The Nigeria Football Federation has paid glowing tributes to former Super Eagles’ defender, Ajibade Babalade, who died on 4th September 2020 and would be buried in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital on Friday, 15th January 2021.
 
The hard-as-nails defender, a member of the Super Eagles squad that won bronze medal at the 1992 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Senegal, suffered a heart attack and lost the battle at a private hospital on 4th September 2020. The Christian wake keep held at the Liberty Stadium, Ibadan on Thursday evening – venue of Babalade’s many battles on the pitch as a player.
 
General Secretary of the NFF, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, said Nigerian Football will never forget the “energetic and highly dedicated player who defended the colours of Nigeria with so much passion, fervour and elan.”
 

Madam Gloria Commodore, President of the Women In Sports Association (WISA) has commended female sports journalists in their hard work towards promoting female sports in Ghana.

Speaking at the carnival to usher in the Women’s Premier League at the McDan Park at La in Accra on Saturday, she said the future is feminine, so the journalists must work hard to encourage more girls to do sports.

She said Ghana’s performance at the last African Games in Morocco in 2019 shows that the female athletes can excel if they are motivated.

​According to the AIPS and SWAG senior member who has participated in multiple sports disciplines, sports can unknown people very popular and also change fortunes.

She said as the Women’s Premier League begins on January 15, 2021, she hopes and pray that there would be fair officiating, no hooliganism and fans are going to watch to make it interesting and exciting.

The Corona virus pandemic frown on sporting activities throughout the world in the greater part of 2020 may hopefully see discontinuity in the year ahead.

Rugby League Federation Ghana (RLFG) while receiving an equal share on the adverse effects of the pandemic, still kept its ahead above water to come through with innovative programs  carefully designed to suit all the pandemic protocols being observed globally.

The few which could materialize among the many planned at the end of the previous year are the Flagship 9s Series in January and February, The breat Cancer awareness program which tickled the interest of Corporate Ghana and the media alike, the pulling down of a one gender sport with the introduction of the the women's rugby league, the warily creation of the youth rugby league, obtaining affiliate member status of the International Rugby League Federation, RL boundaries extended into the military academy, and a fulfilling stand taken by the RLFG women's coordinator in some IRLF appointments.

The Ghana Football Association (GFA), is thrilled to announce Bethel Dental Clinic as the Official Dental partner of the Black Stars for a period of two football seasons.

This sponsorship agreement which commences with immediate effect is valid until the end of the 2021/22 football season.

Under this agreement, Bethel Dental Clinic shall provide services such as Preventive Dental care, restorative care, free treatment for any dental injuries, crowns, implants, fillings and surgical procedures for the duration of two football seasons subject to be renewed by the two parties.

Ahmad is set to lose his role as President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) after its Governance Committee declared him ineligible to stand in this year's election.

Two of the five candidates have been approved to appear on the ballot, while additional checks are required on the other two.

A CAF statement described Ahmad as the "outgoing President", and the declaration of ineligibility comes a little more than a month after Ahmad was given a five-year ban for financial misconduct by the FIFA Ethics Committee.

While Ahmad has been ruled out of the race, Augustin Senghor, President of the Senegalese Football Federation (SFF), and Jacques Anouma, former President of the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) and ex-member of the FIFA Executive Committee, have been confirmed as eligible candidates for the top job.

South African billionaire and mining magnate Patrice Motsepe and Ahmed Yahya, President of the Mauritanian Football Federation are also still in the running to replace Ahmad.

Mr. Jafaru Mustapha, Communications Manager of Decathlon Ghana has emphasized his company’s commitment to supporting and increasing the profiles of Ghanaian athletes.

Speaking to Yours Truly at the McDan Park at La where Decathlon Ghana supported the carnival to herald the 2020/2021 Ghana Women’s Premier League (WPL), he said their aim is to reach everyone who loves sports.

Host Cameroon has issued COVID-19 guidelines for African Nations Championship (CHAN) that will kick off in the country in a week.

“In a bid to respect the COVID-19 protocol established by CAF and FIFA, CAF and Cameroon have agreed on the rate of occupation of stadiums during the competition as follows: 25 per cent for all group matches including the opening match and 50 per cent for all semi-finals and finals,” Cameroon’s Minister of Sports and Physical Education Narcisse Mouelle Kombi said in a statement released Saturday, adding that a special mechanism to mark the seats in all stadiums will be set up following the authorized occupation capacity.

Ahead of the make or mar clash with the Black Starlets of Ghana on Saturday, President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Mr Amaju Melvin Pinnick has charged Nigeria’s U17 Boys, Golden Eaglets to show robust winning mentality against their opponents. 
 
Pinnick charged the players to believe in themselves and go for victory when he visited the team's camp at the Hotel Novella Star in Lome, Togo, while admonishing the players to remain focused in the task of representing Nigeria very well at the tournament.
 
