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EXCITEMENT GALORE AS THE SUN’S WORLD CUP SEMINAR GATHERS MOMENTUM
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
As the clock ticks down to the May 22 date of The Sun Publishing Limited’s seminar aimed at galvanising support for the World Cup-bound Super Eagles, one of the key actors of the event, Mallam Nasir Danladi Bako has expressed deep appreciation to the gesture of the publishing house in organising the seminar.
Holding in Port Harcourt, incidentally, the city where the Super Eagles began their home campaign for Russia 2018, the event will assemble technocrats, administrators, football enthusiasts, former national team players and other stakeholders in the project aimed at propelling the Nigerian team to scale previous barriers.Super Eagles players looking dejected after another Round of 16 ouster at Brazil 2014. The Sun Publishing Limited is urging the team to soar higher this time.
The best the Super Eagles had attained in the global showpiece is getting to the Round of 16 on three occasions and losing to European oppositions. “It is our wish to see the team perform better, hence the theme of the seminar is ‘That Super Eagles may excel in Russia and beyond”, Eric Osagie, the Managing Director of The Sun explained to www.sportsvillagesquare.com.
“We are mobilising support for the Super Eagles”, says Eric Osagie, MD of The Sun Publishing Limited.
The Nigerian team scaled the group stage in 1994, 1998 and 2014 before losing to Italy, Denmark and France respectively in the round of 16.
However, three African countries had crossed that barrier into the quarter finals and were at the brink of even getting to the semi-finals. Cameroon performed the feat at Italia ’90 and were at the brink of semi-finals in the tie with England before a late penalty kick saw their aspirations going into smokes.
Senegal debuted in 2002 beating defending champions 1-0 in the opening game just as Cameroon did in 1990 and eventually got to the quarter finals before losing 1-0 to Turkey after extra time.
Ghana also did the same thing and were even closer to the semi-finals before losing to Uruguay.
“Our aspiration is not just to see the lead brand of Nigerian football getting through to the second round and exiting, we need to equal the feat already achieved by other African countries and even getting beyond that.
“That explains why we added the phrase ‘beyond 2018”, Osagie explained. One of the proposed key speakers at the event, Mallam Nasir Danladi Bako, a veteran broadcaster and former Director General of National Broadcasting Commission, spoke in similar vein.
Danladi Bako: : “For me, the seminar is very timely and a bold attempt at galvanizing public support and awareness for Super Eagles”.
He commended The Sun for organizing the seminar which will further galvanise support for the Super Eagles.
Bako, the originator of ‘Morning Ride’ and Master Sports on the NTA2, Lagos in the early 1990s confirmed he would be attending the seminar holding in Port Harcourt.
He described the seminar is an audacious attempt at galvanizing public support for the Eagles.
In his words: “For me, the seminar is very timely and a bold attempt at galvanizing public support and awareness for Super Eagles.
“More importantly, the effort is a brainchild of one of Nigeria’s most widely read newspapers.
“I have had the privilege of attending five World Cups and I would be in Port Harcourt to bring my knowledge and experience to bear at the conference” said the Kogunan Sakwatto.
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Paris to face major disruption ahead of Games opening ceremony, says police chief
Paris will face major disruption ahead of the Olympics opening ceremony along the Seine on July 26, as organisers ramp up security measures to safeguard the event, the city’s police chief said on Thursday.
Organisers hope the opening ceremony, in which 160 boats carrying athletes from around the world will travel a 6 kilometre route along the Seine river towards the Eiffel tower, will deliver a jaw-dropping spectacle. Some 300,000 spectators will watch from the banks of the Seine as a global audience tunes in on TV.
But the ceremony is also a major security headache, taking place against a backdrop of wars in Ukraine and Gaza. French President Emmanuel Macron has already floated the possibility of scrapping the river ceremony and reverting to at least two back-up plans if the security risks become untenable.
