tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69794481224622153082024-03-12T16:56:13.280-07:00Brand InfoBrandinfohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04019113678108351672noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6979448122462215308.post-89345745671242241552023-11-07T23:17:00.002-08:002023-11-07T23:17:09.628-08:00Ring Matadors: Promoter Agba promises fireworks<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm93TMQrW8rCcjSyC-JJqPryxexyubrK6hA3z2x3KOsVXB3d6QlSpaI1BybE0rQVZjIhbvZLgBC6EnVxBTRIfkJM8QwaPzfW-HfD5M722lQmqAAn-yjyoJwOuSEsQoWo0WgUs9MXDzir4r9I4hLNgyShGk60tALmb5UZDDF6HOH6UmKEIxEpeUDtkiTgEu/s456/nn(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="343" data-original-width="456" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm93TMQrW8rCcjSyC-JJqPryxexyubrK6hA3z2x3KOsVXB3d6QlSpaI1BybE0rQVZjIhbvZLgBC6EnVxBTRIfkJM8QwaPzfW-HfD5M722lQmqAAn-yjyoJwOuSEsQoWo0WgUs9MXDzir4r9I4hLNgyShGk60tALmb5UZDDF6HOH6UmKEIxEpeUDtkiTgEu/s320/nn(1).png" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: left;">Emeka Agba</span></span></div><p></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>President</b> of the Emeka Agba Foundation, boxing promoter, Emeka Agba has promised excitement and fireworks at his inagural boxing night tagged ‘Ring Matadors’ coming up on November 12 at the Brai Ayonote Boxing Gym, National Stadium, Lagos. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“This is going to be our first outing ant it promises to be fun and exciting. Above all, it is not going to be our last, we continue to improve day in day out but come to this one and see what we have to show for the first try. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“I have charged my boxers to excite the fans, I told them to give their best and I know they will not disappoint me so come and be entertained. This will not be our best but it will be the best we can do now,” Agba said. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Dr. Rafiu Ladipo, the President of the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control, has expressed his appreciation for the Emeka Agba Boxing Promotions as a welcome addition to the Nigerian boxing industry.<br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“We are happy to announce to the public another boxing promoter joining the ever-growing list of boxing promoters in the country. We are proud of our achievements as we are determined to take boxing to the next level. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“We have a growing number of 167 promoters in the country as we speak, and we can only ask for more to come and join the moving train.” Ladipo said. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The General Secretary of the NBBofC disclosed that there will be six bouts on Sunday stating that the main fight will be the cruiserweight fight between Amuel Ebhohan and Godwin Ambrose. There will also be clashes in the welterweight and lightweight categories.<br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Agba then added that boxing was his favourite sports and would love to develop home grown boxers that would one day contend for world boxing heavyweight bouts at the international level. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“I will love to take boxing in Nigeria to the next level, I want to see the next Anthony Joshua and Efe Ajagba from my own camp,” he said. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“After this event on Sunday, I am going to pick the best from these boxers to fight under my camp and management and we will train them with the aim of growing world champions among them.” <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">He called on all stakeholders and lovers of the sport to support the initiative, which he said was the sure way of taking youths off the streets and giving them a good source of income to take good care of their families. <br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Punch </span></p>Brandinfohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04019113678108351672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6979448122462215308.post-23500198615670009362023-10-09T00:57:00.008-07:002023-10-09T00:57:59.919-07:00Turkey to bid for Euro 2032 hosting right<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg20hKuCdbcXTGkN7T5B7tdP0RzbjGnvjpGiF3WWItFtJVScLuY7WcgPq36cL8NFXKq1uW432dPHkF-YzqGFArfHpxLiQ7afuid_v5sgxSN90CF5NDNh9vSNOBoNObmerOw8b5PvK-JkWLZwWHbvLaGFT8x2LGTYXwVuuyzBRD7hJzMu0ui91ZSyXkL8UhB/s440/turkey.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="293" data-original-width="440" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg20hKuCdbcXTGkN7T5B7tdP0RzbjGnvjpGiF3WWItFtJVScLuY7WcgPq36cL8NFXKq1uW432dPHkF-YzqGFArfHpxLiQ7afuid_v5sgxSN90CF5NDNh9vSNOBoNObmerOw8b5PvK-JkWLZwWHbvLaGFT8x2LGTYXwVuuyzBRD7hJzMu0ui91ZSyXkL8UhB/s320/turkey.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: left;">Turkey flag</span></div><p></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">After four failed bids in the recent past, Turkey is finally set to be awarded the hosting rights for a major international football tournament this week when UEFA decides where Euro 2032 will be staged. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has long dreamt of hosting one of the world’s most prestigious sporting events. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Now he is set to finally get the chance, despite the country being mired in an economic crisis with the annual inflation rate hovering near 60 percent. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">On Tuesday, UEFA’s executive committee meets to announce the hosts for the 2028 and 2032 European Championships.<br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Large Imported Petrol Consignment To Hit Nigeria | Punch<br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Turkey withdrew its bid to host in 2028 in order to focus all its efforts on a united proposal with Italy to stage the tournament four years later. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">That bid has no rivals. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Erdogan is not feigning an interest in what is Turkey’s most popular sport — in his younger years he played at a semi-professional level and he is an avowed supporter of Fenerbahce, the Istanbul giants who are one of the country’s biggest clubs.<br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Winning the right to host the biggest sporting event in Europe would be one of the crowning moments of his time in power. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It would also be highly symbolic in political terms. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“In modern times, sport has always been perceived as a means for Turkey to forge its own legitimacy and compete equally with the rest of the western world,” says Daghan Irak, a lecturer in media communication at the University of Huddersfield in England. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Erdogan has not diverted from that historic strategy.” <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Erdogan became prime minister at the end of 2002, at the same time Turkey’s joint bid with Greece — during a period of improving relations between the two countries — to host Euro 2008 failed. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">UEFA awarded that tournament to Austria and Switzerland. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Turkey then went out on its own in a bid to host Euro 2012, only to miss out to a joint Ukraine-Poland candidacy, while in 2016 it lost out to France.<br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– Human rights concerns – </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">They then missed out to Germany for Euro 2024, with UEFA’s evaluation of the bid highlighting concerns about the country’s “lack of an action plan in the area of human rights”. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">After four failed attempts, and having joined forces with Italy, the lack of any rival contenders means Turkey is now sure to get its chance. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">That is despite human rights concerns still lingering following Erdogan’s re-election as President in May — he has not shown any clemency towards, or announced an amnesty for, tens of thousands of political opponents who have been imprisoned. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Turkey’s Court of Cassation recently upheld a sentence of life imprisonment for Osman Kavala, a benefactor and philanthropist accused of financing anti-government protests in 2013. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Kavala will serve his sentence in isolation and has no possibility of early release. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Unfortunately these actions continue to undermine Turkey’s prospects of joining the EU,” said Nacho Sanchez Amor, the European Parliament’s rapporteur on Turkey.<br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Previous Turkish bids have also fallen down due to questions about stadiums in the country. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">However, that is no longer a problem according to Bagis Erten, a contributor to Socrates magazine who teaches sports communication at Kadir Has University in Istanbul. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“If the AKP (the ruling party since 2002) know how to do one thing, it is build,” he says. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“They love that! We really have a lot of good stadiums now.” <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Erten cites examples in medium-sized cities like Trabzon, on the Black Sea, Konya and Eskisehir in Central Anatolia, and Izmir, the country’s third-largest city, situated on the Aegean Sea coast. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Our stadiums are now better prepared than in a lot of other countries,” he adds. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">He believes Turkey could not bid to host a global event like the Olympics, “but it is absolutely in a position to host the Euro, in economic and security terms as well as for it’s footballing culture and the crowds that go to matches”.<br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"> </p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In June it hosted the UEFA Champions League final, when Manchester City beat Inter Milan at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Turkey is ready now,” Erten insists. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">And in terms of integration into Europe, Irak adds, “it is much easier for Erdogan’s Turkey to organise an international football tournament than to respect the verdicts of the European Court of Human Rights”. <br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Punch</span><br />
</p>Brandinfohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04019113678108351672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6979448122462215308.post-26205858272322568702023-02-17T00:01:00.001-08:002023-02-17T00:01:08.727-08:00Arsenal take title fight to Villa after Man City loss<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEV_Zidy1C8sbFjv6I5TPzcjbVlXd7qxJvtrQPw5uDyv2lxRo__J4Emb_fPxMzp2uz2xfu0n8fnFLTteb9gSAlNPuR1jP8QtmxQrsOdr7KQ_8omctJivr9HEhHwYv1rhHYGnzD_K3zMV0vP7Th6tpm8whYaE0VinKnwhYr0DFNHMe6EN0rCcGxGA1jEA/s768/skysports-arsenal-emirates-stadium_5323935-768x432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="768" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEV_Zidy1C8sbFjv6I5TPzcjbVlXd7qxJvtrQPw5uDyv2lxRo__J4Emb_fPxMzp2uz2xfu0n8fnFLTteb9gSAlNPuR1jP8QtmxQrsOdr7KQ_8omctJivr9HEhHwYv1rhHYGnzD_K3zMV0vP7Th6tpm8whYaE0VinKnwhYr0DFNHMe6EN0rCcGxGA1jEA/s320/skysports-arsenal-emirates-stadium_5323935-768x432.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Arsenal have no time to lick their wounds after losing top spot in the Premier League to Manchester City as the Gunners aim to snap a four-game winless streak at Aston Villa on Saturday. </span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">City must end Nottingham Forest’s five-month unbeaten run at the City Ground in the league if they are to maintain their momentum toward a fifth title in six seasons.Liverpool’s trip to Newcastle could have big implications on who finishes in the top four come the end of the season, while there is a huge relegation six-pointer at the bottom as Leeds visit Everton. </span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">AFP Sport looks at some of the key talking points ahead of the weekend’s action. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: 1.40em;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">– Arteta still believes –</span></b></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Arsenal’s unbeaten home record came to end on Wednesday as City stormed the Emirates 3-1 and went top for the first time since November in the process.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">After dropping just seven points in their opening 19 league games, Arsenal have let eight slip away in the last three following defeat at Everton and a controversial 1-1 draw with Brentford. </span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“I have more belief than I had before the game,” said a defiant Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta after losing to City. </span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“With the performance and the level the team put in, we had the feeling we could beat them. Until the second goal we had them.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“But we gave them three goals and the game at the end. Certain errors at this level, you can’t make. At the same time, the team put the level very high.” </span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">City lead only on goal difference and Arsenal still have a game in hand on their title rivals. </span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Victory at Villa Park would right the ship for Arteta’s men, but there are fears fatigue and injuries are beginning to hamper a young squad. </span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Influential midfielder Thomas Partey is expected to miss Saturday’s clash due to a muscle injury, while Gabriel Jesus remains out injured. </span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: 1.40em;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">Last chance for Liverpool?</span></b></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: 1.40em;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></b></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Liverpool’s first league victory of 2023 against Everton on Monday night brought the Reds back into contention for a top-four finish. </span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Jurgen Klopp’s men still have a lot of ground to make up if they are to qualify for the Champions League for a seventh consecutive season. </span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Liverpool are nine points behind fourth-placed Newcastle but have a game in hand on the Magpies and the chance to cut that gap at St. James’ Park on Saturday.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Newcastle’s only league defeat of the season so far came at Anfield in August. </span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But five draws in their last six games have slowed their charge towards a place in the Champions League for the first time in 20 years. </span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: 1.40em;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">– Everton back to earth –</span></b></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: 1.40em;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></b></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: 1.40em;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></b></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">An upturn in form for West Ham, Wolves and Leicester means it is increasingly likely that one if not both Leeds and Everton face the drop. </span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Toffees were brought back to reality in the Merseyside derby on Monday after shocking Arsenal in Sean Dyche’s first game in charge. </span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Everton’s struggle for goals will not be helped by the continued absence of Dominic Calvert-Lewin due to a hamstring injury. </span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“The Arsenal game’s a reminder of the quality that is here,” said Dyche. “Of course the striking department has got less options that you would like in the Premier League, and especially for a club of this size and the expectation of its fans.” </span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Leeds remain in the caretaker charge of Michael Skubala after failing to land a series of targets to replace Jesse Marsch as manager.</span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Skubala oversaw two positive performances against Manchester United last week, but they only reaped one point as Leeds remain without a league win since November. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Fixtures (all times GMT)</b> </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Saturday </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Aston Villa v Arsenal (1230), Brentford v Crystal Palace, Brighton v Fulham, Chelsea v Southampton, Everton v Leeds, Nottingham Forest v Man City, Wolves v Bournemouth (all 1500), Newcastle v Liverpool (1730) </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Sunday</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Man Utd v Leicester (1400), Tottenham v West Ham (1630) (Punch)</span></p>Brandinfohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04019113678108351672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6979448122462215308.post-31971495240386247862023-02-08T00:34:00.003-08:002023-02-08T00:34:56.276-08:00Bigi refreshing soft drinks unveils new mantra - 'Bigi for every moment’<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizjCdfuB4YEypN60yygCg8DAUytnAkJtNFJX17fqOhrkn8hDiCQd0GOW_0JrLDla0m2OtkmIbFpuYqrYilR9Pex_lD86lVDBSSt-yFWT5vyupaNIsXbcCtT6prECJviJ1U7xlVJVcdV46Kygl0-OHwu-T_rPDUIMSBNsjzJ_VUsOQ91L-j5i6tvmTwqQ/s1000/Bigi%20for%20Every%20Moment%20Pix.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1000" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizjCdfuB4YEypN60yygCg8DAUytnAkJtNFJX17fqOhrkn8hDiCQd0GOW_0JrLDla0m2OtkmIbFpuYqrYilR9Pex_lD86lVDBSSt-yFWT5vyupaNIsXbcCtT6prECJviJ1U7xlVJVcdV46Kygl0-OHwu-T_rPDUIMSBNsjzJ_VUsOQ91L-j5i6tvmTwqQ/s320/Bigi%20for%20Every%20Moment%20Pix.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.746px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 26.404px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Bigi carbonated soft drink produced by Rite Foods Limited, a world-class and Proudly-Nigerian company, that revitalises consumers with its 13 variants, has unveiled a new mantra, Bigi for Every Moment' as the most refreshing brand that suits all occasions.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.746px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 26.404px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.746px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 26.404px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.746px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 26.404px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The new slogan highlights the idea that there is a perfect flavour to suit every moment for all demographics, whether for a celebration or a relaxing mood, and it is suitable for all events.