Three Olympic boxers including one who bet on himself to lose — received “severe reprimands” on Wednesday for betting on fights during last month’s Rio de Janeiro Games.
Ireland’s Michael Conlan and Steve Donnelly and Britain’s Antony Fowler were censured by the International Olympic Committee for violating anti-betting rules. None of the three won medals in Rio, although Irish amateur champion Conlan lost in the quarterfinals in a disputed decision to Russia’s Vladimir Nikitin. Donnelly bet against himself in a first-round bout but still won the fight.
The IOC said the three boxers received only reprimands — rather than retroactive disqualifications or bans — because a disciplinary panel determined “there was no intent to manipulate any event” and the athletes have apologized.
Under IOC rules, athletes and officials are barred from betting on Olympic events and required to report any approach or suspicion of fixing.
All three boxers acknowledged they had made a mistake and “regretted it,” the IOC said. They must undergo an “educational program” in order to be eligible to compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the committee said. The IOC also issued simple reprimands to the Irish and British national Olympic committees for “not having properly informed” their athletes of the betting rules. They were told to ensure that their athletes at future games go through a “complete education” process on the rules on betting and match-fixing.
The IOC also urged the international boxing association, AIBA, to make its own rules compliant with Olympic regulations and to put anti-betting education programs in place.
The 24-year-old Conlan is the most prominent of the three boxers sanctioned by the IOC. He won a bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics and claimed the bantamweight world title in 2015.
In Rio, Conlan reacted furiously to his loss to the bloodied Nikitin, stripping off his vest and making obscene gestures at the judges from the ring. He also made wide-reaching claims of corruption against AIBA and vowed never to fight as an amateur again.
Conlan signed with Top Rank Promotions in Las Vegas last week.
The IOC said Conlan placed cumulative bets on several fights, though none of his own, and lost all of the wagers. At least two bets were placed on fights in his own weight class. The bets were “of a relatively low amount of money” — a maximum of 200 pounds ($260) — but “had created opportunities to make large amounts of money if they had been successful,” the IOC said.
Conlan appeared at a hearing in Rio, saying he had not read the Olympic anti-betting rules and wasn’t aware of them. He said he bet regularly on sports as a “hobby” and had done so “for fun” in Rio because he was “bored” in the athletes village, the IOC said.
Irish Olympic officials told the hearing they had placed more emphasis on anti-doping issues rather than the betting ban in preparing their athletes for the games.
Donnelly placed eight cumulative bets, including two on his opponent, Tuvshinbat Byamba of Mongolia, to win their first-round welterweight bout, the IOC said.
Donnelly, who won the fight, told the IOC hearing that he bet against himself not to fix the bout but because it would have offered “some compensation” had he lost.
Donnelly, who lost all of his bets, said he was unaware of the ban on betting and did it to pass the time as he was bored in the village, the IOC said.
Fowler, a middleweight who lost his only fight in Rio, made seven bets, including at least one on a bout involving a British teammate, the IOC said. He won three of the bets, which ranged between 30 pounds ($39) and 300 pounds ($390).
Fowler told the IOC he knew he couldn’t bet on his own fights, but wasn’t aware of the overall ban on betting. He said he bet in Rio to pass the time and “make a bit of money.”
Etisalat U-15 School Cup season 3 returns in October
After two successful seasons, Nigeria’s youth-friendly telecommunications network, Etisalat has concluded plans to kick off the third season of its Under 15 School Cup football competition, in October.
The Etisalat U-15 School Cup is a national grassroots football competition designed to connect, engage and promote young football talents. It promotes national unity by connecting young and aspiring footballers to becoming future champions.
According to the Director, Brand & Experience, Etisalat Nigeria, Elvis Ogiemwanye, the third season will provide exciting prospects of building on the success of the last two editions. “Our commitment to the nation is to support and create credible platforms that can contribute to the development of the country. Therefore, we are committed to developing a pool of young football talents. The success of the last two editions makes it even more exciting for us,”he said.
The 2016 edition will start with state competitions where various schools will compete at the state level to win a spot at the regional group stage. The state winners will compete at the regional stage where 8 teams with the highest points will qualify for the National Finals happening in Lagos in November.
The regional group matches will kick off with a Trophy tour around the host citiesof Ibadan, Ilorin, Enugu and Kaduna to enablerespective participating teams and their supporters catch a glimpse of the prestigious Champions Trophy and experience the Mobile Champions Studio which is an innovative platform createdto enable participants take creative pictures of themselves as well as tell their own football stories to Nigerians.
