Junior Davis Cup and Junior Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Finals to be held at Madrid Caja Magica in 2015-17

Junior Davis Cup and Junior Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Finals to be held at Madrid Caja Magica in 2015-17

The ITF today announced that the Junior Davis Cup and Junior Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Finals will move to the iconic Caja Magica (Magic Box) arena in Madrid for three years in 2015-17. The event will be staged on 16 clay courts, including two stadium outdoor show courts, and managed by Madrid Trophy Promotion, organisers of the Mutua Madrid Open.

Junior Davis Cup and Junior Fed Cup by BNP Paribas is the ITF’s official team competition for players aged 16-and-under. Launched in 1985 as the World Youth Cup, the competition has grown from 40 nations to around 100 nations each year, competing in a series of regional qualifying events to become one of 16 boys and 16 girls teams at the Finals. Many of the world’s leading players have represented their country in the competition, including Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Agnieszka Radwanska and Simona Halep.

BNP Paribas has sponsored the Junior Davis Cup since it was rebranded in 2002, before going on to sponsor Junior Fed Cup in 2005. Its current agreement with both competitions runs through 2016 as part of its long-term association with the ITF.

The Junior Davis Cup and Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Finals have been held in Spain on six previous occasions, most recently in Barcelona in 2012, but this is the first time that they will be staged in Madrid.

“We are delighted that the Caja Magica will host the Junior Davis Cup and Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Finals,” said ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti. “The arena will provide a spectacular setting to showcase this important team competition for the development of our most talented young players. I am also sure that there will be an added incentive next year for players to qualify for the Finals and compete at one of the major arenas on the professional tennis circuit.”

The Madrid Caja Magica arena, designed by the French architect Dominique Perrault and home of the Mutua Madrid Open since 2009, is a multi-purpose sports, cultural and leisure events complex in the south of the city that opened in 2009. It can host both indoor and outdoor events, thanks to a series of retractable roofs over its three stadiums. The facility has a total of three stadium clay courts, 16 outdoor clay courts, and 11 indoor hard courts.

This infrastructure in the city of Madrid is managed by the municipal company Madrid Destino, the main professional manager of spaces in the capital at the service of culture and tourism, professionals and companies.

The 2014 Junior Davis Cup and Junior Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Finals will be held in San Luis Potosi, Mexico on 23-28 September, with Spain’s boys team and Russia’s girls team the current title holders. A total of 178 teams from 98 countries will take part in this year’s event, with qualifying events continuing through August.

UN Secretary-General pays official visit to IOC President in Lausanne

UN delegation visits the IOC HQ in Lausanne

IOC President Thomas Bach and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon review increased collaboration after signing top-level agreement between the two organisations.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach and United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met today at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, less than two months after having signed a historic agreement in New York aimed at strengthening collaboration between the two organisations at the highest level.

During a one-hour bilateral meeting, the two leaders discussed a number of issues and the joint action being taken by the two organisations on various concrete projects.

The two leaders reviewed the situation in South Sudan, where war has forced millions of people from their homes, pushing them to the brink of famine. The IOC President informed the UN Secretary-General about a recent joint meeting he held between representatives of the Sudanese National Olympic Committee (NOC) and members of the South Sudanese sporting movement. Following the recent signing of the MoU between the IOC and the UN, the South Sudanese said they were able to contact local representatives on the ground in South Sudan to work on potential projects. In parallel, the IOC has started to work with the NOC of Sudan, International Federations and training centres in the region to identify and assist athletes with the potential to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

The meeting also covered a possible joint initiative in the Central African Republic. The project, initiated by the local NOC and supported by the IOC, would involve more than 1,800 athletes and sports representatives promoting sport as a tool for peace. The initiative would also encourage political leaders to work towards finding peaceful solutions to conflicts. Concrete activities would include peace “caravans”, sports competitions between neighbourhoods and regions playing for “fair play and peace” trophies, as well as conferences and debates. Being very active in the country, the UN proposed that a feasibility study be conducted with regard to the implementation of the project.

The IOC President proposed IOC-UN collaboration on an initiative supporting athletes living in refugee camps. The two organisations have years of experience of working together in refugee camps in countries plagued by violence and war. Using the UN’s extensive networks in such camps, promising athletes would be identified, and, with the help of the IOC and Olympic Solidarity, would receive training and assistance.

President Bach underscored the IOC’s commitment to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The IOC recognises that the post-2015 development agenda is a historic opportunity to establish a global framework for sustainable development, and encourages UN Member States to consider sport as a cost-effective and valuable tool for achieving the SDGs.

