Author: The Nation

Five athletes – three men and two women – topped the standings at the end of the 2022-2023 World Athletics Cross Country Tour, which concluded last weekend in Albufeira.

Eritrea’s Rahel Daniel and Kenya’s Lucy Mawia are joint leaders in the women’s contest, while France’s Yann Schrub and Burundian duo Thierry Ndikumwenayo and Rodrigue Kwizera tied for the lead in the men’s standings.

All five athletes achieved a perfect score of 3720 – the maximum possible in the Cross Country Tour. Athletes are awarded points based on their position in each race in the Cross Country Tour, and each athlete’s three best marks from the series contribute towards their ranking in the overall standings.

Prize money is awarded to the top six finishers in the series. In case of a tie – as is the case this season – the prize money for the top three (men) and two (women) positions will be combined and divided accordingly. It means Daniel and Mawia will each receive $9000, while Schrub, Ndikumwenayo and Kwizera will each receive $8000.

Daniel had three outings on the tour and was victorious on each occasion, winning at Campaccio in January and in Elgoibar just two days later. She then faced difficult snowy conditions in Hannut later that month, but once again emerged the winner.

Mawia, meanwhile, dominated the races at the start of the tour, winning in Bydgoszcz in October and in Soria and Alcobendas in November. She was also third in Atapuerca in November and second in San Vittore Olona earlier this year.

Schrub’s first appearance on the tour came at the end of January when he won in Hannut. He showed that was no fluke as he went on to win in Calzadilla and Albufeira in February.

Ndikumwenayo was also unbeaten in this year’s tour, notching up victories in Soria, Atapuerca, and Seville in the space of two weeks in November.

Kwizera, meanwhile, made six appearances in the series and was triumphant on four occasions, winning in Amorebieta in October, Alcobendas in November, Venta de Banos in December, and at Campaccio in January.

LaLiga president Javier Tebas says he is frustrated at the slow speed of the investigation into Manchester City for alleged breaches of financial rules.

City are accused of having provided inaccurate financial information, allegedly breaking more than 100 rules.

If found guilty, the champions could face a substantial fine or even relegation.

Tebas has long spoken out against City and Paris Saint-Germain, believing those clubs have constantly broken the rules.

Speaking at the Financial Times Business of Football Summit on Wednesday, he said: “In 2017 in a forum organised in Manchester, I already criticized PSG and City. [City CEO] Ferran Soriano asked me to go to the club’s facilities, he was angry with me. That was 2017 and now it is 2023 and nothing has moved on, but suddenly there is an inquiry.

“This case, which in my opinion has taken too long. We know there was an alleged breach of 100 articles, so any decisions will have to be adopted accordingly by the Premier League.”

In 2020, City were banned from the Champions League for two years, but that sanction was later overturned on appeal.

“City and PSG were sanctioned by UEFA without being able to play in European competitions and the CAS was the one that changed it,” he said. “Perhaps we have to review the role of the CAS in all this. There should really be an arbitration tribunal.”

Tebas also believes City’s spending has had an effect on the rest of the Premier League.

“They got money from fake sponsorships,” he said. “The rest of the clubs have had to spend more in order to compete.”

Gunmen threatened Argentine soccer superstar Lionel Messi in a written message left yesterday when they opened fire at a supermarket owned by his in-laws in Argentina, police said.

Nobody was injured in the early morning attack, and it was unclear why assailants would target Messi or the Unico supermarket in the country’s third-largest city of Rosario, owned by the family of his wife, Antonella Roccuzzo.

The city´s mayor, Pablo Javkin, went to the supermarket and lashed out at federal authorities over what he called their failure to curb a surge in drug-related violence in Rosario, located about 190 miles (300 kilometers) northwest of the capital of Buenos Aires.

Police said two men on a motorcycle fired at least a dozen shots into an Unico branch in the early hours, leaving a message on cardboard that read, “Messi, we´re waiting for you. Javkin is also a drug trafficker, so he won´t take care of you.”

Messi has not commented. Widely considered the greatest soccer player of all time, Messi is revered in Argentina, especially since he led the national team to the country´s first World Cup victory in 36 years in Qatar in December.

Messi currently plays for Paris Saint-Germain and spends much of his time overseas, though he often visits Rosario where he has a home in the suburb of Funes. The French team posted a photo on social media of Messi training yesterday.

