Sports
Anambra, Cities Honour Late Onyeanwuna
The Anambra State Gov
ernment has unfolded a month long funeral arrangements towards a befitting state burial for its illustrious son and football legend, the late Albert Onyeawuna, 78 who died in Lagos recently following a brief illness.
Toward this end the state government has constituted a 30-man committee comprising of top football personalities across the country.
The committee which is being chaired by the Honourable Commissioner for Youth and Sports Anambra State, Ogbuefi Tony Nnachetta, an erstwhile vice chairman of the Nigerian Football Association also has ex-Green Eagles Captain, Chief Segun Odegbami, Ms Medline Tador and Barrister Nwabufo Obienu as first, second and third Vice Chairpersons respectively. Chief Mike Umeh, Gabriel Chukwuma of Gabros F.C, Chief Poly Emenike, and Rommy Ezeonwuka of Rojenny, Mr Felix Anyansi of Enyimba F.C were also named as members of the Committee. Chief J.B Ogufere, Chief Austin Akosa, Alhaji Yusuf Ali and Chief Chukwuma Igweonwu (a team mate of Onyeanwuna’s) are advisors to the committee.
According to the detailed burial plans made available by Nnachetta, burial activities for the football legendwere scheduled between August 27 to September 21, 2014 and is expected to span across four Nigerian cities, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Awka and Abatete, hometown of the late footballer in Anambra state.
Ogbuefi Nnachetta, speaking on behalf of the State Government, the Committee Chairman expressed optimism that the events would be hitch- free.
He pointed out that the State Government was committed to the task of ensuring a befitting state funeral for the fallen football hero with a view to immortalizimg him in recognition of his contributions to the growth and development of the round leather game in Nigeria.
The burial activities for the football legend commenced with a novelty football match on 7th September between Lagos All Stars and Lagos SWAN at the Eagle Club, Surulere, Lagos . Port-Harcourt football Coaches Association and Port-Harcourt Ex Professionals will march to the pitch of Sharks Stadium, Port-Harcourttomorrow play for the fallen legand. Onyeawuna will finally be laid to rest after a funeral service at St. Dominic’s Catholic Church, Agbaja, Abatete on September 19th.
Onyeanwuna was one of the biggest players of his era. A master dribbler who debuted for the Red Devils as the Nigerian senior football team was then known on October 30, 1955 and was part of the Eastern region Spartans football club that won the National Golden Cup for keeps from 1960 before it was abolished.
Sports
Chess Championship: Dan-Jumbo Emerges Best Female Player
The third edition of Naphtail Chess Open Championship which ended on Wednesday in Port Harcourt saw Rivers State born Queen Dan-Jumbo emerged best female player in the tournament following her impressive performance.
It was clash of the Titans as top Chess players in Nigeria gathered to chase honours.
The three days competition was held at Vee Hotel, Trans Amadi ,in Port Harcourt and over 80 players in Nigeria registered for the tournament this championship was recognised by International Chess Federation (FIDE).
Speaking with Tidesports in an exclusive interview on Saturday, Dan-Jumbo said her dream was to become Grand Master in Chess worldwide.
According to her, she started playing Chess at the age of 15 but went into it professionally in 2009 as she represented Rivers State in National Sports Festival (NSF) in Kaduna, the same year.
“I started playing Chess in the early 2000s. I picked the interest through my my elder brother as him and his friends always play Chess in our compound so I began to learn it.
” In 2009 I went to National Sports festival in Kaduna represented Rivers State and I won a silver medal on my board.
“In 2011 and 2012 NSFs I won two Gold medals each hosted by Rivers and Lagos States respectively. While in Edo NSF I won bronze medal” Dan-Jumbo said.
The Asari-Toru, in Rivers State born Chess player use the forum to advice upcoming Chess players to be focus, saying losing a game is part of every competition but the most important thing was that you don’t lose hope.
“My advice for upcoming chess players was that don’t lose focus. Even when you lose, find a way to adjust and get back out”, she added.
Tonye Orabere
Sports
Siasia Blames NFF Over FIFA Ban
Former Super Eagles Coach, Samson Siasia says the Nigeria Football Federation supported FIFA to have him banned for alleged involvement in match-fixing in August 2019.
In a recent interview with Athlist, the 56-year-old, whose ban ends in a few months, said the NFF not only refused to support him but also carried out FIFA’s instruction not to let him know he was under investigation by the world football body.
“Nigeria abandoned me at that time of need; that’s my own take on how this thing played out,” the former Eagles striker and member of the 1994 AFCON-winning squad, said.
“It’s an allegation; they said bribery. What is bribery? Is it not when money changes hands? Was there any proof of that? There were none.
“I spoke with someone who was trying to hire me as a coach in Australia. I didn’t know the guy was a match-fixer, but FIFA knew this guy. Why would they allow him to be around any FIFA tournament?
“So, when they found out through emails, our correspondence about how this guy would take me to Australia, I played in Australia, so I felt it would be nice to go back there.
“We talked about how much salaries, transfers, bonuses, and sign-on fees were, and that was all.
“When FIFA was looking for me, I didn’t even know. I am not affiliated with FIFA; their affiliation is with the NFF. So, they went to the NFF and told them not to let me know that they were investigating me. But if they didn’t tell me, how was I supposed to defend my self Siasia added, “Then they sent me a letter, but it went to my spam. It was two days before the ban that I found out that FIFA was looking for me.
Siasia added, “Then they sent me a letter, but it went to my spam. It was two days before the ban that I found out that FIFA was looking for me.
“Then we started to see how we could communicate with them to see how I could have a hearing. But they said the time had elapsed and I should go to the CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport).
Sports
WADA Plans Review Of Failed Tests
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) will launch an independent review after 23 Chinese swimmers were cleared to compete at the Tokyo Olympics despite testing positive for a banned substance.
WADA has said it was not in a position to disprove an assertion from the China Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) that contamination was the source of the heart medication trimetazidine (TMZ) for which the swimmers tested positive.
Findings of the independent investigation, led by Swiss prosecutor Eric Cottier, are expected to be delivered within two months.
“WADA’s integrity and reputation is under attack,” said Wada president Witold Banka.
“WADA has been unfairly accused of bias in favour of China by not appealing the CHINADA case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
“We continue to reject the false accusations and we are pleased to be able to put these questions into the hands of an experienced, respected and independent prosecutor.”
United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) Chief Executive Travis Tygart said WADA and CHINADA had swept these positives under the carpet, claims WADA described as completely false and defamatory while adding that it had referred the comments to its lawyers.
Aquatics GB said it was extremely concerned by the allegations, which it said threatened “potential loss of trust and reputational damage to sport”.
WADA was notified of CHINADA’s decision in June 2021, ahead of the delayed Games, and said it had no evidence to challenge China’s findings and that external counsel had advised against appealing.
In addition to the independent investigation, WADA said it will send a compliance audit team to assess the state of China’s anti-doping programme and invite independent auditors “from the broader anti-doping community” to join the trip.
WADA director general Olivier Niggli said: “While not one shred of evidence has been presented to support any of the allegations made against WADA, we wish to deal with the matter as quickly and as comprehensively as possible so that the matter is appropriately handled in advance of the upcoming Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
Details of the positive tests were revealed by the New York Times, which shared reporting with German broadcaster ARD.
China won six swimming medals at the Tokyo Olympics, including three golds.
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