Sports
Judo Federation To Organise Open Trial In January – President
The President of Judo Federation of Nigeria (JFN), Musa Oshodi, on Monday, said part of the activities lined up for the first quarter of 2022 would be an open trial, slated for January.
Mr Oshodi made the revelation in a statement that contains his new year message to the sports fraternity and the federation’s plan for the year, which is to take it to an enviable height.
“I am delighted to address the entire Nigeria Judo family as we roll from the year 2021 into a prosperous new year, 2022.
“I appreciate the Almighty for giving us the opportunity to witness the new year, the unflinching resolute to ensure our long-awaited desire “Judo for Judokas and the family,” led by a member, is worthy of commendation.
“By this achievement, we have established in our country a culture that is in tandem with global best practices.
“Your understanding and support since the beginning of the tenure is also commended and will not be taken for granted,” he said.
Mr Oshodi added that his administration was ready to reposition the federation.
“I would like to say for the umpteenth time that I will give my best to reposition and rebrand Nigerian Judo so that together we will take our dear sport, Judo, to the desired level, which is Olympic height.
“In our just three months in office, a lot of ground has been covered, and this couldn’t have been possible if not for the collaboration of the other board members who are equally determined to break all the obstacles of progress.
“All other stakeholders who have been supporting all this while are equally commended.
“While I wish you a prosperous new year, I will like to give you a hint of what the year 2022 has in store for all of us. It will be a year of challenges, no doubt on the part of every member,” he said.
“Our major challenge is funding. Nevertheless, I am assuring you that with the structure in place and from the feelers I have been getting, this shall soon become a thing of the past. Oshodi added.
“We will ensure that the calendar of the year activities released recently will not just end on paper but a document that will be adhered to strictly as a tool of action.
“As part of efforts to establish a formidable National team, the trials coming up in the last week of January should be taken as a missionary act.
“Our Annual registration through the secretariat will commence from January 1 and end on the 15th of the month. It’s mandatory as a major tool for database building.
“This exercise will involve all major stakeholders; athletes, coaches, referees, and Judo administrators, board members, state and club chairmen. We are all enjoined to approach the secretariat for details,” he said.
Mr Oshodi also disclosed that the road to the Commonwealth Games had started, adding that all hands must be on deck to ensure good outings.
“I am convinced that if we work together as a united family that does not allow cracks, lizards will not find a place in our wall.
“We will overcome all our challenges and make our sport, Judo, an enviable art.
“The task and collaborative gesture equally involve our members in the diaspora, and to ensure and sustain the spirit, a committee on Nigeria Judo in the diaspora will be set up along with other committees this month.
“The board under my watch will encourage constructive criticism as this is the only way we can get to the promised land,” he said.
The JFN President also added “We should allow the spirit of reconciliation and forgiveness to drive our daily acts.
“I will like to enjoin all that have misunderstandings, particularly those with litigation or planning to have one, to allow the federation to resolve it internally as a family.
the irreplaceable loss,” Oshodi concluded.
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.