The Nation Newspaper

Category: Sports

  • AFN begins scouting for talents as athletics take off

    AFN begins scouting for talents as athletics take off

    The Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN) says it will aggressively hunt for talents at the athletics event of the 18th National Sports Festival (NSF).

    The athletic events got off to a good start on Tuesday at Teslim Balogun Stadium.

    Omatseye Nesiama, the Technical Director of AFN, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of the competition that those identified would be managed by the federation.

    According to him, so far only a male talent has been spotted. He did not disclose the name but only hinted that he is competing in the 400 metres.

    “I have my eyes on him because he is very good, he looks raw but with adequate training he can become refined,’’ he said.

    Nesiama, a newly promoted Navy Commodore, however, disclosed that he had since dispatched scouts to monitor all two athletic venues for talents.

    “Even if he fails to make the final, he has potential worth our attention.’’

    Nesiama said the AFN would be targeting the athletes that were between the ages of 24 and below in the sprints, saying they would have a lot of time ahead of them.

    “We are looking at the junior category because they have a lot of time ahead of them. They will be able to perform well with time and training because of their age.’’

    The director said the federation had a series of developmental plans to improve the raw talents, saying they would commence grooming of the talents soon after the festival.

  • Ondo, Imo, Plateau scoop gold in weightlifting

    Ondo, Imo, Plateau scoop gold in weightlifting

    Ondo’s Gbemisola Yusuf, Imo’s Solomon Onyenaobi and Emmanuel Edick of Team Plateau were the centre of attraction in the last day of event in the weightlifting event of the Eko 2012 18th National Sports Festival.

    Gbemisola, a female lifter in the +75kg, got all the three gold medals at stake in the snatch and Clean and Jerk events with a combined lift of 213kg, while Comfort Nye’s (Rivers) total of 202kg in both events fetched her 3 silver medals. Beky Johnson (Kano) bagged 3 bronze medals after a total lift of 195kg.

    In the 105kg male category, Solomon Onyenaobi increased Imo State’s gold medal haul after adding 2 and a silver medal. He got gold medals in the snatch and total events but surrendered the gold to Tobechukwu Ejinmonu (Delta) as Ogbonna Nwodo bagged a silver medal in the snatch event while Joseph Okewo-Ameh (Plateau) settled for bronze in the snatch event. Adesanya Odubanjo (Ogun) got two bronze medals in the clean and Jerk and Total events.

    Imo’s two gold medallists, Onyenaobi expressed gratitude to God for his ability to add some medals to his state’s haul.

    He however dedicated his medals to the Imo government and urged it to do more for sportsmen and women in the state so that they can win more laurels.

    “I am grateful to God for this opportunity and I will always praise him. I am dedicating the medals to the Imo government because it was based on my state I was at this National Sports Festival.

    “I will say that more attention should be given to sports in Imo. The athletes are suffering and they need a lift from the state government for them to perform better,” Onyenaobi disclosed.

     

  • SWIMMING COMMENCES AFTER DELAY

    SWIMMING COMMENCES AFTER DELAY

    AFTER three postponements, the swimming event of the 18th National Sports Festival began on Monday at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos with Heat I of the 100m women’s freestyle.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that swimming which was slated for Nov. 29 was shifted to Dec. 2 and later to Monday because of the chlorine used in the swimming pool.

    The organisers said that high level of chlorine in the water could have adverse effect of the health of the swimmers, especially the skin, eyes and nose.

    NAN reports that the first event saw Abeng Oka from Cross River winning from lane four after she returned a time of 1.08.86. Anuoluwapo Agunbinade from Osun in lane two was second with 1.13:74 and Light Ikuloburu of Ogun in lane five occupied the third position with 1.16:15. Other results are Gift Joseph (Bayelsa) fourth with 1.19:43, while Marian Eworo of Ebonyi came last with 1.29:99.

    The Technical Director of Nigeria Swimming Federation (NSF), Gbenga Lawal, told NAN that swimming which had been delayed would be fast-tracked. He disclosed that before now the pool looked beautiful and ready for the event but was technically faulty. He said the non-readiness of the pool was responsible for the delay and added that the managers had to act quickly to save the situation.

    NAN reports that the other swimming events for Monday are the men’s 100m breaststroke, women’s 200m butterfly, men’s 200m freestyle. The swimming event will end on Saturday.

     

  • Gov. Imoke, Diplomats salute glorious Eaglets

    Gov. Imoke, Diplomats salute glorious Eaglets

    NCOMIUMS continue to pour in for the Golden Eaglets after their qualification for the 2013 African U-17 Championship in a fashionable manner on Sunday with a 4-0 aggregate win over the Junior Eagles of Mali in Bamako.

    In fact, the Golden Eagles were still drumming and singing in the dressing room when the congratulatory message of their foremost benefactor, Senator Liyel Imoke, the executive Governor of Cross River State, was delivered.

