TIG Post

Tag: athletic

  • Nico Williams’ family, close associates advise him against Barca move – Reports

    Nico Williams’ future is in limbo as the talented winger ponders his next move following his recent Euro Cup victory with the Spanish national team.

    The 22-year-old is currently enjoying a well-deserved break and weighing two main options: remaining with Athletic Club or transferring to Barcelona.

    Barcelona has expressed strong interest in acquiring Williams, with Deco meeting his agent, Félix Tainta, in Zaragoza this Wednesday to negotiate a potential transfer.

    The meeting, strategically held between Barcelona and Bilbao, focused on discussing and potentially finalizing the terms of Williams’ contract with the Blaugrana.

    Despite this, Williams is under pressure from his family and close associates to stay at Athletic Club.

    According to David Ibañez on the ElDesmarque Twitch channel, his entourage is advocating for him to remain, especially since Athletic Club will host the Europa League final at San Mamés next year.

    Moreover, Barcelona’s financial difficulties, which might hinder their ability to register new players, add another layer of complexity to Williams’ decision.

  • League Two leaders Dumbarton draw with 10-man Forfar

    Scottish League Two leaders Dumbarton had to come from behind twice to salvage a 2-2 draw at home to basement club Forfar, who played most of the second half with 10 men.

    Roberto Nditi fired the visitors in front early on before Gregg Wylde levelled to make it 1-1 at the interval.

    Kyle Hutton’s red card three minutes into the second half looked to have handed Dumbarton the initiative, but Stefan McCluskey put Forfar back in front shortly after the hour.

    However, Dumbarton hit straight back through David Wilson to spare their blushes and end the day three points clear at the summit.

    Stirling’s first win in three saw them close the gap on Dumbarton, beating promotion rivals East Fife 3-1 at Forthbank Stadium.

    Kai Fotheringham and Jack Leitch put the home side 2-0 up inside 10 minutes and, although Alan Trouten pulled one back late in the first half, Aaron Dunsmore sealed the victory in second-half stoppage time.

    Elgin climbed to third with a 3-1 win at Annan.

    Gavin Price’s men had lost three of their previous four matches ahead of their trip to Galabank but scored two first-half goals through Tom Findlay and Brian Cameron.

    Cameron added his second two minutes from time after Reece Lyon had given Annan some hope 14 minutes earlier.

    Bonnyrigg Rose picked up a valuable point in their fight against relegation, with Bradley Barrett cancelling out Adam Brown’s first-half penalty in a 1-1 draw at Stenhousemuir, while Callum Wilson scored Albion Rovers’ winner in a 1-0 home victory over Stranraer.

    Source: Livescore

  • GAA to organize national championship before the end of the year General Secretary

    Bawa Fuseini, General Secretary of the Ghana Athletics Association (GAA) has said that his outfit hopes to organise at least one national championship before the close of the year.

    He said the athletes had been training individually even during the COVID-19 and lockdown and were ready to perform when given the opportunity, hence their decision to stage one event for them.

    According to the General Secretary, the championship was aimed at giving the athletes at least one platform to shake off the boredom.

    “Had it not been the spread on COVID-19 which derailed their programmes and caused major international events including the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games to be postponed to next year, we would have organised a lot of championships,” he added.

    According to Mr. Fuseini, both local and foreign-based Ghanaian athletes were waiting for the lift of the ban on contact and outdoor sports so they can commence preparations.

    Mr. Fuseini said the GAA was patiently waiting on the health authorities for advise to come up with their programme.

    He noted that very soon the international body will announce dates for qualifiers for the Olympic Games and other championships.

    Source: GNA

  • Athletic Bilbao’s Iñaki Williams was named after priest who helped his Ghanaian parents

    Spanish striker of Ghanaian descent Iñaki Williams was named after a Catholic priest who helped his parents when they arrived in Spain from Africa.

    His parents decided to name him Inaki after the priest Iñaki Mardones who ensured that his parents, who were immigrants succeded in the European country.

    When Iñaki’s parents Félix and María arrived in Spain in 1994 they had nothing but thanks to the priest they were able to have a life in Bilbao.

    “I went to pick them up at Abando [railway] station,” Mardones said told Spanish magazine.

    A young Iñaki Williams in the hands of priest with parents around
    According to him, it was not easy taking care of them especially as Maria was eight months pregnant at the time.
    He narrates how difficult it was getting Maria to the hospital because she didn’t have a health card.

    “It was difficult at first as they did not have a health card, to follow Comfort’s pregnancy, it was necessary to use health professionals who were sensitized”

    This happened until June 15, 1994, the day of the birth of Iñaki: “we went in a taxi to the hospital in Basurto,” he recalls. And the parents, grateful for their help, gave the newborn the name of the one who had given them a hand from the moment of their arrival: “together with those of life and faith, it is the greatest gift they have given me,” explains Mardones.

    Iñaki William has grown to become a professional football and is already a household name in Spain, having demonstrated great attacking qualities at boyhood club Athletic Bilbao.

    The 25-year-old has made over 180 appearances for Bilbao and has scored 40 goals.

    Source: GHANAsoccernet.com

  • ‘Bring back tartan tracks to promote athletics in Accra’ Athletes

    The annual athletics and football championship dubbed: “Sakora Games” ended over the weekend, with a call on the Ministry of Youth and Sports to consider restoring the tartan tracks at the Accra Sports Stadium to help promote athletics.

    “The absence of the tracks had led to the decline of enthusiasm and the production of athletes in Accra and the only solution is for the government to restore the tracks to help unearth more athletes.”

    Mr. Felix Timean, United States of America (USA)-based former Ghanaian national 1500 metres star made the call in an interview with the GNA Sports after the games at Teshie Salem Park in Accra.

    He said the decline of athletics in Accra could be attributed to the poor performance of schools and clubs that participated in the national games and fail to excel in such competitions.

    “It was sad that a competition was organised in Accra and all the medals went to teams from Ashanti and the Northern Regions. This should tell you that there was something wrong, which is lack of training facility,” Mr. Timean said.

    He said: “We have the El-Wak and the Legon tracks but they belong to institutions, which would come at a huge cost, if we are to organize the event at any of them, so we would need the restoration of the tartan tracks at the Accra Stadium to boost athletics in Ghana”.

    Mr. Timean said athletics was capable of putting the country on the world stage and that government should turn its attention to it by providing the necessary resources and the facilities as being done for football in the country.

    “It was not easy hosting athletic teams from the Ashanti and the Northern Regions who numbered about 140 in hotels in Accra for three days,” he said.

    Mr Timean advised the young athletes to keep training hard adding that success would be theirs in the future because athletics would expose them to opportunities for scholarship and jobs.

    Source: GNA