Sports
Desmond Elliot, Others Back Grassroots Sports Development
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The need for government, organisations and individuals to articulate programmes that would encourage and support kids who are talented in different sports has been emphasised.
Popular actor and member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Desmond Elliot, said this would go a long way to making the society a better place.
Mr Elliot, who was at the closing ceremony of this year’s Cowbell Football Academy Summer Camp held at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos penultimate Saturday, commended Promasidor for its commitment towards developing young sports talents, calling on other private sector players to emulate the company and show sufficient support to the growth of the country’s sports.
The three-week camp, which is sponsored by Cowbell milk, the flagship brand of Promasidor Nigeria Limited, drew participation from young football talents between 4 and 18 years of age in different parts of Lagos and beyond.
Mr Elliot said Promasidor deserved honour for playing a lead role in the development of football talents through the sponsorship of Cowbell Football Academy.
The lawmaker, representing Surulere 1 constituency at the congress, stated that Nigeria could not grow its sports sector unless it made deliberate attempts to develop its young talents at their tender age.
“We need to realise that government cannot do everything. What is required is an enabling environment to encourage programmes such as Cowbell Football Academy. Initiatives like this do not only encourage young talents but also keep them healthy.
“I encourage other corporate organisations to emulate what Promasidor is doing. The company has been doing this for years. It deserves an award,” he said.
Also at the event, Executive Chairman of Lagos State Sports Council, Dr Kweku Tandoh, noted that Nigeria could only leverage the developmental benefits of sports by taking the sector to the grassroots and the schools. He said Cowbell Football Academy had, over the years, demonstrated how young talents could be nurtured.
“We are beginning to see the results of the investment Promasidor has made in Cowbell Football Academy. If we don’t get it right at the foundational level, there is little or nothing we can do at the elite level. Everything we need to do in terms of discipline, attitude and development for those who will be great sports men and women has to be done at the foundational level. And we are glad that Promasidor is doing this,” Tandoh noted.
On his part, former President of the Athletes Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Mr Toni Urhobo, said that Nigeria had not been able to get its sports development right because it failed to pay attention to grassroots development.
“It is at the academy level that we can get the best trainers in sports. Sports is the biggest employer of labour but we must do it right. It is cheaper to invest in local academies than to source ready-made talents abroad. So, we commend Promasidor for its commitment in this regard,” Mr Urhobo pointed out.
Founder of Brila FM, Mr Larry Izamoje, also called on the private sector players to support the government in sports development. He said the first 10 years of great talents are crucial to their success.
“Rather than allowing them fall prey to the vices that will destroy them in future, we should focus on catching them young and teach them the right things. What Cowbell Football Academy is currently doing will be harvested by the country in future. It will increase the fortunes of families and boost the country’s foreign exchange earnings,” Mr Izamoje stressed.
He commended Promasidor for its support, calling for an extension of its efforts to other sports such as boxing, basketball and volleyball
Earlier, Managing Director of Promasidor, Mr Anders Einarsson, had said that the company was committed to the future of Nigeria’s youths through the academy and its other youth-targeted corporate social responsibilities.
Mr Einarson, who was represented by the company’s Marketing Manager, Mr Abiodun Ayodeji, further said: “When we started the summer camp, our goal was to create a platform that would positively engage the youth during the long holidays and help them see life outside the walls of the school from a stimulating and rewarding perspective. We also wanted to expose the kids to the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, which is part of the brand identities of Cowbell.
“I am glad that Cowbell Football Academy has achieved a reasonable success in these key objectives. It has become a vehicle for teaching modern tactics of professional football and transmitting sports ethics to young talents.”
Apart from Cowbell Football Academy, Promasidor Nigeria also motivates Nigerian youths through Harness Your Dream, a career awareness workshop for public secondary school students, Loya Swim Meet, a secondary school swimming competition that aims to promote swimming as a sport while encouraging health/fitness; and Cowbellpedia Secondary School Mathematics TV Quiz Show.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Mr Patrice Motsepe, has congratulated President Gianni Infantino on his re-election as President of the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA), calling for more development for the sport on the continent.
He said CAF and football in Africa have had a committed and dependable partner in President Infantino and FIFA in the development and growth of African and global football.
“CAF is committed to developing and promoting football for boys and girls as well as amateur and professional football on the African Continent. The construction and upgrading of football infrastructure and facilities and improving the standard and quality of football in Africa are essential for African football to become globally competitive and self-sufficient.
“President Gianni Infantino and FIFA have been committed and dependable partners in developing, uplifting and promoting African football. CAF is delighted and welcomes the re-election of President Infantino as FIFA President and is confident that football in Africa and globally will continue to develop and grow and be a force for good under his leadership,” the CAF president noted.
