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VIDEO | Boxing is family: IBA president Umar Kremlev comes to aid of veteran Nigerian boxing official

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Veteran Nigerian boxing official Dr Joseph Ayeni is a man full of gratitude.

After more than 30 years of service dedicated to developing the sport in Africa, he retired last year as a member of the International Boxing Association board with a plan to see off his sunset years quietly at home.

But you know what they say about the best laid plans. In April, the unexpected happened after Dr Ayeni was hospitalized after suffering a stroke.

He was treated twice in Nigeria but upon attending a function in Istanbul, IBA president Umar Kremlev could see that Dr Ayeni was not back to full health and decided he needed further examination.

And as promised, Dr Ayeni was later flown to one of the best hospitals in Russia dealing with stroke and associated conditions where received what he described as top-notch care. Here, he not only underwent treatment but received rehabilitation services.

Now Dr Ayeni is completely healthy, full of life and is, most importantly, back at home with his family.

While Mr Kremlev didn’t ask for this story to be publicized, Dr believes that all good deeds shouldn’t stay hidden.

“I really believe that the IBA is a family. Every person is precious, even after retirement. I am grateful to fate that all has happened this way. Umar takes his place worthily, and he really is a man of his word. Thank you, my good friend, for giving me more days of my life! Thanks to the entire IBA boxing family for taking care of older generations,” Dr Ayeni said.

Boxing is, indeed, a family!

How far can African countries go in the 2022 Qatar World Cup?

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Assessing how the many African nations competing in the 2022 World Cup might fare, and just how far they might go in the competition.

It’s slightly odd looking ahead to the Qatar World Cup, which is being held in winter as Qatari summers are alarmingly hot. Africa has numerous teams entering the tournament, but which ones can make the knockout rounds, and how far can they go?

The Group Stage

In Group A, Senegal, reigning Africa Cup of Nations champions, compete to break into the knockout stages against Qatar, Ecuador, and the Netherlands. This is not a bad group, and the Senegalese stand a decent chance of escaping. Qatar are only in as the host nation and should be a pushover. The Netherlands are a different matter, however, and beating them would be impressive, but the Senegalese should have the advantage over Ecuador and be able to either win or be runner-up in Group A.

Group D features Tunisia, who are going to have a rough time escaping the group stage. Not only are they in the same group as defending champions France, but they also face impressive Denmark, and even the weakest team, Australia, will not be an easy match, though Tunisia would hope to beat them. The France/Denmark combination is going to be a tricky proposition for Tunisia.

Morocco play in Group F and will have to face a very impressive side from Belgium who may prove tough to beat. On the other side of the fence, Canada will be much easier opposition and progression from this group may be down to how Morocco fare against Croatia. The Croatian team reached the final last time the World Cup was held (when Belgium was third) but are not beyond Morocco’s ability to beat. Probably.

In Group G Cameroon will play against opposition including the always-fancied Brazil. As if that weren’t enough, Switzerland and Serbia are also going to prove challenging competition. Cameroon really have their work cut out to avoid exiting at the group stage.

Finally, we come to Group H and Ghana. And it’s looking tough for the African side given they’re the lowest-ranked of the four Group H teams by quite some distance. Beating South Korea would be a good result for Ghana, though it’s far from certain, but the real problem is that Portugal and Uruguay are going to make it unlikely the African side will progress. Nevertheless, nothing’s impossible in football, but Ghana will need a healthy dose of luck to progress.

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Senegal’s Possible Path to Glory

If Senegal do make it out of Group A, then they stand to face the winner or runner-up from Group B. England is likely, though not certain, to top Group B but even if Senegal do face the side there may be more hope than would be expected against the most consistent team in international tournaments (top four in both the last World Cup and last Euros). England have been performing relatively poorly lately, and if they carry that form into the World Cup they will be a lot more beatable. However, if England can play to their potential then beating them would be a very big ask.

Other teams Senegal could face at the last 16 stage include Wales and the United States. Either would be a test, but one that Senegal is certainly capable of passing. Should Senegal reach the quarters then things become less predictable but they would be up against a team from Group C or Group D. These include France, Denmark, and Argentina, all big hitters and the sort of stiff opposition that has to be beaten for World Cup glory. But it’s got to be said that getting beyond the quarter-finals would be an immense result by itself for Senegal.

Morocco’s World Cup Potential

Morocco are unlucky to find themselves in a group with both Belgium and Croatia, both of whom finished top four in the last World Cup. But while Belgium may well be beyond the African side, Croatia may not be and there is some hope of progression out of Group F. If this happens then a Group E team awaits them in the last 16.