In Rosario, prosecutor Federico Rébola said authorities were reviewing security camera footage and that the investigation was “preliminary.” It was the first time Messi´s in-laws had received this kind of threat, he added.

Celia Arena, justice minister for Santa Fe province, where Rosario is located, said the attack amounted to “terrorism” by a “mafia” group meant to intimidate the broader population.

“The aim is to deliberately cause terror in the population and discourage those of us who are fighting against criminal violence, knowing that it will be an event of global significance,” Arena wrote in a social media post.

Javkin, a center-left politician in opposition to the ruling Peronist coalition, appeared to throw suspicion of complicity in the attack on both criminal gangs and federal security officials.

“I doubt everyone, even those who are supposed to protect us,” Javkin said in an interview with a local radio station.

He said that he had recently had “very strong discussions” with members of the federal security forces over the past couple of weeks demanding that they crack down on the city’s crime.

Nigeria’s Flying Eagles returned to the FIFA U-20 World Cup after beating Uganda 1-0 in the second quarterfinal of the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) taking place in Egypt.

Earlier, Senegal had beaten Benin 1-0 to become the first team to qualify for the semi-finals of the tournament and also seal their place at the U-20 World Cup.

Despite not being impressive throughout the encounter against the Ugandans, it was Ibrahim Juma’s 30th -minute own goal that the Flying Eagles needed to seal their place in the last four of the championships.

The Coach Ladan Bosso-tutored side were not impressive in the encounter despite dominating the entire match. But the win was enough to return Nigeria to the global tournament taking place in Indonesia.

Senegal needed a second goal from captain Samba Diallo to beat the Cheetahs at the Cairo International Stadium.

Diallo headed in from Lamine Camara’s brilliant free kick to send the West Africans to the semis and the World Cup.

The Young Teranga started the better side at the Cairo International Stadium with Lamine Camara and Djibril Diop pulling the strings in midfield.

The Cheetahs defended well, restricting Senegal to limited access in their area Bachirou Attivi and Morile Dossou-Dognon covering the wide areas.

Landing Badji who won the Best Goalkeeper of the group failed to deal with a long ball into the Senegal area leaving Olatoundji Tessilimi who couldn’t hit the target.

Benin continued to play on the break against the well-drilled Senegal team who came into the match with an impressive record of scoring eight goals without conceding.

Senegal created the best chance of the first half through captain Samba Diallo’s low drive from Sulaymane Faye’s unselfish cutback agonizingly missed the target with the keeper rooted to the ground five minutes before the break.

The WAFU-A champions Senegal started the second half with more purpose and zeal as they pushed more into the Cheetahs’ half.

Senegal broke the deadlock six minutes into the second half through captain Samba Diallo’s diving header from a well-worked set piece.The captain turned in Lamine Camara’s free-kick at the far post to beat the helpless Rahman Karim and hand Senegal a deserved lead.

With time running out substitute Stephane Vignigbe glanced a header wide for Benin as Senegal held on to qualify for the semi-finals and book a place at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Indonesia.

Iheanacho battles Rashford, others for EPL award

By Olalekan Okusan

Nigeria international striker Kelechi Iheanacho has been named alongside Manchester United playmaker Marcus Rashford and four others for the Premier League’s Player of the Month award.

Iheanacho has been listed for the award for March 2023 following his involvement in five goals over a two-match spell.

The Nigerian scored and registered two assists in Leicester City’s 4-2 win away at Aston Villa, and also found the net and provided an assist in their 4-1 victory against Tottenham Hotspur at King Power Stadium.

The Super Eagles star will slug it out with Rashford who has been in superb form for Manchester United this season as well as Fulham’s goalkeeper Bernd Leno, Tottenham’s Emerson Royal, Fulham’s Manor Solomon, and Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins.

Iheanacho won the Premier League Player of the Month award in March 2021 after scoring five goals in three league appearances and he is hoping to help Leicester to beat the drop in the EPL for winning in 2021, he has joined the likes of Austin Jay-Jay Okocha (November 2003), Peter Osaze Odemwingie (September 2010, April 2011, November 2012), and Odion Jude Ighalo (December 2015), who have snagged the monthly award.

Also, Iheanacho’s Leicester teammate Nampalys Mendy is also up for the Goal of the Month award as the voting for winners opened yesterday and is expected to end on March 6 when the winners will be announced by Premier League.

