Author: The Nation

Rafael Nadal said  he was  ready to win his sixth Madrid Open title as the 20-time Grand Slam champion steps up his preparation for the French Open.

Nadal will be gunning for a record-extending 14^th  triumph at Roland Garros, where victory this year would also edge him ahead of Roger Federer’s 20 major titles and to the top of the all-time men’s list.

The 34-year-old arrives in Madrid on the back of winning the Barcelona Open last week, when he had to come through a marathon final against Stefanos Tsitsipas in what was only the Spaniard’s third event of the year.

But there is room for improvement for Nadal, who struggled for his usual fluency in Barcelona and will be hoping for better this week in the Spanish capital.

Ajax won the Dutch Eredivisie league title yesterday for the 35^th time when it beat Emmen 4-0 as police appealed in vain to supporters not to gather outside the Johan Cruyff Arena to celebrate.

Before fulltime, Amsterdam police urged no more fans to head to the stadium as the nearby streets already were too busy.

Thousands of fans were celebrating the title long before the final whistle, setting off red flares and fireworks outside the stadium, which was empty because of coronavirus lockdown measures.

Jurrien Timber, Sebastien Haller, Devyne Rensch and Davy Klaassen scored as Ajax overran Emmen to take the title with three matches to play in the Eredivisie.

Lewis Hamilton delivered a flawless drive in his Mercedes to win the Portuguese Grand Prix yesterday from his arch title rival Max Verstappen.

Seven-time world champion Hamilton’s 97^th  Grand Prix triumph extended his early season lead over Red Bull’s Verstappen in the Formula One drivers’ standings to eight points.

In third place in Portimao was pole-sitter Valtteri Bottas in the other Mercedes with Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull in fourth.

By Tunde Liadi

Super Eagles striker Moses Simon  was among the goals yesterday as the Canaries  crushed Brest  in a 4-1 away win.

The Yellow House as Nantes are also known,  have been goals shy before the tie but Simon led the club revival with the opening goal in the 15^th  minute for his sixth goal of the campaign while Ludovic Blas, Imran Louza, and Khalifa Coulibaly added three more goals for what was  Nantes biggest win of the season.

Meanwhile, Simon played for 70 minutes before he was replaced by Roli Pereira De Sa. Nantes will continue their top-flight stay battle on Saturday, May 8th when they welcome Samuel Kalu’s Bordeaux in a Matchday 36 tie.

Elsewhere, Samuel Kalu was also available for his 20^th  league game of the season for Bordeaux in their narrow home win over Rennes.

Kalu was on for 59 minutes before he was substituted for Hatem Ben Alfa. Sekou Mara’s 11th-minute strike was enough for the three points that took their points tally to 39 points.

But they are not out of the relegation zone yet despite being in the 15^th  spot with three games remaining to the end of the season.

However,Terem Moffi failed to make it seven goals from four games but 10 man Lorient  still won 2-0 at home to Angers yesterday.

Moffi who had fired blanks in eight successive games was in superlative form in April where he scored six goals from three games against Lens (1), Marseille (2), and Bordeaux (3) to make it 14 goals from 29 games for the modest French League side.

The Nigerian was not on the scoresheet in their latest win with Youare Wissa (penalty) and Fabien Lemoine scoring the goals in the 44th and 48th minutes\

Moffi was on the pitch for 85 minutes before he was replaced and he will hope to return to scoring form against Lyon on Saturday, May 8th in another league tie.

By Oluwamayomikun Orekoya

Victor Osimhen was yet again on target after he opened the scoring for Napoli in their Serie A clash against Cagliari at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium.

The Nigerian put Gli Azzuri ahead in the 13^th  minute after he was played through by Lorenzo Insigne.

Osimhen got on the end of a pass from Insigne before beating Diego Godin with his strength and slotting past Alessio Cragno in Cagliari’s goal.

The Champions League and relegation battles crossed paths, as Napoli needed a win to retain third place and maybe even go second, while the Sardinians were in the drop zone along with Benevento and Torino. David Ospina and Faouzi Ghoulam were still out of action, while Cagliari had Razvan Marin suspended, but Radja Nainggolan returned from his ban and Alessio Cragno crucially had recovered from COVID-19.

Cagliari fought back and Zappa cracked the base of the upright from close range after good work from Nainggolan, while Chucky Lozano nodded just wide from an Osimhen cross.

Cagliari came so close to an equaliser before half-time, as Leonardo Pavoletti’s towering header forced a desperate save from Alex Meret, then Nahitan Nandez turned the rebound onto the post from a yard.

Osimhen should’ve had another goal when nodding wide from point-blank range on a Piotr Zielinski cross, then he acrobatically flicked over the bar from a Lozano header and Zielinski tested Cragno at the near post.

