Governing Bodies
ITALY PUTS A HALT TO SPORTING EVENTS AT ALL LEVELS
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Monday night announced the unprecedented suspension of all sporting events in the country, including its top-flight Serie A football league, until April 3.
Italy is grappling with the coronavirus outbreak – it is not just the hardest-hit country in Europe, but also the second-most affected nation in the world, behind China.
The Covid-19 contagion originated from the city of Wuhan. As of yesterday, there were 9,172 cases in Italy, with 463 deaths.
The final Serie A match before the government announcement saw Sassuolo beat Brescia 3-0 behind closed doors in Reggio Emilia on Monday night. After opening the scoring, Sassuolo’s Francesco Caputo held up a handwritten message on piece of paper, urging fans: “Everything will be fine. Stay at home.”
A few hours later, Mr Conte used similar words as he announced a countrywide lockdown.
“I am going to sign a decree that can be summarised as follows: ‘I stay at home’,” he said in a televised address.
The unprecedented measures limiting travel and banning public gatherings across the country of more than 60 million people include the closure of schools and the suspension of sports competitions.
“There is no reason why matches and sporting events should continue and I am thinking of the football championship,” said Mr Conte.
“I’m sorry, but all the fans must take note of it, we will not even allow gyms to be used for sports activities.”
Earlier on Monday, Italy’s National Olympic Committee, which has authority over all national sports federations, had recommended “sporting activities at all levels” be suspended until April 3 to help contain the virus outbreak. It called for a government decree to enforce the request.
With 26 rounds of games played and 12 left, eight-time defending champions Juventus lead the Scudetto race with 63 points, one ahead of Lazio, while Inter Milan are third on 54, but have a game in hand.
There will now be questions over how the season will conclude.
At least three rounds of matches will need to be rearranged after April 3 before the end of the season, scheduled for May 24.
There is little room for manoeuvring due to Euro 2020 starting on June 12. There are also doubts that the quadrennial tournament, of which Rome is one of the 12 host cities, will go ahead.
The decree does, however, allow for the possibility of organising matches under international jurisdiction behind closed doors, such as ties in the Champions League and Europa League.
Juventus are due to host Lyon in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie in Turin next week. Inter Milan will welcome Spanish La Liga side Getafe in the Europa League tomorrow while Roma will host Sevilla a week later.
All those games are set to be played in empty stadiums as will the second leg of Barcelona’s Champions League last-16 tie with Napoli at the Nou Camp on March 18.
The Spanish champions made the announcement on their Twitter page yesterday.
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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