Olympics
Olympic Broadcasting Services founder Romero dies of cancer at 81
Manolo Romero, who was pivotal to the growth of the Olympic Games globally by founding the Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS), has died at the age of 81 following a battle with cancer.
The Spaniard was first involved at the Olympics at Mexico City 1968, but started working towards the creation of the OBS when he was first in charge of the host broadcast operation at Los Angeles 1984.
He would keep this role for Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996, and at Sydney 2000 would cover the Olympics and Paralympics, before the OBS was formed in 2003 by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) under his watch as chief executive.
The OBS then streamlined the host process, becoming a company that broadcasted the Olympics, Paralympics, Winter Olympics, Winter Paralympics and the Youth Olympics.
Romero would continue in his role, before retiring from the Games after London 2012.
Prior to his lengthy career as one of the most influential media personnel in the Olympic Movement, Romero started his career at Spanish broadcaster TVE.
He is also regarded as one of the pioneers of host broadcasting as a concept, first rolling this out at the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain before extending this to the Olympics two years later in Los Angeles.
This year, Romero became the first European to be inducted into the United States-based Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame.
At the time of his entry, Romero said: “All of the Olympics have had something special, but the thing I am most proud of is seeing how OBS is today and how it’s still moving forward and is innovative.
“I am very proud of that.”
Several figureheads from the IOC paid tribute to him including chair of the OBS and IOC member Geraldo Werthein, who called him his “amigo” when making comment.
IOC vice-president and OBS Board member Juan Antonio Samaranch and NBC Olympics and Business President Gary Zenkel referred to him as a “trailblazer”, while European Broadcasting Union (EBU) leader Fernando Pardo called Romero “a genius”.
German broadcaster ARD/ZDF, Britain’s BBC, Canada’s CBC, The Netherlands’ NOS and France’s FTV paid their respects too.
Romero’s successor as chief executive, Yiannis Exarchos, called him “instrumental”.
“His mentorship and leadership were instrumental in my life and his wisdom and work ethic transcended our work together,” said Exarchos.
“The legacy of his guidance still resonates with me every single day of my professional life.
“Words can’t begin to express how much I will miss him.
“There was no greater champion of the Olympic Movement, nor anyone whose impact was greater on the world being able to come together and unite through the power of sport.”
Alongside his work with the OBS, Romero founded International Sports Broadcasting, a company that broadcasts major sporting events.
This is now run by his daughter, Úrsula Romero.
He is credited with popularising formats like high-definition television or stereo, globally.
Romero grew up in Seville and earned a degree from the University of Madrid, majoring in telecommunications engineering with a minor in economics.
While working at TVE, he became chair of an EBU working group on exchanging programmes internationally via satellite.
Through the organisation, he worked at the Mexico City Olympics, organising the transmissions for several major broadcasters around the world.
-insidethegames
Nigeria’s Super Falcons will face a confident and free-scoring Comoros side in the next round of the women’s football qualifiers for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games after the island nation completed a staggering 30-0 aggregate demolition of Sudan.
Comoros sealed their passage to the next stage with a 13-0 victory in the second leg of their first-round tie, having already recorded a commanding win in the opening match. The result saw the Coelacanthes score an extraordinary 30 goals across the two legs without conceding a single goal.
The emphatic triumph has generated excitement around the rapidly improving Comoros women’s national team, but a much sterner examination now awaits against Africa’s most successful women’s football nation.
Nigeria, ten-time African champions and one of the continent’s traditional powerhouses, enter the next round as overwhelming favourites. However, Comoros’ remarkable scoring exploits against Sudan suggest they will arrive with growing confidence and belief.
The Coelacanthes dominated both encounters from start to finish, displaying clinical finishing and defensive solidity that left Sudan with no answer. Their tally of 30 goals over two matches represents an astonishing average of 15 goals per game.
