Opiki Emerges Rivers SWAN Chairman, VP Tasks New Exco On Commitment

Opiki Emerges Rivers SWAN Chairman,

VP Tasks  New Exco On Commitment

 

From Madu Barth,Port Harcourt

The long awaited election of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Rivers State Chapter has been won by Amb Jim Udede-Opiki of the Independent Monitor Newspaper who beat his opponent,Mr Peter Abaje of the African Independent Television (AIT) to emerge winner.

Udede-Opiki polled 20 votes as against Abaje's 12 votes to be announced chairman by the Returning Officer and the Vice President of SWAN,South South,Zone Bonny Nyong.

Inaugurating the newly elected Excutive at the Ernest Ikoli Press Centre in Port Harcourt,the South-South V toice President  of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Bonny Nyong,  charged the newly elected executive of SWAN, Rivers State Chapter to be committed, upgrade  and carry every member along in the course of their duties.

He further tasked the newly elected Chairman,  Udede-Opiki to allow every officer function in his position and refain from  usurping other officers' duties.

“Mr Chairman, today you have been elected as the Chairman, but remember, other officers too are elected, allow the officers to function in their various positions.

Bring every member together, to enable SWAN Rivers wax stronger and vibrant,” Nyong said.

In his acceptance speech, the newly elected chairman,  Udede-Opiki, thanked all members for the confidence reposed in him, and pledged to run an all inclusive administration.

He thanked members for their support, stressing that without members he cannot function as Chairman.

“I use this opportunity to thank all the members and promise to bring all members together to move SWAN Rivers forward.

We will work as a team. I know  I cannot work alone. There are no losers in this election, everybody is a winner,” Opiki said.

Other officers elected are Sarah David as Vice Chairman, Chukwudi Ejimofor, Secretary, Solomon Wokoma, Treasurer and Barth Ndubuwah emerged as Financial Secretary.

Europa League Final: Sixth success for superb Sevilla as Inter run out of luck

Keir Radnedge - AIPS Football delegate

  

LONDON, August 21, 2020 - Sevilla edged a breathlessly intense Europa League Final 3-2 against Internazionale in a closed-doors drama in Cologne.

Sergio Escudero, Jesus Navas, and Ever Banega of Sevilla celebrate with their teammates and the UEL Trophy following their team’s victory in the UEL Final against Inter Milan on 21/08/2020 in Cologne, Germany. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

The contest provided a spectacle to match the high profile provided by the pandemic-enforced daily drama of squeezing the Europa League and Champions League play-offs into a summer fortnight of excitement.

Inter took an early lead, conceded two headed goals, struck back shortly before the interval then lost, heart-rendingly, to an own goal from top scorer Romelu Lukaku.

All winners need a little luck and Sevilla thus benefited. In the opening minutes defender Diego Carlos had been shown only a yellow card and not red after conceding the penalty which provided Lukaku with the game’s first goal.

Then, in the closing minutes, it was an off-target effort from the same Diego Carlos which Lukaku diverted into his own net for what proved Sevilla’s winning goal.

Coaching comeback

Sevilla’s triumph provided remarkable rehabilitation for coach Julen Lopetegui.

Two years ago the former national youth coach endured the humiliation of being sacked within four months, either side of the World Cup finals in Russia, by both Spain and then Real Madrid.

He had never won a major trophy as a coach yet deflected congratulations into a dedication of victory to the memory of two Sevilla club favourites who had both died young.

Lopetegui said: “This is for Antonio Reyes, Antonio Puerta, and all of those who are no longer with us. For all of us, for me, for the fans, it is very special. We conceded three penalties in the last three matches in the first five minutes but our team never surrender.”

Inter had started as narrow favourites under Antonio Conte whose passion earned one of the game’s six yellow cards from Dutch referee Danny Makkelie in a feisty contest.

The opening saw Makkelie wave away Sevilla claims that Danilo D’Ambrosio should have been sent off for baulking Luis Ocampos.

