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What other highly
rated clubs in the UEFA Champions league could not do (at least up till
now), the recent Icelandic volcanic ash saga and Jose Mourinho have
managed to attain; and that is to cause, in a very unprecedented and
unpredictable fashion, the loss of Barcelona FC to Inter Milan in the
Champions league.

Barcelona contended
with nature and the natural and lost! As has been rehashed, the
volcanic ash wreaked a lot of havoc globally. From the high and mighty-
prime ministers, presidents, and governors to the lowliest packer of
fruits in Kenya all suffered significant hardship either in lost
revenues (ranging in millions to paltry sums), or inability to attend
to matters of state and the inconvenience of being held stationery in
one place with no option of movement.

The football world
was apparently not left out. Who would ever have thought that a raging
volcano in Iceland would contribute in part to the loss of the former
holders of the UEFA cup and perhaps the greatest team (in terms of
quality and class) to a certainly lesser rated Inter-Milan?

The journey
Barcelona made to keep their first leg semi final appointment last week
at the San Siro was to say the least an arduous one. It was an 1100
kilometre, 2-day coach (a.k.a. Luxury bus) journey across 3 countries,
beginning from Spain and ending in Italy. This must have been worse
than a Lagos to Dakar trip by road! And the roads are even better.

It could not have
been a pleasant trip for a team that was going to defend its title.
True, the coach and even the players themselves tried to downplay the
effect of the trip as being a contributing factor to their loss but
there is no denying the fact that it played some role. After all body
no be wood (the body is not wood).

Perhaps the matches
should have been rescheduled because the circumstance in my opinion
gave something of an unfair advantage to the opposing teams. Other
sporting event like the MotoGP race scheduled to hold in Tokyo was
postponed. After all, Europe as a continent has been known to suffer
from severe weather sometimes including snow storms and matches have
been rescheduled on such occasions so why not now?

Understandably,
there may be time pressures with the World cup coming up and the
domestic leagues rounding up in most of the European countries.

One understands,
that there exists a larger sister (Katla) of the Eyjafjallajokull
volcano that erupted last week which scientist are closely monitoring
and have indicated can also erupt at anytime.

The prayer then, is
this, (at least from the fans of Inter Milan, Bayern Munich, Athletico
Madrid, and Hamburg) that it would will hold its power and not let rip
anytime soon (not before their matches this week) so that they would
not suffer similar fatigue on the return legs of these championships.

But through all the
ash and the smog, credit must however be given to the superior tactical
skills demonstrated by Jose Mourinho and implemented by his team over
the two legs. Pep Guardiola will surely realise now that Barca’s goal
to overturn a two-goal deficit became impossible immediately Inter won
the first leg 3-1.

On Wednesday,
Mourinho set out his team in what Italians will joyously refer to as
Catennacio – superior defending stratagem. Jose Mourinho was formerly a
translator to the late Bobby Robson and later as assistant coach to
Louis Van Gaal with the Catalans.

It reinforces my opinion that the Barcelona defence is its weakest
point; when tested it will fold. I was proved right. Arsenal fans can
now forget about the football lesson Barca taught us a few weeks back
and refer to the lesson Barca itself has now been taught by a superior
power – the volcano and Jose Mourinho – ‘the special one,’ who got a
special result at the Nou Camp on Wednesday.

Super Eagles
forward, John Utaka, is eager to claim a place in the Nigerian team to
this summer’s World Cup after a season plagued by injuries and
off-field upheavals.

He has also
showered praises on Portsmouth manager, Avram Grant, for giving him a
new found belief in his abilities as a footballer.

The Nigeria
international has been synonymous with the Super Eagles since the 2002
World Cup but has found himself in the international wilderness
following a serious loss of form.

He was however
recently recalled to the Super Eagles by new coach Lars Lagerback ahead
of the team’s preparations for South Africa 2010 having made his last
Super Eagles appearance as far back as June 2009 in a World Cup
qualifier against Tunisia.

“I’m happy to be
back with the squad and like always, I will give my best for Nigeria.
I’m also looking forward to the World Cup, where I believe we will do
well,” said Utaka. “I have the confidence and determination and so I’m
optimistic I will be in South Africa.”