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.746px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 26.404px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.746px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 26.404px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.746px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 26.404px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Assistant Brand Manager; Bigi, Biola Aransiola, affirmed that there is a Bigi variant for everyone at all times, whether young or old, to keep them excited with their unique flavours.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.746px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 26.404px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.746px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 26.404px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.746px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 26.404px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">"Bigi products are leaders in flavour innovation, and the different variants are well produced to satisfy our consumers hence the brand is a pacesetter in the beverage industry," she avowed.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.746px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 26.404px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.746px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 26.404px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.746px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 26.404px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Termed as Naija's favourites by consumers and with its larger market share, the Bigi variants include the Bigi Cola, Bigi Cherry Cola, Bigi Cola (zero sugar), Bigi Ginger Ale, Bigi Orange, Bigi Apple, Bigi Bitter Lemon, Bigi Soda Water, Bigi Lemon & Lime, Bigi Tropical, Bigi Chapman, Bigi Ginger Lemon, and Bigi Tamarind.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.746px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 26.404px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.746px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 26.404px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.746px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 26.404px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Bigi Cola is dubbed "Mr. Cool", while the Bigi Apple is termed the "Show Stopper", and the Bigi Chapman is "Sharp Man"</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.746px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 26.404px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.746px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 26.404px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.746px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 26.404px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Bigi Tropical has the communication slogan "Adeventurer" the Bigi Bitter Lemon "Wise One" the Bigi Lemon & Lime, "The Twin" Bigi Orange, "Fab One" Bigi Soda, "The Difference" Bigi Tamarind, "Legend" and the Bigi Cherry Cola stands for "Freshest." Also, the Bigi Ginger Lemon is identified with the slogan "Double Team" and the Bigi Ginger Ale with a wonderful product catchphrase “Mild One”.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.746px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 26.404px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.746px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 26.404px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.746px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 26.404px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Given the brand's uniqueness, Bigi Cola in 2022, won "The Fastest Growing Cola Brand of the Year" at the Marketing Edge Brands and Advertising Excellence Awards held in Lagos. Bigi also clinched the "Most Outstanding CSD Brand of the Year" at the Brandcom 2021 Awards, for its market leadership position in the beverage industry, surpassing its competitors in that category.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.746px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 26.404px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.746px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 26.404px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.746px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 26.404px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The brand's viable marketing activities in connecting with its consumers have been felt in the entertainment and sport sector, where talents are discovered and nurtured for human and national development.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.746px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 26.404px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In the area of sports development, the Bigi brand sponsored the Ijebu Heritage Half Marathon, the Abeokuta King's Golf Tournament, and the Abeokuta 10 km Marathon, all in 2021, where it rejuvenated the athletes with the vigor needed. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.746px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 26.404px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.746px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 26.404px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.746px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 26.404px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It powered the growth of the entertainment industry through the sponsorship of the "Prophetess Movie Premiere" and that of the "Progressive Tailors Club" movie held at the Filmhouse Cinemas IMAX, Lekki, Lagos.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.746px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 26.404px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.746px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 26.404px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.746px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 26.404px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Bigi also made movie viewing more exciting with its partnership with Silverbird Cinemas nationwide to provide refreshing moments with its Bigi variants to movie lovers while watching their favourite films.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.746px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 26.404px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.746px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 26.404px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.746px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 26.404px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In furtherance of its marketing consumer connection, the premium brand has sponsored the Nigerian Idol an international musical star discovery platform for young Nigerian artists in 2021, 2022 and having a major comeback in 2023.</span></span></p>Brandinfohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04019113678108351672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6979448122462215308.post-31797605431260186172023-01-18T00:24:00.001-08:002023-01-18T00:24:13.597-08:00Daniel: Young gymnast thriving in lions den<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMmHg_krKX59Q4BdL20KIEY8ySP-gkV_lCFqnIczvvnivaP5Q_1A98IN4aGbNnaM4Qw2q14JmTgQFHCQRlKNX8Qr8BaOJv67SieEIUzJBcabfH1Ezu5VtM5KyEtc79WHUmIFfX93AAcD_YcmzLIlB0-WR7Z0IM10wNKIZ_ngZjimzkomYMbFjqAGuzhA/s700/DIDA-DANIEL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="700" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMmHg_krKX59Q4BdL20KIEY8ySP-gkV_lCFqnIczvvnivaP5Q_1A98IN4aGbNnaM4Qw2q14JmTgQFHCQRlKNX8Qr8BaOJv67SieEIUzJBcabfH1Ezu5VtM5KyEtc79WHUmIFfX93AAcD_YcmzLIlB0-WR7Z0IM10wNKIZ_ngZjimzkomYMbFjqAGuzhA/s320/DIDA-DANIEL.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>American</b> mezzo-soprano opera singer Marilyn Horne once said, “You have to know exactly what you want out of your career. If you want to be a star, you don’t bother with other things.” <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The story of Dida Daniel, an eight-year-old gymnast, is no different from the assertion of the 89-year-old singer. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The youngster like most other kids picked interest in gymnastics after watching American gymnast Simone Biles, someone she regards as her role model. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“I watched Biles on television and I loved her moves, then I started to practice it,” Dida told <i>PUNCH Sports Extra</i>.<br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“For me, she is the best and I hope I can get to be like her and grow to become one of the best in the world.” <br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ubi David, Dida’s father, told <i>PUNCH Sports Extra</i> how his daughter embarked on the journey to becoming a gymnast. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“We saw the interest she had for gymnastics when she was just two, then she would try standing on her toes and turning on the chairs,” he said.<br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“We had to clear the sitting room for her to demonstrate and also got her a swing to practice with. By the time she turned three, we discovered that she was really interested in gymnastics, she watched a lot of the sport. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“I started looking for how to enrol her until I saw coach Tony Asuquo on a TV programme, I had to come to Abuja to look for him and ever since she has been practicing here, she has really improved and I want to thank the coach and his team for their efforts.” <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ubi also opened up on the sacrifices to help the protégé achieve her dream. <br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“We saw how passionate she is and we are trying to encourage her. There are days she would beg me to allow her to sleep in the gym because she doesn’t want to be late for practice because we stay in Orozo, which is very far from Abuja and I equally have to stay back and so we both sleep in the gym on some occasions.” <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Currently considered the best gymnast at her level, Dida, despite her young age, defied the odds to attain the level she is currently. <br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“The rise of Dida is something that has surprised many of us despite her young age,” Anthony Asuquo, her coach told <i>PUNCH Sports Extra</i>. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“She comes all the way from Nyanya-Karshi, Nasarawa to Abuja to train despite the challenges facing her parents. There are times we would get to the gym very early in the morning and we will meet her sleeping on the lockers before we later found out that she told the parents that she doesn’t mind sleeping in the gym to meet up with practice. I have never seen such commitment from a young girl before.”<br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">According to Asuquo, the only Nigerian coach certified by Federation of International Gymnastics in Aerobic and Artistic gymnastics, Daniel, has surpassed Stephanie Onusiriuka, the country’s best at the Junior Olympics level. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Dida is improving and getting better on a daily basis and right now she is a little bit above Stephanie,” he added. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">For Dida, the journey to achieving her dream has not been smooth due to financial challenges. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“She is without any exposure, she is yet to attend any event, but we can tell how good and talented she is,” Asuquo added. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“There is a tournament coming up in Singapore but she can’t attend because we couldn’t get her a sponsor and it hurts. We hope we can get her sponsors to help her travel and develop her potential.” <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Faith is founded upon the sacrifices and courage of people like the biblical Daniel, who was delivered from lions in miraculous circumstances. Because of Daniel’s faith and testimony, he was thrown into the den, but the lions didn’t devour him. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In life, trials and challenges will always surface, sometimes from nowhere, but in every case, your deliverance is determined by your faith and determination to keep going.<br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This Daniel from Cross River state, like her biblical counterpart, is not giving up despite the lions life has thrown on her part. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In her case, she’s applying balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance, key elements of gymnastics to weave her way through to global reckoning and perhaps surpass her role model Biles. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Gymnastics is fun, I just want to enjoy it right now and hopefully I will be able to attend events and become great,” she said.(Punch)<br /><br /></span><br /></p>Brandinfohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04019113678108351672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6979448122462215308.post-48307580396181505782023-01-18T00:11:00.001-08:002023-01-18T00:11:01.998-08:00British billionaire declares interest in buying Man United<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-3aFh-hotLPr7zwhOYy-DkzSBLJ3PmaPqevmVSNrgJNS2Zn_dEWDFJyjFBvTaUUVVMNTuimysfzZ7P5dyAe-R9bGgjkauk7a0X2YCTpZ2t_lXeKpoUPSM-HOVFW869BeZVPdciJETdsTeQVVWBFhGcQIil8X845bTP_KBaFmwN9E4MuAhS_lsGWlh8g/s768/Manchester-United-768x372.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="372" data-original-width="768" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-3aFh-hotLPr7zwhOYy-DkzSBLJ3PmaPqevmVSNrgJNS2Zn_dEWDFJyjFBvTaUUVVMNTuimysfzZ7P5dyAe-R9bGgjkauk7a0X2YCTpZ2t_lXeKpoUPSM-HOVFW869BeZVPdciJETdsTeQVVWBFhGcQIil8X845bTP_KBaFmwN9E4MuAhS_lsGWlh8g/s320/Manchester-United-768x372.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">British billionaire Jim Ineos company officially joined the race to buy Manchester United on Tuesday. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">United’s owners, the Glazer family, said they were willing to listen to offers for the Premier League club in November and Ratcliffe is keen to strike a deal. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Boyhood United fan Ratcliffe, who made an unsuccessful £4.25 billion ($5.2 billion) bid to buy Chelsea last year, has long been linked with the Old Trafford outfit.<br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“I can confirm that we have formally put ourselves into the process,” an Ineos spokesman told AFP.<br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">After failing with his Chelsea takeover when Roman Abramovich sold the Blues to American tycoon Todd Boehly and his consortium, Ratcliffe is back in the hunt for a Premier League giant. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">United have yet to comment on the news of the 70-year-old’s interest in taking over from the United States-based Glazers. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But, born in Failsworth, Greater Manchester, Ratcliffe is one of Britain’s richest men and might be more palatable to the United support than the Glazers, who have experienced numerous fan protests during their troubled reign.<br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Glazers, who completed a leveraged takeover of the club in 2005, have proved deeply unpopular with supporters due to the team’s declining fortunes on the pitch in recent years. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Their purchase of United also saddled the club with huge debts and they have long been accused of taking more out financially than they have invested in terms of transfer funds. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Glazers further angered United fans by backing the failed European Super League project in April 2021 which would have led to the club joining a breakaway competition. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A statement from United in November said the board will “consider all strategic alternatives, including new investment into the club, a sale, or other transactions involving the company”. <br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">United have not won the Premier League since 2013 and their last major trophy came six years ago. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">After a dismal sixth-place finish in the Premier League last season, United have been revitalised by boss Erik ten Hag and sit fourth in the table after beating arch rivals Manchester City 2-1 on Saturday. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: 1.40em;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">– ‘One of the biggest sports brands’ –</span></b></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ineos is keen to expand a sporting portfolio which already includes ownership of French side Nice and Swiss team FC Lausanne-Sport, as well as the cycling team Ineos Grenadiers, formerly Team Sky.<br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ratcliffe may face competition from Saudi Arabian investors after the country’s sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal said in November there “could” be interest in buying United and Liverpool, who are also up for sale. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">American investment firm Raine Group, who handled Chelsea’s sale, are exclusively advising United, who are valued at around £5 billion. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ratcliffe’s entry into the bidding process came just hours after United legend Peter Schmeichel defended the club’s decision to set up a luxury lounge at the World Economic Forum in Davos. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Positioned near global software companies, consultancies and banks, the club has created a lounge on the main high street of Davos, a luxury Swiss ski resort teeming with billionaires and CEOs this week during the annual Forum. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“If you look at what we say about ourselves — we say that we are one of the biggest sporting brands in the world — then I think you have to back it up by having a presence in places like this,” Schmeichel, who is acting as an ambassador, told AFP. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Schmeichel, who won five Premier League titles and the Champions League with United, said his personal preference would be for fans to buy the club, but he conceded that this was an unlikely outcome. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“I know there’s a lot of fans who are wanting a change in ownership,” he said.<br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“For me… would it make a difference to change the ownership? I think the only difference would be if it was owned by the fans, but I think that’s probably impossible. It’s too big.” (Punch)</span><br /></p>Brandinfohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04019113678108351672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6979448122462215308.post-57321071970644115382023-01-14T07:40:00.003-08:002023-01-14T07:40:54.287-08:00Kenya suspends 16 players, coaches for match fixing<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_kpitx78RZ8Am6-3jchr0bnUV4YscjGVVBXYSRZZ9hEp7tWJGm4D0roHRNrSj1l2BGjH6KPXDwqZSUWDlbL9oc63UdsFWjft8XTmONp2Rbmt7U-Q9L_AKjy2kDTt76QrGhIoHi9Ej2Fatr305RjgKG15Do4Cc9giq10IF-qtSh5dxT2kXiNxqrRszQ/s752/kenyan_premier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="752" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_kpitx78RZ8Am6-3jchr0bnUV4YscjGVVBXYSRZZ9hEp7tWJGm4D0roHRNrSj1l2BGjH6KPXDwqZSUWDlbL9oc63UdsFWjft8XTmONp2Rbmt7U-Q9L_AKjy2kDTt76QrGhIoHi9Ej2Fatr305RjgKG15Do4Cc9giq10IF-qtSh5dxT2kXiNxqrRszQ/s320/kenyan_premier.