European champions Real Madrid overcame Al-Hilal in an eight-goal thriller at the final of the FIFA Club World Cup on Saturday night to seal a fifth title in nine years.
The game, played in the Moroccan capital, saw Nigerian forward Odion Ighalo feature in the final minutes for the Saudi Arabian side.
Asian champions Al-Hilal, who trailed by two goals before 18 minutes, did put up a monumental fight against their European counterparts but it was Real who clinched the victory with a 5-3 scoreline.
Al-Hilal goalscorers were Luciano Vietto (a brace) and Moussa Marega while Vinicius Junior and Federico Valverde netted a brace each for Real Madrid, and Benzema scored a goal.
Carlo Ancelotti’s team successfully added to their four cups from 2014 to 2018, and their triumph meant European teams have won the past 10 editions of the tournament.
Meanwhile, the competition features reigning continental champions and champions of the host country. But FIFA has announced its intentions to change the format from June 2025 to feature 32 teams and be held every four years
Twenty-one players have been called up by the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) to the D’Tigers’ camp in preparation for the FIBA World Cup qualifiers scheduled for Luanda, Angola.
The invited players were announced by the NBBF on its official Twitter account.
Messi’s current deal expired at the end of the current season and nothing has been finalised on a new contract.
The Argentine is looking at some jaw-dropping offers from Saudi Arabia and Major League Soccer and could be on his way out of PSG.
The PSG President for this reason is said to have identified the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations finalist as a potential replacement for the football king.
Salah has scored 17 goals and has provided seven assists in 31 games across competitions for the Red this season despite Jurgen Klopp’s side struggles.
The Egyptian forward, who moved to Anfield in 2017, has scored 173 goals in 285 games and provided 70 assists for the Reds, helping them win the Champions League and the Premier League
By surpassing Kareem Abdul-all-time Jabbar’s scoring mark, LeBron James has solidified his position as one of the most dominant NBA players in history.
With 10.9 seconds left in the third quarter on Tuesday night, the 38-year-old surpassed Kareem Abdul-record Jabbar’s of 38,387 points with a step-back fadeaway jumper from the foul line over the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Kenrich Williams.
Abdul-Jabbar played in 1,560 games to reach his total, whereas James did so in slightly more than 1,400.
Michael Jordan averages 30.1 points per game, which is the most in NBA history. James is barely behind another active player, Kevin Durant, in fifth place on that list with 27.1. (27.3).
The game was paused after James’ record-breaking shot for an on-court ceremony with Abdul-Jabbar and NBA commissioner Adam Silver.
“I just want to say, thank you to the Laker faithful. You guys are one of a kind,” James said.
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It has been a tumultuous 24+ hours for Türkiye, as the nation stands perplexed and unknowing of what lies beyond the oblivious wall, after experiencing what could well be the most devastating disaster of the century thus far.
In a heartening display of relief, the Turkish Wrestling Federation reported that eight wrestlers have been rescued from the wreckages in the Kahramanmaraş earthquakes thus far.
Kahramanmaraş Municipality athletes tragically found themselves beneath the debris of the quake, the seismic force of which was centered in Kahramanmaraş and left its mark throughout many provinces, such as Hatay, Gaziantep, Adana, Osmaniye, Diyarbakır, Malatya and Şanlıurfa.
National wrestler Taha Akgül took to his social media account to report that the building housing dozens of athletes had been demolished, with an estimated 30-40 wrestlers inside.
The Turkish Wrestling Federation has declared that their rescue operations are still in force, with 8 athletes having been miraculously pulled from the wreckage thus far.
The Federation commented on the matter saying, “Rescue efforts continue for our wrestlers, who were among the athletes of Kahramanmaraş Municipality who were under the rubble after the earthquake in Kahramanmaraş. The number of wrestlers rescued so far has reached 8. The search and rescue works continue with the great dedication and faith of our wrestling family.”
Sadly, the future looks grim for a group of athletes from Malatya, with their fates far from certain.
The 11 volleyball players and four amputee footballers from Malatya Metropolitan Belediyespor, who were taking part in the playoff of TVF Men’s Volleyball 2nd League 6th Group, are now faced with an uncertain future, as the Kırçuval Hotel in Battalgazi, where they were staying, was reduced to rubble in the wake of the devastating earthquake.
Nothing definitive has been established, but the search-and-rescue operations remain underway to save those still entombed beneath the wreckage.
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Adding to the heartrending tragedy, Yeni Malatyaspor revealed that their goalkeeper Ahmet Eyüp Türkaslan was still entombed beneath the rubble, and that there had been no communication from him as yet.
Clearly overcome with emotion, his wife, Kübra Türkaslan took to social media with a desperate cry for help, pleading, “Eyüp has been buried under the rubble for 30 hours, someone please come to his aid.”
