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Burns may face Beltran in WBO
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icky Burns will face Mexican fighter Raymundo Beltran on September 7 as he seeks to defend his WBO world lightweight title. A win for the Coatbridge boxer in that bout at Glasgow’s SECC could mean a title defence in New York next year. Talks, led by his promoter Eddie Hearn, have already taken place for Burns to appear at Madison Square Garden in January or February of 2014. Burns said it would be a “dream come true” to fight in the United States. However the 30-yearold refuses to be distracted by that prospect at the moment and wants to focus on beating Beltran, who is a chief sparring partner of boxing legend Manny Pacquiao. Burns previously successfully defended his title against Jose Gonzalez in May, after the Puerto Rican retired at the end of the ninth round. But there were suggestions he trained too hard for that contest. Although not a unification fight, Burns is pleased to be boxing on a more regular basis, with another bout in the offing
Peoples Daily WEEKEND SATURDAY 29 — SUNDAY 30, JUNE,
Pillars, Enyimba, 3SC, other NPFL clubs to get N10.5m each this week
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efending champions Kano Pillars, Enyimba, Rangers and 17 the other Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) and the 17 other clubs participating in the Globacom sponsored league will each receive N10.5 million before the start of the second stanza of the league. This league will resume on July 6, but the money will be doled out to them as part of their share from the proceeds of the title sponsorship. This was confirmed by officials after the meeting between the clubs and
League Management Company (LMC) in Abuja on Thursday. The money is part of the N1.8 bn sponsorship in which a 3-year sponsorship deal with the initial payment of N550 million this season, then 10 per cent increase in subsequent seasons. Before now, clubs have operated in the last two seasons without any financial benefits because the leadership of the league board was unable to secure sponsorship and even it did it was controversial, and thus nothing accrued to the clubs. Also to benefit from
the sponsorship are the referees who are to earn N100,000 per match. But the meeting suggested that only a limited number of very competent referees by assigned to officiate in matches. Peoples Weekend Sports recalls that allowances to referees have generated issues as clubs are often accused of inducing referees especially when they shoulder the responsibility of accommodating and ferrying them to match venues. “We want referees and assistant referees to be selected on merit and also
select key match officials which NFF will determine their numbers,” said Alloy Chukwuemeka, Secretary of the Club Owners Association, after the meeting. Apart from the general participation fee, clubs will also get remuneration based on their performance in the league at the end of the season. The remaining funds would be used to run the league include payment of match officials. This so because after sharing the N10.5m to each of 20 clubs, it would amount to N210m leaving a balance of N340 million.
Players of Kano Pillars filing out for a match at the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano
Egypt need a big win against
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gypt need to defeat England in their FIFA U-20 World Cup Group E match today if they are to have any hope of making the quarterfinals. Kick-off in Bursa is at 20h00 CAT. The Young Pharaohs find themselves at the bottom of the log after successive 2-1 defeats at
the hands of Chile and Iraq, matches in which they twice allowed 1-0 leads to slip through their grasp. Though the North Africans cannot qualify for the last eight as one of the top two in the group, they do still have a slight chance of ending as one of the four best third-placed teams
from the six pools. However, to do so, they will have to hand England a convincing defeat at the Ataturk Stadium. The Three Lions have not convinced at this tournament, playing to draws against Iraq and Chile, which leaves them on two points. The good news for the
English, though, is that a victory will put them through the quarterfinals, either as one of the top two in the pool or as one of the four best third-placed teams. Egypt coach Rabie Yassin will be hoping that his side can outclass and outlast England, who have shown signs of tiring in the