Grant’s influence

Grant was named as
Portsmouth’s manager in late November after the club released erstwhile
manager Paul Hart, and Utaka told his club’s web site: “His coming was
a big boost for me. He told me to go out and enjoy myself. He gave me
more confidence.” “He’s a good manager because he has worked at some
top clubs previously and he knows a good player when he sees one,”
added Utaka, who is at home either as a centre-forward or as a winger.

He however reiterated that his best position was playing as a center-forward.

“I’m a
centre-forward, a top-nine. I only have to get a good run in that
position and with the right support and delivery; I will be scoring
consistently for both club and country. I have never doubted what I can
do on the pitch. This is a gift, a talent,” said Utaka.

Setback

This season hasn’t
however been the best for the Nigerian international and he is quick to
blame it all at the much publicized problems that have plagued
Portsmouth.

“We changed owners
and managers at will, and everybody came with his own ideas and his own
players. There was no stability at the club,” said Utaka.

“Also, some people will not care to know that I suffered injuries –
hamstring, groin. It’s also a fact that even if you are not playing, it
does not mean, you’re not a good player. It does not take away your
quality,” he added.

The duo of
Josephine Omaka and Ogho-Oghene Egwero top the list of athletes still
in contention for the N1, million jackpot up for grabs in the ongoing
Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) Golden League Meetings.

The Meet which enters its third leg this weekend is billed for the Sports Complex of Yaba College of Technology, Lagos.

Other contenders

Others still in
contention include Biola Onakoya who remains undefeated in the 400m
events, Magret Etim in the 200m and Ishaku Mohammed in the 800m amongst
others still in contention for the N1 million prize.

Speaking on his
arrival in Lagos, Egwero pointed out that he is not under any form of
pressure as he is ready to continue his winning streak. “It’s been a
good year for me so far and I hope to continue the way I started, I
want to improve on my time and hope for the best” he said.

Ogho-Oghene
Egwero’s 10.32 secs 100m win in Ibadan made it two victories out of two
legs for the Doha World Indoor 2010 60m semi-finalist.

We are ready

Meanwhile,
Technical director of the AFN, Sunday Bada confirmed to NEXTsports that
all arrangements have been put in place by the Federation to ensure a
successful athletics meeting. “We have made adequate arrangement for
the meet, you would agree with me that each leg of the meet as
witnessed one form of improvement or the other so Lagos would not be an
exception” he said.

Bada added that the
Federation has equally been able to secure some sponsorship for the
Lagos Meet pointing out that the corporate world are beginning to see
the seriousness in the federation’s drive to change the face of
athletics.

“Two companies have
given us support and we expect more to come, at least they are
beginning to see that athletics is a strong brand” he said.

Looking back at the
two legs already concluded, Bada opined that the League is achieving
the aim it was set for. “We want to keep our athletes in shape for the
big event we have later this year and so far they have be showing great
signs of improvement both at home and those abroad” he said.

Just like the
previous legs, an all comers event is meant to herald the league with
races meant to begin from 9am today. The race is meant to give more
upcoming athletes an opportunity to compete.

Elite Athletes returns

According to Bada
some elite athletes who have not been part of the league has already
shown interest to participate in the Lagos leg.

They include Godday
James, Saul Weigopowa, and Emem Edem. Already Godday James have
confirmed his participation to NEXTsports stating that it would a nice
thing for him to compete.

Some of the events
that would be competed for in Lagos include the 100 metres, 400 metres,
800 metres, 400 metres hurdles, Triple Jump, High Jump, 4×100 metres
and 4×400 metres for men.

The women would
compete in 100 metres, 200 metres, 400 metres, 1500 metres, 5000
metres, 400 metres hurdles, Long Jump, 4×100 metres and 4×400 metres.

The top three athletes for each event are to receive cash prizes of N20,000, N15,000 and N10,000 respectively.

The Super Eagles
yesterday made progress, moving from 22nd position to 20th in the
latest rankings released by world football governing body, FIFA.

The Eagles however remain the third best team in Africa as Egypt maintained the top spot on the continent and 13th in the world.

Cameroon also improved on its standing by one spot, moving up to 19th in the world and second on the continent.

The current
position occupied by the Eagles is the best attained so far this year
as it was previously ranked 21st in February and 22nd in March.

It should be noted
that the Super Eagles have played just one low quality friendly match
with Congo Democratic since after the Nations Cup outing in Angola.

