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IAAF, CAA Delegation Inspects Athletics Training Centre

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A delegation from the Inter
national Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) is expected for an initial inspection of the proposed High Altitude Athletics Training Centre in Jos.
A statement by Nneka Anibeze, Special Assistant to the Minister of Youth and Sports this week said that the centre when completed, would serve athletes from West Africa.
The statement explained that the inspection of the centre was for further recommendations and provision of facilities.
“Similar training centres are already located in South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, Dakar and Zambia.
“An agreement had already been signed by Nigeria’s Minister for Youth and Sports Solomon Dalung, Hamad Kalkaba, the CAA President and Solomon Ogba, the President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria.
“On the occasion, Kalkaba stressed the need for Africans to develop their own athletes by setting up structures and facilities that will enhance and develop athletes on their own continent.
“We have already set up a High Performance Training Centre in the University of Port Harcourt.
“We intend to set up another one in Jos for the middle and long distance runners because we have seen that we need to prepare our athletes in Africa,’’ the statement quoted Kalkaba.
The statement further quoted Kalkaba as saying that the need for the centres was to prevent defection of African athletes overseas.
“When you send them to UK, in few months they change nationality and easily become British citizens. But overseas, their coaches don’t support our athletes because they want their own to win.
“So, this is why we need to set up our own facility for long and middle distance runners in Africa to develop our own athletes.’’
The statement added that while responding, Dalung commended the CAA president for his passion in promoting African sports and enhancing the prospects of African youths.
“Sport is one of the strongest weapons of promoting development in Africa. The only thing that can provide gainful employment for youths and engage them is sports.
“With the support of the government, I have discussed with officials in South Africa that there is a need for us to strengthen the Council of Ministers meeting.
“If we must also domesticate our own talents and skills for the benefit of young Africans, then we must invest in the provision of modern sporting facilities in Africa.
“This will take us to the development of a functional high performance system with all the necessary equipment for the training, camping and development of African athletes,’’ it said.
According to the statement: “It is the absence of facilities that makes African athletes travel for training outside Africa and end up becoming citizens of countries where they are camped and trained.
“Without a high performance system, African sports will depend on talents and determination, saying that sports in the world has moved from talents and determination to science.
“So, if Africa must make its impact within global sports, it must build a capacity to be able to favourably challenge and compete.
“We are not lacking in talents and determination, but we are lacking in the institutional framework to harness these particular potential for our comparative advantage.
“This is where the idea of building certain infrastructure is contemplated.

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Gyokeres Situation, Transfer Under Cloud At Sporting

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Sporting have not received an offer for striker Viktor Gyokeres and there is no gentleman’s agreement for him to leave for £59million, says club president Frederico Varandas.
Sweden international Gyokeres, 27, has been heavily linked with Manchester United and Arsenal after scoring 97 goals in 102 matches during two seasons in Portugal.
He has a 100m euro (£85m) release clause in his contract.
It has been widely reported that, after staying at Sporting last summer, Gyokeres and Sporting agreed he could leave for 70m euros (£59m) this summer.
However, Varandas said the club’s only promise to Gyokeres was that they would not demand his full release clause.
“I can guarantee that Viktor Gyokeres will not leave for 60m euros plus 10m euros because I never promised that,” Varandas said.
“To this day Sporting has not had an offer for Gyokeres, neither today nor last season.”
Gyokeres spent three seasons with Coventry City in the Championship before joining Sporting under Ruben Amorim.
Manchester City director of football Hugo Viana was sporting director at Sporting last summer, when Gyokeres’ agent sought assurances about his leaving if a suitable offer arrived.
“One of the agent’s biggest concerns was whether we would demand the termination clause,” said Varandas.
“He wanted to guarantee certain things. And what was agreed? That Sporting would not demand a release clause now.
“For one reason: he was going to be 27 years old and no player leaves Portugal at 27 for 100m eurors or 90m euros.
“In that same meeting the agent wanted to anchor the exit to a value. I said this sentence: ‘It’s not worth us setting a value because I don’t know what will happen in a year’s time. I don’t know if it will be 40m euros, 60m euros or 80m euros. What I can guarantee is that I will not demand 100 million euros.’”

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Concacaf Opposes 64-Team W’Cup Plans

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Concacaf President Victor Montagliani has criticised a proposal to expand the 2030 men’s World Cup to 64 teams.
The plans, put forward by South American governing body Conmebol, have also drawn opposition from Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
The tournament will be hosted by Spain, Morocco and Portugal, after the opening matches are held in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
The 2026 World Cup, which will take place across the United States, Mexico and Canada, has already been expanded from 32 to 48 teams.
But Conmebol said it wanted to add more participants to mark the competition’s 100-year anniversary.
“I don’t believe expanding the men’s World Cup to 64 teams is the right move for the tournament itself and the broader football ecosystem, from national teams to club competitions, leagues, and players,” Montagliani told Tidesports source
“We haven’t even kicked off the new 48-team World Cup yet, so personally, I don’t think that expanding to 64 teams should even be on the table.”
Concacaf is the governing body of football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean.
The decision to expand the 2026 World Cup to 48 teams was taken in 2017 following a unanimous vote at a Fifa congress.
Fifa’s 75th congress will be held in Paraguay on 15 May, when Conmebol’s proposal could be discussed.
If the proposal is accepted, the 2030 edition would consist of 128 matches, double the number played under the 64-game format used from 1998 and 2022.
In March, Ceferin described the proposal as a “bad idea” while AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa said it would cause “chaos”.
“If the issue remains open to change, then the door will not only be open to expanding the tournament to 64 teams,” said Salman.
“But someone might come along and demand raising the number to 132 teams. Where would we end up then? It would become chaos.”

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Brazil Edge Paraguay, Book W’Cup Spot

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Brazil qualified for the 2026 World Cup this week with a 1-0 win against Paraguay in South American qualifying to give Carlo Ancelotti his first win as manager.
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jnr scored from close range in the second half, finishing after fine work from Manchester United-bound playmaker Matheus Cunha.
The victory, Ancelotti’s first after a 0-0 draw against Ecuador on his debut last week, means Brazil has now qualified for every edition of the World Cup.
“We needed to win and qualify for the World Cup,” said Vinicius Jr.
“Now the coach will have more time to work. Of course today wasn’t one of our best performances, but the important thing is always to win.
“Now it’s time to celebrate qualifying.”
Elsewhere, World Cup holders Argentina played out an entertaining 1-1 draw with Colombia in Buenos Aires.
Liverpool winger Luis Diaz opened the scoring with a fine individual goal, dancing through three defenders before finishing past Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
Argentina was reduced to 10 men with 20 minutes remaining when Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez was sent off for a high-boot challenge on Colombia’s Kevin Castano.
But Lionel Messi’s side found an equaliser nine minutes from the end through Lyon’s Thiago Almada, leaving Colombia four points clear of seventh-placed Venezuela.
Ecuador, Argentina’s nearest challengers, booked their spot at next summer’s tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States after a 0-0 draw away at Peru.

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