Governing Bodies
EDO STATE SPORTS FESTIVAL GETS FEBRUARY 10-16 DATE
A six-man committee has been put in place by the Edo State Government to prepare a road map for a successful outing of Team Edo during the forthcoming 20th National Sports Festival.
The sports fiesta tagged Edo 2020 is scheduled to hold in different centers in the ancient city of Benin City, Edo State from March 20 to April 4, 2020.
Edo State Deputy Governor and Chairman, Local Organising Committee, Edo 2020, Philip Shaibu charged the committee headed by Godwin Dudu-Orumen, Chairman, Edo State Sports Commission to immediately put machinery in motion towards hosting the Third Edo State Sports Festival where a strong and formidable team will be put in place to represent the state during the National sports fiesta.
According to the Deputy Governor, “We must not fail, we are committing all these resources because we want to redefine national competitive sports in Nigeria. We are not just hosting, we are hosting to win and win clean and show the world what national sports festival should be.”
He said the Third Edo State Sports Festival is not going to be a jamboree, rather, it is expected to serve as ground for talent hunt to discover young and fresh athletes to replace the tired and ageing ones.
He further emphasised that ” no automatic ticket for anybody. Every athlete, old or young has to compete for a place in the 32 sports lined up for the festival”.
In all, 32 sports including football and traditional sports will be competed for during the festival, starting from the 18 local government in the state to the zonal elimination in the three senatorial zones and finally to the state where the final athletes to represent the state will be selected in keenly competitive games.
Main venue is the University of Benin Sports Complex aside other centers.
Towards this end, the committee hit the ground running, meeting all through the weekend, brain storming.
The unity torch for the games is expected to start its movement in Igarra, capital of Akoko Edo this Wednesday, January 15, from there to other local government areas of the state and terminate its journey in the metropolitan Oredo Local Government on Monday, January 20, 2020.
The 18 local government chairmen are expected to receive the unity torch in their respective domain during the six days tour.
The competition at the local government levels is expected to run for six days, January 23 through January 28, 2020.
The zonal elimination ( in the three senatorial zones) is from Saturday, February 1 to Tuesday, February 4th. Qualifiers from the zones are expected to arrive Benin on Monday, February 10 for the main festival and final selection.
This is expected to run till Sunday, February 16, 2020 when the festival is expected to be declared closed by Governor Godwin Obaseki.
For a memorable sports fiesta, the committee has invited notable cultural troupes from the three senatorial zones of the state to entertain guests, athletes and officials during the opening and closing ceremonies.
The police band has been invited too to entertain. ” Security of guests, athletes and officials is guaranteed”; the committee chairman, Godwin Dudu-Orumen assured.
FIFA’s independent Ethics Committee has banned former Guyana Football Federation (GFF) General Secretary Ian Alves from all football-related activities for five years after finding he sexually harassed female staff members.
FIFA also fined Alves 20,000 Swiss francs ($22,000) after determining that he had breached provisions of the FIFA Code of Ethics relating to the protection of physical and mental integrity, abuse of position and general duties.
“FIFA has a strict stance against all forms of abuse in football,” the organisation said on Monday.
The decision followed a review of written statements from the victims, documents provided by the GFF, submissions from Alves, and other evidence gathered during the investigation.
Alves stepped down from his position in 2024.
The ban came into force on Monday, when the terms of the decision were notified to Alves, and the full grounds for the ruling will be communicated within 60 days in accordance with the Code of Ethics, FIFA added.
The GFF did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Alves could not immediately be reached for comment.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that he planned to seek re-election for a fourth term in a bid to continue to lead the governing body of world soccer.
Infantino confirmed he would run for the 2027–2031 term in the closing moments of the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, which comes less than two months before the start of the World Cup.
The election will be held on March 18 in Morocco, which is set to co-host the 2030 World Cup.
Infantino said he was “honoured and humbled” to have the chance to run for a fourth term.
The Italian-Swiss took office in 2016, replacing Sepp Blatter, and was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023.
Infantino has pushed for the expansion of FIFA competitions during his tenure, with this year’s World Cup in North America the first to feature 48 teams, while the women’s tournament in 2023 has been expanded to 32 teams.
Infantino’s tenure has also drawn some criticism over issues such as high World Cup ticket prices and the decision to award the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize to U.S. President Donald Trump at the World Cup draw in December.
Earlier this month, the council of South American football’s governing body (CONMEBOL) said in a statement it would unanimously support the 56-year-old if he decided to seek another term.
-Reuters
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The supporters of Vancouver Whitecaps, a professional football (soccer) club in Canada, have staged a protest outside the FIFA Congress on Thursday, voicing fears that the Major League Soccer club could be relocated as uncertainty deepens over its ownership and long-term future.
The club is one of Canada’s most historic football institutions and has long been a central part of Vancouver’s sporting identity.
Around 100 fans gathered as delegates arrived for the annual FIFA meeting in Vancouver, chanting, singing and waving club flags in a show of solidarity. The demonstration comes just days after Vancouver Whitecaps FC revealed difficulties in securing a buyer willing to keep the club in the city.
The Whitecaps disclosed earlier this week that “stadium economics, venue access and revenue limitations” have complicated efforts to sell the club, despite a 16-month search for new ownership.
Season ticket holder Derek Hawksworth said supporters felt compelled to act amid growing fears of relocation.
“I wanted to come down given the threat of the team possibly moving,” he said. “It’s a rich history with the Whitecaps in North America… we want Vancouver to stay and not relocate. The history is here, and we want to continue with that history moving forward.”
The Vancouver Whitecaps are a professional football (soccer) club based in Vancouver, Canada. They currently compete in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top-tier league in the United States and Canada.
Concerns were heightened by reports that cities such as Las Vegas and Phoenix are leading contenders should the club relocate.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim has urged intervention, calling on the provincial government — which owns BC Place — to negotiate a “bridge deal” that would allow the team to remain while plans for a new stadium are explored. The club’s current lease at BC Place expires at the end of the year.
Despite the off-field uncertainty, the Whitecaps have been one of the standout teams this MLS season. They currently sit second in the Western Conference with 24 points from nine matches, just three points behind the San Jose Earthquakes.
For supporters, however, performances on the pitch offer little comfort as the future of their club hangs in the balance — a situation they hope global football leaders gathering in Vancouver will not ignore.
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