Portugal and North
Korea were mooted by the NFF but did not materialise while talks with
Cyprus, Wales and Iceland have only been rumoured on the pages of
newspapers.

Playing top quality grade “A” friendly matches is one of the important criteria used by FIFA in rating the teams.

Top ten teams

Meanwhile Dunga’s Brazil has replaced European champions Spain at the top of the world rankings released on Wednesday.

The upward movement
by the Samba Boys brings an end to Spain’s five-month stint at the
summit, with Vicente del Bosque’s side slipping back into second place.

Despite a topsy-turvy ride under coach Diego Maradona,

Nigeria’s World Cup
group opponent; Argentina rose two places to seventh, while Portugal
move into their highest ever placing in the rankings system in third.

Argentina’s rise
sees Fabio Capello’s England drop to eighth place, while France is down
two places to 10th. Holland is in fourth place, with Italy in fifth,
Germany sixth and Croatia ninth.

With none of the
leading countries in action in the past month, FIFA has credited the
movement inside the top 10 to “the devaluation of past results”.

According to the statement posted on the organisation’s website:
“some teams have actually gained ranking points in the past month due
to the fact that the devaluation of poor results has led to a greater
weighting of successful matches.”

Lee Westwood has
never been one to blow his own trumpet, so he was pleased to have an
opportunity on Tuesday to clarify a recent comment in which he appeared
to claim he was the world’s best golfer.

After finishing
runner-up to Phil Mickelson in the Masters at Augusta, Westwood was
quoted as saying: “I’m playing the best golf of anyone. It’s hard to
argue for anyone else. If you are (the best) you might as well say it.
It builds confidence.” Westwood was asked about that comment during a
press conference here ahead of this week’s Quail Hollow Championship.

Misquoted “I’ve
been out here long enough to know that things get just twisted around
slightly to suit people,” the Briton told reporters.

“Somebody asked me, ‘tee to green, do you think you are the best player in the world at the moment’?

“And I said ‘the
way I played at Augusta, which is the last time I played and the last
time all the best players in the world got together, I led the greens
in regulation, so it was very difficult to argue against that the last
time we all played.

“At least talking
to you here now I can tell you the question I was asked and what I
replied.” Westwood has enjoyed a leisurely fortnight break since the
Masters. Last week’s airline shutdown in Europe scuppered a holiday in
Barbados, so he spent the time instead at home in the Midlands in
England.

Back from rest

Now he is back in the United States for this week’s PGA Tour event, as well as next week’s Players Championship in Florida.

“I feel a bit rusty,” continued the world number four, part of a star-studded field headed by Tiger Woods and Mickelson.

“After the Masters,
I felt I needed a bit of a rest, so I’ve been switched off the last
couple of weeks, but I think I’ll sharpen as the week goes on hopefully.

“It’s nice to be
back at Quail Hollow. It’s an old, traditional course that makes you
think a lot. You have to drive the ball well.

“All your game has to be in good shape and once you get on the
greens, there’s some really fast putts out there. These are as quick as
anything.

The popular saying
that ‘form is temporary and class is permanent’ was exactly what
cricket enthusiasts in Nigeria witnessed at the 9th edition of Express
Discount Knockout Series Final, at the Tafawa Balewa Cricket oval which
saw defending champion, Government College Ibadan Old Boys (GCIOB)
Cricket Club, retained the trophy by beating Ibeju Lekki Cricket Club I
(ILCC1) by 21 runs to hand back to back defeats to their biggest rivals.

The Seun Odeku led
side won the toss and chose to bat first, scoring 203 runs in 40 overs
for loss of 9 wickets, with Adegbola Kunle, one of Nigeria’s team to
Guernsey in 2009, posting 60 runs off 88 balls in 133 minutes. He got
support from his fellow team mates, Gill Ramit and Okusanya Tayo, who
scored 38 runs and 32 runs respectively. Sean Phillips took 2 wickets
for 18 runs in 3 overs, while wicket -keeper for the national team,
Ademola Onikoyi, accounted for 3 run-out in the first innings for ILCC
I.

The second innings
was now for ILCC1 to reach the target of 203 runs target set by their
opponents. Adeoye Wale and Okusanya Tayo both took 4 wickets and 2
wickets respectively to reduce the champions of the regular season to
182 runs in 40 overs, for a loss of 9 wickets with Bejide Jide top
scoring with 49 runs, while the duo of Phillips Sean and Olympio Seye
both contributed 36 runs and 33 runs as they lost by 21 runs, which is
their second loss in a week.

