The Nation Newspaper

Category: Sports

  • IOC strips four Athens 2004 medalists of titles

    IOC strips four Athens 2004 medalists of titles

    The Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has stripped four athletes who participated at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games of their medals.

    The global sports body said in a statement on its website on Thursday that the athletes were disqualified after further analysis of their stored samples resulted in adverse analytical findings.

    According to the statement, the athletes include Yuriy Bilonog of Ukraine, who placed first in the men’s shot put event and Russian Svetlana Krivelyova, who finished third in women’s shot put.

    The rest are Belarussian Ivan Tsikhan, who was runner-up in the men’s hammer throw and his compatriot, Iryna Yatchenko, who was third in the women’s discus throw.

    While Bilonog and Krivelvova were found guilty of using oxandrolone metabolite, Tsikhan and Yatchenko were discovered to have used methandienone metabolite.

    The executive board ordered the relevant National Olympic Committees in all four cases to return to the IOC, as soon as possible, the medals and diplomas awarded to the athletes.

    It also announced that one case of this nature was still pending and it would soon release its decision on it.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the IOC stores samples for eight years after each edition of the games.

    This is usually done for the samples to be re-tested, should more sophisticated detection methods become available or new substances are added to the list of banned substances.

    The IOC had recently, in close collaboration with the World Anti-Doping Agency, decided to further analyse a number of samples from the Athens Games.

    This followed a targeted testing, based on intelligence and new methods.

     

  • I’ll be fit for AFCON – Joel Obi

    I’ll be fit for AFCON – Joel Obi

    Inter Milan ace, Joel Obi, has assured he will be fully fit for next year’s African Cup of Nations after he recently had a relapse of a muscle injury.

    MTNFootball.com says Obi returned to action in October during Inter’s Europa Cup game against Azerbaijani champions Neftci PFK in Baku.

    However, the injury relapsed against Catania in an Italian Serie A fixture on October 21.

    His injury problems have raised concerns about his chances of making the Super Eagles squad to AFCON as he only played a minimal role in the qualifiers.

    “I’m happy I’m back in training, trying to get 100 per cent fit and be ready for both my club and Nigeria,” MTNFootball.com quoted Obi as saying on a radio interview programme on Thursday.

    “I will be fit for the Nations Cup. I still have more to give to Nigeria.”

    Obi said he expects the fans to back the Eagles at the tournament in South Africa.

    “We won’t disappoint them but we would need their support,” he said.

     

  • National Sports Festival (eko 2012)…: 2 Oyo fighters collapse in boxing

    National Sports Festival (eko 2012)…: 2 Oyo fighters collapse in boxing

    If not for the prompt response of doctors at the Sports Medicine Centre, National Stadium, Surulere, yesterday would have been a sad day for Oyo State at the ongoing Eko 2012 National Sports Festival when two of the state’s boxers collapsed during and after their bouts respectively.

    Oyo female boxer in the 81kg, Rasheedat Ganiyu who narrowly lost her bout to Benue’s Amusa Aminat slumped and was rushed to the Sports Medicine Centre where she was revived.

    Speaking on what could have been responsible for her collapse, the Secretary of the Oyo Boxing Association, Oyekola B.O, termed it a psychological problem which he said was brought about by the lady’s disappointed at losing the bout which also meant losing all the goodies the governor of Oyo State, Senator Biola Ajimobi promised all medallists.

    He said: “I will call it psychological problem. She was not ready for the fight before she was called suddenly by the organisers to come and fight.

    “This was a girl that prepared her mind to fight against a Delta representative before it was suddenly changed for a Benue boxer.

    “She along with other Oyo representatives at the ongoing National Sports Festival have been promised so many nice things including award and job opportunity as contract staff among others if they get to the medal’s zone and for her to lose the fight the manner she did might have weighed her down.

    “She had set her mind on getting to the semi-final and all these might have contributed.

    “I will blame the organisers. They should have checked their record well. It wasn’t the fault of the coach. She was just called about four bouts or thereabouts to hers and what do you expect?” Oyekola asked. Doctor Irokan, the Head of Sports Medicine, Lagos explained what led Miss Rasheedat Ganiyu to his clinic. “She was brought in an unconscious state and the reason given by her coach was that she collapsed minutes after her fight and so that means she was not knocked out by a punch.

    “Well the immediate impression is that maybe her glucose ran out during the course of the fight. When one’s sugar level runs down one can collapse. It is also same when the sugar level is too high. In her case because she has just finished a fight it is normal to suggest that her glucose level might have been used up,” Dr Irokan said.

    Dr Irokan confirmed Rasheedat was in stable condition and even requested to ease herself which he said meant she has stabilised from her collapse state.

    The doctor however told SportingLife that she would not be immediately discharged but referred to another specialist hospital.

    “What we have done is to revive her but other medical examinations will be conducted on her to know precisely what happened,” he concluded.

