 

"I have however considered the request by Athletics South Africa (ASA) that I await the conclusion

April 4 - Rugby sevens will be promoted around the world during the build-up to the sport's debut at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, International Rugby Board (IRB) chairman Bernard Lapasset (pictured) has promised.

that they could be competing for the qualification and the Olympic programme "Asia, Europe, Africa

"I'm sure that Africa will be a strong continent in sevens.

"I think in the future going forward 60 per cent of the young population in 2020 will be in Africa

"We have a strong strategy for development and one part will for Africa surely.

December 2009: Olympics will make rugby sevens bigger than 15's predicts Kirwan November 2009: South Africa

By Duncan Mackay Prince Feisal Al Hussein of Jordan, the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) newest member, is a passionate believer in sport’s power to change the world however deep the grudges run. Bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the northeast, Saudi Arabia to the east and south and Israel to the west, the Prince probably knows more than most about how conflict can rip the heart out of a region. But Prince Feisal, the younger brother of Jordanian King Abdulla II and among the new intake of IOC members during the Vancouver Olympics, has been practicing what he...

including the first ever in Europe and has also received approaches to host ones in Latin America and Africa

April 2 - A decision to postpone disciplinary action against Athletics South Africa (ASA) President

secretary escorted from building by police November 2009: Former ICC President to oversee Athletics South Africa

By Tom Degun April 1 - World-renowned trainer Chris Nesbit (pictured) has today been appointed head coach for the England swimming team bound for the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games, it was announced today.

"The Australians will be there in force, Canada and South Africa are also producing some very talented

Should England win the World Cup in South Africa this summer then I think the country will witness a

March 30 - Caster Semenya (pictured), the world 800 metres champion embroiled in a row over her gender, tonight signalled that she is prepared to defy the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) by announcing that she plans to return to racing.

action at a domestic meet in Stellenbosch tonight but was barred from competing by Athletics South Africa

March 29 - Caster Semenya (pictured), the world 800 metres champion, should be allowed to return to the track despite a gender row, her lawyers have claimed in a move that could cause a major showdown with the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

Ray Mali, the interim President of Athletics South Africa, told The Associated Press that

March 28 - Samoa came from behind to beat New Zealand 24-21 and win the Hong Kong Sevens, taking the lead in the International Rugby Board (IRB) Sevens World Series with two tournaments left in the season, in a thrilling tournament watched by Jacques Rogge, the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Australia defeated South Africa 12-5 in the plate final, earning 16 points under new tournament rules

As a losing plate finalist, South Africa were given 10 points.

March 26 - Ireland's former national swimming coach George Gibney (pictured) should be extradited back from the United States a Florida-based child organisation has urged, it was reported today.

Daly, President of One Child International, which has branches in Canada, Europe, South Africa, Australia

Meeting Alistair Brownlee, Britain’s 21-year-old world triathlon champion, brings to mind the phrase "fresh-faced". It is a description that might have been invented just for him, although "fresh-air faced" would probably be even more accurate. As he is proud to declare, Brownlee - who looks likely to be one of Britain’s brightest Olympic contenders on home soil two years hence - has been inspired over the years by training in the bracing environs of the Yorkshire Moors and dales near to where he lives in Otley Chevin, near Leeds.

While other triathletes have travelled to warmer climes such as South Africa, Australia or New Zealand

March 19 - Richard Davenport, formerly one of Britain's most promising young athletes, has lost a landmark High Court case in which he was seeking damages against David Farrow (pictured), the coach he blamed for the back injury which has blighted his career.

The athlete sued over three weeks of high altitude training in South Africa in 2004 when he allegedly

In the autumn, he competed in a range of events up to 3,000m, until going to South Africa with Farrow

Justice Owen in London that when he told Farrow about the significant pain he was experiencing in South Africa

His case was that the stress fractures pre-dated the training in South Africa and were probably of much