Robin Raikkonen, the 11-year-old son of former Formula 1 world champion Kimi Raikkonen, has signed for Red Bull.

Nicknamed ‘Ace’, the youngster has impressed in karting championships and will join Red Bull’s driver development programme in 2027.

The programme has produced F1 drivers such as Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen – both four-time champions.

Robin’s father, nicknamed ‘Iceman’, was the most recent Ferrari driver to become world champion, claiming his sole title in 2007.

The Finn claimed 21 wins and 103 podiums from 349 F1 starts before retiring in 2021.

He also competed in the World Rally Championship and Nascar.

“We are all thrilled and excited that Robin has been chosen to further his racing path as a member of the Red Bull junior team,” said 46-year-old Kimi.

“They offer a compelling and comprehensive programme to develop and nurture Robin’s progress over the coming years and provide him with all the experience required to develop his natural talent.”

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies said Robin has “already demonstrated exceptional ability in karting”.

“His speed, racecraft and natural talent have established him as one of the most promising young drivers in his age group,” Mekies added.

“At the same time, he impresses with his maturity, his calm approach and his clear focus on driving.

“Our goal is to develop him step by step, without placing any unnecessary pressure on his shoulders.

“The path through motorsport is a long one and we will give him the time, support and resources he needs to maximise his potential.”

Robin follows in the footsteps of Ella Hakkinen, the daughter of Finland’s double world champion Mika Hakkinen, who joined McLaren’s driver development programme last year.

Spanish second-division side Eldense said Argentina great Lionel Messi has reached a “preliminary agreement” to become the club’s majority shareholder.

Eldense will become the second Spanish club Messi has invested in, having bought Catalan side Cornella in April.

The 39-year-old former Barcelona forward currently plays for Inter Miami and recently retired from international football after Argentina were beaten 1-0 by Spain in the 2026 World Cup final.

Eldense said: “A preliminary agreement has been reached with Lionel Messi for the acquisition of the shares currently owned by Grupo TH Soluciones, which would make him the club’s majority shareholder.

“The transaction is currently subject to the completion of the remaining legal and contractual procedures, including the due diligence process, as well as the required authorisation from the Spanish National Sports Council (CSD).”

The club, based in Alicante, have two points from four games this season and, sitting 20th in La Liga 2, parted ways with head coach Claudio Barragan earlier this week.

Cornella are in the fifth tier of Spanish football and in April said Messi’s ownership “reinforces his close ties to Barcelona and his commitment to the development of sport and local talent in Catalonia”.

He left Argentina for Spain when he was 13 and made his first-team debut for Barcelona aged 17 in October 2004.

He went on to score a club record 672 goals in 778 games before he left for French club Paris St-Germain in 2021 prior to joining Major League Soccer side Inter Miami in the United States in 2023.

Messi’s former Real Madrid rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays for Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr, bought a 25% stake in Spanish side Almeria in February.

By Eze Okechukwu, Abuja

The Python Golf Club in Port Harcourt, Saturday, September 5, 2026, set a record for pre-tournament fundraising, just as golfers from different clubs brace up for what promises to be the best and biggest amateur championship in Nigeria.

In an unprecedented fashion, members opened their wallets and pumped in a staggering eighty two million naira (N82m) at an 18-hole kitty that was organised to unveil the theme and mascot of the 2026 Python Amateur Open championship which holds from November 17 to 21, 2026.

And so, before billboards and banners are hoisted, before approaching the corporate bodies, before the first shot off the tee box, members voluntarily contributed the huge sum.

It was as dramatic as it was awe-inspiring. In less than two hours after the kitty, it was N10m here, N5m there and sundry donations ranging from N3m, N2m, N1m to thousands of dollars amid raucous cheers.

It was all down to Chief Leo Edochie, the chairman of the Organising Committee who, in a rare show of the innovative disruption of the old order, leveraged his celebrity golfer status and internal collaboration built on close-knit relationship with the members to turn a rather routine mascot-unveiling kitty into a money-spinning venture.

Working closely with the equally pragmatic captain of Python Club, Chief Professor Johnbosco Ozigbu and other members of the Organising Committee, Edochie’s novel marketing strategies yielded ample results which require no further authentication that the November 17-21 tournament will be heavily financed.

“I pay tributes to all our members, my colleagues on the Organising Committee, our Board of Trustees and our ebullient captain, Chief Prof. Johnbosco Ozigbu, a man of immense means and principalities,” says Leo Edochie.

“Our goal is to host a tournament like no other, and we need everyone’s support to achieve it. The money we realised today (Saturday) tells you everything. It’s member-funded, member-driven. When the house believes this much before sponsors even come in, then you know this tournament will be special.”

The funds are earmarked for an expanded prize purse, course upgrades, junior golf development, live screaming of matches on massive screens facing the road and within the Club, as well as hospitality tents and community engagement where non golfers will be sponsored to walk the fairways and experience first-hand professional and amateur players in hot competition for the exciting prizes on offer.

Yes, though an amateur event, this year’s Python Open will witness invited professional players from ten clubs battle for the thirty million naira prize money at stake.

According to Edochie, the target was never just to raise money, but to set a standard.

“The member-support which you witnessed was about laying the foundation before asking others to build on it.

 “What we did was to ask our members to believe first. They responded with over N80 Million. That was not a donation; that was a declaration.”

The targeted purse for the championship, according to Edochie, is two hundred million naira (N200M). He is confident that the Organising Committee will seize the momentum to attract national brands and corporate organisations “to partner with us.”

With the involvement of professional players, a bigger field of amateurs, live scoring, enhanced media coverage, and structured participation by businesses, guests and non-golfers, a strategic growth plan to revolutionize golf at the Python Golf Club is in the offing.

Club captain, Prof. Ozigbu emphasizes that the tournament aligns with the club’s military-rooted values of discipline, integrity, and excellence.

“Python Golf Club has always been about more than golf,” he opines. “It’s about brotherhood, service, and raising the bar. With our Celebrity Golfer (Edochie) driving the Organising Committee, and with the huge support we’ve seen, this Python Open will be a tournament of firsts and one that will be remembered for many years to come, thanks to the innovations that people shall experience.”

Raising such a huge amount internally before sponsorships is virtually unheard of, at least in our climate. And doling out ten million naira of his own, Ozigbu is leading by example.

Chief Dr. Ikenna Okafor, the sole sponsor of Nigeria’s elite golf championship was on hand, alongside his wife, Dr. Esther Okafor as the couple, in separate donations of big sums of money left the crowd cheering and screaming.

The Python Open comes just days after this year’s CIO Pro-Am tournament in which Chief Okafor, the sole sponsor, collaborates with the Safari Tour and which attracts professionals from no less than ten African countries.

“We’ve had big tournaments here before,” said Okafor. “And we will continue to set records. The captain (Ozigbu) and our celebrity golfer (Edochie) are doing a fantastic job and we will continue to support them. “

For Edochie, the message is clear: “Our members have spoken. Now, we must deliver a tournament worthy of that trust.”

At exactly 2:09 PM on Saturday, September 5, 2026, Brig-Gen. Olumide Ojo, Python Club’s vice-captain and representative of the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Everest Okoro, unveiled the tournament Mascot to the delight of the members.

The coast is now clear. Chief Leo Edochie’s priority also shifts to how he can recreate the razzmatazz, the glitz and glamour that he once splashed on the polo field as the president of Port Harcourt Polo Club.

Truly, the countdown begins.