Wales flanker Josh Navidi says he will be fit for the World Cup as he recovers from one of the most painful injuries of his career.

Navidi enjoyed a stellar Six Nations, starting and impressing in all five matches as Wales won the Grand Slam.

The 28-year-old then dislocated his elbow during Cardiff Blues' win over Scarlets last month, but expects to be back for Wales' summer training camps.

"I've had the op now and I'll be ready for the World Cup camps," said Navidi.

"I'll be fully fit to play in 12 weeks so I'll be ready for then. I just need to look after my body and get it right.

"I had the operation last Thursday so the pain's gone now.

"It's nice to get it done and dusted quite quickly and hopefully next week I can get my range of motion back."

The back row is arguably the most competitive area of the Wales team, with Taulupe Faletau, Justin Tipuric, Ross Moriarty, Thomas Young, Ellis Jenkins, Aaron Shingler and James Davies vying with Navidi for a place in the national side.

With Faletau, Jenkins, Shingler and Davies missing the Six Nations through injury, Navidi seized his opportunity with a string of excellent displays, carrying the ball powerfully and defending with ferocious intensity.

But less than a week after Wales secured the Grand Slam with victory over Ireland, there were worries for Navidi's World Cup prospects when he was forced off the field less than two minutes into Cardiff Blues' thrashing of Scarlets.

In what Blues head coach John Mulvihill described as "friendly fire", it was actually the accidental intervention of one of Navidi's own team-mates which caused his gruesome injury.

"I put my arm out to tackle one of the Scarlets boys but Tomos [Williams, Blues and Wales scrum-half] did come from behind and gave me a bit of a nudge," Navidi told BBC Sport Wales.

"It was just the position my arm was in. Nine times out of 10 it probably wouldn't have happened, but it's just the way I was, it got knocked out and it came out.

"It didn't make the best sound but, it got back in straight away and the medical team looked after me.

"Obviously it's not the best and it would have been nice to finish off the season with the Blues. We've still got a lot to play for there.

"I'd say it was probably the second most painful injury of my career.

"The worst was when I had a stinger on my neck a while ago. It was ongoing pain."

What's on the Wales players' playlist?

Navidi is a warrior who is used to putting his body on the line for the sake of his team, and Wales will hope to have that wholehearted commitment helping their cause at the World Cup in Japan later this year.

Welsh confidence has scarcely been higher as the players prepare for the showpiece tournament with a Grand Slam and a national record of 14 consecutive wins under their belts.

In Navidi, they also have a budding DJ in their midst.

During the evening following Wales' Grand Slam-clinching win over Ireland, he was pictured on the decks at a Cardiff bar.

But Navidi, who has DJed at clubs in the past, said his was only a cameo set at the end of the night.

"I was just speaking to the DJ, my mate Ian, and then I did a little bit when everyone had left and it was just friends and staff," he said.

"I like hip hop, but it depends where you are and what the crowd is."

How about the Wales team and their choice of songs before matches?

"We do two songs each on the playlist," said Navidi, whose choices are 'Paris' by the Chainsmokers and 'Californication' by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

"You have some boys playing something and you think: 'Bloody hell, what is this?' But most of the stuff is good and it's good to hear something different.

• Wales can win World Cup - Roberts
• Preview: Munster v Cardiff Blues

"Nicky [Smith] had the 'Pong Dance' song [by Vigiland] so we were on the bus and we had a full-on rave dance song on."

Whether Ospreys prop Smith or Navidi have control of the changing room sound system in Japan, both will be hoping they can provide the soundtrack for a successful World Cup campaign.

"Fingers crossed I can make the squad and get to play in a World Cup, where I've played at an Under-20 World Cup and won my first [senior] cap," said Navidi.

"It would be nice to go back out there."

For the latest Welsh rugby news follow @BBCScrumV on Twitter.

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – One hundred wins.

It’s a big milestone, and one that Corvette Racing has been chasing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship since the 2018 BUBBA burger Sports Car Grand Prix at Long Beach. That was the storied team’s most recent victory, coming courtesy of the No. 4 Corvette C7.R team and co-drivers Tommy Milner and Oliver Gavin.

There may be no better place for the team to get that elusive 100th win than Long Beach, where Gavin and Milner have won each of the past two years in the GT Le Mans class. In fact, the Corvette Racing team has won three of the past five BUBBA burger Sports Car Grands Prix – No. 3 C7.R teammates Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen also won there in 2014.

