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Tag: Commonwealth Games

  • Athletics: Abuja comes alive for Commonwealth trials

    Athletics: Abuja comes alive for Commonwealth trials

     

    Athletes across the country will Wednesday burn the track and field of the Abuja National Stadium in the Commonwealth Games trials organised   Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN)-

    From track to field events, the athletes will be aiming for spots in the Nigerian contingent to the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games holding in Australia on April 5 to 15.

    According to AFN’s technical director, Sunday Adeleye, only home-based athletes would compete in the three-day trials with the federation placing emphasis on the returning time of the athletes.

    “We are using the trials to give home-based athletes the opportunity to make the cut for the championship but our focus will be on the returning time of the athletes. Just like their foreign-based counterparts who have been competing across the world, every athlete that will make the team must meet up with our timing and that is what is common to all the athletes. Unlike their foreign counterparts who have been competing globally, the trials is another opportunity for the home-based to showcase their talents and aim for spots in the team,” Adeleye said.

    The technical director however, said that to ensure that Nigeria’s image is not tainted before and during the Commonwealth Games, all the athletes would be monitored to ensure that none of them use performance enhancing drug. “The mandate of the

    President is to ensure that our athletes compete cleaned and that is why we are going to be conducting random test on all out athletes wherever they are to ensure that nobody taint the country’s image,” Adeleye warned.

    From today, when the athletes take to the track, day one will witness finals in 100m Decathlon, 1500m (men and women), long

    Jump Decathlon, pole Vault, Shot Put Decathlon, Discus, Triple Jump, Women Final, High Jump Decathlon, 400m Decathlon and 5000m events.

    Already, among the home-based athletes – Patience Okon George had secured her place in the team after the national

    Quarter-miller champion ran 51.94 seconds in the final of the women’s 400m at the Nigeria Golden League held recently at

    the University of Port Harcourt. George surpassed the ‘A’ standard of the event pegged at 52.10 seconds of the

    Commonwealth Games to secure her spot at the Gold Coast tournament.

  • C/wealth Games: George sets eyes on the podium

    C/wealth Games: George sets eyes on the podium

     

    After sealing her place in the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, national quarter-miller champion,

    Patience Okon George says she is not only out to compete but is hoping to mount the podium at the multi-sports events

    Okon-George ran 51.94 seconds in the final of the women’s 400m at the Nigeria Golden League held at the University of Port Harcourt over the weekend.

    George surpassed the ‘A’ standard of the event pegged at 52.10 seconds of the Commonwealth Games to secure her spot at the Gold Coast tournament.

    “I am so excited meeting the standard and I believe my hard work paid off for me and I will not relent in my diligence.

    This is the first time I will be competing in an individual event at the Commonwealth Games because my maiden outing was in the relay event. But this time around I am hoping to make it to the podium in Gold Coast and I intend to work hard for this and not just by dreaming it,” she enthused Monday.

    The product of the Cross River State Athletics programme however, lamented that the programme that nurtured her has been

    abandoned by the present state government . “I think without such programme athletes like us will not emerge and I am appealing to the government to consider resuscitating the programme so that more athletes can emerge from the state,” she said.

    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.

    Despite qualifying for the Commonwealth Games, George will still compete against some foreign-based athletes at the trials for the Games, which holds in Uyo from February 14 to 17.

    However, some of the standards required for the various events include 10.15 secs and 11.26secs for the men and women’s 100m. The standard for the 200m is 20.44secs and 23.10secs for the men and women’s events.

    In other results at the Nigeria Golden League, Esther Isah won the women’s high jump after scaling a height of 1.75m while Emmanuel Arowolo won the men’s 200m in 21.53 secs.

    Kalu Onwuka won the men’s shot put with a 17.90m throw while Isoken Igbinosun won the women’s 200m in 23.70 secs. Abejoye Oyeniyi won the men’s 110m hurdles in 14.10 secs.

  • 4 Nigerian lifters qualify for 2018 Commonwealth Games

    4 Nigerian lifters qualify for 2018 Commonwealth Games

    Four Nigerian weightlifters have qualified for the 2018 Commonwealth Games scheduled for Gold Coast in Australia, an official of the Nigeria Weightlifting Federation (NWF) said on Monday.

    NWF Secretary-General, Umar Lambu, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the lifters qualified following their performance at the recent African Junior Championships in Uganda.

    Lambu named the lifters as Monica Uweh, Fatima Yakubu, Michael Anyalechi and Favour Agboro, and added that the qualification was good for Nigeria.

    He said their performance had also led to an improvement in their ranking.

    “The October Commonwealth Ranking puts Uweh in the ninth position in the women’s 48kg category, while Yakubu is ranked 12th in the women’s 53kg category.

    “Anyalechi is ranked seventh in the men’s 85kg category, while Agboro is ranked 16th in the men’s 62kg category,’’ he said.

    NAN reports that Nigerian lifters won a total of 18 medals — 13 gold, four silver and one bronze — at the championships in Uganda.

