Sports
FG Tasks Private Sector On Grassroots Sports Dev
The Federal Government has called on the private and corporate organisations to join hands with the present administration and support its efforts towards the development of grassroots sports in the country.
The Honourable Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh made the call in Lagos, during a monthly cycling race organised by the Pitstop Lagos Criterium.
He stated that his presence at the event was imperative, especially as the exercise organised by the Pitstop community aims to promote grassroots cycling , athleticism and Adopt a Youth initiative which he said, seeks to shape responsible, dedicated, and exemplary youth through academic sponsorship, cycling, employment and mentorship by senior members of the cycling community.
He noted that his presence at the event demonstrated further that government appreciates the critical role the private sector plays in the development of the sports industry, particularly at the grassroots level down to the elite and that the corporate bodies should be encouraged by this.
Senator Owan Enoh stated further that it has been very revealing what is going on in our various sports communities, all targeted at growing grassroot sports and encouraging private sector involvement
He explained that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for Sports Development in the country pays apt attention to the various sports and their Federations for proper development from the grassroot through to advanced levels.
This, he said, was one of the reasons the President out of his wisdom created a Ministry of Sports Development and appointed him to saddle its affairs.
The Federal Ministry of Sports Development as it is today, the Minister explained further is open to private sector collaboration so as to ensure proper development of the sector with a view to providing job opportunities for our teeming youth, alleviate poverty amongst them and ensure a smooth, safe and peaceful society for all Nigerians in line with the policy thrust of the present administration.
The Minister who commended the sponsors of the event, used the opportunity to call on Sports loving Nigerians, corporate organisations and philanthropists to come out enmass and support the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Administration towards the realisation of this policy objective.
Let me start by commending the sponsors of this event. I also want to seize this opportunity to encourage more Corporate Organizations , the private sector to do more. Having me come here sends a signal on the Ministry’s openness to collaborate with corporate organisations to develop grassroot sports and encourage greater private sector participation, he stressed
Speaking earlier, a senior Pitstop Mentor, Mr Adebisi Adebutu, stated that the consistency of the event for the past four years has attracted major corporate sponsors such as Access Bank, Craneburg Construction and Ìlúbìrìn Lagos Island.
He informed that the support has also spiked interest in cycling such that it has become the fastest growing sport in the country, attracting a wide demography from across professional and recreational cyclists.
Mr Adebisi explained that Cycling has developed this deep ecosystem that provides hope and opportunity to the young people involved in the sport, stating that the cycling community has promoted the ‘adopt an athlete’ initiative of the Federal Ministry of Sports Development that has seen so many athletes being supported by recreational riders.
Fifty participants featured at the monthly Pitstop Lagos Criterium with three teams involved. Team Access, Craneburg and Team Ilubirin .
The competitors did 23 laps on the Dolphin loop, which saw Isaac Gana emerged 1st position and winner of the grand prize of one million naira while Team Access won the best team.
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.