US boxer Deontay Wilder speaks during a press conference in New York City on October 13, 2022, ahead of his WBC heavyweight championship fight against Swedish-Finnish boxer Robert Helenius. – Wilder and Helenius will fight on October 15, 2022 at Barclays Center.

Former world heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder hopes to get back to winning ways with a knockout when he takes on former sparring partner Robert Helenius on Saturday after a year-long absence from the ring.

Wilder, 36, faces Finland’s Helenius at Barclays Center in Brooklyn in his first fight since being knocked out by WBC champion Tyson Fury last year.

Many observers felt Wilder might have been wiser heading into retirement after his bruising 11th-round defeat to Fury in what was acclaimed as 2021’s fight of the year.

However, the hard-hitting knockout specialist from Alabama is determined to extend his career, starting with Saturday’s date against the 38-year-old veteran Helenius.

“Me and Tyson Fury had three memorable fights, especially for the fans, and I’m looking to keep delivering that moving forward,” said Wilder (42-2-1, with 41 knockouts).

A victory for Wilder could see the American advance to a final title eliminator against former champion Andy Ruiz sometime in 2023, with the winner of that fight possibly advancing to a title fight against Fury.

Little is certain, however, given the opaque back-room dealings of heavyweight boxing, so for now Wilder is simply concentrating on a quick win over Helenius this weekend.

“You can always expect nothing but the best from me,” Wilder said.

“I don’t get paid for overtime. I’ve been known for the knockouts and I’m going to end my career continuing to get those knockouts.”

Wilder recruited the 6ft 6in Helenius as a sparring partner during his preparations to face Fury last year and is looking forward to facing the Finn for the first time in a fully-fledged contest.

“It’s going to be fun,” Wilder said. “Robert is a great guy and we both have a warrior’s heart. We’re both willing to go out on our shields.

“This is our first time getting in the ring when it really counts. It’s going to be electrifying to finally step in the ring with him in that scenario.”

Wilder’s trainer Malik Scott has warned however that Helenius’s performances in sparring last year will bear no relation to how he performs on Saturday.

“He’s a good fighter when the lights are on,” Scott said. “When it’s time to throw a monkey wrench into the apple cart and upset people, this is when he comes alive.

“And this makes him more dangerous in this fight.”

Nine-times Australian Open champion Djokovic will also be eligible if he can overturn a visa ban as part of his deportation in January 2022.

Russian and Belarusian players will be allowed to compete at the Australian Open as neutrals while Novak Djokovic would also be welcome to play if he can obtain a visa, tournament director Craig Tiley disclosed on Wednesday.

Tennis authorities banned Russian and Belarusian players from international team competitions after Russia invaded Ukraine earlier this year but allowed them to compete at regular tour events.

The French Open and U.S. Open Grand Slams allowed them to compete as neutrals, though Wimbledon imposed an outright ban.

“At this point, Russian and Belarusian players will be eligible to play in the Australian Open,” Tiley told reporters.

“The only difference will be that they cannot represent Russia-cannot represent the flag of Russia.

“They cannot participate in any activity such as the anthem of Russia and they have to play as independent players under a neutral name.

Russia has used Belarus as a staging ground for the invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a “special military operation.”

Tiley said nine-times Australian Open champion Djokovic would also be eligible if he can overturn a visa ban as part of his deportation in January.

The Serbian great was kicked out of the country for not being vaccinated against covid-19.

He is barred from re-entering until 2025, though the Australian government can waive the ban at its discretion.

Tiley said he had not had any contact with the government about Djokovic and that Australian Open organisers could not lobby on the Serb’s behalf.

“At this point… Novak and the federal government need to work out the situation and then we’ll follow any instructions after that,” Tiley said.

“It’s not a matter we can lobby on. It’s a matter that definitely stays between the two of them and then, depending on the outcome of that, we would welcome him to the Australian Open.”

Djokovic, who also missed the U.S. Open over his vaccination status, said last month he was waiting for “positive news” from Australian authorities.

However, Australia’s former Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews, an opposition lawmaker, said this week that she was opposed to the government lifting Djokovic’s ban.

She said it would be a “slap in the face” for Australians who have been vaccinated.

The Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development Sunday Dare has confirmed that some international teams have been invited to participate in the forthcoming National Sports Festival(NSF), Delta 2022.

Speaking in Abuja on Thursday, the Minister said invitations have been extended to Ghana, Cameroon, Cote’d’Ivoire, Guinea, Benin Republic and Sierra Leone to present teams that will be part of the games.

“The National Sports Festival, Delta 2022 is our own Olympics. We want to make it an African show so we are adding some international flavours to it with the participation of teams from at least four West African countries. We are hoping to have about sixteen to eighteen thousand athletes in Delta State,” the Minister said.

The National Sports Festival is scheduled to hold between November 28 – December 10, 2022 in Asaba, Delta State.

Anthony Joshua has been told to take one of the ‘great fights’ on offer against Daniel Dubois or Joe Joyce, by promoter Frank Warren.