The team was in position for another potential victory in 2016 before a late-race dustup in the famed Long Beach hairpin gave the win to No. 911 Porsche 911 RSR co-drivers Patrick Pilet and Nick Tandy. Overall, Corvette Racing has seven IMSA victories at Long Beach, far and away the most of any WeatherTech Championship team.

“Our success at Long Beach comes down to many things,” explains Gavin, who has a series-leading five victories on the 1.968-mile street circuit. “Fundamentally, Tommy and I have been in the position to win each of the last four years. Yes, things have had to go our way in some cases.”

Indeed, there have been some wacky circumstances. The aforementioned 2016 incident was one. The next year, the No. 3 team was on its way to the win only to get tangled up due to a last-lap incident in the hairpin, which opened the door for Milner and the No. 4 Corvette to take the checkered flag first.

“Three years ago, we were leading with two laps to go and got taken out at the last corner,” Gavin says. “But the last two years, we’ve taken our chances and taken them well. That’s what it’s all about driving around a street circuit – when to risk it, when not to, taking advantage of the mistakes of others and execution.”

On the point of 100 victories, astute fans of Corvette Racing will say, “Hang on a minute, Corvette Racing got its 100th win at Lime Rock in 2016.” And it was the 100th win for the program overall when you count the team’s eight 24 Hours of Le Mans victories.

But a Long Beach win will give the team 100 in IMSA competition, encapsulating the WeatherTech Championship, American Le Mans Series and the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series.

“It would be great to get another win there, for sure – No. 100 in IMSA for Corvette Racing,” Milner said. “To win three in a row at any track against this level of competition would be a great achievement. It also would be a great way to get ourselves back into championship contention.”

Corvette Racing knows all about contending for a championship, having won each of the past three GTLM titles. The No. 3 team won each of the past two years, while Gavin and Milner brought home the 2016 title for the No. 4 squad.

The No. 4 duo is currently eighth in the GTLM standings, 15 points behind the class-leading No. 911 pair of Pilet and Tandy with two of 11 races in the books. So for them, Long Beach could be exactly what the doctor ordered.

“For me, my success at Long Beach has been a bit of a surprise in some ways,” Milner said. “I’ve never really thought street races were my strong suit. The racing is always fun there, but I always felt more comfortable at other tracks. But I’ve had some of the best outcomes at Long Beach – my first Corvette IMSA win in 2012 with Oliver, and then we’ve been super strong the last four years with the Corvette C7.R.”

“Last year we had a good Corvette,” added Gavin. “We were strong, and Tommy had a great stint at the end. Sure, we got fortunate when two other cars had contact, but that’s one of the reasons we’ve won so many times at Long Beach. We’ve managed to execute passes cleanly and we’ve been smart.

“All it takes is a little bit of contact or a brush with the wall and your day is done. There are no second chances at Long Beach.”

The post Corvette Racing Eyes No. 100 In Long Beach appeared first on SPEED SPORT.

BULLS GAP, Tenn. – Dale McDowell bested a game Jimmy Owens to win the Ultimate Southeast Super Late Model Series Spring Thaw Thursday evening at Volunteer Speedway.

Owens started from the pole and took the lead for the first time on lap 14 of the 50-lap race from second-place starter Michael Chilton. Once out front Owens soon found himself under pressure from McDowell. McDowell’s persistence paid off when he got by Owens in lap traffic on lap 32.

McDowell would leader the remainder of the distance to earn a $10,000 payday while Owens chased him home in second, more than two seconds behind.

Brandon Overton ended up third, followed by Shanon Buckingham and Ross Bailes.

The finish:

Dale McDowell, Jimmy Owens, Brandon Overton, Shanon Buckingham, Ross Bailes, Donald McIntosh, Zack Mitchell, Vic Hill, Robby Moses, Michael Chilton, Ryan King, Billy Moyer Jr., Trent Forrest, Cla Knight, Dakotah Knuckles, Chicky Barton, Josh Sneed, Cory Hedgecock, Daulton Wilson, Anthony Sanders, Steve Smith, Ahnna Parkhurst, John Tweed.

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BRISTOL, Tenn. – Rick Ware Racing announced Friday that East Carolina University will be the primary sponsor for Kyle Weatherman’s No. 17 Chevrolet Camaro in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

The partnership was made possible by Rick Ware Racing General Manager Bryan Clodfelter, a 1991 graduate of East Carolina University and the Athletics Department at ECU.

