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Losers And Winners Of NFF Elections

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The much-awaited NFF
elections have come and gone. And its wake left some winners and losers. Below are some of the biggest losers as well as those  throwing a party after the hotly-disputed polls.
LOSERS: SPORTS MINISTER DANAGOGO
By far the biggest loser in the whole drama series leading to Tuesday’s FA polls is Nigerian Sports Minister, Tammy Danagogo, whose very poor handling of the whole leadership tussle has questioned his competence. He did not wish for his townsman Chris Green to return to the board, and even fired a last-ditch phone call to a top official inside the congress hall in Warri to make sure he has his way, but the NFF congress decided otherwise.  And in the coming days we expect to be bombarded by ‘exposes’ from those the minister openly backed about what the whole agreement was all about.
CHRIS GIWA  AND COMPANY
The Warri elections, whose results have since been endorsed by FIFA, have buried once and for all whatever the claims of self-acclaimed NFF president Chris Giwa. He has been rejected twice by the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) and has now resorted to the courts to reclaim “my mandate”. His lieutenants are now jumping ship and begging to rejoin the mainstream.
KESHI
The interim Super Eagles coach must now be increasingly nervous after some of his backroom staff openly complained the new executive committee is dominated by “Maigari’s men” who would rather love to see his back. Before any talk on a new contract, there is now the little matter of the must-win double-header against Sudan later this month for Nigeria to stand any realistic chance of reaching Morocco 2015.
UMEH  AND COMPANY
“Acting NFF president” Mike Umeh, who for decades has been FA boss of Anambra State, was roundly disgraced at the polls as he did not get a vote in his bid to be president. Did that mean even the Anambra representative did not vote for him? His co-travellers who were first used and later dumped by Danagogo like Shehu Adamu and Muazu Suleyman suffered a similar fate at the polls.
WINNERS: NIGERIAN FOOTBALL
Millions of fans will now heave a sigh of relief that despite some close shaves, FIFA did not ban Nigeria leading to these elections. The world football governing body had warned that should there be any hindrance or mishap leading up to the elections, Nigeria will be automatically banned till the next FIFA congress in May 2015. Thankfully, it did not come to that at the end.
SHEHU DIKKO
A spurious “security report” against “Dr Shehu Dikko”, which was dispatched to Warri on the morning of the elections by a Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) ferried by a private jet from Abuja, disqualified the front-runner for the presidential elections. But the manner and timing of this disqualification has only swelled the businessman’s popularity and acceptance across ethnic, regional and religious divides. Grown men broke down and wept when it was announced he has been disqualified. He may not be the NFF president, but he now commands a lot more influence and respect because of how he fought and, more importantly, how he has conducted himself even after this disappointment.
AMAJU PINNICK
The Delta FA chairman and a passionate Arsenal fan was a late entrant to the presidential race. His dream to run Nigerian football has come true and now he must deliver on his many promises which include attracting more sponsorship cash for the game in this country. He has done it in Delta State and now he has to do it for the entire country.
CHRIS GREEN
The Rivers State FA chairman has yet again proved to be a dogged fighter. You either love him or loathe him. Many very powerful men dreaded his return to the board, but even in the face of two dehumanising experiences at the hands of the country’s secret police, he battled on to shame them and his critics. It is a mixed bag of congratulations and curses for Mr. Green.
CONGRESS
The 44-man NFF congress soldiered on even putting their lives literally on the line in some instances. They have once again proved to be the supreme decision-making body of Nigerian football and must now walk tall for not allowing intimidation, lies and blackmail to cow them right up to the elections.
But it is not yet Eldorado for anybody. First of all fences must be mended, bridges built if the new board is to get all the support it needs to do well.
Audu writes for Africanfootball.Com.

 

Samm Audu

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We’ll use Sports to Promote Peace, create Wealth in  Tai…Chairman.

