TEAM NIGERIA’S KITS ARRIVE 3 DAYS TO END OF OLYMPICS GAMES

Three days to the end of the 2016 Rio Olympics, Team Nigeria took delivery of the much awaited kits after most of the athletes had concluded their events with some already back to their bases.

A top official of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria who disclosed this to Sports Vanguard Thursday, said the kits which arrived Wednesday night would no longer serve any purpose because “most of the athletes have left after concluding their events”. He added that “I have never experienced this in my years in sports. Money meant for the Games was held tightly by ministry officials and they were just releasing money piecemeal. We had to buy kits on our own while some athletes competed in their personal kits.” It would be recalled that Team Nigeria had to resort to their warm-up track suits for the match past of the Opening Ceremony as the sports ministry claimed the official attire which was showcased before President Muhammadu Buhari during the hand-over ceremony in Abuja failed to arrive on time for the ceremony. Nigerians who were alarmed by the embarrassing scenario condemned the ministry for the untidy handling of the athletes’ kits but the sports minister, Solomon Dalung, in defence of the ministry, tweeted with a post that even the South African contingent appeared at the Opening Ceremony in their track suits.

-Vanguard

Paul Pogba: Manchester United re-sign France midfielder for world-record £89m

Paul Pogba said "the time is right to go back to Old Trafford" after completing his world-record £89m transfer to Manchester United.

The 23-year-old midfielder returns after four years away, having left United for Juventus for £1.5m in 2012.

Pogba, who signed a five-year deal, added: "This is the right club for me to achieve everything I hope to."

Manager Jose Mourinho said the France international could be "the heart of the club" for the next decade.

United will pay the Italian champions 105m euros for Pogba, plus 5m euros (£4.5m) in performance-related bonuses and other costs, including 5m euros if Pogba signs a new contract.

It surpasses the £85m that Real Madrid paid Tottenham for Wales forward Gareth Bale in 2013.

The announcement was made by United just after 00:30 BST on Tuesday, witha glossy video showing the player - with a red devil marked into his hair - emerging from the shadows.

Pogba, who helped hosts France reach the Euro 2016 final, has won the Serie A title in each of his four seasons at Juventus.

He is Mourinho's fourth signing at United, after Ivory Coast defender Eric Bailly, Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Armenia forward Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

It will be the first time in 20 years an English club has set a world-record transfer fee, after Newcastle United paid £15 to sign England striker Alan Shearer from Blackburn Rovers for £15m.

Pogba joined United from French club Le Havre in 2009 as a 16-year-old, but made just a handful of appearances before his contract expired in July 2012.

He has made 178 appearances for Juventus, scoring 34 goals, and helped the club reach the 2015 Champions League final. The Serie A side had offered him a new contract, while Real Madrid were also interested in signing him.

Pogba said his mum told him he would return to Old Trafford and that it was his "destiny", adding: "

Speaking to MUTV he added: "I just came back to Carrington. It was like I'd just come back home. I just went for a holiday."

In a series of messages to Juventus supporters on social media, Pogba said: "Goodbye means nothing, it is the time we spent together that matters. I will bring with me a piece of you and leave you a little piece of me."

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ARASE LEFT WITH 24 POLICE VEHICLES –ACTING IG

