PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JUNE 22, 2012
Police nab Warri Wolves attacker
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he Nigeria Police on Wednesday apprehended the fan that allegedly attacked Rising Stars’ Segun Bajowa during a Nigeria Premier League (NPL) game in Warri. SuperSport.com has been informed that the arrested fan is one Alex Ugbameta, who is now cooling off at the A Division of the Nigeria Police in Warri. “The fan identified as Alex Ugbameta has been arrested by the police here in Warri,” Warri Wolves’ General Manager, Media, Timi Ebikagboro disclosed to SuperSport.com. Ugbameta is now under investigation for allegedly breaching public peace and will be charged to court by the police. “He is faced with a court action for causing trouble in the public, according to the police,” said Ebikagboro. The real incident that led to Bajowa being attacked still remains unknown as there are different versions to it. One report claims that the Rising Stars’ player was allegedly attacked by the arrested fan while warming up with 10 minutes to half time, while another alleged that Bajowa was engaged in a verbal spat with fans of the home side before he was allegedly attacked. Ebikagboro, who was at the Warri City Stadium, said he was not at the scene of the happening at the time and was surprised to find Bajowa lying on the floor after Ugbameta allegedly attacked him. “I can’t really say what transpired before the incident that happened as I was on the upper terrace of the stands. Warri is one of the peaceful venues in our league and this occurrence is surprising to me,” he said. The match between Wolves and Rising Stars stood at 1-1 as at the 35th minute when it was abandoned. The arrest of Ugbameta by the police is the second time a fan will be apprehended at an NPL venue for hooliganism this season. In March, a fan identified as Ifeanyi Arisa was arrested by the police in Enugu for his role in the assault of centre referee, Gabriel Adigwe from Lagos during the game between Heartland and Enyimba.
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NNWL to lift Jarma FC suspension
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he secretariat of the Nigeria Nationwide League (NNWL), has concluded plans to lift the suspension of Jarma FC of Kano and re-admit the team into the on-going 2011/2012 season. The league’s Secretary, Emmanuel Adesanya, said yesterday in Abuja that the decision was made after the issue was resolved. The suspension was as a result of an act of violence by the club’s supporters on April 2 in Kano after a match it played with visiting DSS FC of Kaduna. Jarma FC fans, after a Division One D Week Five match, attacked
the match officials who were from the FCT because the team had lost the match 1-2. Adesanya said the team, which was suspended in the seventh week of the first round, had missed seven matches during the suspension time. “They’ve missed seven matches and now we want to give them the opportunity to come back and play though that would be after they must have been sanctioned.” He said the sanction to be meted to the team cannot be pre-empted but that it would involve payment of fine (money)
Manny pacquiao
and probably have their matches played elsewhere as was the rule. “If you erred and your venue is banned you will be taken out of that place at least to play the next three home matches and they know what that means. “It means they will play six matches away, the three they are to play at home and the three that follows that should be played outside.” Adesanya said the change of venue of the matches was to deny the team’s fans, who caused the trouble, the joy of watching their team play.
He said the teams, which were to play against Jarma FC, were aware that the matches would still be played. He, however, said the sanctions and time of play had not been decided by the Appeal, Organising and Disciplinary Committees of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). “If by the end of this week we do not hear from the disciplinary and appeal committees, all Division 1 D matches will be suspended.” Adesanya said this is because without sorting out the matches, the entire season would be affected.
Timothy Bradley
WBC title controversy: Review experts confirm Manny and not Bradley won
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embers of a five-man review panel have ruled that Manny Pacquiao should have been declared the winner of his bout against Timothy Bradley. The WBO reported on its website yesterday that all five members of a special panel it had asked to review the controversial welterweight title bout in Las Vegas on June 9 scored it in favour of Pacquiao. The organisation said it could not overturn the result of the fight or ask Bradley to surrender the belt, but it could authorise a rematch. Pacquiao said in a telephone call from the Philippines, “I hope with this ruling the public’s faith in boxing would be restored. “I was not surprised by the WBO ruling. I knew I won; so did the whole world. But that is already over and I am now focusing on the next fight.” The 33-year-old former champion said he and his promoter, Bob Arum, would discuss his next move at a meeting in Los Angeles next week, but he remained coy on who his next opponent would be. “We will soon find out whom I will fight next,” he said, when asked if he was aiming for a rematch against Bradley. The American snatched Pacquiao’s WBO belt on a split decision and snapped Pacquiao’s 15-fight, seven-year winning streak. The decision sparked outrage in the boxing-crazy Philippines and in the United States, where two senators pushed for the creation of a national boxing commission to regulate the sport.
Arum questioned the competence of the judges and pressed for an inquiry from the Nevada attorney general’s office. Pacquiao would prefer a rematch to Bradley giving up the title which the American won on a split decision because “people may think I just usurped it. My supporters shouldn’t worry. We’re going to get that title,” the Filipino superstar said. Duane Ford, who scored the bout 15-13 for Bradley, was quoted earlier as saying, “I thought Bradley gave Pacquiao a boxing lesson.” His colleague Jerry Roth had it 115-113 for Pacquiao and CJ Ross 115-113 for Bradley. WBO president Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel later announced that five “recognised international judges” would review the fight and make a recommendation. Valcarcel said, however, the WBO did not doubt the ability of the judges who scored the fight. Meanwhile, Tor Hamer won a heavyweight tournament at the York Hall near London, defeating Kevin Johnson in the final. Hamer won the three-round final on points and took away £32 000 in prize money. Johnson beat Albert Sosnowski in their semifinal bout and Hamer stopped Tom Dallas in under 30 seconds. Hamer took three rounds to beat Marcello Nascimento in the quarterfinals and Johnson stopped Noureddine Meddoune in the first round.
Egesi, British-Nigerian born girl to carry London Olympic torch
A Victor Baribote, Chairman NPL
girl, Ify Egesi, 12, a BritishNigerian born girl has been selected to carry the Olympic torch on the eve of the opening ceremony of the games. Egesi was selected from the Sacred Heart Catholic School in Camberwell in London after
entering and winning a competition to find a champion for the games opening as scheduled on July 27. “I wrote about how I had moved 15 places up the ramcoder, came third in my year examinations and about how my family and brothers would be
honoured if I were picked,”Egesi told NAN yesterday in London. Egesi who was very elated said she would be representing her two countries, Britain and Nigeria; family and school when carrying the torch. She added that the Olympic authority had asked her to keep
both July 25 and 26 dates free adding that she would be carrying the torch en-route to Stratford, where the Olympics stadium is located. Egesi, who is also an athlete, plays for her school net-ball team and is a member of the athletics club.