Missing Abdullahi

Fri, Mar 14, 2014
By publisher
6 MIN READ

Sports Briefs

KOJO Williams, a former chairman of the Nigeria Football Association, is sad that President Goodluck Jonathan had placed political consideration above performance in the sacking of Bolaji Abdullahi as Nigerian sports minister. William, however, said he was really not surprised by the decision given the political situation in Kwara State. “This is all political. Things are happening in the country and some people have to pay the price for the politicking. When Abdullahi’s godfather Bukola Saraki and state governor defected to the APC (All Progressives Congress), it was clear that the minister’s days in office were numbered. You can’t be here and there and for the president, it was better to do away with persons who he felt were perceived to be still loyal to their political mentors.”

Shuaib Ahmed Gara, special adviser to the Kano State governor on sports, also described Abdullahi’s sack as unfortunate “because under his tenure, our sports thrived,” adding: “It’s unfortunate for our sports that we have lost a good person, who meant well and did do well to develop our sports. But his sack did not surprise me because of the politicking in his home state of Kwara and that he survived it till now, speaks volume of his record,” Gara said in an interview.

Abdullahi has since been replaced by Tamuno Danagogo, a doctor from Rivers State.

Pressure on Murray’s Wimbledon Title Defence

Murray
Murray

ANDY Murray, world number six player, has an uphill task, defending his Wimbledon crown. Pete Sampras, seven-time champion, also thinks so too. Speaking on BBC, Sampras said: “When you defend a major it is the most pressure you could feel. You feel you are the man to beat – especially for Andy in England.” Even then, the American said the Briton champion would be fine. “He is a great player and I think great players will figure it out,” he said.

Murray, who also won the US Open title and Olympic gold in 2012, beat Novak Djokovic in a thrilling straight-sets victory in last year’s final to end Britain’s 77-year wait for a men’s singles champion at SW19. But dealing with the pressure of trying to retain his Wimbledon title on home soil will be a new challenge for him, many pundits, including Sampras, have said.

Sampras, 42, shares the Open-era record with Roger Federer for the number of Wimbledon titles, having won at the All England Club in 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000.

Casillas Tips Bale for Greatness

Bale
Bale

IKER Casillas, Real Madrid goalkeeper, believes Gareth Bale, a midfield player in the club, has the potential to become a Real Madrid legend alongside the likes of Zinedine Zidane and Raul.

Bale, 24, who joined Los Blancos for a world-record fee in August last year, after a slow start to his career in Spain, seems to be putting in the kind of performances that justify why the club parted with such a huge sum to sign him from Tottenham, an English football club.

The Welsh football player has contributed 10 goals and as many assists in just 18 La Liga appearances in his first season at the Santiago Bernabeu, which convinced the likes of Casillas that the powerful attacker is well on his way to being mentioned in the same breath as other greats in the club. “Legend is a word that can be overused. But Gareth Bale has proved already he has the talent to go on and become a legend at Real Madrid. During my time here I have seen real legends like Raul, Zidane, Ronaldo, and now Cristiano,” he said, adding: “Gareth is not out of place in that company, not at all. He is a young guy and if he spends his best years here then he can join that group of names. He must play a big part in Madrid winning trophies and we believe this can be a successful season for us. La Liga and the Champions League are our two big targets – and if he helps the club win one of those he will already be on his way.”

Silver for Johnson-Thompson

Johnson
Johnson

KATARINA Johnson-Thompson, a British athlete, won her first major medal with silver in the long jump at the World Indoor Championships. The 21-year-old led after the second round with a personal best of 6.81m, but she was piped to gold by Eloyse Lesueur, a France athlete, who leapt out to 6.85m.

The men’s 4x400m team also won silver, while the women’s quartet and Andrew Osagie, in the 800m, won bronze as Team GB finished with six medals.

The Briton was promoted to third after Marcin Lewandowski was disqualified.

Team Britain lodged a protest after Osagie noted that the Pole had stepped off the track during the race. Following a review, the Harlow athlete was declared the bronze medallist. Ethiopia’s Mohammed Aman, 20, won gold and Poland’s Adam Kszczot took silver.

In the women’s 4x400m, Christine Ohuruogu had to hold off a strong challenge from Russia on the final leg to secure bronze for her team. The United States won the title by almost two seconds in 3:24.83, while Jamaica took silver.

And in the final race of the three-day competition, the men’s 4x400m, Nigel Levine produced a fine run to stay ahead of Jamaica’s Edino Steele on the final leg as Britain claimed silver. Their time of 3:03.49 was a season’s best, but more than a second behind winners USA, who set a new world indoor record of 3:02.13.

“Six medals satisfy me,” UK Athletics performance director Neil Black told BBC Sport. “This is a young developing team. Six is a strong basis for going forward.”

Earlier, Johnson-Thompson – competing in the long jump after she was unable to qualify for her preferred event, pentathlon, because of illness – opened up with 6.69m, before eclipsing her previous best of 6.75m, set at the recent British championships, with 6.81m.

That gave her the outright lead and it appeared the Liverpool Harrier was set to pick up her first major international title, but 2012 European outdoor champion Lesueur went further on her fourth attempt.

— Mar. 24, 2014 @ 01:00 GMT

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