Diego Demme saw his screamer smash against the crossbar with Cragno beaten.
Napoli threatened again, Osimhen putting the ball in the net only after he’d shoved Godin out the way.

Asisat Oshoala was in action for Barcelona as they progressed to the final of the UEFA Women’s Champions League, following a 2-1 semi-final, second leg triumph over Paris Saint Germain yesterday.

The Nigeria international had featured in the 1-1 first-leg draw against the French giants a week ago, following her return from a month-long period on the sidelines due to a foot injury.

In Paris, Jenni Hermoso gave the visitors a 13th minute away lead but Marie-Antoinette Katoto levelled matters moments later to force a first leg stalemate at Stade Municipal Georges Lefevre.

In the reserve tie, Lluis Cortes’ ladies knew a win will guarantee a second final in three consecutive attempts and Leila Ouahabi set up Lieke Martens to open the lead in the eighth minute.

Despite their slim lead, Barcelona maintained pouring attacks and found the back of the net when Martens doubled the lead with her brace off Caroline Graham Hansen’s assist in the 31st minute.

PSG, however, mounted pressure and eventually found a response when Marie-Antoinette Katoto pulled one back three minutes later.

After the break, the two sides created several chances, including through substitute Oshoala but could not add more as the hosts claimed a win at Ciudad Deportiva Real Madrid Campo.

The result means the Catalans are through to the final where they will slug it out on May 15 with Chelsea who beat Bayern Munich 4-1 in the other semi-final  tie.

The Nigerian pioneer sports betting company, 1960Bet has signed a shirt  sponsorship deal with a Lagos based football club, Y.G FC.

This deal is one, among several other Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)  projects lined up by 1960Bet to show their support for Sports development in  the country with emphasis on grassroots football and the promotion of positive  and productive engagement by the Nigerian youths.

Over the years, 1960bet has championed the provision of quality betting  services to its punters. With their wealth of experience as one of the biggest  online sports betting company in Nigeria, they have ensured such user-friendly  varieties ranging from virtual to major sports games. They have also consistently  delivered quality and exciting betting experience through the provision of  extensive market options which caters for the various categories of punters with  increased chances of winning.

The beneficiary of this Sponsorship, Y.G Football Club was founded by Yusuf  Garba in 2011 and since its formation, the club has established itself as one of  the dominant teams in the Lagos league, winning the 2019 Ikeja Divisional  League undefeated.

According to the 1960Bet Executive Director; Oluwatosin Ayoola, “To be Better,  Stronger and Reliable, it is imperative that we give more and connect more with  our community through projects of this nature. We understand the burden of  the government and the implications of attempting a concerted development of  sports in Nigeria and we believe it is crucial that we share this insight as a social  responsibility. We will continue to encourage, invest and support the growth of  Sports and continuously initiate projects that will engage our teeming youth  with worthwhile and productive programmes. ”

He further emphasised : “1960bet has a track record of massive commitment to  the development of Sports in times past especially at the grassroots, we are  doing it again and this is definitely not the last. Some of our successfully  executed CSR projects in the past include: Headline Sponsorship of Copa Lagos 2014, the resurgence of Boxing in Nigeria  broadcast live on satellite TV (GOtv Boxing Night), Club sponsorship of  Stationery Stores FC, Sponsorship of 11 sports fans to Brazil 2014 World Cup and promoting grassroots football through the provision of sports kits to local  football teams in various local governments across the Federation.”

Ayoola further explained that this Sponsorship deal is much more than a CSR, it  is a display of the interconnectivity between the company’s services and the  grassroots especially in relation to sports development.

The growth of 1960Bet has been geometric in recent times and this is evident through their ever-increasing customer base due to the creation of a top-notch  betting experience, spot-on website interface that allows for easy navigation  through a wide range of options and having one of the best odds industry-wide.

1960Bet is licensed and regulated by the Lagos State Lotteries Board and other  lottery regulatory bodies in the country

By Olalekan Okusan

Former African middle-weight female champion, Uzoamaka Otuadinma, has landed Abuja alongside four other established national champions for a one-week long fight camp with Tokyo Olympics-bound Elizabeth Anyanacho.

The fight camp will hold May 3 to 8 and is being organized three-time Olympian and Beijing 2008 Olympic medalist Chika Chukwumerije to provide competitive experiences for Tokyo-bound Elizabeth after the cancellation of the Austrian Open and postponement of the Beirut Open.

The Austrian Open was to hold 29 – 30 May 2021 before it was cancelled due to covid-19 concerns while the postponed Beirut Open is re-scheduled to hold on 20 June 2021.

The changes forced Elizabeth’ technical crew to present a competitive solution to Elizabeth’s initial competitive schedule for May.

Other champions to participate in the Olympic fight camp include former African bronze medalist and national heavyweight champion, Juliet Dennis; national welterweight female champion Judith Usifoh, national featherweight female champion Helen Okoko, and national featherweight male champion, Ifeoluwa Ajayi.

