SPORTS
LAFA Elections: I Was Ready to Wait for Next 4 Years – Gafar

…Says ’23 on the Radar
By Ben Nwachukwu, Abuja
The owner of 36 Lions FC of Lagos state and former member of the Lagos State Football Association (LAFA) Board, Liameed Gafar has disclosed that there was no reason for the re-elected Chairman o the Association Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi to have allowed a contest between them if he had taken into considerations the support he (Akinwunmi) received from him while on the board.
He told DAILY ASSETSports in an exclusive chat at the glasshouse headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday that he was ready to wait for the next four years till the incumbent serves out the four years tenure by 2023.
“I was ready to wait for the next four years till barrister serves out this tenure. There was no reason for him to have allowed me to purchase form in the first place. He did not want to reach a compromise with me because he is already planning to hand over to somebody in 2023 but we are watching.
“Sincerely speaking, I supported his programmes effectively and was loyal to him but unfortunately when I met him to discuss my ambition for 2023 he was not ready to make a promise because he wants Alhaji Tade Azeez to take over from him but we are watching keenly.”
The second tier league football club owner disclosed to DAILY ASSETSports that he has what it takes to take football administration in the state to the next level and maintained that he has contributed immensely to football in the country and still contributing because football is part of his life.
He noted that the contest in the last election was a pointer to what would happen in the next election insisting that he will not joke with the desire to prove to the football loving people of Lagos state who believe in him that he is capable of piloting the affairs of the state’s football and even take it to a greater height.
He maintained that though he was very loyal member on the board he was not running to the Chairman assistance but when he felt it was right for him to discuss with the Chairman on the next election, the chairman disappointed him which was the reason he contested against him in the last election.
“We are not perturbed about the next election and who would be the next chairman. It is not and will not be based on their plan. We are keenly watching and we will not succumb to their antics because we know it all and will certainly resist them.”
Gafar stretched out the election where he almost defeated the incumbent and he is yet to believe that the result of the election was the true reflection of people’s mind.
Foreign News
Husband of Slain Kenyan Runner Tirop Seeks Plea Bargain

The husband of slain Kenyan distance runner Agnes Tirop is seeking a plea bargain after initially denying a charge of murder, his lawyer said yesterday.
Tirop, a rising star in the world of athletics, was killed last October in her home in Iten, a high-altitude training hub in western Kenya for top runners.
Emmanuel Ibrahim Rotich was arrested after a dramatic late-night chase the day after Tirop’s body was found with stab wounds, and has been in custody ever since.
The 41-year-old denied a charge of murder at a November court appearance.
But in the latest twist in the legal saga, his lawyer Ngigi Mbugua told the Eldoret High Court that Rotich was willing to plead guilty to a lesser charge in the hope of attracting a more lenient sentence.
The prosecution said it was not against the idea of a plea bargain but wanted Tirop’s family to be involved in the process.
A hearing on Rotich’s request will take place on 22 September.
SPORTS
Ganduje Appoints Galadima Acting Kano Pillars Chair

Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has appointed Ibrahim Galadima as acting Chairman of Kano Pillars Football Club.
The appointment is with immediate effect, the governor said.
Surajo Shuaibu Yahaya who had chaired the club was relieved of the job.
The appointment of Galadima who is Chairman of Kano State Sports Commission to oversee activities of Kano Pillars is part of routine exercise in sports administration of Ganduje, a statement by his Chief Press Secretary Abba Anwar said yesterday.
“As Kano Pillars is facing more competition in National Premier League (NPL) it will be good to have a leadership that will perfectly lead the Club.”
“Ibrahim Galadima, Chairman of Kano State Sports Commission, will now replace the current Chairman of Kano Pillars FC, Surajo Shu’aibu Yahaya.
“Galadima will serve in acting capacity, before the appointment of a substantive Chairman,” Ganduje said.
SPORTS
FIFA Emerges Best Global Sports Federation on Governance Standards

By Eze Okechukwu, Abuja
FIFA has been rated among the international sporting federations with the best standards of governance following a review conducted by the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations.
FIFA was among seven out of 33 international federations who achieved a score of 175 points or more out of 200 and were placed in the top group, A1, which the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations described as “an exclusive group”.
The federations were divided into five groups according to their score, with the target score, regarded as satisfactory, set at 130 for full members of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations.
It was the fourth such review conducted by by the association, with FIFA also placed among the leading international federations and the previous was in the year 2020.
The aim of the project, led by ASOIF’s Governance Task Force, is to promote and ensure a culture of good governance within the international federations and help drive continuous progress.
The review looked at five aspects of governance – transparency, integrity, democracy, development and control mechanisms – and these were further divided into ten sub-sections, with a score of zero to four awarded for each.
The review began with a self assessment in January and February this year where international federations were asked to complete a questionnaire and determine a score for each question, providing explanatory evidence for their decision. These assessments were then independently moderated by an external sports governance consultancy.
The assessment took place in the context of the ongoing global pandemic, which has severely affected sport, but was conducted before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has caused more uncertainty in the sporting world.