She exclaimed in despair, “This place is an utter disaster. We must do something to help Eyüp, who has been trapped beneath the rubble for an agonizing 30 hours with no hope of rescue from the debris without a crane or other heavy equipment.”
Southampton are currently at the bottom of the Premier League table but had just employed the services of the Nigerian international who is in good goalscoring form.
The 28-year-old signed a three-and-a-half year contract and made his debut for the club as a substitute in their 3-0 defeat at Brentford last weekend.
“It’s a huge challenge, not just for me but for everybody in the team. I’m going to give it all if I have the chance to play, and try to help the team to survive.”
Manchester City have issued a statement in response to accusations from the Premier League of more than 100 alleged financial rule breaches dating back to the 2009/10 season.
City stand accused of failing to accurately report financial information in each season from 2009/10 util 2017/18, with various rules alleged to be broken in each.
There are additionally allegations of incorrect records of manager payments between 2009 and 2016, pre-dating Pep Guardiola’s arrival at the club, as well as financial fair play concerns between 2013/14 and 2018/19, and failing to act properly under investigation from 2018/19 until now.
The Premier League has submitted its evidence to an independent commission for a final ruling.
The statement from the club speaks of ‘surprise’ at the Premier League’s allegations, refutes failing to cooperate with and assist the investigation and expresses confidence that the evidence does not point to any financial wrongdoing.
“Manchester City FC is surprised by the issuing of these alleged breaches of the Premier League Rules, particularly given the extensive engagement and vast amount of detailed materials that the EPL has been provided with,” the club have said in response.
“The Club welcomes the review of this matter by an independent Commission, to impartially consider the comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence that exists in support of its position.
“As such we look forward to this matter being put to rest once and for all.”
Liverpool crashed to a fourth defeat in their last seven games in all competitions when Wolves fired three goals against the Reds in a Premier League encounter on Saturday evening, a miserable run featuring only one win.
Jurgen Klopp’s side are languishing in 10th place, 10 points adrift of the top four amid their worst season of Klopp’s seven-year reign.
It is the first time since 2012 that Liverpool have lost three successive away league games, while they have already conceded more league goals this season than they did in the entirety of last term.
Facing a struggling team who kicked off in the relegation zone, Liverpool immediately crumbled as Joel Matip deflected Hwang Hee-chan’s cross into his own net after five minutes.
Wolves debutant Craig Dawson doubled the lead after 12 minutes when the defender smashed in from 10 yards.
With Wolves fans taunting Klopp with chants of “you’re getting sacked in the morning”, Ruben Neves sealed the rout with a 71st-minute finish from Adama Traore’s cross.
Nigeria international, Kelechi Iheanacho, scored one and made two goals to help Leicester City to come from behind and win Aston Villa 4-2 on Saturday evening.
Villa went ahead after 10 minutes through Ollie Watkins, but James Maddison levelled two minutes later.
Unai Emery’s men regained the lead with a 32nd-minute own goal from Leicester debutant Harry Souttar.
But Leicester equalised again in the 41st minute through Iheanacho and Tete netted on his debut in first-half stoppage time before Dennis Praet wrapped up the points in the 79th minute.
The win moved Leicester to the 13th place on the log with 21 points.
With their hectic winter transfer window now closed, Chelsea’s focus is on striking an agreement to extend the contract of midfielder Mason Mount, 90min understands.
Co-owner Todd Boehly made it clear earlier this season tying both Mount and right-back Reece James down to long-term deals was among the club’s top priorities this season, but while the latter put pen to paper on a six-year contract back in September, Mount is yet to sign.
An agreement is yet to be reached with the 24-year-old, but sources have confirmed to 90min Chelsea are now focusing all their efforts on reaching a positive outcome in the coming months.
Chelsea are prepared to make Mount one of the highest-earning players in the squad as a reward for his emergence as a regular starter for both club and country.
Mount’s representatives are aware of interest from other clubs but Mount is understood to be keen to stay at Chelsea and re-establish himself as a key player as part of the Blues’ lofty plans for the coming seasons.
Among Chelsea’s plans is the signing of Mount’s best friend, West Ham midfielder Declan Rice. A former Blues academy player, Rice has attracted significant interest from Arsenal in recent weeks but Chelsea remain keen on a reunion – even after their £106m acquisition of Enzo Fernandez from Benfica.
While tying down Mount to a long-term deal is not essential to Chelsea’s pursuit of Rice, sources close to the situation believe it would help in convincing the West Ham midfielder to join up with his friend at Stamford Bridge.
Thiago Silva is set to sign a new contract in the coming weeks while Chelsea remain in talks with the representatives of injured midfielder N’Golo Kante, whose deal expires at the end of the current season.
Decisions also have to be made on the players whose contracts expire in 2024. Mateo Kovacic, Cesar Azpilicueta, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Christian Pulisic all join Mount in entering the final 18 months of their contracts
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has backed Jadon Sancho to become an important player for the club once more following his long-awaited return to action on Wednesday night.
