The reigning world champion also signed another mega-deal

The athletics season is officially over but World 100m record holder Tobi Amusan has continued to hug the headlines for the right reasons.

From her arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport a fortnight ago, till now, Amusan has been the beautiful bride of all: the media houses, the government, corporate bodies and all a sundry.

On Wednesday night in Lagos, Amusan was treated to a befitting Homecoming Dinner by her Sports management outfit, Plug Sports.

Obi Asika (M) and other guests at the event

The well-attended dinner, which took place in Victoria Island, Lagos had in attendance guests from the entertainment industry, political figures, socialites and reporters alike.

The dignitaries include Nigerian hip-hop legend, Naeto C, Obi Asika, Adesola Adesugba, Bukola Olopadenilayo, FK Abudu and a host of others.

There were also major appearances from Flutterwave, who signed a multi-year partnership with Amusan.

“It’s very difficult to find athletes who embody our core values the way Tobi does.” a representative of the company told reporters.

The World Athletics had on Tuesday ratified Amusan’s World Record of 12.12s (0.9) set at the World Championships after winning the gold medal in the women’s 100m hurdles at the 2022 Commonwealth games.

The current record held by Amusan was an improvement on the 12.20s, set by USA’s Kendra Harrison in London in 2016 and followed that with a wind-assisted 12.06 (2.5m/s) to dominate the final.

Ratified record

Speaking with reporters at the Lagos event, Amusan, who was elated with the reception and enthusiasm shown by the guests seeing her in their midst, said the ratification of her record by the World Athletics was a breath of fresh air, as she knew she already bagged the record but was happy to know that the milestone was now cast in stone.

“It’s a breath of fresh air for me and I’m still getting a hang of everything happening to me right now. My 200 million soldiers across Nigeria supported me through the World Championships, Commonwealth Games and the Diamond League, I trust them.

“As an athlete, I eat everything that I can, especially things that can give me energy,” Amusan said.

Speaking on the build-up to her historical moment in Oregon, Amusan said it didn’t come easy as it looked.

“Yes, definitely. I’ve got injuries a couple of times,” she said.

“There was so much I needed to do when it comes to my health as a professional athlete, and staying on top of my game required a lot of funding.”

National honour

Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari, recently conferred the Officer of the Niger (OON) national honour on Amusan following her exploits in the past three months.

“It’s a great feeling to be recognised by the president.

“In as much as we did the work, it was an honour that they realised that we did the nation proud and it was a great feeling getting that title,” she said.

Proudly, Amusan is a world champion, a world record holder in (12.12s), a Diamond League champion, an African champion, a Commonwealth champion, and a national champion, with 17 wins in 25 races in the just-ended athletics season.

Plug Sports, which currently manages Amusan, also have some other sports personalities in their stable, including Henry Onyekuru, Asisat Oshoala and Clement Ugah.

The punishment slammed on the Nigerian-American coach is widely seen as one of the harshest ever in NBA history.

The Boston Celtics have come down hard on their Nigerian-American head coach, Ime Udoka.

The NBA franchise on their official Twitter handle late Thursday night announced they have suspended Udoka for the entire 2022-23 NBA season for “violations of team policies.”

“A decision about his future with the Celtics beyond this season will be made at a later date,” the team said in a statement.

“The suspension takes effect immediately.”

Though the Celtics were silent about what Udoka’s policy violations were, an earlier report by ESPN and The Athletic revealed the 45-year-old had a consensual relationship with a female member of the Celtics staff that broke the franchise’s code of conduct.

Udoka’s season-long suspension ranks among the harshest ever issued to an NBA head coach and it is coming barely a week to the commencement of the Celtics’ pre-season training camp.

In a statement, Udoka said he has graciously accepted the Celtics’ decision and would make no further comments on the issue.

“I want to apologise to our players, fans, the entire Celtics organisation, and my family for letting them down,” Udoka said. “I am sorry for putting the team in this difficult situation, and I accept the team’s decision.

“Out of respect for everyone involved, I will have no further comment.”

A former key player with Nigeria’s D’Tigers, Udoka is the 18th head coach of the Celtics after he had previously served as an assistant for nine years with the club.

Though born and raised in the United States, Udoka’s late father was born in Nigeria, which qualified Udoka for Nigerian citizenship.

Among other numerous appearances, Udoka played for the Nigerian men’s basketball team at the 2006 FIBA World Championships.

Udoka played seven seasons in the NBA, the last four with San Antonio before his playing career ended in 2011.

Udoka’s sister, Mfon, not only played for the Nigeria women’s team, D’Tigress but also led the team for a long while and was at a time a member of the coaching crew.

Super Eagles head coach, Jose Peseiro says the team will strive to win every game under his tutelage.

The three-time African champions will take on the Desert Foxes in the first of two friendlies at the Mohamed Hamlaoiul Stadium, Constantine on Friday

The Eagles lost their first two games under the Portuguese but are now unbeaten in their last two matches.