UN Secretary-General pays official visit to IOC President in Lausanne

The leaders also discussed the upcoming visit of IOC Honorary President Jacques Rogge to Jordan to meet Syrian refugees. Rogge was recently appointed as Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Youth Refugees and Sport. In this role, he will support the UN Secretary-General in advancing peace, development and an inclusive society through sport.

Details of the trip are still to be finalised, but the visit will be the occasion to assess on the ground the benefits sport-based initiatives can bring to young refugees and local communities.

The IOC President also briefed the UN Secretary-General on the progress being made on the Olympic Agenda 2020, a strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement. Fourteen Working Groups are meeting between 16 and 24 June to work on the thousands of contributions the IOC has received. Each group is made up of key stakeholders of the Olympic Movement and outside experts, including the UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Sport for Development and Peace, Wilfried Lemke.

The meeting ended with an update on the inauguration of the new IOC Sport for Hope Centre in Haiti, which is due to take place in July and be attended by both President Bach and UN Secretary-General Ban.

During a short media encounter that followed the meeting, President Bach said: “We believe that sport can be a strong driver for social change, and today’s visit by the UN Secretary-General strengthens once again our determination to use the values of sport to help build a better world. Whether it is with youth, refugees or wherever people are in need we are ready to serve. Sport can play a role, and we want to be at your side.”

Secretary-General Ban said: “The United Nations and the International Olympic Committee are committed to work together to harness the power of sport to promote development, advance human rights and build peace.”

After touring the IOC headquarters, the IOC President and UN Secretary-General visited the Olympic Museum. There the two leaders stopped for a photo in front of the original Olympic flag, which turned 100 years old today. One of the most recognisable symbols of the Olympic Games, the flag was created for the Olympic Jubilee Congress in 1914 in Paris, in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Olympic Movement.

Photo Credit: IOC Media Team

Africa Rugby Cup 1C: Zambia Pip Nigeria’s Black Stallions 30-20

Black Stallions Captain Azeez Ladipo introduces players to dignitories

After match day 1 in the African Cup 1C, in Gaborone, Botswana, the Black Stallions of Nigeria lost to Zambia by 20-30. The game which was tagged the match of the day by commentators and rugby fans saw the Black Stallion forwards impose themselves on the Zambians but the back line could not contain them.

The Zambians drew first blood in the early stage of the game with two tries, the black stallions found their rhythm and retaliated with two tries by Christian Ogar and Fasimoye olatunji.

Nigeria fly half, Azeez Ladipo traded penalties with the Zambian fly half to keep the game level 13-13 at half time.

The Zambians dominated early in the second half of the game trenching the Back Stallions back line which paid off with a try.

Azeez ladipo launched an attack by setting up Samson Yahaya for another try to draw level at 20-20. The Zambians nicked it in the final third with 2 late tries to end the game at 30-20.

Other games saw Impala defeat Mauritius. 67 – 17 and Bostwana demolished Swaziland 87 – 0.

Speaking after the game Fasimoye olatunji said that “It was not a bad game for a new team, and that the players are now determined to go on to do well in subsequent games.

The Black Stallions will now take on Swaziland on Wednesday 18th June 2014 in their second game of the African Rugby Cup IC.

Nigeria vs Zambia

ANOC LAUNCHES NEW DIGITAL PLATFORMS

New digital platforms set to improve communication with NOCs

The Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) today launched its brand new website and Facebook and Twitter accounts, with this latest step forward in its modernisation process designed to provide new platforms for promotion and connectivity to the world’s 204 NOCs.

The new digital platforms, incorporating ANOC’s new brand look and feel, will allow the organisation to communicate with its NOCs more efficiently.

The ANOC website (www.anocolympic.org) has been restructured to be more user friendly and has introduced new features including ‘Olympic Voices’ – a section collating interviews from senior Olympic stakeholders and athletes – and ‘Media Centre’ – a dedicated media section reflecting the organisation’s commitment to openness and transparency.

ANOC President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah said:

“We are living in an increasingly digital age and it is imperative that ANOC takes full advantage of the wealth of opportunities that this presents us with to communicate with our NOCs.

Our website is a very important resource for the NOCs so we needed to make sure that it was as comprehensive and informative as possible. The new, more user friendly, website will do just that whilst also providing a platform to highlight and celebrate the excellent and often unrecognised work the NOCs are doing worldwide.”

New Twitter and Facebook platforms have also been created to maximise the organisation’s potential to connect with its NOCs and their athletes.

Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah added:

“Our social media platforms will open up new ways for us to interact directly with our NOCs and their athletes and share news and photos with as wide an audience as possible – particularly young people. Our Twitter and Facebook accounts will be particularly important in the run up to our inaugural ANOC Gala Awards Dinner.”