The acting Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, says his predecessor, Solomon Arase, went away with 24 police vehicles while the seven Deputy Inspectors-General of Police, who retired alongside him, also carted away between seven and eight cars each.
Idris stated that he had written Arase to return the cars, which included two official bullet-proof BMW 7 series cars, adding that the retired police chief and his DIGs had yet to return the vehicles.
The IG, who said this during an interview with journalists on Sunday in Abuja, explained that a special investigation team was already looking at the records of police vehicle purchases in the last three years as well as how they were distributed.
Arase, however, denied the allegations of his successor, saying he didn’t go away with any police vehicle.
The former IG, who spoke to our correspondent on the telephone on Sunday, denied taking away 24 police cars, describing the allegations as a malicious propaganda.
Arase advised Idris to squarely face security issues confronting the country rather than engaging in “media propaganda.”
He said, “What am I going to do with 24 cars? Do I want to open a car shop? This is a malicious accusation. There are ways of verifying issues rather than engaging in media propaganda.”
But Idris, explaining the steps he had taken, said, “If you look through the windows of my former office and from the report from my (Force) transport officer, you would see cars but a week to the day I would resume, all these cars disappeared.
“So, what I am telling you is that I have signed a directive to my SIP (I have a special investigation panel, I set it up). It is going to investigate all the vehicle purchases, contributions to the police and the distribution of those vehicles in the last three years; we are going to look into that.
“When I took over, there was no vehicle, even the vehicle I would use. I discovered the last IG went away with 24 vehicles; the DIGs, some of them eight, some of them seven. The IG’s vehicles included two BMW 7 series, one armoured; and he left me with an old car.
“The last time I followed the President with it, he was asking me, ‘what are you doing with this old car’ because if you see the headlight, the thing has changed colour, which means they parked it and rains and everything had fallen on it, but the new ones that were bought, he (Arase) went with all of them; they are part of the 24.
“I wrote back to him and said, we have a policy that says when a policeman retires, if you are an IG, AIG, a CP, you are entitled to some vehicles; please, the extra, return it. Four vehicles are enough for an average human being, but what will you even do with four vehicles; but he took 24 vehicles, including two BMW cars.
“I wrote to him (Arase), I wrote to the DIGs.”
Idris disclosed that the Police Management Team would probe the last promotion in the Force following complaints by many police personnel that their juniors were promoted over them.
He explained that the probe was to address the discrepancies and complaints by aggrieved police personnel, who were allegedly short-changed during the exercise.
Idris stated that the probe panel would be set up to verify if the promotion was in line with the police service commission policy and regulations.
The IG explained that his focus was to run a democratic police organisation, which would be responsive and accountable.
He added that he had directed some audit firms to audit all police investments to make them more transparent and ensure that the rank and file, who were also shareholders, had more say in the police companies.
On strategies to curb the increasing wave of kidnapping and other crimes, Idris said he would strengthen, retrain and equip the Special Anti-Robbery Squad to be more responsive and responsible.
He said he recently removed some Area Commanders in Rivers and Kogi states when he learnt that they had been compromised.
-Punch

BUHARI ORDERS IGP TO RE-OPEN BOLA IGE, DOKUBO’S CASES

ABUJA — President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, directed the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to reopen investigation into the unresolved murder of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige, and ex-Deputy National Chairman, South-South, of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Aminosari Dokubo, and fish out the perpetrators. The killing of the two personalities caused national outrage, with Nigerians calling on the government of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to fish out the killers who have still not been found.

Recall that Chief Bola Ige was shot dead in his bedroom in Bodija, Ibadan, home at about 9pm on December 23, 2001, after he arrived Ibadan from Lagos at about 8.30pm. His security details were said to have sought permission from the former Attorney General to go and eat before the incident occurred. The gunmen, who were said to have been waiting in the vicinity, then stormed the house and tied up family members. One of the gunmen reportedly pointed a gun at a family member and asked him to lead them upstairs to Chief Bola Ige’s room. They allegedly moved the wife and his son to an adjourning room, locked them up before shooting their target in the chest. Vanguard gathered from sources that towards unearthing the perpetrators of these unresolved murders, the Acting Inspector General of Police has instituted a high powered investigation team, headed by an Assistant Inspector General of Police, to crack the case. Following the death of the late Bola Ige, several unsubstantiated allegations were made against several politicians and interest groups, with some even saying the ‘Cicero’, as he was fondly called, was killed to halt the rise in his political profile, while others said it had to do with his impending probe of the corruption in the power sector of the nation’s economy. Dokubo’s assassination On the part of Chief Aminosari Dokubo, the late PDP Deputy National Chairman was said to be returning to his base from Abuja after a meeting when he was waylaid by suspected assassins on entering Delta State. He was killed near Asaba on October 22, 2004. Dokubo’s assassination at the time was alleged to have been caused by certain disagreements with the powers that be in his political party, prior to the general elections. A source told Vanguard that the fact that the killers and their sponsors were still prowling the streets without arrest and prosecution for crimes against humanity, was a dangerous trend which, if not addressed, might lead to killing of more political leaders either now or in the future. It’s a new day— Bola Ige’s son Reacting to the development, Architect Muyiwa Ige, son of late Chief Bola Ige, said last night that it would be glorious, if the family could get justice 16 years after. Muyiwa, who could not hide his happiness, said President Buhari did not disappoint him, saying the matter was now in the right direction. He said: “I knew right from the advent of the administration of President Buhari that the matter would be resurrected. The President is in the right direction. To God be the glory. It’s a new day; we are happy, we will get justice after 16 years. “We are happy that all those who murdered our father, including the star witness, will be brought to justice. It’s good news.”