The re-election of President Gianni Infantino took place in Rwanda and was the first elective congress in the history of FIFA to take place in Africa.
The 52-year-old Italian-Swiss, renewed under the same conditions in 2019 by the delegates of the 211 member federations, could remain at the head of world football until 2031, with his first three years (2016-2019) being considered incomplete because he completed the tenure of the scandalous former helmsman, Mr Sepp Blatter.
The FIFA chief has seen some changes in his first official term at the helm of affairs. One such was an 18 per cent increase in income and 45 per cent in reserves over the 2019-22 cycle compared to the previous one, allowing the body to increase its subsidies to confederations and federations further.
African football is set to benefit more, starting with the passage of the men’s World Cup from 32 to 48 teams in the 2026 edition, which will be shared between the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The continent could see up to 9-10 countries representing in the tournament moving forward from the current five teams.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The President of the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA), Mr Gianni Infantino, has been reelected to begin his second term as the head of the world’s football governing body.
This came during the 73rd FIFA Congress held in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, on Thursday.
He took over the reins from Mr Joseph Blatter, who had to leave the spot due to a scandal in 2016 but was officially elected for his first term in 2019, and upon this re-election, he can continue for another term in 2027 until 2031.
Speaking immediately after the re-election to serve from 2023 to 2027, President Infantino said, “Being FIFA President is an incredible honour, an incredible privilege, and it is also a great responsibility. I am truly humbled and touched by your support, and I promise you that I will continue serving FIFA, serving football all over the world, and serving all 211 FIFA member associations.”
It was the first time in its history that an elective FIFA Congress took place in Africa, and the proceedings were opened by Mr Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda.
In his address, President Kagame welcomed delegates from the 208 gathered member associations to his country and congratulated President Infantino on his impending re-election.
The FIFA President stressed FIFA’s role in organising competitions and developing football.
The President revealed that the 32-team FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand later this year would receive an extensive increase in prize money to over $150 million – more than three times the value from the last tournament in 2019 and 10 times more than in 2015.
President Infantino also referenced impending changes to the FIFA Under-17 World Cups at the boys’ and girls’ level, which will see those tournaments played on an annual basis, as well as the launch of the FIFA World Series and the revised 32-team FIFA Club World Cup, with the intention of giving teams from every confederation more opportunities to compete on the global stage.
Continued good governance was also a key pledge – including additional changes to the transfer system and a continued commitment to financial sustainability across the football pyramid.
For the next financial cycle, he made the commitment of $11 billion in revenue over the next four years, which represents a substantial increase on the initial target of $6.4 billion from the previous cycle and an increase on the $7.5 billion in revenue which was eventually reported.
Have you ever wondered who the world’s most successful sports bettors are? Are they modern-day Great Gatsby, extravagant millionaires, tech gurus, or analysts?
Sports betting is a multibillion-dollar industry. The world’s most successful sports bettors demonstrate big money involved in the sector by betting amounts on the top gambling platforms like betway, etc. Stay with us as we list out the top sports bettors of the world and walk you through the characteristics that define them.
Parlay Patz
Ben Patz, also known as Parlay Patz because of his successful parlay betting, was born in 1996 and began sports betting as soon as he was of legal gambling age. Patz, an American University of Paris and Columbia Business School graduate, realized early in his career that teams were more concerned with winning the game than with scoring points, so betting money came naturally to him.
Tony Bloom
Tony Bloom is a British professional sports bettor known as “The Lizzard” due to his cold-blooded approach to betting; as an industry veteran, Tony competed in the world’s most prestigious poker competitions.
The Lizzard is said to have won up to $1 million in a single football game. Bloom is now the owner of the English football club Brighton & Hove Albion and a key figure at StarLizard, the UK’s betting syndicate and consultancy firm.
Zlatko Ranogajec
Zeljko Ranogajec, born in Australia, is best known for his horse-betting activities. Zeljko is said to bet on every thoroughbred horse race in Australia. The billionaire employs computer technology to queue bets in the TAB system just seconds before the race begins. This way, he ensures that other bettors do not copy him and that bookmakers do not profit from the tumbling odds he generates.
Marco D’Angelo
Marco D’Angelo has been betting since the 1980s. He moved to Las Vegas in 2008 and rose to prominence in 2010 when he established one of the longest-documented streaks in baseball betting. The 25 consecutive games he won resulted in a massive profit.
Marco is well-liked for his openness and willingness to assist other bettors and show them his tricks. His betting strategy is based on a percentage system, as he always bets a small portion of his budget to avoid losses. He likes playing on Betway and other leading betting platforms.
Bottom Line
The Rise of Sports Betting in Nigeria is fuelled by many such sports bettors worldwide. People who want to make it big in the betting arena can learn a lot from the insight and traits of these betting legends.