Peseiro is determined to see his side extend their unbeaten run against the Algerians.

“Every time we want to win because Nigeria are one of the best teams in Africa and we have to create the habit to win always,” Peseiro told NFF TV.

“Algeria have a good national team.

“But we want to improve our team because we want to win the next AFCON,” he added.

Fifteen players have quit the Spanish women’s national team in an “unprecedented” mass resignation, the Spanish football federation (RFEF) announced late Thursday, coming after weeks of speculations of divisions in the camp.

Spanish media has recently reported that part of the women’s national team wanted coach Jorge Vilda to be sacked.

The RFEF on Thursday published a statement saying that 15 players had each sent them the same email of resignation.

“They state the current situation generated affects them ‘significantly’ in their ’emotional state’ and their ‘health’ and that ‘as long as it is not reversed’, they are resigning from the national team of Spain,” the federation announced.

Condemning the players for questioning “the continuity of the national coach”, RFEF said they will not “call up players who do not want to wear the Spain shirt”.

“The Federation will only use committed players, even if it means playing with youth players,” it said

“It is an unprecedented situation in the history of soccer, both men’s and women’s, in Spain and worldwide.”

A Spanish radio station COPE reported that current Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas, out injured for the season, was not among the players who resigned.

But her Barcelona teammates Patri Guijarro, Mapi Leon, Sandra Panos, Aitana Bonmati, Claudia Pina and Mariona Caldentey were in the group.

Manchester United’s Ona Batlle and Lucia Garcia and Manchester City’s Leila Ouahabi and Laia Aleixandri were also reported to be among those who have resigned.

Earlier this month, the Spanish women’s league season was delayed by a week after a refereeing strike caused the postponement of the first round of fixtures. Some have called for independent investigation into the reasons fronted by the players and the on goings in the national team.

At the sidelines of the 77^th  United Nations General Assembly, FIFA President Gianni Infantino met with Nigeria’s Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iwuala who is the Director General of World Trade Organisation.

According to FIFA website, both held discussions on a range of topics. Football’s role in unlocking global economic growth potential was among the topics on the agenda at the meeting.

They held discussion about the economic impact of football – and its role in unlocking global economic growth potential.

The FIFA World Cup is the main driver of FIFA’s income and therefore global investment source, which it distributes via the FIFA Forward programme.

By the end of 2022, since its inception in 2016, almost USD 3 billion will have been invested globally through FIFA Forward.

Through FIFA Forward, FIFA offers tailor-made support for football development to create more investment opportunities, more oversight, more impact and ultimately, more growth. President Infantino provided an update on a number of FIFA Forward projects.

The subjects of the continued enhancement of women’s economic empowerment – and the role that football can play within that process – and FIFA’s role within the global sustainability movement, were also of keen interest to both parties and were discussed.

The WTO regulates and facilitates international trade and is the world’s largest international economic organisation. It has 164 member states, representing over 98 per cent of global trade and global GDP.

Mali  who took the place of African champions, Nigeria’s D’Tigress, lost their opening group game at the Women’s Basketball World Cup, suffering an 89-56 defeat by Japan in Sydney, Australia.

The West Africans trailed 21-18 after the first quarter, but then found themselves 47-29 down at the break.

Japan scored 16 three-pointers in a convincing win, while point guard Djeneba N’Diaye top-scored for Mali with 13 points.

The 2007 African champion gained entry to their second World Cup following Nigeria’s withdrawal from the international game in June.

Mali will face hosts Australia on Friday (10:30 GMT) before Group B games against France, Serbia and Canada on consecutive days from Sunday.

Australia were beaten 70-57 in their first match by France.

Defending champions USA, who are targeting a fourth straight Women’s World Cup title, began their campaign with an 87-72 victory over Belgium in Group A.

Elsewhere there were wins for Puerto Rico, China and Canada on the first day of the tournament.

FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Stadium Preview – Al Thumama Stadium, Doha, Qatar – September 22, 2022 General view inside the stadium ahead of the World Cup

When the World Cup kicks off in Qatar on Nov. 20 fans can expect a flurry of stats and match footage on social media and FIFA is hoping that includes data and content from a new player app.

FIFA said on Friday that all players at the finals will be able to browse their performance data on a purpose-built app developed by the governing body which allow footballers of all 32 teams access to analysis and information.

The app has been created after feedback from players, through the players union FIFPRO, and the data will be synched with video of the action to allow quick assessment of key moments.

While such data and metrics are widely available to players with the top clubs and national sides, who employ teams of analysts, the app will ensure squads with fewer resources also have access.

The app will make use of input from FIFA’s performance analysts, tracking data and physical performance metrics such as distance covered, sprints and positional heat maps.

Players will also be provided with photographs from the matches which they can share on social media along with stats and data.

