International Olympic Committee (IOC) President, Thomas Bach, has urged organisers to focus on the preparations for next year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo as a virtual Coordination Commission meeting got underway. The Coordination Commission, chaired by IOC vice-president John Coates, is set to discuss ways to stage Tokyo 2020 during the pandemic with Tokyo city, Government officials and members of the Organising Committee. Virtual meetings held in two days are expected to focus on simplification measures to reduce the cost of the postponed Games and coronavirus countermeasures. Bach addressed organisers over a video conference call. “Nobody can expect from us that we know already, exactly what needs to be done in 10 month from now to ensure a safe environment for everybody,” he...
File Photo The President of Nigeria Football Federation Amaju Pinnick has disclosed that the Federation is working tirelessly to recruit qualified coaches for the country’s senior women national, the Super Falcons. The record African Women championship winners are still without a coach since former boss, Thomas Dennerby, walked out of the team a few weeks after leading the team to knock out phase of the 2019 women’s world cup in France. Christopher Danjuma was later appointed as caretaker boss after the departure of swede, but the failure of the team to qualify for the next summer’s Olympics in Tokyo automatically ruled him out of the job. Pinnick said the search for the right coach for the team has begun and the announcement will be made at the right time. “We are working to see how we ca...
Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka has become the world’s highest-paid female athlete, making US$37.4 million (S$50 million) in the past 12 months for an earnings record, Forbes magazine reported on Friday. The 22-year-old Asian star, a two-time Grand Slam champion, edged US rival Serena Williams by US$1.4 million in prize money and endorsement income over the past year. Both shattered the old single-year earnings mark of US$29.7 million set in 2015 by Russia’s Maria Sharapova, who retired in February with five Grand Slam titles, including a career Slam. “To those outside the tennis world, Osaka is a relatively fresh face with a great back story,” University of Southern California sports business professor David Carter told Forbes. “Combine that with being youthful and bicultural – two attri...