By Stuart Taylor In the world of sport, pressure has a nasty habit of making or breaking someone’s dreams. Countless times pressure to perform has proven too much for elite athletes to handle at the most inopportune time. Tennis ace Jana Novotna saw her title dreams crumble in the space of 10-minutes during the Wimbledon […]

“It’s what we have been training for and preparing for a long time, so it’s both nerve-wracking and exciting.” Those are the words of Welsh rhythmic gymnast Gemma Frizelle as she and her team-mates prepare for a massive next three weeks. First up is the Rhythmic Gymnastics British Championships in Telford this weekend, followed a fortnight later by the Welsh Championships in Cardiff.

Tesni Evans faces the biggest task in women’s squash on Tuesday night when takes on world No.1 Nouran Gohar at the World Championships. Welsh No.1 Evans – who is seeded 13 at the tournament in Cairo – has shown good form so far in overcoming Poland’s Karina Tyma and Coline Aumard of France in reaching the last 16. But she will have to produce the form of her life to unseat Gohar in front of her home Egyptian fans at the Club S Allegria.

By Gareth James Lydia Hall says she has achieved a 15-year ambition by qualifying for the US Women’s Open. The Welsh No.1 booked her place after a dramatic five-way play-off that went to the fifth extra hole in a European qualifying event at Buckinghamshire Gold Club. “It means the world. I’ve never played a US […]

By Tom Prosser Para sport star Harrison Walsh knows more than most about how powerful sport can be in helping someone come to terms with a life-changing injury. Now, he is urging other disabled people to get involved with the Swansea Para Sport Festival this summer. Starting off with a Disability Sport Wales’ in sport […]

Matthew Maynard insists Glamorgan are still reaping the rewards of a positive approach to their County Championship campaign despite their latest defeat. The Welsh county lost by 58 runs to Durham in a match they looked well placed to win at the start of the final day. Instead, they were bowled out for just 137 with England Test hopeful Matty Potts taking 7-40, to leave Glamorgan in third place in Division Two with two wins, two defeats and two draws from their opening six matches.

Patrick Swan may be from Cornwall, but he is more than happy to regularly make the trip across the Severn Bridge to compete in – and for – Wales. Despite being based across the water in England’s most south-westerly county, Swan is a familiar face on the Welsh athletics circuit, competing for Swansea Harriers and pulling on the red vest of Wales. Last weekend, the big shot putter added 15cms to his personal best at the National Athletics League’s opening Premiership fixture of the summer in Cardiff.

Gymnast Poppy Stickler is the latest pupil to be honoured in Whitchurch High School’s renowned Hall of Fame. Gareth Bale, Sam Warburton and Geraint Thomas already grace the walls of the most famous sporting school in Wales. Now it’s the turn of Sticker. The Cardiff pupil – who turns 16 on June 12 – is a strong contender to be named in the Wales squad for this summer’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Welsh endurance athletes will be concentrating on the 10,000m distance this weekend, whether that is on the road or the track. On Saturday, a number of Wales’ top runners will be heading for London’s Parliament Hill track for the prestigious Night of the 10,000m PBs. The following day sees the roads of Caerphilly host a high quality Welsh 10k Championships in the shadow of the town’s famous castle.

By Harry Corish Anna Hursey celebrated being called up for her second Commonwealth Games by winning funding from the Charitable Social Enterprise GLL Sports Foundation. Hursey, who became Wales’ youngest ever Commonwealth Games athlete four years ago at the Gold Coast Games at the age of 11, has now been named in the 2022 Table […]

Mojeid Ilyas’ love for the game of cricket began when he was a child, playing tape ball at the local parks with his brothers for hours on end. He has now taken that passion and turned it into a Ramadan Tape Ball league to bring together people from all across the community, with the hopes of making cricket a more inclusive game in Wales. Following recent controversies in cricket in the UK, Ilyas, who now serves as Cricket Wales’ Diverse Communities Development Officer, decided to set up the ‘Ramadan Cricket Festival’, a four-week tape ball tournament aimed at those who are fasting for Ramadan.

By Stuart Taylor “I jumped for a medal for our Ukraine. I protect our country on the track and show that Ukrainian people never give up – and it is a strong nation which will do everything to win.” These are the powerful words of Yaroslava Mahuchikh after she claimed gold in the high jump […]

There should be plenty of Welsh voices offering support to Team Cymru in Birmingham at the Commonwealth Games this summer – thanks to Street Games. As part of their #Inspiration2022 campaign, Street Games have arranged for almost 500 young people from Wales to be at the Games on funded day trips with tickets to take in all the action. It means Welsh youngsters will get the chance to give vocal backing to the likes of runner Melissa Courtney, boxer Rosie Eccles and hockey star Luke Hawker as well as others.

Sam Northeast has been praised for his influence on the Glamorgan squad after helping to steer the team to a six-wicket victory against Leicestershire on the final day of their LV= Insurance County Championship match in Cardiff. Matthew Maynard, Glamorgan head coach, lavished praise on the former Kent and Hampshire batsman for his presence and control in helping the Welsh side pick up a crucial 23 points, leaving Glamorgan second currently in division two. Maynard was pleased with the performance of his team and points to the experience of their new signing, Northeast, as already having a crucial impact in Cardiff since his debut.

By Tom Prosser Most Glamorgan members would have arrived at Sophia Gardens yesterday hoping to see Marnus Labuschagne bag another century in their County Championship match against Leicestershire but instead they were treated to watching him star with the ball and field with energy, passion and humour. The Australia international took 3-65 with the ball and very nearly had a hat-trick after two wickets in two balls.

By David Williams Almost two-thirds of football and rugby fans believe the sports they follow are doing enough – or even too much – to manage the risks of concussion, despite campaigners calling for more to be done. A survey conducted by Ipsos last month found 63 per cent of football fans and 64 per […]

Owain Doull has been backed to fully emerge from the long shadow of Geraint Thomas this weekend when the Giro d’Italia begins in Hungary. It’s a shadow that was cast from Cardiff and the Maindy Flyers cycling club 16 ago when Doull was starting out and Thomas had already departed. Doull continued to operate mostly in the shade of Wales’ greatest cyclist at Team Sky, which then became Ineos Grenadiers, in races and tours across Europe.

By Owen Morgan Some of the biggest clubs in British athletics will descend on South Wales this Saturday afternoon. Cardiff Athletics hosts the first round of the National Athletics League’s Premiership, welcoming the likes of reigning champions Thames Valley Harriers, along with last season’s runners–up Harrow AC.

By Tom Prosser Joe Cordina says his upcoming world title fight against Japan’s Kenechi Ogawa is an opportunity for himself to secure his family’s future whilst achieving a lifelong dream in the process. The fight will take place at Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena on Saturday 4th June and will be shown live on DAZN.

Damian Cole has set a new record for the greatest number of wins recorded by a driver over the famous Epynt military range when he won the RJ Matthews Haulage Dixies Challenge Rally on Sunday. The record-breaking win was made all the more special as Cole was co-driven by his daughter Charlotte in their Get Connected Škoda Fabia R5+. The Abergavenny driver had been tied on 23 wins with the late John Price ever since his last victory on Epynt, which was the Mewla Rally back in August 2019.