    Barely few minutes later another Oyo boxer, Babatunde Yusuf fighting in the male 91kg was also brought in to same Sports Medicine Centre unconscious after complaining of knee pains in the Round 2 of his scheduled three rounds against Adejo Fred of Abia State.

    SportingLife gathered that Yusuf was leading his opponent 1-0 when he complained of knee injury and signalled to his coach that he won’t be able to continue the fight. He walked on his own to where he would be attended to when SportingLife learnt he started coughing and thereafter collapsed.

    Yusuf was later revived and referred to another hospital for additional examination checks.

  • SPECIAL ATHLETES TO KWARA HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY: Pay us N1m, N500,000, N250,000

    SPECIAL ATHLETES TO KWARA HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY: Pay us N1m, N500,000, N250,000

    Physically challenged athletes competing for Kwara State at the on going National Festival, Wednesday, reeled out demands to the State House of Assembly including payment of N1m to gold medalist, N500,000 to Siver medalists and N250,000 to Bronze medalists respectively.

    The athletes, numbering 30, bared their minds during an interactive session with House of Assembly members led by House committee Chairman on sports Honourable Adamu Ibrahim Sabi who had come on a solidarity and visitation mission to the athletes.

    The athletes who have so far won seven medals, one gold, one silver and 5 bronze medals in paralympics table tennis added that payment for laurels won should be made promptly and not delayed till few weeks to the beginning of another Festival, noting that the method had deprived them the joy of winning and doing the nation proud.

    Isa Abdulrahaman and Abdulkadiri Bilikisu who spoke on behalf of the team said but for their challenges they are in fact stronger than their able bodied counterparts even as they challenged the House members to approve monthly allocation for them to cushion the effect of unemployment among them.

    “Honourable sir, we will appreciate it if you can do these for us, we deserve to have reasonable reward for our effort and this should come immediately and not just before the next festival, it removes the fun and makes us suffer untold hardship,” they pleaded.

    In his response Hon Sabi, who gave the team a pat on the back for representing the state well, said he is not in the position to promise there and that their demands will be met but promised to convey their request to the state goverment, and urged them to continue to remain good ambassadors of the state. “Be rest assured that your request will be passed on for necessary action,” he submitted.

  • Osun Commissioner says death of Team Leader a huge blow

    Osun Commissioner says death of Team Leader a huge blow

    Stephen Balogun, Osun Commissioner for Sports, said on Wednesday that the death of Omotayo Yusuf, Team Osun’s Leader of Delegation to the ongoing 18th National Sports Festival (NSF) has dampened the morale of its athletes.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Yusuf suddenly took ill during a Dambe match at the Abalti Barracks venue of the event. Balogun stressed that in spite of the incident, the athletes would strive to do their best, in memory of the late team leader.

    “The team leader’s death is quite demoralising, but nevertheless, the athletes will rise to the occasion. They will now try their best and make sure that they do their very best. So that the efforts of the team leader will not be in vain, they will rally round and do that, but it is certainly a setback,”he said.

    When asked to assess the performance of Team Osun at the ongoing 18th NSF, he told NAN that the athletes have performed fairly well.

    “We have won one gold, one silver and a couple of bronze medals. I think that considering the size of Osun, I don’t think they are doing that badly. I think that they are being stable and that’s alright for us at this stage. So, I think that I can say that I am satisfied with their performance, so far,” he added.

    Yusuf was said to have slumped while watching a Dambe match at the Abalti Barracks in Surulere, Lagos on Tuesday, but was confirmed dead at a medical facility, thereafter.

    Team Osun finished in the 25th position at the 2011 “Garden City Games’’ in Port Harcourt.

  • NFF puts NPL Congress on hold, calls for calm

    NFF puts NPL Congress on hold, calls for calm

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Wednesday said it had put on hold the 7th Congress of the Nigeria Premier League, following another development around domestic league administration.

    On Tuesday, the NFF had issued the NPL with a go-ahead for its Congress proposed for today, but a group of Premier League club owners congregated in the Federal Capital, Abuja on Tuesday night and announced they had kicked out the NPL Board.

    NFF General Secretary, Barrister Musa Amadu, said: “We are in possession of a letter signed by a number of club owners. For us, there has to be sanity in the administration of the League, and that has to happen sooner rather than later. The NFF is uncomfortable with the continued delay in the commencement of the 2012/2013 Premier League season, which can only roll off the ground after the Congress.

    “But we fear there could be a breakdown of law and order should the Congress go ahead on Thursday, 6th December 2012 (today).”

    Amadu also confirmed that the NFF Executive Committee would hold an emergency meeting on Friday to conclusively resolve several issues around the NPL , adding: “In the meantime, we implore all persons involved to exhibit high-level maturity and maintain calmness for the good of the Nigeria game.”

