Black sporting excellence has defined every aspect of sports

for the past hundred years. It began when, between 1900

and 1915, Jack Johnson elevated boxing from brutality to

science. That paved the way for Sugar Ray Robinson,

Muhammad Ali, and Sugar Ray Leonard to transform it

into poetry.

Jesse Owens threw down a challenge to Hitler's ideas about the Black race at the Berlin Olympics in 1936, by winning four gold medals in blue ribbon events long jump, 100m-sprint, 200m and 4x100m relay.

Michael Jordan recently ended his 25-year domination of basketball, during which he reshaped the game. The day he retired, the share prices in Wall Street plummeted. Tiger Woods, set to be the richest sportsperson ever, has redefined golf, and Venus Williams and her sister Serena have done the same for women's tennis.

England is now trying to follow suit, by selecting the largest contingent of Black footballers, ever to play for England.We must never forget the pioneers such as Ghanaian Arthur Wharton, who played for Preston North end, Walter Tull born in England of Barbadian and English parents.

He played at one stage for Tottenham Hot Spur and South African Albert Johanneson, who was the first black player to appear in an FA Cup Final at Wembley.

Jamaica's national football team albeit with an English connection, also known as the Reggae Boyz made football history when the reggae rhythms in Parc des Princes, Paris, signalled to the world that a Caribbean nation was on the stage at the greatest show on earth - France 98.

West Indian cricket may be in decline, but they were a force to be reckoned with and dominated for nearly 15 years. They will be back!! Africa continues its domination of distance running and who else but the phenomenal Haile Gebreselassie comes to mind. Michael Johnson, Maurice Green and Marion Jones are following in the footsteps of Carl Lewis, Florence Griffiths Joyner and Ed Moses by continuing to retain and dominate BlackAmerican leadership in track and field.

Yet there is no record of a journal dedicated to black sporting achievement, ever having been published.

So here we are, long overdue! Thanks to the legends above for making us happen and we are here to stay.