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Women’s Sports Under Threat- Lord Coe

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Lord Coe has issued a warning over the future of women’s sport, if sporting organisations get regulations for transgender athletes wrong.
At the weekend, American swimmer, Lia Thomas, became the first known transgender athlete to win the highest US national college title with victory in the women’s 500-yard freestyle.
“I think that the integrity of women’s sport if we don’t get this right, and actually the future of women’s sport, is very fragile,” World Athletics president Coe said.
American Thomas swam for the Pennsylvania men’s team for three seasons before starting hormone replacement therapy in spring 2019.
She has since shattered records for her university swimming team.
USA Swimming updated its policy for elite swimmers in February to allow transgender athletes to swim in elite events, alongside criteria that aim to reduce any unfair advantage, including testosterone tests for 36 months before competitions.
“There is no question to me that testosterone is the key determinant in performance,” Coe told the media
“Look at the nature of 12 or 13-year-old girls. I remember my daughters would regularly outrun male counterparts in their class but as soon as puberty kicks in that gap opens and it remains. Gender cannot trump biology.
“You can’t be oblivious to public sentiment, of course not. But science is important. If I wasn’t satisfied with the science that we have and the experts that we have used and the in-house teams that have been working on this for a long time, if I wasn’t comfortable about that, this would be a very different landscape.”
World Athletics rules state a transgender athlete must have low testosterone levels continuously for a period of at least 12 months to be allowed to compete.
On Monday Hungary’s Reka Gyorgy accused the National Collegiate Athletic Association of denying her a “spot in the final” of its swimming championships by allowing Thomas to compete.
Gyorgy missed out on a place in the consolation final by one spot.
“It hurts me,” Gyorgy reportedly said in a letter sent to the NCAA.
“This is my last college meet ever and I feel frustrated.
“It feels like that final spot was taken away from me because of the NCAA’s decision to let someone who is not a biological female compete.”
Gyorgy, 25, competed at the Olympic Games for Hungary in 2016 and has been part of the Virginia Tech swimming team for five years.
She finished 17th in the preliminary races for the 500-yard freestyle, one place away from qualifying for the B final.
Gyorgy acknowledged that Thomas is “doing what she is passionate about and deserves that right” but said she “would like to critique the NCAA rules that allow her to compete against us”.
“I’m writing this letter right now in hopes that the NCAA will open their eyes and change these rules in the future,” Gyorgy said.
“It doesn’t promote our sport in a good way and I think it is disrespectful against the biologically female swimmers who are competing in the NCAA.”

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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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