Mendy’s will slug it out for the best goal of the month with Crystal Palace’s Jeffrey Schlupp, Nottingham Forest’s Brennan Johnson, Man City’s Kevin De Bruyne, Everton’s Seamus Coleman, Fulham’s Manor Solomon, and Tottenham’s Oliver Skipp.

Green House (Faith) has emerged winner of the New Estate Baptist School, Adisa Bashua Street, Surulere, Lagos, 19^th  biennial inter-house Sports at the Yaba College of Technology, (YABATECH) Sports Centre.

To emerge as the overall winner, Red House amassed 18 gold, 14 silver, and 10 bronze medals. Yellow (Good News House) came 2^nd  with 16 gold, nine silver, and 12 bronze medals. Red (Salvation House) was 3^rd  with 14 gold, 23 silver, and 13 bronze, while Blue (Salvation House) was 4^th  with eight gold, 10 silver, and 23 bronze medals.

In the 400m boys’ junior race, Green House came first, Blue House took second 2^nd  position and Yellow House came 3^rd .

The football match saw Green House emerge in 1^st  position, Red House was 2^nd , with Blue House taking the 3^rd  position.

In a very competitive 400m senior girls’ race, Green House was 1^st , Red House came 2^nd , and Yellow House 3^rd .

If the 400m senior girls was competitive, the boys’ version was explosive, but in the end, it was Yellow House that emerged winner, with Red House coming 2nd and Green House taking the 3rd position.

Some of the other events that took the centre stage were filling the bottle boys and girls, picking the ball boys and girls, tiny tot race 25m in which Green House won the boys category and Blue House were the winner in the girls’ version.

Present at the occasion were the Proprietor of the school, Rev. Amos Achi Kunat, the School Administrator, Mrs. Uche Agbazue, the School’s Principal, Mrs. Anthonia Muogbo, P.T.A Chairman, Mr. Jonathan Nwabeke and Inter-house Sports Chairman, Mr. Onyemaechi Emdin.

Beyond the mask are two large eyes. There is the sly look of the young  Victor,  the 24-year-old and top scorer in Serie A. Victor is Osimhen, the Nigerian center forward from Napoli. Strength and heart of the team that dominates the Serie A championship, also for the number of his goals. Eyes that smile, despite everything and everyone as he revealed  himself more in this  exclusive conversation .

Osimhen, will you dedicate the Napoli championship to your daughter?

She is my baby, a unique emotion. She is the light of my life, the little woman to teach the value of love, and respect for others, rich or poor, black or white. Hailey will rejoice with me and with all the fans, she, like us, deserves to see Napoli cross the finish line.

Which could also be double: Scudetto and Champions League. Would you happen to think about it among yourselves?

We are in March and there is still time ahead. But, yeah, I want it all, we want it all. We are giving our lives to achieve this success. We deserve it, we are sacrificing everything to achieve it. We’re almost there, but woe to get distracted right now. Our mentality is always the same, in Italy and in Europe: impose ourselves and win.

Your secret? All in all, you are a young team that revolutionized last summer.

We take care of each other, at all times. Each gives the other charge, and if someone is in difficulty we are ready to lend him a hand. There is solidarity, but it is difficult to explain to those who don’t experience it. Everyone’s conviction serves the community. And when you believe it you feel strong, when you are strong you win. Then there is the coach who represents the brain of the team. Does he know what I think about it? If I had to be a coach one day, I’d like to be like him.

Like him?

A father off the field: ready to listen and to suggest advice on anything. In training, Spalletti is very strict and rigorous. He also gets angry. Especially with those who don’t give 100 percent.

And does it happen with her?

Sure. It has happened in the past and will probably happen again. There’s one thing that drives him crazy: when he sees that one doesn’t do what he can. He is the first to give his best, he demands the same thing from us.

Do you feel strong?

Of course the head is hard! If I hadn’t had it like this and hadn’t been convinced I would have stopped. Someone in the past said that I would never make a fortune in football. And instead, here I am to demonstrate with facts that it is possible. If you want, you can. No one has ever chosen for me, even I came to Naples because that’s how I decided.

And it didn’t go so well at first: injuries, Covid, and the controversy over some posts on social media. Holidays in Nigeria.

Yes actually I have had a few, but I didn’t care too much about people and what they said even before I arrived. Maybe every negative thing served as an extra stimulus. I am a believer and God tested me. In times of difficulty, the club has always supported me. Today I am happy but not satisfied. More can be done. For Naples and its people.

What was the moment when you said to yourself: is the Scudetto possible?

