The Nation Newspaper

Category: Sports

  • School Sports: Delta ready to win, says chairman

    Christopher Omughele, Chairman, Delta chapter of the Nigeria School Sport Federation (NSSF), says the state is poised to win medals at the ongoing 5th National School Sports Festival. The festival, which started on Jan. 24, will end on Feb. 2 in Port Harcourt.

    Omughele told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Port Harcourt on Tuesday that the state was determined to repeat the feat it achieved at the 18th National Sports Festival (NSF) held in Lagos last year. Delta emerged the overall winners of the festival held from Nov. 27 to Dec. 9 in Lagos.

    According to him, the state was prepared to ensure a medal sweep, just as it did at Eko 2012 Games.

    “We have come to win and to take the first position; we have done it before in the adult sports; now in the school sports, we want to convince Nigerians that Delta has the capability and the potential to perform either in school sports or in adult sports.

    “We came with athletes in all events; so, we are ready to grab all the gold medals because we prepared, the governor of Delta State made sure that everything that is needed was provided. Sport actually has impetus to learning; sport has a lot of advantage to learning; so, we are combining them in Delta State.

    “And we are ‘following suit’ to make sure that sports and academics go hand in hand to perform in an excellent position.’’

    Omughele commended the organisers of the festival, urging Nigerians to encourage and inculcate in the athletes, the spirit of sportsmanship in their children. He urged that the unity and love which Nigeria benefitted from sports could not be over-emphasised.

    Omughele noted that school sports offered the children an opportunity to meet and make new friends.

  • Inadequate competitions discouraging female cricketers

    Joseph Eshua, the Head Coach of the national female cricket team, on Monday said that lack of regular competitions has dampened the morale of the players.

    Eshua told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on that being a new team the players needed regular competitions to hone their skills and to keep them engaged.

    The team’s first international outing was at the Pepsi International Cricket Committee (ICC)-Africa T-20 in Uganda on Dec. 16, 2011 since its inception in 2010.

    “The national senior female team is still young and needs regular participation in competitions to help develop their skills while also encouraging them. Because most of them are already feeling discouraged for they have been idle for so long after their first international competition in Uganda. And I guess this is because the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) is still trying to propel their male counterparts onto the world scene,” he said.

    He added that apart from the National Women’s Cricket Trophy organised annually by NCF, the female team has no other national competition to engage in as individuals.

    “I want to appeal to the NCF to strive as much as possible to increase the number of national competitions for female cricketers in the country,” Eshua said.

    The head coach told NAN that he believed the national senior male team would excel at the forthcoming ICC-Africa T-20 competition in Uganda based on their preparation. The ICC-Africa T-20 would commence on Feb. 23 and end on Feb. 25 in Uganda.

    “We stand a chance of performing above average at the competition because they started camping early enough unlike what usually obtained when preparing for such tournaments. And I expect every patriotic Nigerian to put them in their prayers so that we not only play well, but also qualify for the One Day International (ODI),” he said.

  • Basketball season may commence in a fortnight

    Francis Gbiri, the Secretary-General, Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) on Monday said the new season would begin as soon as stakeholders say they were satisfied with a new draft proposal for the league.

    Gbiri told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a telephone interview that there were possibilities that the league would commence soon after the stakeholders would have endorsed some changes contained in the proposal.

    “We had a board meeting recently and all we resolved were contained in the draft proposal for the stakeholders to consider.

    The stakeholders include club owners, coaches and our major sponsors, Multichoice Nigeria and the Zenith International Bank.

    “They will look into the draft and outline their own contributions, then get back to us on areas that require amendments,’’ Gbiri said.

    According to him, the league has been facing challenges in areas, such as good officiating, expanding the scope of the competition to include more clubs as this can lead to increase in number of games.

    Seun Akinwole captain of Lagos Island Basketball Club and Akeem Akinsanya team captain of Chariots Basketball Club told NAN that `the league would be more attractive if more games were played’.

