Governing Bodies
Nigeria Chess Federation invites 20 players for national championship
Nigeria Chess Federation (NCF), at the weekend released the names of the players invited to annual National Chess Championship of Nigeria will hold in Lagos from 8th-14th of November.
In the list made available by Caretaker Committee member of the federation, Alhaji Bode Durotoye, 20 players made up of 10 males and 10 females have been invited for the re-introduced format at selecting the best players from both gender annual.
The current National Champion, International Master Daniel Anwuli top the list of male players which also include Olanrewaju Ajibola, Bomo Kigigha, Chukwunonso Oragwu, Akintoye Abdulraheem, Oluwafemi Balogun, Abimbola Osunfuyi, Odion Aikhoje and Isaac Okeke who got a wild card entry.
In the female section; Jessica Pelomoh topped the list and the rest are Deborah Akintoye (current champion), Ehoho Ogbiyoyo, Toritsemuwa Ofowino, Emmanuelle-Trust Enomah, Ayisha-Azuma Suleiman, Sandra Aramide, Oluwaseun Assa, Iyefu Onoje and Nkem Omishogbon who got a wild card entry.
Durotoye also confirmed that NCF appointed Orchid-Lekki Chess Club (OLCC) as the host of the championship which will hold at Orchid Hotel, Lekki, Lagos.
He explained players were invited based on the current FIDE ratings.
“The selection of participating players was based primarily on current FIDE ratings and top nine rated players in both the male and female categories as at 1st of September 2021,” he stated.
He said further that an additional player is given wild card entry in both sections to complete the 10 entries just as two players in the section are on stand-by should any of the players invited decides to opt out of the competition.
In addition, there will be one Wild card player per category selected based on the discretion of the NCF making it 10 players in the two categories. Also, each category will have 2 standby players in case any of the 10 players listed to compete, pulls out for whatever reason.
In the male section, veteran star players, International Master Bunmi Olape and IM Oladapo Adu are on standby while Peace Samson and Yemi Osundinakin may come in from female section.
The mode of selection of the national champion of chess has been a bone of contention among stakeholders of the game since last decade with ‘reformist’ agitating for a separate tournament based on the rating of players in the year under review as against one of the major tournament in NCF calendar over the years.
“What we have today is a departure from the past because we have to go with the global standard which evaluates all the players in tournaments over a period of time and invite them for a separate tournament to award the best player in both male and female in a calendar year,” Durotoye explained.
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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