Sancho came off the bench to a rapturous reception at Old Trafford to contribute to United’s 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest to cement their place in the Carabao Cup final later this month.
The 22-year-old hadn’t featured since October before that, with initially illness and then concerns over fitness and also his mental wellbeing keeping him out of the team.
But Sancho showed even in flashes against Forest, playing an important role in the move that made the second goal for Fred, that he has the quality to make an impact.
“He already showed that [he can be a decisive player],” Ten Hag said afterwards.
“This season for instance, the game against Liverpool was a great goal. He scored against Leicester. He had some really good games, Spurs as well, so he already showed his great capabilities.”
Sancho is yet to consistently perform to those standards in a United shirt since his 2021 transfer from Borussia Dortmund, although he has faith from the boss and time remains on his side.
“He has really high standards,” Ten Hag continued. “He has great capabilities to contribute to our team and the team is improving, we are playing more in the opponent’s half and his capabilities are coming more to the fore. He can act on them more and have more touches on the ball and that gives him the best platform to perform.
“It is always important that players enjoy football because that gives energy and also the motivation to act and to perform.
“The reception from the fans to him was great and that will give him even more a push to continue in the way he is now acting. He has just started again, he is back in Carrington, and hopefully he can keep that and really contribute to the team because when he is in form, he is important to us.”
In an exclusive for WrestlingNews.co, Steve Fall’s Ten Count interviewed Jeff Cobb. He talked about debuting at Wrestle Kingdom, Mecedes Mone, WWE, and other topics. Scroll down for the entire interview.
Jeff Cobb talking about Mercedes Monet working for New Japan:
“It was really cool to see her show up. It’s great because from what I’ve heard, she loves professional wrestling. At the same token, she’s getting a chance and opportunity to wrestle different girls. From the IWGP, New Japan, Stardom standpoint, it’s good because she has a lot of fans that may not know Japanese wrestling per se, so it brings a lot of eyes for both sides and I think it’s a good partnership.”
“Originally, my first tryout I ever had was in 2014. Then at that moment, or at that time, six of us got pulled to the side. We did some interviews, took some pictures, and then it switched in a couple of days or so, like, ‘We don’t want anybody over 30.’ At that time, NXT wasn’t as huge as it eventually became. I believe they just signed Kevin Owens at the time. They had all this influx of indie guys coming in, or bigger name indie guys, so they were like, ‘Okay, well, we don’t want anybody over 30, but then we make exceptions to the rules about this.’ A month later, there’s rumors like, ‘Okay, we don’t want any more independent guys because we have too many’, or whatever. So it changes and that’s totally fine. I can’t be upset about that because it’s their business model and it’s what they want to do with their company. So I didn’t hear from them for a long time.”
“Just so happened right before the pandemic of 2020, William Regal would call me. Brian Kendrick would call me and say, ‘Is it cool to pass your number to Canyon Ceman?’ I’m always open to talk to people, entertain talks, or whatever. This was actually around the time when New Japan and I were figuring out a contract. At the same time AEW offered me a contract as well.”
“At the end of the day, I can make a great living being in Japan and doing a couple appearances here and there. It may not be WWE, The Rock money, but I’m a very low maintenance kind of guy, so I don’t need millions and millions of dollars, although, you know, people are like, you know, you’re stupid for not taking it.”
“A few months after a bunch of conversations with Canyon Ceman is when he got fired, and a whole, I don’t want to say, dumping of the roster happened. Looking back, I think I made a good choice because if I went there, six months later, I could have been released and then go crawling back to another company for a job.”
Dave Bautista, better known to WWE fans as Batista, is preparing to say goodbye to the Drax the Destroyer character.
He made his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in the 2014 “Guardians of the Galaxy” film before appearing in other MCU movies such as Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2, Avengers Infinity War, Avengers Endgame, Thor Love & Thunder.
After the 2014 film, his Hollywood career took off. He played the character in the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special and will bid farewell to the character in “Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3.”
The former WWE star previously confirmed that the upcoming film would be the last time he appears in an MCU movie because he wants to take his career in a different direction.
Bautista appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday night to promote his upcoming film, M. Night Shyamalan’s “Knock at the Cabin,” which will be released on Friday.
During it, he compared the end of his Drax run to the end of his career, which happend at WrestleMania 35 when he lost to Triple H.
“Yeah, it’s weird. I don’t know why it’s like news. So this is my seventh film as Drax and my third Guardians. It was like our trilogy. That’s kind of what we all signed up for, to do a trilogy, and I think this is going to be the last version of our Guardians of the Galaxy. It’s hard (to walk away), but it’s time. It’s the perfect exit. We had those perfect kind of character arcs and such a storybook ending. I constantly relate it to the way I ended my wrestling career. I ended it on a storybook note, and I would never go back and tarnish that. And it’s the same with this with Drax. I just got to end the perfect way. I would never sign up for another job as Drax just to get a paycheck. I would tarnish that, and I won’t do it,” Bautista stated.
