Governing Bodies
VALUEJET PTT OPEN MAY BE LISTED ON ITTF CALENDAR IN 2020
Impressed with the organisation coupled with the standard of play at the maiden edition of the tournament held at Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium.
The ITTF Nomination Committee Chairman and President, ITTF Africa, (Western Region), Wahid Oshodi disclosed there are efforts to convince the world table tennis ruling body to ensure that Nigeria joins the list of countries hosting a major PTT tournament across the globe.
Oshodi, who is the LOC Chairman of Africa’s elite table tennis tournament – Nigeria Open, believes that with the support of Valuejet coupled with the experienced personnel in the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), the tournament may be considered for next year.
Like Oshodi, the President of Africa Table Tennis Federation (ATTF), Khaled El-Salhy, who was in Lagos for the three-day tournament said the continent body is convinced that Nigeria has the wherewithal to stage a befitting international tournament having witnessed what happened last week in Lagos.
“The Valuejet PTT Open will open doors for Para Athletes in Nigeria and in Africa to have a special event with top professional organization, media coverage and good prize money similar to other world events.
” ATTF had already opened the link with ITTF to get this tournament listed on the ITTF Calendar for 2020 after checking that all professional standard has been met.
We are convinced that Nigeria has big experience in sports and specially table tennis as well. I believe it is this that attracts sponsors to their events. I will like to use this opportunity to thank the management Valuejet on behalf of ATTF Executive Committee for their efforts to support NTTF and our table tennis family in Africa through the sponsoring of the tournament,” the ATTF boss said.
The Egyptian was however impressed with the turnout of teams across Africa which he said would motivate top class players to attend the tournament in near future.
“With what I saw in Lagos that top PTT African players with the large turnout of Nigerian players and high standard of play, I am sure it will start attracting many top players worldwide as soon as it is listed on ITTF calendar, hopefully next year,” El-Salhy added.
Governing Bodies
Nigeria becoming an epicentre of global badminton as Francis Orbih enters the Badminton World Federation Council
Laurels on the courts and now glory in the boardroom sums up the mark that badminton is making in Nigeria.
The President, Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), Francis Orbih, has been elected as a council member of the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
The election took place during the BWF Annual General Meeting on Saturday in Xiamen, China.
Orbih emerged victorious over top contenders from other African countries.
He will join Cameroon’s Odette Assembe Engoulou on the council, while Chipo Zumburani (Zimbabwe) and Hadia ElSaid (Egypt) missed out.
An elated Orbih expressed his gratitude to fellow badminton presidents across the globe for their trust and support.
He said, “I am deeply honoured by the trust placed in me by my peers across the badminton world.
“I look forward to quality representation, driving development initiatives, and strengthening badminton’s global reach over the next four years.”
Orbih also acknowledged the support of the Federal Government of Nigeria, particularly the National Sports Commission (NSC), which he said played a significant role in his successful bid.
“The Chairman and the Director General of the NSC monitored the entire process. I’m grateful for their involvement and confident Nigeria will benefit from this,” he stated.
He further appreciated the BFN board members and the Nigerian badminton community for their prayers and continued belief in his leadership.
“From the day I declared my intentions, the board members of BFN have been supportive, and I promise not to disappoint them,” Orbih concluded.
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A former member of the FIFA Council, Mamoutou Toure, has been released from jail in Mali after almost two years in detention for alleged corruption, Malian media reports said on Wednesday.
Toure, president of the Malian Football Federation since 2019, was released after 622 days in prison on Tuesday.
He served on the FIFA Council, world football’s all-powerful decision-making body, for four years until last month when he lost his seat after failing to contest new elections.
The 67-year-old was arrested in August 2023 on allegations of embezzling $28 million of public funds but was granted a provisional release order by the Malian courts, reports said.
He was accused of misconduct during his time as the National Assembly’s financial and administrative director from 2013-2019.
Toure denied all charges and, during his time in jail, was last August re-elected as Malian Football Federation president for a second consecutive term, with his supporters claiming he was a victim of a conspiracy fuelled by detractors.
While in jail, he received a letter of support from FIFA president Gianni Infantino. However, as of last month, Toure is no longer a member of the FIFA Council or the Confederation of African Football’s executive committee.
-Reuters
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The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has denied reports of an outstanding debt to former captain Christian Chukwu and has challenged anyone with verifiable documents to prove otherwise.
Chukwu, a former national team captain and chief coach, died last Saturday.
The Nigeria Football Federation decried statements in a section of social media that the football-ruling body was indebted to the deceased.
Reacting to one statement on social media that claimed NFF owed the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations-winning team captain the sum of $128,000, NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, said: “There is no record in the NFF of any outstanding indebtedness to ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu.
“During the first term of the Board headed by Amaju Pinnick, a committee was set up to diligently peruse the papers of coaches who were being owed, even from previous NFF administrations.
“That committee was given the clear mandate to verify all debts and ensure that the coaches being owed were paid immediately. I am aware that the ‘Chairman’ was in the employ of the NFF between 2002 and 2005, before he was relieved of the post following the 1-1 draw with Angola in a FIFA World Cup qualifying match in Kano in August 2005. There is certainly no record of indebtedness to him in the NFF.”
Sanusi challenged anyone with genuine and verifiable documents of NFF indebtedness to any coach, who has worked with any of the National Teams over the past two decades, to come forward and tender those documents.
“As a credible organization that is very much alive to its responsibilities, if we are confronted with any genuine document of indebtedness to any coach, we will offset the debt immediately.”
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