Governing Bodies
Chinese community reward Edo 2020 Kung-Fu medallists
In fulfilment of the promise it made before the National Sports Festival in Benin, the Chinese Community in Nigeria last weekend rewarded all the medalists in the Kung Fu event.
They were entertained, offered motivational talks from Nigeria’s first Olympic gold medallist, Chioma Ajunwa and also given monetary incentives.
At a colorful ceremony held in Surulere area of Lagos and jointly organised by the Nigeria Huaxing Art Troupe and the Wushu Development Association of Nigeria, the Chairman of Chinese Industrial and Commercial Entrepreneur Association, Dr Eric Ni, said the reward to the athletes is the confirmation of good relationship that has been existing between China and Nigeria.
Although Kung Fu was a non-scoring event and made its debut at the national multi-sport event last March, the monetary reward to the six best performers at the Festival was a consolation to them considering the fact that their respective states did not reward them because of the present status of the sport.
Among the recipient of the special cash award were Oluremi Phillip Adedokun, Austin Esther Douye, Shittu Modinat, Iyanu Okiki Oladele, Eweje Yusuf Leye, Nwobilor Francis Tochukwu.
Gold medallist won N200,000 while silver medal winners were each given N150,000 just as the winners of bronze medal was rewarded with N100,000 each.
During the presentation ceremony, Dr. Ni, a holder of chieftancy title in Nigeria, explained that it is the wish of the Chinese Community to continue to reward Nigerian youths in talent development and groom them to be among the best in the world.
“We have been in Nigeria for almost 60 years and meaning we are together in nation’s building program for such a long time. We want to help build youths of the nation both in sports and cultural development.
“The Chinese community want to continue to build seamless relationship and because of this we want to expand and help in local football and boxing development and for your information, we have been part of your national public holiday in the past and will want to expend to other sports where Nigerians have great advantage and popularity among their peers.
“Nigeria is part of our system and the hope for the future lies in the children and in fulfilment of our promise we want to reward the athletes at the last sports festival.
“We are into community development through education and culture and recently we visited the Makoko community and we are into social development just like we visited orphanage homes and make meaningful donations,” he remarked.
Nigeria’s first Olympic gold medallist, Chioma Ajunwa who incidentally was a member of the Nigerian football team at the inaugural Women’s World Cup that took place in China in 1991, urged the youths to take the advantage giving to them by the Chinese Community to development themselves and achieve greater goals both in sports and education.
“Dr Hi is not a Nigerian but he has planted seeds among us and with the hope that it will geminate within a sporting time frame and help in the development of sports in Nigeria.
“It’s a good development if the youths of today can take the advantage of this unique platform to excel both in their academic calling and at the same time nurture themselves be among the best in their sport in the world,” she added.
Aside the monetary reward, the Chinese Community also donated sporting equipment to the Kung Fu Federation.
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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The supporters of Vancouver Whitecaps, a professional football (soccer) club in Canada, have staged a protest outside the FIFA Congress on Thursday, voicing fears that the Major League Soccer club could be relocated as uncertainty deepens over its ownership and long-term future.
The club is one of Canada’s most historic football institutions and has long been a central part of Vancouver’s sporting identity.
Around 100 fans gathered as delegates arrived for the annual FIFA meeting in Vancouver, chanting, singing and waving club flags in a show of solidarity. The demonstration comes just days after Vancouver Whitecaps FC revealed difficulties in securing a buyer willing to keep the club in the city.
The Whitecaps disclosed earlier this week that “stadium economics, venue access and revenue limitations” have complicated efforts to sell the club, despite a 16-month search for new ownership.
Season ticket holder Derek Hawksworth said supporters felt compelled to act amid growing fears of relocation.
“I wanted to come down given the threat of the team possibly moving,” he said. “It’s a rich history with the Whitecaps in North America… we want Vancouver to stay and not relocate. The history is here, and we want to continue with that history moving forward.”
The Vancouver Whitecaps are a professional football (soccer) club based in Vancouver, Canada. They currently compete in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top-tier league in the United States and Canada.
Concerns were heightened by reports that cities such as Las Vegas and Phoenix are leading contenders should the club relocate.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim has urged intervention, calling on the provincial government — which owns BC Place — to negotiate a “bridge deal” that would allow the team to remain while plans for a new stadium are explored. The club’s current lease at BC Place expires at the end of the year.
Despite the off-field uncertainty, the Whitecaps have been one of the standout teams this MLS season. They currently sit second in the Western Conference with 24 points from nine matches, just three points behind the San Jose Earthquakes.
For supporters, however, performances on the pitch offer little comfort as the future of their club hangs in the balance — a situation they hope global football leaders gathering in Vancouver will not ignore.
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