here are the headlines. donald tusk says a short brexit extension is possible if parliament backs their withdrawal agreement. we cannot give up withdrawal agreement. we cannot give up seeking until the very last moment a positive solution. to may says mps will vote for a third time on her meaningful vote next week. a desperate race against time to save the survivors of cyclone idai. the first funerals take place for the victims of the attack on the mosques in christchurch. the eu says it will agree to a short

delay on brexit but only if parliament agrees to the deal. we will be speaking to aid agencies on the ground in mozambique. we will take a look at tomorrow's front pages this evening. that is all i heard on bbc news. do state with as for these important developments from westminster. now, sports day. hello and welcome to sportsday with me, will perry. coming up on the programme: sophiejones says she's quitting

football after being banned for five games for racially abusing tottenham player renee hector while playing for sheffield united, something jones strongly denies. it's been described as a game changer. . . barclays agree a multi—million sponsorship deal with the women's super league. and wales go through their final preparations tonight ahead of what they're hoping will lead them to another succesful european championship campaign. hello and welcome to sportsday. sophiejones has been banned for five games after being found guilty of racially abusing tottenham player renee hector. sophiejones maintains sophie jones maintains her innocence. injanuary

innocence. in january six sheffield united played tottenham hotspur. later renee hector went on social media to say she had received monkey noises from an opposition player. the fa investigated. sophiejones was charged. sophiejones was found guilty, given a five match ban and a £200 fine. today she has talked to her club and they have decided to mutually terminate her contract because there is only six games of the sheffield united's season remaining at a contract was set to be looked at in the summer anyway. what have both parties had to say? renee hector said she welcomed the verdict, nobody should be subjected to racial abuse and she felt she had a duty to call it out. ina a duty to call it out. in a lengthy statement sophiejones said she strongly stands firm that she is not guilty. she is struggling to come to terms with how the fa

came to the decision. she goes on to list a number of areas that she feels were not properly addressed by that paddle. she says that the hearing took place in a kangaroo court. she says it is with a heavy heart that she is not able to continue playing within football. we have asked the fa for a response to the statement of sophiejones and we are waiting for that. staying with women's football and that news announced today regarding the investiment into the women's game. barclays will become the ist ever title sponsor of the women's super league in what the fa are calling "the biggest investment in uk women's sport by a brand. so what does it all mean? let's have a look. the deal with be for three years. we haven't been told the exact figures — but we know it will be in excess of £10 million. barclays is amongst a number of main sponsors of the men's premier league which recieves over

£100 million per year from commercial partners. the money means — for the first time — there will be official prize money for the women which is going to be £500,000. last year manchester city picked up nearly a0 million for winning the premier league title. but there's little doubt this a signicant day for the women's game. here is former england goalkeeper rachel brown—finnis. huge deal, it is a landmark achievement. there's been so many historical moments in women's football over the last ten, 15 years, certainly. with regards to professionalising women's football, but this has been the final piece of thejigsaw, we have has the media coverage, players have been allowed to become professional, and that continues to grow and move in the right direction, but the commercialisation of it, the sponsorship of the league, that has never been done before, to see that signed and sealed and confirmed to start next season is probably the most exciting piece in this continuing journey.

will the investment go beyond the top tier of the women's game? the sponsorship deal will also be directed towards the fa girls football school partnerships, a nationwide scheme to help develop girls‘ access to football at school, with the aim to double participation and fan base in the game. but that's not an easy process. a number of wsl clubs have previously struggled to sustain top—flight football financially. on tuesday yeovil town ladies made cuts to off—field staff and may have to revert back to part—time status because of financial concerns. here's the fa's director of the women's professional game, kelly simmons. it is challenging at the moment for clu bs it is challenging at the moment for clubs who have not got a men's football clu b clubs who have not got a men's football club partner. we have gone professional, there are charges