We have not touched upon Group E yet, but it includes Spain (top five in the betting for the title), Germany (who often do well at World Cups), Costa Rica, and Japan. The likeliest opposition for Morocco is Spain or Germany and both would feel confident of beating the African side, who would be up against it.

However, Morocco is not a pushover and complacency by the opposition or a great performance by themselves could see them through to the quarters. This brings teams from Groups G and H into play, including the likes of Brazil, Portugal, and Uruguay, all of whom would be favorites with the bookies to beat Morocco. While the team will hope to progress past the group stage, both the last 16 and quarter final matchups look daunting.

Calling the Odds

It’s always tricky predicting a tournament but sportsbooks are no fools when it comes to betting. At the time of writing, the favourites are Brazil and France, followed by England and Argentina. The top-ranked African team is Senegal at 50/1 for the title, with Cameroon and Morocco at 150/1. One potential advantage teams from Africa may enjoy, especially over European opposition, is that if the planned air-conditioning of whole stadium is less effective than hoped it’ll be easier for them to acclimatize compared to teams from somewhere like England (not renowned for being hot).

Obviously, these are not promising odds for those hoping for the glory of being the first African World Cup-winning side. But it’s worth recalling that Greece had odds of 150/1 to win Euro 2004, and that’s precisely what they did.

African sides have a decent shot of making it to the last 16 or even the quarters, but getting further would utterly confound expectations. Yet such things have happened before in football.

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Botho Bayendi named Botswana Sports Commission CEO

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The Botswana National Sports Commission (BNSC) has finally filled the position of chief executive officer after a two-year search for the right candidate.

The commission on Tuesday, April 5 appointed Botho Bayendi as the new CEO on a five-year term. The appointment comes at a time when Botswana is still grappling with the shocking news that their biggest athletics export, Amos Nijel, is mulling the idea of running as an independent athlete.

Late last month, Nijel, who is the first Botswana national to win an Olympic medal, said that he’s considering taking part at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and 2024 Paris Olympics without the flag of Botswana.

Nigel, who won silver behind a record-breaking run by Kenya’s David Rudisha, at the 2012 London Olympics, was left fuming after his request for an Olympics scholarship was turned down by BNSC.

“Please include me in your prayers for my next phase as a professional athlete. Sadly, I am pursuing going into the scene as an independent athlete – it is what’s best for my family and I. When you don’t feel appreciated and undermined you have to stand for yourself. Botswana National Olympic Committee thank you so much for all the years you have been in my corner, just hope it was not fake support, Iike I see now,”Amos wrote on his social media recently.

The saga by Botswana’s biggest name in global athletics will be among the first issues to be addressed by the new CEO who tackled the matter, albeit in passing, when she was presented before the press.

“The interest in the sport fraternity is from many people who feel entitled to excellence in sport. They also feel entitled to us accounting to whatever investment that government has made to the sport fraternity,” Boyandi was quoted by the Mmegi online.

BNOC president, Botsang Tshenyego did not address Nijel’s issue, but instead used the opportunity to shed light on why it took them so long to get a new CEO.

“We could not hire a CEO because there was a prospect of Tuelo Serufho (who is substantive CEO for the Botswana National Olympic Committee) coming back. We did not want to risk having two CEOs. It has been a long recruitment process that ended Monday,” he said as reported by Mmegi.

Kenya names youthful but strong triathlon squad for Commonwealth Games

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Kenya has made minimal changes to the women’s triathlon squad for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The games will be held in Birmingham city between July 28 and August 8.

Aisha Nasser replaced Megan Irungu in the two-woman squad following a repeat national trials held at the Kenyatta University in Kiambu County over the weekend.

Irungu had earned a place in the Kenya team after winning the first trials staged on March 13 at the Karen Water Front.

But her first position, which would have seen her join Josette Njeri, who qualified by wild card, was quashed after she latter successfully lodged a formal complaint challenging the outcome of the women’s results.

The decision was then passed by the Kenya Triathlon Federation (KTF) to cancel and have the trials held a fresh, for women’s only after the panel hearing the case ruled that Irungu had not covered the entire course.

This decision gave Aisha Nasser, who had come second after Irungu, a second chance to redeem herself. And fight for the Commonwealth Games ticket.

Josette, who came third (at the first trials) skipped the subsequent trials on medical grounds.

The battle for the ticket, on water, bike and foot, was thus reduced between Irungu, Nasser and Vivian Hillier, who came third.

Just as she did in Karen, Irungu come out of the water ahead of the rest before opening about 400 metres gap from the first transition – into the bike.

Unfortunately, Irungu had mounted the bike on the mounting line, earning her a 10 seconds penalty.

