By Emmanuel Afonne

The Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Sunday Dare, has said that sports in the country would henceforth be seen as business to enable the industry contribute to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the nation.

A statement signed by Mohammed Manga, Director, Press and Public Relations in the ministry, quoted Dare as saying this while inaugurating a 10-man technical committee on “national sports as business policy” in Abuja.

Dare stated that what the Ministry has introduced is in line with global practice.

“The major weakness was that sports was just categorised as recreation and service, it was not a business and therefore placed financial burden on the Federal government,” the statement quoted Dare as saying.

The 10-man committee was inaugurated to draw up the details of the incentives that would be in the National Sports as Business Policy.

While inaugurating the committee, the minister stated that the first-ever National Sports Industry Policy, approved by President Muhammad Buhari, in Council, on Nov. 2, 2022, was aimed at moving Sports in Nigeria from recreation to Business.

Dare stated that the committee which would be coordinated by the Minister of Finance, Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed, had the responsibility of working out the modalities for the successful transition of sports in the country from recreation to business.

“For over three years now, the ministry has been at work reviewing past sports policies and also dealing with the weaknesses therein.

“Looking at about 10 countries that dominate the world of global sports, the ministry decided to look at sports as business, which, if handled appropriately, can among others, contribute to the annual GDP of the country.

“It can also provide employment for about 2 to 5 million youth, grants, other necessary supports as well as scholarships for athletes,” he said.

According to Dare, investment, incentives and infrastructure are the three things that drive sports as business, funded by government and the private sector.

He added that the policy was in line with the orientation of government which under the current National Development Plan (2021 to 2025) was based on 70 per cent of funds from the private sector and 30 per cent from government with rebate on tax.

The Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Ismaila Abubakar, in his remarks, called on private individuals as well as stakeholders to key into the new policy with a view to taking sports to greater heights.

Abubakar commended Dare for the initiative, while thanking the president for granting approval to the policy.

He called on the committee to put in their best towards the success of the policy.

Dr Ladan Haruna, representative of the Federal Ministry of Finance and National Planning, while responding, assured that the committee members would bring their wealth of experience to bear in ensuring the success of the policy.

Haruna noted that the policy would boost the sports industry and impact positively on every sector of the economy if properly harnessed.

Members of the Technical Committee are Dr Ladan Haruna, Chinedu Louisa Okeke, Dominic Akuboh, Tabitha Dagyol, and Dr Ikenna Nwosu.

Others are, Amaechi Akawo, Bamiduro Olumide, Chasing Madumumere, Rep. of CBN, as well as Rep of Customs and Excise. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Vincent Obi

By Emmanuel Afonne

Sani Fema, a former board member of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) said the Super Eagles are a group of talented players without good coordination and head coach.

Fema, who is now a Special Assistant on Sports to Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, made this known on Monday in Abuja, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

He was reacting to the Super Eagles 1-0 defeat of the Djurtus of Guinea Bissau in the return-leg match of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier played on Monday at the Estadio 24 de Setembro Stadium in Guinea Bissau.

The Djurtus had three days ago humbled the Nigerian team 1-0 at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja in the first-leg of their encounter.

But Fema said the Eagles performance in Bissau have shown that the team was capable of confronting and defeating any team in the world but that it lacked the technical crew to bring out the best in the players.

“We can play Brazil with the same players but the problem is that we don’t have a good coach, I am sorry to say this; our technical crew is not good enough but we have the players to play any team in the world.

“You can see that the players did well in Guinea Bissau, most especially in the first half, the host couldn’t attack them.

“I am so impressed with the team but like I said, we lack good technical crew.

“I am not supporting Peserio, I prefer our local coaches.

“We have potential coaches, the likes of Sunday Oliseh and Emmanuel Amuneke. Oliseh is one of the best coaches in the world.

“Combine Oliseh with Amuneke and Salisu, then the Super Eagles are good to go because the players will listen to them having played in the team before them,” Fema said.