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The Chairman of Tai Local Government Area, in Rivers State, Hon Mathew Dike has stated that his administration will invest in massively sports development with the view to empower young talented youths and promote unity in the area. 

Hon Dike who spoke with sports journalists shortly after the flag off the 2024 edition of Chairman’s Football Unity Tournament  at Botem Tai in Tai LGA,  said the tournament is an annual event to promote peace and unity in Tai as well identify budding talents in the area for global competition.

The opening ceremony of the tournament  was more like a carnival was witnessed by huge crowd including prominent  indigenes of Ogoni Kingdom, sports lovers and people from all works of life. 

The LGA boss revealed that  special sports committee will be setup in the area to work out  modalities to strengthen sports development in Tai.

He advised the participants in the tournament from various wards in the LGA to play the game by the rules and conduct themselves in a peaceful and orderly manner and use the opportunity to showcase their talents.

Hon Dike  further disclosed that his administration will also give priority attention to skills development among the youth to enhance their human capacity and promote enterprise development in the area.

Earlier in his  address the  Chairman of Tai LGA Football Council, Elder Wisdom Gorgor said the annual football competition has been a unifying factor in Tai LGA that need to be sustained to forge more unity and development in the area.

He urged the participants to see the competition as an opportunity to embrace football as a full career and earn sustainable livelihood.

Elder Gorgor who commended the Chairman of Tai LGA, Hon Dike for his visionary leadership and tremendous development achievements recorded in the LGA under his administration, appealled to the Chairman to build a Mini Sports Stadium in the area  to promote sporting activities. 

 

 

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NBA train youths, coaches in Nigeria

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The National Basketball Association Nigeria recently hosted its first Jr. NBA clinic where it trained 100 youths (Boys and girls ages 10-17) and 50 local coaches.

The training was held at the Sani Abacha Stadium Indoor Basketball Court in Kano last Saturday.

According to the Vice President and Head of NBA Nigeria, Gbemisola Abudu, the event was part of the league’s commitment to growing broader basketball ecosystem in Nigeria and making the game more accessible across the country.

“Our first Jr. NBA clinic in Kano speaks to our commitment to growing the game in Nigeria and creating more opportunities for boys and girls to learn and play the game,” Abudu said.

“Nigeria has a rich basketball history and abundance of talent, which is evident every time you watch an NBA game. We look forward to continuing to engage with basketball stakeholders, business leaders and members of the community to further the game’s reach and impact on young people around the country,” she added.

The 2024 basketball initiative clinics of NBA Nigeria also included the league’s inaugural Jr. NBA elite camp for 150 boys and age-16 girls held at the American International School in Lagos in July.

Others include the NBA’s building of 1,000 courts in Africa over the next decade, Nigeria’s Festival Coins and Salubata named the top two winning businesses at NBA Africa Triple-Double Accelerator’s inaugural Demo Day in New York City held last September, and the third edition of “NBA Meets Art,” a curated installation celebrating basketball through the lens of Nigerian art and culture as part of West Africa’s premier art fair Art X Lagos, held in November.

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 BFN Hold Clinic to Empower Coaches

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The Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN) continues to push the boundaries of sports development in the country, with a clear vision toward achieving excellence and early preparation for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Central to this vision is the federation’s investment in capacity building, evident in the just-concluded one-week Level 1 Badminton World Federation (BWF) Coaching Course, which marked a significant milestone for Nigerian badminton.

Held in Abuja, the course brought together 13 young coaches from across Nigeria. The last time such a course was held in the country was in 2017, making this a historic and transformative step.

The training was facilitated by the Badminton Confederation of Africa (BCA) in partnership with the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN) and conducted by Dr. Ahmed Radah, the BCA Development Manager.

Radah, impressed by the talent he witnessed, praised Nigeria’s potential.

“Nigeria is blessed with immense talent and a strong badminton tradition. I believe this country has what it takes to dominate on the global stage,” he remarked.

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