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Eugene City Wins Hosting Right

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Eugene has defended its
role in winning the right to host the 2021 World Championships.
The American city, linked to sportswear firm Nike, was given the event by the IAAF without a bidding process, a decision being investigated in France.
Gothenburg, which missed out, described the process as “bad ethics”.
But Eugene said it “adhered to all ethical and legal standards for organising, presenting and advocating for our bid, according to IAAF rules”.
IAAF president and former vice-president Lord Coe severed his links to Nike after questions over his role in the decision.
But in a statement, Eugene said it had submitted identical bids for the 2019 and 2021 World Championships, losing out to Doha in 2019.
It added: “The decision to award the 2021 World Championships to Eugene was made by the IAAF Council in a vote of 23-1.”
French officials are already investigating corruption allegations involving former IAAF president, Lamine Diack, with Coe quitting the Nike payroll two days after a BBC story suggested he had held talks with Diack and Nike about the awarding of the 2021 event.
Coe, who was reportedly paid £100,000 a year by Nike, said at the time that he “did not lobby anyone” over Eugene’s bid, but simply “encouraged them to re-enter another bidding cycle as they had a strong bid”.
Gothenburg bid chief,  Bjorn Erikkson, said awarding the World Championships to Eugene had made him “really upset and for very good reasons”.
He told Tidesports source World Service: “What happened is bad ethics at least and definitely not professional.
“In the worst of cases it maybe also criminal, if somebody were there influencing the process, and that’s a question that I really want a good answer to.”
The former police officer also said he was not sure if Gothenburg would re-enter the bidding process, should it be re-opened.
“It’s up to the Gothenburg people, they don’t want to answer that question until they know why the last procedure was so unacceptable,” he told Tidesports source.
“If you are going to make business with these people you wish to know if they are professional, honest and serious, otherwise maybe you don’t want to do business at all.”
Coe said that awarding a World Championships without a bidding process “was not without precedence” – the 2007 World Championships in Osaka was one such occasion.
But Erikkson described that as “nonsense”.
He added: “If you behave idiotically and unacceptably is it better if you do it twice rather than once? Secondly there are no arguments for doing this, because we who are engaged in the sport wished to have a transparent process, to do it in disguise is not acceptable.”

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European Giants Circle For Osimhen

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Victor Osimhen will be the centre of attention as several of Europe’s biggest clubs send scouts to yesrerday’s Intercontinental Derby between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, with the Nigerian forward set to play a decisive role in the Super Lig title race

Representatives from Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Juventus were expected to be present at Rams Park, underlining the scale of interest in both the fixture and its standout performers.

Reports in Turkish media indicate that the derby will serve not only as a key moment in the domestic title race but also as a platform for transfer discussions and strategic collaborations between clubs.

According to those reports, top European sides have secured places at the stadium with a dual purpose.

“Europe’s leading representatives will be present at the stadium within the framework of both player transfer and cooperation,” ,” Milliyet reported.

“Real Madrid, Barcelona, among many clubs, including Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Napoli and Juventus, have made reservations for today’s match.”

Osimhen was expected to be among the primary players under observation, alongside teammates Baris Yilmaz and Gabriel Sara, with scouts closely monitoring their performances in one of the most high-profile fixtures in Turkish football.

The report further noted, “Victor Osimhen, Yilmaz and Sara were at the top of the watch list and that the interest would mainly be in these players.”

It also highlighted broader discussions beyond player recruitment, stating, “Apart from this, ideas will be exchanged for strengthening relations between the clubs and new joint agreements.”

The Nigerian striker’s presence came at a crucial point in the season, with Galatasaray holding a four-point lead over second-placed Fenerbahce and knowing that victory would all but secure the league title with three matches remaining.

Osimhen recently returned from injury, making a brief appearance in the cup defeat to Genclerbirligi after missing four games, a period during which Galatasaray’s form showed signs of inconsistency.

His absence coincided with a mixed run of results in April, where the league leaders recorded two wins, one draw and one defeat, including a loss to Trabzonspor and a draw at home to Kocaelispor.

Defensively, Galatasaray have also shown vulnerability, conceding in each of their last six matches across all competitions, a concern ahead of a fixture that could define their campaign.

The derby follows disappointment in the Turkish Cup, where Galatasaray suffered a shock 2-0 home defeat to Genclerbirligi, while Fenerbahce were also knocked out after a 1-0 loss to Konyaspor

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Tennis Event Boosts Grassroots Development Push

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A tennis tournament held in honour of Olusola Odumosu, Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps FCT Command, has been described as a major step towards grassroots sports development and youth engagement.

The three-day competition, staged at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja, began midweek , last week and ended on Friday, attracting young players across different categories.

On the court, top-ranked player Canice Abua won the men’s singles title after a hard-fought 7-5, 6-4 victory over Lucky Danjuma, who is ranked fourth nationally.

In the boys’ category, Unity Alex defeated Khaleed Dalha in straight sets to win the title, while Salvation Alex triumphed over Opeyemi Olademeji to win the girls’ singles event.

Odumosu, who marked his birthday with the event, said the initiative was designed to uncover young talent and strengthen the foundation of tennis development in Nigeria.

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W/Cup Qualifier: Flamingos In Impressive Opener

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Nigeria’s U-17 women’s team, the Flamingos, opened their preparations for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers with a dominant 6-0 victory over Generation Next in Abuja as head coach Akeem Ishola Busari continues to shape his squad.

The emphatic win came during a 60-minute friendly at the Goal Project at the weekend, where the Flamingos took control early and led 4-0 at half-time before the match was halted in the 54th minute due to heavy rain.

Goals were spread across the squad, with Shavih Istifanus opening the scoring inside the first minute, followed by a brace from Tobiloba Sarafa in the 10th and 23rd minutes.

Harmony Chidi added the fourth in the 28th minute, while Aminat Adebisi struck just before half-time and Precious Paul completed the scoring early in the second half.

The match forms part of a busy training camp in Abuja, where Busari has invited 36 players as Nigeria step up preparations for their second-round qualifier against Guinea.

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