The National Sports Commission (NSC) is paying close attention to the match-fixing allegation that is currently threatening to disrupt Nigeria’s preparation for the World Cup in Brazil, KickOffNigeria.com reports.
Convicted Singaporean match-fixer, Wilson Raj Perumal recently claimed in his book written in conjunction with investigative journalists, Alessandro Righi and Emanuele Piano that he had a hand in Nigeria’s qualification for the 2010 World Cup.
Although the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has released a statement refuting the claims, the Director-General of the NSC, Gbenga Elegbeye, has stated that the Commission is following the situation.
He, however, added that since it is just a mere allegation, the Commission cannot make any categorical statement on the matter until attempts are made by the claimants to corroborate their position.
“That is an allegation that needs to be proved. I do not have anything to say in a mere allegation, let us just wait and see them corroborate their allegation with instances. We are following it very seriously,” Elegbeye said.
Tag: Gbenga Elegbeleye
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NSC ‘following’ match-fixing allegation
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CALABAR PLANS FESTIVAL LOGO, MASCOT LAUNCH
•Elegbeleye satisfied
PREPARATIONS for the 19th National Sports Festival, “Paradise Games” will be stepped up this week end when Cross River State launches the logo and mascot of the Festival in a high profile event scheduled for Calabar on Friday.
Meanwhile, Chairman Main Organising Committee of the Festival, Gbenga Elegbeleye who is also the Director General Of the National Sports Commission has expressed satisfaction with preparations for the festival “…so far.”
He led a team of inspectors made of of Main Organising Committee members and the project supervisors, to calabar to inspect the extent of preparation and state of facilities last month.
Elegbeleye told the media that the work was on going and he was satisfied with the progress so far made
“We plan to come back in April, to track the progress we have seen so far. It is work in progress and if the momentum is sustained, Calabar will be ready to host the Festival, “ he said.
This weekend, he is expected to lead another delegation to Calabar for what the Chairman of the Media Sub Committee Paul Bassey calls “ killing two birds with one stone….”
As special guest of honour for the special ceremony to launch the logo and mascot of the festival, Elegbeleye is also expected to take time out to access the progress of work done.
The Cross River State Commissioner of Sports, Patrick Ugbe who is also vice Chairman of the Local Organising Committtee said that Friday’s event will be one to look forward to.
“Apart from the launching of the logo and mascot we will also be introducing the Festival website in a ceremony that will be laced with culture, music, pomp and pageantry. For us this will mark the official beginning of the Festival and it is only proper that we get it right,” he said.
As the days unfold, Ugbe said the media will be briefed on the specifics of the high profile event that will have governors, ministers, commissioners and the crème de la crème of sports in attendance.
The Paradise Games is scheduled to hold in Calabar from Nov. 23 to Dec. 7.
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NSC targets N20.5m revenue generation for 2014
• As House Committee showers encomiums on Elegbeleye
The National Sports Commission (NSC) is targeting revenue generation of N20.5 million at the end of the 2014 fiscal year.
The Commission had visited the House of Representatives Committee on Sports to defend its budget for the 2014 but NSC Director-General Gbenga Elegbeleye was asked to take a bow after he was eulogised by the Committee.
Elegbeleye had told the House Committee on Sports that the targeted fund would come from the use of main-bowls, car parks, staff canteens, handball courts, shops and kiosks, swimming pools and the use of open spaces.
The document submitted by the NSC revealed that while the ministry raked in N12.225 million revenue in 2013 from the same sources, it has an 82.7 per cent projection in 2014.
Also, against the insistence of the upper chambers of the Senate, the members of the Committee unanimously told the NSC D-G to take a bow as a former member of the committee.
The Committee members showered encomium on Hon. Elegbeleye describing his appointment by President Goodluck Jonathan as a round peg in a round hole, just as they attributed the successes recorded in sports to his contribution.
First to speak after the D-G had finished presenting the annual appropriation for the Commission, a member from Imo State, Alphonus Gerald Ilonta, had moved a motion for the committee to simply ask the DG, ‘not to take a bow but to walk away’.
“Interestingly, this is the first time we are meeting with Hon. Elegbeleye since his appointment by Mr President. The achievements recorded in sports since his assumption of office are indications that he is the right person for the job.
“He has distinguished himself and we should be proud of him. In view of this, I want to move a motion for this committee to tell the D-G not to take a bow but to walk away. I want to base my motion on the fact that having been on this side previously, he knows what to do and how to do it to take Nigerian sports to the next level,” Ilonta said.
