Oscar Pistorius' lawyer said the South African Supreme Court of Appeal ignored the double-amputee's vulnerability when it overturned a manslaughter conviction, declaring him guilty of murder for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in 2013.

In a request to South Africa's Constitutional Court to hear an appeal of the murder conviction, lawyer Andrew Fawcett said Pistorius was on his stumps, which made him anxious, when he fired. He said the appeals court ignored the trial court's finding that Pistorius believed his life was in danger.

Amir Khan could opt for a chance at redemption and revenge over a fight with Kell Brook after being named as the mandatory challenger for Floyd Mayweather's old belt.

The vacant WBC title will be on the line when Danny Garcia faces Robert Guerrero in Los Angeles on January 23.

And if Garcia wins, Khan could jump at the chance to avenge his loss to the Philadelphian in 2012.

Barcelona forward Neymar has been ordered to appear in a Spanish court next month as one of the defendants in a fraud case brought by Brazilian investment fund, DIS.

The firm alleges it was the victim when Barca signed the player, third in the latest world football player of the year poll, from Brazilian club, Santos.

A judge in Madrid, acting on a request from the state prosecutor, ordered Neymar, his parents, former Barca president Sandro Rosell, incumbent Josep Maria Bartomeu and two former Santos officials to present themselves on February 1 and 2.

The fund, which owned 40 percent of Neymar's rights when he was at Santos, alleges it was paid far less than it was entitled to when the player agreed to join the Spanish and European champions in 2013.

Bartomeu, Rosell, who resigned over the allegations, and the club have been accused of defrauding the tax office of some 13 million euros ($14.1 million). All three have denied any wrongdoing.

Th

The year 2015 could best be described as a difficult year for the National Paralympic Committee (NPC) in relation to sports development and promotion mainly due to financial and logistics challenges.  That notwithstanding, the association managed to make some strides both locally and internationally with the help of corporate organisations and philanthropies.

Earlier in March, the NPC successfully organised its 2nd National Delegates and Electoral Congress in Accra, where the Bishop Cornelius Adjah Cofie-led administration was elected and sworn into office to oversee the day-to-day administration of the association.

Regarding national and international events, the NPC organised a nationwide trial and selection exercise which was conducted between the months of June and July 2015, as part of efforts to select athletes towards the 2015 All Africa Games (AAG).

At the end of it all, 30 athletes were identified and invited to final trial and selection in Kumasi, f

About 30 taekwondo referees /judges, including the president of the Ghana Taekwondo Federation (GTF), Federick Otu Lartey, has been appointed by the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) to officiate in the forthcoming European Olympic Taekwondo Qualification tournament to be held this weekend in Istanbul, Turkey.

The tournament, which is a prelude to the Olympic Games in Rio, de Janeiro Brazil, in August this year, will see two finalist athletes qualify for the games.

Speaking to the Graphic Sports yesterday, Mr Lartey Otu expressed delight about his appointment and said it was not only an honour to him but to the entire taekwondo sport in Ghana.

Former Black Bombers coach, Ofori Asare, has been awarded the International Amateur Boxing Association Association (AIBA) instructors certificate.

This follows his successful completion of the AIBA-organised Level Three Instructors Course for 51 AIBA coaches in Ordu-Turkey last year.

The 52-year-old told the Graphic Sports he was delighted about his new position and would use it effectively in the interest of the nation.

“This is an opportunity for me to help other amateur boxing coaches in Ghana and Africa as a whole and I will not relent on that”, he stressed.

The veteran coach, who has been key to the development of boxing talents such as Joseph Agbeko, Emmanuel GameBoy Tagoe, Rafael Mensah and Maxwell Awuku, has pledged his readiness to do more.

Former chairman of the Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA), J.Y. Appiah, a key actor in the raging hostility against the incumbent chairman, Alhaji Ali Raji, says he will remain neutral in the politics of the chairmanship race of the association ahead of the elections.

Appiah’s working colleague at the GHALCA, Kudjoe Fianoo, last Wednesday announced his intention to contest the chairmanship position with a mission to restore the lost glory of the association and many keen observers expect him (Appiah) to support Fianoo’s candidature.

But Appiah told the Graphic Sports yesterday that he was unamused at the issues relating to the forthcoming elections tentatively fixed for March this year.

“For some good reasons, I don’t want to throw my support behind anybody at the moment.

Hearts of Oak’s expatriate coach, Kenich Yatsuhashi, will continue in his job contrary to speculations that he was on the firing line following the team’s string of unimpressive shows since taking up the technical reins at the Phobians, writes Andy Quao.

At a Strategic Committee meeting of Hearts in Accra yesterday, which was highly speculated to deal a blow to the Americo-Japanese coach, such an action was hardly considered as the beefing up of the playing squad was what dominated the agenda.