According to him, Oliseh is the best Nigerian coach to handle the present crop of Eagles.

Fema noted that Oliseh was not able to handle the team in his short stint as its coach because of circumstances beyond his control, but that the environment was befitting now for him to excel with the team.

“If you give Oliseh this calibre of players we have now, I tell you, the team will be the pride of the world.

“Imagine these players playing on a waterlogged pitch in Guinea Bissau and were still able to secure the maximum three points.”

He said that not even Sao Tome and Principe or Sierra Leon could stop the Super Eagles from finishing top of Group A and also picking the AFCON ticket. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Idris Abdulrahman

By Chimezie Anaso

Rangers Int’l FC of Enugu on Sunday secured the three points at stake in their Day 10 match in the 2022/2022 abridged national league encounter with Bayelsa Utd at the Awka Township Stadium.

The visitors from Yenagoa had gone ahead through Alax Oyowah in the 36th minute after absorbing a number of attacks by the hosts.

But Rangers returned to parity through a penalty through Godwin Obaje in the 48th minute and later went ahead in the 87th minute when Chidera Ezeh curled a spot kick into the net.

The victory which is the first after the break, placed the Flying Antelopes on seventh position on the log of the Group B after three wins, three draws and four loses in the National Professional Football League (NPFL).

In a post-match press conference, Rangers Coach Mbwas Mangut described the victory as hard fought and well deserved.

Mangut said his team remained a work in progress as their performance wasn’t the best they could offer while pouring encomiums on the competitive prowess of the visitors.

He said they placed more emphasis on garnering more points in their away games and ensuring that they do not drop any point at home. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Vincent Obi

The draw for the Under-20 FIFA World Cup, scheduled to take place in Indonesia next week, will be postponed after Bali’s governor refused to host the Israeli team.

The Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) said the draw that was to be held on Friday had been cancelled.
FIFA were still conducting checks on tournament readiness.

The 24-team tournament is scheduled to be held from May 20 to June 11 across six cities and Israel were set to make their debut in the competition.

A report earlier this month said that Bali’s governor, Wayan Koster, had written to the Ministry of Youth and Sports imploring them to “adopt a policy forbidding the Israeli team from competing in Bali” due to the conflict with Palestine.

The letter was also sent to the PSSI.

“Previously, the Bali governor rejected the presence of the Israeli national team in the FIFA U-20 World Cup event. This can be a reason for FIFA to cancel the U-20 World Cup draw.

“Because, for FIFA, the governor’s refusal is the same as cancelling the organising guarantee that has been issued by the Bali provincial government,” the PSSI said in a statement.

Earlier this month, protesters marched in the capital of Jakarta waving Indonesian and Palestinian flags while demanding that Israel should not be allowed to participate.

Indonesia’s population is predominantly Muslim. Most Indonesian Muslims practice a moderate version of Islam, but recent years have seen a rise in religious conservatism that has crept into sports.

Over the past year, Israeli forces have made thousands of arrests in the West Bank and killed more than 200 Palestinians, including fighters and civilians.

Meanwhile, more than 40 Israelis and three Ukrainians have died in Palestinian attacks.

If Indonesia lose hosting rights as a result, PSSI Executive Committee member Arya Sinulingga said he was worried about how FIFA sanctions could “isolate Indonesian football from the world”.

Indonesia automatically qualified for the Under-20 World Cup as hosts but the last time they played in the tournament was in 1979.

Indonesia were also suspended by FIFA for nearly a year for government interference, with the global soccer body lifting the suspension in May 2016.

But at the time, the suspension had denied Indonesian teams the chance to qualify for upcoming major tournaments.

Sinulingga said the PSSI hoped for a solution where politics could be separated from sport, with its chairman Erick Thohir set to coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

“The chairman will also report to Mr President at the first opportunity to find a solution to all this, both diplomacy and foreign policy to save Indonesian football that we love,” Sinulingga added.