    The DSTV Basketball League and the Zenith Women basketball league ended in July 2012 with Royale Hoppers defeating Kano Pillars to become the men’s champion while champions of Zenith Women Basketball League were First Deep Water.

  • NSSF: Events finally kick off

    The fifth edition of the Nigeria National School Sports Festival, (NSSF) has finally kicked off after what seemed like an endless three days of intensive screening of the athletes.

    Judo and Handball kicked off at the University of Port Harcourt venue of events with several states participating in various categories of the preliminary while indoor games were also said to have started at the Alfred Spiff Diete sports complex.

    At the time of this report, results had not been recorded for any of the events.

    Meanwhile, screening was still on-going at the University of Port Harcourt football pitch for about three games at the time of this report, some events were also weighing to get the appropriate weight categories while a majority of the games had concluded and were good to go.

    The organisers of the games have given firm assurances that the entire events are starting today at the various venues.

    The venues chosen for the events remain Spiff-Diete sports complex, popularly called Civic Centre, University of Port Harcourt, Liberation Stadium and Adokiye Amiesimaka sports complex.

  • States protest non-appearance of Team Rivers for screening

    Some states participating in the Fifth National School Sports Festival in Port Harcourt on Tuesday protested against the absence of Rivers athletes for screening.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the screening started late on Monday, a day after the opening ceremony, with many officials and state delegates complaining about the performance of the Local Orgainising Committee (LOC).

    They said that members of the committee were not around to complement the efforts of the National School Sports Federation (NSSF) in starting the games.

    The Public Relations Officer of Team Delta, Lucky Obonariemu, said the contingent was ready to pull out because Team Rivers, the hosts, had not reported for the screening. Obonariemu said most of the visiting contingents had been screened.

    “We have agreed among the states not to go ahead with the competition if Team Rivers refuses to present its athletes for screening after five days into the competition. I am not sure they have done accreditation; it smacks of suspicion of bad intention,” he said.

    The President of NSSF, Ibrahim Mohammed, had on Monday told newsmen that he was not comfortable with the attitude of the organising committee. Mohammed said the federation had not been getting the necessary cooperation of the committee which was important for the smooth conduct of the exercise.

    “Honestly, I think there are people among the LOC who want to sabotage this competition. They are the LOC’s technical sub-committee and they are not here. Look at our children here, they allowed their in-house administrative problem to affect our children. They refused to let us know what they are doing, otherwise we are not supposed to be talking about screening now,” he said.

    The president also berated the Rivers athletes, who had not submitted themselves for accreditation to make them eligible for the screening.

    “You can see Team Rivers are not here; they have not taken part in all the formalities done so far and they are hosting. All other states are ready. I have spoken to the commissioner, I told him I wanted to see the Director of Sports and the chairman of LOC Technical Sub-committee but none of them is here. To me, it is an attempt to sabotage our efforts,” Mohammed said.

    Reacting, the Rivers Commissioner of Sports, Fred Igwe, said he had not been briefed about the development but was going to address the problem as soon as possible.

    Meanwhile, the NSSF notified the contingents that any state that did not show up for screening by 1 p.m. yesterday (Tuesday) will not participate in the games.

  • Nigeria’s Consul-General urges return to grassroots sports

    Mr Okey Emuchay, the Consul-General of the Nigeria High Commission in South Africa has advocated a return to the grassroots in redeveloping the country’s sports sector.

    The consul-general said that the neglect of sports at the grassroots had brought `untold setbacks’ to the development of sports in the country.

    Emuchay said this during a courtesy call on him by members of Nigeria Football and Other Sports Supporters Club, led by its President-General, Dr Rafiu Oladipo on Monday in Johannesburg.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent covering the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), reports that the supporters from various parts of the world, mainly from Nigeria are in South Africa to cheer the Super Eagles to victory at the ongoing Nations Cup.

    Emuchay said that some schools in the country were teaching sports on blackboards, rather than on the field of play because many of the schools lacked sports grounds.

