03072019 - Buhari's Ruga policy, an explosive issue — SOYINKA

44 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 2019
Sterling: Playing
abroad would be
a dream
Raheem Sterling says “it’s
always been a dream” to play
abroad, but is “loving every
minute” at Manchester City.
The 24-year-old joined City
from Liverpool in 2015, and
signed a contract extension in
November to keep him at the
Etihad until 2023
Sterling was crowned the
Football Writers’ Association
Footballer of the Year and PFA
Young Player of the Year in April,
with the England international
scoring 17 goals in City’s
Premier League title-winning
campaign.
“I love it here [Man City],”
Sterling said in an interview
with GQ. “This is one of the best
clubs in the world and I’m here
for the long haul. But you just
don’t know what happens in the
future. I’m still young and, like I
say, I am loving every minute.
“Ever since I was a kid, 100 per
cent it’s always been a dream of
mine to play abroad somewhere.
It would be nice one day to finish
training and go home and sit in
your garden and eat some
dinner.”
Ndombele becomes
most expensive player
in Tottenham’s history
•Completes £65m switch from
Lyon on six-year deal
Victor Moses returns
to Fenerbahce
C
ottenham have smashed their transfer
Trecord to sign Tanguy Ndombele from Lyon
for £65million.
The midfielder travelled to London for a
medical on Tuesday after agreeing terms on a
six-year contract with the Premier League club.
Spurs will pay an initial £56.5m for France
star Ndombele, although the future fee could
rise to around £65m due to the add-ons
included in the package.
The fee for Ndombele tops the £42m Spurs
splashed out for centre back Davinson
Sanchez in 2017.
He has been a long-term target for manager
Mauricio Pochettino and having been keen to
sign him in the previous two windows, the
Tottenham boss made the player his No 1
priority this summer.
The 22-year-old has drawn comparisons in
style to former Chelsea favourite Michael
Essien since his emergence at Lyon.
Capturing Ndombele represents a
significant statement of intent from the north
Londoners as they make an eye-catching
return to the transfer market after two
windows without spending.
Spurs kickstarted their summer spree by
landing winger Jack Clarke from Leeds for
£8.5m before immediately sending him back
on loan to the Championship club.
Arsenal sign
Martinelli
Arsenal have signed 18-year-old
Brazilian Gabriel Martinelli from
Ituano Futebol Clube for an undisclosed
fee.
The deal comes the day after Sky Sports
News reported the Gunners have
launched a £40m bid for Wilfried Zaha
and continued talks with Porto’s Yacine
Brahimi.
The forward has joined on a long-term
contract, with the deal subject to the
completion of regulatory processes.
“I model my game on Cristiano
Ronaldo,” Martinelli said.
“He is a player who works hard, pushing
himself to the next level. Always in the run
for titles and individual trophies.
“This is a dream since I was a child and
also my family’s dream for me to be
playing in Europe and playing for a big
team like Arsenal. I am going to take this
opportunity.”
helsea-owned winger Victor Moses has resumed pre-season
training at Turkish Super Lig side Fenerbahce amid speculation
linking him with an exit from the club in the summer transfer window.
The former Nigerian international was among the players subjected
to routine health checks at Liv Hospital in Ulus on Monday.
Moses underwent ECHO, exercise, respiration and function tests
and was examined in all branches including cardiology, eye, earnose-throat
and general surgery.
The former Crystal Palace man was heavily linked with a transfer
to Inter Milan but it appears the deal is off with Inter Milan
announcing the capture of Valentino Lazaro from Hertha Berlin on
July 1.
Lazaro has the same technical characteristics as Moses as he can
play as a right winger and the right wing-back role favoured by
Nerazzurri new manager Antonio Conte.
Madrid refuse
to give up on
Pogba
Real Madrid know that it’s going
to be a long summer. The club
have not given up hope of signing
Paul Pogba, the only transfer
petition which Zidane has
expressly asked Florentino
Pérez for. As it stands,
Manchester United are refusing
to negotia - they didn’t attend
Madrid in either of the two
occasions the Spanish club tried
to open talks. Not that Madrid
have been put off - they’ll wait with
the hope that Unitedwill
eventually come around to
discussing the transfer. The transfer
window in England closes on 8
August and Madrid will insist
while there is still a chance that
United can sell. In Spain, the
transfer deadline is 2 September.
Pogba could do the same as
Ronaldo Nazário did when he
signed just before the window
closed on 31 August 2002. The
player has given his word to
Madrid and club directors hope
that will go in their favour in their
attempt to bring him to the
Bernabéu.
United have not qualified for
this season’s Champions League
but that is not the reason why they
don’t want to let Pogba go. They
don’t want to do any deals that
potentially could weaken the club
and besides, being the second
richest club in the world
(according to Forbes), they have
no need to sell.
Nwakali trains with Arsenal
ahead of potential debut
Golden Ball winner at the 2015 FIFA U17
World Cup, Kelechi Nwakali has started
training with Arsenal ahead of the new
season.
The former Flying Eagles skipper does not
qualify for a work permit to play in the English
Premier League as he has no senior caps to
his name in competitive games, meaning he
will head out on loan in the 2019-2020 season
or be sold on a permanent basis.
On Arsenal’s official website, Nwakali has
been listed among their U23 players along
with players of Nigerian descent Arthur
Okonkwo, Tobi Omole, Joseph Olowu, Tolaji
Bola, James Olayinka, Bukayo Saka, Xavier
Amaechi and Folarin Balogun.
The Diamond Academy product was
pictured wearing the new retro Adidas home
kit recently released by the Gunners for the
2019-2020 campaign.
