Governing Bodies
Let’s make Nigerian football great again, says Mines & Steel Minister, Adegbite
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Memories of the glorious past of Nigeria’s football came flooding as Arc. Olamilekan Adegbite, Nigeria’s minister of Mines and Steel Development received the Organising Committee for the 50th Anniversary of the passage of Nigerian legendary footballer, Tesilimi Balogun in his office.
The minister displayed an encyclopaedic knowledge of the football industry when he reeled out the country’s glorious past and footballers that the current generation of Nigerian youths should take inspiration from.
In throwing his weight behind the organisation of the 50th anniversary of Thunder Balogun, Adegbite remarked on the good image football and footballers have given Nigeria and harped on the need for the country to use the game to further improve on the international image of the country.
“I remember when I introduce myself as a Nigerian abroad, the first enquiry people also make are on the notable footballers the country had produced. ‘How is Amokachi?
He recalled the golden era of Nigerian football especially the exploits in the US during the World Cup in 1994 and later at the Atlanta ‘96 where Nigeria became the first country outside the Europe to win the football gold medal in 68 years.
Before then, the last time a non-European won was in 1928 when Uruguay won the gold medal. According to Adegbite, Nigeria will have to embark on human capital development in sports for the country to re-enact the golden age.
To this, he believes that emphasis should be on empowering the youths and engaging in skill acquisition to uplift the youth for a brighter Nigeria in the future.
He remarked that he once visited a state in the country where the governor had embarked on massive upgrading of roads. ‘But today, citizens are avoiding travelling on the roads for fear of hoodlums.
He made reference to the popular saying of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo that the “children of the poor you failed to train will never let your children have peace.”
Adegbite remarked that the untrained children of the poor will at first be beggars and mere urchins. But as they grow older, proceeds from such ventures would no longer take care of their needs and they resort to crime and violence.
He therefore suggested that there must be more emphasis of skill acquisition than merely providing amenities that are rendered useless. He bemoaned the state of some sports facilities in the country which ought to provide avenues for skill acquisition by the youths in sports.
He therefore commended the Lagos State Government for not just naming a sports facility after Tesilimi ‘Thunder’ Balogun, but also constantly renovating it.
Adegbite will be the chairman at the opening ceremony at the week-long 50th anniversary of Thunder Balogun in July this year.
FIFA has sanctioned two lower division clubs in Kenya and Vietnam for match manipulation, relegating them to the third tier, world soccer’s governing body said on Friday.
FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee found Kenyan side Muhoroni Youth guilty of “activities related to the manipulation of football matches and competitions”, expelling the club from the second-tier National Super League.
“The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has further ordered the relegation of the Muhoroni Youth senior team to the Football Kenya Federation Division One League (third tier) ahead of next season,” FIFA said.
Vietnamese club Phu Tho was also found guilty of match manipulation. The club’s senior team was expelled from the Vietnamese Football League Second Division and relegated to the third division.
FIFA said the clubs had been notified and can appeal the decision.
-Reuters
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The president of the Confédération of African Football, Dr. Patrice Motsepe, has announced five new CAF Vice Presidents. They are:
- CAF First Vice President: Mr Fouzi Lekjaa (Morocco)
- CAF Second Vice President: Mr Kurt Okraku (Ghana)
- CAF Third Vice President: Mr Pierre-Alain Mounguengui (Gabon)
- CAF Fourth Vice President: Ms Bestine Kazadi Ditabala (Democratic Republic of Congo)
- CAF Fifth Vice President: Mr Feizal Sidat (Mozambique)
In addition, the CAF President has co-opted Yacine Idriss Diallo, President of Fédération Ivoirienne de football, into the CAF Executive Committee.
The CAF Executive Committee also approved the names to fill vacant positions on several CAF Committees.
Organising Committee for the African Nations Championship (CHAN)
- President: Pierre-Alain Mounguengui (Gabon)
CAF Technical and Development Committee
- President: Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)
- Vice President: Malouche Belhassen (Tunisia)
CAF Medical Committee:
- President: Dr. Mohammed Bouya (Mauritania)
- Vice President: Dr. Thulani Ngwenya (South Africa)
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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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