The back to back
victories achieved by the Ibadan-based team in both finals of Iris
Smart Technology Super 4 and the 9th EDL knockout series, was a
testament to the fact that GCIOB are the closest rivals for the
Ibeju-based club.

Sunday’s final was
not all about good bowling, great batting, fantastic wicket keeping,
and superb fielding at the TBS oval, as outstanding players were
rewarded with various prizes.

The Cricketer of the series Award, which went to Gill Ramit of GCIOB, got $1,000.

Other awards were:

Man of the final
match: Tayo Okusanya, GCIOB; Bowler of the series: Bansal Sanjeev,
Indo-Pakistan Cricket Club (IPCC); Fieldsman of the series: Seun Odeku,
GCIOB; Wicketkeeper of the series: Nilesh Rajput, IPCC; Batsman of the
series: Friday Udoh, Federal Government College Warri Old Boy.

Attention will now shift to the GTASSUR 20/20 Tournament, which
enters the Quarter final and Semi final stage this weekend at the
University of Lagos Cricket Oval.

Optima Sports
Management International (OSMI), the sports subsidiary of the Optima
Media Group, a Lagos-based organisation has secured television rights
to the 2010 FIFA World Cup beginning in South Africa in June.

Rotimi Pedro, the
organisation’s managing director, who disclosed this at a press
conference on Wednesday in Lagos, said the rights were secured in
partnership with the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON).

Pedro said they
secured the rights based on their capacity to reach the largest
possible audience as well as their commitment to support FIFA’s
institutional campaigns and to broadcast programmes tailored for
Nigeria.

“We are delighted
to reach this agreement with FIFA to ensure effective coverage of the
2010 World Cup. I would like to extend my gratitude to all my media
partners for their co-operation in reaching this agreement. OSMI is a
leading broadcaster in Africa and we look forward to develop a unique
viewing experience for the Nigerian audience,” Pedro said.

Huge audience Pedro
said that OSMI and BON mindful of the interest in the country regarding
the World Cup would ensure that Nigerians get a good view of all the
matches. He stated that the rights affords them the opportunity to
broadcast to 93 per cent of Nigerians with the remaining seven per cent
right awarded to an internationally owned cable television channel.

‘We will not let Nigerians down.’

The World Cup
taking place in Africa is a unique opportunity for us and we intend to
capitalise on it. We are improving on service delivery and there will
blanket coverage of the tournament,” the OSMI boss said.

He stated that all
BON stakeholders who made financial commitment to the rights purchase
would be beneficiaries of the dividends that accrue from airing the
matches while other members, who he described as ‘non stakeholders,’
while being free to air the matches, are prohibited from deriving any
material benefits from such transmission.

No longer business as usual

On the practice of
some members of the public broadcasting matches without clearance from
OSMI/BON, he said it would be condoned, stating that, “We have made
significant investments to make sure Nigerians watch the matches free.
It is part of our social responsibility. We have paid enormously to
ensure that the rights are secured and protected.

We have contacted the Nigeria Copy commission and notable lawyers to
ensure that it won’t be business as usual. Public viewing rights belong
to OSMI/BON. Any viewing centre interested in screening matches should
contact us. Anyone who engages in illegal screening will face punitive
measures.”

Excitement levels
are rising for fans of Marseille as the club is in contention for a
first French title in 18 years, if they can hold off the challenge of
Auxerre.

Led by the last man
to captain the side to the title, Didier Deschamps, the French side is
on the threshold of history. And if the joy that was witnessed in the
city following their domestic cup triumph over Bordeaux on April 17, is
anything to go by, then the unprecedented thought of a double might
just cause the city to explode.

Auxerre,second on
the log and five points behind leaders, Olympique Marseille head into
today’s match knowing a win will bring them two points with three games
to go.

Taye Taiwo,the
Nigerian defender, has played a pivotal part in getting Marseille to
this point and has justified his high rating two weeks ago when he
scored a last minute penalty to beat Boulogne and stay five points
ahead of the opposition.