As was noted earlier, there’s a viral photo of Ricky Starks arriving backstage at the WWE Royal Rumble last night. WWE’s John Cone is also pictured in the photo.
The photo looks like it may have come from a surveillance camera screenshot and it began to go viral on various social media sites earlier today. That led to some conspiracies to pop up that Starks may be looking at a WWE job at some point.
We don’t know when Starks’ AEW deal runs out but he signed around June of 2020. The photo below does not mean anything one way or the other and he’s not the only wrestler from a competing company to appear backstage at a WWE show. In fact, there have been instances of current WWE talent visiting backstage at other wrestling shows.
Starks seemingly reacted to the photo on Twitter (scroll down for his tweet) by making a joke about “GTV,” the storyline that played out for weeks around 1998-99 on WWE TV. The storyline was that someone was setting up surveillance footage in different areas of the arena. Unfortunately, the story never reached a conclusion but for years, there’s been speculation that Goldust would have been the person revealed behind the GTV videos
During a “Big 4” pay-per-view weekend, there’s typically a lot of non-contracted talent in the area because they are usually booked for a signing/appearance elsewhere but it’s rare to hear of a star from a competing promotion hanging out backstage at a WWE event.
A photo circulating online appears to show Ricky Starks arriving with Cody Rhodes last night just prior to the live Royal Rumble broadcast. Starks and Rhodes are good friends and Starks is also friends with other wrestlers in WWE with Bayley being one example.
Starks is currently being pushed as one of the breakout stars of AEW after he beat Chris Jericho on Dynamite a few weeks ago. For those of you wondering, there has been no indication that he has any plans to leave AEW
After last night’s WWE Royal Rumble pay-per-view, fans were left wondering a few things, including what the future holds for Jey Uso in The Bloodline.
Today in a post on his Instagram account, Jey confirmed that he is out of The Bloodline. Jey simply wrote, “I’m out” with a red tear drop and an image of him in the ring just before he left the ring after the rest of The Bloodline brutally beat on Sami Zayn. Jey has been backing Sami in recent weeks and last night he made it clear that he was not on board with everything that went on after the match with Sami.
As WrestlingNews.co first reported, the plan is for Sami Zayn to challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed Universal Championship at the Elimination Chamber PLE in Montreal.
Jamaican sprinter, Usain Bolt has expressed shock over how $12.7 million of his money went missing from a local private investment firm, that authorities are investigating as part of a massive fraud.
Speaking to reporters on January 27, Bolt said that he had sacked his business manager and added that the split was not amicable.
According to Bolt’s attorneys, his account with Kingston-based Stocks and Securities Limited dropped from around $12.8 million to just under $12,000. The corporation had been given until Friday to repay the funds, failing which they would take legal and criminal action.
The public should prepare for both the “expected and the unexpected” in this case, according to attorney Linton P. Gordon, who spoke to the Jamaica Observer newspaper.
“There is nothing to say at this stage, given what is happening, we have met with persons, and we are dealing with certain matters,” he was quoted as saying.
Earlier this week, Jamaican Finance Minister Nigel Clarke announced that the director of the Financial Services Commission was stepping down and that the Bank of Jamaica would now be in charge of regulating the island’s financial system.
He said that in addition to several government organizations, the suspected scam also impacted senior citizens.
The FBI and other unnamed foreign specialists have been asked for assistance by Jamaican officials, who have also claimed that consumers were provided incorrect information about their balances as part of the suspected scam. Officials have not yet disclosed the exact number of clients impacted or the amount of money lost.
Bolt mentioned the suspected scam while speaking at a luncheon sponsored for an upcoming relay.
“As you all know. I’ve been going through a tough week, a few tough weeks. No matter what’s going on right now, Jamaica is my country. That will never change. I’m just trying to focus on my family and trying not to think too much about it because it’s a difficult situation,”he said
As he arrived at the King Fahd International Stadium for the clash, Ronaldo received a rather surprising reaction from the home crowd.
The 37-year-old, who has been treated like royalty since making his big-money move to the Middle East, was greeted by chants for his eternal rival Messi.
Ronaldo played against Messi last weekend in a friendly and is now settling into domestic action with his new side.
One of the world’s most well-known boxing legend, Mike Tyson, is in trouble once again.
This is because a woman in New York state has filed a civil suit against him, accusing the former boxing champion of raping her in a limousine in the early 1990s, according to court filings.
The woman, who asked the court to remain anonymous, filed her complaint in early January under a temporary New York state law allowing victims of sexual assault to seek civil damages regardless of the statute of limitations.
Tyson spent three years in jail beginning in 1992 after being found guilty of raping model Desiree Washington, who was 18 at the time.