Inter capitalised immediately when Lukaku was pulled down on the break by Diego Carlos and rose to his feet to convert the fifth-minute penalty which put them ahead.

Unbeaten run

The third penalty Diego Carlos had conceded in four games thus provided Lukaku with a goal in an 11th successive match in the competition. His 34th goal of term levelled the tally of Brazilian superstar Ronaldo when Inter won this same competition in 1998.

Sevilla’s record of 20 games unbeaten since February was not in danger for long. In the 12th minute veteran wingback Jesus Navas flighted a cross to the hear post where Luuk de Jong dive-headed home.

The Dutchman had been a goal-scoring substitute in Sevilla’s semi-final defeat of Manchester United and fully justified Lopetegui’s decision to start him this time.

Play ebbed and flowed in both directions before Sevilla took the lead in the 33rd minute. De Jong was the scorer again with another header, this time converting a free kick from one-time Inter playmaker Ever Banega.

Two more minutes and it was Inter’s turn to equalise. Sevilla switched off at the back as veteran Uruguayan centre-back Diego Godin headed home a free kick from Marcelo Brozovic.

Tiring times

The second half saw fatigue from the pressures of an extraordinary 13-month season take their toll as the final turned on a dramatic attacking exchange.

In the 65th minute Lukaku broke clear only for Sevilla keeper Bono to block his shot. The significance of that save was enhanced nine minutes later. Inter failed to clear a free kick and Diego Carlos’s overhead bicycle kick was diverted by Lukaku into Inter’s own net.

Inter introduced Victor Moses, Alexis Sanchez and Christian Eriksen to try to rescue the game and the attacking tactic appear to pay off as Sanchez stabbed the ball goalwards . . . until centre-back Jules Kounde stretched out a long leg to hack off the line.

That clearance extended Sevilla’s record of not conceding a second-half goal in 13 games and duly delivered the Europa League Cup for a record sixth time.

The teams

Sevilla: Bono – Navas, Kounde, Diego Carlos (Gudelj 86), Reguilon – Jordan, Fernando, Banega – Suso (Vazquez 78), De Jong (En-Nesyri 85), Ocampos (El Haddadi 71). Coach: Lopetegui.

Inter: Handanovic – Godin (Candreva 90), De Vrij, Bastoni – D’Ambrosio (Moses 78), Barella, Brozovic, Gagliardini (Eriksen 78), Young – Martinez (Sanchez 78), Lukaku. Coach: Conte.

HT: 2-2. Att: — (closed doors). Ref: Makkelie (Net).

NPFL Clubs brace up for full licensing compliance.

As the 2020/2021 NPFL season gets set to kick off in October , reports say virtually all the 20 clubs in the top domestic league have put machinery in motion to fully comply with the LMC club's licensing requirements ahead of time.

A survey conducted recently by @clubowners_ng  revealed that Akwa United FC and Nasarawa United FC led the way to Set up an activation committees to ensure compliance with the clubs licensing process. 

Meanwhile as part of its peer review mechanism (PRM) strategic formula to put all clubs on the same page, the Club Owners Association of Nigeria, an umbrella body of all the NPFL clubs have charged the clubs to key into the compliance process inorder to have a rebranded new season.

Sources at the League Management Company LMC had revealed that following the agreement reached with the new  broadcast partners Next TV, all clubs must fulfill the licensing requirements to be allowed to participate in the league.

It would be recalled that the Nigeria Football Federation NFF had insisted that no club would be allowed to host matches until it comply with the necessary licensing criteria ahead of the new soccer season.

Fresh Blood, Younger Bosses and a New Breed of Top Talent – all set to light up the Ughelli Preseason Football Tournament

As we happily begin to ease our way out of lockdown, attention will now switch to when football make a return on the National scene.

With the start of the 10th edition of the Ughelli preseason football tournament gathering momentum and confirmation of participation from top Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) clubs received by the organisers, fans will be looking forward to seeing a whole host of new faces in action.

Tournament Coordinator Mr Onome James spoke exclusively to Sports Concave Media.