Auxerre coach, Luiz
Fernandez proudly proclaimed that Auxerre could have sold 50,000
tickets for today’s game if they had a bigger stadium. Marseille fans
will form the bulk of the supporters in the stadium today.

Fernandez and Roux
both place huge importance on youth development and have both succeeded
in instilling a deadly counter-attacking style.

Though, it is still Marseille’s title to lose, but despite the five point lead, it is still a two-horse race.

Champions on the precipice

After losing out to
Inter Milan on Wednesday, Barcelona must make sure they do not
capitulate into defeat or a draw at the El Madrigal on Saturday. From
winning an unimaginable six trophies last season, Barca have only the
Liga title to aim for this season.

Their opponents,
Villarreal have not had the best of seasons but over the years have
always proven themselves as tricky customers for the Nou campers.

The stakes are very
high in this match but champions have always been known for the way
they will rebound from defeats. Villarreal are looking for a place in
the Champions League and after a shambolic start to the season, that
will be considered a successful season.

Barcelona must hold
their nerve as Real Madrid breathes down their backs. Lionel Messi has
not scored in five games but is due a goal very soon.

In the first leg at
the Nou Camp in January, Villarreal forced the Catalans to a pulsating
1-1 draw. Barca had to come from behind to get the draw and that was
the first points Barcelona were dropping at home this season.

The Yellow
Submarine submerged all the late pressure as Barcelona pressed hard for
the winner, but the Villarreal defence did an excellent job denying the
home side any great scoring chances for the remainder of the game.

Fast forward to
April and with four games to go, the margin for error has indeed become
slimmer. At any dropped points by Barcelona, Madrid will likely seize
the chance to go top and that may see the end of Barcelona’s reign in
Spain.

La Liga fixtures

Málaga vs. Gijón

Valladolid vs. Getafe

Tenerife vs. Santander

Xerez vs.Almería

Deportivo vs. Zaragoza

Espanyol vs. Valencia

Roma continue quest for Scudetto

Who will bet
against Inter winning a fifth consecutive title? Roma will have a hand
in answering this question when they go to Stadio Ennio Tardini to face
Parma.

Parma have their own agenda and that is to finish as high up the table as possible and maybe snag a Europa Cup place.

In the first stanza
of the season, Roma had beaten Parma 2-0 to leap into fourth position
with second half goals from Nicolas Burdisso and Matteo Brighi at the
Stadio Olimpico.

Over the past three
seasons, Roma have had their way with Parma; and if Saturday’s match
follows this script, then Inter will be put under enormous pressure to
beat Lazio on Sunday. That will not be an easy match for the Jose
Mourinho side who could still be suffering from the hangover of their
win against Barcelona on Wednesday.

The Romans must win
on Saturday if they are to keep up the slim chance of winning the
title. Inter, on the other hand, will play Lazio in Rome on Sunday.

AC Milan have to
consolidate third position but face tricky customers in Fiorentina and
will be losing their coach, Leonardo, at the end of the season, a fact
that has been confirmed by club patron, Silvio Berlusconi..

“Yes he will leave, we are working on a new coach,” Berlusconi told Il Corriere dello Sport.

“The new coach?
There are talks in place with others. Leonardo has been too tough
headed and the team has played badly this season.”

Leonardo has
privately expressed his desire to return home to Brazil where his
family still lives. Where that leaves this ageing Milan team cannot be
readily foreseen now.

Serie A fixtures

Parma vs Roma

Milan vs Fiorentina

Man-City, Villa in hot chase for fourth place

The battle for
fourth place in the English Premier League (EPL) and that all-important
last qualifying place for next season’s Champions League is heating up
as the season reaches its last two weeks in England.

This Saturday, two
of the contenders go head to head at Eastlands in a match that neither
Manchester City nor Aston Villa can afford to drop points.

For Villa, winning at Eastlands is not going to be easy as only Everton and Manchester United have achieved this feat so far.

However with
previous away wins at Anfield and Old Trafford earlier in the season,
one would fancy the chance of Villa going out to do the same tomorrow,
especially when one considers that City will be without their first
choice goalkeeper, Shay Given.

The coveted fourth spot is currently occupied by Tottenham Hotspur with 64 points and three games to play.

While Villa is
Fifth with the same number of points but with only two matches to go,
City are behind in sixth place with a point behind and with three
matches to go.