Joshua had seemed set to face Tyson Fury in a bout dubbed the ‘Battle of Britain’ in December before discussions between the two parties fell through last month.

And now the British heavyweight has been told – by Fury’s promoter Warren – that he must make himself the ‘mandatory’ challenger if he wants to face the Gypsy King.

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Speaking to iFL TV, Warren said: ‘If [Joshua] wants to fight, there’s two great fights there with Joe Joyce and Daniel Dubois. Both hold very significant positions in their respective organisations.

“They’re both mandatories. One is the interim champion, that’s Joe Joyce. Daniel is the WBA ‘Regular’ champion. There’s another way back if he wants to talk about it.”

Fury and Joshua had been in negotiations over their highly-anticipated bout for weeks before both parties declared the fight was officially off the cards.

The Gypsy King now looks set to face either Mahmoud Charr or Derek Chisora on December 3,

Speaking on the failed clash between Fury and Joshua, Warren said: “It’s off the table. If you look at it, AJ has to get himself in the mandatory position.”

He continued: “To get into the mandatory position, he gets 20 per cent of the purse bid, whereas he would have gotten 40 per cent.”

Warren contended that a fight with Fury will not happen unless Joshua makes himself the mandatory challenger – which he can do by beating either Joyce or Dubois.

Joyce is coming off the back of an impressive knockout win over Joseph Parker in September while Dubois’ last bout saw him deliver the same fate to American Trevor Bryan.

Warren claimed either fighter would be a good match-up for Joshua – who has lost his last two bouts in convincing style to Usyk.

Meanwhile, American heavyweight Deontay Wilder recently claimed it’s only a matter of time before he faces Anthony Joshua in the ‘biggest fight in the world’.

Nigeria Professional Football League champions, Rivers United have arrived Morocco ahead of their CAF Champions League first round second leg clash against Wydad Athletic Club.

A 35-man contingent consisting of players and officials of the club arrived the Mohamed V International Airport late Thursday night after a brief stopover in Cotonou, Benin Republic.

Rivers United head into the game with a 2-1 advantage from the first leg.

Sunday’s encounter will hold at the 67,000 capacity Mohammed V Stadium, Casablanca.

The game will kick-off at at 7pm Nigeria time.

Nigeria’s other representative in the competition, Plateau United will be up against Esperance of Tunisia on Saturday.

Super Eagles goalkeeper Francis Uzoho says playing in Old Trafford is a dream come true for him.

Uzoho was in inspiring form for his Cypriot club Omonia Nicosia, who fell to a late Scot McTominay strike which earned Manchester United a 1-0 win in Thursday’s Europa League.

Uzoho was drafted in as replacement for Omonia first choice Fabiano due to injury and went on to make 12 saves, nine saves in the box and won 100 per cent aerial duels.

And reacting to his fine display which saw him stop the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Marcus Rashford and Antony, Uzoho said in the post-match:“I am not disappointed (about the loss) because we had a good game but I would have preferred that we get a point. But I’m happy because it’s not an easy stadium to play in with big players so I’m happy.

“It’s a dream come through for me. I have dreamt of playing here for a long time so when I saw the draw and figured that I will be playing in Old Trafford I wanted to play and I got the opportunity to play here.”

On whether his performance against United was the best in his career, Uzoho said:“Arguably yes I think so and I’m proud of my teammates because it was not a one-man job. We gave everything on the field and like I said I’m happy with my performance.“

The defeat against United was Omonia’s fourth in the group which saw them place bottom.

Paris Saint-Germain forward, Kylian Mbappe, could terminate his contract with the club.

According to L’Equipe, the France forward and his team are considering all their options in a bid to leave.

This follows revelations that PSG allegedly used an army of fake Twitter accounts, to wage campaigns against players.

The Ligue 1 champions have already denied this.

With Mbappe himself said to have been a target back in 2019, his decision to leave the club is now final.

Mbappe already felt the club did not keep its promises regarding the summer transfer window, as they failed to bring in a number nine who could play alongside him.

One option being considered is that of terminating his contract, which he signed in May this year, snubbing a mega move to Real Madrid.

Given that the deal – two years with an option for a third – is a fixed-term contract, French law dictates that the World Cup winner would have to pay a high fee to PSG, potentially even more than the salary he is due over the period of the contract.

Nigeria’s Flamingos bounced back from their opening-day loss to Germany at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup by thrashing New Zealand 4-0 in Goa on Friday afternoon.

Aminat Bello put the Flamingos in front, 17 minutes after Esther Adesina’s cross.

Miracle Usani doubled Nigeria’s lead in the 34th minute.

It was Usani’s second goal in the competition.

The Nigerian girls missed a number of chances to double their lead afterwards.

New Zealand goalkeeper, Feinberg-Danieli also made a couple of impressive saves to keep the scoreline more respectable.

Afolabi Taiwo Tewogboola added the third 15 minutes from time after a VAR review.

Substitute Etim Edidiong scored her side’s fourth goal of the game with a delightful strike deep into stoppage time.

The Flamingos will face Chile in their final group game on Monday.