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Romania based Nigerian player dies on the pitch....

Delta Tulcea's Henry Chinonso Ihelewere, 21, suffered a fatal heart attack during yesterday's friendly against FC Balotesti, doctors in Romania have confirmed. The 21-year-old Nigerian forward collapsed with no other player near him, around 15 minutes after entering the field as a half-time substitute for the Romania's Liga II side. He was attended to by ambulances from the Mobile Emergency Service for Resuscitation and Extrication (SMURD - Serviciul Mobil de Urgenta, Reanimare si Descarcerare) but was pronounced dead at the scene. Ihelewere had scored 14 goals in 37 appearances for Delta and his death came less than 24 hours after that of 22-year-old Columbus Crew midfielder Kirk Urso in the United States.
Sad Story! Our sincere condolences to his bereaved family.
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Another gold for Venus and Serena....

Venus and Serena Williams made Olympic history as they became the first pair to win the women's doubles three times. They beat Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic 6-4 6-4. The sisters first won the doubles at Sydney in 2000, then again in Beijing in 2008 after missing Athens because of an injury to Serena. Serena, 30, becomes only the third female tennis player to win a pair of gold medals at the same Olympics, emulating Venus, 32, in 2000 and compatriot Helen Wills Moody in 1924. (BBC).
Congrats to our black sisters!
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Andy Murray wins gold....

Andy Murray captured the biggest title of his career with an emphatic victory over Roger Federer in the Olympic men's singles final at Wimbledon. Murray beat Federer, the world number one, in straight sets, 6-2 6-1 6-4 to clinch the gold medal on a raucous Centre Court. The 25-year-old Murray is the first British man to win the Olympic singles gold medal since Josiah Ritchie in 1908. (BBC)
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Olympics: Nigerian Athletes competing today, August 6....

1 SEUN ADIGUN
ATHLETICS
WOMEN’S 100M HURDLES ROUND 1
10:12

2 NIGERIA
BASKETBALL
MEN’S BASKETBALL PRELIMINARY ROUND
14:30

3 EDITH OGOKE
BOXING
WOMEN’S MIDDLE (75KG) QUATERFINALS
16:15

4 CHRISTY UDOH
ATHLETICS
WOMEN’S 200M ROUND 1
19:20

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And he 'Bolted' away....

Usain Bolt, the Jamaican who holds the world record, defended his men's 100m title in stunning style at London 2012, winning Sunday's final in an Olympic record time of 9.63 seconds (the second quickest time in history). He finished ahead of countryman Yohan Blake and American Justin Gatlin. Blake equalled his personal best of 9.75 in second, with Gatlin also setting a new personal best of 9.79 as he took the bronze. Seven of the eight finalists ran under 10 seconds in what was the fastest Olympic 100m final in history. (culled: BBC)
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Olympics: Nigerian Athletes competing today, August 5....

1 MARYAM USMAN
WEIGHTLIFTING
WOMEN’S +75KG GROUP A
15:30

2 EDITH OGOKE
BOXING
WOMEN’S MIDDLE (75KG) ROUND OF 16
16:15

3 MUIZAT AJOKE ODUMOSU
ATHLETICS
WOMEN’S 400M HURDLES ROUND 1
19:08


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Olympics: Football Event Semi Final Fixtures....

Women’s Semi Finals: Monday, August 6.

France Vs Japan, Wembley, 17:00
Canada Vs United States, Old Trafford, 19:45

Men’s Semi Finals: Tuesday, August 7.

Mexico Vs Japan, Wembley, 17:00
Korea Vs Brazil, Old Trafford, 19:45

Japan are still in for both categories. All the best to them.

Serena Williams wins the women's singles gold medal....

Serena Williams of the USA thrashed Russia's Maria Sharapova 6-0 6-1 in 63 minutes to win the women's singles gold medal at London 2012. French Open champion Sharapova takes the silver medal and world number one Victoria Azarenka of Belarus bronze. Serena later teamed up with sister Venus to clinch a place in the women's doubles final with a 7-5 6-4 over Russia's Maria Kirilenko and Nadia Petrova.(culled:BBC).
It's never over for the Williams. Congrats!!!

Michael Phelps calls time on swimming career....

Swimmer Michael Phelps of USA ends his career with 22 medals in total, 18 of them gold, from four Olympic Games. Phelps made his Olympic debut in Sydney in 2000 as a 15-year-old and won six golds and two bronze medals in Athens, followed by an historic eight gold medals in Beijing. After his final race the American was awarded with a trophy by swimming's world governing body, Fina, confirming Phelps's status as the 'greatest Olympic athlete of all time.' Phelps ended London 2012 with more medals than any other swimmer at the Games - four golds and two silvers. (culled:BBC)
All the best Michael.

Yobo joins Fenerbahce permanently....

Fenerbahce have announced the permanent signing of Everton defender Joseph Yobo. Yobo, 31, has spent the last two seasons on loan at Fenerbahce, and the Turkish club have now moved to secure his signature on a permanent basis. The Nigerian has signed a three-year deal with Fener, where he has made 62 league appearances and scored two goals. Yobo signed for Everton from Marseille in 2002 for £3.5 million and went on to start 182 Premier League matches for the club. Yobo is the captain of the Nigerian national team, Super Eagles. (cullled:ESPN)

Opening ceremony gatecrasher apologises....

