Governing Bodies
KEEP FIT, DESPITE LOCKDOWN, DARE URGES NIGERIAN ATHLETES
Nigeria’s Youths and Sports Development Minister, Sunday Dare has urged Nigerian athletes to keep hope alive on the occasion of the International Day of Sports for Development and Peace despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a media release from the media office of the minister, Dare said: “On this historic day of the celebration of the United Nations International Day of Sports Development and Peace which is celebrated soberly due to the COVID-19 scourge, I urge all our sports men and women to remain steadfast, strong and to keep hope alive. As athletes, you remain the beacon of hope to unite Nigerians to commemorate the United Nations International Day of Sports and Peace.
“We must use sports to foster peace, unity and lend support to those that are down. As sportsmen and women, you must take up the symbolic role of lifting the spirit of our fellow countrymen and women.
“Despite the experience the world is going through, we must not allow our spirit of unity, love, care for each other to wane.
“In our little corners, let us celebrate by getting active through exercises in our homes, a walk in the park and encouraging each other to stay safe.
“When we stay together, we win together. In the spirit of sportsmanship, we must never give up the fight against the spread of Covid-19. This fleeting, sober moment for sports, business, social, and economic meltdown will pass and we shall emerge victorious.”
Dare then affirmed that the role of sports in global unity is crucial. “Sports remains the most powerful tool that unites the world during peace and war, and this experience would only strengthen our resolve to win always,” the minister said.
“Sports fosters peace and unity, it breaks all human barriers and promotes healthy living. As we seek to overcome this pandemic, let us encourage those that have caught the virus to be strong and resolute.
“Together we shall overcome. I encourage every Nigerian not to allow their spirit to be dampened, but use the occasion of the International Day of Sports and Peace to spread the message of peace through sports.”
He added: “Despite the sobering moment, the world will always celebrate the advent of the modern Olympics which coincides with the World Sports Day. Sports can be used to drive change, unite the world and keep hope alive even in challenging times like this.
“We must not be discouraged or disillusioned, but sustain the fight against the spread of the virus. When we have conquered, we shall celebrate through the vehicle of sports. My message is that we must not give up.”
The United Nations had on August 23rd proclaimed April 6th of every year as the International Day of Sports and Peace in commemoration of the opening date of the modern Olympics, which started in Athens in 1896. This year
is being celebrated without the usual fanfare due to the COVID-19 scourge.
The United Nations has urged everyone to mark the occasion with increased awareness about the COVID-19 pandemic and how to stay safe.
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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