On current
form,Villa has won its last three matches, while City have been
inconsistent winning one and churning out a draw and a loss.

Elsewhere,
Tottenham will look to put last weekend’s defeat at Old Trafford behind
them when they welcome Bolton Wanderers to White Hart Lane.

The Spurs fans will
also be keeping a close eye on the score coming from Eastlands where
their two main rivals for fourth, Manchester City and Aston Villa, go
head to head. Interestingly, the kick off for both matches is at the
same time.

Spurs had an up and
down April starting with a defeat away at Sunderland and being knocked
out of the FA Cup by bottom club Portsmouth before rallying with
excellent back-to-back wins against Arsenal and Chelsea. They couldn’t
keep the momentum going though and lost 3-1 last week at Old Trafford
to Manchester United.

Other Games

The remaining three
games on Saturday have little importance or stake on them with
Birmingham facing already relegated Burnley, Stoke entertaining Everton
and Portsmouth, whose financial worries continue to develop, taking on
Wolves, who had their survival confirmed last weekend.

Fixtures

Manchester City vs. Aston Villa

Portsmouth vs. Wolverhampton

Stoke vs. Everton

Tottenham vs. Bolton

Shooting Stars hoping to shoot down Kwara in Ibadan

Shooting Stars’
return to the Nigerian Premier League at the start of the current
campaign was a big boost for the domestic game due to their immense fan
base and popularity.

But their stay in
the top flight division looks set to be a short-lived one unless there
is a dramatic turnaround in the team’s fortune between now and the end
of the season as they currently find themselves in the relegation zone.

A lot can happen to
the Ibadan-based club side between now and the next nine games leading
up to the end of the season, starting with tomorrow’s encounter against
Kwara United taking place at the Lekan Salami Stadium.

But a lot has
already happened within the fold of the former league and FA Cup
champions, the latest of which is the appointment of former Nigeria
international, Fatai Amoo, as the team’s new helmsman.

Amoo, who was a
member of the Super Eagles’ technical crew to the recently concluded
WAFU Nations Cup, is the third coach to handle Shooting Stars this
season after Philip Boamah and Mutiu Adepoju, who can now concentrate
full time on his job as the club’s general manager.

His first
competitive game took place last weekend against Shooting Stars’ fierce
domestic rivals Enugu Rangers but it wasn’t the sort of start he had
hoped for as the Ibadan side succumbed to a late Fred Okwara goal at
the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium.

But Amoo, whose
contract will elapse at the end of the season, believes there is ample
time to save the club from relegation, a major priority for now.

“I don’t think
there’s need to panic about anything now. We still have time to save
the situation on ground and I am sure that by the end of the season
Shooting Stars will remain in the Premier League,” assured Amoo in an
interview with Naijaligue.blogspot.com.

Rescue job

The task of saving
the club begins tomorrow with the visit of Kwara United to Ibadan in a
match that the Ilorin side feels can end in their favour, which will
actually do a lot to their title-seeking ambitions.

“The league is
still quite open and I believe we have a chance but to do that we need
to win a few away matches, and if we play to our potentials I think we
can win in Ibadan,” said Kwara United captain Isiaka Olawale in a chat
with NEXTSports.

But Shooting Stars
must win to remain ahead of Ocean Boys who are also neck deep in the
murky waters of relegation. The Bayelsa based club will be hosting
Zamfara United tomorrow at the Samson Siasia Stadium, Yenagoa and
appear favourites to emerge victorious against a side that has
struggled to get a result away from home.

The third and final
game scheduled for Saturday will see Dolphins playing hosts to
neighbouring Bayelsa United at the Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt.

Fixtures

Shooting Stars Vs Kwara United

Ocean Boys Vs Zamfara United

Dolphins Vs Bayelsa United

The 2010 FIFA World
Cup taking place in South Africa between June and July this year has
caused a shift in the Commonwealth Wrestling Championship earlier
billed for the same period.

The Championship,
which is expected to hold in several Nigerian cities, will now take
place in August. Explaining the decision, Emeka Inyama, a member of the
Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the championship: “The championship
has been moved to August due to the 2010 World Cup, which holds in
South Africa from June to July, but we are doing everything possible to
host a successful championship.