In a short affidavit dated December 23, 2022, the plaintiff states that she met the boxer at a nightclub “in the early 1990s,” and then followed him into his limousine, where he allegedly assaulted her before raping her.
“As a result of Tyson’s rape, I suffered and continue to suffer from physical, psychological and emotional injury,” she said.
By late Tuesday, Tyson had not issued any public statement.
Born in Brooklyn in 1966, Tyson had a turbulent childhood before becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion in the 1980s, terrifying his opponents with his fury in the ring and phenomenal punching power.
But after his prison sentence, he could not retain his titles.
In a notorious 1996 matchup, Tyson bit off a piece of his opponent Evander Holyfield’s ear.
Gripped by depression and addiction, he continued to make headlines, notably for a one-man show in which he described his life’s many ups and downs.
He has recently launched into the cannabis industry with his own brand of marijuana products and hosts a podcast
Former Premier League stars, Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher engaged in a heated argument about Argentina captain Lionel Messi on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football.
Recall with 𝕹𝖔𝖇𝖑𝖊 𝕽𝖊𝖕𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖘 𝕸𝖊𝖉𝖎𝖆 that Neville had claimed after Argentina’s 2022 FIFA World Cup 2-1 loss against Saudi Arabia in their first group game that, over recent years, it has become easier for defenders to win the ball back off Messi, adding that ‘people don’t fear him anymore’.
Neville’s words aged like milk as Messi and his Argentina teammates went on to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup after beating France in the final last December.
Messi also won the Golden Ball, scoring seven goals and providing three assists during the tournament.
However, Carragher recalled the incident and asked Neville on the MNF show: “Tell us your real thoughts on Messi?”
Neville responded: “Do you think I said Messi would not win the World Cup?”
Carragher then said: “No, you said he was easy to take the ball off. What did you say in the green room before?”
Neville then justified his previous comments, saying: “No. My words were, on Messi, that Messi now from ten years ago, you can take the ball off him a lot more – words along those lines. He was not beating players like he used to!”
The former Manchester United captain then went on to point out Carragher’s mistakes as a pundit, saying: “You said Rashford should be sold by United! You said Conte should be at United! You said [Lisandro] Martinez could not play in the Premier League! You’re a disaster!”
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard says his side are focused on their own progress and not the challenge of Manchester City in the Premier League title race.
Odegaard’s Gunners beat Manchester United in a thrilling Emirates encounter on Sunday, with Eddie Nketiah scoring twice including a dramatic winner to send Arsenal 11 points clear of United.
City remain Arsenal’s biggest challengers at the top of the table and the two sides are still to square off three times this season – firstly in Friday’s FA Cup meeting before league clashes in February and April.
City beat Wolves earlier on Sunday before Arsenal reinstated their five-point lead over Pep Guardiola’s side by beating United. The two sides are the clear frontrunners for the title, though Norway international Odegaard insisted Arsenal are maintaining focus in north London first and foremost.
Asked about City’s presence, Odegaard said: “No, honestly, we don’t care about City or any other team. We expected them to win so that was not a big surprise and we just focused on our game, to come here and win and that’s what we did. The way we won this game gives us a special feeling that will help as well.”
Marcus Rashford had given United the lead with a strike from distance in the 17th minute but Nketiah converted Granit Xhaka’s equaliser before Bukayo Saka struck home brilliantly in the second half.
Lisandro Martinez brought United level with a header from a scrappy set piece, but Nketiah’s late winner ensured Arsenal maintained their lead in the Premier League heading into the FA Cup weekend
Frank Lampard has been relieved of his managerial duties by Everton following a barren run of form.
The Toffees have failed to win any of their last 10 games in all competitions, slipping to 19th place in the Premier League table and being eliminated from both domestic cup competitions.
The nail in the coffin proved to be Saturday’s limp 2-0 loss at relegation rivals West Ham United, which leaves Everton off the foot of the table by virtue of goal difference only.
Lampard spent just shy of one year as the Toffees manager and could only muster a win percentage of 27.3% in that time.
Everton have yet to release an official statement but 90min understands they have informed Lampard of their decision.
For some of the world’s legendary sportsmen, winning a competition fair and square is not just something akin to a creed, but a way of life and culture.
This is because winning honestly and without cheating lessens the burden and grief of the vanquished while increasing the self-worth of the victor.
The euphoria of winning, some sportspersons say, is simply orgasmic, and this explains why they exert themselves, get drenched in sweat, endure pains, and train hard to conquer their opponents.
In summarising how he puts in the hard work and endures the pains in order to smile at the end of the day, the late American professional boxer and activist, Muhammad Ali said: “I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.’”
Formerly known as Cassius Clay, Ali who was nicknamed “The Greatest” was also regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th Century, and frequently ranked as the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time.