The woman who gatecrashed India's parade at the Olympic opening ceremony has apologised for her "error of judgement" and insisted that she did not breach security at the London Games.
Madhura Nagendra, a student from Bangalore currently studying for an MBA in London, irked Indian officials in London by her unauthorised presence alongside flag-bearing wrestler Sushil Kumar. London 2012 chief Sebastian Coe confirmed her as a cast member and said she had been "slightly over excited". "In an error of judgement I resulted in walking with the Indian contingent," Nagendra said. "Of course I have realised my mistake... I have not breached security which was stated earlier in the media. I have not trespassed, I have not gatecrashed.
"I'm part of the casting committee. Yes, I have hurt the sentiment of my people. I understand it was a mistake and I apologise for the same," she added. Television pictures and photographs from last Friday's ceremony showed Nagendra walking in the Olympic Stadium dressed in red and blue in complete contrast to the Indian contingent's female members who were wearing yellow saris and blue blazers. She instantly became the face of the opening ceremony, with Indian Olympic chiefs outraged that she had "hogged the limelight" that the country's athletes deserved.

Etuhu moves to Blackburn....

Blackburn have completed the signing of Fulham midfielder Dickson Etuhu for an undisclosed fee. The Nigerian has agreed a four-year deal with the npower Championship club, joining former Fulham team-mate Danny Murphy at Ewood Park. Etuhu, 30, becomes Rovers boss Steve Kean’s seventh signing of the summer as they prepare for life in the second tier following relegation from the Barclays Premier League last season. Etuhu, the former Norwich and Manchester City man will join his new team-mates in Holland this weekend.

Aquilani joins Fiorentina....

Alberto Aquilani’s time at Liverpool is finally over after the Reds confirmed the midfielder had completed a permanent transfer to Fiorentina. The 28-year-old Italian arrived at Anfield on a five-year deal in August 2009 following the departure of Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid, but his time on Merseyside was badly affected by injury and he has spent the last two seasons on loan, firstly to Juventus and then AC Milan. The Italian midfielder joined Liverpool in 2009 but made just 28 first-team appearances having spent the last two seasons on loan in his homeland.

Goodluck to Aqua-Man! I had wanted to really watch you in the premiership this season but you know what is best for you.

Muamba could play again....

Fabrice Muamba will visit a specialist in Belgium next week to find out whether he could continue his career in professional football, The Bolton News says.
The Wanderers midfielder, who made a miraculous recovery after his heart stopped for 78 minutes in an FA Cup quarter final match at Tottenham on March 17, has expressed a desire to play again could now complete a fairytale return for the Whites this season if he gets the go-ahead.
The 24-year-old will visit leading cardiologist Pedro Brugada, who recently performed a minor operation on him, to find out whether his body could stand up again to the rigours of daily training whilst fitted with a special defibrillator.

Muamba revealed he had played a bit of football on holiday.

Yes, they defeated us. And so what?....

USA men beat Nigeria 156-73 in Olympic basketball. They are the masters and everyone agrees to this fact. What is worrisome is the margin but then let's take the positives.

Phelps takes it further....

Great swimmer Michael Phelps of USA has won his 20th Olympic medal. He won his first individual gold at London 2012 in the men's 200m individual medley. This has yet added to his record as the Olympian with the most medals. Phelps is also the first man to defend an Olympic swimming title twice, having won this event in Athens and Beijing.

Olympic Men's Basketball: Team Nigeria Vs Team USA

Our dear basketballers (D'Tigers) have a game tonight with their USA counterparts at the London Olympics 2012. It's going to be the game of their lives against the perceived masters.

TEAM NIGERIA:

Guards: Tony Skinn, Derrick Obasohan, Richard Oruche, Ade Dagunduro, Chamberlain Oguchi. Forwards: Ike Diogu, Al-Farouq Aminu, Kiki Archibong, Ekene Ibekwe, Ejike Ugboaja.

Centers: Olumide Oyedeji, Alade Aminu.

TEAM USA:

Guards: Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Deron Williams, Russell Westbrook, James Harden.

Forwards: LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Love, Andre Iguodala.

Centers: Tyson Chandler, Anthony Davis.

The game comes up tonight at 11:15 pm Nigerian time (naijasportsgists exclusive). Don't miss this dunking game. Good Luck to Team Nigeria.

Chinese investors buy Inter Milan stake....

Chinese investors are to become the second-largest shareholder group in Inter Milan and will help fund a new stadium, the club has announced. The deal will see Inter president Massimo Moratti retain overall control of the club. A subsidiary of China Railway Construction Corporation, a major transport and construction company, will hold a 15% stake and provide engineering expertise and investment for a stadium.

Inter hope their new home can be completed by 2017, while the China Railway link-up is also intended to promote the club in Asia. "Internazionale Holding announces that it has reached an agreement which envisages the acquisition of a stake in FC Internazionale by a group of Chinese investors,'' a club statement said.
"The Moratti family will keep the control of the company, while the group of Chinese investors will became the second-largest shareholder."
The statement said the search for a suitable site for the new stadium would begin in the next few weeks, adding: "The parties will jointly select the potentially suitable locations, define the project team and start the filing process to obtain the required authorisations.''
Moratti told Sky Sport 24: "In China, Indonesia, in all these places... there are many fans, and we believe that this agreement could have multiple benefits from this point of view.
"It will be an important statement commercially, given the number of fans and the level of interest in that region.'' He added that he had "had the idea about a new stadium for some time, and now it can be realised". (source: ESPN).

Olympics: Football Event Quater Final Fixtures....

Women’s Quarter Finals: Friday, August 3.

1. Sweden Vs France, Hampden Park, 12:00
2. United States Vs New Zealand, St. James’ Park, 14:30
3. Brazil Vs Japan, Millennium Stadium, 17:00
4. Great Britain Vs Canada, City of Coventry Stadium, 19:30

Men’s Quarter Finals: Saturday, August 4.