Joining the fray will be top welter weight competitor and 2018 Nigeria Taekwondo Open Gold Medalist, Peter Itiku, who has been Elizabeth’s sparring partner and teammate since she began her preparations for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

The fight camp will also serve to bolster preparations for the African Taekwondo Championships, holding in Dakar Senegal 5 – 6 June 2021.

All the invited females, apart from Judith Usifoh who is in the same category as Elizabeth Anyanacho, are registered to compete at the African Tourney, subject to the availability of funding.

Funds raised through public donations for Elizabeth Anyanacho are being used to finance the logistics of the training camp.

The 22-year-old Statistics undergraduate of the Federal University of Technical Owerri who qualified for the Olympics on 24th January 2020 has depended on the NOC Scholarship and generosity of Nigerians to support her preparations so far.

Elizabeth Anyanacho will be fighting on June 26  at the Taekwondo event of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

The Lagos State Boxing Association has held a welcome reception for its boxers who were victorious at the recently concluded 20th edition of the National Sports Festival, tagged Edo 2020.

The reception held at the Teslim Balogun Stadium at the weekend was witnessed by Mr. Wale Edun, a sports philanthropist and member of the board of International Boxing Association (AIBA) .

Others in attendance were Sola Aiyepeku (Chairman of the Lagos State Sports Commission); Bolowotan (Director-General of the Lagos State Sports Commission); Adeyinka Adeboye (Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Sports) as well as   members of the board of LSBA and the coaches of the victorious team.

The Lagos State contingent dominated the boxing event of the sports festival, winning five gold, two silver and one bronze medal in Benin City, the Edo State capital.

The victorious boxers are Osoba Abdul-Afeez (team captain), Shittu Afolabi, Dolapo Omole, Olamide Mustapha, Adesodun Michael. Others are Blessing Oraekwe, Fatima Aronkomola and Gabriel Francis.

Speaking at the reception, Jenkins Alumona, Chairman of LSBA, congratulated the boxers for putting up a spectacular show and towering above their counterparts from other states by the amount of medals won.

He also commended the boxers for being professional, and representing the state in shining colours throughout the festival. He also lauded the team’s Head Coach, Waidi Sobaloju, and the other coaches for preparing the boxers to success despite being faced with numerous challenges.

Alumona disclosed that in collaboration with the Lagos State Sports Commission, the LSBA has drawn up a plan to keep the state boxers engaged every month rather than waiting for competitions to prepare them.

He said: “What you boxers have done is to set the ball rolling. Working with the Sports Commission, our plan is to change the face of boxing in the state. We are blessed to have a very strong board, people who have shown that they are a team of action, alongside the Sports Commission.”

Alumona further disclosed that the package the association has for the boxers will only be revealed after Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos State, hosts the entire Lagos State contingent to the festival.

Also speaking, Sola Aiyepeku, Chairman of the Lagos State Sports Commission, lauded the boxers for their performance at the festival. He also congratulated the coaches and the LSBA for ensuring they prepared the boxing team adequately for the event.

Aiyepeku also disclosed that the commission is already planning for the next sports festival, scheduled to hold next year in Delta State.

“Edo wasn’t easy, we know the circumstances that led to your departure and we all know what happened, but you all did well. With what the chairman has told me, when we go with our full house next year, we will double the minimum number of the winners here. So, we are planning for next year already.

“After you have done well for the state, you are still going to do well for the country and, by God’s grace, those of you who want to go forward with a professional career in boxing,” he said.

Osoba Abdul-Afeez, the captain of the Lagos boxing team, who spoke on behalf of the boxers, said they are grateful to the LSBA for organising the training camp where they prepared for the games, noting that the adequate preparation helped them to emerge triumphant and conquer their opponents at the festival.

William Ekong has said he is excited he will finally play in the Premier League next season, while he is also thrilled with the form of Super Eagles strikers across Europe.

Eagles stand-in captain will play in the English top flight come next season after he helped Watford win promotion.

 “It was a long way coming. Eight years ago, I came close to doing that with Spurs, but the dream is now a reality,” Ekong told NaijaMade on SuperSport. “The Premier League is the best league in the world. There is a lot of prestige as everyone follows the league and you test yourself against some of the best players in the world.”

The central defender had to give up top-flight football in Italy to play in the English second-tier Championship to get to the Premier League.

 “I thought about that (decision) for a long time and discussed with the family,” he revealed.

 “I was ready to put in the work and take on the challenge.

 “I took a step back to make progress.”

The former Udinese defender also said he is excited Nigeria strikers are banging the goals across Europe as this can only be great for the Super Eagles.

“I am excited because this means a bright future for the country as these strikers have their best years ahead of them,” he said.