CMSPORTS

British Apparel Company BLK Sport has signed an exclusive long-term kit sponsorship and partnership deal with The Nigeria Rugby Football Federation (NRFF) aligning with the Company’s global strategy. As part of the partnership, BLK Sport will produce Match Jerseys, Shorts, Socks, and replica Jerseys among other items for The Nigeria Rugby Football Federation. Speaking at the unveiling of the Jerseys in London, the Sale and Marketing Manager for BLK, Charles Littlefair disclosed “we are really excited to be partnering with the NRFF. Our support for them will complement their efforts to see to the growth of Rugby in Nigeria. The Nigerian Rugby Football Federation President, Kelechukwu Mbagwu also stated that the BLK partnership is an indication of the bright prospect of Rugby Sponsorship within the country. “It shows the potential of the game in Nigeria and our commitment to work with a progressive and far seeing organisations to the betterment of our players and stakeholde...

Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has presented a brand new 18-seater executive bus to the state’s chapter of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) in fulfillment of his campaign promises. Oluwatoyin Gafar, Director-General, Lagos State Sports Commission with Debo Oshundun, Chairman, SWAN Lagos chapter. The Governor had during his governorship campaign in 2019 promised Lagos SWAN a brand new 18-seater capacity bus. The Director-General, Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC), Oluwatoyin Gafar, made the presentation on behalf of the governor to the Lagos SWAN Chairman, Debo Oshundun on Tuesday in Lagos. “The gift is in fulfillment of the campaign promises in the area of sports development in Lagos state and Gov. Sanwo-Olu has delivered. He has said that every promise made will be fulfilled. “The bus is a reward for hardwork by the Lagos SWAN members. They truly worked to earn it and this is the recognition of their work. “The state government is desirous of human...

In fulfilment of the promise made a year ago that the nation’s sporting facilities would be revived, the Youth and Sports Development Minister, Mr. Sunday Dare on Wednesday flagged off and handed over the pitch of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium to the Dangote Group, for the commencement of rehabilitation by Messrs, Aron Nigeria Ltd. The rehabilitation will be done with 24 weeks. Speaking at the handing over ceremony, Mr Dare asserted that the promise made on assumption of Office a year ago that the pitch and indeed other facilities will be revived, in line with the Ministry’s policy of Adopt Campaign.  ‘’ I promised that this pitch and indeed other facilities will be revived and put to best use by athletes… in line with that mandate, we sought the support of many philantropists and sold them our vision of bringing back the glory days when our national stadia were filled to capacity on football game days which were the melting pot of various cultures and people of ...

Ahead of the 2020/2021 Season of the Nigeria National League and in a renewed effort to ensure that lives of players and officials are adequately protected, the NNL has reeled out strong medical  dictates to safeguard the fitness of the dramatis personnels on and off the pitch of play. According to NNL Chief Operating Officer Mr. Emmanuel Adesanya, this has become imperative considering  recent incidences of death recorded on the field of play and prevailing Covid-19 global pandemic. "The  Medical conditions are very clear on the rule books governing Association Football, it is a crusade that will ensure adequate medical facilities are provided at all times by Clubs in our League" he said. Mr. Adesanya reiterated the provisions of the NNL rule book on the need for every club to have medical professionals which should comprise: Medical Doctor, Nurse, Physiotherapist and a masseur for their matches. Clubs are to carry out medical examination on all contra...

Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN) has lifted restrictions on training and allowed its players go back to the court in line with the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development proclamation on ease of restrictions of training for non-contact sports. According to a statement signed by the BFN President, the Federation has fashioned out protocols and modalities for the resumption of training and has made plans to ensure compliance to these important protocols. The Federation, in the same vain, has issued protocols for when competitions resume. The statement reads: “The Board, prompted by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and the Ministry of  Youth and Sports Development proclamation on ease of restrictions of training for non-contact sports of which badminton is one, has fashioned out protocols and modalities for the resumption of training and has made plans to ensure compliance to these all important protocols. The Federat...

