Other Sports
All Set for Nigeria’s Sports Bodies’ Election
BY CHINWE EDOGA.
With less than 24 hours to election into the boards of 31 sports’ federations in Nigeria, the country’s sports minister on Monday inaugurated a 93-man electoral committee.
The Sports Village Square gathered that the election into the boards will hold simultaneously at the Package A of the Abuja National Stadium complex.
An aide of the minister told Village Sports Square in Abuja that each sports federation had been assigned three-man panel comprising a chairman and two members.
“Considering that there may are up to 50 electorates per federation, the electorates will occupy the outer part of the glass cubicle hospitality lounges”, Sports Village Square gathered.
In a media release signed by the Special Assistant to the sports minister, Nneka Anibeze, the minister, Solomon Dalung “charged the Electoral Committee members to be fair, just, courageous and unbiased in the conduct of the elections”.
He gave the charge while inaugurating the 93-man committee at the VIP lounge of the National Stadium Abuja on Monday.
In his remarks, the minister said that the foundation of change in the sports sector will be laid during the conduct of the sports federations elections and harped on the need to get it right through a democratized process.
“It is important and critical that we get this elections right. It is the foundation of the change we are trying to establish.
“The outcome will either justify or vilify our intentions. It is the credibility of the process that will vindicate our stand to democratize the Sports Federations.
“Apart from the transition of the old tradition where 13 persons were appointed into the boards, the expansion of the electoral college from 13 to 54 presents its unique challenges.
“If a process is fair, transparent and credible, both winners and losers will have a sense of victory.
“So, I charge you all to ensure that we achieve our collective objectives of delivering a fair, transparent and credible election,” Dalung said.
The President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, Habu Gumel also advised the electoral committee members to conduct elections in a democratic way as Nigeria will be monitored by international bodies and observers.
“I will not like to receive any letter from any international federation or the International Olympic Committee asking questions about this election.
“We should do this properly and let it be the best ever. You should conduct this election without sentiments and favour.” Gumel said.
Responding, the Electoral Chairman of the Badminton Federation, Kefas Lar thanked the ministry, the NOC and all sports stakeholders for finding them worthy to serve the country in this capacity.
“We thank you for the elaborate explanation of the guidelines to us all.
“May I state categorically that, having served as the President of the Nigeria Badminton Federation for eight years, the President of African Badminton for five years and the World Badminton Federation for six years, this is the very first time that I am seeing very serious business in the electoral process.
“We are all aware of the decay that is going on in sports administration.
“I assure you, on behalf of other members that Tuesday’s elections will be fair, transparent, just and based on the major principles as stated in the electoral guidelines.
“We pledge to give all our support to ensure that we come out with one of the best elections as projected by the NOC President”, Lar assured.
“The Minister also redeployed all the Secretaries of the federations to other federations to maximize transparency. The Secretaries will return to their original federations after the elections.
A seven-man Elections Appeals Committee was also inaugurated thereafter.
The members were also charged to ensure that they preside over appeals, petitions and complaints of aggrieved contestants with justice and fairness.
The Chairman of the committee and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Abdulrazak Salau also pledged on behalf of the members, to live up to the task assigned to them.
Pastor Enoch A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has unveiled a full-size stadium and an Olympic-size 50-metre swimming pool at the Peaceville International Academy, located within the Redemption City of God, Ogun State.
The esteemed cleric was accompanied by his wife, Pastor Folu Adeboye, along with top church leaders including Pastor Joseph Obayemi; RCCG National Overseer, Pastor Sunday Akande, and the management of Peaceville International Academy led by Head of School Dolapo Fatoki.
The event was graced by several board members of the school, including Leke Adeoye, Olugbenga Omojola, Ayoola Jolayemi, Noah Osato, and Mrs Busola Ogunsiji.
Reflecting on his past, Pastor Adeboye lamented the lack of such facilities during his university days and the general scarcity of quality sports amenities across the country.
“This kind of well-grassed stadium and serene environment were not available in universities during our time. Remarkably, God has made this possible in a secondary school, showing that He is on our side,” he remarked.
He offered prayers for those who contributed to the realization of these facilities and expressed his vision for the school to become a global brand.
In her welcome address, Pastor Mrs. Adeboye, the founder of the college, described the institution as a legacy made possible by God’s support.
She thanked her husband for his unwavering support in making the school a reality and emphasized the importance of the sports facilities in moulding Godly champions.