“Winning solves everything,” is how American professional golfer, Eldrick Tont Woods, better known as Tiger Woods (who is widely regarded as one of the greatest golfers of all time, and one of the most famous athletes in modern history) chose to summarise his understanding of winning.
When the National Sports Festival, a biennial multi-sport fiesta organised by the then National Sports Commission (NSC), and now by the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development was initiated, it was conceived as a “unifying tool” with the main purpose of promoting peace, national unity, and cross-cultural affiliation in the wake of the Nigerian Civil War, in 1970.
Started and staged in 1973, at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, the games, which was also to serve as a development and training event to aid athletes in preparing for continental and international meets, also had as its objectives, to build a robust talent pool of athletes; enhance and elevate sports at the grassroots; establish a standard programme for athletes’ succession; curb age cheating in sports; enhance cultural and educational development, and also engage young athletes in the Olympic Movement, skill development and social responsibility among others.
Whether the NSF has, of late, been realising these lofty objectives remains a highly debatable topic, especially given the cocktail of scandals that have characterised it.
A Litany Of Scandals That Appear Normalised ONE of the most critical objectives of the NSF is to revolutionise sports development through the enhancement and elevation of sports at the grassroots level. In other words, the NSF presents state governors with the initial impetus to make massive investments in grassroots sports development so as create employment for the youths, and bring glory to the states.
But except in a few states, little or nothing is done about genuine and sustainable sports development at the grassroots. What most state governments are doing in the name of sports development is simply “money for the boys” using the Nigerian street lingo. They are never sustainable, neither are they result-oriented.
Consequently, as the festival approaches, a massive “purchase” of medal hopefuls, by states that have deep pockets takes centre stage, and hundreds of millions of naira that ought to have been sunk into sustainable sports programmes exchange hands seamlessly. These result in athletes switching states after each festival.
Promoting national unity, sporting excellence, and enhancing cultural and educational development rank among the top objectives of the NSF, but that is gradually becoming unachievable, as most northern states increasingly absent themselves from the festival. Whenever they show up, they only do so with a handful of athletes who are thoroughly ill-prepared, and always return home without medals. This trend has been on for years with the organisers watching almost hands akimbo.
One of the factors that have ensured that the country’s sports fortunes remain in the cradle, despite abundant human and material resources, is the fact that the country is yet to exorcise the ghost of age cheating among her sportsmen and women.
As a country that is very poor with data collection/preservation, tracking the age of citizens, including sportsmen and women has remained a Herculean task over the years.
Consequently, knowing the true age of athletes, or keeping a tab on them, their career progression has remained a mirage.
Cyclists preparing for the women 80km road race at the 20th edition of the National Sports Festival in Benin City, the Edo State
The fact that most of these athletes always present suspicious affidavits from courts, as proof of age, as against their original birth certificates (in a bid to conceal their actual age) makes a total mockery of using the festival to curb age cheating in sports.
It is, however, disheartening to note that all these anomalies have been normalised in the course of the festival, to the point that most sports managers/administrators no longer raise their eyebrows, neither does the sports ministry.
Be that as it may, the Rivers State Commissioner for Sports, Mr. Christopher Green, is one of those bothered enough to speak out over some of these anomalies.
A peeved Green said: “The NSF is supposed to be a platform to raise and groom talents, and to develop them into international athletes. But what we now have is like a trading post… An athlete can be with one state now, and the next day he or she will be competing at the festival for another state.
“It is so painful when you spend a lot of time and other resources to raise an athlete, only for another state to come and lure that athlete away with the money. This has made the festival become like an event for the highest bidder.
“The fact that the NSF organisers, the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, are not curtailing it makes it a big problem for sports development,” the commissioner said, while also calling for an amendment of the residency rule for athletes.
“The rule should make the number of years such athletes have to be with their new states five years, so as to curtail the movement of athletes just before festivals,” Green said.
Upping The Ante With Scandalous Medals’ Bonanza WITH last week’s medal padding allegation, the 21st National Sports Festival tagged, Asaba 2022, clearly upped the ante as far as sporting fraud is concerned. The alleged fraud also rubbished the compelling need to win a competition fair and square.
Team Delta won the festival with a total of 320 gold medals, 200 silver medals, and 128 bronze medals. Bayelsa State followed in second place with 132 gold, 115 silver, and 90 bronze medals.
In the sports meet where over 14, 000 athletes contested in 38 sporting disciplines, Edo State, which hosted the 20th edition, finished third with 78 gold, 94 silver, and 167 bronze medals thereby making the top three a South South affair.
Lifting the lid over the alleged medals’ sleaze, the Bayelsa State Sports Commissioner, Baraladei Daniel Igali, threatened to pull the state out of future National Sports Festivals, and other national games after unfolding the very troubling development.
In issuing the threat, Igali, a Canadian-Nigerian freestyle wrestler, who is also an Olympic gold medallist, insisted that the state would opt out of future sports festivals and any other games organised by the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development if allegations of medal padding surrounding the Asaba scam is not resolved.