The impressive trophy was inspired by other international tournaments,predicated upon the belief that the competition will produce international champions in the near future. According to the Head, Events and Sponsorships, Modupe Thani, “the trophy has been designed to inspire our Etisalat School Cup Champions to believe in themselves and to dream of playing and winning bigger football championships as they grow their football talents and move unto professional football”.
The tour also features the Etisalat Football Truck where school students will need to score goals into holes positioned on the vehicle. The tour promises to be exciting, engaging and very competitive.
The maiden edition of the competition in 2013 was won by Keke Senior High School, Ijaiye, Lagos and the school was rewarded with N1million cash prize and an all-expense paid trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), while the 2nd edition was won by Government Secondary School, Owerri, Imo State going home with the star prize of N2 million educational award and N50, 000 each to players of the winning team.After two successful seasons, Nigeria’s youth-friendly telecommunications network, Etisalat has concluded plans to kick off the third season of its Under 15 School Cup football competition, in October.
The Etisalat U-15 School Cup is a national grassroots football competition designed to connect, engage and promote young football talents. It promotes national unity by connecting young and aspiring footballers to becoming future champions.
According to the Director, Brand & Experience, Etisalat Nigeria, Elvis Ogiemwanye, the third season will provide exciting prospects of building on the success of the last two editions. “Our commitment to the nation is to support and create credible platforms that can contribute to the development of the country. Therefore, we are committed to developing a pool of young football talents. The success of the last two editions makes it even more exciting for us,”he said.
The 2016 edition will start with state competitions where various schools will compete at the state level to win a spot at the regional group stage. The state winners will compete at the regional stage where 8 teams with the highest points will qualify for the National Finals happening in Lagos in November.
The regional group matches will kick off with a Trophy tour around the host citiesof Ibadan, Ilorin, Enugu and Kaduna to enablerespective participating teams and their supporters catch a glimpse of the prestigious Champions Trophy and experience the Mobile Champions Studio which is an innovative platform createdto enable participants take creative pictures of themselves as well as tell their own football stories to Nigerians.
The impressive trophy was inspired by other international tournaments,predicated upon the belief that the competition will produce international champions in the near future. According to the Head, Events and Sponsorships, Modupe Thani, “the trophy has been designed to inspire our Etisalat School Cup Champions to believe in themselves and to dream of playing and winning bigger football championships as they grow their football talents and move unto professional football”.
The tour also features the Etisalat Football Truck where school students will need to score goals into holes positioned on the vehicle. The tour promises to be exciting, engaging and very competitive.
The maiden edition of the competition in 2013 was won by Keke Senior High School, Ijaiye, Lagos and the school was rewarded with N1million cash prize and an all-expense paid trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), while the 2nd edition was won by Government Secondary School, Owerri, Imo State going home with the star prize of N2 million educational award and N50, 000 each to players of the winning team.
39 countries for Lagos Governor’s Cup tennis
Players from no fewer than 39 countries of the world including Nigeria will take part in the 16th edition of the Governor’s Cup Lagos Tennis Championship.
The players, who will be coming from all continents of the world, will converge at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan to fight for 100,000 dollars prize money and ATP points in a two-legged tournament from 8-22 October, 2016.
According to the International Tennis Federation, ITF, a total number of 109 players will compete for honours in the singles and doubles events of both the men and women’s categories.
Interestingly, this year’s competition will see the return to the city of Lagos some former champions of the Governor’s Cup. Top on the list of these stars is Enrique Lopez-Perez, who won the two legs of the tournament in 2012. Ranked number 174 in the world, the Spanish star is the top seed in the Men’s Singles this year. Also in the train to the 16th Governor’s Cup is Boy Westerhof of The Netherlands, who won the competition in 2007 and was men’s doubles winner in 2010 edition. He is ranked number 313. Egyptian Karim-Mohamed Mohamed, Duncan Mugabe of Uganda and Mark Fynn of Zimbabwe are some of the old faces to play in the pro circuit event in Lagos.
For the first time in the history of the Governor’s Cup, a Nigerian player, Christian Paul with the ATP rank 1290 is listed in the Main Draws of the first leg of the tournament which serves off on Monday, 10 October.
Tournament Director, Prince Wale Oladunjoye said the Local Organising Committee (LOC), Nigeria Tennis Federation, NTF, and the management of the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club are set to host the world in the 16th edition of the Governor’s Cup, adding that the LOC is grateful to the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode for graciously supported the hosting of the second Governor’s Cup since he assumed office.