"Nigerians don't want to know about tactics, just go, play and win the game. The mentality of Nigerians is winning, they don't care how you win, just win. Winning gives Nigerians a lot of joy," Pinnick said.

World Rugby continues to move towards progressive governance reform after its Council endorsed a package of interim recommendations by the independent-led Governance Working Group. 

A key commitment of World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont and Vice-Chairman Bernard Laporte’s election mandate was the wide-ranging governance review. Its core objective is to strengthen the effectiveness and agility of the international federation’s governance structures to further reflect and serve the universality and diversity of a growing sport and support robust and decision-making processes for a growing global game.

Chaired by British Olympic Committee Chairman and former UK Olympics and Sports Minister, Sir Hugh Robertson, the Working Group comprises independent experts, union and regional representatives and player representation from emerging and established rugby nations, with a broad range of experience and expertise.  

Within the interim report, seven recommendations have been published that will underpin meaningful reform, while the Working Group has also identified four focus areas for further consideration during the second phase. 

The African football governing body had cancelled out outgoing president, Ahmad Ahmad for reelection into the CAF top hierarchy.

The announcement was published on the website on Thursday.
 
Less than 24 hours after the revealing publication, the statement which appeared on the letterhead of the body was no longer accessible as it appeared to have been deleted from the website.
 

Issah Abass has moved on loan from Mainz 05 to FC Twente for the remainder of the 2020/2021 football season.

The exciting attacker after returning to the German Bundesliga club last summer after his loan deal with FC Utrecht expired hoped to play a bigger role for the team this season.

Mrs Abigail McKorley, wife of Dr. Daniel McKorley, Chief Executive Officer of McDan Shipping has pledged to support the initiative to create awareness on women’s football in Ghana.

The tennis enthusiast believes all girls and women should be involved in some form of sports.

Mrs. Abigail McKorley who is also CEO of Beebies Events has commended the organisers of the upcoming Extravaganza scheduled for the McDan Park at La on Saturday, January 9, 2021.

The eFitness industry in China has thrived in 2020, driven by the increasing number of Chinese pursuing a healthy and active lifestyle even amid the COVID-19 outbreak. The QuestMobile data revealed that as of February, the number of monthly active users of sports and fitness apps hit almost 90 million, a 93% jump compared to the same month a year ago.

The BigData Research showed around 64% of Chinese used these apps at least once a week. About 13% of respondents stated they used them two to three times a week, and another 3% used them four times or more. 

Statistics show that the fitness program app, Keep, represents the most popular sports app in China with 13.1 million monthly active users, double that any other app in the category. The app built its success on the combination of Instagram-style social media and e-commerce functions. Besides sports enthusiasts, companies and brands also benefit from Keep by promoting their sales in the app's own sports store and creating social campaigns in the community space.

International Sports Press Association (AIPS) (https://www.AIPSmedia.com) received 377 submissions from Africa for the third edition of the AIPS Sport Media Awards, as the continent increased its participation by almost 20 per cent with 34 countries represented. Africa broadens its participation presenting new countries - Burkina Faso, Namibia, Sierra Leone and South Sudan - to the international stage.

This rewarding feedback comes after several AIPS initiatives that have been warmly welcomed by the African continent: the launch of the AIPS e-College, the AIPS World e-Conference, etc. Nigeria is the most represented country with 82 submissions in total.

The third edition of the AIPS Sport Media Awards amassed a record of 1871 submissions (in 34 different languages) coming from 129 different countries.

With all continents represented, this edition highlights the remarkable resilience and importance of sports journalism amid the coronavirus pandemic, touching on local and international stories that dominated headlines between October 2019 and November 2020.

The AIPS Sport Media Awards team would like to thank all participants for their interest in these difficult times. Certificates were sent to all participants a few weeks after the submissions deadline.

Changes have officially been made by the international governing body on the criteria of players switching national teams.

FIFA has adjusted rules governing football players switching international associations after approving amendments to the Regulations Governing the Application of the Statutes at the organisation's 70th Congress on Friday.

Earlier this year, FIFA brought up proposals to amend some of its existing statues in light of the coronavirus pandemic, and switching nationalities was among the key topics raised.

Prior to the adjusted rules, a player could only switch nationalities if they had only played in friendlies and not a single minute of any competitive fixture, which included qualifiers and international tournaments.

The 2021 WTA Tour officially commences on Wednesday at the Abu Dhabi WTA Women's Tennis Open, a WTA 500 event, where 2020 WTA Player of the Year Sofia Kenin will lead the field along with fellow Top 10 players Elina Svitolina, Karolina Pliskova and Aryna Sabalenka.

Joining that quartet of Top 10 players in Abu Dhabi are rising stars Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina and Marketa Vondrousova, as well as 2020 Roland Garros semifinalist and the WTA Newcomer of the Year Nadia Podoroska. Headlining the doubles field this week are Elise Mertens and Aryna Sabalenka.