Before we even started winning. And there is a preserved photo that testifies to the moment. It was summer and after fairly hard training, I was talking to Anguissa. I said to him: Frank, you know that our team is strong and we can really try to win the Scudetto. He was sceptical and I convinced him. Spalletti approaches and asks us what we are talking about. I tell him, and he looks at me and says: if your teammates are convinced, as you are, yes we can try. This is how our beautiful story was born, made up of matches, training sessions, and men who don’t spare themselves. Made of leaders.

What do you mean?

We are all a bit of a leader, then there are those who talk more to the team and those who don’t. But everyone assumes their share of responsibility.

The strongest opponent in Italy?

We respect everyone, but we are convinced that we are the strongest. And if it happens… you will see.”

What?

A surprise, that’s all I say.

Can you tell us instead if the Premier League tries it?

I think it is an ambition of all players. And who knows, one day… Right now, I assure you, it doesn’t even cross my mind. It would distract me from a beautiful season. Only Naples. Point.

His goals are sometimes surprising, and unconventional. Instinct, head, luck, or just technique?

Head. On the pitch, I watch everything. I run and watch. You have to decide in a second if you don’t want to give time to the defender. Let’s say I’m quick thinking!.

With Kvara’s perfect understanding.

Because there was empathy from the first moment. He is very strong, but also a golden boy. This matters to me.

What if he wasn’t a footballer?

I would have been a doctor, as my father wanted.

More study and less money!

Money helped my family: seven of us lived in one room! With the first money I bought a house.

His idol?

Drogba.

Who is Osimhen in private?

An ordinary boy, who does what he feels like, takes criticism and compliments. I would go out more with my daughter, but I would take away her time between autographs and photos. She comes before me. First of all.

*Culled from Corriere della Sera

The newly introduced Pink Polo Campaign for Breast Cancer Awareness and the inaugural Chief Moses Majekodunmi legacy Exhibition were major highlights of the just concluded 2023 NPA/GTCO Lagos International Polo Tournament that delivered on all fronts both on and off the pitch.

Nigeria’s premier polo club, joined the global campaign to raise awareness on breast cancer as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility with the debut of the glittering Cancer Bowl prize which was contested for at the by 2023 Lagos International Polo Tournament.

The Pink Polo final which was watched by a full house at the foremost Ribadu Road Polo Ground in Ikoyi saw Lagos Tharwa team defeated MCO polo team 5-3 to write their names in gold as the first ever winners of the Cancer awareness campaign trophy in Lagos.

Lagos Polo President, Bode Makanjuola who thanked the crowd for supporting the Lagos Cancer Awareness campaign, stated that the support of the Pink Polo campaign was toad a meaningful action in the fight against breast cancer which remains the second biggest killer of Nigerian women after maternal mortality.

He added that Lagos Polo Club’s decision to lend its huge corporate image to the campaign is to create a robust platform that will spark significant national awareness about the disease.

Every year, breast cancer kills more than 500,000 women around the world. In resource-poor settings, a majority of women with breast cancer are diagnosed at an advanced stage of disease, resulting in low survival rates.

Meanwhile, the second most talked about highlight of the prestigious Lagos polo festival was the exhibition, hosted by the Lagos Polo Club in collaboration with Moses Majekodunmi Archive in Ikoyi.

The exhibition that attracted thousands throughout the three weeks long polo extravaganza gave viewers a complete history of happenings at the club for over 50 years.

The materials were drawn from his archives, which hold about 7,000 images and 11,000 documents around the life and times of Dr. Majekodunmi, tell the story of Nigeria and individuals whose names are engraved on sands of history of the noble game.

Makanjuola who conducted guests and visitors around the exhibition said that legacy tells the story of Chief Majekodunmi and his contributions to the development of the Lagos Polo Club.

“This important legacy preserved by the Moses Majekodunmi Foundation would serve as a source of education for generations to come, “ he added.

The Eko 2023 polo festival which is still receiving accolades from across the polo world saw Lagos based teams having a swell time as they stamped their superiority with an emphatic clean sweep of all the major prizes at stake.

It would be recalled that Bowale Jolaoso- powered Leighton Kings and Funsho George-led GDF Global team were the leading lights sharing six major titles between themselves.

Leighton King won the event’s biggest prize, the Majekodunmi Cup, the Open Cup, the Dapo Ojora Cup and the Independence Cup, while GDF Global accounted for the Lagos Low Cup and the Chief of Naval Cup respectively.