Having the advantage to watch the mistake by her biggest competition of the day, Nasser slowly peddled her way up to bridge the gap heading into the second transition – and a two-loop five-kilometres run waiting on the other side of the course.

Nasser, 18, who has a background in swimming, later caught up with Irungu in the final lap.

After going toe to toe until the last 200 metres, Irungu had to head to the penalty box for a ten-second rest.

Nasser took advantage of the penalty handed on Irungu to snatch a maiden Commonwealth Games ticket as she raced to the finish line.

Nasser thus joined Josette in the women’s team.

Kenya John Paul and Jesse Okal will fly the Kenyan flag in the men’s race.

The federation will also name two reserves, one in each category before handing the team to the National Olympics Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) for preparations.

All four athletes plus six others will take part at the Africa 2022 Africa Triathlon Cup Troutbeck, in Zimbabwe this coming weekend.

Nigerian sprinter Blessing Okagbare handed 10-year ban

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Nigerian sprinter Blessing Okagbare has been slapped with a decade-long ban for multiple use of banned substances and failure to cooperate with investigators, Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced February 18.

The ban means that Okagbare, 33, will only be allowed back to competition at the age of 43.

She tested positive of EPO August during the Olympics Games in Tokyo.

According to AIU, the Nigerian was handed a lengthy penalty – five years for the presence and use of multiple prohibited substances and another five for her refusal to cooperate with the AIU’s investigation into her case.

“The sole arbitrator adjudicating the case concluded that the athlete’s use of multiple prohibited substances as part of an organised doping regimen in the lead up to the Tokyo Olympic Games,” read part AIU statement.

AIU termed Okagbare’s role in the doping scandal as “egregious conduct” that amounted to aggravating circumstances under the rules, thereby warranting an additional period of ineligibility on top of the standard four-year sanction.

The sole arbitrator also recognized the AIU’s right to carry out investigations, including the imaging of electronic devices, and to impose sanctions when an athlete refuses to cooperate with an investigation and thereby frustrates the AIU’s ability to fulfil its mandate to protect the integrity of the sport of athletics.

“We welcome the decision of the Disciplinary Tribunal; a ban of 10-year is a strong message against intentional and coordinated attempts to cheat at the very highest level of our sport. This is an outcome that was driven by our intelligence-led target testing as well as our commitment to investigate the circumstances behind a positive test,” said Brett Clothier, Head of the AIU.

On October 7, 2021, AIU had pressed charges against Okagbare in relation to separate disciplinary matter, including the presence and use of multiple (two) prohibited substances (human Growth Hormone (hGH) and recombinant erythropoietin (EPO) for which Okagbare had been provisionally suspended on 31 July 2021.

On the same day, Okagbare was scheduled to participate in the semi-finals of the Tokyo 2020 women’s 100m.

Okagbare is believed to have received the drugs from Eric Lira, a US-based “naturopathic” therapist, just before the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Lira is currently facing criminal investigation in the US.

Okagbare has the right to appeal against the Disciplinary Tribunal’s decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) within 30-days.

Kenya women rugby star Philadelphia Olando appointed UAE coach

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Philadelphia Olando, a two-time Kenyan Olympian, has been appointed the UAE senior national women’s team head coach.

This is part of the United Arab Emirates Rugby Federation move to improve women’s rugby for the Emirati.

“The move comes after careful consideration and planning to raise the women’s rugby sport by introducing our Emirati women’s teams to competitive experience that should aid their development and solidify their rugby skill sets,” said a rugby federation statement.

Olando who has been with the Kenya side – Lionesses – for the last 15 years will be looking to tap into her experience, as a player as he dives into the murky waters of coaching.

“It’s an immense responsibility that I’m very keen to take on,” said the retired Kenyan international.

“I’m looking forward to bringing the best ever I can, given my Rugby World Cup experience as a player and Olympian, that too gives me great push forward.”

Olando, who led Kenya to the Olympics in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, enjoys a strong rugby profile and is very competent to lead the Emirati women’s teams.

The UAE team has been on an upward surge of form since winning their maiden West Asian tournament in Doha in October 2021.

The UAE Rugby Secretary General Mohamed Al Zaabi said the appointment is in alignment with the UAE Rugby’s plan to invest in the regional and Arab competitions in the near future, expanding the pool of women players.

Dates for Ladies European Tour and Kenya Open confirmed

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Kenya will host two high profile golf tournaments in one month.

The East African country, voted the best golfing destination in Africa for the last three years, is expected to play host to 100 professional golf players from the US, UK, Germany France, Sweden, Norway, Spain, South Africa and Nigeria, among others, between February and March.

