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Tag: Commonwealth Games

  • Ahead XXI Commonwealth Games: Quadri, Omotayo intensify preparation with German Open

    As part of their build up to the XXI Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, Aruna Quadri and Olajide Omotayo are currently in Bremen, Germany for the 2018 ITTF World Tour tagged German Open.

    Quadri, ranked 22 in the world will begin his campaign from the qualifying round in Group Three alongside Turkey’s Ahmed Li and Bulgaria’s Philipp Floritz in his quest for a place in the main draw of the men’s singles.

    Also Commonwealth Games debutant – Omotayo will have his hands full when he battles Japan’s Masaki Yoshida and Hungary’s Bence Majoros in Group four.

    Quadri’s first group match on table three today will be against the Bulgarian, while his final group match against the Turkish star will be tomorrow on table three as well.

    Unlike Quadri, Omotayo will play his two group matches today on table four against the Hungarian and Japanese in his quest to make it to the knockout stage of the preliminary round.

    In the doubles, Quadri will continue his partnership with Egypt’s Omar Assar as they start their campaign from the preliminary round tomorrow against Hungarian stars.

    Another Nigerian on duty at the German Open is Dapo Kolawole who has been drawn against players from India, France and Argentina.

  • C/W Games: NWF names Adekuoroye,Boltic, others

     

    World silver-medalist and 2014 Commonwealth Champion, Odunayo Adekuoroye (57kg) tops the list of 12 wrestlers (six male and six female) that will represent the country at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia scheduled for April 4 to April 15.

    The other female wrestlers listed by the Nigeria Wrestling Federation include: 8-time African Champion, Blessing Oborodudu (68kg); Commonwealth Champions 4-time African Champion, Aminat Adeniyi; 2-time African Champion and 2015 All African Games gold medalist, Mercy Genesis (50kg), two-time African champion, Bose Samuel (53kg) and National champion, Blessing Onyebuchi (76kg).

    The male wrestlers are 3-time African Champion and 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medalist, Sinivie Boltic (125kg); 6-time African champion and captain of the Nigeria male team, Amas Daniel (65kg); African champion Melvin Bibo (86kg), 2018 African Wrestling Championship silver medalist, Welson Ebikewenimo (57kg); former African champion, Soso Tamarau (97kg) and Amos Assizecourt (74kg).

    However, one of the notable names missing on the list is John Ogbonna Emmanuel, who is ranked World No.1 in the 70kg freestyle category by the United World Wrestling (UWW).

    In a chat with NationSport, President of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation, Hon Daniel Igali said the two-time African champion is in non Commonwealth Games weight class.

    Igali said the Governor Wike Wrestling Championship held in Port Harcourt late last year was used as trials for the Commonwealth Games.

    “We used tournaments to select the teams. But if there is a compelling case, we make decisions in the best interest of the country,” Igali told NationSport.

    Female Team

    1. Mercy Genesis (50kg)

    2.Bose Samuel (53kg)

    3.Odunayo Adekuoroye (57kg)

    4.Aminat Adeniyi (62kg)

    5.Blessing Oborodudu (68kg)

    6.Blessing Onyebuchi (76kg)

    Freestyle (Senior Male)

    1.Welson Ebikewenimo (57kg)

    2.Amas Daniel (65kg)

    3.Amos Assizecourt (74kg)

    4.Melvin Bibo (86kg)

    5.Soso Tamarau (97kg)

    6.Sinivie Boltic (125kg)

  • XXI Commonwealth Games: Jamaica, England, others can’t intimidate us – Usheoritse

    Commonwealth Youth Games gold medalist, Itsekiri Usheoritse will be making his senior international debut at the 2018 XXI Commonwealth Games and the member of the Nigeria’s men’s 4X100 relay team believes the squad would not be intimidated by the pedigree of Jamaica, England and Canada.

    The 2016 African Youth Championship 100metres finalist told NationSport on Wednesday from their training camp in Abuja that he was excited making the team particularly with the selection of more home-based athletes in the 37-man athletics team.

    “I am particularly thrilled with the selection for the games because it gives everybody equal opportunity to make the team. Now the home-based have the chance to prove themselves at the games and for me it is indeed a wonderful experience that I will be making my first international senior appearance at the Commonwealth Games,” he said.