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Football Kenya Federation has suspended 14 players and two coaches for match fixing after receiving a tip-off about cheating in the national league. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Among those suspended on Friday were six players from Zoo Kericho FC, which was found guilty of match-fixing by FIFA’s integrity unit in 2021 and expelled from the Kenyan Premier League. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The federation said it had suspended those accused, including one player from reigning Kenyan premiership side Tusker until the matter was formally investigated. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Football Kenya Federation has received confidential reports alleging the involvement of various players and officials in match-fixing activities,” it said in a statement.<br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“In an effort to protect the integrity of the league…the federation has with immediate effect provisionally suspended these individuals pending the investigations of the matter by the FIFA and FKF integrity department.” <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In February 2020, FIFA banned four Kenyan players – one for life – for taking place in an “international conspiracy” to fix league matches. <br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Five Kenyan referees were later suspended over the same scandal.<br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Kenya only returned to international football in November after being suspended by FIFA in February 2022 because of government interference in the sport. (Punch)</span></p>Brandinfohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04019113678108351672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6979448122462215308.post-74022106155021171672022-05-26T02:33:00.000-07:002022-05-26T02:33:11.472-07:00Entertainer Bovi Ugboma becomes GoAmbassador; advocates meaningful Youth Participation in the 2023 General Elections.<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBQnNAT-BF3uqdWDgF4HfN8avqHfNQS50VUsVukJNZyOpfpZyaDsfbgdUohpJ2hcDWAweS4y6SGAS_yoStCbgCj7hTivX7N9-5GroVYCXGJcC4fimKqHyZssChIBVr858iFhBJJh1GT_mfDB-jOLKH7EPvzYKH_DLrj_qnDzJDQEmbkxTyVP8qNn4MEA/s614/Bovi.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="614" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBQnNAT-BF3uqdWDgF4HfN8avqHfNQS50VUsVukJNZyOpfpZyaDsfbgdUohpJ2hcDWAweS4y6SGAS_yoStCbgCj7hTivX7N9-5GroVYCXGJcC4fimKqHyZssChIBVr858iFhBJJh1GT_mfDB-jOLKH7EPvzYKH_DLrj_qnDzJDQEmbkxTyVP8qNn4MEA/s320/Bovi.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ace Entertainer, Bovi Ugboma has joined other distinguished celebrities in endorsing the GoNigeria advocacy campaign for effective youth participation in the country's electoral processes re the 2023 General elections. He is the latest GoAmbassador and is helping to intensify the enlightenment initiative in the actualization of better outcomes from the forthcoming elections.<br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Entertainer and latest GoAmbassador’s appointment is coming at a time the public enlightenment campaign themed GoNigeria, an advocacy to sensitize Nigerian youths to participate in the electoral process, is gaining greater momentum in the run up to INEC's 30 June, 2022 deadline for voter registration.<br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">GoAmbassadors are celebrities and outstanding people in various endeavours that include the arts, sciences, entertainment, tech professionals, performing artists, sport persons, innovators and social advocates, who have all bought into the GoNigeria initiative and are helping to deepen the conversation on this very important national issue that is of utmost importance for Nigerian youths.<br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Anap Foundation have been partnering with celebrities (GoAmbassadors) who wield an appreciable fan base and/or followership on social media with a strong voice and influence on young people through what they do. The overall aim is to encourage Nigerian youths to register and vote en-masse in the 2023 General Elections. Hence, Bovi Ugboma’s addition to the growing list of GoAmbassadors is a positive development that will add great value to the works of the foundation as the international entertainer’s social influence is expected to deepen the ongoing voter sensitisation campaign, which is aimed at getting the young demographic that constitutes over 80 percent of the electorate to become politically active and also, further stimulate their direct involvement in the 2023 general elections, thereby shaping the nation's political destiny. In his debut video for the GoNigeria advocacy campaign, Bovi uses comedy to ridicule a vote buying politician who pretends in public not to be seeking to buy votes, whilst actually seeking to do so in private.<br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">GoNigeria is an initiative of Anap Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to promoting good governance in Nigeria. Anap Foundation is partnering with enlightened celebrities (GoAmbassadors), corporate bodies eager to support the initiative via co-branding (GoPartners) as well as many enthusiastic young volunteers who will help to amplify the messaging to their age mates (GoVolunteers). The overall aim is to encourage Nigerian youths to register and vote en-masse in the 2023 General Elections.<br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The 18 Initial Advocates of the GoNigeria Movement are drawn from all the 6 geopolitical zones (3 from each zone). They are: Atedo Peterside (Convener), Aisha Yesufu, Nuruddeen Lemu, Dike Chukwumerije, Folarin Falana (Falz), Bishop Matthew Hassan-Kukah, Arunma Oteh, Hamzat Lawal, Tomiwa Aladekomo, Osita Chidoka, Dr. Tony Rapu, ‘Yemi Adamolekun, Muhammad Ali Pate, HH Muhammad Sanusi II, Dr. Salamatu Hussaini Suleiman, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, Ayisha Osori and Ibrahim Dahiru Waziri.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> <br />
To know more about Anap Foundation’s GoNigeria Initiative, visit: <a href="http://www.gonigeria.com/">www.GoNigeria.com</a></span></p>Brandinfohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04019113678108351672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6979448122462215308.post-24432121566472043292022-05-26T02:29:00.004-07:002022-05-26T02:29:58.423-07:00Heritage Bank leveraging technology to promote financial inclusion for inclusive growth<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4_GonOqN41jJ_elqnOFAuqiPr_91aWlSr9fY_-ee6TVEtLYUDBQq6sJ01M6Xg3VUS_BswEHodru7esjvOhJodRIe9COKgsiY1RgEhIusYF4dEmhp1hQUMVWrqDAAYfLgbo59irIyBc1-9kiRd11DyIa6W8T4Qy3ifEEJg1S_gnBJMhAuEwgw5pdf_Nw/s2000/MD-CEO's%20PIX.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1332" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4_GonOqN41jJ_elqnOFAuqiPr_91aWlSr9fY_-ee6TVEtLYUDBQq6sJ01M6Xg3VUS_BswEHodru7esjvOhJodRIe9COKgsiY1RgEhIusYF4dEmhp1hQUMVWrqDAAYfLgbo59irIyBc1-9kiRd11DyIa6W8T4Qy3ifEEJg1S_gnBJMhAuEwgw5pdf_Nw/s320/MD-CEO's%20PIX.jpg" width="213" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">In today’s world, making financial services accessible is fast becoming a key area of concern to policymakers for the well-known reason that it has far reaching economic implications. To this end, financial inclusion has assumed a greater level of importance due to its perceived relevance as catalyst for economic growth since it is critical for attaining inclusive growth in an economy. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">In 2012, Nigeria took major steps in its journey by launching the National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS). The main goal of the NFIS is to ensure that 80per cent of Nigerian adults are financially included by 2020. Before this, the formal use of financial services by the adult population stood at 36.3per cent in 2010. To achieve the 2020 goal, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) introduced strategies to spike innovation in the financial services sector in Nigeria and by 2017, one amongst the achievements was that the CBN had given over 20 licenses to mobile money operators, which has currently grown to 21.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">According to 2018 data from Enhancing Financial Innovation and Access (EFInA), 38.1million of Nigeria’s 106million (18years and above) adults or 36 percent of Nigerians remain completely financially excluded.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">In a recent survey by Augusto & Co on Consumer Digital Banking, only 34per cent of the respondents said they had experienced the service of digital banks. Only 17per cent of respondents above the age of 55 are aware of their services, while for people aged 41-54, the awareness rate stood at 31per cent. This spells the need to deepen the financial inclusion drive if Nigeria is to attain the NFIS target and accelerated economic growth.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The apex bank may have missed the 2020 target of 80 percent for financial inclusion, but it stands a better chance of meeting the target of 95per cent by 2024, as industry players have argued that to achieve the NFIS target for inclusive economic growth, the financial sector must strongly leverage technology (mobile and digital channels) to promote financial inclusion and enhance access to financial services for the unbanked and underserved segments of the population.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">One of the financial institutions that has continued to leverage on technology to revitalize the industry via deploying its huge resources and vast networks to deepen financial inclusion in the country for inclusive economic growth is Heritage Bank Plc, Nigeria’s most innovative banking service provider. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The MD/CEO of Heritage Bank, Ifie Sekibo, affirmed that banks cannot push financial inclusion unless they also push secured technology inclusion.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">According to him, Heritage Bank has continued to entrench financial inclusion across board via creating access to accounts and other financial products, savings, mobile money systems and payment systems that provide opportunities for financially excluded Nigerians and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Introducing HB API Sandbox & Banking as a service via One Pipe</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Bank launched an API Sandbox to accelerate the ideas of technology entrepreneurs to build innovative and commercially viable products that were birthed through HB LAB. This platform provides a suite of financial and non-financial APIs targeted to meet the needs of FinTech, Tech SMEs, and Communities. Our APIs grants Tech Companies, third-party developers, and non-Fintech companies access to multiple payments and financial services required by their customers.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Following the launch of HB’s API Sandbox, the Bank partnered with API aggregator Companies to extend the Bank’s API services to a wider audience, layering their value-added services to deliver our BaaS platform. Banking as a Service (BaaS/Open Banking) is an end-to-end business process that allows FinTech and other third-party service providers to offer core financial services to their customers by integrating with the Bank via our readily available APIs. This is a billed service that also provides relevant data insight required to pursue aggressive retail accounts acquisition by leveraging the aggregator robust retail prospect pipeline. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Redefining digital banking space with ‘Octiplus’ </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Sekibo promised that his bank would continue to drive financial inclusion through a robust, innovative, and advanced digital banking solution, ‘Octiplus’ which it recently launched.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Octiplus is a bank-agnostic, all-in-one digital banking application, which grants users access to a bouquet of financial, lifestyle and social networking features with the added convenience of converging card-based payments within one application irrespective of the issuing Nigerian bank. Ifie Sekibo stated that, “with Octiplus, we are redefining the concept of digital banking for the discerning mobile user, as the app is equipped with several exciting features that reiterate the bank’s commitment to expand its digital architecture and modernize its interactions with the banking public, irrespective of your preferred financial institution.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Octiplus promises an intelligent Omni-channel experience which augments the usual transactional features including bills payment, funds transfer and airtime recharge with its unique ability to facilitate person to person/group interactions which encourages small businesses and a thriving side hustle for young professionals. The App is now available for download on the Google and iOS App Stores.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Catching them young with HB BUD Account</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">HB Bud account is a savings account for children and the younger demographic aimed at introducing financial literacy and inclusion. The account can be opened in trust for a child by the parent/guardian who will be the primary account holder with the responsibility of running this account until their child attains adulthood and can solely operate their own accounts or possibly move to other age-appropriate products. This product was initially launched in 2014 as a unique proposition to cater mostly to the educational needs of children and young adults who are preparing and saving up for further education and, as well, deepen brand visibility and increase the bank’s market share. However, some operational exigencies and regulatory framework have necessitated the modification and adjustment of this product to serve the customers optimally. Children and teens from 0 to 18yrs are the target market. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The features are unique as outlined: Access to cash backed loan by parent/guardian/sponsor for school fees/education loan. You can access up to 70per cent of your balance held with the Bank as cash backed loan. The customer must have run the BUD account for a minimum of 6 months to access the cash backed loan. Ease of saving through standing order instructions. Access to exclusive events. Free participation in the BUD MINI career mentoring and coaching sessions once a year.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Opportunity to act as a Heritage Bank Executive Committee member for one day.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Catering for the unbanked via HB Starter Product </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is the banks flagship CBN KYC Tier 1 savings account to cater for the unbanked. It is a level 1 entry into savings account category in Nigeria, in which an individual can open without having the mandatory requirements/documents to open a standard or regular account in Nigeria. This is one way of ensuring that all citizens of Nigeria are financially included since the account can be opened with or without a smart phone at the bank or online. In essence, this type of savings account doesn’t require any utility bills, or even an ID to open.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Most people who fall under this category usually do not see the need to open an account because they find it easier to save whatever money they have in their houses. This category of people wants to avoid bulky manual account opening process and have a better time management. This product is very precise and requires minimum account opening documentation, also it can be done at the comfort of one’s home. Customers can in addition be assisted by the Bank’s relationship managers and sales teams. Also, customers can get on the bank’s website to initiate a new account opening process from start and receive the account number at the end of the process.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Product targeted at individuals across all market segments </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is known as HB Individual Current Account Product, which is a checking account for all individuals across market segments above the age of 18years. This account has been made seamless with unique features for individuals’ access to loan products, minimum balance of N0.00, No COT on all transaction, account opening balance N5, 000 and access to clearing check book.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Customization of payment gateway on HB CheckOut and Virtual Accounts</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Heritage CheckOut is a fully integrated payment processing platform with infrastructure for digital payments across Africa. Olusola Longe-Okenimkpe, Divisional Head, E-Business & Collections disclosed that the platform provides an underlying technology platform that allows businesses to receive and issue payments from anywhere in the world, with robust inbuilt fraud management, compliance, and security applications. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">She also defined Virtual Accounts as series of off-balance accounts whose total balance mirrors the balance in pool account. According to Olusola, pool account is linked to all the virtual accounts and the balance in the pool account mirrors the total balance in the virtual accounts.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Opportunities for financially excluded with HB Business Account</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Heritage Bank Business Account is a cost-effective current account that provides flexible, affordable, and transparent pricing grid based on debit monthly turnover covenant. The product is targeted at all Micro and Small Enterprises of SME and Retail segments. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ensuring seamless transaction using HB transfer code </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The transfer code *745# of Heritage bank guarantees seamless usages and reduces the stress of going to the branch of Heritage bank to make payment. Just like other banks, you can use Heritage bank mobile banking code which is *745# to check your account balance, transfer money to Heritage bank or other banks, pay for utility bills and cable TV subscription, pay for church’s services everywhere you are using your mobile phone.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Capturing educational sector via Alumni Banking service, Acada Portal Solution</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">To further capture individuals in educational sector into the financial inclusion space, Heritage Bank unveiled the Alumni Banking Service and Acada Portal Solution which are internet-based solutions that seamlessly integrate school’s portal and Alumni platforms that benefit the different stakeholders and complement efforts in attaining the best global practices in school management. Alumni Banking service is an educational provision by Heritage Bank that seeks to utilize and track, engage, endow, and invest a model to help secondary and tertiary educational institutions create modern alumni systems that contribute to their financial stability just like great alumni do in the best global schools.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Inclusion of creative industry, e-sport gaming on HB YNSPYRE Account</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">YNSPYRE Account is a product targeted specifically at the creative economy populated by not only youths in video and film, and music. It goes much more than that as it involves people in technology, the creative industry and gaming as part of the creative industry.