The Olympic medallist, who is also president of the Wrestling Federation of Nigeria (WFN) alleged that medals won by Bayelsa State were padded, as the oil-rich state was gifted over 230 gold medals whereas she won only 109 goal medals.
Painting a picture of a rather shocking scenario, Igali said that a day before the end of the sports festival, the record of medals was about 96 per cent correct, but things suddenly went south all of a sudden.
“At that time, Delta had 219 gold medals and Bayelsa had 94 gold medals. We did our calculations and concluded that there were less than 70 gold medals in total to be won. However, on the last day, in spite of the 70 or so odd gold medals that were at play, Delta won 91 gold medals. Edo won about 30 gold medals! When I saw the supposed final medal table where Delta had shot up to 320 and Bayelsa was at 132 gold medals, I immediately reached out to a close friend who is an aide to the sports minister to alert them to the unspeakable corruption occasioned by the final medal table.
“I didn’t want the sports minister to announce the results as it would be a national embarrassment. But that was not immediately heeded, and we are where we are now,” the Bayelsa State sports commissioner submitted.
Concerned by the gravity of Igali’s damning allegation, and as a face-saving strategy, the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, set up a five-man panel to unravel the mystery behind the sordid development.
The committee’s composition includes Brig. Gen. Emmanuel Okaro (head), Mrs. Hauwa-Kulu Akinyemi, and Madaki Elias Gora as members. A representative of the Delta State Sports Commission is also a member, while Lekan Alabi, the statistician of the sports ministry will serve as the secretary.
Latest Blunder No Honest Mistake, But Grand Fraud FOR the non-initiate, the medals’ bonanza, which has made the National Sports Festival a laughing stock could have been a result of a computational error, which organisers failed to contain before it filtered out. But some of those that have threaded that path insist that there is more to the computational blunder than meets the eye.
A former state director of sports, who preferred anonymity explained that the well-executed scandal, allegedly done in active connivance with sports ministry officials, members of the Asaba 2022 Main Organising Committee (MOC), some states’ government officials, and other criminal elements within the sports circle, fetched everyone involved millions of naira after every festival.
“Early in the multi-sports fiesta, many stakeholders expressed concern over the late release of the medals table/delay in updating it. But those involved were quiet because they were neck deep in the abracadabra that they were conjuring. I make bold to say that sports administrators from states, officials from the sports ministry, MOC members, and others make a lot of money from this fraud, and to shock you, this is not just happening for the first time, and it will not end soon if decisive actions are not taken.
“A huge issue at the beginning of the festival was the late release of the medals table, which often placed competing states, officials, and athletes in a fix on how many medals they had won.
“Even if you want to listen to some of the insane excuses that are being bandied, the last festival was the 21st in the series, so how do you explain the wrong allocation of medals to states other than the winning states?
A state like Ondo had to write a protest letter at some point through its commissioner for youth and sports development. It was after the protest letter that the anomaly involving the state was corrected. Kogi was not insulated from the charade, as both the sports commissioner and the sports director had to shout to high heavens before the state’s two medals that were not captured were eventually registered in their favour.
The retired sports director continued: “Many still wonder whether it is true that state government officials bribe corrupt games officials to shore up their medals haul. The answer is yes. It happens, and it’s been on for a while now. This now tells you that there is a lot of sanitisation that needs to be carried out in the sports sector because some of the staff are as corrupt as those in other sectors of the economy. But the question that I keep on asking is, ‘why are state governments that are not interested in developing sports sustainably always interested in their states winning more medals than even states that are trying their best?” Let me conclude by saying that the Federal Government will lose its integrity, and the festival its sheen if the latest fraudulent practice is handled with levity.
NSF No Longer For Grassroots Sports Development FIFTY years after the games debuted, many things have changed within and without the country, and these changes have affected not only the nation’s psyche, composition, and makeup, but also the socio-economic and sporting landscapes.
This explains why some persons are of the view that in line with present realities, a re-appraisal of the festival’s aims and objectives is in order, especially since the NSF is no longer serving the purpose of enhancing and elevating sports at the grassroots with that responsibility ceded to the National Youth Games (NYG).
One of those that share this sentiment is the former Chairman of the Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC), Dr. Kweku Tandoh.
Asked to bare his mind on the apparent breach of the original aims and objectives of the festival in recent years, Tandoh, a medical doctor said: “As far as I am concerned, the focus of the National Sports Festival, for me is no longer what it used to be when it was initiated in the 1970s. The NSF at inception had three categories – junior, intermediate and senior categories. But right now, there is no longer age restriction or barrier. So, the idea of NSF helping to curb age cheating in sports is no more feasible. The National Youth Games has taken up that role because it is only there that there is age restriction or age barrier for competitors.”