1. Japan Vs Egypt, Old Trafford, 12:00
2. Mexico Vs Senegal, Wembley, 14:30
3. Brazil Vs Honduras, St. James’ Park, 17:00
4. Great Britain Vs Korea, Millennium Stadium, 19:30

The times are all Nigerian time so enjoy the matches. All the best to Senegal as they fly the African flag.

Super Eagles to play Niger on August 15....

The Super Eagles of Nigeria is to play an international friendly match against the Mena of Niger on August 15 at the Seyni Koutche Stadium, Niamey, the capital of Niger. The friendly will serve as a tune-up match for the first leg of 2013 African Nations Cup (AFCON) qualifier against the Lone Stars of Liberia in Monrovia on September 8.

The NFF has invited 26 players for this match and they are: ChigozieAgbim (Warri Wolves), Daniel Akpeyi (Heartland FC), Moses Ocheje (Sunshine Stars), Azubuike Egwuekwe (Warri Wolves), Papa Idris (Kano Pillars), Juwon Oshaniwa (Sharks FC), Godfrey Oboabona (Sunshine Stars), Ezekiel Henry (Rising Stars), Francis Benjamin (Heartland FC), Umar Zango (Kano Pillars), Osuchukwu Ogonna (Enugu Rangers), Kwambe Solomon (Sunshine Stars), Ejike Uzoenyi (Enugu Rangers), Sunday Mba (Warri Wolves), Reuben Gabriel (Kano Pillars), Izu Azuka (Sunshine Stars), Uche Kalu (Enyimba FC), Henry Uche (Enyimba FC), Obinna Nwachukwu (Heartland ), Christian Ofili (ABS FC), Solomon Jabason (Akwa United), Kabiru Umar (Heartland FC), Sanusi Sani (Gombe United), Sibi Gwar (Niger Tornadoes), Philip Asuquo (3SC) and Chibuzor Onyekwelu (Fame Academy).

Eight women disqualified from Badminton doubles....

Eight badminton players have been disqualified from the women's doubles competition of London olympics after being accused of "not using one's best efforts to win". Two pairs from South Korea and one each from China and Indonesia made a series of basic errors in Tuesday's matches. All four pairs were accused of wanting to lose, in an attempt to manipulate the draw for the knockout stage. Indonesia and South Korea have appealed and a decision is expected before Wednesday's quarter-finals.The Badminton World Federation  met on Wednesday morning to discuss the case. As well as the "not using best efforts" charge, the players were also accused of "conducting oneself in a manner that is clearly abusive or detrimental to the sport".

Teams had blamed the introduction of a round-robin stage rather than a straight knockout tournament as the catalyst. In the round-robin format, losing one game can ultimately lead to an easier match-up in the next round.

See me see wahala from Badminton players. Too bad if guilty.

Great Britain wins first Gold on home soil....

Great Britain won their first gold medal of the London 2012 Olympics as rowers Helen Glover and Heather Stanning triumphed in the women's pair. The world silver medallists led from the start, clocking seven minutes 27.13 seconds to become the first British female rowers to win an Olympic title. The medal ended Britain's five-day wait for gold, while Australia claimed silver and New Zealand bronze.

Memories: China'85 U-16 Nigerian heroes....

Let's celebrate once more the guys that won the first ever world cup for Nigeria. They went to China for the maiden FIFA U-16 (now U-17) world cup. Playing in Group D, they defeated Italy by a lone goal, played goaless draw with Saudi Arabia and defeated Costa Rica by three unreplied goals. They came second in the group behind Saudi Arabia on goals difference. In the quarter final, they defeated Hungary by three goals to one and went on to defeat Guinea 4 -2 in penalty shoot out after a 1 - 1 draw in the Semis. To lift the cup, they defeated West Germany by two unreplied goals in the final match. This Sebastine Broadricks and Christian Chukwu tutored lads left the country unannounced but returned as heroes making the the Federal Government to name streets after them at the capital cities of their various states of origin as at then.

The heroes are:

1.    Lucky AGBONSEVAFE

2.    Tenworimi DUERE

3.    Nduka UGBADE (Captain)

4.    Fatai ATERE

5.    Binabei NUMA

6.    Kingsley AIKHIONBORE

7.    Salisu NAKADE

8.    Sani ADAMU

9.    Jonathan AKPOBORIE

10.  Victor IGBINOBA

11.  Billa MOMOH

12.  Imama AMAPAKABOR

13.  Bauldwin BAZUAYE

14.  Joseph BABATUNDE

15.  Chukwuma NWOHA

16.  Mohamed YAHAYA

17.  Hilary ADIKI

18.   Dele ABUBAKAR

Mourinho: My Strategies....

Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho has revealed the secrets behind some of the psychological tricks he claims have helped him to be so successful. Mourinho spoke to 150 coaches from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), at an event held at UCLA during the Spanish club's pre-season tour of the US. He told the group that he sometimes had to assume a negative image for the good of the team.
"The image you send outside is the bad part of assuming responsibility," the Portuguese coach said, according to the Spanish sports daily Marca.
"You need to know that, when you do not behave like everyone else, you create negative feelings among people but positive feelings among your own people.
"When you are the leader, you cannot forget that. I take that on myself. I do not care what other people think, only my own."
Mourinho said it was important that coaches helped their players deal with the pressure of playing for a leading club by building close personal bonds.
"In these clubs, there is always pressure and I teach them to live with it and learn from it, as they have it on and off the pitch," he said. "And it is not a problem for me to share emotions - to kiss a player, cry with him, criticise him ... that is all part of being a family."
Debate was healthy but having everyone pulling in the same direction within the club was an important factor in success, Mourinho said.
"The group is something you can control, but I do not want to say that I want to control the club, not at all," he said. "I always say I do not control my house - my wife does that - and similarly it is not my dream to control the club.
"But when you see that you are influencing the philosophy of the club, you see we are all going in the same direction.
"I am not saying I am always right. I am open to people who tell me I am wrong, I like that - that they make me think or reconsider. But everything is easier when your ideas have an impact on the club."
This created an unbreakable connection between coaches and players which lasted even when they no longer worked together, Mourinho claimed.
"We are open in a positive way to share experiences, criticisms and ideas to create connections," he said. "When I say forever I mean forever, because all the players we have had at Chelsea, Porto and Inter are not our ex-players, they still remain our players. And they do not talk of their ex-boss, they say: 'You are my boss.' They are everlasting ties."
Mourinho, who last year became the first manager to win all three major European leagues - English, Italian and Spanish - said his own thirst for more trophies helped drive his players on to success.
"People ask me how I motivate my players," he said. "I do it with my own motivation. This is the motor, nothing more. It is key that you always show this motivation to others."

Pienaar returns to Everton....

Steven Pienaar has completed a four year deal worth £4.5m to move back to Everton, 18 months after joining Tottenham for a reported £3m. Pienaar started just five Premier League matches for Spurs before moving back to Everton and playing 14 top flight games.

Pienaar joined Everton from German club Borussia Dortmund in 2007 and spent three-and-a-half seasons at Goodison Park before leaving for Tottenham in January 2011

Goodluck to Steven!

Michael Phelps: The Greatest Olympian so far....

The great swimmer, Michael Phelps of USA, duly broke the Olympic record for the most number of medals won by any athlete, taking his Olympic personal medal tally to 19 and eclipsing the record held by Soviet gymnast Larissa Latynina whos has 18 medals. Phelps achieved this feat  by helping the United States win 4x200m freestyle gold. He now has 15 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze olympic medals to his name.

FA charges Ferdinand over 'Choc Ice' Twitter remarks....

The Football Association has charged Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand with improper conduct over comments he made on Twitter. A Twitter user had written: "Looks like Ashley Cole's going to be their choc ice. Then again he's always been a sell out. Shame on him," to which the Manchester United player responded: "I hear you fella! Choc ice is classic! hahahahahahha!!"

Ashley Cole had appeared in court as a witness for John Terry's defence of 'act of racism' on footballer Anton Ferdinand, Rio's brother.  Terry was cleared by the court though. The term "choc ice" could be construed as a reference to a person being black on the outside and white on the inside

A statement on the FA's website said: "The allegation is that the player acted in a way which was improper and/or bought the game into disrepute by making comments which included a reference to ethnic origin and/or colour and/or race. Ferdinand has until August 2 to respond."

15-year-old Lithuanian wins shock gold....

Teenager Ruta Meilutyte won Lithuania's first ever Olympic gold in the pool by beating American Rebecca Soni in the women's 100m breaststroke. In the final, following a fault at the start, where the bleep went before the swimmers were told to take their marks, Meilutyte astonished both herself and the crowd to hold off her challengers and win in 1:05.47.

The 15-year-old led from the start and beat the fast-finishing Soni by 0.08 seconds. Japan's Satomi Suzuki earned bronze, while Australia's defending champion Leisel Jones finished fifth.

16 year old Chinese breaks world record in swimming....

Ye Shiwen, Chinese swimmer, has achieved a great feat in the women's version of 400m individual medley as she smashed the world record and left her competitors far behind. Ye's total time was 4:28.43, a world record which was three seconds ahead of her closest rival and five seconds quicker then her own personal best.
The 16 year old's achievement was so unprecedented that it even led some broadcasters to question whether Ye had benefited from underhand practices. Ye has denied being on drugs and claimed her success is a result of sheer hardwork but China's doping record means that she will always be viewed with suspicion.

The previous world record was 4:29.45 by Australia's Stephanie Rice, then 20 year old, at Beijing Olympics in 2008.

Taye Taiwo moves to Dynamo Kiev....

Nigerian international, Taye Taiwo, who is currently in the books of AC  Milan of Italy has moved to Ukrainian side Dynamo Kiev on a season-long loan. Taiwo who spent the second part of last season on loan to Queens Park Rangers of England is eager for first team action rather than staying at Milan and receiving salary without playing football.

Dynamo Kiev also parades Nigeria's Yusuf Ayila, Lukman Haruna and Brown Ideye meaning that Taiwo would settle down fast. We wish him all the best.

Top 10 NBA Teams with the Most Salary Cap Space....

1. Houston Rockets: Jeremy Lin Has Landed

The Houston Rockets blew up most of its roster to have the chance to trade for Orlando Magic Dwight Howard. This pursuit remains a long shot but nevertheless, the Rockets amnestied the $9.4 million for power forward Luis Scola. They also let stud point guards Kyle Lowry and Goran Dragic to leave.
However, they have a nice consolation with the arrival of the global phenomenon Jeremy Lin, an Asian-American point guard that became an instant celebrity with the New York Knicks. The Big Apple didn’t match the 3-year, $25 million contract offer of the Houston Rockets because of a tricky third year that will pay Lin close to $14 million.
Lin is expected to take over the huge global void that Yao Ming left when he retired due to injuries. As for the Rockets, it is estimated that they only have $40 million in contracts before Lin signed with them.

