Sports News 12:30

BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 10 April 12:30 pm

Good day, let’s look at the latest sports news and scores:

# We start with soccer: African champions Banyana Banyana have failed to qualify for the Paris Olympic Games after playing to a goalless draw against Nigeria at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria. The senior women’s national team was unable to turn around their one-nil first-leg defeat in Abuja last week. This is the second time in succession Banyana has failed to qualify for the Olympics, having also missed the previous Games in Tokyo. Coach Desiree Ellis says they are disappointed:

# Cricket: The first One Day International between the Proteas women and Sri Lanka was called off due to persistent rain in East London yesterday evening. Tazmin Brits scored 116-off-128 balls, her second career ODI century, as the hosts posted 260 for six. In reply, Sri Lanka only reached 23 for no loss in just under seven overs when it started raining, leading to the game eventually being called off. The second ODI will be played in Kimberley on Saturday.

# Netball: Transgender women will no longer be allowed to participate in women’s international competitions. This is part of World Netball’s new participation and inclusion policy. They determined after a lengthy consultation process that international women’s netball was a gender-affected activity, and the policy was needed to ensure fairness and safety. The decision means the women’s game at international level will be restricted to players recorded as female at birth, or transgender athletes who proof they have never experienced the biological effects of testosterone.

# Tennis: Two-time champion Novak Djokovic made light work of his first clay-court match of the year at the Monte Carlo Masters. The Serbian world number one defeated Russia’s Roman Safiullin, 6-1, 6-2, to reach the third round for the 14th time. He will meet Italian Lorenzo Musetti next, who upset Djokovic in Monte-Carlo at the same stage last season. There were also wins for Germany’s Alexander Zverev and Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz. Djokovic is full of praise for Musetti:

# And World Rugby hails what it terms a landmark outcome after an Australian court fined a man for the social media abuse of an official during last year’s World Cup in France. Aaron Isaia made threats to television match official Brian MacNeice during the match between Samoa and England. He pleaded guilty. World Rugby announced it was taking steps to ban Isaia from buying tickets for future events, saying they hope the sentence sends the message that such behaviour is totally unacceptable.

Stay tuned for more news………….