Many corporate organisations, according
to Inyama, have shown interest in the championship, which aims to
revive wrestling in Nigeria.” He stated that as a measure of
seriousness attached to the championship, the President of the World
Wrestling Professionals, Mark Beale will be in Nigeria on May 5 to
assess the level of preparedness so far. He will also meet with
government officials including minister of Sports and Chairman,
National Sports commission, Ibrahim Bio. He will meet with members of
the championship’s LOC, which includes Bam Inyama said Beale visit to
Nigeria would also enable him to discuss ways of uplifting wrestling in
Nigeria, as well as introduce some of the wrestlers coming for the
event. He will arrive in the company of South Africa-based Nigerian
wrestler, Kilimanjaro who is the Intercontinental Wrestling champion.

Henin wins despite broken finger

Four-time French
Open champion Justine Henin overcame a broken finger and fired-up
German opponent to win her opening match in Stuttgart, her first clay
court tournament since her comeback.

The 27-year-old was
taken to a tiebreak in the first set before breaking Julia Goerges’s
resistance in the second for a 7-6 6-1 first-round win.

Henin, finalist in
the Australian Open in January in only her second tournament back after
a break of nearly two years, is gearing up for her first visit to her
favourite venue at Roland Garros since her self-imposed exile from the
game.

Her last appearance in Paris was in 2007, when she won her fourth title there.

“The improvement is
pretty good, even if my finger is not yet beautiful; it’s still really
blue but the pain is a lot less and that’s a nice feeling,” Henin said.

“I need matches
before the French Open, that’s for sure, everything I’ve done since the
beginning of the season has been pretty good. I’m just trying to get
used to my career again.”

Cavaliers slay Bulls as injury cloud hovers over James

The top-seeded
Cleveland Cavaliers advanced to the second round of the playoffs with a
tightly-contested 96-94 win over the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday, but the
victory was overshadowed by an injury scare to LeBron James.

James fell just
short of his second straight triple-double with 19 points, 10 rebounds
and nine assists, but was forced to shoot a free throw left-handed
after aggravating a right elbow injury late in the game.

“(The injury) has
been going on for a few weeks. Hopefully, it doesn’t continue to bother
me as we move forward,” James told reporters.

The reigning league MVP said he had had X-rays during his team’s day off and they had revealed no structural damage.

“We’re trying to
figure it out,” he added. “It just feels like when you hit your funny
bone and sometimes you can’t feel it.” Cleveland will now face the
Boston Celtics, who wrapped up their series 4-1 with a 96-86 win over
the Miami Heat on Tuesday.

Alminova escapes with three-month ban

European indoor 1,500 metres champion Anna Alminova has been banned for three months for failing a drugs test.

The 25-year-old
Russian tested positive for the banned substance pseudoephedrine at
last month’s world indoor championships in Doha, where she finished
seventh in the 1,500m final, the IAAF said on its website.

Viktor Berezov, a
member of the anti-doping commission of the Russian athletics
federation, said Alminova was given a lighter sentence because she had
treated herself with an over-the-counter cold medicine containing the
substance.

“We just received confirmation from the IAAF that they had approved Alminova’s sanction,” Berezov said.

Seven other top
Russian female athletes, including twice world 1,500 metres champion
Tatyana Tomashova and world indoor 1,500 metres champion Yelena
Soboleva, were handed two-year doping bans for manipulating their drug
samples in 2008.

Alminova, whose
suspension ends on July 8, said she plans to compete at the European
championships in Barcelona from July 27 to August 1.

Schumacher to swap cars

Mercedes will
switch Michael Schumacher’s car for next week’s Spanish Grand Prix to
try and get the seven-time Formula One champion back up to speed.

“It’s not a new chassis per se, it’s a chassis we used in testing,” team Principal Ross Brawn told Reuters.

“The one he had
(before) got damaged during the first few races and we repaired it as
best we could at the races. But now we are back at base we are going to
re-introduce the test chassis and he will be using that in Barcelona.”
Brawn said the wheelbase would also be changed to improve weight
distribution, and Mercedes are also planning a major aerodynamic revamp
for the first race of the European season after four in the Middle and
Far East.

Schumacher, a
winner at Benetton and Ferrari with Brawn as technical director, is
making his Formula One comeback at the age of 41 and after retiring at
the end of 2006 with a record 91 race wins.

Schumacher finished 10th in the latest race in China while Rosberg was third after leading early on.