The Nation Newspaper

Category: Sports

  • ‘Developing athletes our priority for the state’

    ‘Developing athletes our priority for the state’

    Host of the 18th National Sports Festival, Lagos, has said that developing her athletes to global standards rather than winning at all costs, remains a top priority for the state.

    Lagos State Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, Wahid Enitan-Oshodi insisted yesterday that nothing was going to distract the Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola from derailing from that policy thrust.

    Enitan-Oshodi however observed that that did not preclude the state from picking the top spot from the ongoing EKO 2012, having put so much effort into preparing Lagos athletes to excel.

    “Gov. Fashola has not said that Lagos is not interested in winning Eko 2012. What he said is that developing our athletes from the grassroots will remain the focal point of his administration rather that dissipating energies on how to win with poached athletes,” observed Enitan-Oshodi at an interactive session in Lagos yesterday.

    He revealed that the state way back in February hired six foreign coaches including American Lee Evans to help transform Lagos sports from the grassroots. The coaches are handling the states’ track & field, Swimming, Weightlifting, Boxing and Rowing at the on-going games.

    The commissioner stressed that the youth development focus of the Fashola Administration informed why the opening ceremony was largely dominated by youths.

    “The colourful opening ceremony we presented to Nigerians and the global audience was deliberately focused to be youths dominated. We planned it to be a celebration of the youths since the focus is to discover talents. We did not want the controversies of the past editions where states were at each other’s throats on who is overall winner. For us in Lagos, the slogan is: Free and fair games,” he noted.

    On whether the festival be thrown open to every Nigerian irrespective of where they are based, Enitan-Oshodi insisted that Lagos has no quarrel with that.

    “What that however means is that only the richest state will continue to win the National Sports Festival,” he cautioned

    The Lagos Sports Commissioner pleaded with other states to concentrate of developing their school sports if Nigeria is to truly make head way now and in the future.

    “We in Lagos have instituted measures to revamp our school sports. We have top grade facilities in place for use by the youths. There are now quarterly competitions, funded by the state.

  • Kaduna Utd win pre-season tourney

    Kaduna Utd win pre-season tourney

    Nigeria Premier League side, Kaduna Utd emerged winners of this year’s Kaduna Pre-Season Tourney after a 6-5 victory over Wikki Tourists of Bauchi on Wednesday.

    It took a penalty shoot out to decide the championship winner after both teams had played goalless in a tension-soaked game that saw players from the teams failing to covert the half chances that came their way.

    At the end of a thrillinhg shootout, Coach Saleh Lato emerged the better side after they converted six kicks, leaving Wikki Tourists to rue their miss.

    In the third place game, Kano Pillars made Dynamic Sports Solution pay for their failure to reach the final with a 3-0 thrashing.

    The Nigeria Premier League reigning champions also claimed one of the tourney’s best prizes as Ike Gabriel was named the Most Valueable Player (MVP).

    Raymond Godwin of Kaduna Utd scooped the best goalkeeper award for his brilliant form during the five-day championship with one of his best showings at the penalty shoot out with Wikki Tourists, while Aminu Umar got a consolatory prize for the Bauchi side with the top goal scorer award.

    Speaking at the finale, Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Ramalan Yero praised the sponsor of the five-day tourney Abdulazeez, and promised to foot the bill of a pre-season championship for Kaduna based teams in the Nigeria Premier League, National League and Nation-Wide come next month with the final match to be stagged on New Year’s day.

  • Eko 2012: LOC pledges adequate food supply for contingents

    Eko 2012: LOC pledges adequate food supply for contingents

    The Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the ongoing 18th National Sport Festival in Lagos on Wednesday pledged adequate food supply for contingents at the various Games’ Villages.

    Oluyomi Oluwasanmi, Secretary, Catering and Feeding Sub-Committee of the LOC, made the pledge during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

    Oluwasanmi, who was reacting to alleged food shortages at the Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka, assured that the issue had been resolved.

    “The alleged shortage of food at the FCE Games Village, as well as other locations, are due to the unexpected increase in the number of contingents at the Villages.

    “For instance the LOC made provision for the feeding of 300 athletes at the FCE, but the number has more than doubled due to the inclusion of Ogun and Abuja contingents at the village,“ Oluwasanmi said.

    NAN reports that contingents at the FCE before the intervention of the LOC, have been feeding at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) Games Village, due to shortage of food at the FCE.

    NAN learnt that the shortage of food at the FCE Games Village was due to the large number of contingents at the village, who now turned out to be much more than the volume of food provided there.

    “The increase at the FCE was due to the unexpected addition of about 400 athletes from Ogun and Abuja.