    Read Also: 2018 Commonwealth Games: Adegoke not ready to make up numbers

    “As a member of the 4X100metre relay team, I know we are capable of beating teams like Jamaica, England and Canada for the title because they are men like us and we are well aware of their pedigree but we will not be carried away by the global status. We will go into the track and give our best hoping that our best will give us the best result at the end of the day. With the quality of coaches and training we have been undergoing in the Abuja camp, I am sure we will do well and return home with a medal,” the Delta State-born sprinter added.

    Aside from aiming for the medal in Gold Coast, Usheoritse said he hopes to use his debut to get exposed to top class race and garner more experience ahead of this year’s African Championship holding in Nigeria later in the year.

    “I am so happy and my feeling has been so awesome since I realized that I will be part of the team to Australia because representing Nigeria at such big event is a rare privilege particularly when you are selected among the millions of people. Having featured at the youth level for the country, I cannot wait to enter the track for my first senior international competition,” he said.

     

  • My experience’ll be handy in Australia says Lawal

     

    With two past edition experiences of the Commonwealth Games in his kitty, hard fighting boxer Lukmon Lawal believes he stands a good chance of excelling at this year’s edition in Gold Coast Australia.

    The 2011 African Games silver medalist who is one of the eight-man boxing team listed for the Games next month, told NationSport  that he has picked up some experiences from his outings at the games while hoping that his third appearance would be rewarded with a medal.

    Specifically, he picked gold medal as his main target. “This is not my first time in the competition because I featured in the last two editions in India and Scotland. I was unlucky to have lost out in the two previous editions and this time around I am going there to reciprocate for my failure. I am eagerly looking forward to the tournament and I am in top shape for the fierce battle in Australia. There is no doubt that it is not going to be an easy ride to the podium but I cannot make same mistakes I made in Delhi and Glasgow,” he said.

    Lawal who will be competing in the men’s light heavyweight (81kg) is not giving up on making it to the podium in Australia. “Already I know what is at stake and I am going there to ensure I make name for myself and make my country proud. We have been training hard and we believe our efforts will be rewarded this time around. I hope to also inspire the younger ones at the games,” he added.

    Lawal represented Nigeria at the 2012 London Olympic Games and he was competed in the Men’s light heavyweight, but was defeated in the first round. He also competed in the same division at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

  • Countdown to XXI Commonwealth Games: India, Canada are Nigeria’s threats in wrestling, Akuh admits

    Coach Purity Akuh has admitted that India and Canada remain Nigeria’s greatest threats at the XXI Commonwealth Games holding in Gold Coast, Australia.

    Akuh, however, assured that with the training the Nigerian wrestlers are undergoing in Yenogoa, Bayelsa, the team has the wherewithal to do well at the Games.

    He stated that this year’s Commonwealth Games would be exciting and competitive considering the quality of wrestlers favoured to win gold medals. “We believe and hope that we can do better than our last outing because we have quality wrestlers who are also world class in their various cadres.

    “For now, we have been training very hard in Bayelsa and the athletes are all in high spirit. But I must also acknowledge that wrestlers from India and Canada are not pushovers in the girls’ freestyle event because they are also teams to be reckoned with. We won’t be complacent but continue to work hard while hoping that God will reward our efforts,” Akuh added.

    Akuh, who was adjudged the best coach at the 2017 Nigeria Sport Award, acknowledged the technical input of the President of Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF), Daniel Igali, saying, “Igali has been helping out in camp. As an Olympian, Igali has been encouraging the team by watching training sessions and adding his own inputs,” he stated.

    He added: “All the athletes have been given the mandate to make sure they watch videos of their possible opponents and we can all come together to analyse the videos to see areas where they can build on that will give them an edge over their opponents at the Games.”

  • C/wealth Games: Quadri, Toriola lead Team Nigeria

     

    . Champions League stops Quadri from Polish Open

    Following the exclusion of the women’s team from the 2018 Commonwealth Games, a strong five-man table tennis team has been named by the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF).

    The squad is a combination of experience and youthfulness as seven-time Olympian – Segun Toriola will be making his fifth appearance at the multi-sport fiesta holding in Gold Coast, Australia.

    Being the first athlete to win the men’s singles title at the Commonwealth Games at Manchester 2002, Toriola remains one of the most successful athletes of the competition having won medals in all his outing except in 2010 when the table team failed to win a medal in New Delhi, India.

