Sports highlights in 2020

#Women’s sport has been particularly affected, with female athletes often resuming action long after their male counterparts, highlighting the gender inequality and underfunding that persists in high performance sport.

#It is the first pan-African competition to be postponed due to coronavirus. #On #June 30, the #African #Football #Confederation (CAF) announced the postponement of the #Africa #Cup of #Nations, initially scheduled for #Cameroon from #January 9 to #February 6, 2021 for one year.

The continental competition will take place in #January 2022 in the same country.

#During its #Executive #Committee, CAF also decided to postpone the CHAN, also planned in #Cameroon, to the year 2021.

#Many athletes have bowed out in 2020.

#Larbi #Chebbak, #Moroccan player, international footballer of the 1970s and #Moroccan international #Mohamed #Abarhoun, 31 years old.

#Senegalese international #Papa #Bouba #Diop, 42, and ex-president of #Olympique de #Marseille (OM), #Pape #Diouf, 68.

#Former #Indomitable #Lions player #Stephen #Tataw, 57, and #Ephrem M’#Bom, a big name in #Cameroonian football, 66.

#Momodou #Njie, 72, considered the greatest #Gambian player of all time.

#Leon #Mokuna, the first footballer from the DRC to play in #Europe, 90 years old.

#Former #Ivorian international defender #Emmanuel #Aka, 69 years old.

#Former #Ghanaian striker #Opoku #Afriyie, 75.

#South #African players #Anele #Ngcongca, 33, and #Motjeka #Madisha, 25.

#Nigerian internationals #Ifeanyi #George #Onwubiko, #Ajibade #Babalade, 48, and #John #Felagha, 26.

#Conviction of #Lamine #Diack

#On #September 16, #Lamine #Diack, the former head of the world governing body for athletics, was sentenced by the #French authorities to four years in prison, two of which were suspended. The #French authorities have investigated for four years #Mr. #Diack suspected of having accepted payments of more than 3 million euros in order to cover up cheating.

The #Senegalese, 87, was accused of corruption and money laundering linked to the doping scandal in #Russia.

#Diack was found guilty of accepting bribes from athletes suspected of doping to cover up test results and letting them continue to compete, including the #London #Olympics in 2012.

#He was also sentenced to a fine of up to 500,000 euros.

The judge said his actions had “undermined the values ​​of athletics and the fight against doping.”

The #Senegalese remained under house arrest, pending the judgment of the #Court of #Appeal.

#Lamine #Diack has been under house arrest in #Paris since #November 2015.

#Suspension the boss of CAF

#In #November, #Fifa suspended for five years #President #Ahmad one year of investigation alongside the #African #Football #Confederation (#Caf) in its #Egyptian headquarters between #August 2019 and #February 2020 in order to improve governance.

The world football body ruled that #Ahmad #Ahmad, the president of #Caf and vice-president of #Fifa, had violated various codes of ethics. These included abuse of position, embezzlement and giving of gifts.

The latter appealed against the suspension.

#Didier #Drogba’s candidacy for the head of #Ivorian football was a real soap opera with multiple twists and turns with all the ingredients that make the best series intrigues that keep you going: suspense, betrayals, cheap shots etc.

The former international was in the running to succeed #Augustin #Sidy #Diallo against #Idriss #Diallo, former 3rd vice-president of the FIF, and the vice-president of the #Federation and president of the #League #Sory #Diabaté.

The election was to be held on #September 5, instead of #May 16 due to coronavirus, without the candidacy of #Didier #Drogba, rejected for lack of sufficient sponsorship.

#Fearing that the electoral process is not free and fair, #Fifa intervened to demand the suspension of all activity related to the elections of president of the #Ivory #Coast #Football #Federation (FIF) after the rejection of #Drogba’s candidacy.

#On #December 24, FIFA placed the FIF under the administration of a #Standardization #Committee. The FIF appealed against the decision and requested the suspension of the execution of this measure before the #Court of #Arbitration for #Sport (CAS).

#Augustin #Sidy #Diallo, the outgoing president of the #Ivorian #Football #Federation (FIF), died on #November 21 at the age of 61.

#At the closing period for candidatures, which ended on #November 12, five candidates are vying to hold the reins of the #African #Football #Confederation next #March. The outgoing president, the #Madagascan #Ahmad #Ahmad, was the first to declare himself although he was under an investigation by FIFA.

#If he can stand, he will be opposed to the #Senegalese #Augustin #Senghor, president of the #Senegalese #Football #Federation (FSF), to the #Ivorian #Jacques #Anouma, honorary president of the #Ivorian #Football #Federation (FIF), to the #Mauritanian #Ahmed #Yahya, president of the #Football #Federation of the #Islamic #Republic of #Mauritania (FFRIM) and #South #African billionaire #Patrice #Motsepe, brother-in-law of #South #African #President #Cyril #Ramaphosa, owner of the #Mamelodi #Sundowns club.

#On #December 8, 14 minutes after the start of the #Group H #Champions #League match between #Paris #St #Germain and #Istanbul #Başakşehir, players from both clubs walked out of the pitch in protest after fourth referee #Sebastian #Coltescu, who stood on the side of the pitch next to the team benches, made offensive remarks towards their assistant coach #Pierre #Webo.

The gesture of the players, who refused to continue playing and left the field, resulted in the suspension of the match which was replayed exceptionally at 5:55 p.m. on #Wednesday, #December 9, from the 14th minute, the exact moment when he was stopped. with a new team of referees.

#Caster I knowmenya loses his legal fight

#September 9, #Caster #Semenya loses his appeal before the #Swiss #Federal #Tribunal against the restriction of testosterone levels in female runners.

#In 2019, the governing body of world athletics #World #Athletics introduced a rule in 2019 that athletes with #Differences in #Sexual #Development (DSD) must either take medication in order to compete in the 400m per mile track and field events. , or change category.

#Athletes with DSD have higher levels of natural testosterone, which #World #Athletics says gives them an edge over others.

“I am very disappointed. I refuse to let #World #Athletics drug me or prevent me from being who I am,” said the 29-year-old #South #African.

“I will continue to fight for the human rights of female athletes, both on and off the track, until we can all run freely as we were born. I know what is right and I will do. all I can to protect basic human rights, for young girls around the world, ”she also said.

#San #Francisco 49ers quarterback #Colin #Kaepernick has been protesting racial injustice in the #United #States by kneeling during the national anthem since #September 2016.

#Since then, many players have joined #Kaepernick in protest, while #Kaepernick himself – after terminating his contract with the 49ers – has remained without a team.

US #President #Donald #Trump has criticized him. #Rules aimed at sanctioning teams whose players kneel have been introduced – then suspended – and even a lawsuit has been filed.

#In #June 2020, after #George #Floyd died on #May 25 when he was arrested by a white policeman in #Minneapolis, sparking protests in the #United #States and around the world, the NFL did an about-face, saying it was “wrong” not to allow players to protest.