Cheerleading: Cheerleading, which received provisional recognition as an Olympic sport last week, is an increasingly international activity by no means restricted to its North American birthplace, according to the man who has driven its growth over four decades. Jim Webb has helped transform cheerleading from sideline entertainment at American football and basketball games to the sport that was granted recognition by the IOC. Cheerleading will now be able to tap into some IOC funding and take part in a number of programmes, including athlete development and anti-doping.

Snooker: Ronnie O’Sullivan survived a fightback from Matthew Selt to progress to the second round of the Scottish Open. The five-time world champion raced into a two-frame lead, making a break of 124 in the second frame, but Selt knocked in a break of 82 to take the third before levelling the match at 2-2. However, O’Sullivan won the next two frames against his fellow Englishman.

Second round: Walden bt Borg 4-3.

Golf: Two days after winning the 2016 Golf Writers’ Trophy, British Open champion Henrik Stenson was named the European Tour’s Player of the Year. The 40-year-old Swede, who ended the season as the number one golfer in Europe, landed the Player of the Year prize for the second time. The highlight of the campaign for Stenson came when he captured his first major victory after an epic final-round duel with Phil Mickelson in the British Open in July.

Rugby Union: New Zealand’s dominance of world rugby will be shored up in coming years by a significant boost in player payments stemming in part from next year’s lucrative British and Irish Lions tour. New Zealand Rugby said the tour would contribute to a pool of NZ$176 million ($126.76m) for “player payments, education and welfare initiatives” over a new three-year collective bargaining agreement from 2016-18, up from NZ$121m. The NZ$176 million represents 36.56 per cent of “NZR player generated revenue”, less NZ$15m to be set aside for allocation in future years.

Tennis: Briton Andy Murray and Germany’s Angelique Kerber were named ITF World Champions this week, capping stellar years for the world no.1s. Murray won Wimbledon in July before becoming the first player to win two Olympic singles gold medals when he retained his crown in Rio. He won nine titles in a milestone year that ended with him beating rival Novak Djokovic to win the ATP Tour Finals and seal the year-end rankings top spot. Kerber enjoyed an equally impressive season, winning the Australian and US Open titles as well as an Olympic silver medal in Rio.