2. Phoenix Suns: The Nash Aftermath

The Phoenix Suns has recently lost the face of its franchise, 2-time MVP point guard Steve Nash. Now the rebuilding is in full mode and their salary cap is safely tucked at $49 million.
Nash heads to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for draft picks. Phoenix chased Nash’s former back-up Goran Dragic in free agency so that he can return and run the show in Phoenix. As a bonus, the Suns signed talented small forward Michael Beasley and claimed skilled power forward Luis Scola from the waiver wire after Houston amnestied him.

3. New Orleans Hornets: Youth on the Horizon

The New Orleans Hornets have struck gold during this year’s NBA Draft by landing top pick Anthony Davis and phenomenal guard Austin Rivers. They also re-signed upcoming star shooting guard Eric Gordon for $58 million over four years. To facilitate the rebirth of the franchise, the New Orleans Hornets cleared cap space and traded most of their bloated contracts.
As it stands, the payroll of the Hornets is at $38 million and can go to about $50 million when they sign the rookies. In the process, he traded Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza for the expiring bloated contract of Rashard Lewis to gain cap space.

4. Portland TrailBlazers: Bad Luck with Franchise Players

The Portland TrailBlazers couldn’t catch a break with franchise players. Their top draft pick center Greg Oden was let go after his string of unfortunate injuries. Their star shooting guard Brandon Roy got a max contract but had to retire because he no longer had cartilage on his knees.
As the Blazers tried to achieve roster flexibility, they trimmed their salary cap space to $51 million. They also let go of free agents Raymond Felton and Jamal Crawford but kept their promising small forward Nicolas Batum with a four-year $45 million contract.

5. Milwaukee Bucks: Quiet and Quality Moves

The Milwaukee Bucks has an interesting collection of talent and yet their salary cap space next season is only at $54 million. They recently re-signed bruising and versatile power forward Ersan Ilyasova. They still have their stars Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings locked up.
To add to their flexibility, Milwaukee’s Beno Urdih ($7.8 million) and Samuel Dalembert ($6.7 million) are coming off the books next summer, leaving the Bucks with over $30 million in cap space.

6. Sacramento Kings: Success as Facilitator

The Sacramento Kings has a bevy of players that can be used to facilitate trades for other desperate teams. They have $58 million in salary cap space and they have many parts that can be used as trade bait.
They have an exciting core of young players from DeMarcus Cousins, Tyreke Evans, Thomas Robinson and Isaiah Thomas. Their maturity and chemistry are still an unknown factor at this point especially with the addition of point guard Aaron Brooks.

7. Dallas Mavericks: Moving On from Deron Williams

The Dallas Mavericks are one of the biggest spenders in the NBA led by billionaire owner Mark Cuban with a usual payroll of $90 million. But in the past few seasons, they have become financially responsible with the hopes of landing a superstar next to Dirk Nowitzki from free agency. The $58 million salary cap space of the Mavs was almost enough to lure point guard Deron Williams away from the Brooklyn Nets but it was really not meant to be.
But Dallas has moved on well by signing impactful players at low salary rates from All-Star centers Chris Kaman and Elton Brand and emerging guards OJ Mayo and Darren Collison. They also amnestied the lumbering contract of center Brendan Haywood for three years and $21 million.

8. Indiana Pacers: Keeping the Core

The Pacers have finally gained momentum to become a considerable force in the Eastern Conference. Their focus this summer was to retain their prized free agent center Roy Hibbert. They signed a new point guard in DJ Augustin and a few other players. Yet their cap space remains at a solid $64 million.
Most of the major players of the Pacers have reasonable contracts from Danny Granger, David West and even some of their emerging rookies. They are still not flirting in the critical luxury tax level.

9. Denver Nuggets: New Team in the Rockies

The Denver Nuggets have moved on well from the Carmelo Anthony era of the past few years. They have now maintained salary cap flexibility at $64 million and they have retained most of their promising young players from JaVale McGee and his large four-year, $44 million contract and Anthony Randolph at $2 million.
The Nuggets also retained veteran guard Andre Miler and amnestied Chris Andersen’s two-year, $9.4 million contract. The Nuggets have also purged enigmatic players from its roster from J.R. Smith and Nene.

10. San Antonio Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs have been a model of basketball consistency and financial flexibility for over a decade. After a good playoff run, the Spurs are looking to retain their core starting from their franchise cornerstone center Tim Duncan at three years and $30 million.
The salary cap of the Spurs is now at $70 million. They have also kept other free agents such as Boris Diaw and Danny Green. They also inked an intriguing second round pick in Nando de Colo.

Top 10 Most Lucrative Sports in the World....

1. UEFA Champions League: $77 million

Organized by the Union of European Football Associations, the UEFA Champions League indeed pays like a champion with the total grand prize reaching $77 million. For this year, the English team Chelsea beat Bayern Munich for the title with the help of striker Didier Drogba.
The jackpot prize depends on many factors from their qualification to the Champions League, number of wins during the tournament and the size of their demographic. For this reason, the 2011 champion Barcelona received $33 million less than what Chelsea received this year.

2. UEFA European Football Championship: $33 million

Yet another football league from UEFA takes the second spot. The UEFA European Football Championship is only restricted to European national teams and this only proves how big football is in Europe. This sporting event is held every four years Spain won in 2008 and 2012. This year’s games were held in Poland and the Ukraine.

