Sports
2,000 Athletes, Officials To Participate In Private Universities Games
No fewer than 2,000 athletes and officials from over 20 universities will feature in 10 sports events at the fourth edition of the Nigerian Private Universities Games this December.
Games officials, who disclosed this, in Abuja, said the sports to be featured are athletics, badminton, basketball, chess, football, table tennis, tennis, scrabble, volleyball and swimming.
The Games being organised by the Nigerian Private Universities Games Association (NUPGA) is scheduled for Oghara in Delta.
It is to hold from Dec. 11 to December 21 at the Western Delta University in Oghara.
The Chairman of the 2011 NUPGA Games’ Local Organising Committee, Dr Dosu Malomo, said the association had so far received entries in all the 10 sports.
“We have with us entries in that regard and we have been making preparations to ensure everything is in line with the games’ regulations,” he said.
The President of NUPGA, Dr John Okoro, also disclosed that arrangements had been fully made for all athletes and officials at the games to be insured.
“An insurance policy has been put in place by the association for all athletes and officials, and this has been done by securing the services of Royal Exchange Assurance of Nigeria (REAN),” he said.
Okoro said medals would be presented to winners at the games in Oghara for the first time in the history of the biennial games since its introduction in 2005.
“This has not been possible in the past because of lack of funds to produce medals, with potential games sponsors to be allowed to inscribe their products’ names on the medals,” he said.
Speaking also on the games, the Vice-Chancellor of the host university, Prof. Peter Hugbo, assured participants of an excellent games in Oghara in December.
“We are happy to host this games. We were just two years old when we attended the 2009 games at the American University of Nigeria, and had a little above 200 students then.
“We did fairly well to win 31 medals, including 11 gold, and since then we have matured. This is what we intend to prove this December.
“We can assure that we will host well, as the school management has not been resting on its oars to ensure we achieve success.
“We had even been hoping on having about 30 to 35 universities at the games, and we are ready for an excellent games,” Hugbo, who was represented by the institution’s Registrar, Mr Godwin Egbri, said.
The first edition of the games was held in 2005 at the Igbinedion University in Okada, near Benin, while the second edition was at the Lead University in Ibadan in 2007.
The American University hosted the third edition at Yola in 2009, while the fifth edition has been scheduled for the Joseph Ayo Babalola University at Ikeji-Arakeji, Osun, in 2013.
Sports
Gyokeres Situation, Transfer Under Cloud At Sporting

Sporting have not received an offer for striker Viktor Gyokeres and there is no gentleman’s agreement for him to leave for £59million, says club president Frederico Varandas.
Sweden international Gyokeres, 27, has been heavily linked with Manchester United and Arsenal after scoring 97 goals in 102 matches during two seasons in Portugal.
He has a 100m euro (£85m) release clause in his contract.
It has been widely reported that, after staying at Sporting last summer, Gyokeres and Sporting agreed he could leave for 70m euros (£59m) this summer.
However, Varandas said the club’s only promise to Gyokeres was that they would not demand his full release clause.
“I can guarantee that Viktor Gyokeres will not leave for 60m euros plus 10m euros because I never promised that,” Varandas said.
“To this day Sporting has not had an offer for Gyokeres, neither today nor last season.”
Gyokeres spent three seasons with Coventry City in the Championship before joining Sporting under Ruben Amorim.
Manchester City director of football Hugo Viana was sporting director at Sporting last summer, when Gyokeres’ agent sought assurances about his leaving if a suitable offer arrived.
“One of the agent’s biggest concerns was whether we would demand the termination clause,” said Varandas.
“He wanted to guarantee certain things. And what was agreed? That Sporting would not demand a release clause now.
“For one reason: he was going to be 27 years old and no player leaves Portugal at 27 for 100m eurors or 90m euros.
“In that same meeting the agent wanted to anchor the exit to a value. I said this sentence: ‘It’s not worth us setting a value because I don’t know what will happen in a year’s time. I don’t know if it will be 40m euros, 60m euros or 80m euros. What I can guarantee is that I will not demand 100 million euros.’”
Sports
Concacaf Opposes 64-Team W’Cup Plans