Written by Akin Bolarinwa  The honourable Minister of youth and sports, Sunday Dare has been listed as one of best performer in the final year of President Muhammadu Buhari's second term. Sunday Dare, Minister of Youth and Sports In an interim scorecard released by Transparency Watch, the ministry of youth and sports was voted as one of the most dominant and productive ministry in the country. The report by transparency watch clearly stated that the minister was graded based on organizational strength, the performance of the agencies under his purview, the impact on the lives of the people as well as transparency and accountability. According to the report, the minister's score is due to the ministry's effective organization of the various interventions programs of President Buhari'-led administration Under the watch of Sunday Dare, the ministry's implementation of youth-oriented programmes across the country, especially at the grassroots level...

On Sunday this week, the world football governing body FIFA, ordered the cancelation of the Ivorian football federation (FIF) emergency general assembly following their decision to vote on replacing the electoral commission handling the Ivorian FA elections. FIF, that is the Ivorian FA was trying to freeze out former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba from the election perhaps to favour the Vice president and president of the league body, Sory Diabate who is also running for the plum job alongside former third FA vice president Idriss Diallo In what looked like a carefully planned coup by FIF, that has full resemblance to what happened in Anambra state where the NFF bluntly put aside the election conducted by the electoral committee only to go ahead and set up a caretaker committee with a fresh mandate to run football in the state for another three months before putting in place modalities for fresh election, FIFA in it's wisdom described the action of the Ivorian FA as unconsti...

The Football Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation has endorsed the final table of the Nigeria Professional Football League for the 2019/2020 season as prepared and released by the League Management Company. At its virtual meeting, held at the instance of the President of NFF, Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick, to deliberate on all the issues arising from the forced ending to the season by the COVID-19, the agreement reached by all stakeholders to use the Points-Per-Game (PPG) to determine the final table and the subsequent petition by Rivers United FC, the Committee unanimously recommended that the NFF Executive Committee endorse the LMC decision and the Final Table for the 2019/2020 season in line with the NFF Statutes. It also charged the LMC to work out its calendar to ensure that very minimal number of matches are postponed for Clubs taking part in continental competitions. As part of its consultations on the matter, the NFF reached out to both continental-governing body, CA...

Written by Adewale Ajayi With a meagre budget of 2.7billion Naira a year for capital projects, Sports minister Sunday Dare, listed among Buhari's best. Sunday Dare, Minister for Youth and Sports Development Nigeria minister of youth and sports development Sunday Dare has emerged as the third best minister after just one year in office. Appointed sports minister in August 2019, Dare has defied the odds to excel where his predecessors failed by shunning out brilliant initiatives and maintaining a steady profile during the last twelve months as Nigeria minister of Youth and Sports development. The Oyo state born politician arrived the scene with little knowledge of sports but has managed to keep his head above water with some outstanding performances that have left stakeholders shocked at his brilliant foresight and immense achievements in just a short time in office. Sunday Dare at inspection of Samuel Ogbemudia stadium, Edo state In an interim scorecard releas...

Nigeria's minister of humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development, Sadiya Farouq, has been ranked best-performing minister in the first year of President Muhammadu Buhari's second term. President Buhari with Sunday Dare . In an interim scorecard released by Transparency Watch, the minister's counterparts in the ministries of transportation and youths, sports and development, Rotimi Amaechi and Sunday Dare came second and third respectively. The report signed by the organisation's president, Maxwell Gowon, on Sunday, August 23, said the ministers were graded based on organizational strength, the performance of the agencies under the purview, the impact on the lives of the people as well as transparency and accountability. In the assessment of organizational strength, of all the ministries reviewed, the report said Farouq scored first with a score of nine out of 10 points. The minister scored nine out of 10 on organisational strength. Acco...