around that. this is an important first step in building a sustainable league where women's football clubs. i'm joined by the director of lewes fc charlie dobres. lewes are in the wsl championship — the second tier. and claim they're the only football club in the world where women and men are treated and paid equally. so charlie what will this news mean to your club? before i go any further, i say well done to caley and the entire crew at the women's fa, they worked so hard to get this done. i am happy for them. for the entire game it is brilliant. for us in particular, £10 million investment over three years can only be a beneficial thing. we know a lot of money will go to the

schools programme for clubs, up to 100 hubs. that is also brilliant news. one thing we and other clubs are thinking, perhaps those habits can be formed around the 93 clubs that make up the top four levels of all women's football at the moment. it is brilliant to put money into the grassroots, thing is to connect it to the middle bits, which then connects to the top bits, that women's teams. we are excited about the possibilities. is there the danger that this could segregate the top two divisions even futher and magnify the gap? with investment there comes opportunity, there does come at risk. you want to see that money wisely spent. i am sure there will be consultations with the clubs and throughout the game in order to do that. what one does with the investment, hopefully this will not be the last of it, is absolutely key. in our own case, we are the first and only football club in the world to pay women the same as men, when we did that 18 months ago, that was our own investment, we have seen

140% was our own investment, we have seen 1a0% increase in attendances, and oui’ 1a0% increase in attendances, and our own sponsor. 1a0% increase in attendances, and our own sponsor. when this investment goes in, the plan that goes with it is as important as the amount of money that you have. how do the wsl make sure that this doesn't have an adverse affect on the clubs futher down the pecking order? ina way in a way one of the particular things to read is that there is half £1 million going into the prize fund for the top league but no more than that. average of 50,000 per club in that. average of 50,000 per club in that league. the way they insulate andi that league. the way they insulate and i am sure they will inspire investing in the grassroots in discussion with the club is already bringing all of these clubs on board. in our division, won the league below, there are 11 clubs, the next step there are 25, then there are 46. all of these clubs are vital in building the network for women and girls football. the women's champions league quarterfinals start this evening — the only british club left

in the competiton are chelsea. they play tomorrow. champions lyon are in action tonight against wolfsburg in a repeat of last year's final. wales midfielderjess fishlock knows what lies in wait for her lyon side. the biggest test we have had all season. the biggest test we have had all season. they are going to be physical. they are going to be good. they will want revenge also. this game is going to be a game to watch for the neutrals. it will be one hell of a game and i am really excited. still to come on sportsday: we meet fc cincinnati, the mls's newest team taking the league by storm.

wales are in friendly action tonight against trinidad and tobago, their final preparations. aaron ramsey will not be involved, ryan giggs says his fitness is not quite right. gareth bale is here. he has made a goal—scoring return from injury for real madrid. tonight for ryan giggs it is a chance to experiment a little bit. he has aaron ramsey and gareth bale, we know what they can do, how can he get the best with entwining them with some of the more talented youngsters in the squad? players are at different stages. some players need games, some players do not. it isa need games, some players do not. it is a good opportunity with the friendly fixture that we can have

that. a six—day build—up for some of the players. some of them will not be involved tomorrow. others need a game, whether that be 90 minutes, 45 minutes, we shall have to see as we go along. ryan giggs speaking there ahead of the friendly. a big evening for the trinidad and tobago coach, he played at wrexham asa tobago coach, he played at wrexham as a player. he brings trinidad and to be go here to play wales tonight. a quick look at some of the other stories around today. trent alexander—arnold has withdrawn from the england squad through injury.

sunderland striker will grigg has been ruled out of northern ireland's euro 2020 qualifiers against estonia and belarus with an ankle injury. he's returned to his club and will miss the matches at windsor park on thursday and sunday. wales rugby union players are considering moving to non—welsh clubs amid regional rugby uncertainty according to fly—half gareth anscombe. moving away from wales, who've just secured the six nations grand slam, would see any player with less than 60 caps sacrifice their place in the international team. less than three years ago sian kelly stumbled on an advert that would change her life and take her to countries she'd never dreamed of visiting. sian who's just is the first female head coach of the argentina women's cricket side and has even revived chile's national team — all while introducing young girls to the game. james law went to buenos aires to find out how a spanish speaker from solihull is spreading the message of a sport she didn't previously know existed in the continent.