Given this, Tandoh said it was important for stakeholders to sit back and outline what the new objectives of the NSF should be, and thereafter design a path to the realisation of the new set of objectives. “But one thing is certain, and that is the objectives of the festival are no longer what they were at inception because the NSF has ceased being a developmental event, the NYG currently is.”
On the fluid nature of athletes who oscillate between states with deep pockets that are capable of paying for their services, the former LSSC chair said the issue of poaching is not such a big deal. “As long as the athletes are competing within the country, I do not have an issue about what some are describing as poaching of athletes,” he said.
With many long knives out in the wake of Igali’s allegation of a medals’ bonanza at the 21st festival in Delta State, Tandoh refused to jump on the bandwagon, but play safe.
He told The Guardian: “I don’t have details of the allegation about medal’s table padding, but I think that the right thing is being done now with the setting up of a committee to investigate the matter, to make the necessary corrections. I believe that it was a computational error that would be sorted out.”
Novak Djokovic enjoyed a rousing reception on a winning return to the Australian Open on Tuesday and Andy Murray rolled back the years to stun Matteo Berrettini in a classic.
On a day of bans on Russian flags and weather-induced disruption, two of the sport’s biggest names belatedly brought the focus back on tennis in Melbourne.
A heavy title favourite, the 35-year-old Djokovic was back after his deportation last year because of his stance on Covid vaccines.
If the Serb was worried about how he might be received by the Melbourne Park crowd, he needn’t have been — the nine-time Australian Open champion walked out to loud cheers.
Against the backdrop of chants of “Nole”, Djokovic sent Spain’s 75th-ranked Roberto Carballes Baena packing at Rod Laver Arena, 6-3, 6-4, 6-0, to surge into round two.
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“Thank you for giving me such a welcoming reception that I could only dream of,” said Djokovic, who is chasing a record-equalling 22nd major title.
“I feel really happy that I’m back here in Australia and on the court where I have had the biggest success in my career.”
Prior to that, the day had belonged to another 35-year-old in Murray — and Melbourne’s famously fickle weather.
The Briton saved match point to defeat Italy’s 13th seed Berrettini 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-7 (7/9), 7-6 (10/6) in 4hrs 49mins at Rod Laver Arena, where the roof was closed because of the extreme heat.
“I will be feeling this this evening and tomorrow,” said the former world number one, who plays with a metal hip after career-saving surgery.
“But right now unbelievably happy and proud of myself.”
Also in the men’s draw, Norwegian second seed Casper Ruud battled through to the second round with a 6-3, 7-6 (8/6), 6-7 (5/7), 6-3 defeat of Tomas Machac.
The match finished after 1:00 am.
“It’s been a long day,” said Ruud, after kicking off a campaign that could see him become world number one.
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Earlier, Russia’s fifth seed Andrey Rublev ended the tournament of 2020 finalist Dominic Thiem 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in 36 degrees Celsius (96.8 Fahrenheit) temperatures.
As the mercury rose, the heat forced play to be halted on outside courts. The roofs were closed on the three main stadiums: Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena and John Cain Arena.
Play resumed on the outside courts about three hours later, only to be disrupted again in the evening when a storm hit, dumping torrential rain that eventually saw some matches suspended for the day.
Eighth-seeded Taylor Fritz, 12th seed Alexander Zverev and ninth seed Holger Rune all rolled into the next round.
Jabeur labours The women’s draw threw up no real shocks.
Tunisia’s second seed Ons Jabeur, runner-up at Wimbledon and the US Open last year, was far from her fluent best but eventually defeated Slovenia’s Tamara Zidansek.
The shaky Jabeur won the first set on a tiebreak, lost the second 6-4, then finally found her rhythm to clinch the decider 6-1.
“I just tried to follow what my coach told me to do,” she said of her turnaround in the third set.
“I wasn’t really doing that and he’s going to kill me after the match,” she joked.
Caroline Garcia and Aryna Sabalenka — fourth and fifth seeds respectively — had it easier as they swept into the second round.
France’s Garcia took just 65 minutes to overwhelm Canadian qualifier Katherine Sebov 6-3, 6-0 and cement her status as a contender for the first Grand Slam of the year.
Sabalenka beat the Czech Republic’s Tereza Martincova 6-1, 6-4.
The 26th seed Elise Mertens was another winner. The Belgian outlasted Spain’s former Melbourne finalist Garbine Muguruza, who was cramping before losing 3-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-1.
Russian flag ban Earlier Tuesday, Tennis Australia banned Russian and Belarusian flags after a complaint from the Ukrainian ambassador to Australia.
The red, white and blue stripes of Russia were seen Monday during at least two matches, with Ukrainian fans reportedly calling security and police to the stands.
“The ban is effective immediately,” said Tennis Australia.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Russian and Belarusian players have normally competed under a neutral flag as independents, as is the case at the Australian Open.
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