“This player-centric development is based on direct feedback from the players and is another great example of how FIFA is using technology to the best of its potential by improving the football experience for the key actors on the pitch,” said Johannes Holzmueller, FIFA Director of Football Technology & Innovation

Simon Colosimo, FIFPRO Deputy General Secretary, said players had asked for better access to their performance data.

“The FIFA Player App is a positive outcome that will activate personal data rights and provide a new resource for players at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar,” he said.

Gangaharan Balasubramanian with players and officials of Flamingos on Thursday.

The High Commissioner of India to Nigeria, Gangaharan Balasubramanian on Thursday hosted players and officials of the U17 Girls’ National Team, Flamingos at the India High Commission in Abuja.

Players and officials of the team, which will represent Africa at the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup being hosted by India 11^th – 30^th October, were on a visit to the High Commission to secure entry visas into India when the High Commissioner opted to have lunch with the team.

While receiving the team, His Excellency Balasubramanian expressed his excitement: “I am very happy to see you all; it is indeed an honour to host you. I want to wish you the best of luck during the World Cup competition in India. We hope to see the next Oshoala and Ordega in this team.”

NFF’s Director of Competition, Ruth David, who was at the head of the group to the High Commission thanked the High Commissioner for his hospitality: “On behalf of the President, Board and Management of Nigeria Football Federation, we thank the High Commissioner for this hospitality and we want to assure you that the NFF appreciates your understanding and co-operation at all times that we require the same. The Flamingos are already looking forward to being in India and to savour the beauty of the country, and also to put up a good attitude on and off the pitch.”

Laver Cup – Media Day – 02 Arena, London, Britain – September 22, 2022 Team Europe’s Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal during practice Action

Some of the most iconic moments of Roger Federer’s glittering career featured Rafa Nadal across the net but on Friday his great Spanish rival will be alongside him for his final bow.

The 41-year-old Federer, winner of 20 Grand Slam titles and for many the greatest player to wield a tennis racket, is back in one of his favourite cities to bring down the curtain on a 24-year professional career that scaled staggering heights.

He will partner Nadal for a doubles match on the opening day of the Laver Cup at London’s O2 Arena — a three-day team event in which Europe takes on the Rest of the World.

Federer announced last week that the Laver Cup would be his final competitive event having failed to overcome a nagging right knee issue that required multiple surgeries.

While that injury means he is unable to feature in a singles match here in London, he will conclude the opening day alongside men’s record 22-time Grand Slam champion Nadal as they face American duo Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe.

As farewells go, it simply could not be better.

Federer played Nadal 40 times in one of the most compelling rivalries witnessed in tennis.

Who could forget their 2008 Wimbledon final when Nadal denied Federer a sixth consecutive title, the time Federer cried following defeat in a brutal 2009 Australian Open final, or the 2017 Australian Open final when Federer ended a five-year wait for his 18th major title by defeating Nadal in a classic.

No quarter has ever been given on the court but despite the ferocity of their duels, deep respect endures.

Which is why Federer said earlier this week that playing with Nadal would be a beautiful way to conclude a career that caught fire when he claimed his first Grand slam title in 2003 by winning Wimbledon.

Europe’s captain Bjorn Borg, not surprisingly, granted him his wish.

“It’s going to be a different kind of pressure to be part of this historic moment,” Nadal told reporters.

“It’s going to be something amazing and unforgettable for me. I’m super excited. maybe we can create a good moment and maybe win the match.”

Federer cut a relaxed figure as he sat with his team mates, including 21-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic and twice Wimbledon champion Andy Murray.

But he said the emotions could hit him on Friday.

“I’m not sure if I can handle (all the emotions) but I will try,” Federer, whose presence had fans flocking to watch practice sessions on Thursday, told reporters.

“This one feels a whole lot different. It’s super special playing with Rafa. “Feels very different you know.”

Nadal was asked to highlight some of his best moments against Federer, not surprisingly picking the 2008 Wimbledon final as one of his most cherished.

He also spoke warmly of their enduring friendship.

“I think we are very proud it’s been a friendly rivalry,” said Nadal, who beat Federer in six Grand Slam finals.

“Not easy because we are playing for such important things for our tennis careers, but at the same time we were able to understand that personal relationships are more important than sometimes professional things.

“Tomorrow is going to be special thing.”

Rest of the World captain John McEnroe said there had been some “coin flicking” to see who would face Nadal and Federer in Friday’s doubles — saying that whatever the result of the match it would be a magical night for tennis.

“It’s a very unique situation that we are all fortunate enough to be around,” McEnroe said. “This is like an incredible moment for our sport.

Sock said he was stoked to be part of an iconic night while Tiafoe, who reached the U.S. Open semi-finals, added: “I’m just excited to play two up-and-comers!

“Both guys are absolute legends, and obviously it’s Roger’s last dance.”

Sock opens play in Friday’s first singles against U.S. Open runner-up Casper Ruud while Murray is the evening warm up act against Alex de Minaur.