    Joining Toriola in the list is Portugal-based Aruna Quadri who remains the only African to make it to the quarterfinal stage of the ITTF World Cup and Olympic Games. Quadri who has been in superb form in recent time was last week in Nairobi, Kenya, dethroned as Africa Top 16 Cup champion by Egypt’s Omar Assar in an entertaining and exciting final.

    Quadri will be making his second appearance at the games having debuted at the 2014 edition while Bode Abiodun will also be returning to the national team after his last appearance at the 2016 African Championship in Morocco. Abiodun was part of the bronze medal-winning team at the 2014 edition in Glasgow, Scotland.

    Former national junior champion – Olajide Omotayo and Jamiu Azeez will be making their debut at the games after being included in the final list for the games.

    Also, Quadri will not be defending his Polish Open title following the involvement of his Portuguese team v- Sporting in the ETTU Champions League.

    Sporting defied all odds to make it to the semifinal of the Champions League and they are expected to face Russia’s Orenburg in the semifinal. The star-studded Russian team has in its fold, former world number one – Germany’s Dimitrij Ovtcharov, Belarus’ Vladimir Samsonov and Japan’s Jun Mizutani.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • George eyes new record in Gold Coast

    George eyes new record in Gold Coast

     

    . Ready to rival Botswana’s Montsho

    With her 51.40seconds in the women’s 400metre, Patience Okon George is the second best athlete in the world behind Botswana’s Amantle Montsho and the Nigerian champion is hoping to erase the time and set a new record at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia.

    George, who sealed her place in the 37-man Nigerian contingent to the games next month with 51.94 seconds in the final of the women’s 400m at the Nigeria Golden League held at the University of Port Harcourt, believes she can rival the Botswana when the athletics event kicks off.

    “Being the second best athlete in the world in terms of timing in the women’s 400metre, I am hoping that I can erase this time and set a new record in Australia. There is no doubt that the Botswana lady will be a threat in Australia but I am really ready not to be a participant but also climb the podium,” she said.

    Having watched the Jamaican and Britons at the just concluded World Indoor in England, George said she has picked some tricks and skills that will enhance her performance in Australia. “I am in good shape and at the right frame of mind for the Commonwealth Games and watching the World Indoor Championship has indeed given me an idea of what to expect in Australia. The training we have been having in Abuja has really put us in shape for the games,” she added.

    The 26-year-old is indeed eyeing an individual medal in Australia. “I know I had won a medal at the games but that was in the team event but this time around I am hopeful that I can win an individual medal in the 400m and I am indeed working toward achieving this next month,” she enthused.

    The two-time African Championships bronze medalist however, expressed optimism in Team Nigeria, saying that with quality training the team can still hold sway in Australia.

    George was part of the Nigerian quartet that came second behind Jamaica at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow

  • C/wealth Games: Nigerian wrestlers resume training

    C/wealth Games: Nigerian wrestlers resume training

     

     

    Nigeria wrestling team have temporarily resumed training ahead of the 2018 Commonwealth Games billed for Australia between 4 and 15 April 2018.

    The wrestlers had boycotted their training camp last week in protest of the nonpayment of their accumulated allowances for various African and International Wrestling Championships.

    One of the wrestlers who did not want to be named, told NationSport that the team decided to resume training in order not to jeopardize their chances of winning medals as usual at the Gold Coast 2018.

    “The ministry is yet to pay us our allowances but we have given them time and resumed training. In as much as we are fighting for what is due to us, we are still mindful of the Commonwealth Games because we don’t want it to affect our performances in Australia,”

    Meanwhile, NationSport gathered that the President of Nigeria Wrestling Federation, Daniel Igali and other federation presidents met with the Minister of Youths and Sports, Solomon Dalung and the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Olusade Adesola in Abuja on Tuesday.

    Igali said that the meeting was to strategize ahead of the the Commonwealth Games, even as he confirmed the wrestlers return to training.

    “I am just going back to Bayelsa from Abuja where we discussed with the minister, permanent secretary and some of the officials on some issues.

    “The minister met with all the federation presidents that are going for the Commonwealth Games to discuss plans, training tour schedules, issues that are affecting the teams and so on.