    “The two contingents were not initially scheduled to stay at the FCE, but at the Yaba College of Technology, Yaba,” she said.

    Oluwasanmi added that the two contingents had since been relocated to the FCE, since they reportedly said that they would prefer to be at the FCE Games Village.

    The secretary said that two more caterers were being added to the four already at the FCE, to ensure adequate provision of food for the excess number of contingents now at the village.

    The four caterers at the FCE village are: Mrs Rita Moyo of Riyo Ventures Ltd., Mrs Kehinde Majekodunmi, of Ketis Outlook Catering Services, Mrs Abosede Bademosi of D.T.S. Catering Services and Mrs Kikelomo Giwati of Kyke-Fem Catering Ventures.

    They all told NAN that the LOC had charged them to prepare food for a specific number of contingents at the village, but that the unexpected upsurge in the number of contingents at the village was beyond their capacity. (NAN)

  • Taiwo fears Eagles’ AFCON crash

    Taiwo fears Eagles’ AFCON crash

    Super Eagles defender, Taye Taiwo, has warned that the team will fail at next year’s Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa if the players do not play together.

    “If we can’t play as a team, work for each other, we can’t win anything in South Africa.

    “We must sacrifice for each other and then we stand a good chance of winning the competition,” MTNFootball.com quoted the former Olympique Marseille defender as saying in an interview on Wednesday.

    The Eagles, who had won the AFCON twice, will play in Group C alongside the defending champions Zambia, Burkina Faso and Ethiopia.

    Taiwo also said he would be delighted to return to the Super Eagles in time for the AFCON.

    The Dynamo Kiev wing back has not been considered by Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi since a shambolic performance against Rwanda in Kigali in February.

    However, there are now strong indications Keshi will give him another chance with the Eagles and Taiwo said he would be delighted to take it.

     

  • Jonathan splashes N45m on athletes

    Jonathan splashes N45m on athletes

    •Declares games open
    •As Fashola charges athletes, officials on fairness

    President Goodluck Jonathan has splashed a total sum of N45 million naira on athletes participating in the 18th National Sports Festival (NSF).

    Ably represented by the Vice- President Namadi Sambo, the President stated that N20 million has been earmarked for the overall team at the festival, while N15 million and N10 million naira will be prize monies for the second and third teams respectively.

    At the Teslim Balogun Stadium yesterday venue of the opening ceremony of the games, Sambo said the festival since inception has met with its cardinal objectives of fostering unity and friendship among Nigerian youths, and the discovery of budding talents for the future.

    “This year’s festival that is being hosted by Lagos State is like home-coming as it all started here in 1973. The Federal Government has donated the sum of N45 million for the first, second and third teams that will emerge at the end of the festival,” he said.

    Meanwhile, the Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) earlier charged athletes and officials alike to compete and judge fairly as winning in any event should not be manipulated in any form.

    Fashola further said while Lagos will hope to compete to the medals table, the state will not be desperate to win.

    “The ultimate objective of the festival is to discover talents for the future.

    The festival have been elevated by previous host but Lagos hope to extend on it. I wish all our visitors an eventful stay,” he said.

    Present where, the first Military Governor of Lagos, Mobolaji Johnson, Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, Rotimi Amaechi of River State and other eminent Nigerians.

  • Rivers, Oyo win cycling gold

    Rivers, Oyo win cycling gold

    Edward Osim of Rivers State and Joke Durogbade of Oyo State got the first gold medals of the 18th National Sports Festival in the 200 metres cycling male and female events held at Eric Moore street, Lagos.

    Osim beat Enoruwa Marvis of Ogun and Isa Mohammed of Kaduna to second and third positions with 25 seconds to clinch the first gold medal of Eko 2012.

    The first gold medalist of the 18th National Sports Festival, Edward Osim won 13 gold medals in cycling in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State in 2011.

    Speaking to sports writers, Osim, who said he was expecting four more gold medals in the remaining cycling event, pointed out to admiration of his fans that he trained harder than expected for the festival events.

    In the female category, Joke Durogbade, who won the gold to the surprise of journalists that had earlier tipped Juliet Akaejbu of Rivers State to win medal the gold, thanked God for his miracle and prayed to sustained the tempo for the remaining events. Enajiro Clara of Delta won the Bronze for the 200 metres.

    Phillip Okpara of Delta and Onura Madubuchi of Edo crashed out of the 200 metres cycling event in the quarter final.

    A cycling technical official, Osaretine Emuze called on other states’ sports commissions to emulate Rivers State in buying modern equipments for their athletes’ to train with.