Sets up two Committees for Club Licensing Regulation Kwara United have set up protocols to work out adequate compliance with the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) Club Licensing regulations for the 2020/21 season. Kumbi Titiloye, Chairman, Kwara United The Ilorin based club also seem to be working to exorcise their indifferent form of last season that saw them struggle all through and only retained their place in the NPFL as a result of the abrupt ending of the season. Club Chairman, Kumbi Titiloye told www.npfl.ng that the management he leads have been striving to navigate through the challenges of the novel COVID 19 Pandemic with a view to make a solid start to the season. According to Titiloye, the club would have been more active in the pre-season rituals and noted that as it is not peculiar to Kwara United, they have been weathering it out. Significantly, Kwara United ranks among clubs that have made solid plans to scale club licensing certification. ...

In a frantic effort to return Plateau State to the haven of talented male and female footballers in Nigeria, the Plateau State Football Association has inaugurated committees for the return of both State league and female  league. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony done under the strict adherence to covid 19 preventive measures at the PFA Secretariat, Sunday Samson Longbap said the importance of these leagues can't be overemphasized considering the gradual phasing out of players from Plateau State in both the national teams and big clubs abroad. According to him: "The only player we have at the national team now from Jos is Ahmed Musa. We are not happy because players from Plateau used to dominate the under age teams and the senior national team. There was a time we were having almost seven players from Plateau State in the Super Eagles." Inaugurating the committee members that include the Female League, State League and the Marketing committees, NFF executive...

To Inuagurate Committee Members  The Kwara State Football Association has concluded arrangements to officially launch the newly constructed Aiteo Football house in Ilorin, Kwara state on Aug. 27th, 2020. Chairman of the association, Malam Idris Musa Abdullahi in a statement made available by his spokesperson, Bolaji Lawal, who confirmed preparations are in advance stage for the official commissioning which  will hold at the new Soccer house located inside the state stadium. The edifice  will mark the first time that the FA will be having a permanent home. He added that the commissioning is expected to be led by the executive governor of the state, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq,  President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, Chief Executive Officer of Aiteo Group, Benedict Peters and host of other dignitaries. The new facility named after the pioneer chairman, Alh. Usman Mustapha, is to serve as the official secretariat off...

An NPFL super administrator, Mallam Bashir Badawiy, has denied having any business link with a Kaduna based NNL club. Report by By Akin Bolarinwa                  Bashir Badawiy The respected football administrator debunked the false claim linking him as a partner in the mortgage contract of a struggling NNL club. "I don't do illegitimate football business, I am a former footballer and a very experience football administrator. I am awe struck hearing unfounded stories about my goodself in media space." Apexmedia was unable to find any reference linking Badwiry to the allegation as at the time of this report. Mallam Badawiy, who has guided few clubs in the NPFL as a team coordinator and now as a team manager, posited that the business of running a club should not be left in the hands of none initiates. "I will not allow this mischief maker get to me, I am too legit for him: I repeat, I have no business with any local club from ...

In line with the recently approved established protocol for Sporting activities by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 in Nigeria where Non -Contact sports were sanctioned to resume across the Country, Lagos State as the Sporting hub in the Country has swung into action immediately after the pronouncement through Lagos State Sports Commission. Sporting activities for Racket Sports such as Badminton, Table Tennis, Tennis as well as Track and Field event have commenced at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere and the Rowe Park Sports Center, Yaba strictly in line with COVID-19 protocol for sporting activities. As a responsible Government and in order to make sure that the protocol for Sporting activities are not violated, the Management of the Lagos State Sports Commission immediately swung into action by setting up an Implementation and Monitoring Committee after the pronouncement by the Federal Authority in charge of Sports in Nigeria, the Federal Minister of Youth and Sport...

The state of Nigerian sports in the last one year could be described as commendable, heartwarming, thriving and developing. The nation's sports sector has received so much attention under the minister of sports, Sunday Dare who is set to do much more in coming years. Nigerian sports was in disarray with scandals and allegations of corruption before Sunday Dare took over as minister with some sports blacklisted by the International Federations. The sports sector had no clear path to the development and lacked maintenance of facilities and paucity of funds contributed to the fall of the sports sector despite it's huge potentials Sunday Dare was still in the telecommunications sector when the sports industry became the stomping ground for bad publicity and negativity owing to ineptitude on the part of some sports administrators. Most of the sports Federations were in distress due lack of sponsorship with the exception of sports like, Wrestling Handball, Athletics, Foo...

