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TOKYO 2020 FACES POSSIBLE CANCELLATION

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Thomas Bach has acknowledged that Tokyo 2020 would be cancelled should the Olympic Games not be held in 2021, while the International Olympic Committee (IOC) President confirmed that different scenarios are being considered over the potential impact of coronavirus on the postponed event.

Bach made the comments in an interview with the BBC, nearly two months after Tokyo 2020 and the IOC announced the postponement of the Games until next year.

The rescheduled Olympic Games are due to take place from July 23 to August 8 in 2021, with the Paralympic Games following from August 24 to September 5.

Concerns remain over whether the multi-sport events will be able to take place due to the ongoing global health crisis, with more than five million coronavirus cases and 330,000 deaths now reported since the outbreak began.

Opinions have differed on whether a vaccine would be required for Tokyo 2020 to take place, with Japan Medical Association President Yoshitake Yokokura suggesting last month it would be hard to host the Games without this in place.

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Bach has repeatedly sought to quell “speculation”, with the IOC President telling the BBC the organisation is relying on experts.

“For this question, we are relying on the advice of the World Health Organization,” he said.

“We have established one principle: to organise these Games in a safe environment for all the participants.

“Nobody knows what the world will look like in one year, in two months.

“So we have to rely on [experts] and then take the appropriate decision at the appropriate time based on this advice.”

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Bach added that he understood Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe’s assessment that next year could be the “last option” to stage the Games.

“Quite frankly, I have some understanding for this, because you cannot forever employ 3,000, or 5,000, people in an Organising Committee,” said Bach.

“You cannot every year change the entire sports schedule worldwide of all the major federations.

“You cannot have the athletes being in uncertainty.

“You cannot have so much overlapping with a future Olympic Games, so I have some understanding for this approach by our Japanese partners.

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“We have to be prepared for different scenarios.

“There is the clear commitment to having these Games in July next year.”

Bach said scenarios were being assessed regarding health measures, telling NBC Sports in a separate interview that the IOC needed to consider whether rules might be necessary to ensure access to Japan next year.

This could potentially involve quarantines for athletes and determining how many people would have access to venues.

Bach said these scenarios were part of the “mammoth task” of reorganising the Games, adding that decisions would be taken at an “appropriate time” after advice from experts.

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The IOC President stressed the organisation did not want to hold the Games behind closed doors.

A total of $650 million (£535 million/€600 million) was set aside by the IOC last week to assist the organisation of the re-arranged Games, although Tokyo 2020 are still assessing costs related to the postponement.

The IOC also set aside an “aid package” of $150 million (£122 million/€137 million) last week to help International Federations (IFs).

This fund could be used to provide loans and advance payments on revenue shares from the postponed Tokyo 2020.

Donations could also be covered by the scheme and support will “come in different forms and will be decided after an assessment of needs and on a case-by-case basis”.

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Association of Summer Olympic International Federations executive director Andrew Ryan told insidethegames that themoney eligible IFs receive from the IOC package will be “deducted from revenue shares at the end of next year”.

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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Governing Bodies

Sanusi set for record-extending tenure as Nigeria’s football politicians assemble in Asaba

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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.

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 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.

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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.

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Governing Bodies

Like in Egypt, former Nigerian Olympian, Sadiq Abdulahi wants Tinubu to declare ‘State of Emergency’ in Sports

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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.

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“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.

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  “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

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Governing Bodies

CAF gives Yoruba and Arabic interpretations of  ‘OLA’ the Super Cup 2024 Official Match Ball

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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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