Governing Bodies
FLAGOFF OF UNITY TORCH MOVEMENT FOR 20TH NATIONAL SPORTS FESTIVAL: PRESIDENT APPLAUDS MINISTER
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday, played host the Minister Of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, to flag off the movement of the Torch of Unity for the 20th National Sports Festival at State House in Abuja.
The President in his speech reiterated his administration’s commitment to foster an enabling environment for sports at all level. “May I once again reiterate this administration’s commitment to continue to support and provide enabling environment for the development of sports at all level”, the President assured.
He commended the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports under the leadership of the Minister, particularly his doggedness in ensuring the continually following his mandate on keeping the youth busy.
“The Federal Ministry Of Youth and Sports Development is the biggest constituency for keeping the youth busy and the Minister is doing a good job in that regard,” he said.
The Minister in his remarks, thanked. President for the importance his administration attaches to Youth and Sports development in Nigeria.
“I am particular joyous that this landmark event in our strategic plan for the Festival is being undertaken by Mr. President himself. This act is a testimony of the importance the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari attaches to youth and Sports development in the country”
Citing the significance of The Torch Of Unity to The National Sports Festival, the Minister added, “The Torch chiefly symbolizes unity, peace, friendship, tolerance and hope among Nigerians.
When The Torch moves round the cities and people see if, they begin to properly realize the Games are here, and it always brings a good feeling to everyone”.
The Minister used the occasion to intimate Mr. President on the Ministry’s Adoption campaign which received a nod from the President to the effect that hat all Nigerians of goodwill should take advantage of The Adoption Campaign to be part of making Sports great again in Nigeria.
In attendance were the Governor f Edo State, Godwin N. Obaseki, the Secretary to the Government of The Federation (SGF), Boss Gidahyelda Mustapha, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Sadiya Umaru Farouq, the Permanent Secretary Of The Ministry Of Youth and Sports Development, Gabriel Aduda amongst others.
The Torch Of Unity for the 20th National Sports Festival was presented to Mr. President by the minister who then passed it back to the Minister who then handed it over to the Permanent Secretary Of The Ministry.
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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