Sanity finally prevails as NFF set to appoints Haruna Ilerika, Paul Aigbogun to stable the ship Fresh from the lips of a top source in the glasshouse, the decision every Nigerian has been waiting for is finally here. Paul Aigbogun The moment of reckoning seem close as the Nigeria football federation look set to take one decision that will gladden the hearts of millions of football fans who are eagerly looking forward to the confirmation of two key appointments that could reposition Nigeria football going forward. In Haruna Ilerika, they have found a vibrant young coach to pilot the affairs of the Golden Eaglets while Paul Aigbogun comes in with a bag full of experience and guts to return the flying eagles to where they truly belong.

Three months ago, the Nigeria football federation toyed with the idea of appointing Daniel Amokachi as NFF Director of technical but later dropped the appointment at the last minute perhaps to slight the honourable minister of youth and sports, Sunday Dare, who many felt was the brain behind his nomination. Infact, NFF president Amaju Pinnick went on National TV to deny the news claiming that they had full confidence in Bitrus Bewarang, a man whose tenure as director technical had already expired but was allowed to continue for obvious reasons. Just on Thursday, president Mohammadu Buhari shocked Nigerians when he confirmed Amokachi as his new special assistant on sports, a position that that reaffirms the aged long proverbial adage "REJECTED STONE, THE CORNER STONE". Daniel Amokachi flanked by former team mates Mutiu Adepoju and Ike Shorunmu and Kola Daniel, Senior Assistance to the Sports minister. By this appointment, Amokachi has moved miles above his conte...

Ekiti State Sports Council have commenced a three-day training of Sports Officers from the 16 Local Government Areas in the State in the game of badminton as part of efforts at boosting the game in the State.. Chairman of the State Sports Council, organisers of the training program, Dr Isaac Ayodele who declared the coaching clinic open on Wednesday in Ado-Ekiti said the trainees are expected to use what gathered at the clinic to train upcoming Badminton players in their respective Local Government Areas, towns and schools. "Sports Officers would later be trained in the rudiments of other sports like Athletics, Basketball and Tennis, with a view to transferring the knowledge to younger athletes across their local council areas" "The sponsorship of the training is at no cost to the State Government as it was funded through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in line with the administrative style of Governor Fayemi," he said. Ayodele reiterated the resolv...

When the technical committee of the Nigeria football federation met on Monday this week, the bone of contention was always going to be, who gets the Under 17 National team job between two competent competitors seperated by tribe, religion, achievements and connections. Finidi George (L), Haruna Ilerika (R) Finidi George gave Manu Garba a run for his money two years ago but succumbed to the superior influence of the power brokers who stamped their feet on the ground and insisted that Manu Garba, a coach that failed to qualify Nigeria to the under 17 World Cup in 2017 and a coach that relegated Gombe United to the NNL a year later, becomes the Golden Eaglets head coach for the umpteenth time. Finidi who has a UEFA 'A' license and was also a member of the Nations cup winning team at Tunisia 94 and key member of the Super Eagles team that mesmerized the world at USA 94, is back again to test his luck against another favoured man in Haruna Ilerika who has worked so hard to ...

US based Nigerian tactician, Micheal Nsien has emerged as one of the favourites to coach the Under 20 National team of Nigeria but the FC Tulsa chief coach is not desperate to be head coach of either the Flying Eagles or Golden Eaglets, rather he is willing to accept whatever comes his way. Michael Nsien, FC Tulsa coach Nsien stands head and shoulder above his contemporaries in the race for the plum job because of his rich curriculum vitae which places him as one of Nigeria's best coaches having acquired the UEFA Licence A, B and C among other qualifications in the last ten years. Ready also:  Nigeria need to adopt symmetry approach across the national teams- coach Michael Nsien https://cmsportz.blogspot.com/2020/08/nigeria-need-to-adopt-symmetry-approach.html?m=1 As head coach of FC Tulsa, Nsien has continued to learn the ropes in the second division of Major League Soccer and wants a National appointment to further boost his reputation as one of the emerging coaches ...