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Addressing the press about the initiative in gaming as a creative endeavour, Dike Dimiri, Heritage Bank Regional Executive, Lagos, and South-West explained that the involvement of the bank is to identify income-earning opportunities for some people in the economy. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">According to him, “HB has designed a product that identifies and finds a mechanism that guides Nigerians in gaming or e-sports. The bank is set to revolutionize e-sports by bringing it to an acceptable level attained by football, lawn tennis and other crowd pulling games.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Heritage Bank is fast changing the narratives of the banking landscape through the adoption of more secured technology (product and channels) for seamless services that guarantee the larger part of the population is involved in economic activities as well as being financially included.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">For this to be effective, Sekibo affirmed that the population must access financial services and products which ensure that households and businesses irrespective of income levels have access to and can effectively use the appropriate financial facilities they need to improve their lives and further their savings and investments.</span></p><p><br /></p>Brandinfohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04019113678108351672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6979448122462215308.post-17609629272037570262022-05-10T23:40:00.002-07:002022-05-10T23:40:58.681-07:00CEO of the EBONYLIFE group Mo Abudu, becomes GoAmbassador; advocates youth participation in electoral processes re 2023 elections.<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpAwZ0yzcG0EuLXuIbnhIYwoPvIptKkcS_ZrxvDo8lH9p4g0IT88s6m4iP1mhliX1aqjf2FFraknyvRDaCxsLyocpB_Q0G5_10Mw_nDuTwc652cgLBrQAcrPqKCNzhcdob8jk97tGG9sKsIJ9KHyLHQmy8_STyzzLkGzURCfUdiuij9XQ-jzHKqRqUBw/s1000/Mo%20Abudu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="1000" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpAwZ0yzcG0EuLXuIbnhIYwoPvIptKkcS_ZrxvDo8lH9p4g0IT88s6m4iP1mhliX1aqjf2FFraknyvRDaCxsLyocpB_Q0G5_10Mw_nDuTwc652cgLBrQAcrPqKCNzhcdob8jk97tGG9sKsIJ9KHyLHQmy8_STyzzLkGzURCfUdiuij9XQ-jzHKqRqUBw/s320/Mo%20Abudu.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Mo Abudu, CEO of the EBONYLIFE Group has joined other distinguished citizens and celebrities in endorsing the GoNigeria advocacy campaign for effective youth participation in the country's electoral processes re the 2023 General Elections.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Mo Abudu's endorsement is coming at a time the public enlightenment campaign themed GoNigeria, an advocacy to sensitize Nigerian youths to participate in the electoral process, is gaining greater momentum in the run up to INEC's 30 June, 2022 deadline for voter registration.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">GoAmbassadors are celebrities and outstanding people in various endeavours that include the arts, sciences, entertainment, tech professionals, performing artists, sport persons, innovators and social advocates, who have all bought into the GoNigeria Initiative and are prepared to help to further deepen the conversation on this very important national issue of tackling voter apathy.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">GoNigeria has been partnering with celebrities (GoAmbassadors) who wield an appreciable fan base and/or followership on social media with a strong voice and influence on young people through what they do. The overall aim is to encourage Nigerian youths to register and vote en-masse in the 2023 General Elections. Hence, Mo Abudu’s addition to the growing GoAmbassadors' list is a positive development that will add great value to the works of the Initiative. The international Media mogul and CEO of the EBONYLIFE Group can help influence the target group i.e. youths aged 18 to 34 and her involvement is expected to deepen the ongoing voter sensitisation campaign, which is aimed at getting the young demographic that constitutes over 80 percent of the electorate to become politically active and also, further stimulate their direct involvement in the 2023 general elections, thereby helping to shape the nation's political destiny.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">GoNigeria is an initiative of Anap Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to promoting good governance in Nigeria. Anap Foundation is partnering with enlightened celebrities (GoAmbassadors), corporate bodies eager to support the initiative via co-branding (GoPartners) as well as many enthusiastic young volunteers who will help to amplify the messaging to their age mates (GoVolunteers). </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The overall aim of GoNigeria is to encourage Nigerian youths to register and vote en-masse in the 2023 General Elections. The 18 Initial Advocates of the GoNigeria Movement are drawn from all the 6 geopolitical zones (3 from each zone). They are: Atedo Peterside (Convener), Aisha Yesufu, Nuruddeen Lemu, Dike Chukwumerije, Folarin Falana (Falz), Bishop Matthew Hassan-Kukah, Arunma Oteh, Hamzat Lawal, Tomiwa Aladekomo, Osita Chidoka, Dr. Tony Rapu, ‘Yemi Adamolekun, Muhammad Ali Pate, HH Muhammad Sanusi II, Dr. Salamatu Hussaini Suleiman, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, Ayisha Osori and Ibrahim Dahiru Waziri.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">To know more about Anap Foundation’s GoNigeria Initiative, visit: <a href="http://www.gonigeria.com/">www.GoNigeria.com</a></span></p>Brandinfohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04019113678108351672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6979448122462215308.post-36313007954737220942022-05-05T04:34:00.004-07:002022-05-05T04:34:58.948-07:00Champions League: Why Man City lost to Real Madrid -Guardiola<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHuROyKjuXia5F4Gxegg71xq-b1UoLBROIDGMffdbc8BNeB4PChjKjidvaca2tq9arnRvkXss3dVqUdgphUY57TRWMl4bg0yxj3SPo9zGdWUVHCE4rYy4deAbjd1CFg6vQDzRQlD19t5iAlHp1DRWyOmb9MAQzwm4WpMO32Z9y6DaI6qJaU6hKXBZI-w/s558/Pep-Guardiola3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="558" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHuROyKjuXia5F4Gxegg71xq-b1UoLBROIDGMffdbc8BNeB4PChjKjidvaca2tq9arnRvkXss3dVqUdgphUY57TRWMl4bg0yxj3SPo9zGdWUVHCE4rYy4deAbjd1CFg6vQDzRQlD19t5iAlHp1DRWyOmb9MAQzwm4WpMO32Z9y6DaI6qJaU6hKXBZI-w/s320/Pep-Guardiola3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pep Guardiola</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola put his side’s latest Champions League collapse down to the unpredictability of football after Real Madrid produced a stunning late fightback to reach the final. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">City led 1-0 on the night at the Santiago Bernabeu and 5-3 on aggregate heading into the 90th minute before two goals in 88 seconds from substitute Rodrygo sent the game to extra time. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Karim Benzema then slotted home the winner from the penalty spot to send the 13-time winners into the final against Liverpool on May 28 in Paris. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">City on the other hand are still waiting to be crowned European champions despite the billions invested by the club’s Abu Dhabi-based owners over the past 14 years.<br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Guardiola’s men were left to rue a series of missed chances both in the first leg at the Etihad and after Riyad Mahrez had fired them into the lead 17 minutes from time. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“We didn’t play our best, but it is normal, in a semi-final, the players feel the pressure and wanting to do it,” Guardiola told BT Sport. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Football is unpredictable, it is a game like this. We have to accept it.” <br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Madrid also needed comebacks at the Bernabeu to see off Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea in the previous two rounds.<br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But the Spanish champions had not managed even a shot on target until Rodrygo turned the tie by flicking home Benzema’s cross. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Brazilian then rose highest to power home a header in the first minute of stoppage time. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“After we scored the goal we were better. We found out tempo and our game and the players were comfortable,” added Guardiola. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“It is not like in the last 10 minutes they attack and attack and you suffer. It didn’t happen. They put a lot of players in the box, with (Eder) Militao, Rodrygo, Vinicius (Junior), Benzema and they put in crosses and scored two goals.” </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">City need to get another painful European exit out of their system quickly if they are to avoid ending the season without a trophy for the first time in five years. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The English champions lead Liverpool by a point at the top of the Premier League with four games remaining.<br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Now we need to process that and come back with our people at home and the last four games we have,” said Guardiola, whose side host Newcastle on Sunday. (Punch)<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><br /></p>Brandinfohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04019113678108351672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6979448122462215308.post-60211851527037819362022-04-24T08:01:00.000-07:002022-04-24T08:01:00.927-07:00Fearless energy drink promotes physical fitness, donates equipment to Lagos State weightlifting association<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvy9-yl_uy1Zd4E4V9Ir-9yEHz-y0KHJwkJUAXpod25U20cosbyT8UMlWs4BUFiW8A0tVmPoCCz8RszPpb24V7glMzdMKstl4vJz5P4KMy1x4fN6cvzmJTmFjezsqU6rtAWGOecO0VgDc0MKobpjM_TBE_rDW2eW3uzlWAHV6VcTHXkAAFgZ9Ac39DPA/s3161/Lagos%20Weightlifting%20Association%20Pix%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3161" data-original-width="3119" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvy9-yl_uy1Zd4E4V9Ir-9yEHz-y0KHJwkJUAXpod25U20cosbyT8UMlWs4BUFiW8A0tVmPoCCz8RszPpb24V7glMzdMKstl4vJz5P4KMy1x4fN6cvzmJTmFjezsqU6rtAWGOecO0VgDc0MKobpjM_TBE_rDW2eW3uzlWAHV6VcTHXkAAFgZ9Ac39DPA/s320/Lagos%20Weightlifting%20Association%20Pix%201.jpg" width="316" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Left: Hon. Babatunde Tella, Board Member, Lagos State Weightlifting Association; with Olawale Odenusi, Web Developer, Rite Foods Limited; Kunle Komolafe, Chairman Lagos State Weightlifting Association; Abiola Aransiola, Content Creator, Rite Foods Limited; and Olumide Travih, Director, Technical Department, Lagos State Sports Commission; during the donation of gymnastics equipment by the Fearless Energy Drink Brand of Rite Foods to Lagos State Weightlifting Association, recently.<br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">…Commended by Lagos State Sports Commission</span></b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The award-winning Fearless energy drink brand from Rite Foods, a truly world-class company in Nigeria's food and beverage industry, has donated gymnastics equipment to Lagos State Weightlifting Association (LSWA) as part of its resolve in promoting sports development that ensures physical fitness among youths.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The market leader that has been the hallmark of uniqueness in its sector donated some branded Fearless energy drink gym equipments some of which are Bench Press, Electronic Scale and Dumbbell to the weightlifting association on Wednesday, 20 April, 2022, at Rowe Park Sports Centre, in Yaba, Lagos.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The brand supported the association to keep the younger demographics engaged in weightlifting tournaments and exercises, a competitive sport that tests strength and techniques, and also to keep them fit for local and international events, like the Olympics.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Presenting the equipment to the Chairman of the LSWA, Kunle Komolafe, Rite Foods' Brand Manager, Boluwatife Adedugbe, said Fearless Energy drink deemed it necessary to support the organisation as a way of encouraging young Nigerians in weightlifting as a sport, and to keep them involved in meaningful activities that would enhance their skills for participation at local and global events, as they so desire.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">She affirmed that the first-rate energy drink brand which consists of the Fearless Classic and Fearless Red Berry products with its positive energy would continue to support worthy initiatives like those of the LSWA, with its quality tastes and the vigour required by gym enthusiasts to actively partake in competitions and training, thus contributing to healthiness and physical fitness.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">According to her, Fearless energy drink with the I CAN, I AM willpower of attaining success and the unimaginable, would continue to spur the youths who are skilful in weightlifting to achieve their desires and make them proud as they traverse the path of their career to stardom.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Adedugbe pointed out that the brand's inventiveness has earned high recognition in the energy drinks market with the first-ever packaged polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle packaging, which is now a standard in the industry it operates.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In his remark, Komolafe commended the leading Fearless energy drink from the stable of Rite Foods for recognising the Association and what it undertakes, and also in its quest in making weightlifting an exciting sport.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">He extolled the brand for its laudable contribution to sports development and the donation for the enhancement of the LSWA sports centre, an initiative that would greatly impact the association's speedy growth.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">According to him, the LSWA ensures that discovered athletes are nurtured towards promoting physical fitness, mental alertness, and discipline which are germane for healthy living towards attaining positive outing of the sport in various competitions.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Eulogising the gift from the premium Fearless energy drink, the Chairman of Lagos State Sports Commission, Sola Aiyepekun, affirmed that the huge support which is an addition to what already exists would help immensely in equipping the State's weightlifting centre.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">He said the state needs the partnership of private organisations and brands like the Fearless energy drink, in making it a place where young Nigerians with sporting prowess abound.</span><br /></p>Brandinfohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04019113678108351672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6979448122462215308.post-5133544795707373762022-04-16T05:52:00.008-07:002022-04-16T06:49:17.088-07:00Virtual Football: Why more Nigerians are in love with it <p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3cZtg2cL_n_pA1Oa4gn-kX7YugTNIRGu1bIeD1XIDbT5mkgsdzV93ryz3nUuQu0g54HmDpkBHpQsvUJRZqTLD9tyrhE7LiFeyhn_WsHovGBZA171gwrwIr7bAXHxzG8iwlMl8ob10N3gc8uzMYxtnq-2idRoEPUmnKlQ4XwyUOT2imf8ejORmUfN5sQ/s665/Virtual-football-.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="665" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3cZtg2cL_n_pA1Oa4gn-kX7YugTNIRGu1bIeD1XIDbT5mkgsdzV93ryz3nUuQu0g54HmDpkBHpQsvUJRZqTLD9tyrhE7LiFeyhn_WsHovGBZA171gwrwIr7bAXHxzG8iwlMl8ob10N3gc8uzMYxtnq-2idRoEPUmnKlQ4XwyUOT2imf8ejORmUfN5sQ/s320/Virtual-football-.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]--></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">The advent of the internet has seen a lot of innovation. The internet, bursting at the seams is laced with numerous ways to entertain oneself. From streaming your favorite series to playing <u><a href="https://betbonanza.com/virtualbet/?trc=27946_29170_0" target="_blank">virtual football</a></u> and even your favorite online game, the pleasure derived from the internet is ceaseless and the same applies to sports lovers.</span><div><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">It even gets better for those who are punters and in love with </span><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><u><a href="https://betbonanza.com/?trc=27946_29170_0">sports betting</a></u></span><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> as the internet has made
sports betting and casinos accessible online. Indeed, so popular has the
internet made the former that it’s grown into a trillion-dollar industry.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">As the most popular sport on the planet, it’s little surprise that
football is the most widely betted-on sport. However, fans of sports and sports
betting, in general, are seeking new forms of entertainment to keep things
fresh and engaging. As a result, the innovative idea of virtual football sprung
to life.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">What is virtual football?</span></b></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">As the name suggests, virtual football is a simulated version of the
sport, football, which is created to allow fans to bet on the outcome. Virtual
football is the same as real-life football with the only exception being that
it takes place online. Though following the same rules as games in real life,
it does not involve real players. Instead, the games are set up by each
bookmaker and it uses a computer algorithm to determine what team wins each
game.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">Why is virtual football so popular?</span></b></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">Now that you understand what virtual football is, the next question to
ask might be why is the pastime so popular? If regular football enjoys such a
global following, what need is there for a simulated version of the sport?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, virtual football carries a
few advantages which set it aside from your regular football, including the
following:</span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-border-shadow: yes; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Noto Sans Symbols"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Noto Sans Symbols";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">●<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">Non-stop games: </span></b><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">Unlike regular football where fans
have to wait until a fixture is scheduled before placing their bets, virtual
football takes place continually. As soon as one game ends, another starts – 24
hours a day – so there’s always a market to bet on.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-border-shadow: yes; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-border-shadow: yes; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Noto Sans Symbols"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Noto Sans Symbols";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">●<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">Immediacy:</span></b><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> It’s human nature to crave instant
gratification, which is another reason why virtual football is so popular.