    “I’m so happy with the result you got in Bamako and your overall performance throughout the qualifiers really made me proud,” said the likeable Governor in a short message service forwarded to the team through his Commissioner for Sports, Hon. Patrick Ugbe. “Personally, I wish you well in your future engagements; the time now is for you to concentrate and prepare for the championship in Morocco. I wish you all the best.”

    Across the West coast city of Dakar came goodwill from Mr. Abubakar Muhammad, the Nigeria’s Charge D’Affairs in Guinea who was monitoring the match despite his diplomatic engagement in Senegal.

    “These boys have made all Nigerians proud and we really thank God that you eventually made it to the tournament in Morocco,” Muhammad was quoted as saying in a telephone conversation with Golden Eaglets’ Head coach, Manu Garba (MFR). “I never had any doubt that you would make it after seeing the way you outplayed Guinea the last time in Conakry. Please, accept my congratulations.”

  • 2013 CUP OF NATIONS Keshi, NFF meet Dec 11

    2013 CUP OF NATIONS Keshi, NFF meet Dec 11

    •Eagles’ list, other logistics top agenda
    •Big Boss lands in Nigeria Saturday
    •Home-based open camp Dec 17

    SPORTINGLIFE can revealed today that chieftains of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) will meet with Super Eagles chief coach Stephen Keshi in Abuja next week Tuesday (December 11) to discuss the list of invited players to prosecute the country’s 2013 Africa Cup of Nations matches in South Africa.

    SportingLife scooped further that Keshi would use the platform to submit his proposals for the Cup of Nations beginning with the number of players he wants in the Eagles’ training camp in Faro, Portugal on December 27, to prepare for the Jan 2, 2013 friendly against Catalonia at the Espanyol Stadium in Spain.

    It was gathered that Keshi and the NFF have been discussing on telephone but concrete arrangements would be made after the meeting.

    Interestingly, Keshi is expected in Abuja from Carlifornia, United States of America on Saturday morning, just as the home-based players have been scheduled to open the Bolton White Hotel and Suites camp in Abuja on December 17.

  • Team Lagos cruise into volleyball semi-finals

    Team Lagos cruise into volleyball semi-finals

    LAGOS STATE on Monday qualified for the semi-finals of the female Volleyball event of the ongoing 18th National Sports Festival. Team Lagos defeated Team Adamawa in one-sided game decided at the Volleyball court of the Teslim Balogun in the first quarter-finals game.

    The Lagos team dominated the proceedings from the start as the North Eastern side failed to match them in the three sets, losing all the sets to the all-conquering team. The hosts showed they were for business from the blast of the umpire’s whistle in the first set, beating them mercilessly. They continued the trend in the last two rounds as Adamawa capitulated completely. Lagos will now meet Team Delta in the semi-final today at the same venue.

  • ‘OSAZE, MARTINS, AMEOBI TOO OLD FOR EAGLES’

    ‘OSAZE, MARTINS, AMEOBI TOO OLD FOR EAGLES’

    FORMER Super Eagles forward, Jonathan Akpoborie believes the trio of Osaze Odemwingie, Obafemi Martins and Shola Ameobi have no business in the 2013 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) bound squad.

    The 44 years-old ex-Wolfsburg striker took to the social network on Monday condemning the Stephen Keshi-led technical crew overextending invitation of the trio citing age grounds.

    “I don’t understand why they have to bring back Osaze or Martins even Ameobi. The World Cup is 2014 and these people are over 30 years, I mean while we have younger players for all these positions. Hmmm I don’t understand o.”

    Osaze last played for Nigeria in a 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Rwanda on February 29 in Kigali, Rwanda while Martins returned to the national team in last month’s international friendly against Venezuela, with Ameobi also handed his debut, however Akpoborie has cautioned against the crave for some foreign-based players at the expense of the home-based counterpart.

    “I really want to trust people when they talk. When Keshi came, he said he wanted to rebuild a home based dependent Eagles, yes or no? Then I said that would not be possible, because of the quality and development of players at home.

    “All of a sudden, we are looking at players abroad, and trying to bring in our old stars. Have no problem with that. But, I believe, it will be better to give the young ones the exposure they crave to serve us in the long haul… Please everybody should read and understand what I am talking before responding. The inexperience we are all talking about could be a thing of the past if we expose them now with this opportunity,” Akpoborie posted on his facebook wall.

    Nigeria’s Super Eagles will battle Burkina Faso, Zambia’s Chipolopolo and Ethiopia in the group stage of the 2013 AFCON from January 20, 2013.

     

  • Eaglets are future of Nigerian football – Green

    Eaglets are future of Nigerian football – Green

    The Chairman, Technical Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation, Mr. Christopher Green, said on Monday that the U-17 National team would be groomed to become future Super Eagles players.

    The Eaglets defeated their Malian counterparts 2-0 in Mali on Sunday to qualify for the African U-17 Championship, scheduled for Morocco next year.