-Vanguard

Footballer Adam Johnson has lost first stage of his appeal for child sex conviction- Sister says

Former Sunderland footballer star Johnson was jailed for six years early this year after engaging in sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl fan but his sister Faye Johnson has now revealed that he has lost the first stage of his appeal but says he won't be deterred.

The England disgraced winger's sister Faye posted a message on Twitter, saying:

 'Absolutely devastated that the single judge has rejected my brother's appeal against sentence and conviction. But I can assure every supporter that it has made me stronger and I will never give up.' 

It is understood his sister's comments refer to the first stage of the appeal process, in which one judge looks at the case before deciding whether to put it before three appeal court judges.

Johnson can still apply to the full court to look at the case again, but the single judge's rejection means he will not receive public funding for the appeal and if it goes through he will have to fund the appeal case from his own pockets.

See her tweets below...

Bayern Munich unveil former Chelsea, R.Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti as new manager (photos)

Bayern Munich football club of Germany has unveiled former Ac Milan, Juventus,Psg, Chelsea and Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti as its new coach. He was first of all introduced to media before he and his wife were welcomed by dancers in traditional German attire in the club's stadium.

More photos after the cut.

 

Antoine Griezmann, C.Ronaldo & Renato Sanches win the awards at Euro 2016 (Full List)

Euro 2016 finished on Sunday with Portugal emerging as winners but Portugal's heroics diverted attention from the awards given at the end of the tournament. Here's a list of awards at the just concluded Euro 2016 Championship in France.

Awards:

-UEFA EURO 2016 Player of the Tournament: Antoine Griezmann (France)

-Young Player of the Tournament presented by SOCAR: Renato Sanches (Portugal)

-UEFA EURO 2016 adidas Golden Boot: Antoine Griezmann (France)

-UEFA EURO 2016 adidas Silver Boot: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)

-UEFA EURO 2016 adidas Bronze Boot: Olivier Giroud (France)

-Goal of the Tournament - Robson Kanu (Wales)

-Top of Player Barometer: Dmitri Payet (France)

-Top goalkeeper on Player Barometer: Rui Patrício (Portugal)

-Most assists: Eden Hazard (Belgium), Aaron Ramsey (Wales) 4

-Top recorded speed: Kingsley Coman (France) 32.8km/h

-Most saves: Hannes Halldórsson (Iceland) 27

-Team of the tournament: Rui Patrício (Portugal); Joshua Kimmich (Germany), 

Jérôme Boateng (Germany), Pepe (Portugal), Raphael Guerreiro (Portugal); Toni Kroos (Germany), Joe Allen (Wales); Antoine Griezmann (France), Aaron Ramsey (Wales), Dmitri Payet (France); Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)

New Records

-Most career final tournament goals: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) 9 – equal with Michel Platini

-Most career EURO goals (including qualifying): Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) 29

-Most career final tournament appearances: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) 21

-First player to score in four final tournaments: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016.

-Youngest player in a final: Renato Sanches (Portugal) 18 years 328 days

-Oldest player at a final tournament: Gábor Király (Hungary) 40 years 86 days