Standard football games take 90 minutes and in some cases longer to complete,
whereas a virtual football match is over within three minutes. Now that’s an
immediacy worth writing home about.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-border-shadow: yes; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-border-shadow: yes; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-border-shadow: yes; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Noto Sans Symbols"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Noto Sans Symbols";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">●<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">Familiarity:</span></b><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> Also the familiarity with the user
interface amongst users in some ways has contributed to the huge success of
virtual football among its players. This familiarity among fans of the sport
makes them instantly comfortable with the concept and enhances their enjoyment
of the experience.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-border-shadow: yes; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-border-shadow: yes; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">It has to be said that virtual
football betting is a fun and exciting alternative to real-life football
betting. Although some of the ecstasy and the thrill may be lost, as the games
do not feature real-life players, it should be noted that virtual football and
other virtual games are still incredibly compelling due to the high-quality
graphics and sound effects featured for added realism.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-border-shadow: yes; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">Apart from the above-stated
advantages virtual football carries, many punters have turned toward virtual football
betting due to a few reasons which we will be highlighting in this piece.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-border-shadow: yes; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-border-shadow: yes; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">It’s Easily Adaptive
Features/Uniqueness:</span></b></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-border-shadow: yes; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">It has to be reiterated especially
for newbies that virtual football is not based on any real-life football, and
that no prior knowledge of football is required to enjoy betting on events
here. Just the same way you don’t need to know anything about the subject
matter of a slot game before you can play, one doesn’t need to be a football
expert to play virtual football.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-border-shadow: yes; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-border-shadow: yes; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">League Diversity/Availability: </span></b></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-border-shadow: yes; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">Another reason punters are drawn to
virtual football is the diversity of leagues available at their fingertips.
Virtual football offers punters a wild range of competitions to pick from,
competitions such as the Spanish League, English League, the Italian League,
and even the German league are all available on virtual football for the
pleasure of the punters. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-border-shadow: yes; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-shadow: yes; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">How
the Results of Games Are Decided:</span></b></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-shadow: yes; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">The issue of how outcomes are decided has raised eyebrows amongst
punters. It should be noted that the result of a match is decided by several
factors, but with a heavy element of randomness built into the game so that any
result between any two teams is possible.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-shadow: yes; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-shadow: yes; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">Mostly the outcome of a game mirrors real-life football in that
stronger teams should win more often, but there is always the chance of an
upset, and they sometimes do occur.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-border-shadow: yes; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-shadow: yes; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">Making
Money in Virtual Football:</span></b></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;">
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</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; mso-border-shadow: yes; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">Watch BonanzaBallz Video</span></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gdWh0Ox69Nk" width="320" youtube-src-id="gdWh0Ox69Nk"></iframe></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /> </span><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; mso-border-shadow: yes; mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p>Brandinfohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04019113678108351672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6979448122462215308.post-36873128576950064722022-03-25T05:02:00.003-07:002022-03-25T05:02:36.609-07:00Popular Actor, Content Creator & Activist, Mr. Macaroni becomes GoNigeria Ambassador; committed to Advocating for Youth Participation in the Electoral Process.<div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQS2fuFTqX5BzKI7huRnyfKm48SA2hpapBFndbVeL22tICkbfAF9zBdUubdNnWZT0eYTU-wvEt3S9g8b6bBa21fIp9fyjgVNlgHgNjJh8Z17b0vRv50dgeA95uOC-nh1RR3pzR7vEjQCobKqkFzW8b3YdRC43LjS4B0kt93s3zKhACXnBef0aqZCd6LQ/s1080/Macaroni....jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="524" data-original-width="1080" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQS2fuFTqX5BzKI7huRnyfKm48SA2hpapBFndbVeL22tICkbfAF9zBdUubdNnWZT0eYTU-wvEt3S9g8b6bBa21fIp9fyjgVNlgHgNjJh8Z17b0vRv50dgeA95uOC-nh1RR3pzR7vEjQCobKqkFzW8b3YdRC43LjS4B0kt93s3zKhACXnBef0aqZCd6LQ/s320/Macaroni....jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Mr. Debo Adedayo, Actor, Content Creator and Activist, who is popularly known by his stage name, Mr. Macaroni has joined other distinguished citizens and celebrities to become a GoNigeria Ambassador.
The GoNigeria advocacy campaign for effective youth participation in the country's electoral process continues to gain momentum every day. Initiated by Anap Foundation, GoNigeria aims to sensitize Nigerian youths to participate in the electoral process with an eye on the 2023 General Elections.
GoAmbassadors are celebrities and outstanding people in various endeavours that include the arts, sciences, entertainment, accomplished professionals, performing artists, sport persons, innovators and social advocates, who have all bought into the GoNigeria initiative and utilise their own works, statements etc to deepen the conversation on the very important national priority of tackling voter apathy between now and the 2023 General Elections.
Mr. Macaroni, who is best known for his acting prowess and his engaging social media presence via comedy skits created by him, doubles as a conscientious activist in real life. In his very popular comic skits, he often plays the role of a "Sugar Daddy," who has popularized unique and amusing phrases like "Ooin" and "You are doing well." In recent times he has been been involved in activism through his remarkably creative works, where he mirrors the state of the nation through satire and encourages youths to be actively involved in politics by picking up their Permanent Voters' Cards (PVCs) in preparation for the forthcoming 2023 elections.
Anap Foundation has been partnering with celebrities (GoAmbassadors) who have an appreciable fans base and/or followership on social media and also have a strong voice and influence on young people through what they do and who they are. The overall aim is to encourage Nigerian youths to register and vote en-masse in the 2023 General Elections. GoNigeria is primarily targeted at the young demographic (aged 18 to 34) as well as the 35 to 49 demographic; between them they constitute well over 80 percent of the electorate. GoNigeria aims to sensitize Nigerian youths to become politically active by encouraging them to register en-masse and pick up their PVCs, with a view to also stimulating their direct involvement in the 2023 general elections, thereby helping to shape their country's political destiny.
GoNigeria is an initiative of Anap Foundation, a non-profit organization which is committed to promote good governance. Via its GoNigeria Initiative, Anap Foundation is partnering with Advocates, as well as enlightened celebrities (GoAmbassadors), corporate bodies eager to support the Initiative via co-branding (GoPartners) as well as many enthusiastic young volunteers who will help to amplify the messaging to their age mates (GoVolunteers). The overall aim is to encourage Nigerian youths to register and vote en-masse in the 2023 General Elections.
The 18 Initial Advocates of the GoNigeria Movement are drawn from all the 6 geopolitical zones (3 from each zone). They are: Atedo Peterside (Convener), Aisha Yesufu, Nuruddeen Lemu, Dike Chukwumerije, Folarin Falana (Falz), Bishop Matthew Hassan-Kukah, Arunma Oteh, Hamzat Lawal, Tomiwa Aladekomo, Osita Chidoka, Dr. Tony Rapu, ‘Yemi Adamolekun, Muhammad Ali Pate, HH Muhammad Sanusi II, Dr. Salamatu Hussaini Suleiman, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, Ayisha Osori and Ibrahim Dahiru Waziri.</span>Brandinfohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04019113678108351672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6979448122462215308.post-43694403120126695472022-03-15T01:20:00.004-07:002022-03-15T01:20:59.702-07:00Okagbare yet to appeal 10-year ban<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhtMHuIOWlhiv7chHCQZk3efKcy9Qx3Cvd6tWDadDRVnfZ4FUhP5MASxBUGNEr7edjAtXUbaVQbtELbwmmBmUCcyMfqLZBv7DCPYuNein6SQy5RtphX4TJccrTeX8TcLofPtHF4g39eBcvjSee79sq8BI8sXCJNHGRxsQGdQtqh1CUaVXXm1yy5eQTJgw=s700" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="380" data-original-width="700" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhtMHuIOWlhiv7chHCQZk3efKcy9Qx3Cvd6tWDadDRVnfZ4FUhP5MASxBUGNEr7edjAtXUbaVQbtELbwmmBmUCcyMfqLZBv7DCPYuNein6SQy5RtphX4TJccrTeX8TcLofPtHF4g39eBcvjSee79sq8BI8sXCJNHGRxsQGdQtqh1CUaVXXm1yy5eQTJgw=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Okagbare</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 1.20em;"><b>…as deadline nears expiration</b></span><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Nigerian sprinter, Blessing Okagbare, may not appeal the 10-year-ban handed her by the Athletics Integrity Unit for doping as the 30-day appeal deadline nears expiration. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The AIU February 18 banned the 2008 Olympics long jump silver medallist for “multiple breaches of anti-doping rules.” <br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Okagbare was handed a five-year ban for the multiple prohibited substances found in her out of competition test, which was carried out on July 19, 2020, and another five-year ban for failing to cooperate with investigators. <br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The 33-year-old was provisionally suspended just hours before she was due to run in the semi-finals of the women’s 100m at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo last year.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Reacting to the ban, Okagbare took to social media on February 19 stating that her lawyers were studying the decision in order to advise her on the next course of action. <br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“My attention has been drawn to the statement issued by the AIU regarding its disciplinary panel decision. My lawyers are currently studying it for our next line of action, which we will inform you soon,” she stated. <br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">However, according to our findings, Okagbare is yet to make an official appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport with just five days to the expiration of the deadline. <br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In a letter sent to our correspondent and signed by CAS’ Communications Officer, Katy Hogg, dated March 10, 2022, CAS stated that there was no record of Okagbare filing an appeal in its log. <br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Please be advised that at the time of writing, no appeals have been filed at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in relation to this matter.” <br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Should the 33-year-old files an appeal and loses, she will be made to pay indemnities to both CAS and World Athletics. (Punch)</span><br /></p>Brandinfohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04019113678108351672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6979448122462215308.post-80811830710649957752022-03-09T05:47:00.003-08:002022-03-09T05:47:23.713-08:00Rite Foods celebrates women, urges gender equality as it marks international Women's Day<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibcPf3qlDbdbwuhgTWyM26nG5axtiB-dv50wz0T60Gqi7swdkku17Gu_ABTzygJ_r6BlzGVhLgFnO3HIBkzqv2P1tUA-RuGYKoK2k5Tip-qOMbJHp2lOBWdPFUs7S4Psev57S7xZLZ7JNoxnkwK6iEtJZelYimfRjm2Ae65k4-RJ1HVt60X_P2n7or3w=s2288" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1614" data-original-width="2288" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibcPf3qlDbdbwuhgTWyM26nG5axtiB-dv50wz0T60Gqi7swdkku17Gu_ABTzygJ_r6BlzGVhLgFnO3HIBkzqv2P1tUA-RuGYKoK2k5Tip-qOMbJHp2lOBWdPFUs7S4Psev57S7xZLZ7JNoxnkwK6iEtJZelYimfRjm2Ae65k4-RJ1HVt60X_P2n7or3w=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rite Foods, a world-class and market leader in Nigeria's food and beverage industry, has commended women for their role in societal development and urges them to always stand out in their sphere of endeavors to bridge the gap in gender inequality, as it joins other organization’s globally in marking the 2022 International Women's Day (IWD).</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The company which has been the hallmark of uniqueness with its leading 13 Bigi carbonated soft drink variants and Table Water, its premium Fearless energy drink brands, consisting of the Classic and Red Berry products, as well as the Rite Sausages, is deeply committed to promoting excellence which Nigerian women and those globally have demonstrated in making the world peaceful for habitation.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">While admonishing women to sustain the virtues they are known for, the Managing Director of Rite Foods, Mr. Seleem Adegunwa, affirmed that women have the creative ability to inspire positive change that is cherished by all, and urged them not to rest in their oars in making a positive impact in the society, for a sustainable future.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Adegunwa's assertion is however intertwined with this year's IWD theme on "Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow," with the hashtag #BreakTheBias, which celebrates the admirable activities of women on climate change adaptation, mitigation, and response, for a more sustainable future.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">He stated that exceptional qualities in women would erode the perception about women, as they have been exhibited by those in the socio-economic and political spectrum, a situation that has helped to eliminate the disparity between their male counterparts.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">On her part, the company's Brand Manager, Boluwatife Adedugbe, calls on women globally to be agents of good cause, as is the case, to create the enabling environment for a sustainable tomorrow.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">She affirmed that Rite Foods has been encouraging gender equality and inclusion, which is evident in its workplace, and as entrenched in its values increased wellbeing and optimism for a better future.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Its Bigi brand's viable marketing activities in connecting with its consumers have been felt in the entertainment and sport sector, where talents are discovered and nurtured for human and national development. An example is its sponsorship of the Nigerian Idol, last year and in 2022, an international musical star discovery platform for young Nigerian artists.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Also, the company's Fearless energy drink has set the pace for others in its segment, with the first-ever packaged polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle brands, and has been at the forefront of laudable initiatives aimed at supporting the music and entertainment industry, ahead of competitors.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">All these are responsible for the laurels earned by the quality brands, with the recent being the "Most Outstanding Energy Drink Brand of the Year," for the Fearless energy drink, and the Bigi "Most Outstanding CSD Brand of the Year" for their market leadership position in the industry.</span></p>Brandinfohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04019113678108351672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6979448122462215308.post-33627375797994985792022-02-14T02:47:00.004-08:002022-02-14T02:47:53.106-08:00Valentine’s Day special: Nigerian footballers and their partners!<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgkZED2mJ9DckC7Kr3xYIbTXWkFdJjr6LZujOeROLf7MRRyX6NSsPYR2gFv4x399V_ARXFNRxfYjvAWJM47D99ZEA67PnEcyk37XRNlipcoj8P9nNcAet-xBvL09bO4KfKyujbglLFVTFvvcEyYX5POElcmsvOfF8VmmpIGJTmFhMW028GC0jBPaK7qDQ=s700" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="700" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgkZED2mJ9DckC7Kr3xYIbTXWkFdJjr6LZujOeROLf7MRRyX6NSsPYR2gFv4x399V_ARXFNRxfYjvAWJM47D99ZEA67PnEcyk37XRNlipcoj8P9nNcAet-xBvL09bO4KfKyujbglLFVTFvvcEyYX5POElcmsvOfF8VmmpIGJTmFhMW028GC0jBPaK7qDQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In light of Valentine’s Day, we celebrate the day in a very special way by taking a look at Nigerian footballers and their partners.<br />