Located in Greenville, N.C., East Carolina University is the fourth largest university in North Carolina. Founded on March 8, 1907, as a teaching training school, ECU has grown from 43 acres to almost 1,600 acres.

The university’s academic facilities are located on six properties. There are more than 400 registered clubs on campus including fraternities and sororities.

ECU is a returning partner at Rick Ware Racing after also supporting the team’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series No. 51 entry last year at Dover (Del.) Int’l Speedway.

“Everyone at Rick Ware Racing is extremely excited to once again partner with East Carolina University,” said Clodfelter. “It is a great program that will again put ECU on a national stage without the University incurring any cost.

“The support for us to do this comes from fans and supporters of ECU Athletics and the sales of memorabilia such as hats, shirts and even die-cast cars. Having worked with the Athletic Department during my tenure at ECU, I know first-hand the pride that goes along with athletics at ECU and the commitment of the fan base.”

Twenty-one-year-old Weatherman will make his Xfinity Series debut this weekend at Bristol. Despite his inexperience in Xfinity Series competition, the Wentzville, Mo., native has nine Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts and 50 starts in ARCA, including a win at New Jersey Motorsports Park in 2015.

“I am extremely excited to be able to represent the students and alumni of East Carolina University this weekend at Bristol,” said Weatherman. “I’m looking forward to the challenges a tough short track like Bristol Motor Speedway presents – but I have the confidence in my Rick Ware Racing team that we can have a solid performance on Saturday and give ECU a strong showing as well.

“The car looks great too.”

In addition to Bristol, ECU is expected to be the team’s primary supporter next weekend at Richmond (Va.) Raceway.

The post East Carolina Backs Weatherman & Ware At Bristol appeared first on SPEED SPORT.

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BRISTOL, Tenn. – Canadian Raphael Lessard has joined Bill McAnally Racing to contest this weekend’s NASCAR K&N Pro Series East event at Bristol Motor Speedway.

The 17-year-old native of St.-Joseph de Beauce, Quebec will pilot the No. 50 FRL Express Toyota Camry, a fourth entry for the traditional K&N West juggernaut, in Saturday’s Zombie Auto 150.

Lessard will be teammates with K&N East championship leader Derek Kraus, K&N West point leader Hailie Deegan and series rookie Brittney Zamora as he makes his series debut.

“The car looks really good sitting here, doesn’t it?” Lessard joked to SPEED SPORT on Friday morning at Bristol Motor Speedway. “The guys at BMR did a really good job at getting it ready for us. This came together pretty quick; I was not supposed to race a whole lot this year, but I think the first few races I’ve run with Toyota this season have proven that I deserve a place running with some of the veterans.

“I just can’t thank Bill McAnally Racing, NAPA Belts & Hoses and FRL Express enough, along with all the people who support me, for helping to make this opportunity possible,” Lessard added. “It’s awesome and I’m really glad to be back here at Bristol again.”

Lessard returns to Bristol this weekend full of confidence, and for good reason. He won the CARS Super Late Model Tour portion of the Short Track U.S. Nationals last May at the half-mile concrete coliseum and believes he has a chance at similar success in a K&N car this weekend.

“For sure, I believe we can have success this weekend,” Lessard noted. “I know what it takes to win here after last year, coming in with Kyle Busch Motorsports and leaving with a sword! I actually believe the super lates are faster than the Cup cars are here, so coming back now in a K&N car will be a little bit different experience to adapt to.

“I’m ready, though. I’m excited and we’re here for the win.”

Contrary to many who come to The Last Great Coliseum, Lessard enjoys the high-intensity style of racing that Bristol’s half-mile of high banks delivers in every series that races there.

“I just love the high banks and the speed; it’s so much fun,” said Lessard. “You always have to be on your game, focused and looking at everything, because if someone wrecks in front of you, it happens really quickly. You have to react fast to stay out of trouble and Bristol, for sure.

“There’s a lot of pressure on your body, especially through the corners, but I love those types of tracks.”

After a recent near-miss in the ARCA race at Five Flags Speedway and a rough-and-tumble NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series debut at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, Lessard is hoping for smoother sailing this time around as he chases his first victory of the season.

