Governing Bodies
TOKYO 2020 PRESIDENT PRAYING FOR CORONAVIRUS TO “VANISH” BEFORE OLYMPICS
BY LIAM MORGAN.
Tokyo 2020 President Yoshirō Mori has admitted he is praying for the coronavirus to “vanish” amid lingering concerns over the impact of the outbreak on this year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Organisers and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have
repeatedly insisted the virus, which has so far killed 2,362 and infected
around 78,000 worldwide, will not force the Games to be cancelled or postponed.
But the outbreak has raised concern for Tokyo 2020 in the build-up to the event, with Japan recently emerging as one of the riskiest places for the spread of the virus.
There have been 110 confirmed cases of the virus, known as COVID-19, in Japan, although 634 others have been infected on a cruise ship which has been quarantined in Yokohama since February 3.
Aside from the two deaths resulting from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, one person has died from the virus in the Olympic and Paralympic host nation.
“I pray to God every day that the coronavirus will just vanish,” Mori said in an interview with the Sponichi Annex newspaper.
Mori, a former Japanese Prime Minister, also claimed he plans to “to hold out to the end without wearing a mask”, despite the outbreak.
He has remained defiant in the wake of the crisis and last week blasted what he claimed were “irresponsible” rumours surrounding whether the Games would take place as planned.
Japan’s Government under current Prime Minister Shinzō Abe has been criticised for its response to the virus and fears have grown in recent weeks after the number of infections doubled.
The Government has been accused of being slow to react by failing to bar visitors from China quickly enough, while Abe has come under fire for being too lax in its quarantine of the cruise ship.
John Coates, chair of the IOC Coordination Commission for Tokyo 2020, claimed the World Health Organization had told the Commission there was “no case” for cancelling or postponing the Games.
Dozens of events due to be held in China and other countries in the region have been impacted by the virus, however.
The World Indoor Athletics Championships, the Formula One Grand Prix and Olympic qualifiers in sports including football are among the events to have been postponed, cancelled or moved outside of China, where the virus originated.
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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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