Concacaf President Victor Montagliani has criticised a proposal to expand the 2030 men’s World Cup to 64 teams.
The plans, put forward by South American governing body Conmebol, have also drawn opposition from Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
The tournament will be hosted by Spain, Morocco and Portugal, after the opening matches are held in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
The 2026 World Cup, which will take place across the United States, Mexico and Canada, has already been expanded from 32 to 48 teams.
But Conmebol said it wanted to add more participants to mark the competition’s 100-year anniversary.
“I don’t believe expanding the men’s World Cup to 64 teams is the right move for the tournament itself and the broader football ecosystem, from national teams to club competitions, leagues, and players,” Montagliani told Tidesports source
“We haven’t even kicked off the new 48-team World Cup yet, so personally, I don’t think that expanding to 64 teams should even be on the table.”
Concacaf is the governing body of football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean.
The decision to expand the 2026 World Cup to 48 teams was taken in 2017 following a unanimous vote at a Fifa congress.
Fifa’s 75th congress will be held in Paraguay on 15 May, when Conmebol’s proposal could be discussed.
If the proposal is accepted, the 2030 edition would consist of 128 matches, double the number played under the 64-game format used from 1998 and 2022.
In March, Ceferin described the proposal as a “bad idea” while AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa said it would cause “chaos”.
“If the issue remains open to change, then the door will not only be open to expanding the tournament to 64 teams,” said Salman.
“But someone might come along and demand raising the number to 132 teams. Where would we end up then? It would become chaos.”
Sports
Brazil Edge Paraguay, Book W’Cup Spot

Brazil qualified for the 2026 World Cup this week with a 1-0 win against Paraguay in South American qualifying to give Carlo Ancelotti his first win as manager.
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jnr scored from close range in the second half, finishing after fine work from Manchester United-bound playmaker Matheus Cunha.
The victory, Ancelotti’s first after a 0-0 draw against Ecuador on his debut last week, means Brazil has now qualified for every edition of the World Cup.
“We needed to win and qualify for the World Cup,” said Vinicius Jr.
“Now the coach will have more time to work. Of course today wasn’t one of our best performances, but the important thing is always to win.
“Now it’s time to celebrate qualifying.”
Elsewhere, World Cup holders Argentina played out an entertaining 1-1 draw with Colombia in Buenos Aires.
Liverpool winger Luis Diaz opened the scoring with a fine individual goal, dancing through three defenders before finishing past Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
Argentina was reduced to 10 men with 20 minutes remaining when Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez was sent off for a high-boot challenge on Colombia’s Kevin Castano.
But Lionel Messi’s side found an equaliser nine minutes from the end through Lyon’s Thiago Almada, leaving Colombia four points clear of seventh-placed Venezuela.
Ecuador, Argentina’s nearest challengers, booked their spot at next summer’s tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States after a 0-0 draw away at Peru.
-
Niger Delta23 hours ago
PIA: Bayelsa Engages Oil Firms, Dev Trusts On Transparency …Set To Issue New Operation Guidelines
-
News14 hours ago
FIRS Introduces New SOP To End Tax Confusion Nationwide
-
Nation2 days ago
FG, SEEPCO, PENGASSAN Resolves Industrial Disputes, Reached Amicable Resolutions For Industrial Harmony
-
Rivers21 hours ago
450 Varsity Admins Undergo Specialised Training On Nigeria’s Higher Education
-
Sports14 hours ago
Brazil Edge Paraguay, Book W’Cup Spot
-
Politics24 hours ago
Ex-Minister Cautions Eno Against Forcing Lawmakers To Join APC
-
News15 hours ago
June 12: Stakeholders Rate Nigeria’s Democracy Low
-
Business23 hours ago
Customs Gives Jet Owners One Month To Clear Debt