“We’ll see what happens, but I’m looking forward to this whole weekend,” he said. “I was not very used to the big cars before the season started, but running the ARCA car in Pensacola and the Truck at Martinsville has gotten me more used to how they race, even if we have had some bad luck. I believe it’s going to be a fun weekend, though, and that we can shake all that off and focus ahead.

“I know the first couple of laps will be about getting a good feel, and after that it will be all about figuring out how to make this thing go fast around here.”

Lessard is hoping to soak in as much as he can this weekend, in advance of his return to Bristol in August for his final of three scheduled Truck Series starts with Kyle Busch Motorsports this season.

“It’s all about learning,” he said. “I want to come back and be really strong in the trucks. That’s my goal.”

The post Lessard & McAnally Unite To Tackle Bristol appeared first on SPEED SPORT.

BRASELTON, Ga. – U.S. work visa delays have forced British-born motorcycle racing presenter Dylan Gray to sit out the inaugural broadcast of the new MotoAmerica Live+ streaming of this weekend’s season opener at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

All options are being explored to resolve the issue in a speedy manner and allow Gray to rejoin the MotoAmerica team as soon as possible.

Noted broadcaster Jonathan Green will fill in for Gray while the situation is being resolved.

“I’m extremely upset that I’m not able to be part of the first MotoAmerica Live+ broadcast,” Gray said. “Ever since Wayne (Rainey) first mentioned this project to me, I have been looking forward to it immensely. Having met a lot of people in the paddock and having already communicated with most others in some way or another, I cannot tell you how nice the people here are. I sincerely hope that I can repay the kindness shown towards me by everyone involved in MotoAmerica in the very near future.”

“We are working diligently with Dylan to get this situation resolved,” added MotoAmerica President Wayne Rainey. “It’s an unfortunate situation for our season opener, but we’re confident the issues can be resolved and Dylan will be able to continue in his role with us.”

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The 2019 Remax Vernon Squash Tournament will have a special guest.

The event takes place April 12 to 14 at The Roster Sports Club (Rosters) with a field of 80 players from all over North America.

Special guest will be the greatest squash player Canada has produced, Jonathon Power.

“Jonathon will be playing Interior Squash Academy head coach Adam Terheege, as well as Justin Todd and Sarfaraz Ahmed, both top-10 players in Canada,” said Teerheege, tournament spokesperson.

RELATED: World squash champions wow Rosters

Power, who was also a guest at the event in 2018, became the first North American in 1999 to reach the World No. 1 ranking. He also won 36 top-level squash events during his glittering career, including the World Open in 1998 and the British Open in 1999.

The Canadian is considered to be one of the greatest shot makers in the history of the game, having perfected a wide range of drop shots and deception shots.

He was named the fifth greatest male squash player of all time in a 2018 Professional Squash Association poll.

The A draw of the Remax Vernon tournament will also feature a local talent.

William Rutter, 15, from Vernon, is one of the best U17 juniors in B.C. He attends W.L. Seaton Secondary and trains with Terheege at Rosters.

READ ALSO: Squash academy hitting big strides

The exhibition matches start at 6:30 p.m. on on Friday and the Open final will start at 7 p.m. Saturday evening.

Tournament sponsors include Remax Vernon including realtor Murray Bennetto, Davidson Pringle, Hyundai Vernon, Gold’n Time Jewellry, Nokomis Landscaping, CIBC Gaskell Financial Services, Rossworn Henderson, Austin Engineering, Vernon Dental and Wilf Lunde.

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SINGAPORE - Throughout the Schools National B Division girls' squash final on Wednesday (April 3), a favourite cheer among the Singapore Chinese Girls' School (SCGS) supporters was how their fellow student Rachel Tan "takes no Ls".

The chant proved both catchy and prophetic as the 16-year-old never looked like losing as she easily beat Methodist Girls' School (MGS) captain Michelle Lai 11-3, 11-6, 11-5 to secure the gold medal for her team.

Hers was the fourth match which clinched the tie at the Kallang Squash Centre before teammate Waverly Wu defeated MGS' Gabrielle Chong 11-9, 11-3, 11-4 to complete the overall 4-1 scoreline.

SCGS also won last year's final by the same margin.

Rachel, who is SCGS' vice-captain, pumped her fist and grinned at her supporters after winning her match. She ended the season with a perfect record from her eight matches.

"I was very happy because it's my last year in SCGS and I wanted to end it on a good note," she said. "I was nervous because it was the final, but I just told myself to do my best and forget everything else."

