Paradise News

Category: Sports

  • Rayfield Gardens City Estate Wins 2024 Gate Africa Estate Cup

    Rayfield Gardens City Estate Wins 2024 Gate Africa Estate Cup

    By David Ogar

    Rayfield Gardens City Estate emerged victorious as the best footballing community in the 2024 Gate Africa Estate Cup, defeating Olubadan Estate 2-0 in the Oyo State capital last weekend.

    The two-day tournament, featuring eight top estates in Ibadan, was organised by Gate Africa Technology, a platform that regulates access control, management, and payment processing for estates across Africa.

    Tournament Highlights

    In the third-place match, Goshen Estate secured a 3-1 win over Aerodrome Estate to claim the final spot on the podium.

    The tournament’s Most Valuable Player award went to Egbeleke Usman of Goshen Estate, while Jolayemi Michael was recognised as the Best Goalkeeper.

    Organisers Applaud Teams

    Gate Africa’s CEO, Tunde Buremo, commended the participating teams for their discipline and coordination throughout the competition.

    “This tournament has proven the value of teamwork, collaboration, and sportsmanship. At Gate Africa, we believe in fostering community growth, and this competition will become an annual event to further promote sports development at the estate level. We have also taken feedback from the estates and will include more sports in future editions,” Buremo stated.

    Lead Organiser of the Gate Africa Estate Cup, Adeniyi Lawal, emphasised Gate Africa’s role as the go-to solution for estate management needs, particularly in access management and payments in Oyo State.

    Local Impact

    Chairman of the Local Organising Committee and Director of 3SCFansTV, Idris Animashaun, expressed joy at the initiative’s success.

    “This initiative fosters local cooperation through sports while uplifting the sporting landscape in Ibadan. It is exciting to see the continuous improvement of sports in our city,” Animashaun said.

  • Lille President Reveals Financial Details of Osimhen’s Napoli Transfer

    Lille President Reveals Financial Details of Osimhen’s Napoli Transfer

    By Ben Nsemo

    French Ligue 1 side Lille earned just €7m from Victor Osimhen’s high-profile transfer to Napoli in 2020, despite the deal being valued at over €70m, club President Olivier Letang has revealed.

    The Super Eagles striker’s move to the Italian side included four Napoli players who never featured for the French club, raising questions about the true value of the transfer.

    “The net amount, considering the player’s purchase, four players valued at €20m, but who were worth nothing, intermediaries and commissions, was €7m, more or less,” Letang told L’Equipe TV.

    Investigations and Reactions

    The revelation comes amid investigations by authorities in Italy and France into the circumstances surrounding the transfer, though Napoli have been cleared of any wrongdoing.

    “Napoli have already been judged on this matter with two different levels of the justice system that cleared the club and directors, finding no irregularities,” club lawyer Mattia Grassani said last year.

    The lawyer emphasised Napoli’s clean record, noting, “Napoli is the only club where the Prosecutor did not ask for the judgment to be revoked, which then led to Juventus having first a 15-point and then a 10-point Serie A penalty.”

    Letang, who became Lille’s President months after Osimhen’s departure, has now shed light on the complex financial structure of the deal that took the Nigerian to Italy.

    Osimhen’s Rise to Prominence

    The transfer marked a significant milestone in Osimhen’s career, which began in the challenging environment of Lagos’ Olusosun community. After impressing at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup, where he won the Golden Boot with a record 10 goals, he earned a move to Bundesliga side Wolfsburg.

    Following a difficult spell in Germany, Osimhen found his feet at Charleroi in Belgium before joining Lille in 2019, where he scored 18 goals in 38 appearances across all competitions.

    His subsequent move to Napoli proved transformative for both player and club. The 25-year-old striker netted 76 goals in 133 appearances for the Partenopei, playing a crucial role in ending their 33-year wait for the Serie A title in 2023. The Lagos-born forward also claimed the Serie A Golden Boot and became the highest-scoring African in Italian top-flight history, surpassing George Weah’s record of 46 goals.

    Current Form and Future Prospects

    Osimhen, who was crowned 2023 CAF African Footballer of the Year, is currently on loan at Turkish giants Galatasaray, where he has maintained his prolific form with 10 goals and five assists in 14 appearances.

    Though contracted to Napoli until 2026, the striker’s future remains uncertain with clauses in his contract allowing for a permanent departure either in January or summer.

    His time in Naples was marked by consistent goal-scoring and the historic Scudetto triumph, but this latest revelation about his transfer fee adds another chapter to what has been a complex relationship between the player and the Italian club.