  • Amiesimaka frowns at NPL circus

    Amiesimaka frowns at NPL circus

    Former Nigerian international, Adokiye Amiesimaka has voiced his sentiments about the ongoing crisis rocking the Nigeria Premier League (NPL).

    Club owners in the NPL, on Wednesday in Abuja, dissolved the board of Nigeria’s league governing body led by Baribote Victor Rumson.

    Amiesimaka says the situation is an “unending circus of an unprofessional football league.”

    “When clubs that compromise and own the league are sick, how can the league be whole? Examine the way the clubs are structured and run and see why the league is a joke. I addressed this matter after the Soccerex seminar in Lagos two months ago,” Amiesimaka told supersport.com.

    In a meeting on Wednesday, 18 out of 20 club owners stated that “the congress can dissolve the NPL board in cases of emergency.”

    The club owners, through Heartland general manager, Fan Ndubuoke described the 2011/12 NPL season as the “worst in living memory.”

    Insisting that the Baribote Victor Rumson-led board of the NPL would have to go, the club owners reached a consensus to appoint a six-man interim committee to run the league with elections scheduled for February 2013.

    The six-man interim committee, which represents the six geo-political zones in the country is comprised of Mike Idoko (Sunshine Stars), Alloy Chukwuemeka (ABS FC), Promise Nwachukwu (Heartland) among others. Chukwuemeka reportedly turned down the appointment.

  • Burkina Faso fear Super Eagles — Traore

    Burkina Faso fear Super Eagles — Traore

    Lorient of France ace, Alain Traore says the Stallions of Burkina Faso can do well despite opening its Group C game against Nigeria’s Super Eagles on January 21.

    “Nigeria is a major country in African football. It’s been quite a long time since they have achieved great results, so we have to be cautious. I am sure they want to make up the lost time.

    “There were lots of young players back in 2010. We all lacked experience. Year after year, we have acquired maturity and self-confidence. Most of us now play in good championships and most of us are starters in good clubs. It is quite new for the Stallions,” he said.

    The striker, whose younger brother Bertrand also plays for the national team, is confident that the squad will be competitive during the 19 January – 10 February tournament. “The Stallions have a great team spirit, they never give up on the field and they can count on some very skilled players.” However, Traore says the team will also have to overcome some obstacles. “We will have to stand together one month, which is never easy.”

    Traore said that the changeover from Duarte, who was replaced by Belgian coach Paul Put after the disappointment at the AFCON finals in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea earlier this year, had not been difficult. “When Paul Put was appointed coach of our national team, he decided to remain on Paulo Duarte’s track. He did not change a lot of things in the team. The team remained the same, so did the tactics. We always play a 4-2-3-1, with only one centre forward. However, Duarte and Put do not have the same personality at all. Paulo Duarte used to talk a lot during the games, whereas Paul Put is quieter and prefers addressing his players in the changing room, during half-time.”

  • BLUES 4 LIFE: Mikel grabs new five years deal

    BLUES 4 LIFE: Mikel grabs new five years deal

    John Obi Mikel has signed a new five-year deal with Chelsea, tying the Super Eagles defensive midfielder to the European champions until 2017.

    Mikel, who joined Chelsea from Norwegian club Lyn Oslo in 2006, said on Wednesday: “I have basically won everything with Chelsea and those (six) years have been really special for me.”

    The 25-year-old Mikel has won one English Premier League title, four FA Cups, a League Cup as well as the Champions League last season.

    He has been a regular in the side since the departure in March of manager Andre Villas-Boas, under whom Mikel lost his regular spot in the first team.

    Mikel says “I think I am now hitting my peak but as a player you want to improve every day and there is still room for that.”

  • Baribote dismisses sack by club bosses

    Baribote dismisses sack by club bosses

    Victor Baribote has said he is not aware his NPL board has been sacked, insisting club bosses are not working within the league statutes.

    Sixteen NPL clubs met Tuesday night in Abuja to dissolve the board of the Nigeria Premier League led by Baribote and appointed a six-man interim committee to run the local league pending fresh elections to the board.

    However, Baribote said Wednesday he is unaware of such a decision.

    “I am not aware of any meeting. If the clubs plan to hold an emergency meeting, I as the chairman of the league ought to be informed,” Baribote argued.

    “And in any case, the league statutes do not support such a meeting.”

    Officials of majority of NPL clubs passed a vote of no confidence on the Baribote-led board, alleging among other things several breaches and violations of NPL Statutes.

    According to spokesman of the clubs Fan Ndubuoke, the NPL congress slated to hold today in Kano was illegal as none of the clubs were notified of this three months prior to the congress as stipulated in the Statutes.

    The Heartland general manager also said they got their powers to dissolve the NPL board from Article 22 of the Statutes after setting aside Articles 24, 25 and 26.

    The clubs therefore unanimously agreed for an interim committee led by Mike Idoko to now fix another congress before December 10.