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Football Frenzy
Is it fair to pay administrators and coaches more than players and athletes?
Sports Drive Abuja
Tuesday, 17 August 2021 - 19 minutes
Bayelsa government has rewarded indigene players of including Bayelsa United, Bayelsa Queens and Olympic silver medalist Blessing Oborududu after their superlative performance in the 2020/2021 Aiteo Cup formerly known as Federation Cup and the Japan 2020 Olympics.
At the ceremony held at the Government House, Yenagoa Governor Douye Diri announced a reward of One Million Naira to each of the twenty-five registered players while Five hundred thousand Naira was the reward to each of the unregistered players.
According to the Governor, each Coach of both clubs will receive 1.3 million Naira while chairmen of the clubs will be rewarded with 1.5 Million Naira each as board members of the clubs will go home with one million Naira.
Olympic silver medalist, Blessing Oborududu got four Million Naira for making Nigeria proud in Japan.
The World Athletics has confirmed Tonobok Okowa as the officially recognised President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria.
“World Athletics has received information from both elections and based on the information provided, we are now working with the board elected in Abuja.
“The meeting in Abuja was attended by the most voting members plus the National Olympic Committee, and is the board with whom the National Olympic Committee dealt with to enter its team to the Olympic Games,” WA Head of Communications, Nicole Jeffery, said in a statement.
In 2019, former AFN vice president Olamide George led other board members to impeach Gusau (in his first term), but the Abuja High Court and Court of Appeal ruled in Gusau’s favour as president of the country’s athletics body, until WA and Confederation of African Athletics directed that elections must hold latest June 14, where Gusau and Okowa were returned as factional presidents in parallel elections held in Kebbi and Abuja.
World Athletics’ declaration puts an end to the leadership crisis that has rocked the AFN since 2019. Before the official recognition of Okowa as AFN president by WA, the global athletics body had sent the password for the official email of the federation and correspondence between both bodies to Okowa’s camp. The Gusau-led group was previously in the custody of the password.
Memphis Grizzlies have announced the signing of centre Daniel Oturu from the Los Angeles Clippers.
Oturu, who is of Nigerian descent, appeared in 30 games off the bench and averaged 1.8 points and 1.6 rebounds in 5.4 minutes as a rookie for the Clippers last season.
The 21-year-old was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the 33rd overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft out of the University of Minnesota.
According to reports, Oturu will earn around $1.5m annually at his new club.
Oturu, who is in his second NBA season, is eligible to play for D’Tigers having previously represented Nigeria through Team World Select at the 2018 Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Oregon.