More often than we know, our favourite sportspeople get their support system from their significant others and today we appreciate them all in the name of love.<br />
PUNCH Sports Extra takes a look at the love lives of some Nigeria’s top athletes and their partners… </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene</b> </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Super Falcons midfielder Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghene is one of Nigeria’s most successful women footballers of the current era, winning four AWCON titles as well as being named in the IFFHS CAF Women’s Team of The Decade (2011-2020). </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The 28-year-old, who currently features for Eskilstuna United in Sweden, married real estate mogul Ahmed Okeoghene on December 9, 2017.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Last December, she celebrated their four-year union on social media. “Happy anniversary to us. It has been an amazing journey all these years, distance and all, you’ve been so supportive. I love you baby, thanks for being my strength,” she posted on her Instagram page with pictures of the couple. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Daniel Akpeyi</b> </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Akpeyi married his long time girl friend Emmanuella Ebert-Kalu in a traditional ceremony in December 2016, before their white nuptial in June 2017. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In July 2018, they welcomed their first child, Prince Jason Akpeyi, who was born in Port Elizabeth. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Ogenyi Onazi</b> </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Al-Adalah midfielder, Ogenyi Onazi, survived a road accident on his way from Benin City in June 2016, a day after his traditional wedding ceremony with long-time Sandra Ogunsuyi. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The 2013 AFCON winner was returning to Lagos to prepare for his white wedding, when one of the tyres of his car reportedly burst after it ran into a pothole. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Onazi escaped unhurt and went ahead with the white wedding in Lagos, on June 18. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Taiwo Awoniyi</b> </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Union Berlin striker Awoniyi married his partner Taiwo Jesudun in an engagement and traditional wedding in Kabba, Kogi State on June 15, 2018, followed by a white wedding a day later in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">William </span></b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Troost-Ekong</b> </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Super Eagles defender Troost-Ekong on Sunday, October 17, 2021 tied the knot with his long-time girlfriend at a private ceremony in London. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The 28-year-old defender had some of his Eagles teammates Kelechi Iheanacho, Wilfred Ndidi and Leon Balogun, as well as his Watford teammate Moussa Sissoko present at the ceremony. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The couple welcomed a son earlier in 2018. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Moses Simon</b> </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Eagles star Simon and his wife, Ibukun Adenuga, met when they were in secondary school. Reports say she stood by Simon, when the Nantes winger was passing through trying times. <br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Simon later traveled to Europe, where his career flourished and never forgot Ibukun’s sacrifices.<br />
The couple married in a traditional wedding ceremony on December 29, 2015 in Ibadan. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Ahmed Musa</b> </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Super Eagles skipper Ahmed Musa reportedly tied the knot for the third time, when he married a Shuwa woman identified as Mariam in a secret ceremony last July. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This came four years after his marriage to his first wife Jamila ended and he married Juliet Ejue from Ogoja, Cross River State. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">His marriage to Mariam officially makes her his second wife. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Musa has four children: two from Jamila and two from Juliet.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Peter Olayinka</b> </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Slavia Prague striker Olayinka married Nigerian actress, model, beauty queen, actress and film producer Yetunde Barnabas June 2021, three months after the lovebirds held their traditional wedding in a low-key event, after about two years of dating. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Barnabas won The Most Beautiful Girl in Abuja pageant in 2017, and was crowned Miss Tourism Nigeria in 2019.She is best known for role as Miss Pepeiye on Nigeria’s long running sitcom, Papa Ajasco and Company, as well as several leading roles in the Yoruba movie industry. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Wilfred Ndidi</b> </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Wilfred and wife Dinma Fortune have known each other since childhood, and started dating during their late teenage period. What followed was years of togetherness, marked by unconditional love and mutual support through thick and thin. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In 2019, the couple tied the knot in Abuja with two wedding ceremonies to commemorate the holy matrimony. Ndidi and Dinma have been happily married ever after! </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Henry Onyekuru</b> </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Olympiakos forward Onyekuru tied the knot with his wife Esty in a traditional wedding ceremony in Benin City in 2019 and a year later, in celebration of their anniversary, the footballer bought her a 2019/2020 Range Rover Sport worth about N60m. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The couple, who dated for several years before they got married, are blessed with two kids: a boy and girl. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Eagles’ second choice keeper Uzoho dumped bachelorhood December 26, 2018, after he married his long-time girlfriend Soomie in a traditional wedding at the Anglican Cathedral, Egbu in Owerri, Imo State. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The wedding rounded off a remarkable year for the shot stopper, who made his debut for the Eagles and also featured at the Russia 2018 World Cup as his country’s first choice. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Uzoho and his wife welcomed a son early last year. (Punch)<br /></span><br /></p>Brandinfohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04019113678108351672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6979448122462215308.post-6485825429600206562022-02-11T03:33:00.000-08:002022-02-11T03:33:15.106-08:00Tearful snowboard, legend White, misses Olympic medal in farewell<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgstHPEH6Q8z81SVlQUJ110OIKKMfN3MDAy84vEtK-hKxsT8JalVel4SLgqQKOjKkQhsxM95nxjh3DwkJU_nKGoVZVW_pGZ6f9e4ykkYvA_ljP9vtQ5qmKCJd2UC00URGP7oifYejOc1Z_kU8kHjPJx08pxISd3huEhEyF9LNtkoZtuDfigm8hU9iw04A=s678" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="678" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgstHPEH6Q8z81SVlQUJ110OIKKMfN3MDAy84vEtK-hKxsT8JalVel4SLgqQKOjKkQhsxM95nxjh3DwkJU_nKGoVZVW_pGZ6f9e4ykkYvA_ljP9vtQ5qmKCJd2UC00URGP7oifYejOc1Z_kU8kHjPJx08pxISd3huEhEyF9LNtkoZtuDfigm8hU9iw04A=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">An emotional Shaun White said there was “no agony, just happiness” after the snowboard legend missed out on a medal at the Beijing Olympics on Friday, in his farewell appearance. <br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The three-time Olympic champion from the United States finished fourth in the men’s halfpipe, falling on his third and final run with a medal up for grabs. <br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But the 35-year-old said he was “in awe” of what he had achieved in the sport and “proud” to leave it to the next generation of riders, including new Olympic champion, Ayumu Hirano of Japan. <br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Everybody was asking me what my legacy in the sport has been and I’m like ‘you’re watching it’,” said a tearful White, stopping often to compose himself as he spoke to reporters.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“These younger riders have been on my heels every step of the way and to see them surpass me is I think deep down what I always wanted.” <br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">White has been the face of snowboarding since he burst onto the Olympic scene as a 19-year-old at the 2006 Turin Games. <br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">He won gold in the halfpipe in 2006 and 2010, before missing out on a medal in a shock upset at the 2014 Sochi Games. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But he regained his crown four years later in Pyeongchang with a dramatic last ride, which he described as his “legacy performance”. <br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">He has struggled in recent years and announced last week that the Beijing Games would be his last competition, citing the “little signs” from his ageing body. <br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">He is nearly twice the age of some of his rivals. <br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">White said it was “harsh” not to go out with one last medal but described winning three Olympic golds from five appearances as “not bad”.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“I can’t help but think if I would have hit the podium in third, I would have wanted second,” he said. <br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“And if I had got second I would have wanted first. It’s just the fighter in me, always wanting more.” <br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">— ‘Love of my life’ —<br />
White was in fourth place going into his final run, and a vintage performance would have catapulted him above Switzerland’s Jan Scherrer into the medal positions.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But he fell midway through his run and looked subdued as he slid into the finish area with tears in his eyes, before getting a huge round of applause. <br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">He called snowboarding “the love of my life”, and said he had been “on a mission” since he got his first board. <br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Nobody thought I was going to amount too much in my life and in my career,” he said. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“To feel this need to prove myself and do it over and over and over — I’m just so proud of that, every step of the way.” <br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">White said he was “so relieved” to be free of the “stress” of competition and hinted he still had a part to play in the sport. <br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“I don’t want to beat these guys any more; I want to sponsor them,” he said. <br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Not to sign them or whatever, but to help their career, to help guide with my experiences and what I’ve learned.” </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">(Punch)</span></p>Brandinfohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04019113678108351672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6979448122462215308.post-89592716939270378982022-02-11T02:54:00.001-08:002022-02-11T02:54:17.771-08:00Two policemen, motorcyclist, killed, as gunmen attacked bullion van in Oyo<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggVbq2NLSqnhMuSxxhLyZZmRuvqxqEoWlxEz55wBUJtGusH2My82SlafEEnYNM-mMOQ2r-js29Hz7gxPBpCQGqztUTcyUK9ypkM-Cxbm81rq5UcU2YJt0Z1DqkQePCX9Sa7ANfyaCxR1WWDf7CEpxvCkxRMm1N0vSsvUXr_NkTchJaei1vcZ92QBtKzw=s750" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="750" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggVbq2NLSqnhMuSxxhLyZZmRuvqxqEoWlxEz55wBUJtGusH2My82SlafEEnYNM-mMOQ2r-js29Hz7gxPBpCQGqztUTcyUK9ypkM-Cxbm81rq5UcU2YJt0Z1DqkQePCX9Sa7ANfyaCxR1WWDf7CEpxvCkxRMm1N0vSsvUXr_NkTchJaei1vcZ92QBtKzw=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scenes of a bullion van attack at the Idi-Ape area of Iwo Road, Ibadan.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Two policemen and a civilian have been confirmed dead after armed robbers attacked a bullion van conveying money from a bank on Iwo Road to the Idi-Ape area of Ibadan, Oyo State. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>PUNCH Metro </i>gathered that one of the hoodlums was also killed during a shootout with the police. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The incident happened around 1:35 pm on Thursday in the Idi-Ape area, where the robbers reportedly waylaid the bullion van. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Eyewitnesses told our correspondent that the bullion van was heading towards the Gate area of Ibadan when the armed hoodlums, who were in a Toyota Sienna, overtook the van and opened fire on the occupants and the police escorts.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">One of the victims reportedly killed was an <i>Okada</i> rider who was oblivious of the mission of the occupants of the Sienna. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The commercial motorcyclist, who was said to be in a hurry, reportedly attempted to overtake the hoodlums’ vehicle when he was shot dead by the robbers. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But some residents also said the escorts engaged the robbers in a shootout, adding that the hoodlums outnumbered the operatives and killed two of them. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Some motorists, who were unlucky to be at the scene, reportedly sustained gunshot injuries. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A man, who was driving in a sport utility vehicle, was said to have been hit by a bullet in the upper arm and was rushed to a hospital after the robbers left. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A resident, who identified himself as Waheed Adegoke, said the robbers carted away huge sums of money from the bullion van. <br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiE2aZz1oyaP9LiqlfPVwIKLfSHvL1QFlXndQvGGOrQpnIT5QwhggbfqQmQywoaarlZ5UNaEi0szmE2d6vqE3xlb8C5cdnn-q-ZOd_Ar5L-EuUS-kzVRvWOL2-yMq6ETM5COB_rCaw5GBvsd2e9RuuJx9f9Xw8yTA-JiDkqZOUbKSKx2Y3Im5swgTDBUQ=s640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="412" data-original-width="640" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiE2aZz1oyaP9LiqlfPVwIKLfSHvL1QFlXndQvGGOrQpnIT5QwhggbfqQmQywoaarlZ5UNaEi0szmE2d6vqE3xlb8C5cdnn-q-ZOd_Ar5L-EuUS-kzVRvWOL2-yMq6ETM5COB_rCaw5GBvsd2e9RuuJx9f9Xw8yTA-JiDkqZOUbKSKx2Y3Im5swgTDBUQ=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A bullet-ridden police van</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">He said, “The armed robbers attacked a bullion van conveying money from a bank to another one at Idi-Ape. It happened at a junction close to the traffic light. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Some lives were lost, including innocent persons. I saw two policemen on the ground after the armed robbers left. Two of them died and one was seriously wounded. Some persons were also injured in their vehicles and those who managed to escape from their vehicles hid inside the drainage. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“There was blood everywhere and people were weeping, as residents trooped out to rush the victims to hospitals.” </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Another resident, who refused to disclose his name, told our correspondent that the incident caused the road to be deserted, as motorists and motorcyclists fled the area.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">He said, “I was coming from the Gate area when the incident happened. I had to hide somewhere safe until the shooting was over. Some of us moved to the scene to rescue the victims and some who were still in their vehicles were asked to be driven to hospitals for treatment.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“There were spent bullets on the road and persons were killed. I saw two policemen on the ground shot and they had apparently died.” </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">He added that some policemen from the area command at Testing Ground, Iwo Road, about one kilometre from the scene, later arrived. