Sports
Ex-Chelsea Men Risk Jail In Indonesia
Former Chelsea men Michael Essien and Carlton Cole could face a jail sentence in Indonesia after being accused of breaking immigration laws.
The pair are among the biggest stars in the Indonesian top flight, with hundreds of fans flocking to training to see them in action.
But their future in the country is now under threat as it emerges Persib Bandung fielded the players without obtaining the correct immigration paperwork.
“As of Tuesday, yesterday, Persib Bandung have not applied for a permanent residency permit, the visitor’s permit is for a limited time,” immigration chief Maulia Purnamawati explained in a statement.
A spokesman further asserted: ”They are professionals so they must hold a permit to perform activities in Indonesia.”
Under Indonesian law, flouting migrant law carries a maximum penalty of five years in jail.
Persib manager Umuh Muctar criticised the ruling, affirming that Indonesia should be proud of having players of Essien’s calibre in the local league.
“That they are here is a joy for us, they want to raise up Indonesia’s name in the world,” he told reporters.
“Everybody knows that Essien is a world-class player, not an illegal immigrant.”
Tidesports understands, however, that a custodial sentence is highly unlikely for the pair, and that Persib will attempt to reach an agreement with the immigration authorities and with the Indonesian FA to formalise their stay in the country.
Essien and Cole nevertheless face a spell on the sidelines while the situation is resolved, after joining the club in March.
The stars made their debut for Persib at the weekend, in a 0-0 draw against Arema.
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.
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.
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.