The PSSI said losing hosting rights would harm Indonesian football teams’ chances of taking part in other FIFA tournaments in the future while the economic losses would amount to “trillions of rupiah”.

Indonesia is also trying to rebuild its reputation after a deadly stampede last year led to the deaths of 135 spectators at a stadium in East Java in October.

Many were crushed as they fled for exits after police fired tear gas into the crowd. (Reuters/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Emmanuel Afonne/Vincent Obi

By Emmanuel Afonne

Three sports journalists based in Abuja on Sunday urged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to relieve Jose Peseiro of his Super Eagles Head Coach job before it is too late.

They made the call following the Eagles’ 0-1 loss to Guinea Bissau on Friday in a 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja.

Romanus Ugwu, a sports writer and an Assistant Editor with the Sun Newspaper, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that retaining Peseiro was like holding on to expired drug.

“There is nothing we can do unless the NFF takes action, but if you ask me, I will automatically ask for the sack of Peseiro because he has not given us anything.

“Subsequently I will have to decide whether to watch Super Eagles match. I can’t be devastated like this all the time after Super Eagles match.

“I have learnt not to invest emotions in the team because I know that certainly they will disappoint.

“I am not surprised with the outcome of the game but I expected that after we lost the World Cup ticket to Ghana, that we are going to see something else.

“All of a sudden, we are seeing thunder striking twice at the same place,” Ugwu said.

For Ndubueze Chidoka, Chairman of a faction of the FCT Chapter of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), noted that everything about the country’s football was on the decline.

“I am disappointed that the Eagles could not fly considering the fact that we are nursing the pain of not qualifying for the World Cup when Ghana came to deny us the ticket at this same venue.

“And many football fans were looking up to the Super Eagles to make up in subsequent matches.

“It was unfortunate that the Super Eagles lost to Guinea Bissau barely 42 hours after the under-23 team drew against Guinea.

“This is a humiliation. The worst would have been a draw. For Guinea to come here and defeat us means that we don’t have a team and a coach.

“Everything about our football is going down drastically and something urgent must be done,” Chidoka said.

A former chairman of FCT SWAN, Victor Iroele, on his part said a lot of factors contributed to the team’s lacklustre performance in recent times.

Iroele noted that weather and the pitch could be contributing factors to the poor show of the team.

But he added that the technical crew had a lot of work to do if they would be retained

“NFF needs to apply the big stick if necessary, to save the country from further embarrassing outings and to ensure the country did not miss the AFCON ticket, the way it missed the World Cup ticket.” (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Olawale Alabi

By Emmanuel Afonne

FCT FA Cup champions, Naija Ratels, have intensified preparations in readiness for National Federation Cup and remaining part of Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) 2022/23 season.

A statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday by the team’s management, quoted the proprietor of the club, Paul Edeh, as saying that the outcome of the FA Cup final was a pointer to how prepared the club is ahead of the competitions.

“I’m very happy that we won, the girls gave their very best which is a clear testament of how ready they are when the season resumes.”

Naija Ratels thrashed lowly Paul E side 6-0 last weekend at Area 3 playground to lift the FCT FA Cup trophy.

In that encounter, Nwachukwu Adanna, who put up player of the match performance, scored four goals, while Folounsho Amina and Animashaun Aisha completed the rout.

Edeh said the high scoreline in the FCT FA Cup final showed his team was prepared than ever to play in the Federation Cup when it starts in May.

Edeh, who heaped praises on the girls, added “that match is an assessment before the rigorous NWPL games that lies ahead of us.

“We will shape up and ensure we get better by the day.”

“The absence of Nwachukwu Adanna, due to injury, was felt, but now that she is back, it is a good news and booster for our quest, playing in the NWFL Super-six and final of the 2023 Federation Cup.

“This time, unlike last season when we were booted out by Nasarawa Amazons, we are more focused on the FA Cup title.” (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Vincent Obi

By Emmanuel Afonne

Kamaru Usman, Nigeria’s Welterweight champion in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), said he was not thinking of retiring anytime soon in spite of his second loss to Leon Edwards.