The unveiling ceremony also featured a novelty match to celebrate Pastor Adeboye’s 83rd birthday, with him performing the ceremonial kick-off for the match between Redemption City FC and Region 1 FC. The home team triumphed with a 4-0 victory.
Head of School Dolapo Fatoki highlighted that the facilities would be judiciously used to enhance the physical well-being of students and position the school as a hub for sports development in Ogun State and Nigeria.
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Championship promotion chasers Burnley clocked up 1,000 minutes without conceding a league goal as they drew 0-0 at Preston North End on Saturday to stay third in the table.
It was Burnley’s 24th Championship clean sheet of the season and their 11th in a row — a new English second-tier record.
In 33 Championship games their miserly defence has been breached only nine times and no opposition player has scored against them in the league since Dec. 21.
Burnley keeper James Trafford has faced only 21 shots on target in achieving his 11 successive clean sheets — including two penalties which he saved against Sunderland.
Scott Parker’s side need just one more clean sheet to match the Championship record of Queen’s Park Rangers in 2010-11.
“It’s something we pride ourselves on. We’re proud of being hard to beat and if you can’t win games, don’t lose them,” Burnley midfielder Josh Cullen told the club’s website.
“We come away with a point thanks to that defensive record and being solid again here at a tough place.”
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A UK-based sports recycling charity, Lord’s Taverners has donated sports kits and equipment worth over 30 million naira to the CSED (Community Sport and Educational Development) Initiative.
The donated kits and equipment weighed 998 kilograms. It is not the first time such a donation was made.
It would be recalled that since 2019, this is the fifth batch of sports kit donations that Lord’s Taverners have donated to CSED Initiative.
In total, CSED Initiative has received sports kits weighing over three thousand kilogrammes from Lord’s Taverners.
Most of this batch of donated sports kit items are for cricket, netball, badminton, football, casual sportswear and tracksuits.
Some of the prominent institutions that have benefitted from the kits that were donated by Lord’s Taverners in the past are Edo State Cricket Association, the cricket team of ABU Zaria, the cricket team of IDPs Uhogua, Cameroonian refugees in Ogoja (Cross River State).
Furthermore, some selected schools in Delta, Edo, Akwa Ibom and Taraba States have benefitted from the free cricket kits that were donated by Lord’s Taverners to CSED Initiative.
In a recent email correspondence between a Trustee of CSED Initiative, a Project Manager of Lord’s Taverners, a representative of the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) acknowledged the role the kits that Lord’s Taverners donated to CSED Initiative played in the development of some of the cricketers who recently played in the Nigerian female cricket team at the recently completed T20, U-19 Cricket World Cup in Malaysia.
Nine out of these fifteen cricketers are players from Edo State whose cricket Association received 250 kilogrammes of donated cricket kits from CSED Initiative in April 2019.
Furthermore, CSED has also donated cricket items to a cricket project that has supported the development of the two cricketers from Akwa Ibom State who featured for Nigeria in the Malaysian tournament.
During an interview with sports reporters, a representative of CSED Initiative stated that the new batch of donated equipment from Lord’s Taverners will enable them to empower three thousand children and youths in respect of supporting some of their basic sports kit needs. The donated kits will enable CSED Initiative to train three hundred P.E. Teachers in 2025. “So, it is going to be a win-win situation for grassroots sports.”
However, CSED Initiative have been informed that the Lord’s Taverners sports kits recycling project is going to close in March 2025, as a result of financial constraint. The National Coordinator of CSED Initiative stated that this news was a huge shock to them, and the sports recycling community all over the world.
Lord’s Taverners has a global base of sports for change NGOs that they have supported in the past few decades. Though Lord’s Taverners was mainly set up as a cricket charity, it has over the years supported other sports at the grassroots level.
“We in CSED Initiative will forever remain grateful for the support we have received from Lord’s Taverners. Especially in respect of the sport of netball.
They have supported us with balls, bibs, netball jerseys, T-shirts and skirts.
These donated netball kits gave us the courage to strive to revive the game of netball in Nigeria through our ongoing: “Project 2027” drive where we have trained and equipped more than three hundred and seventy P.E. Teachers and community leaders.”
While receiving the donated items in their Niger Delta base, the National Coordinator of CSED Initiative assured Dave Pemberton (Project Manager of Lord’s Taverners) that the sports kits will be distributed for free to selected schools and vulnerable community groups (IDPs and asylum seekers/refugees) they currently work with, as well as new sets of schools and communities who will be expected to put the donated kit into good use.
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