Ghana midfielder Michael Essien has joined Indonesian top flight Persib Bandung on a one-year deal ahead of the start of the 2017 Liga 1 season.

Essien has been recruited as a marquee player by Persib and will have the option of extending his contract for a further year at the end of the 2017/2018 season depending on his performances.

Ghana midfielder Michael Essien has began negotiations with Indonesian Premier League side Persib Bandung ahead of a potential transfer.

Essien has been sighted in Indonesia at the training grounds of several clubs but Persib are thought to be favourites for the former Chelsea cult hero's signature ahead of another team - Pusamania Borneo FC.

Black Sticks striker, Johnny Botsio, inspired the national male hockey team to defeat Fiji 11-2 in the ongoing Hockey World League Round 2 match last Saturday.

The President of the Ghana Cycling Federation (GCF), Mohammed Sahnoon, has questioned the inclusion of former Olympians and affiliates to the delegates list without the knowledge of Congress and accused the leadership of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) of planning to rig the upcoming elections on March 15.

Former Black Stars captain and coach, James Kwasi Appiah, could be returning to the job he quit over two years ago if the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MOYS) has its way following strong indications that he is the favourite of the ministry among the list of applicants to replace Avram Grant.

However, while there is no confirmation by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) about the list of applicants for the Stars vacant job, a credible source told the Graphic Sports at the weekend that Kwasi Appiah, now with Sudan’s Al Khartoum, was among the list of applicants likely to be made known this week.

Suspended Black Stars midfielder Sulley Muntari scored his 27th career goal in the Serie A on Sunday, March 12. Muntari, 32, netted a consolation for strugglers Pescara who were thrashed 3-1 by Agyemang Badu's Udinese at the Stadio Adriatico.

He intercepted a loose pass outside the penalty area and scuffed a feeble shot into the bottom far corner.

The Ghana national junior fencing team returned home on Saturday with four medals at the just ended African Cadet Junior Championship in Yamoussoukro, Cote d'Ivoire.

The three-day event started on March 8 and ended on March 11 with Ghana's UK-based female cadet, Yasmine Fosu winning three medals (gold, silver and bronze) and the men's team winning silver in foil after losing to the host nation, Cote d'Ivoire in the finals.

Mali is facing a possible Fifa suspension after the country's sports minister missed a deadline to revoke his dissolution of the football federation's Executive Committee.

Mali Sports Minister Housseini Amion Guindo took his action on Wednesday and duly installed an interim committee to lead the federation (Femafoot) until a new board can be elected.

Joshua King scored a hat-trick as Bournemouth boosted their Premier League survival hopes by beating West Ham to secure a first win in 2017.

King had missed an early penalty for the Cherries when he fired wide of the post, and 48 seconds later West Ham took the lead when Michail Antonio swept a low shot into the bottom corner.

Ghanaian basketball star Ben Bentil will return to the NBA Development League (D-League) following the expiration of his 10-day NBA contract with the Dallas Mavericks last Wednesday.

Bentil will rejoin the 2014 NBA D-League Champions the Fort Wayne Mad Ants after he appeared sparingly in three games for the Mavericks, without scoring a point in 10 minutes of action.

Ghanaian NFL star Ezekiel Nana "Ziggy" Ansah is in line for a $12 million guaranteed base salary at the Detroit Lions ahead of the new season.

The Detroit Lions will make some new players very rich men during the next 24-to-72 hours.

The three-man Electoral Commission of the GOC has approved the candidature of Jerry Ahmed Shaib, a member of the Ghana Special Olympics Association, bringing to 35 the number of candidates for the March 15 electoral congress slated for the Alisa Hotel in Accra.

Mr Shaib who is contesting the position of Three Other Members, initially saw his nomination placed on hold following the discovery of an error on his nomination form.

The Baj Freight Junior Tennis League returns with the second round tomorrow morning at the GHACEM Tennis Club in Tema with juvenile tennis stars from Sakumono, Tema and Ashaiman communities battling for  honours in the U-16, U-14, U-12, U-10 and U-8 categories for both boys and girls.

The winner of the biggest sporting jackpot in the country's history, Kwame Fosuhene has been presented with a GH₵990,650 (£173,000) dummy cheque by sports betting company Betway.

Fosuhene, 23, a movie director from Adabraka in Kumasi told Graphic Online on the sidelines of the presentation ceremony on Friday, March 10 that he was surprised when he successfully predicted 14 out of 15 matches on an accumulator bet last weekend.

Golden Tulip Accra last Saturday hosted tennis enthusiasts to a tennis tournament to mark Ghana’s 60th Independence Day Anniversary celebrations.