ANOC Logo

ITTF Lists 37 Umpires For Lagos World Tour

ITTF

To ensure that only certified and qualified officials handle proceedings at the Lagos World Tour tagged Nigeria Open, the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has listed 36 umpires for the four-day tournament.

The umpires were drawn from Nigeria, Ghana, Algeria, Libya, Togo, Congo Brazzaville and Benin while Malaysia’s Cyril Sen and Netherlands’ Albert Roojimans will coordinate the affairs during the tournament.

According to Main Organising Committee (MOC), the total number of countries expected to officiate at the championship exceeded the number recommended by ITTF. The umpire are made up of 22 male and 14 female.

Also on Wednesday, a three-day tournament organization course will take place at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall while there will be two-day technical training for the officials.

According to the coordinator of the training, John Peters, the exercise would surely help Nigerian players to get graded by top officials from ITTF.

“For us this is a rare opportunity for our referees to be acquainted with the latest rules in the game as well as get graded by ITTF.

We are pleased to have this and I hope that our officials will do their best to get graded.

This kind of training is organized mostly in Europe and other parts of the world where most times, the officials are expected to sponsor themselves there.

But as we are hosting the World Tour, ITTF has decided to organize the exercise in Nigeria,” Peters said.

The tournament organization course will commence on Wednesday June 18 to 20, while the Certified Basic Referees Course holds on June 21.

The Advanced Umpires Training/Advanced Rules Examination will hold on June 22 and two ITTF experts will conduct it.

Meanwhile, Singapore, Russia and Luxembourg are expected to arrive on Saturday while other teams will touch down in Lagos this weekend as well.

15 countries have been confirmed for the four-day N6.4m prize money championship serving off on Monday June 23 to 26.

Maigari remains optimistic, wants total support for Eagles, denies rift on appearance fees, bonuses

President of Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Aminu Maigari has expressed optimism that the Super Eagles will go ahead and qualify for the knock –out stages of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, despite Monday’s scoreless draw with Iran in Curitiba.

The African champions huffed and puffed throughout but failed to get the needed goal to claim three points, despite dominating for large periods.

“I remain optimistic and confident that the Eagles will still qualify. Certainly, the Government and people of Nigeria were expecting victory in this game, but that is football for you.

“I have spoken with the Head Coach and he knows as well that victory against Bosnia-Herzegovina is non –negotiable. The team will do what is necessary to earn the three points and then face with Argentina with courage,” Maigari said on board the TAM Air flight that brought the NFF delegation back to Sao Paulo after the match.

NFF Chairman Aminu Maigari

Argentina now top Group F with three points while Nigeria lie second with Iran on one point each, and the Bosnians bottom without a point.

“I want our people to remain strong behind the team and continue to support the players and technical crew with their prayers. The tournament is just starting, and the team has also seen this match as a wake –up call.”

Victory against pointless Bosnia-Herzegovina in Cuiaba on Saturday will take the Super Eagles to four points, and a probable place in the Round of 16, as Argentina are most likely to defeat Iran the same day in Belo Horizonte.

NFF insists no rift on appearance fees, bonuses

NFF LOGO

The Nigeria Football Federation has blasted a report insinuating rift between the Federation and players of the Super Eagles on appearance monies and bonuses at the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals.

Nigeria football spokesman Ademola Olajire dismissed the report which suggested that Senate President, Distinguished Senator David Mark (GCON) blamed the NFF leadership for holding onto the players’ money, as low –quality fiction.

“The persons who wrote those reports were never at that meeting. There have been a couple of meetings on the appearance fees and bonuses and all ended pretty well and on note of good understanding between the NFF and the players.

“There is not even any money to hold onto, yet. FIFA has not paid Nigeria for participation in the competition as no one knows yet how far we will go to determine the amount to be paid. No country has been paid appearance money.

“The percentage to be paid eventually has been agreed with the players and they are happy.”

Olajire regretted that some fellows who were nowhere during the struggle to qualify for the finals have been desperate to hug the headlines through negative tactics.

“It is unfortunate that at this period that we should all work together and be on the same page for the interest of our country, some people are hell –bent on a negative campaign to try and make the NFF look bad.

“The Maigari administration is on record as never having defaulted on any agreement with players of the National Teams, and actually paid the Super Eagles’ appearance fee for the last FIFA World Cup in South Africa, which was inherited from the last Board.

“The present NFF is the most successful in the annals of Nigeria football and the facts are there for all to see. No amount of hate literature will be able to take anything away from this truism.”