FIBA Africa Zone 3 Club Championship: Expect the best from us, Togo federation assures
Togo Basketball Federation led by Andre Goungou has promised an exciting championship come October 21-30 in Lome.
Speaking during a meeting with the executives of the sports journalists union who paid his board a courtesy visit ahead the forthcoming FIBA Africa Zone Club Championship, the president called on the union to cooperate with him for a successful championship.
He noted that his board is barely three months old in office and had gotten the hosting right for the Zone 3 elimination but won’t rest on their oars regarding the hosting rights. Goungou further stated that all hands are on deck to ensure a smooth organisation of the championship stressing that having been granted the hosting right, he and his board cannot afford to disappoint.
Goungou gave this assurance in Lome, Togo early in the week during a meeting with the FIBA Africa Zone 3 President, Col Sam Ahmedu and the administrative secretary, Joseph Apu during the Zone’s routine visit to the host to determine the country’s state of readiness for the championship holding from October 21-30, 2016.
The FIBA Africa Zone 3 president had told the federation that the visit is to get first hand assessment of the playing facility as well as other logistics for the championship. “The Zone is concerned about Togo’s preparations and this visit is to see things for ourselves your level of readiness.”
Responding, the Togolese Basketball Federation while responding stated that they are delighted with the visit.
“The Togolese Basketball Federation is elated to have the Zone President, Col Sam Ahmedu in our midst ahead of the championship that is less than three weeks away. We want to assure the Zone that we’re ready to host and are putting all the necessary things in place. Be rest assured that our playing arena is going to wear a new look and other things needed for the championship as well.
“Members of the board are determined to make a good job of this hosting right. All the requests that are desired of us will be met before the competition commences. We’re also grateful to the Zone for the championship medals and T-shirts for statisticians. But like Oliver Twist we want to let you know that at any point we’re in difficulty we’ll come running to you for assistance.”
Men and women teams from the eight countries comprising hosts Benin Republic, Burkina Faso, Cote d’ Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Togo, Niger and Nigeria within the Zone. Kano Pillars and First Bank both of Nigeria are defending champions.
NBBF sets dates for national championships
The Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF has announced dates for its National Division 1 and 2 Championships which draws the curtain for its activities in 2016.
According to a statement released by the NBBF Secretary General, Patrick Okeke, the Division 2 Championship which comes first will hold from October 30 to November 6 at the Package B of the National Stadium in Abuja.
“Participating teams are expected to arrive on Sunday October 30, the technical meeting holds on October 31, the same day the competition begins and runs through to November 5,” he stated, adding that November 6 is departure date.
Teams, the statement added, are expected to submit their entries to the NBBF secretariat on or before October 25 via email with the registration fee for the teams’ participation and players’ license. “At the end of the end of the Championship, (two) qualified teams will be promoted to the National Men’s Division 1 Basketball League,” the statement read.
After a 12-day break, the National Division 1 Championship to decide which teams will be promoted to the DStv Premier Basketball League commences at the same Abuja National Stadium Indoor Hall on November 16 and runs through to November 28, Okeke also disclosed but failed to comment on the three suspended teams in the DStv Premier Basketball League.
Kevin Garnett retires after 21 years in NBA
One of the greatest players to ever play the game of basketball, Minnesota Timberwolves’ Kevin Garnett, bid farewell to the NBA after 21 seasons. This marks the end of an era in the NBA as KG joins Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan in retirement. KG was picked fifth overall by Minnesota in 1995 NBA Draft. In the 90s Garnett was one of players who made the biggest splashes in the league drafted straight out of high school.
Garnett would go on to play 12 seasons with the Timberwolves and made a name for himself as a complete player who wore his emotions on his sleeve. His passion and intensity, while overwhelming at times, generally served to spark his teammates into action. He played so hard and with so much ferocity that it overflowed and made his teammates want to play at the same level. KG parted ways with Minnesota and moved to the Boston Celtics via a self-requested trade in 2007.
Along with Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett formed Boston’s “Big 3,” which sparked the trend of assembling of stars to form “super teams” in the NBA to win championships. The trio would succeed in this endeavor in 2008.
After a brief stop with the Brooklyn Nets, Garnett made his way back to Minnesota, to where it all began. In his last two seasons with them KG would help mentor the young core of the franchise, giving them inspiration, advice, and leadership that few other players would be able to impart.
Through his illustrious career “the Big Ticket” would post averages of 17.8 points, 10 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game. He the 2003-04 Most Valuable Player and the 2007-08 Defensive Player of the Year awardee. Kevin was a 12-time All-Defensive Team selection, and also appeared in 15 All-Star Games. Expect him to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as soon as he is eligible.