Sports News 12:30

BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 5 March 12:30 pm

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

# The World Anti-Doping Agency has suspended the South African Doping Control Laboratory in Bloemfontein for a period of up to six months. This is due to the facility’s multiple non-conformities with the International Standard for Laboratories. The agency says the suspension prohibits the laboratory from carrying out any anti-doping activities, including analyses of urine and blood samples, except analysis related to the Athlete Biological Passport hematological module. The facility is Africa’s only accredited drug-testing laboratory.

# Rugby: Springbok fans will be disappointed over the news all general tickets for their first home Test of the year are sold out. It took just 30 minutes for all the tickets for the Test against Ireland at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on the sixth of July to be snatched up. But there are more opportunities. Ticket sales for the second Test in Durban a week later opens on Tuesday. The world champions start their season against Wales at Twickenham in London on the 22nd of June.

And, in more rugby news, seven uncapped players have been included in the Springbok Women’s squad of 32 players for a three-week tour of the United Kingdom and Spain later this month. Nolusindiso Booi will captain the side, with Babalwa Latsha and Tayla Kinsey as the vice-captains. The team will play Spain in Valladolid on the 23rd of this month and the USA in London on the 30th. Springbok Women coach, Louis Koen, says the tour provides invaluable preparation for the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup in Madagascar in May:

# Motorsport: FIA president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, is reportedly under investigation for allegedly attempting to intervene in the results of last year’s Formula One Saudi Arabia Grand Prix. He allegedly intervened to overturn a penalty given to Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso at the race. Alonso had provisionally finished third at the Jeddah circuit, only for him to be given a ten-second time penalty post-race, as work was conducted on his car before the completion of a previous five-second time penalty. The FIA ethics committee is investigating the matter.

# And finally, soccer: Australian and Chelsea striker, Sam Kerr, has pleaded not guilty to alleged racially aggravated harassment of a London police official. The 30-year-old was charged with using insulting, threatening or abusive words, that caused alarm or distress to a police official during an incident in Twickenham in January. Kerr, who is Australia’s record goalscorer with 64 goals in 125 games, will stand trial in February next year. Soccer Australia’s CEO, James Johnson, says these are serious allegations, and there is no place for racism in the sport.

Stay tuned for more news………….