Edwards defeated Usman, also called’the Nigerian Nightmare’ for the second time in a row at UFC 286 on Saturday night in London, England, winning their trilogy series 2-1.

He also ensured the 35-year-old Usman was dethroned the Welterweight champion and having little chance to get another shot at the title.

But, Usman during a post-fight interview in the cage posted on UFC website, made it clear that he was not planning on retiring anytime soon.

“I think I did enough to win the fight, but I knew it was a close fight. Great gameplan, great gameplan.

“You know, I’ve always said it from the start: I knew I’d see Leon again, and we did it. I’m not done. I’ll see him again, but he put on a hell of a gameplan.

“I’ve always given him props for everything he’s been able to accomplish. He’s a brother, like myself. Much respect. London, you’ve got yourself a hell of a guy, a great champion.

“I’m going to get back with my coaches because I’m one of those guys, I can’t sit for too long, I start getting antsy. I’m going to talk to my coaches.

“I’ll get back, sit back, relax and spend some time with my daughter,” Usman said.

He noted that fighters go through a lot while preparing for their fight just to thrill their fans.

“You get to come here and get entertained by us, but a lot of you guys don’t know what we go through in training camp just to prepare for this, just to get in there and give you guys a show.

“So guys, much respect to the fighters. We put it on the line for you guys each and every time.”

In a follow-up statement on Twitter, Usman vowed to “go back to work.”

“A special thank you to my management, family, friends, and fans.

“I appreciate each and every one of you. Wasn’t my night but as always, we go back to work. Congratulations Leon Edwards great work.”

There are reports before the fight that Usman was suffering from a well-known knee issues along with lingering hand injuries. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Sadiya Hamza

By Emmanuel Afonne

The President of the Republic of Maldives, Ibrahim Solih, has showered encomiums on the Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Sunday Dare, for the huge impact he has made in sports since he assumed duty.

Solih made the remark at the Maldives 2023 Sports Awards, where the Nigerian Sports Minister received a ‘Special Recognition Award’ for his huge contribution to sports in Nigeria and Africa.

A statement issued on Sunday by Toyin Ibitoye, Special Assistant to the Minister on Media, quoted the Maldives president as saying that Dare’s giant strides in sports were a big plus to Nigeria and Africa.

“I congratulate the Sports Minister of Nigeria and I want people to know that we followed his progress over a period of time before deciding to honour him with this Award.

“We believe his positive steps will continue to boost sports in Nigeria in the years to come.”

The Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, Republic of Maldives, Ahmed Mahloof, also stated that the award was a reward for Dare’s hard work within a short time in office.

Some global sports personalities were also conferred with Sports Icons Awards at the ceremony held on Saturday.

Nigerian football legend, Nwankwo Kanu, was top on the list of the icons recognised at the event.

Others were Italy’s 2006 World Cup-winning captain, Fabio Cannavaro, and England’s ex-international goalkeeper, David James.

In his response, Dare thanked the organisers of the event, saying the recognition is a challenge to him to do more in any capacity he might find himself.

“It is important to also state that Nigerian youths should always put in efforts to make an impact in every area they find themselves because you don’t know who is watching.

“This is a good one for Nigeria, especially with Kanu also recognised in the sports icon category,” he added.

A total of 108 people received awards in 18 categories, including national athletes of Maldives.

The Award ceremony was also graced by the Chief of Staff to the Honourable Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Alhaji Abba Yola, and Managing Director and CEO of Premium Trust Bank, Emmanuel Emefienim.

Others at the occasion were the Director of Federations and Elite Athletes Department of the Federal Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, Dr Simon Ebhojiaye, and the Chief Executive Officer of Afri Kings Homes, Mr Kingsley Awodi.

A retired Director, General Services, National Youth Service Corps, Mr Emmanuel Attah, and some aides of the Sports Minister, also attended the event. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola