Sports Talk
PIERRE AUBAMEYANG IS A WORTHY WINNER OF THE CAF AWARD nunc
I could not think of a better player to give the 2015 CAF African player of the year to than Pierre Aubameyang. He fully deserved the award due to his exploits with Borrusia Dortmund and the Gabonese National team. Aubameyang showcased his skills at the 2012 African Cup of Nations, which Gabon co-hosted. He was one of the outstanding players of the tournament and this most probably brought him to the attention of Dortmund. At the time of writing, he has scored an impressive 47 goals in 82 appearances for the German club, thus averaging at least a goal every other game. He is also currently the highest goal scorer at club level in Europe. Considering that Yaya Toure has already won the last four awards consecutively, I do not see what his problem is. It could be argued that when he won it in 2013, that award probably could have gone to the best goalkeeper in Africa over the last decade, Vincent Enyeama. In the past Austin “Jay Jay” Okocha has also been robbed of this award. The difference is Okocha and Enyeama took the decisions with dignity, unlike Toure who threw his toys out of its pram like a spoilt brat. Voting is all about opinions. Those who voted preferred Aubameyang, despite Ivory Coast winning the African Cup of Nations last year. That was their choice and Toure should have accepted the decision gracefully and live with it.
IKE IBEABUCHI LOOKING TO REVIVE HIS BOXING CAREER
In the late 90s and early 00s, a Nigerian boxer based in America Ike Ibeabuchi was uprooting trees as he made an impression in the heavyweight division, with 20 wins including 15 knockouts. Two of his notable victories were against Chris Bryd whom he knocked out in five rounds and David Tua, who was 27-0 at the time they fought and was being viewed as the next Mike Tyson. Ibeabuchi was then regarded as the leading contender and world heavyweight champion in the making. Unfortunately due to various misdemeanors and also being diagnosed as bipolar, he was force medicated and sent to prison. On his release in 2015, he has announced that he wants to revive his boxing career at the age of 43. He has enlisted the help of Mike Koncz who is the adviser to Manny Pacquiao. He is hoping to have his first comeback fight in April 2016, possibly on the undercard of Manny Pacquiao’s last ever fight against Timothy Bradley. One can only imagine what might have been had Ibeabuchi not been incarcerated. Unlike any other sport though, boxing is one sport where anything is possible at any age. George Foreman is testament to this. Although one must fear what could possibly happen to Ike in the ring at the age of 43, the world will be intrigued to find out how he copes with the new wave of boxers currently on the heavyweight scene.
WHY SHOULD RUSSIA BE BANNED FROM THE RIO OLYMPICS?
I find the current ban imposed on Russia, thus banning them from possible participation in the Olympic Games in Rio later this year as surprising. Whilst I accept that there was systematic doping, should innocent clean athletes also be made to suffer? Back in 2003 when the Balco scandal broke out, a number of American Track and Field starts were caught up in it and tested positive. The most notable ones were Marion Jones, and almost half of the men’s relay team 4 x 400 relay team. No one suggested that USA should be banned from future Athletics tournaments let alone the Olympics! This appears to be double standards to me. Some of the stuff happening in the political world has found its way inadvertently into sports. Who said we should try and keep politics out of sport?
By Ayodele Odumade
London, UK
Contributor & Commentator.
Sports Talk Cont'd on Page 72