    The team qualified for the tournament on a 4-0 goal aggregate, having earlier defeated the Malians 2-0 in Calabar.

    Green told the News Agency of Nigeria on phone from Port Harcourt that the team’s victory against Mali was commendable and a sign of good things to come.

    According to him, the team played well and showed that they had good future for football in the country.

    He said, “Well. I want to thank God for what He has done for us. This is an experiment that we started long time ago, an experiment that started over eight months ago, where we put these boys together and started nurturing them, and this is the result.

    “Real under 17 players, playing together as a complete unit.

    “I want to say that they played marvellously well and that they have actually shown that they have future for football in this country because the way they played and the way they have gone through this qualification series showed that, by the grace of God, our future for the Super Eagles is very very bright.”

    Green said the Eaglets would go on break and later get back to camp to prepare for the African Youth Championship.

    On the protest against the over aged Malian team, Green said the NFF was keen on the outcome of the decision of the Confederation of African Football.

     

  • Sports Minister weeps over National Stadium

    Sports Minister weeps over National Stadium

    MINISTER of Sports, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi has expressed concern over the deplorable state of the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos.

    Despite the fact that some of the facilities at the stadium are being used to host some events of the National Sports Festival, there were no major changes witnessed at the venues in terms of facelift.

    Speaking with SportingLife at one of the facilities in deplorable condition, the Boxing Arena, which is incidentally hosting the weightlifting events, Mallam Abdullahi revealed that strategic plans are being made on how to manage all the national stadia across the federation.

    “Of course I’m concerned, but the concern is not just with specific arena, generally it’s about the whole National Stadium itself. The National Stadium has suffered great neglect over the years and that is why it’s mandatory on us now to find alternative strategy for managing the National Stadium. The President has directed us to come up with a model for managing the National Stadia across the country, so of course with the main focus on Lagos. So I’m confident that if we are able to make progress on that, some of these things will be taken care of.

    “Even more personally, if you look at the festival itself, this is the biggest national sporting event, but we’ve not been able to attract the right profile of sponsorship and funding that should come to event like this. Lagos State has spent, I understand, close to 7billion naira to host the event, how many states in Nigeria can do that and that is why we’ve announced now that it is going to be an open competition because if it becomes an open competition, it means that your top athletes from all over the world can come and compete here. So that itself will make the event even more glamorous, so more funding will come in, then you can also invest some of that into improving the quality of facilities that we have and attract the right kind of sponsor. These are some of the approaches we have to look at. I absolutely agree with you it should be better than this.”

    Assessing the hosting of the ongoing 18th edition of the National Sports Festival, the minister said, “So far it has gone very well, the sport event that has hosted more than 10,000 athletes, even the Olympics does not have 10,000 athletes. So the sheer logistics is quite challenging. But so far it has gone quite well and I’m also excited by what I’ve seen in the arenas today. I’ve gone to the boxing arena and I can see the atmosphere is charged and here too is well attended and we have seen a couple of athletes here that look very promising especially in the female boxing arena. And I have a team that is going round all events and looking at this kind of opportunity to identify some athletes that we can invite after the event.”

  • Osaze’s West Brom mate use pounds as toilet roll

    Osaze’s West Brom mate use pounds as toilet roll

    IT’S a photo that will enrage hard-working football fans across Britain after Super Eagles ace, Osaze Odemwingie’s West Brom teammate Liam Ridgewell, 28, squats over a toilet and wipes his backside with a wad of £20 notes.

    Scattered on the floor in front of him are dozens more £20 notes, totalling almost £1,000.

    The Premier League star, who earns at least £20,000 a week, is apparently using the cash instead of toilet roll.

    He claims the sick stunt was simply a “joke” to wind up a friend — but it will infuriate more than just his pal.

    Ridgewell’s weekly wage is equivalent to the average annual salary in the West Midlands — one of the most deprived areas in the country.

    The disgraceful snap — taken in the bathroom of Ridgewell’s £1.5million home in Barnt Green, Birmingham — was sent to The Sun by a West Brom fan who asked not to be named.

    He said: “The people of West Bromwich earn a fraction of what this idiot earns yet he makes a mockery of his good fortune like this. It makes me sick.

    “We’ve always thought footballers were arrogant, overpaid buffoons and this just proves it.”

    Ridgewell, an unused sub in his side’s 1-0 defeat to Stoke Saturday, apologised Saturday night.

    He said: “The photo was taken in the privacy of my home around eight months ago as a joke to wind up a mate, who I had just won a personal bet with.

    “I only intended him to see the photo but now it’s public, I can understand how it will be viewed. I am sorry for any offence it causes.”

    A spokesman for West Brom, currently fifth in the Premier League, said: “This is a private issue for Liam that has become public.

    “It does not put the club in a good light and we will deal with the matter internally. Since Liam joined us 11 months ago, his conduct on club duty has been exemplary.”

    West Brom fans at Saturday’s home game at The Hawthorns were shown the picture — and most reacted with disbelief.