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ELEGBELEYE TELLS KESHI: Concentrate on World Cup now
The Director General of the National Sports Commission(NSC), Gbenga Elegbeleye has urged members of the Super Eagles to forget about not winning the just concluded Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) in South Africa but focus more on preparations for a successful outing in the World Cup slated for Brazil in June.
Elegbeleye challenged the team to use the World Cup as a better avenue to prove their worth and to make Nigerians happy. He also praised them for not coming back home empty handed as they fought tooth and nail to beat resilient Zimbabwe 1-0 to clinch the bronze medal of the competition.
He also expressed happiness over a member of the team, Ejike Uzoenyi emerging Most Valuable Player(MVP) of the competition just like Kelechi Iheanacho won same award in the last U-17 World Cup held in the United Arab Emirates(UAE) last year October.
“In as much as we were hoping to win the Africa Nations Championship we must still commend the team for winning the third place match which automatically made them the third best team in the competition in their debut participation.
“The most important competition in the game is the World Cup and I am using this medium to tell them to put the CHAN competition behind them and start full preparations for the World Cup that would commence in Brazil in June. A decent performance in the competition will put Nigerian football in the positive light and also make sports loving Nigerians happy.
“The NSC will continue to give adequate support to the team like we do to other sports in the country too. I sincerely believe that with the full support of everybody, the Eagles will surprise all in Brazil. We want the team to continue to have the belief that they can make a huge success out of the World Cup in Brazil. I say well-done boys”, he said.
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Udeze hails Elegbeleye’s Diaspora initiative
Austin Edeze, a former President of Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF), has praised the Director-General, National Sports Commission (NSC), Gbenga Elegbeleye, for his `Diaspora Sports Initiative’.
The initiative entails working closely with talented Nigerian sportsmen and women in the Diaspora to identify talents to represent the country at major international sporting events.
Edeze, the immediate past NWF president, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Lagos that the move would leapfrog the development of sports across the country. He said Daniel Igali, the president of the federation, was an example of how such an initiative could best be exploited to the country’s advantage.
NAN reports that Elegbeleye had disclosed in London during a seminar tagged; “Africa’s Diasporas through Sports,” that the commission had mapped out strategies aimed at attracting foreign-based Nigerians to compete for the nation.
“For me, Elegbeleye’s idea is brilliant and it’s a move in the right direction, because it has worked in several places and it can work for Nigeria. Igali is a good example; he’s a product of such an initiative. He was based in Canada, with a Canadian passport but in the end came home to assist the growth of his sport. He (Igali) has won medals for this country at the highest level and today he’s the president of NWF. That’s how brilliant such an initiative can be,” Edeze said.
He, however, called for caution and advised the NSC boss to look for patriotic and passionate individuals who possess the desire to see sports develop in the country.
“Its all about patriotism. It’s all about the passion of the people and their commitment toward effecting change for the country. We need people that will work selflessly; we need Nigerians that will single-handedly carry the burden of our sports on their shoulders just as Igali has shown.
“I want to advice the NSC boss to be careful about the process, because the idea is brilliant and must be treated with caution,” he added.
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Namibia will fall- DG NSC
The Director General of the National Sports Commission Gbenga Elegbeleye has boasted that the Mighty Warriors of Namibia will not be a threat to the Super Eagles in their World Cup qualifier holding in Windhoek, Namibia today.
Speaking exclusively to Nationsports in Abuja, the former member of the Federal House of Representatives said “we have nothing to fear against Namibia in tomorrow’s match. The Kenyans were very boastful, and at the end of the day they were humiliated. Nothing would stop the Mighty Warriors of Namibia from falling. All the Super Eagles needs to do is remain focus, and endeavour to take the game to the Namibians just like what they did against the Kenyans, and ensure that they were not complacent at any point all through the match. I am sure nothing would stop them from picking the maximum points. Our target is getting to the World Cup in Brazil next year, and I don’t think the likes of Namibia will be a hindrance to us” he said
The Namibia national football team, nicknamed the Brave Warriors. They have never qualified for the World Cup but have made two appearances in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Namibia played its first international under the name South-West Africa on 16 May 1989 at home against neighboring Angola and lost 1–0. On 23 March 1990, only two days after gaining independence from South Africa, they hosted neighbour Zimbabwe and lost 5–1.