Sports
Coronavirus: ATP Tour Shuts Down For Six Weeks

The ATP Tour has postponed all play for six weeks because of “escalating health and safety issues” arising from the coronavirus outbreak.
All tournaments on the men’s ATP Tour and ATP Challenger Tour have been cancelled until 27 April.
The Miami Open was cancelled earlier on Thursday, following the postponement of Indian Wells and the Fed Cup Finals.
“This is not a decision that was taken lightly,” said ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi.
“It represents a great loss for our tournaments, players, and fans worldwide.
“However, we believe this is the responsible action needed at this time in order to protect the health and safety of our players, staff, the wider tennis community and general public health in the face of this global pandemic.
“The worldwide nature of our sport and the international travel required presents significant risks and challenges in today’s circumstances, as do the increasingly restrictive directives issued by local authorities. We continue to monitor this on a daily basis and we look forward to the Tour resuming when the situation improves.”
The WTA is yet to make its intentions clear, but it is expected there will be no tennis on the women’s tour before the latter part of April.
The ATP says the impact of the suspension on the world rankings will be carefully considered.
The suspension of all ATP events takes place with immediate effect, which means the two Challenger tournaments taking place in Kazakhstan and South Africa will not be completed.
In Potchefstroom, 18-year-old Briton Jack Draper was a game away from victory in his second-round match. They had stopped for rain, but will never resume.
Following meetings of the ATP and WTA player councils in Indian Wells, it became clear that a significant number of professionals did not feel happy about playing on through the crisis.
The ITF has suspended all events until 20 April.
Sports
CAFCC: Supporters Club Chairman Frowns Against Stadium Rejection
The Chairman of Rivers United Supporters Club, Franklin Owhor, has frowned against the rejection of the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt to host any of CAF Confederation’s Cup, (CAFCC) games.
He said the rejection will deny United to get total home support when the CAFCC competiition starts next week, saying that playing at home has its own peculiar advantage.
Owhor said this on Wednesday in a telephone interview with Tidesports after the reports from CAF that said the Nigeria Professional Football League ( NPFL) champions had adopted the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo for their home matches.
CAF has earlier asked the management of Rivers United to renovate the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, to International standard, saying that the Stadium lack some basic facilities to host international football competitions.
“ We will still give our maximum support to our team even though the matches will be played in Uyo, but it is painful that we are playing our home games outside our home.
“ I remember when Rivers United FC played in Enyimba Stadium sometimes ago, it was not so good for the team and we saw what happened .
“But I will say that Godswill Akpabio International Stadium is like a home to Rivers United FC, you can see we defeated Dakkada FC in Uyo so we conceived no tension and fear.
“I use this opportunity to appeal to the State Government through Ministry of Sports to try their best and return” the team back to its base, ‘ Owhor said.
By: Kiadum Edookor
Sports
NPFL: Boboye Denies Wikki Tourists Move
Former Akwa United coach, Kennedy Boboye, has dissociated himself from speculations linking him with the coaching job of Nigeria Professional Football League side, Wikki Tourists Tidesports source reports.
The Wikki job became vacant after former handler, Kabiru Dogo, resigned his appointment after amassing only one point in four games.
Following Dogo’s exit, reports have linked the former Plateau United and Sunshine Stars coach with the Giant Elephants, as tweeted by league journalist, Taye Hassan, on Wednesday.
“Kennedy Boboye could be the next tactician to be in Wikki Tourists dugout as information is coming in from a close source in Bauchi,” Hassan posted.
However, Boboye waved off the speculation in a telephone interview with Tidesports source.
“Anything you guys see, just conclude with it, I have been hearing this thing since yesterday,” Boboye said.
While Wikki Tourists have also confirmed the exit of Dogo, the club has put head coach Abdullah Adamu in charge of the squad.
After his spell with Sunshine Stars in 2015, Boboye won the league with Plateau United and Akwa United in 2017 and 2022 respectively, leaving both jobs the following season.
Sports
Bendel Insurance Coach Set To Win LBA Award
Bendel Insurance coach Monday Odigie has emerged as the clear favourite to win the League Bloggers Coach of The Month Award for January in the already five-week-old 2022/23 Nigeria Professional Football League.
Odigie is contending with Lobi Stars Mohammed Baba-Ganaru, Stanley Eguma of Rivers United as well as Daniel Ogunmodede of Remo Stars for the award.
From their respective numbers in the month under review, Odigie stands above the rest with four wins in four games. Baba-Ganaru, Eguma and Ogunmodede all secured three wins in four matches for their respective teams.
Also, Odigie’s Bendel Insurance have met Remo this season with the Benin Arsenal reigning supreme with a 3-0 win in Benin City.
In the Player of The month category, current league top scorer and Bendel Insurance forward Osarenkhoe Imade also leads the pack with his impressive four goals in four games in the month under review.
Imade scored his first goal on the opening day against Akwa United in Uyo, before following it up with further strikes against Plateau United, Kwara United and Remo.
Other players in the running for the award include Imade’s strike partner, Ismael Sarki, who scored three goals in January; Insurance goalkeeper, Amas Obasogie, who kept three clean sheets.
Lobi Stars duo Joseph Atule and Kumaga Suur and Onyebuchi Ifeanyi of Plateau United are also on the nomination list.
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