    “Sport is physical, so I wonder how a talented athlete can be developed through blackboard coaching in the classrooms. Some talented athletes who were made at home or abroad were discovered through soccer academies and schools’ sports and Nigeria needs to revive its school sports base,’’ he said.

    He said that the country had many talented athletes at the grassroots but without planning, the talents would continue to rot away. “It is only a collective effort that can make the country’s sports to regain its footing. Government cannot do it alone,’’ he added.

    The consul-general commended the supporters club for its contribution toward ensuring the growth of sports generally in the country. He said that Ethiopia, with the single largest supporters at the ongoing Nations Cup, were sponsored to South Africa by an individual, an Ethiopian millionaire, stressing that such individuals and corporate bodies were needed in Nigeria.

    Earlier, Oladipo said that the fortunes of sports was declining in the country because of lack of sporting infrastructure and support from government, corporate bodies and public spirited individuals. He pledged that in spite of these problems, the club would continue to contribute its quota toward the development of sports in the country.

  • Viewing centres make brisk business in Jigawa

    Commercial television viewing centres in Dutse are making brisk business relaying matches of the ongoing African Cup of Nations (AFCON) football competition in South Africa.

    A check by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse metropolis showed that more than 10 centres sprang up in the last few months due to the growing demand for their services.

    Most of them show various sporting events including the English Premier league, UEFA and AFCON.

    NAN gathered that hundreds of soccer fans now visit the centres to watch matches in the ongoing AFCON competition.

    Sirajo Aminu, a centre operator, expressed joy at the high turnout of customers since the commencement of the AFCON tournament. Aminu said he was making good money due to the high turnout of soccer fans at the centre.

    “I am enjoying good patronage since the beginning of the AFCON competition. I am also making good saving despite the expenses on diesel and the satellite TV subscription fees,” he said.

    He said that the centre charged between N50 and N100 per fan. Nasiru Valeria, a football fan, said the centres provided the public the opportunity to watch the events.

    “The viewing centres enable soccer fans in rural communities to watch the matches live and keep track of events at the competition. It also afforded us the opportunity to watch other international league competitions such as English Premier, Bundesliga, Spanish La liga and the Italian league,” he added.

  • Clinical Ghana hit AFCON quarter final

    Clinical Ghana hit AFCON quarter final

    Ghana confirmed their status as one of the favourites for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations by cruising into the last eight with a convincing 3-0 win over Niger at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Monday night.

    The result saw the Black Stars claim top spot in Group B and set up a quarterfinal meeting with debutants Cape Verde, who were the surprise qualifiers from Group A alongside hosts South Africa.

    Ghana got off to a flying start and opened the scoring as early as the sixth minute. Albert Adomah picked out Asamoah Gyan from the right flank and the Black Stars striker buried a low shot into the back of the net to make it 1-0.

    Three minutes later Niger thought they had levelled the scores through Issiaka Koudize, who took advantage of a loose ball in the penalty area from a corner kick, but Moussa Maazou was harshly adjudged to have fouled goalkeeper Fatau Dauda.

    Gyan, a notable striker of the dead ball, had a chance to double Ghana’s lead midway through the first half from a free kick, but his curling effort was comfortably handled by Niger’s Daouda Kassaly.

    Yet just a minute later youngster Chris Atsu marked his first start of the tournament with a well-taken goal, chesting down a Gyan cross before stabbing the ball into the corner to make it 2-0 and put the Black Stars on course for an easy three points.

    A couple of minutes before the break, Kassaly was called upon to make a sharp save at his near post from a low shot by Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu. The halftime whistle saw Ghana 2-0 up and well in control of the match.

    It took the four-time AFCON champions just four minutes of the second half to make the score 3-0. Gyan was again at the heart of the goal, heading on target from a free kick – Kassaly couldn’t hold the ball and defender John Boye swept it home from close range.

    Niger reacted well to the third goal and proceeded to create several scoring chances of their own, but they were unable to really test Dauda. His only notable action was a comfortable save to keep out a free kick from Niger substitute Boubacar Issoufou.