Arsenal XI will face
Boreham Wood in a
pre-season friendly
at Meadow Park on
Saturday, July 6 and
Nwakali is in
contention to play in
the game in what
would be his debut
for the North
London club.
3rd Dickson Wrestling championships:
Bayelsa, Edo emerge winners
By Solomon Nwoke, Yenagoa
Bayelsa state, unarguably the home of wrestling in the country have
emerged winners of the third Dickson Seriake Wrestling
championships which ended yesterday at the Samson Siasia Sports
Hall in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state.
The hosts state emerged the overall winners in the Men and Women
Freestyle wrestling with 85 points and 68points respectively. Edo state
won the overall winners of the Greco Roman wrestling with 50 points.
Delta and Ondo states won the second positions in both categories
with 74 points and 59 points respectively while, Ondo and the Nigerian
Army settled for the third place with 51 points and 28 points apiece.
In the Greco Roman, Delta and Bayelsa clinched the second and
third positions with 49 points and 36points respectively.
Earlier in his closing remarks, the President of the Nigeria Wrestling
Federation, Honourable Daniel Igali thanked the governor of the state
for his sponsorship of the annual championships which just marked its
third edition.
“The Nigeria wrestling Federation wishes to use the opportunity to
congratulate and commend the governor and government of Bayelsa
state for being the first state in the country to commence the construction
of a befitting dedicated wrestling gym of international standard in the
country. We wish to specially thank governor Dickson for the sponsorship
of the longest running national championship series in the history of
wrestling in Nigeria. We remain confident that with the assurance of
continuity in the governance of Bayelsa state, we will continue to enjoy
the same patronage from whoever succeeds him”, Igali said.
Also in his speech, Governor Seriake pledged the continued
sponsorship of the annual championship even when his tenure runs out
in February next year.
Sports will transform Gbaramatu
Kingdom, says Otuaro, dep gov
By Emma Amaize
WARRI- DEPUTY Governor of Delta State, Deacon Kingsely Oturo
has said that sports would give Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South-
West Local Government Area positive image and charged youth of the
kingdom to go all out for sporting excellence.
Otuaro, who spoke at the just concluded Amaseikumor Soccer
Tournament organized by the Christopher Wurayi-led Gbaramatu Youth
Council, GYC, at Okerenkoko, his hometown, disclosed that the state
government was prepared to exploit fresh talents and expose them for
integration in the larger sporting community.
Gbaramatu kingdom, also the home-base of ex-militant leader,
Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, erroneously comes to mind
as the stronghold of militants in the Niger Delta, a perception many
indigenes dislike.
The deputy governor asserted, “Sports event like this put Gbaramatu
Kingdom in good light, please do same next year. We will collaborate
for a most befitting sports fiesta”, an elated Otuaro said as he thanked
the Kingsley Oturubo-led Okerenkoko Federated Community and
others for the victory of Yankee FC and chair of the tournament, Chief
(Arc) Azaye Piniki.
“Let us continue to engage in sports which buildup mentally, let us
put up the best by serious practice, as you know that the world is out
there watching to tap on talents. I pray that your talents get noticed for
placement in the world stage of sports”
Otuaro, who hosted the tournament presented kits and cash to winner
and runner up teams, Yankee Football Club (FC) and Oporoza United
FC respectively, among other categories in the just-concluded
Amaseikumor Soccer Tournament.
Yankee FC, which Otuaro played in and coached years back, got a
cash donation of N500,000 while Oporoza United FC carted home
N250,000, while the officiating crew got N150,000.
GOtv Boxing Night 19:
Organisers announce new date
Flykite Productions, organisers of GOtv Boxing Night, have
announced 21 July as the new date for the 19th edition of the event,
which was origin
ally scheduled to hold on 14 July.
In a statement issued in Lagos on Tuesday, the organisers said the
event has been moved by one week to allow boxers additional
preparation time, as some of those billed to fight at the event also have
sub-regional title bouts for which they need to train well, as GOtv
Boxing Night 19 is a tune-up platform for those soon-to-come fights.
“Some of the boxers have been contacted for title bouts in the West
African sub-region on soon-to-be announced dates and they need an
extra week to adequately prepare and recover in addition to the
preparation time in between GOtv Boxing Night 19 and their next
fights.
“GOtv Boxing Night has put Nigerian boxers in demand on the
continent and it is our responsibility to ensure that boxers are in tip-top
shape for local and international bouts, which is why we have moved
the event by one week,” said the statement.
GOtv Boxing Night 19 will hold at the Indoor Sports Hall of the
National Stadium and feature nine bouts, including two all-female
encounters.
The biggest of the fights will see e international welterweight
challenge duel between Rilwan “Babyface” Babatunde of Nigeria and
Eden Biki of Ghana. The lightweight category will see African Boxing
Union (ABU) lightweight champion, Oto “Joeboy” Joseph, take on
Tope “Berinja” Agboola, while Hammed “Ese Hammed” Ganiyu will
face West African Boxing Union (WABU) lightweight champion, Rilwan
“Real One” Oladosu. The featherweight division will attract plenty of
attention with the fight between national champion, Taiwo “Esepo”
Agbaje, and former ABU champion, Waidi “Skoro” Usman. In another
duel, the cracking Tope “TP Rock” Musa will be up against Kazeem
“The Light” Oliwo. Others on the bill are Akeem “Sugar Boy” Olaiwola
vs Waheed “Showmax” Shogbamu; Adeyemi “Spirit” Adekanla vs Isaac
“I Star” Chukwudi, Adedeji Abiodun vs Cynthia Ogunsemilore and
Rodiat Yusuf vs Rodiat Ibrahim in the female category.