  • NBF Chief Decries IOC Boxing Changes, Calls for Fairer Representation for Africa

    NBF Chief Decries IOC Boxing Changes, Calls for Fairer Representation for Africa

    By Ben Nsemo

    The interim president of the Nigeria Boxing Federation (NBF), Azania Omo-Agege, has accused the International Olympic Committee (IOC) of discriminating against African nations through recent changes to Olympic boxing weight categories. Speaking to The PUNCH, Omo-Agege argued that the IOC’s decision to reduce boxing categories has adversely impacted African medal prospects at the Olympics.

    Impact on African Boxing

    “This has not been very good for Africa as most of the weight categories they took out are where Africa excelled,” Omo-Agege stated. “If you check our statistics for the past Olympics, Africa was coming with about three to five medals. Since the new change, Africa has only been getting one to two medals as a whole continent at the Olympics. That is discrimination.”

    The NBF chief’s comments come after Africa secured just one boxing medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, with Algeria’s Imane Khelif claiming gold in the -66kg category amid controversy over transphobic harassment and gender-related questions.

    Athlete Challenges

    The reduction in weight categories has forced athletes to make significant weight adjustments to compete, a practice Omo-Agege describes as unfair and discriminatory.

    “Now when they reduce the categories, you are forcing the athletes to rapidly increase or reduce weights so as to compete, and that is not fair,” he said. “I am agitating for more slots where Africans have their strengths or to go back to the original weight categories.”

    Nigeria’s struggles in Olympic boxing were evident in Paris. Adam Olaore, the nation’s last hope, crashed out in the round of 16 of the men’s 92kg heavyweight category against Kazakhstan’s Aibek Oralbay. The team’s campaign was further marred by Cynthia Ogunsemilore’s doping-related disqualification and Dolapo Omole’s injury withdrawal, extending Nigeria’s Olympic boxing medal drought since Duncan Dokiwari’s bronze at Atlanta 1996.

    Plans for Revitalisation

    Looking ahead to Los Angeles 2028, Omo-Agege has outlined plans to revive the Nigerian Boxing League as part of a long-term strategy to strengthen the sport in the country.

    “There is a perception that most of our boxers are from the streets. We are working to change that, and we need constant competition to do that,” he said. The federation chief also believes that the introduction of prize money by the International Boxing Association (IBA) will motivate athletes.

    “Since there is prize money now from the International Boxing Association, the boxers will be encouraged to fight where they can actually earn a living. When we attend more competitions, it will put us in a good position to go out for international games where we can prepare ourselves for the Olympics.”

    Call for Action

    Omo-Agege’s remarks underscore the need for greater representation of African athletes in global sports and equitable policies to ensure a level playing field. As Nigeria seeks to end its Olympic boxing medal drought, the NBF’s efforts to bolster the sport domestically could be critical to its success on the international stage.

  • Real Madrid Sparks Controversy with Call to Cut Liga F Funding

    Real Madrid Sparks Controversy with Call to Cut Liga F Funding

    By Ben Nsemo

    Real Madrid has ignited a firestorm of criticism after calling for a reduction in funding for the women’s Spanish league, Liga F.

    The club’s general director, Jose Angel Sanchez, made the controversial statement during a recent Assembly of Clubs meeting, targeting the financial support package La Liga provides to the women’s league.

    The funding, a five-year initiative worth €40 million (£33m/$42m), is currently in its third year.

    It began with annual contributions of €6 million (£5m/$6m) and has gradually increased, with €8 million (£7m/$8m) being disbursed this year. The annual funding is set to reach €10 million (£8m/$10m) in its final two years.

    These contributions are sourced from La Liga’s revenues, which are shared among 42 clubs across the Primera and Segunda divisions. However, only 13 of these clubs field teams in Liga F.

    Madrid’s criticism comes amid financial challenges faced by Liga F, including issues with former sponsor Fi Network’s unpaid commitments.

    The league now relies on alternative revenue sources, such as a broadcasting deal with DAZN and €20 million (£17m/$21m) annually from Spain’s Ministry for Sport (CSD). Additionally, €19.5 million is allocated over five years to projects promoting women’s football.

    During the meeting, Madrid’s representative reportedly told La Liga president Javier Tebas, “It’s too much. It has to be cut.” This position has reignited criticism of Real Madrid’s historical approach to women’s football.

    The club only established its women’s team in 2019 by acquiring CD Tacon, lagging behind other major clubs like Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, which have long supported women’s football development.

    Critics argue that Madrid’s stance is inconsistent with its financial position, given the club’s revenue of over €1 billion last season.

    Furthermore, the call for cuts comes at a time of unprecedented growth in women’s football globally, buoyed by Spain’s Women’s World Cup triumph in 2023.

    The move contrasts sharply with broader efforts to expand investment in women’s sports, drawing significant public and institutional scrutiny.