3. FIFA World Cup: $31 million

Most soccer enthusiasts refer to this event simply as “the World Cup.” This international football association is the major event when it comes to sports but it is not the highest paying league. Still, with the entire world watching, this is where football legends are made and turned into immortal stories.
FIFA is the global governing body when it comes to football. It is also held every four years and will commence again in 2014 in Brazil. Spain is also the 2010 FIFA World Cup champions. The World Cup is a widely viewed sporting event with about 715.1 million people watching all over the world.
32 teams vie for a chance to win the World Cup in a host nation. Because of the international pressure of hosting the World Cup, countries bid against each other to win the honor of becoming the host country. Russia will host the 2018 World Cup while Qatar won the 2012 honors.

4. The Super Bowl: $15.5 million

The Super Bowl is the annual championship game of the National Football League (NFL). This is a huge sporting event in the United States featuring its own version of rugged American football. Because of the importance of this event, companies line up with their advertisements and Hollywood movies create Super Bowl trailers in order to reach a very wide audience. Commercial airtime during a Super Bowl broadcast is very expensive with some paying over $3.5 million for a thirty second TV spot. The Super Bowl has an average of 111 million viewers.
The last Super Bowl was a thriller between the New England Patriots and the New York Giants. New York quarterback Eli Manning rose to the occasion to steer the Giants to a suspenseful 21-17 victory. For their victory, each of the Giants players received $172,000.

5. The World Series: $14.8 million

The World Series of the Major League Baseball (MLB) is also one of the most enduring sporting events in the history of America since it started airing in 1903. The 2011 World Series was a seven game series between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Texas Rangers. The Cardinals won and each of the players received $323,169 for their victory.
The 2011 World Series had millions of viewers all over the world with the lowest at 11.2 million viewers and the peak reaching 25.4 million people during the decisive Game 7.

6. FedEx Cup: $10 million

The FedEx Cup is one of the highest sporting events in golf. It is the grand prize for winning four events in PGA tournament playoffs including the Barclays and the Coca-Cola Tour Championship. The initial crop of golf aspirants begin at 125 players and this is stripped down to about 30 players. The eventual winner of the FedEx Cup will win a hefty paycheck of $10 million.

7. The Dubai World Cup Night: $10 million

The Dubai World Cup Night is the richest sporting event in horse racing held every year at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Supervised by the Emirates Racing Authority, the Dubai World Cup Night features six races of thoroughbred horses.
It is the most lucrative thoroughbred horse-racing event in the world comprised of the Dubai Kahayla Classic, Al Quoz Sprint and the Dubai Gold Cup among others.

8. UEFA Europa League: $9 million

If you have been bombarded with all the lucrative UEFA leagues, well here’s one more. The UEFA Europa League is dubbed as the second most prestigious football tournament in the world after the Champions League. It may confuse you further to discover that Spain has won this league again behind the efforts of Atletico Madrid in 2012.

9. The World Series of Poker: $8.7 million

Not all sporting events require brawn and athleticism to be financially successful. The World Series of Poker is a prestigious event for a game of cards. With all the poker faces and card dealings, this game netted 22-year-old Pius Heinz over $10,000 for the Buy-In, No-Limit Texas Hold ‘Em game.

10. ICC Cricket World Cup: $4 million

Even the game of cricket has its own lucrative sporting event in the ICC Cricket World Cup. India won in 2011 while the next World Cup is scheduled for 2015. However, controversy hounded the last ICC Cricket World Cup when its host Allen Stanford was convicted for a Ponzi scheme

Top Ten Highest Paid Footballers 2012....

1. Lionel Messi

2012 Earnings: €33 Million (£27.5m)
2011 Earnings: €31 Million
Net worth: $110 Million – (estimated)
Current Club: FC Barcelona
The Barcelona star topped his €33 million earnings from the Spanish giants with sponsorship deals from the likes of adidas and Pepsi.

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2. David Beckham

2012 Earnings: €31.5 Million (£26.2m)
2011 Earnings: €19 million
Net worth: £160 Million or $260m – As of May 2012, according to the Sunday Times UK Rich List
Current Club: Los Angeles Galaxy
Becks, 36, collected €31.5 million and maintained his high profile despite plying his trade in America with LA Galaxy. His endorsement deal with Adidas is the biggest in the sport thanks to royalties from soccer apparel and cleats as well as lifestyle lines like ObyO. In May 2011 he signed a deal with Samsung to become the company’s global brand ambassador for the Games.

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3. Cristiano Ronaldo

2012 Earnings: €29.2 Million (£24.3m)
2011 Earnings: €27.5 million
Net worth: $160 Million – (estimated)
Current Club:Real Madrid
Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo had to settle for third and €29.2m despite leading the scoring charts in La Liga with 32 goals in 26 games this season. Using social media to expand his brand. With 26 million Facebook fans, twice as many as any other athlete and 3 million Twitter followers; which is part of the attraction for sponsors like Nike, Armani, Coca-Cola and Castrol.

4. Samuel Eto’o

2012 Earnings:€23.3 Million (£19.4m)
2011 Earnings: €13 Million
Net worth: $50 Million – (estimated)
Current Club: FC Anzhi Makhachkala
Over the past 12 months the Cameroonian striker added Puma and Ford as sponsors. Has much to be proud of – in the wake of his Champion League success with Barcelona and Inter Milan. He is Africa’s most decorated footballer of all time; has won the African Player of the Year award a record four times; in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2010.
The former Inter Milan striker joined Russian soccer club FC Anzhi Makhachkala in a three-year deal with an annual salary of €20.5 million Euros or $28.8 million at current exchange rates. The deal made Eto’o the highest-paid player in the history of soccer in term of club salary. Dwarfing the the €13 million ($19m) Cristiano Ronaldo earns at Real Madrid and the €10.5 million Lionel Messi is paid by Barcelona. Anzhi reached an agreement with Internazionale at $38.9 million transfer fee on 23 August 2011.
Anzhi is owned by Russian investor Suleiman Kerimov, who is the 118th richest person in the world with a net worth of $7.8 billion.