According to inside sources at the meeting, what was paramount was the launch of a strong bid for some Premier League players to augment their squad at this stage of their off-season preparations.

The source told the Graphic Sports yesterday that the meeting did not take a decision on the coach, but rather completed the signing of some top Premier League players and launched the bid for others.

The technical team of the Black Starlets (National Under 17) will from today embark on a tour of the 10 regional capitals to scout for players born on or after January 1, 2000 and groom them for selection into the team.

The exercise, which is expected to end on January 31, will begin in Tamale today and tomorrow and will continue in Bolgatanga on Sunday, Wa, Sunyani and Kumasi on January 25, 2016.

It will then proceed to Takoradi on January 26, with stop-overs at Cape Coast, Koforidua, Ho and end in Accra on January 31.

During the tour, a mini tournament will be organised for the players with the able support of the Regional Sports Development Officers (R.S.D.O)’s and coaches.

The biggest sporting event, this year, takes place in Brazil, where the Olympic Games will be staged.

Already qualified for that great showpiece, are the Black Queens, the national senior women's football team, that in spite of official discouragement, are not afflicted by expiration of inspiration.

Since February last year, the Black Queens have not been paid their bonuses, in a typical Master-servant relationship, condemned to living on shoestring budget while sports ministry hierarchy live it up with lavish lifestyles.

Yet, an even worse fate could befall their male compatriots, Black Bombers, the national amateur boxing team.

It has a chance to qualify for the Brazil 2016 Olympics, and join the Black Queens to raise the flag of Ghana, in a quest to mark a new territory and win for the nation her first gold medal at the senior Olympics.

In a preemptive strike to avert non-qualification, the president of the Ghana Amateur Boxing Association,

Defending champion of the Sports Writers Association of Ghana’s (SWAG) Footballer of the Year, Harrison Afful, would wish to guard his title  for the second time when SWAG converge for its flagship awards in May.

Afful who plies his trade with MLS side Columbus Crew SC, would battle against his international teammates, Andre Ayew of Swansea and Shanghai SIPG’s Asamoah Gyan, ancidentally, the same duo he beat to pick the previous award.

The trio have been outstanding for both club and country, particularly the Swansea midfielder who has been inspiring and scoring three goals to help the Black Stars qualify for the grand finale of the 2015 AFCON.

Gyan’s was equally phenomenal during the year under review having captained the national team to the AFCON final as well as his fine form for the Chinese club last season.

Actress Juliet Ibrahim has described her experience hosting the just ended 2015 Glo Confederation of African Football (CAF) Awards held at the Abuja International Conference Centre, as a dream come true.

Juliet who is virtually not known as an event hostess put up a splendid performance at the event, which had many on social media and other platforms praising her performance on the night.

Juliet’s hosting the event also generated further discussion due to the fact that she was an usher at the 2007 edition of the awards and nine years later, she moved from escorting guests to their seats to co-hosting the prestigious event this year.

In an interview with Showbiz on Tuesday, Juliet Ibrahim said hosting the event was part of Gods plan for her life to bring her to the next stage in her career.

The Accra Hearts of Oak Old Players Association (AHOOPA) under the patronage of the former Metropolitan Chief Executive of Tema, Robert Kempes Ofosuware, will on Sunday hold their annual end of year get-together at the Dolphins Event Centre, Tema.

According to the chairman of AHOOPA, Evans Aryee-Quaye, the meeting will bring together celebrated heroes such as, Peter Lamptey, Sam Suppey, Ali Jarraa, Sam Johnson, James Commey Bortsie, Tetteh Chandu,  Amankwa Mireku, Ayitey Dormon, Collins Paha, Adjah Tetteh, Justice Ampah, Desmond Amoah, Sam Amartefio, among others.

The president of the Ghana Hockey Association (GHA), Mr Richard Akpokavie, has bemoaned the neglect of hockey over the last four years.

According to the hockey boss, the Ministry of Youth and Sports has not offered any budgetary support for the sport in preparation for local and major tournaments, a situation that has affected the morale of players and officials.

In an interwiew with the Daily Graphic, Mr. Akpokavie said “For the last four years, we have not received any pesewas from the state which is having a negative impact on our activities”.

Newly elected president of the West African Football Union Zone B, Kwesi Nyantakyi, says he will develop strategies to improve the standard of the game within the sub-region, particularly in the Zone B jurisdiction.

Addressing the media after he was retained in office, in an election held in Accra last Tuesday, Nyantakyi said he would introduce various categories of football competitions for the youth, women as well as inter- club tornaments among the countries in Zone B which includes Nigeria, Niger, Benin, Togo, Côte D'Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Ghana.

“We will be organising football games among women, youth as well as inter club competitions to improve the standard of football in our zone.” Kwesi Nyantakyi stated.