Sports
President-Elect Promises Better Days For Taekwondo
The newly-elected President of Nigeria Taekwondo Federation (NTF), Margaret Binga, has promised that her leadership would focus on the discovery of talents and better welfare for athletes.
Binga told newsmen in Abuja that her board would make deliberate efforts geared towards winning medals at all competitions.
She said this was because there were lots of talents at the grassroots level for the sport but they have not had the opportunity to showcase their talent.
“We will make sure that we organise competitions across the 36 states of the federation and the FCT so that the country can have the best athletes for international events.
“Over 90 per cent of members in the new board are athletes or former athletes. We know where the shoe pinches and we will ensure better days for the athletes so that the country can get more relevance in the game.
“We will also make sure we organise at least an NTF competition in each state of the country during our four-year tenure.
“This will give us the chance to get the best athletes and increase our medals in international events,” Binga said.
The federation president also said she would ensure the development of a data base for taekwondo athletes in the country.
“Our board will also develop a data base for taekwondo athletes in the country, so that we can follow their progression in the game and identify where there are gaps among the groups.
“That will help in planning for various local and international competitions, which is one of the major objectives of the federation.”
She also said there would be mixed-gender competitions, aimed at ensuring that the country raises athletes for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
Binga was emphatic in stating that she harbours no fears of not being able to operate effectively in the male-dominated NTF board.
“I have no fears. My sights are focused on the set-out goals. All other things are distractions and irrelevant.
“Since the board members key into the vision I have, and the media are supporting our efforts, we can achieve a lot,” she said.
Tidesports source gathered that Binga was elected as president of the federation at the 2017 National Sports Federations Election on Tuesday in Abuja.
Binga, a serving officer in the Nigeria Customs Service, is the first female President of the federation.
Speaking also at a media interactive session, 2008 Olympics taekwondo bronze medallist Chika Chukwumerije said there was need for taekwondo to start developing itself beyond government funding.
“With adequate publicity, taekwondo can generate some fund for itself and people will come and pay some token to watch, learn and enjoy the game,” he said.
Chukwumerije, who is the newly-elected athletes’ representative on the NTF board, said many people get attracted whenever they come around.
“After watching the game, they always get fascinated and will be willing to pay something to see the game develop in Nigeria,’’ he said.
Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has said that criticism that he and other players chased money by moving to Saudi Arabia is wide of the mark.
The 33-year-old left Chelsea for Al-Ahli in a £16m ($21.4m) deal in 2023, and in May the Africa Cup of Nations winner helped his Saudi club win the Asian Champions League, making him one of the few players to win both that competition and its European equivalent.
But, like many others, Mendy has been criticised for playing for money rather than prestige in the lucrative Saudi Pro League.
When asked about such criticism, Mendy told a Tidesports source, “Al-Ahli’s project came along and they made me feel I had a big role to play.
“Two years later, we won the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history. So yes, that validates my choice. And I hope the coming years will validate it even more.”
He added: “Some people will quickly jump to conclusions and say the only reason is money. From the start, I always said that when I left Chelsea, I knew I was joining another team where I could win everything , which was no longer the case at Chelsea.”
The Blues have since won the Conference League, Europe’s third-tier club competition, under the ownership of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.
But it comes after the regime’s trophyless first two years, a period which has frustrated some supporters after the success enjoyed under Roman Abramovich’s stewardship in the previous 19 years.
Mendy has also been celebrating what he describes as a historical win with Senegal against England at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground, but days earlier he had been in Dakar delivering a different kind of win.
He is the sponsor of Yakaar, a school in Keur Massar, which seeks to improve funding and access to digital learning tools for local children from underprivileged backgrounds.
Famously, as Mendy grew up in France, he was unemployed, aged 22, while struggling to find a club, with members of his family still living on the outskirts of Dakar.
That is why Yakaar, a word meaning “hope”, was chosen, a word Mendy has carried with him in his career.
“Hope is what kept me going. When I was without a club, it was the hope of getting that first professional contract.
“Then the hope of playing for the national team. The hope of making my family proud by doing the job I had always dreamed of.
“Indeed, hope is the best word to describe my career.”
Mendy was also asked whether the responsibility of being an African goalkeeper had weighed heavily on him.
“Of course. When I was in England, there weren’t many African goalkeepers in top clubs,” he admitted.
“Whether nationally or internationally, I had that responsibility. It’s the same for other African goalkeepers like Andre Onana [Manchester United] or Yassine Bounou (Al-Hilal).”
The entire refereeing committee has been fired by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), with structural reforms soon set to follow.
According to sources, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has dismissed the entire refereeing committee in response to mounting pressure from clubs demanding structural reform. A major shake-up aimed at modernising Spanish refereeing from top to bottom has now been set in motion.
Head of the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA), Luis Medina Cantalejo and Head of VAR, Carlos Clos Gomez, have been removed from their positions. They are joined by several senior officials, including Antonio Rubinos Perez and three vice presidents, who are also stepping down. A new leadership model will be introduced, led by a CEO and a sporting director, aiming to overhaul how refereeing is managed covering assessments, promotions, and daily operations. While the leadership changes are sweeping, the current pool of referees in La Liga and the second tier will remain, ensuring continuity on the field during the transition.
Cristiano Ronaldo has signed a new two-year contract with Al-Nassr that means he will stay with the Saudi Pro League club until beyond his 42nd birthday.
The Portugal captain, 40, joined the Riyadh-based team in December 2022 after leaving Manchester United in acrimonious circumstances, having criticised the club and said he had no respect for manager Erik ten Hag.
Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr deal had been due to expire at the end of June and there was speculation he could leave, but that has now been quashed.
In a post on X, Ronaldo wrote: “A new chapter begins. Same passion, same dream. Let’s make history together.”
Although Al-Nassr have not added to their nine domestic titles during Ronaldo’s time at the club, they have benefited from a flood of goals from the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Ronaldo scored 35 times in 41 matches across all competitions last term and was the league’s top scorer for a second consecutive season.
He has managed 99 goals in appearances overall for Al-Nassr and is well on his way to reaching 1,000 senior goals in his career, with a current tally of 938 for club and country.
Having helped Portugal win the Uefa Nations League a little over two weeks ago, the former Manchester United, Real Madrid, Sporting and Juventus forward will almost certainly now be targeting a sixth World Cup appearance next summer.
Only a month ago, Ronaldo posted on social media to say “the chapter is over”.
That came after the Saudi Pro League wrapped up with Al-Nassr finishing third and trophyless once again.
The comment fuelled rumours that Ronaldo was ready to leave the league where he reportedly became the best-paid player in football history with an annual salary of £177m when he joined.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino raised the prospect of Ronaldo joining a team involved in the Club World Cup after Al-Nassr failed to qualify for the extended tournament which is being held in the United States.
Ronaldo said he had received offers from participating teams but had turned them down.
The decision to stay until at least 2027, which is certain to be highly lucrative, appears to rule out any future prospect of Ronaldo returning to play at the highest level in Europe.