For Nigeria, the fixture will mark the beginning of another quest for Olympic qualification after missing out on the women’s football tournament at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The Super Falcons, who recently impressed in their international friendly victories over Senegal in Ikenne, boast vastly greater experience and pedigree than their upcoming opponents. The nine-time Women’s Africa Cup of Nations champions have consistently been among the continent’s strongest teams and remain Africa’s highest-ranked women’s national side.
Comoros coach Youssouf Abdallah has described his team’s performances against Sudan as evidence of the progress being made within the squad, but the encounter with Nigeria will provide a true measure of their development.
While Comoros’ record-breaking victory has captured attention across African football, the challenge of overcoming Nigeria represents a significant leap in quality. The Super Falcons have traditionally dominated lower-ranked African opponents and will be expected to continue their march towards a place at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
The dates for the second-round qualifiers are expected to be confirmed by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), with the winners advancing further in the race for a place at the Olympic Games in the United States.
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By Kunle Solaja.
Nigeria’s senior women’s national team, the Super Falcons, will begin their campaign for a place at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games from the second round of the African qualifiers after being granted a bye in the opening stage.
The draw, conducted on Wednesday in Cairo by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), placed Nigeria among 29 higher-ranked teams exempted from the first round of the series.
The Super Falcons will take on the winner of the first-round clash between South Sudan and Comoros in their opening fixture of the qualifiers.
A total of 35 nations are competing for just two available slots allocated to Africa for the women’s football tournament at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, underlining the intensity and high stakes of the qualification process.
The qualifiers will be contested over five knockout rounds on a home-and-away basis, leaving little room for error as teams battle for continental representation on the global stage.
The first round involves the six lowest-ranked teams—Sudan, Mauritius, Djibouti, South Sudan, Madagascar and Comoros—based on the latest FIFA Women’s World Rankings. Winners from this stage will advance to face each other again before the 29 seeded teams, including Nigeria, enter the fray.
Nigeria will be aiming to consolidate their status among Africa’s elite women’s football nations, having qualified for the most recent Olympic tournament alongside Zambia at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Although the Super Falcons boast a notable Olympic pedigree, having made their debut at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and subsequently appearing at Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and Paris 2024, qualification has not always been easy.
The 16-year gap between their last two participations in Beijing 2008 and Paris 2024 illustrates the tough time they have endured in the qualifying series.
With the women’s football event at Los Angeles 2028 set to feature 16 teams—including hosts the United States—Nigeria’s path to qualification is expected to be demanding.
Attention will now shift to the preliminary encounter between South Sudan and Comoros, as Nigeria’s technical crew intensify preparations ahead of their second-round entry point.
For the Super Falcons, the mission is clear: successfully navigate a rigorous qualifying campaign and secure a return to the Olympic stage in 2028.
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Nigeria’s senior women’s national team, the Super Falcons, will on Wednesday discover their route to the football event of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles when the Confederation of African Football conducts the official draw in Cairo.
The draw ceremony, scheduled for April 29 at CAF headquarters in Egypt, will set in motion Africa’s qualifying campaign for the women’s football tournament of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
A total of 35 countries, including Nigeria, will participate in the race for just two tickets allocated to Africa for the Olympic football event, which will take place from July 11 to 29, 2028.
Alongside Nigeria, other contenders include continental heavyweights such as South Africa, Cameroon, Ghana, Morocco and Zambia, as well as a wide range of emerging nations from across the continent.
The full list of participating teams also features Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Namibia, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
According to CAF, the qualification series will be played over five rounds, gradually narrowing the field to the two teams that will fly Africa’s flag at the Olympics in the United States.
For Nigeria, Africa’s most successful women’s national team, the qualifiers present another opportunity to reaffirm their continental dominance and secure a return to the Olympic stage after recent mixed fortunes in global competitions.
The Super Falcons, nine-time African champions, are expected to be among the top seeds when the draw is conducted, a factor that could influence their early-round opponents.
Wednesday’s ceremony in Cairo will therefore provide clarity on the fixtures, timelines and potential hurdles facing Nigeria and other contenders as the road to Los Angeles officially begins.
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