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5. Wayne Rooney

2012 Earnings:€20.6 Million (£17.2m)
2011 Earnings: €20.7 million
Net worth: £45 Million or $72m – As of May 2012, according to the Sunday Times UK Rich List
Current Club: Manchester United
He lost his £600,000-a-year contract with Coca-Cola. He is back on form, the Manchester United striker was the Premier League’s top earner with €20.6m (£17.2m). He picks up £8m at Old Trafford a season from his latest five-year contract and, although he ran into trouble with Coca-Cola last year following off-the-field problems, commercial interest in the England star remains strong. Remaining sponsors include Nike and Electronic Arts.

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6. Sergio Aguero

2012 Earnings: €18.8 Million (£15.7m)
Net worth: £37 million or $59m – As of May 2011, according to the Sunday Times UK Rich List
Current Club: Manchester City
Argentine footballer Sergio Aguero is currently playing as a striker for both Premier League club Manchester City and the Argentine national team. Aguero drew the attention of Europe’s top clubs after he moved from Independiente to La Liga side Atletico Madrid in 2006. In July 2011, the player joined Manchester City for a five-year deal said to be worth £35 million (€42.35 million), making him the most expensive footballer in the club’s history.

7. Yaya Touré

2012 Earnings: €17.6 Million (£14.7m)
2011 Earnings: €13.8 Million
Net Worth: £12 Million or $19m – As of May 2012, according to Sunday Times UK Rich List
Current Club: Manchester City
Midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City and the Côte d’Ivoire national team. His the junior brother of Kolo Touré, also his teammate at Côte d’Ivoire and Manchester City. Touré was awarded the award for African Footballer of the Year 2011. Touré moved from Barcelona to Manchester City in 2010 for a transfer fee of about £24 million (€29 million) and the five-year contract is estimated at a staggering £55.6 million (€67.3 million). The defensive midfielder quickly adapted himself to the new environment, showing his remarkable capabilities in attacking as well as defending.

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8. Fernando Torres

2012 Earnings: €16.7 Million (£13.9m)
2011 Earnings: €14 Million
Net Worth: £21 Million or $33.5m – As of May 2012, according to Sunday Times UK Rich List
Current Club: Chelsea
Spanish footballer who plays as a striker for Chelsea and the Spain national team, From Atlético Madrid, to Liverpool, and now Chelsea, Torres has been recognized as a world-class striker. In January 2011, Torres joined Chelsea for a record British transfer fee of £50 million (€60.5 million) on a five-and-a-half year contract, making him the most expensive Spanish player in history.

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9. Ricardo Kaka

2012 Earnings: €15.5 million (£12.9m)
2011 Earnings: €19.3 Million
Net worth: $100 Million – (estimated)
Current Club: Real Madrid
Brazilian football attacking midfielder who is currently playing for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and the Brazilian national team. The Brazilian midi was featured on the cover of EA Sports FIFA Soccer 11. The FIFA franchise has sold 100 million units of the popular soccer game for Electronic Arts. Kaka’s major sponsors included Adidas, Giorgio Armani and Guarana.

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10. Philipp Lahm

2012 Earnings: €16.7 Million (£11.9m)
2011 Earnings: €14 Million
Current Club: Bayern Munich
German professional footballer who plays for and captains both Bayern Munich and the Germany national team. Lahm is now recognized as one of the best full backs in the world. The right-footed player is able to play on both sides of the pitch, and is now mostly playing as a left-wing-back.

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Men's football event: Spain crashes out of London olympics....

The Spanish male football team, one of the pre-tournament favourites, have been knocked out of London olympics at the group stage. This is very surprising considering the current profile of the Spanish national team. Spain lost their two games so far by a lone goal each to Japan and Honduras. Some Spanish senior internationals like Juan Mata and Jordi Alba are in this team. I guess this has spoiled their European success party.

Nigeria defeats Tunisia in men's basketball....

The Nigeria men's basketball team competing for the first time in the Olympics edged out Tunisia in the first game of the men’s Olympic basketball tournament today with a 60-56 victory.

Go guys!!!!!

Two days into Olympic games, Two athletes fail drug tests already....

The London Olympic games started officially on Friday the 27th July 2012 like we know. The ugly news is that two athletes have already failed drug tests.
The first is Albanian weightlifter Hysen Pulaku who was thrown out following a positive test for an anabolic steroid while the second is Uzbek gymnast Luiza Galiulina who has been provisionally banned from the games after her urine sample showed traces of furosemide, a diuretic that can be used as a masking agent or for weight loss. The 20-year-old Galiulina, who also competed at the 2008 Games, will now have to wait for the testing of a second sample. Should that also come in positive, she would be barred from competing in London and could face a maximum two-year ban as a first-time doping offender.
Over the course of the London Games, the IOC has said it expects to carry out some 5,000 tests - 3,800 urine and 1,200 blood. Anti-doping agencies conducted thousands more in the run-up to the Olympics, nabbing more than 100 athletes in a drive to root out cheaters before the 16-day competition.

Debutant Ibrahimovic scores for PSG....

Striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored three minutes into his Paris Saint-Germain debut against DC United. Dwayne De Rosario later equalized for DC United after thirty three minutes. The game ended in a 1 -1 draw.

The Swedish striker only joined up with his PSG teammates in the United States earlier in the week, and he played 38 minutes in his debut, mostly looking rusty and languid on the RFK Stadium pitch. He believes his new team is better than his previous team AC Milan claiming that Milan lost their two best players (himself and Brazilian defender Thiago Silva).