the language is spanish but the skills are solihull. sian kelly went to coach cricket in argentina almost three years ago as part of her university language degree but ended up university language degree but ended up in charge of the national women's team. i have to pinch myself sometimes that i am head coach of the national team. when i started at 16 years old doing my coaching i never imagined i would come out here and be coaching all over south america. it has been a big step up andi america. it has been a big step up and i have learned a lot. she is a very good coach. she is a woman so she can understand as better than men. that gives as a lot of advantages against other countries. we are very lucky to have her here. sian kelly is notjust a big hit with the first team. she also works alongside a programme encouraging children from less well—off areas to get involved in the game.

we like it when she is the coach. she is good with us. we can learn lots of things. this is where her love of cricket began. she played here since the age of seven with her twin sister who is now the captain of warwickshire. as a coach, they we re of warwickshire. as a coach, they were an absolute dream. they were very competitive. sian kelly has got used to the more laid—back approach to life and loves the local culture. it was not always that way. going from to aires was a culture shock. i did not leave my flat for the first few days and weeks. but it is a

great city and you get used to it. you get used to the culture there. there are aspects to this culture that i prefer compare to english culture but obviously you do most things about home as well. after a few weeks back home, she is about to return to argentina to take up a new role as women's cricket development officer. this adventure may have started as a way to improve her language skills, but now she cannot imagine anywhere else she would want to be. england's women play the final match of their one day series against sri lanka tomorrow morning — hoping to complete a 3—0 victory. england have bounced back from being beaten in their last 50 over series in india but not too many people have been there to see them do it. crowds in sri lanka have been lower than elsewhere on the subcontinent. it would be good in the future to see it would be good in the future to see countries like sri lanka encouraging supporters to come down. asa encouraging supporters to come down. as a player and gets the blood pumping more. the atmosphere gets

you going. i guess that is the next step for other countries. england to do it very well. australia are getting the hang of it as well. the ever—expanding major league soccer welcomed their 24th franchise this season. fc cincinnati joined the league, and on sunday had their first ever home game in mls. theirfans are one of the main reasons the city now has a team, as you ll see in this report from alex gulrajani in cincinnati. this pocket of ohio is into football ina big this pocket of ohio is into football in a big way, not american football, soccer. this has led to the ultimate, an mls side. fans were crucial to them getting this franchise. that was the driver. what drove all of the opportunity, if it was not what was going on here

cincinnati would not exist in soccer. the club was the brainchild of two influential characters. soccer is the number one sport in the world, it is catching on enormously here in the city and in the states. we show up at work because we are going to be the number one sports property in cincinnati. the cinderella story of us soccer. the first professional sports team that has been brought to the city in 50 years. our family is so the city in 50 years. our family is so proud that there is another sports legacy in our community. cincinnati reds are the countries old est cincinnati reds are the countries oldest professional baseball team and have not won a world series in nearly 30 years, could the soccer side be the team to bring back success to this city? on theirfirst

success to this city? on their first major league soccer home game they laid down in markets, against portland timbers, cincinnati ran out 3—0 winners. against portland timbers, cincinnati ran out 3-0 winners. to start our season at home and win and take three points home, it is amazing. it is epic. everybody here is passionate about soccer. it is amazing to see what the boys out there did. it is great to see all there did. it is great to see all the people there jumping, there did. it is great to see all the people therejumping, supporting as. it makes us have a bigger responsibility. it is the performance i was looking for. it is what the city deserved. i am proud we we re what the city deserved. i am proud we were able to give it to them. this is what this club means to the city. owner, president, players and

fa ns city. owner, president, players and fans together. who knows where their debut season will take them. houston rockets guard james harden has set a new nba scoring record. in last night's game against the atlanta hawks, harden became the first player in nba history to score at least 30