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Some videos obtained by our correspondent showed vehicles that were shot with shattered windscreens; there were bullets and blood on the road. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Some injured victims were also seen, including two policemen who were later picked by sympathisers and taken to a hospital. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The state Commissioner of Police, Ngozi Onadeko, while speaking to journalists after the incident, described the attack as a coordinated one. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Later, the CP, in a statement made available to our correspondent, confirmed that three persons, including two policemen, were killed. <br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Onadeko said, “Today, Thursday, February 10, 2022, around 1:45 pm, a group of masked armed robbers about 10 in number — trailed, targeted and attacked a bullion van around the traffic light area, Idi-Ape Junction, Agodi, Ibadan. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“The armed robbers engaged the police officers escorting the bullion van and in the process, an undisclosed amount of money was carted away. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“In a swift response, the police equally neutralised one of the armed robbers, while some were believed to have escaped with multiple gunshot injuries. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Consequently, a civilian onlooker was hit by a stray bullet and died at the scene, while two police officers later died in the hospital as a result of gunshot injuries. Four others, including two police officers, are responding to treatment. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“The citizenry are hereby enjoined not to panic as efforts are in top gear to track down and apprehend the criminal gang.” </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">(Punch)<br /></span><br /></p>Brandinfohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04019113678108351672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6979448122462215308.post-45858013752934789942022-02-04T01:17:00.003-08:002022-02-04T01:17:33.867-08:00Winter Olympics 2022 begins in Beijing today amid COVID-19 fears<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgByQys3g5KGm5vFmn6TiLT5Tn_Jeu8K6_tr0G8-jFKDjt7VByVhTTyAE8UfMy1ztL8yutnZAW-qk9q2pfqjrerKHZ6_Xd7FN0l5sn4rY6eF_jja9wXq0GrGrhAVmQ5vUriuq3qo0vrJKj8xnrlFtqaFyl7z20zYAbXB2Fzsu9IcfK--qKinIvQoUUZYw=s768" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="768" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgByQys3g5KGm5vFmn6TiLT5Tn_Jeu8K6_tr0G8-jFKDjt7VByVhTTyAE8UfMy1ztL8yutnZAW-qk9q2pfqjrerKHZ6_Xd7FN0l5sn4rY6eF_jja9wXq0GrGrhAVmQ5vUriuq3qo0vrJKj8xnrlFtqaFyl7z20zYAbXB2Fzsu9IcfK--qKinIvQoUUZYw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A Winter Olympics overshadowed by rights concerns and taking place inside a strict Covid-secure bubble will officially begin in Beijing on Friday with an opening ceremony at the “Bird’s Nest” stadium. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The distinctive lattice-shaped arena took centre stage at the 2008 Games — seen as China’s coming-out party to the world — and will do so again as Beijing becomes the first city to host both a Summer and Winter Olympics. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Friday’s opening ceremony starts at 8:00pm (1200 GMT) and will be attended by President Xi Jinping, under whose rule China has become a much more belligerent proposition in global affairs compared to 14 years ago. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Xi, who will announce the Games are officially open, will be joined by leaders including his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin but the United States, Britain, Canada and Australia are among countries staging a diplomatic boycott over China’s human rights record, particularly the fate of the Muslim Uyghur minority in Xinjiang.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Other countries cited the coronavirus pandemic for not sending officials. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Their athletes will still compete at the Games, which run until February 20 and are taking place inside a vast “closed loop” designed to thwart the virus. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Some spectators will be present at the opening ceremony but it is unclear how many and, like sports events at the Games, tickets were not sold to the general public because of the pandemic. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">World Health Organization head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will be among leaders of global institutions at the ceremony. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The show is the mastermind of acclaimed Chinese film director Zhang Yimou, who was behind the 2008 extravaganza. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Zhang has promised a “totally innovative” ceremony but conceded that the pandemic and freezing weather will limit its scale compared to the Summer Games, when 15,000 performers took part in a lavish gala featuring opera singers, acrobats and drummers. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This time there will be about 3,000 performers and themes will include “environmental protection and low carbon emission”, Zhang previously told state media. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But China’s assertion that these will be a “green Games” has been challenged by some experts because they are taking place in one of the driest places in the country and on almost entirely man-made snow. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– ‘Not well suited’ – </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">There are other concerns, including warnings from some Western nations about surveillance of their athletes and what will happen to them if they make anti-China comments or other displays of protest against local authorities.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Gus Kenworthy, a British freestyle skier, said he would not be silenced and called China “not well suited” to be hosts.<br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">On Thursday’s eve of the Olympics, about 500 Tibetans marched outside the International Olympic Committee headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">They held banners reading “Boycott Beijing Winter Olympics”, “Stop human rights violations in Tibet” and “Games of shame”. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">There were also small-scale demonstrations in Los Angeles and San Francisco. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Tibet has alternated over the centuries between independence and control by China, which says it “peacefully liberated” the rugged plateau in 1951 and brought infrastructure and education to the previously underdeveloped region. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But many exiled Tibetans accuse China’s ruling Communist Party of religious repression, torture and eroding their culture. <br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">– Watching from afar –<br />
Concerns about Covid loom large at these Games. The nearly 3,000 athletes and tens of thousands of support staff, volunteers and media have been cut off from Beijing’s general population. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">China, where the virus emerged in late 2019, has pursued a no-nonsense zero-Covid policy nationwide and has adopted the same approach to the Games, with everyone cocooned inside the bubble having daily tests and required to wear a mask at all times. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">They cannot leave the “closed loop” until the Games are over. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">There have been more than 300 Covid cases in the bubble, among them an unknown number of athletes. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Germany said Thursday six members of its team had tested positive on arrival in Beijing, without saying if those concerned were athletes or support staff. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Unlike the huge celebration that greeted the 2008 opening ceremony, locals this time will have to enjoy it on television. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Zhang Tao, a 43-year-old property developer, said he hoped the Games would have meaning beyond sport.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“I really hope the Olympics can sweep away the gloom of Covid,” he told AFP. (Punch)<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><br /></p>Brandinfohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04019113678108351672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6979448122462215308.post-73509012683533626482022-01-09T21:39:00.003-08:002022-01-09T21:39:30.545-08:00Buhari’s disastrous interview<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvP1eSLzAo5zuanVyLzgVX2lUcbyBP621SCMHbaBuYNi6FXi4ji78tmtt9XVbQRPr0fLTJ0IOIgK53NR4ngejebepPN2FmH9ZnyLABQhdQYykb96K-cNS9GkhX9cnePtR8Q38EEToh28YPb4X65mEX8NF37AmGtrcWvWV_Ulj4FnjqCcGxsCtjKHdA4Q=s640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="640" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvP1eSLzAo5zuanVyLzgVX2lUcbyBP621SCMHbaBuYNi6FXi4ji78tmtt9XVbQRPr0fLTJ0IOIgK53NR4ngejebepPN2FmH9ZnyLABQhdQYykb96K-cNS9GkhX9cnePtR8Q38EEToh28YPb4X65mEX8NF37AmGtrcWvWV_Ulj4FnjqCcGxsCtjKHdA4Q=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tunde Odesola</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The waves washed the blue whale ashore at midnight, an abomination that daybreak must not see. Sadly, not a thousand hefty men can secretly push the big fish back into the receding sea; what is left is a lie to tell that the shore was a better habitat for the fish than the deep. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The washed-up blue whale scenario continuously played in my head after watching Nigeria’s President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), sport a blue agbada, and sounded stranded during an interview by Channels TV crew last week. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">My mouth opened ajar and slammed ‘a-shut’ in countless gasps of ha! and eh! as I watched the President desecrate the highest seat in the land with a performance bereft of high intelligence quotient. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As the interview progressed, Buhari, the reason why Nigeria has retrogressed in the last six years, wrung his manicured fingers wryly, sitting magisterially before the television crew, telling naked lies in an incoherent manner.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">At the battleground, Buhari tried to dominate Channels TV anchors, Seun Okinbaloye and Maupe Ogun-Yusuf, a tag-team twosome that ran CT scans on the President’s responses, exposing them as lies, incoherent and snobbish. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The lies, incoherence and snobbery by President Buhari were like a spoon airlifting ofada rice, ponmo and stew into the mouth with the teeth clamping down heavily on the morsel, crunching ponmo, ofada, ponmo, ofada…then kwrawh, hard stones! </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">If the President’s wife, Aisha, wore the glasses of patriotism to watch the interview, the highest mark she would award to her husband is a fat zero with two fish eyes and rabbit ears. It’s only the love for her husband that won’t make her score him minus 100 and scribble ‘incompetent’ on his script in red ink. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">To say the least, the interview, whose questions were sent to the President in advance, was another national disaster. But the whale is washed ashore. Worshippers of the sea god must defend its nakedness. How would the interview have turned out if the questions weren’t forwarded to President Buhari weeks before D-Day, I wonder? </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Let’s go! Offering a shallow understanding of the economy in disjointed English, Buhari said his new adviser on economy, Dr Doyin Salami, (who was only appointed last week), made his regime know that only 2.5% of Nigeria’s (34 million hectares of) arable land was being used for cultivation. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Buhari, who typically slipped in and out of sync with reality during the interview, falsely bestowed on Salami, a professorial title as though that was all that’s needed to clear the Augean mess his regime has made of the economy. Salami isn’t a professor yet, Baba Yusuf, except your cabinet wishes to produce another quickie professor like Isa Pantami. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The old soldier said, “The last time he (Doyin Salami) briefed us (the executive council), we found out that only 2.5% of Nigeria arable land is being used. (He adds snobbishly and disjointedly) You, people, are shouting urban unemployment. Look, when we closed the border between Benin and Niger Republic, we stopped the importation of rice, now Nigerians, we produce the rice we need and even export.” </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Before his new role as Chief Economic Adviser to the President, Salami was appointed the Head, Presidential Economic Advisory Council, in September 2019. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">If I was on the Channels TV panel to Aso Rock, I would’ve asked Buhari when did Salami make his almighty revelation that only 2.5% of Nigeria’s arable land was under cultivation, and to what extent has his regime increased the cultivated area? If Buhari doesn’t know that local rice production cannot meet Nigeria’s consumption demand, he’s totally unworthy of the crown and sceptre he currently bears. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">There’s a sense of recentness in the words of Buhari about Salami: “The last time he (Salami) briefed us (the executive council), we found out that only 2.5% of Nigeria arable land is being used…” The last time the executive council met couldn’t have been six months ago.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">So, I would’ve asked Buhari why it took the second coming of Salami a few days ago for the regime to know that only 2.5% of Nigeria’s arable land was ever cultivated – despite Buhari’s dubious claims that Nigeria has been self-sufficient in rice production to warrant export. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">If the Buhari regime didn’t know the percentage of cultivated arable land in the country until recently when Salami was elevated, it goes without saying that Buhari can’t know the tonnes of farm produce harvested in Nigeria’s unknown arable land yearly. How then did Buhari know that the metric tonnes of rice produced in the country were able to meet local consumption and export targets? </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">With Boko Haram, banditry and Fulani herdsmen daily killing and chasing farmers away from farmlands across the country, how Nigeria, in Buhari’s fantasy, met and surpassed the seven million metric tonnes of local rice consumption, is a shameful lie. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In a report by Reuters last year, agricultural data bureau, Gro Intelligence, puts Nigeria’s annual rice production at 4.9 million metric tonnes in 2019 when the country’s borders were shut to importation while local consumption stood at 7 million metric tonnes. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Barely a month ago, the Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Agriculture, Muhammad Enagi, during a meeting with rice stakeholders, lamented that about two million metric tonnes of rice are being smuggled into the country annually.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Also, Reuters quotes experts as saying there is little hope of improvement in rice production without significant investment in irrigation, mechanisation, roads and storage, stressing that more than 12% of produced rice is wasted due to poor roads, inefficient harvesting, milling and storage. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Were I on the Channels Tv interview panel, I would’ve told Baba Zahra that the economically-important Lagos-Ibadan Expressway remained shamefully uncompleted among other worsening infrastructure nationwide. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">If local production of rice is in excess as claimed by Buhari, smuggling of the commodity won’t be attractive. Why do customs officers have to daily chase and seize imported rice nationwide? </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The trouble-dey-sleep-Channels-go-wake interview throws up the picture of a student who couldn’t pass an examination despite having been told the questions beforehand. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As a primary school student, I didn’t understand why some fellow students couldn’t understand simple classwork taught by the teacher. However, when I graduated from the university and taught for a while, I came to realise that some students, who are perceived as dunces, are actually suffering from an ailment called Attention-Deficiency/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The American Psychiatric Association says, “ADHD is one of the most common mental disorders affecting children. ADHD also affects many ADULTS. Symptoms of ADHD include inattention (not being able to keep focus), hyperactivity (excessive movement that is not fitting to the setting) and impulsivity (hasty acts that occur in the movement without thought).” </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I don’t know the health status of President Buhari. But someone who claimed to know said in July 2017 that the President was suffering from chronic dementia. The audacious person also said the sickness that ails Buhari was inflicted by God. That person was a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, now a Buhari apologist. