Governing Bodies
IOC BATTLING TO SAVE IRANIAN WRESTLING CHAMPION SENTENCED TO DEATH
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is “extremely concerned” by the case involving Iranian wrestler Navid Afkari after he was given two death sentences for the alleged murder of a security guard during anti-Government protests, according to President Thomas Bach.
Bach claimed the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the country’s wrestling federation are “doing their utmost to facilitate a solution” – echoing an earlier statement from the organisation – for Afkari, who was scheduled to be executed today.
The IOC President did not elaborate on what was being done to help the Iranian wrestling champion and said the IOC was unable to comment further as the case is ongoing.
Iran’s Supreme Court gave Afkari two death sentences for his involvement in protests against the country’s regime in 2018.
Supporters claim Afkari was tortured into making a false confession over the murder of a security officer during the demonstrations.
The World Players Association and other organisations, which have rallied behind Afkari in recent weeks, believe he has been unjustly targeted by the Iranian authorities to intimidate others who might choose to participate in peaceful protests.
Persian-language broadcaster Iran International reported Afkari and two of his brothers – Vahid and Habib – had been charged with 20 different crimes, including “attending illegal gatherings, assembly and conspiracy to commit crimes against national security and insulting the supreme leader”.
The IOC has been urged to act by the WPA and in a petition launched on the Change.org platform last week, which has been signed by more than 23,000 people at the time of writing and had been due to be delivered to the Executive Board today.
“First of all, we have to stick to our principles, and this principle is to respect the sovereignty and judicial system of sovereign countries,” Bach said following the latest remote IOC Executive Board meeting.
“On the other hand, Navid Afkari is an athlete.
“Therefore, we feel close to him.
“This is why the IOC, together with United World Wrestling (UWW), were and are extremely concerned about the case of Navid Afkari and we have taken contact with our respective partners.
“The NOC and the National Federation are doing their utmost to facilitate a solution for the case of Navid Afkari.
“You may understand that due to the particular circumstances – and the still ongoing efforts – I cannot offer more details at this stage.”
Dozens of wrestlers, athletes and officials from several sports have spoken out in support of Afkari since the death sentencing, which has attracted widespread criticism from across the world.
Iranian authorities have not announced when executions will happen in previous cases, according to Hadi Ghaemi, executive director of the Center for Human Rights in Iran.
The Iranian Government has in recent days given signals that it will carry out the sentence, the New York Times reported.
Requests to UWW for comment have not been answered.
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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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