Governing Bodies
POWER OF SPORTS IN AFRICA, NYESOM WIKE, BRINGS WORLD SPORTS JOURNALISTS CONGRESS TO NIGERIA
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Port Harcourt, in Rivers State of Nigeria will be the venue for the next congress of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) in October this year. It will be the second time ever that the 96-year old global body will hold its congress in Africa after that of 2014 held in Addis Ababa.
That was one of the high points of the
83rd Congress just concluded in Budapest, Hungary. According to the President, Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN),
Honour Sirawoo, this was made possible by Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom
Wike, who also holds the title, Power of Sports (PoS) in Africa.
It was a title conferred on him two years ago by AIPS-Africa. According to Sirawoo, the rights granted Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital by the global sports journalists umbrella body, represents a threshold in the history of SWAN, the State and Nigeria.
The Congress brings together the Executive committee and members from countries across the world.
The AIPS-Africa Congress consisting of National Sports Journalists Association across the African Continent will also hold in Port Harcourt at the same time.
The AIPS Global Executive Committee meeting is expected to deliberate on ways of strengthening the over 200 membership Association which includes Nigeria; and alongside the AIPS Media Awards Jury to decide on the status of entries for the 2021 AIPS Sport Media Awards.
Sirawoo, who has consistently insisted that AIPS should consider Africa, particularly Nigeria for some of its programmes, commended the world President, Gianni Merlo and African President, Mitchell Obi for the choice of Port Harcourt.
He disclosed that the Executive committee meeting and African Congress will enable the beaming of the entire sporting world searchlight on Nigeria and Port Harcourt in particular.
“This is another historic occasion for not just Rivers State but Nigeria and indeed the entire African continent, the SWAN President said.
The Nigeria’s number one sports writer praised the African Power Of Sports (POS) and Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, whose investments in Sports and Sports Journalism have attracted world attention to Nigeria and Rivers State in particular.
“It is also a recognition of Governor Nyesom Wike’s genuine efforts to promote sports and sports journalism in and outside Nigeria,” he summed up.
The president of the Confédération of African Football, Dr. Patrice Motsepe, has announced five new CAF Vice Presidents. They are:
- CAF First Vice President: Mr Fouzi Lekjaa (Morocco)
- CAF Second Vice President: Mr Kurt Okraku (Ghana)
- CAF Third Vice President: Mr Pierre-Alain Mounguengui (Gabon)
- CAF Fourth Vice President: Ms Bestine Kazadi Ditabala (Democratic Republic of Congo)
- CAF Fifth Vice President: Mr Feizal Sidat (Mozambique)
In addition, the CAF President has co-opted Yacine Idriss Diallo, President of Fédération Ivoirienne de football, into the CAF Executive Committee.
The CAF Executive Committee also approved the names to fill vacant positions on several CAF Committees.
Organising Committee for the African Nations Championship (CHAN)
- President: Pierre-Alain Mounguengui (Gabon)
CAF Technical and Development Committee
- President: Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)
- Vice President: Malouche Belhassen (Tunisia)
CAF Medical Committee:
- President: Dr. Mohammed Bouya (Mauritania)
- Vice President: Dr. Thulani Ngwenya (South Africa)
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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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