  • Nigeria wrestlers threaten to boycott C/wealth Games

    Nigeria wrestlers threaten to boycott C/wealth Games

     

    .Talks with ministry end in deadlock

    The  hope of Nigeria making an impact at the forthcoming 2018 Commonwealth Games billed for Australia between 4 and 15  April 2018 is in serious jeopardy as the National Wrestling Team has vowed to continue with the boycott of their training camp in protest of the nonpayment of their accumulated allowances for various African and International Wrestling Championships.

    Wrestling is one of the sports that guarantees medals for the country at the Gold Coast event and the athletes are supposed to have returned to camp in Bayelsa following the conclusion of the African Wrestling Championship, held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State from 7th to 11th February where the country emerged the overall winner.

    The athletes through their representatives Amas Daniel (male captain) and Blessing Oborududu (female captain) had written

    to the Nigeria Wrestling Federation, stating reasons for taking such drastic action, claiming they are being treated as second class citizens in the country

    The letter dated 17th, February, 2018, jointly signed by the two athletes read, “We wish to inform you that we are boycotting the commonwealth camp due to non-payment of our allowances as promised.

    “The Afro basketball were received by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Muhammadu Buhari.

    It is no news that the home based Eagles who won silver in Africa are being scheduled to see the President on the 28th of this month. What news”

    “…We dominated Africa in 2017 in Morocco; we won a silver medal at the World Championship in France and recently dominated Africa again in Port Harcourt, Rivers state. As we speak, we are yet to be paid our allowances for the African Championships.

    “It appears that we are being treated as second-class citizens in Nigeria. Our good performances are yet to be appreciated. These are the reasons why we have taken this decision,” part of the letter read.

    However, a meeting with the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports on the issue on Friday night in Bayelsa ended in a deadlock.

    In her reaction to the meeting on her Facebook page, World Wrestling Silver medalist, Odunayo Adekuoroye said; “I feel sad tonight. I felt the issue of wrestlers’ welfare would be resolved tonight. Unfortunately, it is looking more and more likely that I and my fellow team mates may not participate at the Commonwealth Games. It saddens me…”

    Some of the athletes, who later spoke  on condition of anonymity, said there was no going back as they have resolved to continue to stay away from training to press home their demands.

    When contacted, the President of Nigeria Wrestling Federation, Daniel Igali assured that the issue will soon be resolved.

    “We are still in the process of resolving the issue. Yesterday night they were not able to resolve it but as at this morning they have gotten to a certain level. I appreciate the ministry of Youth and Sports, especially the permanent secretary for personally coming down to meet with the athletes and to resolve grey areas. I am sure that by his humane gestures, most of the issues surrounding athletes’ welfare will be resolved as soon as possible,” Igali told NationSport.

  • Ese Brume out of 2018 Commonwealth Games

    Ese Brume out of 2018 Commonwealth Games

     

    Defending champion in the long jump of the Commonwealth Games, Ese Brume will not be able to defend her title at the GoldCoast edition of the games as her name was copiously missing from the 37 athletes picked by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) for the multi-sports fiesta.

    Aside from not attending the national trials held in Abuja last week, Ese Brume has not been competing regularly in recent times to ascertain whether she meets the standard set by AFN.

    Disclosing this to NationSport Monday, AFN Technical Director, Sunday Adeleye said it is unfortunate that Ese Brume will not be part of the team to Gold Coast, Australia just as the selected athletes began closed camping in Abuja in readiness for the final phase of camping in Australia.

    “I want to let you know that we are relying on merit to select athletes and we also monitored some of the foreign-based athletes to ascertain whether they meet our standard which was even higher than the competition standard. We want to ensure we give every athlete equal opportunity to make the team.

    For Ese Brume, she failed to come for the national trials and she has not been competing in recent time for us to ascertain her jump. In view of this, she is not going to be part of the team to the Commonwealth Games,” Adeleye said.

    Also, Nigeria’s fastest man, Oluseye Ogunlewe is also missing from the list and Adeleye said: “Ogunlewe was at the national trial in Abuja last week, and he ran two laps, which was below the three laps every athletes that competed did and for this, he failed to make the list for the games.”

    Adeleye, however, said Commonwealth Games 100 and 200 champions, Blessing Okagbare will be part of the team.

    For the games, the technical director said 37 athletes made up of 20 female and 17 male would represent Nigeria in the track and field events of the games while Nigeria will also be debuting in walk race.