Ibra has also played for Malmo FF, Juventus, Ajax, Inter Milan and Barcelona in the past. He has so far scored 31 goals in 77 appearances for Sweden.

BTW our own Ben Iroha once played for DC United in the America's Major League Soccer (MLS).

Upset as favourite Michael Phelps loses medley gold medal....

American swimmer, Michael Phelps, the greatest all-round swimmer his sport has seen and gold medallist in both Athens and Beijing, was left without even a bronze as he came fourth in the finals of 400m individual medley. America's Ryan Lochte took the gold medal, Brazil's Thiago Pereira took the silver medal and Japan's Kosuke Hagino took the bronze medal.

New champions are emerging in London....I like.

Enugu Rangers coasting home?....

Nigeria Premier League Table		Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	For	Against	+/-	Points
	Enugu Rangers	34	17	7	10	44	23	21	58
	Kano Pillars	34	15	10	9	41	24	17	55
	Lobi Stars	33	17	2	14	34	27	7	53
	Sunshine Stars	35	15	7	13	42	29	13	52
	Enyimba	34	15	7	12	32	25	7	52
	Dolphins FC	34	15	6	13	38	32	6	51
	Akwa United	34	15	6	13	32	31	1	51
	Heartland FC	33	13	10	10	30	24	6	49
	Shooting Stars	34	14	7	13	30	31	-1	49
	Sharks	33	15	4	14	38	40	-2	49
	Gombe United	34	14	6	14	38	41	-3	48
	Niger Tornadoes	34	14	5	15	36	38	-2	47
	ABS FC	34	13	7	14	39	35	4	46
	Warri Wolves	33	12	10	11	30	26	4	46
	Kwara United	35	14	4	17	32	39	-7	46
	Wikki Tourists	34	14	3	17	29	42	-13	45
	Jigawa Golden Stars FC	34	13	6	15	28	41	-13	45
	Kaduna United	33	13	4	16	31	38	-7	43
	Rising Stars FC	32	8	8	16	21	34	-13	32
	Ocean Boys	33	7	9	17	19	44	-25	30

Looks like the Flying Antelopes of Enugu will have their league success this after a very long while. Let's watch and see!

Portsmouth FC down to four players....

Earlier this week, Portsmouth FC revealed they need to get all of their senior professionals off the club's wage bill before 10 August or face liquidation. Todays's departure of winger Erik Huseklepp from Fratton park leaves the troubled League One club with only four senior players namely Tal Ben Haim, Dave Kitson, Liam Lawrence and Kanu Nwankwo. Other Pompey players that left this summer are Jamie Ashdown, Kelvin Etuhu, Marko Futacs, Greg Halford, Stephen Henderson, Aaron Mokoena, Hayden Mullins, David Norris, Jason Pearce, Luke Varney and Joel Ward.

Na wao for The Shrimps!

Legally blind Im Dong-hyun sets world record in archery....

South Korean archer Im Dong-hyun sees only blurred colors and lines when he peers toward the target about 76 yards away, arrow at the ready. It doesn’t stop the legally blind Olympian from hitting the grapefruit-sized yellow center _ again and again and again.
Im set the first world record of the London Olympics on Friday, breaking his own mark in the 72-arrow event and helping South Korea set a team record in the opening round.
He broke the record he set in Turkey in May by three points with a score of 699, hours before the opening ceremony of the 2012 Games.
“This is just the first round, so I will not get too excited by it,” said Im, who has 10 percent vision in his left eye and 20 percent in his right.
He combined with Kim Bub-min and Oh Jin-hyek, breaking the record for 216 arrows with a score of 2,087. That was 18 better than the mark South Korea set in May.
The 26-year-old Im does not wear glasses in competition, saying he relies on distinguishing between the bright colors of the target. He won gold in the team event at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics.

'Shevchenko for President': From Soccer to Politics....

Hmmm...... Andriy Shevchenko has announced his retirement from football in order to pursue a career in politics. The 35-year-old Ukrainian revealed the news in a statement released by his club, Dynamo Kiev.

"This could shock everyone," he said. "My future is no longer in football."

He won his 111th and final cap for Ukraine on home soil at Euro 2012 when he came on as a substitute during his side's 1-0 group stage loss to England. At club level, he made his debut for Dynamo Kiev in 1994 and went on to earn a reputation as one of Europe's most lethal strikers after he moved to AC Milan in 1999. He won the Champions League with them in 2003 - scoring the winning penalty in the shoot-out - in a playing career that also saw him collect domestic silverware in Italy, England and Ukraine.

As a 29-year-old, Shevchenko signed for Jose Mourinho's Chelsea for £30m in May 2006, but spent a largely unproductive two-season spell in the Premier League before returning to Milan. After he was unable to reproduce the deadly form of his previous spell at the San Siro, he signed a two-year deal with Dynamo in August 2009.

Shevchenko was his country's talisman for more than a decade, and registered a national record 48 goals. He captained his country to the World Cup quarter-finals in 2006 and won the Ballon d'Or in 2004 as European player of the year.
"I will be going into politics," he said when announcing his retirement, and is expected to elaborate on his plans in the near future.

Shevy sure made his mark in the world of football.

Javier Mascherano: I remain a Catalan....

Javier Mascherano has extended his contract with Barcelona by two seasons through to June 2016, the club revealed on their website Friday.

Mascherano, Argentine international,  arrived from Liverpool two years ago, initially to play in deep midfield although more recently he has doubled in central defence.

The club praised Mascherano's commitment and said he had a "fundamental role in the dressing room".