There was also added motivation for the SCGS team this year, as they were runners-up to the same opponents in the C Division competition two years ago.

And they begun strongly as SCGS captain Lim Yu Xuan and Hanaan Khaleel Hussein Abo Al Thinin both won their respective singles ties 3-0 to give the defending champions a 2-0 lead.

MGS' Cheyenne Mah halved the deficit after she overcame Felicia Ong 11-6, 11-8, 11-6, but it proved a short reprieve.

SCGS captain Yu Xuan, 16, acknowledged there was pressure to retain their title.

But she coped with those nerves by focusing on each point in the match instead of the raucous crowd, whose cheers after every point drowned out the voice of the marker announcing the score.

Her MGS counterpart Michelle, 15, rued her jittery start. She said: "I know I started off really badly, so I had to calm myself and think because my brain was like TV static... I gradually managed to calm myself down, but it wasn't in time."

This was MGS vice-captain Erin Chan's first B Division match this year after recovering from a torn elbow ligament and, while it ended with a loss, she was not disheartened.

The 15-year-old said: "I should be sad because it's our last year and I want to win, but I feel so proud after watching my teammates play and watching them each break their own mental barriers in squash.

"It's the friendship that will last... If I look back on this year, I wouldn't really care that I won or lost, I would care more that my team and I had so much fun together."

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This year’s World Squash Federation (WSF) Initiative will be hosted by the Kenyan Squash community in Nairobi, Kenya.

Launched in 2011, the WSF international promotional initiative takes leading squash players, together with an international coach and referee, into younger squash nations to help raise the sport’s profile.

This is done through clinics, exhibition matches, refereeing, coaching seminars, and media presentations.

Kenya will be proud hosts of the sport’s ultimate Ambassador Nicol David former Number 1 from Malaysia who shortly after bringing her illustrious professional squash career to a close will join fellow players Camille Serme France World number 4 and Borja Golan Spaniard former world number 5 for the 2019 WSF Ambassador Programme visit to Kenya.

Joining the three will be Belgian national coach Ronny Vlassaks and international referee Marko Podgorsek, from Slovenia in the campaign that will take place take place from 27 to 30 June.
David, 35 is a tireless squash campaign and ambassador with a record eight time world champion having played significant roles in all the sports Olympic bids since 2005.

She has been leading light in several women’s tour promotions visits to raise the profile of the sport in all corners of the globe in the 11 years preceding the WSF programme and participated in four of the ‘Ambassadors’ initiatives from 2011 to 2015.

“We are all excited as this is truly the biggest event yet for our sport,” said the squash national representative Gakuo Ndirangu.

Gakuo who was speaking ahead of the visit, said the timing is perfect and that Squash is now really on the up and with all the squash clubs taking up a greater initiative in the promotion of the game at all levels.

“Having these great players, coach and referees here in June will stimulate this even more. Events will be hosted by Parklands Sports Club and the Nairobi Club, with all others joining in too,” he said.

WSF CEO Andrew Shelley added: “As always, we are immensely grateful to Camille and Borja for taking time away from the busy international tour schedule to lead this vital promotional visit and are thrilled that Nicol David will be able to be with us again too and delight Kenyans with both her charm and her skills.

“We look forward to meeting and interacting with the Kenyan squash community and help the national federation boost the sport’s profile,” Shelley said.

The WSF Ambassador Programme first visited the Baltic country of Latvia in 2011, followed by a trip to the African countries of Malawi and Namibia, then Panama and Venezuela in 2013, Papua New Guinea in 2014, before focusing on the Balkan region in 2015 with appearances in Serbia, Romania and Croatia. In 2016, the team visited Dalian and Macau in China. After the 2017 edition was postponed, the WSF team headed to Armenia, Ukraine in 2018.
The sports game in the country although growing and gaining popularity has been a slow game as it is not played at school levels.
Looking at the game, one might take it like a simple exchange of balls between players, but according to players, it is a game that has to be well thought out and combines physical agility and strategy.
According to Gakuo who has been in the team that organizes the KENGEN squash competition tournaments at the Parklands Sports Club including the national tournaments, the game which is also played using rackets just like tennis is however faster than tennis and players have to be alert, balanced and quick on their feet using the right gear.
“During the tournament, silence is encouraged in the courts for better concentration as it is intense,” he said adding that in order for the game to grow they organize competitions from junior levels to the senior level throughout the year in their squash calendar.
By Wangari Ndirangu

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