First on the cards will be the Magical Kenya Ladies European Tour to be staged at the 18-hole the Baobab Course at Vipingo Ridge, set high on the ridge with dramatic coastal views.

The Ladies’ event returns to the golf calendar after a two-year lull following the 2020 and 2021 postponements due to Covid-19 pandemic.

“This shows us that the world is confident in our preparedness against the virus as well as in our ability to host international events of this nature,” Kenya Tourism Board CEO Dr Betty Radier noted.

The three-day event will run from February 10-13 before paving way for the 55-year old Magical Kenya Open from March 3-6.

The European Tour event will be returning to Muthaiga Golf Club in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi.

Kenya has continued to make great strides in creating awareness on quality golfing experiences.

Players and fans will have pre-planned tours to some of the attractions within the coastal region away from the golf courses to showcase the country’s diverse leisure experiences.

“In 2020, the World Golf Awards named Kenya as Africa’s leading Golf Destination, beating countries which are considered as the cream of golf in Africa. This recognition has positioned Kenya as a golfing destination and with opportunities for first-hand experience of other attractions such as culture, hospitality, and adventures,” said Radier.

Kenya to prioritize athletes’ mental health

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The Kenyan government has directed all sports federations and associations to prioritize mental health in their programmes.

This was part of a resolution reached after a three-day consultative conference themed “Agnes Tirop Conference”.

The conference that brought together different stakeholders, including the government as well as a representative from global sportswear firm NIKE, is named after the late Kenyan Olympiad Agnes Tirop. Tirop was allegedly killed by her boyfriend late last year.

The main aim was to create awareness on gender-based violence and gender equity in sports.

All federations will ensure they prioritize the mental health of athletes by undertaking periodic training and assessment of all the athletes in their respective federations.

The Kenyan government also advised each sports federation to commit to engaging in capacity building of youth on gender equity matters as well as establishing mechanisms that ensure fair selection of athletes, coaches and other technical staff in their teams.

Kenya has been at the forefront in championing equitable gender representation at major championships with Tokyo Olympics, where the CEO, lead doctor, nutritionist and psychologist all being women, being an example

“Last year in Tokyo we decided the women will have some positions, not based on token but radical change,” noted the country’s National Olympic Committee Secretary-General Francis Mutuku.

“In the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games there were eight women and in the 2012 London Games we had 20 women. The numbers jumped in the Rio Olympics with 42 women, and recently in Tokyo we took 48 women to the Olympics, a 166% participation increase since 2008 to 2021,” said Mutuku.

At the same time, sports federations were advised to commit to establishing and gradually strengthening basic structures of operations including setting up a fully-fledged office and administrative staff while the national government ensure an athlete-centric culture in all their undertakings and adopt a zero-tolerance to corruption, maladministration and gender-based violence.

Sports in Kenya has been grappling with cases of sexual harassment, mental health and gender-based violence.

Last year alone, three high profile athletes died under mysterious circumstances, with two female athletes allegedly being killed by their spouses while one committed suicide.

CAVB opens registration for 2022 Challenger Cup

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The Confederation of Africa Volleyball (CAVB) has been told to organise a Challenger Cup failure to which two top-ranked African teams in each gender will get the spots.

In 2017, FIVB announced the restructuring of the World League and Grand Prix, and in their place launched a men’s and women’s Volleyball Nations League whose first edition was played in 2018.

The Nations League is an annual event that bears the same format as the now-defunct FIVB World League and Grand Prix featuring the top 16 national teams made up of 12 core teams and 4 “Challenger” teams per gender.

At the end of the Volleyball Nations League, the challenger teams get relegated based on their ranking and their places taken up by teams promoted from the FIVB Challenger Cup.

To qualify for the FIVB Challenger Cup, each Confederation is required to organize respective Continental Challenger Cup with the participation of a minimum of four teams for both genders, failure to which the FIVB will qualify teams through the FIVB Volleyball World Ranking for Senior Teams.

“Considering the quality and standard of play experienced during the age groups and Senior African Nations Volleyball Championships held last year, it is our considered opinion that a number of African teams and players are more than ready to participate in the FIVB Challenger Cup and qualify for the Volleyball Nations League,” said CAVB in a statement.

“CAVB is, thus keen to give equal opportunities to all National Federation by way of their participation in the 2022 CAVB Continental Challenger Cup, proposed to be held from 1st to 10th July 2022.

To enable proper planning and organization of the 2022 Continental Challenger Cup, CAVB invites all National Federations to register their participation in Continental Challenger whose winner’s will progress to the FIVB Challenger Cup.

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