The Defence Headquarters is organizing the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Basketball Championship to commemorate the Democracy Day celebration.
The championship, which begins on June 9, would attract 240 young players from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and adjoining states of Kaduna, Nasarawa, Kogi and Niger.
Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the event, Brig -Gen. Aliyu Abdullahi (rtd), said as much at a press briefing in Abuja.
Abdullahi said the four-day event would be attended by 10 teams comprising six males and four females.
The chairman said the event was another non-kinetic approach to fighting insurgency, promoting peace, unity and national integration, as well as attracting young talents and to keep people off crime.
He said: “The Armed Forces of Nigeria under the present leadership is ready to project soft power and diplomacy through sports. That is why the CDS is investing in sports.”
The chairman said the event would take place concurrently at Monolisa Sport Centre and the Old Parade Ground both in Garki.
He added that the opening ceremony of the championship would be at the Old Paraded Ground in Garki on June 9, by 4pm.
Aruna reclaims Africa’s top spot in ITTF Ranking
Nigeria’s Table Tennis sensation, Quadri Aruna, has reclaimed top spot in Africa ranking, less than two months after surrendering the position.
In a statement issued by the African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF), Aruna moved ton 7th position in Week 22 of the 2024 ITTF Ranking.
However, Egypt’s Omar Assar slipped to 22nd in the world ranking after occupying the top spot in Africa in the last two months following his triumph at the last African Games in Ghana.
Aruna, who recently reclaimed the ITTF Africa Cup in Rwanda in May, rose by two steps up the ranking ladder to become the highest rated African in the world.
Assar’s drop in the world ranking, was due to the expiration of the quarter-final points he garnered at the Durban 2023 World Championships in South Africa which automatically made him lose some points that prompted his fall in the ranking.
While others are dropping from the pecking order of ranking, Aruna’s points remain static, as the free-fall of others prompted his rise in the world ranking.
Africa’s biggest movers in May, Mohamed El-Beiali, who became the third-best-ranked player in Africa after finishing as runner-up at the 2024 ITTF Africa Cup after a 4-0 loss to Aruna in Kigali, dropped to 49th n in the world rating.
In spite of his one step drop, Egypt’s Dina Meshref held on to the top echelon of Africa as the 24th best player in the world.
Meshref’s compatriot, Hana Goda, remained static as the best rated African in the world, ranking 31st in the world.