  • Tit bits from South Africa

    Tit bits from South Africa

    The unending journey to Nelspruit

    We hit Johannesburg at exactly 2pm South African time and immediately proceeded to Nelspruit where the Eagles are camped for the Nations Cup. We asked those around how long the journey would take and were told two hours. Little did we know that we were embarking on an almost neverending trip to Nelspruit. The two hours turned out to be ‘African timing’ as the journey didn’t come to an end until almost five hours later. To make matters worse, we couldn’t settle into a hotel until the next day as they were all fully booked.

    Afcon slows down business in Johannesburg

    Business pace has become relatively slow in Johannesburg despite the fact that South Africa is hosting the 2013 edition of the Nations Cup. Interestingly, residents of Jo’burg have traced the nosedive in their business fortunes to the fact that the city was not chosen to host any of the group matches of the competition.

    “The focus has shifted to the cities hosting the group matches. Naturally, all activities have moved to these cities to the detriment of Jo’burg. After the opening ceremony, business has been slow in Johannesburg,” said ‘Jeffrey’ the taxi driver who took us from the airport.

    Keshi, Yobo’s harsh words for a Nigerian journalist

    A war of words ensued at Monday’s pre-match press briefing which had Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi and Joseph Yobo in attendance. The Ethiopians had had their tension-free session earlier, but when it got to the turn of Nigeria, tempers boiled over when a question was posed by a Nigerian journalist Samuel Ahmadu. “Is Yobo not playing regularly because he is probably ageing or injured? asked Ahmadu. “Nigerians want to know his fitness level.” This question seemed to have not gone down well with Keshi and his captain as they both responded in harsh tones that almost created a scene. It took the intervention of the CAF Cordinator to quell the tension by asking for other questions.

    The fear of 12, 000 crocodiles…

    A report that made the headlines recently in South Africa that over 12,000 crocodiles had escaped from a South African farm is causing panic among journalists covering the ongoing Nations Cup. The journalists, especially those from Nigeria, now avoid isolated areas and prefer to move in groups. The slogan now among Nigerian journalists is, “The fear of crocodiles, is the beggining of wisdom”.

    South Africa, where trekking is a way of life

    If there’s anything the South Africans are known for, it is travelling long distances on foot – or ‘trekking’ as we say in local parlance. It appears to be a way of life for many South Africans. Unlike in Nigeria, buses here are called taxis while traffic lights are refferred to as ‘Robots.’ To ease their mobility most South Africans however own personal cars which are bought on hire purchase terms. But when your income is not enought to service the debt, the option is to adopt a much more pocket friendly option – trekking.

  • Balotelli sets for AC Milan switch

    Balotelli sets for AC Milan switch

    Mario Balotelli is poised to fly to Italy as early as Monday evening ahead of a proposed medical as Manchester City and AC Milan moved to conclude negotiations over a transfer for the striker, Goal.com reports.

    The 22-year-old said his goodbyes to team-mates and club staff after completing training at Carrington on Monday morning, and could travel to Milan over the next 24 hours.

    Super agent Mino Raiola was in Milan last week in an attempt to resolve the Italy international’s future and Rossoneri Vice-president Adriano Galliani suggested on Sunday evening that there had been new developments in the saga.

    On Wednesday, Goal.com revealed that City owners had lowered their asking price to €23m having dismissed Milan’s proposal of €29m to be paid over six years, preferring a lesser fee spread over a shorter period of time.

    The Premier League champions had also demanding a 15 per cent sell-on clause as an agreement with Milan appears increasingly likely before the transfer window closes on Thursday night.

    AC Milan, according to reports, is willing to sell defender Philippe Mexes in order to free up around €4.5m-a-year on their wage bill and fund a move for Balotelli, with the Italian international willing to take a wage cut on his current €129,000-a-week salary.

    The former Inter Milan star has scored only one league goal for City this season and his relationship with manager Roberto Mancini took another turn for the worse after a training ground bust-up earlier this month.