Governing Bodies
20TH NATIONAL SPORTS FESTIVAL, “EDO 2020” IS OUR OWN OLYMPICS – SUNDAY DARE
BY ENDERLINE CHUKWU
Nigeria’s Minister Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare has described the 20th National Sports Festival tagged “ EDO 2020” as Nigeria’s own model of Olympics.
He made this assertion during the meeting of members of the Main Organising Committee (MOC) for the festival at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.
Dare stated that the National Sports Festival is the biggest sporting event in Nigeria for Nigerian sports men and women and that it avails opportunities to identify hidden talents from the nooks and crannies of the country.
He said that the event being a bi-annual one has afforded Edo State the privilege of hosting it.
He outlined the aims of the festival to include preparing our teeming athletes for national and international competitions and championships, bridging the gap between the various parts of the country and creating opportunities for integration, friendship and National unity.
The Minister said the sporting fiesta will attract participants from the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory and will feature various sporting events.
He hinted that the 1st Joint Technical Meeting, which discussed all technical issues relating to the festival as well as inspection of the venues and facilities earmarked for the Games had already taken place in Benin City.
Dare further said that for the expectations of Nigerians to be met during “EDO 2020”, the eight sub-committees of the MOC had been inaugurated with carefully chosen members based on relevant experience, exposure, competence and commitment to enhance a successful delivery of this assignment.
He reiterated that members can be exchanged into different committees. He also tasked the Permanent Secretary on the availability and timely release of funds for the event.
On his part, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Gabriel Tanimu Aduda who doubles as the Chairman Main Organising Committee (MOC) promised that fund for the event will be released as soon as the Federal Ministry of Finance disburses to the Ministry for that purpose.
He said the last lap of the inspection of facilities for the event, which will comprise of some of the secretaries of the federations, is in the offing.
In the same vein, the Secretary of the MOC, Peter Nelson gave brief information on the preparations for the event and the number of sports facilities, and its venues that had been completed.
The 20th National Sports Festival is billed to commence on the 22nd of March to 1st of April 2020.
By Kunle Solaja.
Nigeria is set to host the 48th Ordinary General Assembly of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), marking the third time the country will stage the continent’s top football gathering.
The development was confirmed in a statement issued by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), which disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on the sidelines of the ongoing Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, approved Nigeria’s proposal to host the event.
The approval followed a meeting between President Tinubu and CAF President Patrice Motsepe, attended by Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau, former NFF President and Special Adviser to the CAF President Amaju Melvin Pinnick, as well as CAF Acting General Secretary Samson Adamu.
Sports Villages Square affirms that Nigeria previously hosted the CAF Congress at the National Theatre in Lagos in March 1980 and again in February 2009, when the late CAF President Issa Hayatou secured another four-year term in office.
In addition to this year’s 48th Ordinary General Assembly, scheduled for October, Nigeria also secured the hosting rights of the CAF Awards ceremony. The annual awards gala, which celebrates Africa’s top football performers, has been staged in Morocco over the past three years.
Nigeria had earlier hosted the CAF Awards when telecom firm, Globacom, was the headline sponsor. This year’s event will be the seventh to be held in Nigeria after those of 2005, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014 and 2016.
The CAF Ordinary General Assembly traditionally attracts key football stakeholders from across the continent, including presidents of CAF’s 54 member associations, representatives of the six zonal unions and senior football administrators.
The CAF Awards ceremony is regarded as one of African football’s flagship events, honouring outstanding players, coaches, clubs and officials in a glamorous setting that showcases the continent’s football excellence.
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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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