    “States should buy good bicycles. Human beings are good, but equipments are better. The athletes should always train in two-week intervals for better performances. Let me also recommend that governors, their commissioners, ministers should ride on bikes to their various campaign venues; that will enhance the development of cycling in this country”, he said.

  • NFF meets today on AFCON

    NFF meets today on AFCON

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) will meet today in Abuja to deliberate on, among other things, the country’s AFCON preparation.

    The NFF executive committee will also discuss the issues concerning the Nigeria Premier League (NPL), which have caused a delay in the kick-off of the new season.

    President of the NFF Aminu Maigari told MTNFootball.com several other issues concerning the game will be discussed at the meeting.

    Maigari maintained that the board are united and committed to deliver results.

    “There is no crack whatsoever in the executive committee of the NFF,” he said. “Even in a family, members disagree to agree and this is what is happening, but on Wednesday all issues would be put to rest.”

    Maigari also confirmed that the NFF Annual General Assembly will take place in Port Harcourt on December 13 despite opposition by some stakeholders after chief host Governor Rotimi Amechi dismissed the NFF as corrupt recently.

    “The AGA will take place on December 13 in Port Harcourt. Arrival of delegates is December 12 and on the morning of December 13, we will pay the governor a courtesy call,” he disclosed.

  • Ramalho: Pep not right man for Brazil

    Santos coach Muricy Ramalho says Pep Guardiola is not the right man to succeed Mano Menezes.

    The former Barcelona boss is reportedly the favourite to take charge of Brazil and lead them at the 2014 World Cup, but Ramalho believes appointing a foreigner would be a mistake.

    “Guardiola is a great coach, but he doesn’t really know the Brazilian culture,” Ramalho was quoted as saying by Lancenet.

    “Brazil have won five World Cups, and have always done so with a Brazilian coach at the helm.

    “Local coaches such as [Luiz Felipe Scolari] Felipao, Tite, Abel Braga and myself should be respected.”

    The 56-year-old Ramalho has emerged as one of the early favourites for the vacant position.

  • Wenger: Wilshere will be fine

    Wenger: Wilshere will be fine

    Arsene Wenger has played down fears over Jack Wilshere’s fitness after the Arsenal midfielder suffered inflammation to the ankle which kept him out of action for more than a year.

    Wilshere was left out of the Gunners starting line-up for the goalless draw at Aston Villa and was an unused substitute.

    But boss Wenger insists it is only a minor problem and is happy with Wilshere’s progress since his return to the side, ahead of the midweek clash at Everton.

    When asked how the England international was progressing, Wenger said: “First, it’s a relief that he’s had no setback (since returning to action).

    “He had a little bit of inflammation of scar tissue (in the ankle) but it’s nothing. It’s very minor.

    “The rest (against Villa) will help him get rid of it. Apart from that, he has done very well.

    “He has not played for 17 months. People forget what that mean. Seventeen months in a career is massive.

    “But I’m very happy with the way he is progressing.”

  • Carroll craves more goals

    Andy Carroll hopes he can follow up his long awaited first West Ham goal by finding the net against Manchester United and Chelsea.

    Carroll headed home Joey O’Brien’s cross in Sunday’s 3-1 defeat at Tottenham to end his 1,062-minute Barclays Premier League goal drought. The £35million man had been brought in on loan to provide the firepower for the Hammers, but manager Sam Allardyce has instead had to rely on Kevin Nolan for his goals this season.

    Carroll was relieved to finally get off the mark for his new club, saying: “It was about time (I scored), to be honest. I’m just grateful to have got off the mark and hopefully there will be more to come this week.”

    He added: “I think I’ve put myself about and been involved in our goals in previous matches. I think I’ve been doing well so it was about time one went in. It was a great ball in by Joey O’Brien and I just had to get up and head it across the keeper. That’s what I did and thankfully it went in.”

    Despite Carroll’s failure to find the net, West Ham have exceeded all expectations so far this season and currently sit eighth in the table. But they were easily outclassed by a rampant Spurs side, who coasted to victory thanks to a Gareth Bale strike and a brace from former Hammer Jermain Defoe.

    Carroll was unhappy with how his team wilted but insisted they should not dwell too much on the defeat.

    “It was disappointing as we made mistakes for all three of their goals, really,” Carroll told the club’s website. “We should have done better, but they have taken their chances and obviously beat us.

    “We have got a tough week with Manchester United and then Chelsea and Liverpool coming up. It’ll be tough so we just have to put this behind us now and focus on Wednesday. This game is all gone now so we’re going to have to concentrate 100% on Wednesday, which is going to be another tough game.”