FIFA is joining forces with the African Union, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to jointly address the issue of domestic violence by launching the #SafeHome campaign across the African continent. The initiative is designed to support women and children victims of domestic violence, particularly as stay-at-home measures in response to COVID-19 have put them at greater risk. A number of African football stars are supporting the campaign via video awareness messages distributed on social and traditional media. The African Union-FIFA-CAF memorandum of understanding, which was concluded in February 2019, covers joint campaigns on topics of mutual interest and the promotion of gender equality, a key principle. Other areas of collaboration include education through football, sports integrity and safety and security at football matches. “I am glad that today we can launch this campaign on the important topic of domestic violen...

Former Nigerian youth International Michael Nsien has highlighted the need for Nigeria to adopt a uniform pattern across the National teams for smooth transition of players and to achieve a visible success. Speaking to journalists on NSM from his base in the USA, Coach Nsien who is the head coach of FC Tulsa in the US Division two League maintained that the u-17 and u-20 teams should be a conduit for the senior national team. Micheal Nsien, FC Tulsa Head coach "The youth teams is meant to be that way (a conduit for the senior national team). You have to have culture that buys in or accept a job based on that quality of transition. My intention are to be successful and to win games 100% but also, how do we transition players to the senior national team base on our principle, our style of play, the discipline line that we want to play within and our playing methodology. I am not sure that cohesion is in the Nigeria football setup, from top to the bottom, that the coaches...

Twenty delegates and members of the Anambra state football association elective congress met in Awka on Thursday with a promise to remain united in their resolve to stand by the outcome of the August 2nd Virtual election that returned incumbent chairman, Senator Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah for a second term in office. The meeting which was summoned by the acting secretary Emeka Rapheal, had in attendance congressmen representing the various zonal football bodies, referees and coaches association among others. Rising from Thursday's meeting, congress resolved as follows 1. That the election of Monday August 2 was done in accordance with all the laid down laws governing the conduct of state football association elections and in line with the Nigeria football federation statutes. 2. That the Congress will not support any other election or participate in any process leading to fresh election as they remain committed to the outcome of the August 2, 2020 virtual election 3. That t...

The Chief Executive Officer of Nilayo Sports Management Limited Honourable Bukola Olopade has explained the modalities of the company's latest event tagged "Fuel Your Passion". Fuel Your Passion is a compilation of different E series games where registered players can take part from the comfort of their homes. Honourable Olopade also confirmed that there is a whopping ten thousand dollars prize money at stake, adding that registration is still in progress. In an interview with Channels Television, the former Commissioner for youth and sports in Ogun State said the most important thing about the event is that it would empower so many young people. He said " It's an event that's going to have a Ten Thousand Dollars prize money system where players as young as 10 and as old as 50 can take part". "From what I have been told by the gaming authorities, it has never happened in this country and we will be very glad to be blazing the trail, bu...

NFF president Amaju Pinnick may have shot himself on the foot as top shots in his executive committee held a secret meeting in one of the North Eastern states on Friday with just one agenda at heart. The meeting became necessary as the members, all Northerners, took turns to condemn in strong terms recent decisions taken by the president in the aftermath of the Anambra state FA election. The four board members told this reporter that they are aware that Amaju has got some dirty tricks off his sleeves of late and that they are not ready to be caught napping. They are particularly disturbed by his new found love for Zamfara state FA chairman Ibrahim Gusau whom they say has shown of late, that he is on a desperate mission to run as Amaju's running mate in his proposed third term ambition.    " We are not fools, yes we are not fools. Because we have decided to stay calm and quiet doesn't make us fools. We have watched the ongoing drama in Anambra state and as key st...