Governing Bodies

FREE-TO-AIR HURDLE MAY HINDER PREMIERSHIP RESTART

Published

5 years ago

May 16, 2020

The British government has signalled that English Premier League clubs must make free-to-air televised matches more widely available and plough money into the sport’s grassroots if it wants to restart this season.

Britain’s Culture and Sport secretary Oliver Dowden on Thursday said the government was “opening the door” for competitive football to return next month – a decision that would allow the Premier League to complete a campaign that was suspended in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“This should include widening access for fans to view live coverage and ensure finances from the game’s resumption supports the wider football family,” he added.

Dowden held a “positive meeting” with football authorities from the Premier League, English Football League and Football Association to “progress plans”.

The Premier League hopes for a return to action on June 12, with games played behind closed doors.

He said it is up to the football authorities to finalise details of how they resume the sport, with the government offering guidance.

“There is combined goodwill to achieve this for their fans, the football community and the nation as a whole,” he added. “The government and our medical experts will continue to offer guidance and support to the game ahead of any final decision which would put these plans into action.”

However, England’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Van-Tam said a “measured approach” was required and a decision on a return to competitive action will depend on how players and coaching staff fare after group training sessions.

Tottenham striker Harry Kane said players are still waiting for safety guidance from the league.

“I don’t think anyone knows the right answer at the moment,” he told ITV’s Good Morning Britain programme. “I think the majority of players are looking forward to playing again as soon as possible but we know we want it to be as safe as possible too.”

Watford skipper Troy Deeney insists he is not prepared to put football ahead of his family’s health and is against a quick restart.

“What are they going to do, take money off me? I’ve been broke before so it doesn’t bother me,” the 31-year-old said on Instagram.

“They’re talking about not playing in front of fans until 2021. So if it’s not safe enough for fans to be inside a stadium, why should it be safe for players to be in there?”

-AFP

Governing Bodies

Nigeria becoming an epicentre of global badminton as Francis Orbih enters the Badminton World Federation Council

Published

3 hours ago

April 26, 2025

Kunle Solaja

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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Governing Bodies

Ex-FIFA Council member and Mali football chief released from jail

Published

3 days ago

April 23, 2025

Kunle Solaja

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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Governing Bodies

Nigeria Football Federation denies owing late national captain and coach, Chukwu

Published

2 weeks ago

April 14, 2025

Kunle Solaja

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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