Nigerian World Champion Tobi Amusan has made the final shortlist in the Women’s Athlete of the Year at the 2022 World Athletics Awards, following the first round of voting.

Amusan and nine other female athletes were nominated in the preliminary round for the prestigious award in October this year, but the nominees have now been reduced to five finalists, World Athletics announced on Monday.

In the final stage of the voting, the 100m hurdles world record holder will lock horns with Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Sydney McLaughlin of USA, Peru’s Kimberly Garcia and Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela for the honour.

The World Athletes of the Year will be announced on World Athletics’ social media platforms in early December, as part of the World Athletics Awards 2022.

Amusan has been in superb form on the track since the turn of the year, most notably at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, United States.

She broke the 100m hurdles with a World Record time of 12.12secs to become Nigeria’s first world champion at the World Athletics Championships.

A three-way voting process determined the finalists.

The World Athletics Council and the World Athletics Family casted their votes by email, while fans voted online via the World Athletics social media platforms. 

Fifty per cent of the votes were determined by the World Athletics Council, with 25 per cent for the World Athletics Family, while the public determined the remaining 25 per cent of the final result in the poll that ended on October 31.

After the completion of all necessary underground work, the laying of the tartan track at the Stephen Keshi stadium has began in readiness for Delta 2022 National Sports Festival.

The 21st National Sports Festival tagged Delta 2022 will hold from November 28 to December 10 as scheduled.

A member of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) revealed that all necessary underground work to solidify the tartan track had been done.

“The tartan track actually arrived in Asaba since last week. The contractors have been working both day and night to ensure the underground work is completed. Now, they are done with the priming and the laying of the tartan track has commenced. I am sure the the work will be completed before the end of this week.

“Those working on the indoor sports hall are doing a good job. They have increased the workforce and I am positive everything will be ready for the athletes to showcase their talent from November 28 to December 10,” the LOC official said.

Recall that the Sports Minister Chief Sunday Dare and members of the Main Organizing Committee (MOC), recently took a tour of the facilities for Delta 2022 National Sports Festival during a joint Technical meeting in Asaba.

Dare said he was highly impressed with the level of work done by the various contractors.

‘The last time I came here, there were no foundation, but I can say that virtually all the facilities are about 80 percent ready. I am really impressed. This shows the level of seriousness the government and people of Delta State attach to the National Sports Festival,’ Dare stated.

Apart from the re-laying of the tartan track at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa is putting in place two brand new indoor sports hall for the Games, just as the old indoor hall is being renovated.

A brand new swimming pool is also being build within the stadium complex.

A Premier League season like no other has been put on hold for six weeks to make way for the World Cup, with Arsenal enjoying a five-point lead at the top of the table.

The Gunners, who have not won the title since “The Invincibles” unbeaten season of 2003-04, have failed to even finish in the top four for the past six seasons.

Mikel Arteta’s men are well on course for a return to the Champions League, but Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United have found to make up if they are to climb back into the top four.

AFP Sport looks at three talking points from the Premier League season so far:

Arteta’s Arsenal project bears fruit

The three-year anniversary of Arteta’s appointment as Arsenal boss will take place during the World Cup hiatus.

Arsenal have been through a series of highs and lows since, from winning the FA Cup in 2020 to finishing eighth in back-to-back seasons

But the patience shown towards the Spaniard is bearing fruit in spectacular fashion as Arteta has moulded a young side into title contenders.

City may come to regret the decision to sell Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko to the Gunners as they have added title experience to a collection of promising stars.

No side has ever failed to win the league after taking 37 points from their opening 14 games.

The true test still awaits, particularly with two fascinating clashes against City to come, but Arsenal’s early-season pace has set up another intriguing title battle

Newcastle rise ahead of schedule

The traditional top six were well aware of the threat Newcastle will pose in the coming years, backed by the seemingly endless wealth of the Saudi sovereign wealth fund.

But the Magpies are well ahead of schedule in fighting for a place in the top four.

But the patience shown towards the Spaniard is bearing fruit in spectacular fashion as Arteta has moulded a young side into title contenders.

City may come to regret the decision to sell Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko to the Gunners as they have added title experience to a collection of promising stars.

No side has ever failed to win the league after taking 37 points from their opening 14 games.

The true test still awaits, particularly with two fascinating clashes against City to come, but Arsenal’s early-season pace has set up another intriguing title battle

Newcastle rise ahead of schedule

The traditional top six were well aware of the threat Newcastle will pose in the coming years, backed by the seemingly endless wealth of the Saudi sovereign wealth fund.

But the Magpies are well ahead of schedule in fighting for a place in the top four.

Eddie Howe’s men have taken 22 points from a possible 24 to go into the break in third.

With Champions League riches a realistic goal, Newcastle are expected to splash their newfound wealth once more in January.

But Howe’s best work so far has been in reviving the careers of players that arrived at St James’ Park long before the influx of Saudi cash.

Miguel Almiron won October’s Player of the Month award, while Callum Wilson’s form earned him a call-up to the England World Cup squad.

Even if their form eases off in the new year, Newcastle are English football’s new force who are not going to go away.

Haaland takes England by storm

Arsenal’s achievement in keeping City off the top of the table is all the more impressive in the context of Erling Haaland’s explosive start to his career in England.

Pep Guardiola’s men have won back-to-back titles largely without a recognised striker, but got the man they wanted to be the long-term successor to Sergio Aguero in the towering Norwegian.

Haaland, who scored 86 goals in 89 games for Borussia Dortmund before moving to Manchester, has dismissed any notion he could struggle to adjust to City’s style.

The 22-year-old at one point scored a hat-trick in three consecutive home league games amid a run of 18 goals in his first 13 Premier League games.

A foot ligament injury has slowed that rate in recent weeks, but Haaland will be rested and refreshed after the World Cup break with Norway having failed to qualify for Qatar.

Former Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, who guided them to victory at the 2002 World Cup, announced his retirement from management on Sunday.

Scolari, who took over at Brazilian Serie A side Athletico Paranaense in May, made the announcement after they won 3-0 against Botafogo on Sunday in their last clash of the 2022 season, to finish sixth in the standings.

“I’m retiring as a manager. I’m appointing (assistant) Paulo Turra to be the next manager of our team and I’ll be the technical director,” Scolari told Furacao Live.

He managed Brazil on two occasions – from 2001-2002, when he took them to their fifth and most recent world title, and again between 2012 and 2014, winning the 2013 Confederations Cup.

At club level, Scolari won the Copa Libertadores with Gremio back in 1995 and Palmeiras in 1999, as well as the Brazilian Serie A title with both of those sides, in 1996 and 2018, respectively.

He also coached Portugal (2003-2008) and Premier League side Chelsea (2008-2009), among others.