Governing Bodies
ITALY PUTS A HALT TO SPORTING EVENTS AT ALL LEVELS
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Monday night announced the unprecedented suspension of all sporting events in the country, including its top-flight Serie A football league, until April 3.
Italy is grappling with the coronavirus outbreak – it is not just the hardest-hit country in Europe, but also the second-most affected nation in the world, behind China.
The Covid-19 contagion originated from the city of Wuhan. As of yesterday, there were 9,172 cases in Italy, with 463 deaths.
The final Serie A match before the government announcement saw Sassuolo beat Brescia 3-0 behind closed doors in Reggio Emilia on Monday night. After opening the scoring, Sassuolo’s Francesco Caputo held up a handwritten message on piece of paper, urging fans: “Everything will be fine. Stay at home.”
A few hours later, Mr Conte used similar words as he announced a countrywide lockdown.
“I am going to sign a decree that can be summarised as follows: ‘I stay at home’,” he said in a televised address.
The unprecedented measures limiting travel and banning public gatherings across the country of more than 60 million people include the closure of schools and the suspension of sports competitions.
“There is no reason why matches and sporting events should continue and I am thinking of the football championship,” said Mr Conte.
“I’m sorry, but all the fans must take note of it, we will not even allow gyms to be used for sports activities.”
Earlier on Monday, Italy’s National Olympic Committee, which has authority over all national sports federations, had recommended “sporting activities at all levels” be suspended until April 3 to help contain the virus outbreak. It called for a government decree to enforce the request.
With 26 rounds of games played and 12 left, eight-time defending champions Juventus lead the Scudetto race with 63 points, one ahead of Lazio, while Inter Milan are third on 54, but have a game in hand.
There will now be questions over how the season will conclude.
At least three rounds of matches will need to be rearranged after April 3 before the end of the season, scheduled for May 24.
There is little room for manoeuvring due to Euro 2020 starting on June 12. There are also doubts that the quadrennial tournament, of which Rome is one of the 12 host cities, will go ahead.
The decree does, however, allow for the possibility of organising matches under international jurisdiction behind closed doors, such as ties in the Champions League and Europa League.
Juventus are due to host Lyon in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie in Turin next week. Inter Milan will welcome Spanish La Liga side Getafe in the Europa League tomorrow while Roma will host Sevilla a week later.
All those games are set to be played in empty stadiums as will the second leg of Barcelona’s Champions League last-16 tie with Napoli at the Nou Camp on March 18.
The Spanish champions made the announcement on their Twitter page yesterday.
Governing Bodies
Sanusi set for record-extending tenure as Nigeria’s football politicians assemble in Asaba
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Speculations gathered ahead of the 2024 Annual General Meeting of the Nigeria Football Federation holding in Asaba on Friday have it that tenure elongation for the General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, is a major item on the agenda.
Neither formal confirmation nor denial has been issued since one of the leading newspapers in Nigeria, ThisDay dropped the hint.
The agenda of the meeting is also not made public. Dr, Sanusi is the longest-serving General Secretary in history having been in office from 30 March 2015 making 3,476 days or nine years six months and four days.
It easily drowned that of his closest rival in tenure – Sani Toro whose tenure from 21 December 1993 to 3 May 1999 is merely 2020 days or five years, six months and 12 days.
Thus, no one had enjoyed a longer period in office than the incumbent, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi. It is speculated that the tenure will be extended as NFF has reported that all delegates have arrived in the Delta State capital by Thursday evening.
The NFF Annual General Assembly, the first of which took place 90 years ago in Lagos on 19 February 1934, is the biggest assemblage of football administrators and stakeholders in the country.
In one such meeting on 24 July 2008 in Makurdi, the football body changed its name from NFA to NFF.
This year, according to a press release by the NFF, the plenary will have in attendance, the chairmen and secretaries of football associations in the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory, chairmen and secretaries of the Nigeria Premier Football League, Nigeria National League, Nigeria Women Football League and the Nationwide League One, as well as chairmen and secretaries of the referees’ association, players’ union and coaches’ association. This group of 88 makes up the Congress.
They are joined by the members of the NFF Executive Committee and the management team as well as former NFF Presidents and General Secretaries.
The Minister of Sports Development, John Owan Enoh, is announced as the special guest. Nigeria’s Member of the FIFA Council, Amaju Melvin Pinnick is also expected as well as a representative of the West African Football Union (WAFU B).
The Governor of Delta State, Sheriff Francis Oborevwori will declare the General Assembly open.
Venue is the Unity Hall of the Delta State Government House.
Governing Bodies
Like in Egypt, former Nigerian Olympian, Sadiq Abdulahi wants Tinubu to declare ‘State of Emergency’ in Sports
Former Nigerian tennis player and Olympian, Prof. Sadiq Abdulahi has called for drastic action to arrest the decline of Nigeria in global sporting events.
The former tennis player who is now a professor in the United States declared that the “failure to win a medal at the regular 2024 Paris Olympics, the few medals at the Paris Paralympic and the fallout at the National Youth Sports Festival has exposed the deep problems facing the sport’s sector.”
He wants Nigeria to have the same approach that the Egyptian president has taken while reacting to the country’s performance at the Paris 2024 Olypics.
Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi ordered a comprehensive evaluation of sports federations that participated at the Paris Olympic Games, following a mission report submitted by the country’s sports minister.
According to Prof. Abdulahi, the National Sports Federations charged with the preparation of elite athletes have failed to do their job despite the cry for funding from the government.
“Federal Government cannot adequately fund all the Olympics sports. It is impossible.
“By declaring a state of emergency, new people, new approaches and new funding models will be identified. More importantly, the Federal Government will redefine grassroots sports development.
“We will lay sustainable foundation for sports development.”
Continuing, he called for the return of the National Sports Commission (NSC) which enabling decree was abolished through Decree No. 7 of 1991, but came back through presidential proclamation under Sani Abacha before it was abolished again.
The original NSC was established in 1964 as National Sports Council before the promulgation of Decree 34 of 1971 which legalised it as the apex Federal Government agency to control, regulate and organize sports.
“The FG may now bring back the National Sports Commission or the National Sports Authority. Our emerging national economy with the full participation of the private sector can support this new beginning. I hope this helps.”
RELATED STORY: President Al-Sisi orders sports system overhaul
Governing Bodies
CAF gives Yoruba and Arabic interpretations of ‘OLA’ the Super Cup 2024 Official Match Ball
The Confédération African of Football, CAF, has given the linguistics interpretation of OLA, the confederation’s official match balls produced by Puma which has also unveiled a special edition for the Super Cup duel holding on Friday in Saudi Arabia.
According to CAF, OLA, symbolizing the dynamic and energetic nature of African football, means “wealth,” “honour,” and “respect” in Yoruba and “rise” and “success” in Arabic.
The OLA ball stands out with its vibrant design and cultural significance. “OLA”
The ball is a mix of black and gold, representing power and sophistication. The ball will be the centrepiece of the eagerly-awaited match between the two giants of African football.
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