Sports Groove

By Maxwell Kumoye      Ghana’s drive to create a more sustainable and accountable financing system for sports has taken shape with clearer guidelines on how athletes and federations can access the Ghana Sports Fund. Established by the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, the Fund is designed to bridge the gap between limited central government budget allocations and the growing investment needs of sports development across the country.  It also seeks to reduce over-reliance on state funding by creating a structured channel for support from individuals, philanthropists and private organisations. HOW TO ACCESS THE FUND Eligible athletes, teams and national sports federations are required to submit a formal application to the Fund Administrator.  Applications must be made in the prescribed manner and using the approved forms. Once an application is received, the Administrator has a maximum of 10 days to respond.  The application may either be approve...

...Bayelsa to host an international marathon in April – Governor Douye Diri  By Maxwell Kumoye      Plateau State athletes turned Yenagoa into their personal playground on Saturday, sweeping the elite titles at the 6th Senator Douye Diri (SDD) National 10km Marathon and underlining their dominance on Nigeria’s road-running scene. James Gang led a strong Plateau charge in the elite men’s race, storming to victory in 30:58.75 seconds to erase the memory of last year’s second-place finish.  He was chased home by teammate Francis James (32:05.87), while Cross River’s Ishmael Sadjo settled for third in 32:14.31. The women’s race was no different. Plateau runners locked out the podium as Akusho Lydia-Thomas crossed first in 38:30.37, ahead of Vivian Obadiah (38:52.78) and Tanko Iyanj (38:54.84) in a clean sweep. Local talents also had their moment in the sun in the teens categories.  Andrew Richards of Bishop Dimieri Grammar School topped the boys’ ra...

By Trust Ittai      Anticipation is steadily rising as Matchday Two of the YEG U-14 Super League takes centre stage this weekend, with exciting fixtures lined up across two venues and young talents eager to make early statements in the race for supremacy. Action begins on Saturday at the Mount Carmel College Field, where Harmony Kids will battle Supreme City FA in a keenly contested encounter scheduled for 10:00am.  Both sides are expected to approach the game with high intensity and attacking intent, knowing that a positive result could set the tone for their campaign. Attention will then shift to Ilorin on Sunday, as the George Innih Stadium hosts six mouthwatering fixtures that promise thrills, goals and renewed rivalries.  PBFA will face Hammas FA in a clash likely to test the resilience and discipline of both teams, while Makamz FA and Koller FA will renew a familiar rivalry in a showdown already generating buzz among football followers. Young P...

...Andoma of Doma, commends organisers for using basketball to foster unity, harmony  By Maxwell Kumoye     The 5th edition of the Andoma Peace and Unity Basketball Tournament reaches its grand finale today at the Lafia City Hall, Shandam Road, Lafia, Nasarawa State, bringing to a close days of thrilling basketball action, unity and community engagement. Ahead of the final games, players, coaches, referees and members of the organising committee paid a courtesy call to the Andoma of Doma on Thursday, February 6, 2026.  The visit highlighted the cultural and traditional significance of the tournament, as participants expressed appreciation for the royal father’s support and commitment to peace, youth development and sports advancement across the state. The Andoma of Doma, in his remarks, commended the organisers for using basketball as a tool to foster unity and harmony among young people from different backgrounds. On the court, Day Three produced ex...

...Three new competitions set to hit the circuit this season  By Mishael Emmanuel  The Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF) has unveiled an expansive and strategically layered calendar of activities for the 2026 season, underlining its ambition to strengthen domestic competitions while maintaining Nigeria’s strong presence on the continental and global scrabble stage. The year which kicked off with capacity building, as the NSF Technical Refresher Course runs online started January 24 to March 30, aimed at improving officiating standards nationwide.  This will be followed by the federation’s affiliation, subscription and licensing exercise between April and June, a move designed to properly streamline player participation ahead of a busy competitive window. Competitive action begins in earnest in April with the Scrabuthlon in Lagos from April 3 to 5, running concurrently with the South-West Closed Championship in Osun.  Lagos will remain a focal point as it ...

...Widen your lens beyond football, give emerging athletes a platform – Kofi Adams ...Weak systems, poor commercialisation, fragmented policy coordination the pest of African sports  By Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye   Ghana’s Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, has thrown down a challenge to African sports journalists, urging them to recognise their power as nation-builders and warning that careless reporting can damage entire sporting systems. Speaking at the Opening Ceremony of the 8th AIPS Africa Congress in Banjul, the Gambian capital, Adams said journalism must drive the growth of sport on the continent, not weaken it through sensationalism or shallow narratives. “When reporting lacks balance and depth, it discourages fans, scares sponsors, and weakens entire ecosystems,” he told delegates. “Journalism must remain a tool for development, not destruction.” In a digital era dominated by speed and instant reactions, the Minister acknowledged the p...

    The Italian Interior Ministry on Tuesday imposed a travel ban on Inter Milan fans until March 23 after a flare thrown from the stands landed near Cremonese goalkeeper Emil Audero during Inter's visit on Sunday.   The order also forbids the sale of tickets to the residents of Lombardy, the northern region where Milan is located, for Inter's league games at Sassuolo, Lecce and Fiorentina. The Milan derby at AC Milan on March 8 is excluded from the ban, as it does not involve movement of fans, the ministry said in a statement.   "The measure is aimed at ensuring public order and safety and preventing the recurrence of incidents that could compromise the smooth running of sporting events," the statement added.   Inter, who have an eight-point lead at the top of the league, visit Sassuolo on Sunday.

...IOC members raise concerns over LA 2028 visa process ...LA 2028 ticket prices 17% higher than Paris 2024 ...LA Games lack federal funding, rely on sponsorships and tickets     The issues of entry visas and inflated ticket prices for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics dominated a progress report delivered by the American organisers to the International Olympic Committee on Tuesday.   Several IOC members, including International Equestrian Federation chief Ingmar De Vos, raised the issue of entry visas for hundreds of thousands of athletes, their families, officials, media and fans to the U.S., asking LA Games organisers whether the process could be simplified.   Dagmawit Girmay Berhane, an IOC member from Ethiopia, said organisers should make sure that Olympic qualifying tournaments, held in the United States over the next two years, also allowed access to all eligible athletes.   "We have worked very closely with the (U.S.) State Department to design a...

    Morocco's football federation (FRMF) announced on Tuesday it would appeal the Confederation of African Football's (CAF) disciplinary rulings over last month's chaotic Africa Cup of Nations final against Senegal, which the hosts lost 1-0 after extra time.   FRMF criticised the sanctions as disproportionate to the "seriousness and gravity" of the incidents during the 18 January match, which was overshadowed by a 14-minute interruption after Senegalese players staged a walk-off, a pitch invasion by their fans and confrontations involving players and staff.   CAF's Disciplinary Committee handed Senegal's coach Pape Thiaw a five-match ban and fined him $100,000 (£82,000) after he instructed his team to leave the pitch following a VAR decision to disallow a goal late in regular time.   Senegal's football federation was fined $615,000 (£508,000) for the behaviour of their players and supporters, with Iliman Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr receiving tw...