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Sounding like he’s the immediate younger brother of Jesus Christ, Fani-Kayode, in 2017, said, “The beast (Buhari) is dying. The flesh is rotting. The vultures are gathering…He (Buhari) has been struck and mortally wounded by the sword of the Lord… He has been hit by the east wind of destruction and he is suffering from God’s judgment…” </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">Disclaimer</span></b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">When I started out on this article, I intended for it to be published in two parts, so, I dwelt elaborately on President Buhari’s false claims in the agric sector, and hoped to come back next week to analyse his horrendous treatment of the two governors, who ran to him when herders ceaselessly struck in their states, and his response to the frightening economic indices Okinbaloye presented, among other issues. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But going by the mental torture writing this piece gave me, I don’t want to continue with the grim fallouts of the interview next week, hence I break my pen on the subject. Affliction must not strike twice. </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Email: tundeodes2003@yahoo.com</b> </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Facebook: @tunde odesola</b> </span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Twitter: @tunde_odesola</b> <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><br /></p>Brandinfohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04019113678108351672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6979448122462215308.post-41165861874478044382021-12-31T09:13:00.001-08:002021-12-31T09:13:27.399-08:00Heritage Bank, LASG shows commitment to sport development<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEXAp5ru_Z9PZFERZcmgPXzh64MRRXOyDxY3VVhwCHFO8d4NOiO9whrpn6ukKrHry0uhC5cVzhDbZi3Ue3LaFHkmctHm8bx7Hkxldf_mhD9DdyjNmlagfVoRdYXDJ6LIUJeSSiWF-uF8kcVEZBRNGv13pRL2WWk8g3xraO2WdgGx5pBKHB5jIGF-Wpxw=s1471" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="959" data-original-width="1471" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEXAp5ru_Z9PZFERZcmgPXzh64MRRXOyDxY3VVhwCHFO8d4NOiO9whrpn6ukKrHry0uhC5cVzhDbZi3Ue3LaFHkmctHm8bx7Hkxldf_mhD9DdyjNmlagfVoRdYXDJ6LIUJeSSiWF-uF8kcVEZBRNGv13pRL2WWk8g3xraO2WdgGx5pBKHB5jIGF-Wpxw=s320" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;"><u></u><u></u></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Heritage Bank plc has reiterated its commitment to promoting sports in Nigeria, in partnership with Lagos State Government to back the 3rd Edition of the annual Lagos Value Jet Para Table Tennis championship.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The three-day para table tennis championship hosted 45 table tennis games, which held in the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere Lagos.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Speaking to the media during the games, the MD/CEO of Heritage Bank stated that the bank’s commitment to sports and its partnership with Lagos ValueJet Para Table Tennis resonates from the institution’s brand passion to support sports, especially for the physically challenged that would help in wellbeing, health and by extension nation building.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">According to him, Heritage Bank believes in development and having the tenacity to develop Nigerians both young and old, whilst encouraging the physically challenged especially the participants of the para table tennis that this game is capable of helping them to keep healthy and fit.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">He commended the Para–division of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), Sunday Odebode’s Para Table Tennis Foundation for organizing the competition as well as the Lagos State Government for playing a leading role in the development of sports in the country.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Sekibo who was represented by Ozena Utulu, the Ag Group Head, Corporate Communications also recalled the support it received from the Lagos State government when it organised the Skoolimpics, its signature sporting event with more than 6,000 students from over 600 public and private secondary schools from the six educational districts of Lagos Sate in attendance at the three-day sporting fiesta held in 2017.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">According to him, Skoolimpics is an idea conceived to bring into being a national sports festival for young people in secondary schools aimed at helping the country discover young talents who will re-ignite the spirit of excellence in competitive and recreational sports.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“The idea was intended to be a holistic development of young people in order to foster their physical, social and emotional wellbeing. It is a well-known fact that physical education and sports help in character and community building, delinquency reduction, community safety, economic and social development,” Sekibo stated.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In similar manner, First Lady of Lagos State, Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu reiterated the government’s commitment to continually put measures in place to play-up the welfare, wellbeing and interests of the physically challenged.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Sanwo-Olu represented by Grace Igbokwe advised the participants to continue investing the right energy and zeal into training, whilst cautioning them to take their education even more seriously and equally draw inspiration from great Table Tennis players who are making waves nationally and internationally.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Coordinator of the tournament, Sunday Odebode, said fans would witness the emergence of new stars in the kind of Christian Ikpoyi, who is rated number 10 in the world, to replace the ageing Nigerian players.<b> <u></u></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;"><u></u> </span></b></p>Brandinfohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04019113678108351672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6979448122462215308.post-40263110409506686612021-12-26T23:25:00.003-08:002021-12-26T23:25:46.467-08:00COVID-19: Wolves vs Arsenal postponed<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmHroem_6MUZwYigHRKlJqr5gcd1Mk3I8OiopCYDfhjolM9wdGgLi4GHoovFwxj2ebB1Tp-PwTLdXbNe-GnE_JBUCaTIZa8Zh9dCBPa85jLz57GMXkgS9pVxzmDlnE4FIWlYfqgW8yM9GpxNJnyZg8lZzQ9o_sLT9NB5MtLxTOgQ6XWO2IiTxCfoQadA=s747" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="747" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmHroem_6MUZwYigHRKlJqr5gcd1Mk3I8OiopCYDfhjolM9wdGgLi4GHoovFwxj2ebB1Tp-PwTLdXbNe-GnE_JBUCaTIZa8Zh9dCBPa85jLz57GMXkgS9pVxzmDlnE4FIWlYfqgW8yM9GpxNJnyZg8lZzQ9o_sLT9NB5MtLxTOgQ6XWO2IiTxCfoQadA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Arsenal’s clash with Wolves, scheduled for December 28, became the 15th Premier League match postponed due to a coronavirus outbreak in recent weeks on Sunday. <br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“The Premier League Board accepted the postponement application as Wolves do not have the required number of players available for the match (13 outfield players and one goalkeeper) as a result of a number of COVID-19 cases and injuries at the club,” the Premier League said in a statement. <br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Wolves’ Boxing Day match with Watford was one of three games scheduled for the traditional round of matches on December 26 called off due to squads decimated by Covid-19 infections and injuries. <br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">However, that was due to an outbreak in the Watford camp.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Six Premier League games did go ahead in front of full crowds despite Britain battling record coronavirus figures owing to a wave of the Omicron strain of the virus. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Earlier this week, clubs rejected the option of temporarily halting the season to allow a circuit breaker for infections.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">At the same meeting on Monday, clubs were warned that games will go ahead if each team has 13 fit outfield players and a goalkeeper. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Across the three divisions below the Premier League, 22 matches in the English Football League (EFL) were postponed on Boxing Day. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">No restrictions have yet been put in place for the size of crowds at matches in England, although supporters do have to provide proof of vaccination or a negative test taken in the previous 48 hours. <br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Sport in Wales will be forced back behind closed doors from today, while in Scotland a restriction of 500 outdoor public events has seen Scottish Premiership clubs bring forward their winter break by a week.(Punch)<br /></span><br /></p>Brandinfohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04019113678108351672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6979448122462215308.post-26555282314236267442021-12-10T06:25:00.003-08:002021-12-10T06:25:43.031-08:00Fearless Energy drink sponsors allstar Futball Season 6 for celebrities<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZDqLKEwvZUSDhxzD_nWJAPomOB4AQCx3rDjV28sDa_Cvhe93bOndob6la0NDZp_AyzmNqb4Yq0NFg84qwQk_Dt9Gk6WY_3sCnzwKpEMEphGXQnCPY5iRt9ZyVWKskAc6yeejgeH-3IxYXQKhFGeU0xdXIR5FNgJ34SuWmuaoRoQyoLXTYlfmAcacnKg=s1024" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZDqLKEwvZUSDhxzD_nWJAPomOB4AQCx3rDjV28sDa_Cvhe93bOndob6la0NDZp_AyzmNqb4Yq0NFg84qwQk_Dt9Gk6WY_3sCnzwKpEMEphGXQnCPY5iRt9ZyVWKskAc6yeejgeH-3IxYXQKhFGeU0xdXIR5FNgJ34SuWmuaoRoQyoLXTYlfmAcacnKg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18.0473px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 22.9693px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Fearless Energy drink has taken sports promotion to a new dimension with the sponsorship of the Allstar Futball Season 6 tournament for Nigerian celebrities and social media influencers to showcase their support to talents in football while having fun.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18.0473px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 22.9693px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The event which was held at the Campos Mini Stadium on Sunday, December 5, 2021, was full of excitement, humour, and display of skills in football by the celebrities to the admiration of the audience.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18.0473px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 22.9693px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It also provides an opportunity for fans to see the sport-side of their screen idols.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18.0473px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 22.9693px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The electrifying football match was contested according to the foreign football clubs the celebrities support, and they comprise the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga, Italian Serie A, and sometimes like in other seasons, the Nigerian League.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18.0473px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 22.9693px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As the proud beverage sponsor of the event, the leading Fearless Energy drink; which comprises of the Fearless Classic and Red Berry brands, were available to rejuvenate the superstars who were highly elated to be energized while displaying their skills in football.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18.0473px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 22.9693px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Commenting on the sponsorship, Rite Foods Brand Manager, Boluwatife Adedugbe, stated that the world-class company is delighted to identify with its consumers which include celebrities, and to connect them with its award-winning brands that have been refreshing and keeping them active in their activities.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18.0473px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 22.9693px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">She affirmed that the brand is poised towards discovering talents among consumers across the country and also in encouraging them to be megastars in their careers.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18.0473px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 22.9693px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Participating teams at the competition include Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Manchester United. While the first match ended in the favour of Liverpool which defeated Arsenal with 3-1, Chelsea played a 1-1 game with Manchester United, but later won after penalties were awarded with 3-1 scores.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18.0473px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 22.9693px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The final contest between Liverpool and Chelsea initially ended in a 1-1 game but was later won by Chelsea after the award of penalties which resulted in a 3-1 defeat.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18.0473px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 22.9693px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Half time at the game was fun time, as spectators at the stands were treated to music, comedy, and dance performances.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18.0473px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 22.9693px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It was also a moment of joy for DJ Neptune who was presented with an award as the "Best Goal Keeper" in the tournament, which saw fans thrilled with outstanding skills displayed by the celebrities who demonstrated that they also know the technicalities of football like they do on TV screens and sphere of human endeavours.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 18.0473px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 22.9693px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Eulogizing Fearless Energy Drink for the support, the Co-Founder, Allstar Futball Tournament, Steve Onu, a filmmaking-actor, Showbiz Promoter, an On-Air Personality at 95.1 Wazobia FM, who is popularly called Yaw, said the leading energy drink brand made the football match more interesting with its unique flavours that revigorated the participants with the energy required for the competition.</span></span></p>Brandinfohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04019113678108351672noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6979448122462215308.post-68731198923486129942021-12-05T04:11:00.001-08:002021-12-05T04:11:16.958-08:00Injured Okoye doubtful for AZ clash<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn8PAomTfYoEJpyEQqjaWIKB3CyqBX-mkl46dQTBv-SZmm03hYGZ7WfTd0gQsBOpiIeU2LRz3nh3K07_OQeOenQRpwDvKocUx7orh5FWCXTn1Xf_cKCmE7w6t_l3i1gZNQRxKC17D_LUGD/s720/Maduka-Okoye.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="720" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn8PAomTfYoEJpyEQqjaWIKB3CyqBX-mkl46dQTBv-SZmm03hYGZ7WfTd0gQsBOpiIeU2LRz3nh3K07_OQeOenQRpwDvKocUx7orh5FWCXTn1Xf_cKCmE7w6t_l3i1gZNQRxKC17D_LUGD/s320/Maduka-Okoye.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Super Eagles</b> goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye, is a major doubt for Sparta Rotterdam’s Dutch Eredivisie clash against AZ Alkmaar on Sunday. <br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Okoye suffered a shoulder injury in Sparta Rotterdam’s 1-0 loss to Ajax last Sunday. <br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The 22-year-old was stretchered off in the 24th minute after colliding with Ajax striker Danilo. <br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">While the injury was first feared to be severe, the new Watford signing allayed such fears.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Sparta Rotterdam goalkeeper Maduka Okoye just informed us that his shoulder injury is not that bad. The keeper expects to be able to play against AZ again next Sunday. Okoye had to be sidelined against Ajax with pain,” Dutch online news hub <i>Rijnmond Sport</i> tweeted. <br /><br /><br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">He might not however be fit for the Ajax game as the club are still assessing him and will not want to risk using him.<br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Eagles defender has already signed a five-and-a-half-year deal with Watford. <br /><br /></span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The deal would however see him remain on loan at Sparta before joining the Hornets in the summer. (Punch)</span><br />
</p>Brandinfohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04019113678108351672noreply@blogger.com0