Hear him

"One of the uniqueness of this preseason tournament is that we always have fresh blood, younger bosses and a new breed of top talent discovered. We are looking forward to the start of this edition." 

"We have received confirmation of participation from top NPFL Clubs and it further shows the rating of this tournament".

More details about the 10th edition of the Ughelli Preseason Football tournament 2020 − including kickoff date and participating teams − will be made available over the course of the upcoming days.

Extra reason why UEFA's Champions League is a tournament like no other.

Europe’s top eight football club are about to boldly go where no team has gone before in the Champions League.

A ‘final eight’ star trek is being staged in Portugal by European federation UEFA to wrap up an extended 2019-20 season battered by the Covid-19 pandemic.

UEFA’s solution is a single-match knock-out tournament, featuring quarter-finals, semi-finals ands final in the Benfica and Sporting stadia in Lisbon. Kick-off is on Wednesday and the final is on August 23.

In the shadow of the Champions League so the final stages of the UEFA Europa League will be played out in similar fashion in Germany.

The Champions League was tidied up last week when Manchester City, Lyon, Bayern Munich and Barcelona completed their second round ties some five months after playing out the first legs. City face Lyon on Saturday while Bayern play Barcelona on Friday.

Both clubs have been labelled favourites but they cannot meet in the final: the pair are on the same side of the draw.

The ‘other’ side offers an opportunity for Paris Saint-Germain to reward the multi-million-euro of their Qatari owners and become the first French club to win Europe’s top club prize since Marseille’s bribery-tarnished victory in 1993.

PSG start the party against Atalanta on Wednesday (today) with the winners contesting a semi-final against RB Leipzig or Atletico Madrid who meet on Thursday.

Intriguing, only two of the final eight have won the Champions League cup before: Bayern on five occasions but not since 2013 and Barcelona who recorded the most recent of their own quintet two years later.

*Questions abound:*

Can City finally realise the dream which has driven their Abu Dhabi owners since taking over in 2008? 

Can 14-goal Robert Lewandowski erase Cristiano Ronaldo’s 17-goal single-season record in propelling Bayern to glory? 

Can Lyon repeat, against City, the giant-killing form which overthrew Ronaldo’s Juventus? 

And Can Leo Messi’s magic make European amends for Barcelona’s LaLiga fade-out?

The terrible twist of pandemic fate, of course, is that no fans will be in any of the stadia to witness an unwanted slice of European club football being created.

Today in history: August 11th 1985, Nigeria won the first edition of the FIFA U17 World Cup in China.

 Today in history August 11th 1985

35yrs ago  

Nigeria won the first edition of the FIFA U17 world cup in China.

Here are the names of the history making boys

1.GK Lucky Agbonsevbafe

2 DF Tenworimi Duere

3 DF Nduka Ugbade

4 DF Fatai Atere

5 DF Binabei Numa

6 MF Kingsley Aikhionbore

7 MF Salisu Nakade

8 MF Sani Adamu

9 FW Jonathan Akpoborie

10 FW Victor Igbinoba

11 FW Bilia Momoh

12 GK Imama Amapakabor

13 DF Baldwin Bazuaye

14 FW Joseph Babatunde

15 DF Chukwuma Nwoha

16 MF Mohamed Yahaya

17 MF Hilary Adiki

18 MF Dele Abubakar

Nigerian players were selected from school teams.

Athletics: Rule 5 as amended

 As more athletes around the world return to the track for national championships, one-day meetings and other record-breaking attempts, World Athletics has issued a reminder to Area Associations and Member Federations today about the recently introduced Rule 5, governing competition shoes.

The amended rule, which puts a sole height limit of 25mm on all shoes worn in track events of 800m and above in distance (including Steeplechase), came into force on 28 July 2020, when it was published.

The rule does not prevent a road running shoe from being worn on the track but a 30mm or 40mm road running shoe cannot be worn for track events because of the 25mm limit.

As this is a transition period, all results currently in the World Athletics database will be processed, but any result of an individual athlete who has worn non-compliant shoes for the race will be marked “Uncertified” (“TR5.5”).

