Governing Bodies
Seventeen killed and 22 injured in Mexican football match
Up to 17 fans have been reported dead, with 22 injured, after violence broke out during a game between Mexican football teams Queretaro and Atlas.
A brawl broke out at Queretaro’s Estadio Corregidora on Saturday as the rivals faced off, with officials stopping play in the 62nd minute as supporters of reigning champions Atlas clashed with those of their opponents..
Fan violence spilled onto the field forcing the Liga MX contest at Estadio Corregidora to be abandoned midway through the second half, with at least 22 people thought to have been injured.
While some players left the pitch amid the scenes, others stayed out on the field in an effort to calm tensions between the rival groups of supporters.
Other matches continued on Saturday despite the violence, before all of Sunday’s fixtures were suspended.
Mexican football authorities and both clubs condemned the violence, promising full investigations.
“The Mexican Football Federation regrets and condemns the events that occurred this afternoon at Estadio Corregidora in Queretaro, in the match between Queretaro and Atlas,” read a Mexican Football Federation statement.
“Football must be a space of healthy coexistence where any type of violence is inadmissible.
“The FMF will monitor and assist in the investigation process with the corresponding instances so that those responsible are sanctioned in an exemplary manner.
“Those responsible for the lack of security in the stadium will be punished in an exemplary manner,” Arriola posted on Twitter.
“The safety of our players and fans is a priority.”
Queretaro insisted they would cooperate fully with all investigations.
“We roundly condemn the events that occurred at Estadio Corregidora,” read a club statement.
“We are in full communication and coordination with the authorities so that they can act quickly against anyone responsible.
“As an institution we condemn violence of any kind.”
TV Azteca broadcaster David Medrano Felix tweeted after the game, claiming an “unofficial” tally of 17 deaths, though at the time of writing this figure remains unconfirmed. Different sources carry different numbers of deaths and injuries, with The Mail reporting that two had died with a number of those injured in critical condition.
Former Mexico and Bolton Wanderers striker Jared Borgetti, who now covers the sport for ESPN, responded to the violence as footage from Queretaro continued to circulate.
“Who told them to go to the stadium, sing and get mad at their team for not playing well or winning. And what to say against the rival simply for wearing the opponent’s shirt,” Borgetti said.
-Mirror
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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