Paris residents with a view of the Seine can invite friends to watch the opening of the 2024 Summer Games from their balconies, but should prepare for heavy traffic and limited movement, Paris police chief Laurent Nunez said at a press conference.
Adjacent metro stations, most river crossings and all water traffic will be halted in the week before the open-air ceremony, Nunez said, adding that some bridges will remain open “in order not to cut Paris in two halves.”
Everyone who wants to access the immediate surroundings of the Seine in the week before the Games will need to sign up on an online platform, Nunez said. Local residents hoping to access their homes, which are among the most prestigious addresses in France, will need to do the same.
Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo, who also spoke at the event said the disruption would impact around 20,000 residents and business owners.
Asked about Macron’s comments earlier this month, Nunez said his teams were still working on the ‘Plan A’ of the river ceremony.
“As of today, we have no reason to be worried,” Nunez said.
-Reuters
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New dawn expected as Nigeria sports ministry partners with Yanga Games
Towards creating a new dawn for Nigerian Sports, the Federal Ministry of Sports has signed a landmark agreement with top lottery company Yanga Games to raise the revenue profile of the Ministry and ensure a new deal for the welfare of athletes.
Speaking during the unveiling of the partnership between the Ministry and Yanga Games in Lagos on Friday, Chairman/CEO of Yanga Games Derrick David Kentebe said: “we are so super excited by this opportunity to work with the Ministry of Sports Development to change the narrative about Sports in the country.
Continuing, he remarked: “We see opportunity for marketing our athletes and sports generally . We shall avail ourselves the best use of this unique and special partnership. We shall pursue this mandate with vigour, passion and unrivaled commitment to bring benefits to all the critical stakeholders.”
The agreement according to Kentebe will provide support for retired athletes, enhance grassroot sports Development and advance the potentials of special athletes.
He assured that ” Yanga Games has the capacity to raise funds on behalf of the Ministry of Sports for athletes Development, endorsement and sponsorship deals for athletes”.
Minister of Sports Senator John Owan Enoh assured that the Ministry has total and absolute confidence in Yanga Games to deliver on the given mandate.
“Gone are the era when we depended solely on government to fund sports development. We are partnering with Yanga Games to bring maximum benefits to the athletes and all critical stakeholders.
“We shall give institutional encouragement and support to the Management of Yanga Games to succeed in this onerous task of rebuilding our sports sub sector.”
Speaking further, Kentebe said ” We shall raise about 34 Billion in the next four years to assist athletes and improve sports in the country.
“We shall help to develop grassroot sports and sustain youth involvement through raffle draws, fund raiser and other avenues.
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Iheanacho and Ndidi on course for return to Premiership as Leicester will not lose points for rule breaches
Leicester City cannot be deducted any points in the second-tier Championship if they are convicted of any violations of the Premier League’s spending rules, the English Football League (EFL) said on Friday.
Nigeria duo of Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi are Leicester players yearning for the club’s return to the English Premiership.
Leicester, who were relegated from the top flight last season, were referred to an independent commission by the Premier League last month for alleged violations of the league’s spending rules.
The Championship’s governing body EFL wrote to the Premier League saying they would apply any sanction handed down on Leicester while they are still in the second tier, a move Leicester opposed.
However, the EFL said they later changed their position in a letter to the English FA’s League Arbitration Panel (LAP).
“EFL has confirmed to all parties that… it does not have the power under the Regulations as currently drafted,” the EFL said in a statement.
Leicester said they will continue to co-operate with Premier League and the EFL with regards to the charges against them.
“Any charges against the Club should be properly and proportionately determined, in accordance with the applicable rules, by the right bodies, and at the right time,” Leicester said.
The LAP said that the Premier League Disciplinary Commission’s proceedings against Leicester will not be expedited to conclude by May 4 due to any possible points deductions not being applicable this season.
Leicester are top of the standings in the Championship with 88 points from 41 matches as they seek a promotion back to the Premier League.
-Reuters
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