Mikel backs move for Moses

1:16 PM Sports No Comments

John Mikel Obi
| credits: File copy

Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has given his approval to the club’s attempts to sign his Nigerian teammate Victor Moses from Wigan.

Mikel is convinced the 21-year-old could be a star at Stamford Bridge having worked alongside the highly-rated Latics winger on the international stage.

The Blues have so far been reluctantly to meet the £10m asking price slapped on Moses’ head by Wigan chairman Dave Whelan but reports are now emerging suggesting a deal is close.

Chelsea would like to seal the signing as quickly as possible, and with the player in the final year of his contract at the DW Stadium, Whelan is ready to give the former Crystal Palace youngster the green light to join the Champions League winners.

Mikel, who is excited about the prospect of linking him with Moses, told MTNFootball.com: “Victor Moses is a good player, we all saw what he did last season.

“I will gladly welcome him and make him feel at home if he comes here. It would be a good move for him and I am sure he will make it big here.”

Meanwhile, Mikel is eyeing a positive start to the season beginning with Sunday’s Community Shield clash against Premier League holders Manchester City at Villa Park.

“We will get it right and beat City. I have won it before and I want to win it again.”

Punch Sports

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I have no respect for Carl Lewis – Bolt

11:15 AM Sports No Comments

Usain Bolt took a momentary break from basking in his historic Olympic sprinting double to fiercely criticize former U.S. athlete Carl Lewis.

Soon after winning gold in the 200 meters at the London Olympics for 100 and 200 titles at back-to- back games, Bolt said that he had “lost all respect” for Lewis after the American was quoted as saying Jamaica’s doping controls were not as strong as other countries.

While not making any direct accusations, former 100 and 200 Olympic champion Lewis has said in recent years that Jamaican drug testing procedures might need to be tightened.

With the smile that had been a constant fixture throughout his press conference vanishing from his face, Bolt lashed out at nine-time gold-medal winner Lewis after being asked if he’d like to be compared with him or late sprinting great Jesse Owens.

“I’m going to say something controversial right now. Carl Lewis, I have no respect for him,” Bolt said. “The things he says about the track athletes is really downgrading for another athlete to say something like that. I think he’s just looking for attention, really, because nobody really talks much about him.

“That was really sad for me when I heard the other day what he was saying. It was upsetting. I’ve lost all respect for him. All respect.”

Asked which specific comments from Lewis made him angry, Bolt replied: “It was all about drugs. Talking about drugs. For me, an athlete out of the sport to be saying that. That was really upsetting for me. Really upsetting.

“To jump up and say something like that. As far as I’m concerned he’s looking for attention. That’s all.”

Lewis, the former 100 and 200 Olympic champion, has raised questions in recent years about Jamaican drug testing procedures.

Following Bolt’s performance in Beijing, Lewis told Sports Illustrated: “Countries like Jamaica do not have a random program, so they can go months without being tested. I’m not saying anyone is on anything, but everyone needs to be on a level playing field.”

By Onochie Anibeze

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Olympics: frequent changes in leadership led to poor outing – Ali

10:52 AM Sports No Comments

Lagos – National long jump coach, Yusuf Ali, on Saturday blamed Nigeria’s poor outing at the ongoing London 2012 Olympic Games, which ends on Sunday, on frequent changes in the leadership of sports in the country.

Ali, a 1990 Commonwealth Games long jump gold medalist, told journalists on telephone from London that such changes had also led to changes in policies for sports development.

“Changes in the leadership of sports as far as I am concerned, affects sports development because it affects everything that concerns sports,” he said.

Ali said the current Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi, had a vision that could take sports to a high level, if allowed to do his job.

“The minister has a direction to take sports to a greater height. I say this with all sincerity, he has the vision but he should be supported and left alone to do his job,’’ Ali said.

It will be recalled that the sports minister was appointed only two months to the Olympic Games.

Ali said that though Nigerian sprinters at the Games may, not have taken any medal, they did well, to the best of their abilities.

“To me, the athletes did their best, especially the girls. Ajoke Odumosu broke the national record, Okagbare and others did their best,’’ said the Algeria 1988 African Championships gold medallist.

“World sprinters and athletes have stepped up their performances. Before, 10 seconds was the world record, but now it is 9 seconds.

“So, Nigerian sprinters should also step up their performances because the world is moving very fast. The performance at this year’s Olympics will be a wake-up call for Nigeria to begin to prepare early for the next Games,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, the country has not won any medal but hopes to get one from the women’s 4×400 metres and a bronze medal from the taekwondo event where Chika Chukwumerije is expected to fight on Saturday night.

Chukwumerije lost the fight in the gold medal stage and can only now fight for the bronze medal.

Team Nigeria are expected back from the Games on Monday. (NAN)

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