French club Saint-Etienne have snaffled 19-year-old Senegalese goalkeeper Boubacar Fall, who was recently invited to the national team in the absence of veterans such as Edouard Mendy of Chelsea, Alfred Gomis and Clement Diop.

Fall, who was playing for Dakar-based side Guediawaye FC, signed a two-year deal with the Ligue 1 team, who terminated the contract of their number two goalkeeper Stephane Ruffier on Monday.

Houston TX USA: January 4th 2021, Africa Sports Ventures Group officially announced a New Show dubbed "The Africa Song Contest" along with its partner, Canadian based Digital Music Company; HITLAB. 
At the launch, ASVG also announced the launch of a search for an African Theme Song. The contest, which is powered by Canadian Digital Music Company HITLAB, will give musicians in Africa and the wider Diaspora an opportunity to showcase their talent and create a uniquely African theme song.

​Houston TX January 4th 2021: Africa Sports Ventures Group announced the 2nd Edition of the Africa Day Annual Sports Conference with a new twist to it.
 
The announcement was made at the Africa Sports Ventures Group virtual Press Conference to launch the “Africa Empire Warrior” Sports Entertainment Show and the “Africa Theme Song” Contest.
 
The “Africa Empire Warrior” season 1 will take place in Liberia and the anticipation for the show is already through the roof after the project was revealed at the Press Conference.

​Nominees for the African Sports Monthly Award for December have been selected by the selection committee. After a rigorous process, four athletes with African ancestry representing African countries and/or the disapora, were selected, namely: Lewis Hamilton, Youssef en-Nesryi, Mohamed Salah, and Asamoah Gyan.

The Nominees were selected based on their performances leading to the end of the year and their personal achievements on and off the arena of their sport.

Following the ratification of the nominees by the selection committee, the public will decide who wins the December Athlete of the Month Award through voting on the web and social media.

Voting opens 17:00 GMT on Tuesday and closes 17:00 GMT a week later.
​

Africa Sports Ventures Group Officially Launched its Flagship Sports Entertainment show whose first season will be hosted in the Republic of Liberia in early 2022 called the Africa Empire Warrior show at a virtual Press Conference today along with officials from the Ministry of Culture of Liberia, its partners Canadian Digital Music Company HITLAB which will power the sound track of the show and Slovenian based Sky Scout; which will provide its AI Operated Cameras for the production.
​
The shows format, which is a test of strength, agility, power, endurance and ultimate fitness, will pit 4 contestants per African country in a series of obstacles against contestants from all 54 African Nations in the 12-stage competition. The 12-stage contest will have each stage represent 12 ancient African Empires and what it took for an individual to qualify to be a Warrior back in those times.
Some of the Empires to be featured are:

• Benin Empire
• Ghana Empire
• Malian Empire
• Songhai Empire
• Carthaginian Empire

​

The Women in Sports Association (WISA) has today launched a new logo.

Madam Gloria Commodore, Executive Director of WISA said the logo is bright and colourful and wished all sports women a bright and colourful season.

It is with great sadness that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has learnt of the death of Walther Tröger, IOC Honorary Member, at the age of 91
 
In addition to his invaluable contribution to the Olympic Movement internationally, Mr Tröger’s remarkable career as a sports administrator was marked by his successful commitment to shaping sport in Germany for several decades.
 
Holding a degree in law from the University of Erlangen, he started in 1953 as Secretary General of the German Student Sports Association, before joining the German Sports Confederation (1961-1970) and the National Olympic Committee (NOC), where he served as Secretary General between 1970 and 1992, and as President for 10 years until 2002.

During those years, Mr Tröger also served as 1st Vice-President of the German Basketball Federation (1976-2006) and as a member of the FIBA Sports Commission (1964-1994). He was also a member of the Executive Board, then Deputy Chairman of the German Sports Aid Foundation (1992-2002) and Chairman of the German Sports and Olympic Museum and of the Board of Directors of the Willi Daume Foundation.

Emmanuel Agyemang Badu has retired from International Football, according to close sources to the player.

The 30-year-old has brought his international career to an end in order to concentrate on Club football.

Sources reveal the midfielder is expected to officially release a statement announcing his latest decision.

2021 will be the year of Hope. The Hope that a vaccine will help us wake up from the nightmare that we have been experiencing since last February. The Hope that the world will work together to find new solutions to go back to the normal life.

The Hope that the word lockdown will be forgotten. The Hope of rebuilding the credibility of our profession, because fake news is our Coronavirus. The Hope of returning to work and living the sport life again…

We experienced the strangest and most complicated summer in the history of mankind - all involved in the nightmare of the Coronavirus, or rather Covid-19. Paradoxically, every country experienced the same problem and suffered the same consequences. Everyone talked about the Spanish flu, the disease that claimed millions of victims worldwide, but this time the drama was shared more – experienced by more lives.