This means that Rule 5 of the Technical Rules must be applied in full for the competition results to be recognised by World Athletics as valid.

To preserve the integrity of national records and statistics, the responsibility lies with the Member Federation to ensure that all athletes, officials and competition organisers are fully aware that Rule 5 of the Technical Rules will be applied in full.  

If a Member Federation or competition organiser permits an athlete to compete in non-compliant shoes, then the athlete’s individual results from the competition will be marked in World Athletics’ records and statistics as ‘Uncertified (‘TR5.5’) i.e. invalid. In some cases, this may apply to the entire race.

Results achieved before 28 July, where an athlete has worn a shoe above the current track limits, are valid provided the results were achieved in shoes that complied with the sole thicknesses in the previous rule. For example, if an athlete wore 40mm non-spike shoe on the track or 30mm spike between 31 January 2020 and the notification and publication of change of rules on 28 July 2020, then the competition result is valid.

The list of shoes that were submitted to World Athletics by manufacturers for assessment, and have been approved, will be published on World Athletics’ website shortly to assist Athletes, Member Federations, Technical Officials and meeting organisers.

Wrestling Legend Kamala Dies After Complications From Coronavirus

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) legend James Harris popularly known as Kamala has died after complications from coronavirus.

The 70-year-old former powerhouse starred for Vince McMahon’s wrestling company during the late 1980s and early 90s.

His autobiography’s co-author, Kenny Casanova, wrote on Facebook: “Just got off the phone.

“Unfortunately, the rumors were correct. To make matters worse, it was Corona that took him; he was one of the good ones.

“Kamala was one of the most believable monsters in wrestling.

WWE issued a statement late Sunday night saying: “WWE is saddened to learn that James Harris, known to WWE fans as Kamala, has passed away at age 70.

“Under the frightening face paint of Kamala, the 6-foot-7, 380-pound Harris battled the greatest Superstars in sports-entertainment history, including Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker and Andre the Giant.

“He terrorized opponents and thrilled audiences in Mid-South, World Class Championship Wrestling, WCW and WWE until 2006.

Kamala began his career as the Mississippi Mauler and Sugar Bear Harris.

He later transformed into his Kamala character and enjoyed great success. 

But in recent years he has suffered with diabetes and needed to have both legs amputated during a series of health battles.

Sports Concave Media: Mike Tyson vs Roy Jones fight postponed

Sports Concave Media: Mike Tyson vs Roy Jones fight postponed:  Mike Tyson’s comeback fight vs. Roy Jones Jr. postponed to Nov. 28  The former heavyweight champion was set to fight Roy Jones Jr. on Sept....

Mike Tyson vs Roy Jones fight postponed

 Mike Tyson’s comeback fight vs. Roy Jones Jr. postponed to Nov. 28 

The former heavyweight champion was set to fight Roy Jones Jr. on Sept. 12, but the match has now been postponed until Nov. 28, according to multiple reports.

The reason for the delay is that Tyson’s side believes it can “maximize revenue by rescheduling,” The Ring reported Sunday. 

It is still set to be held without fans in attendance at Dignity Health Park in Carson, Calif., and broadcast on pay-per-view.

The 54-year-old Tyson retired from boxing in 2005 and has only fought in a series of 2006 exhibitions since then. 

He has spent the last few months getting into better shape, updating his progress often via social media.

California State Athletic Commission executive officer Andy Foster previously said the fight would be a sparring session, but the 51-year-old Jones, who last fought in 2018, was preparing for the worst.

We will be glad to start afresh - Peter Ahmedu

 

Assistant coach of Nigeria’s Women National Basketball team D’Tigress Peter Ahmedu has stated that the women’s national team will be glad to start afresh after having lost out valuable ground as a team and as professionals owing to the impact of the Coronavirus.

Ahmedu revealed said it’s been a challenging time for everyone but at this point been alive and been able to take a roll call of players is key while adding that he hopes everyone will be in good health when action resume adding that all form of momentum and form have bee lost due to the long period of inactivity.