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  • Commonwealth Games, Sports Festival doubtful-Dalung

    Commonwealth Games, Sports Festival doubtful-Dalung

     

    Neither Nigeria will neither participate in next year’s Commonwealth Games holding in Gold Coast Australia, nor hold the annual National Sports Festival this year owing to financial constraints Minister of Sports Barrister Solomon Dalung has hinted.

    The minister who bared his mind in the course of addressing  discordant notes as direct fallout from the recently concluded Federations elections, revealed that the budget for sports was drastically reduced on return from the National Assembly, noting that by virtue of the finally approved budget, there is no provision for any major sporting activity outside qualification cum participation in the 2018 world Cup in Russia.

    “Our budget that finally came back from the National Assembly had all our sporting activities removed.  By the 2017 budget as it is, there is no provision for the Commonwealth Games in Australia next year and no provision for the National Sports Festival,” he said

    Speaking further on predicament of the ministry Dalung opined that it will not be an exaggeration to say only one item in the shopping list can be guaranteed.

    “The NFF proposal for the World Cup campaign is N6.8billion while the entire budget for sports is N7.7billion. What this means is that all the money will go into the world Cup campaign and all other sporting activities will have to lie low and that is rather unfortunate,” he added

    Only intervention by Acting President Professor Yemi Osinbajo the minister reasoned can offer other scheduled events this year and next year the needed lease of life.

    On the crisis thrown up by the Federation elections, the minister regretted that some so called stakeholders who participated in the election are more interested in sowing seed of discord than contributing to sports development in the country.

    “What sports needs are those who are ready to move it forward not those who are only concerned about themselves,” he submitted

    While no date and venue has been pencilled down for the National sports Festival which some say will soon be confined to the dust bin of history the way it is going, the next Commonwealth Games has been scheduled  for April   4th to 15th 2018 in Gold Coast Australia.

    Nigeria finished 8th in at the last edition of the event in Glasgow with 11 Gold 11 Silver and 14 Bronze medals

  • Schedule announced for 2018 Commonwealth Games

    Schedule announced for 2018 Commonwealth Games

    The schedule for next year’s Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast has been announced, marking one year to go before competition gets underway.

    Women’s triathlon will be the first gold medal to be won on the Games’ opening day of April 5, 2018.

    The men’s and women’s 100m finals are on day five, while the rugby sevens will bring events to a close on April 15, 2018.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gold Coast is a coastal city in the Australian state of Queensland.

     

  • Ambode urges athletes to prepare well for commonwealth games

    Ambode urges athletes to prepare well for commonwealth games

    …Receives Queen’s baton at Lagos House

    Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode on Monday said adequate preparation remained the only panacea for Nigerian athletes to perform exceptionally well at the Commonwealth Games taking place in Australia in 2018, assuring that every effort would be geared towards giving them necessary facilities to prepare.

    Speaking at Lagos House in Ikeja after receiving the Queen’s Baton, the traditional curtain-raiser to the Commonwealth Games, Governor Ambode assured that the State Government would revamp all the sporting facilities in the State and make them available for use by athletes representing Nigeria at the Games.

    The Governor, who was particularly happy to receive the baton at Lagos House, congratulated the people of Australia for being the proud host of the Commonwealth Games, adding that the development was a wake-up call to Nigerians.

    “I like to assure that we will use this particular event to jump-start and reactivate the training of all our athletes that will be going to the Commonwealth Games next year. While I like to charge our athletes, I also like to appeal to the different agencies and authorities that we should ensure that we provide adequate facilities and equipment for all our athletes.

    “Like you are already aware, this Commonwealth Games will be hosted in the beautiful city of Gold Coast, Queens Land in Australia and so we believe strongly that proper preparation is the only way that can get Nigeria to win the gold and that is why our government is seriously committed to uplifting all the sporting facilities in the State so that we can use it as a platform to encourage our athletes and also improve on sports development.

    “In the last few weeks, we have been trying our best to reactivate the sporting facilities we have in Lagos and in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Sports, we believe that those facilities will be available for all our athletes to use them as we prepare for the Commonwealth Games,” Governor Ambode said.

    On his part, Minister for Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, who led the delegation to the Lagos House alongside President of Nigeria Olympic Committee, Engr Habu Gumel and Australian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Paul Lehmann, among others, thanked the Lagos State Government for the reception and other plans at ensuring the best of preparation towards the coming games next year.

    The Minister specifically promised collaboration of the Federal Government with any State that is ready to assist in facilitating better sporting activities in their States for the benefit of the country.

    “Just as the Governor of Lagos State had indicated, we would continue to collaborate with States that are willing to invest in the transformation of our dilapidated facilities in their States, so that it can be put to use for the benefit of Nigerians.

    “The state at which some of the facilities are benefits nobody but if they are transformed, they would be more useful to Nigerians and the young people,” Dalung said.

     

  • Jonathan hails Nigeria’s performance at Commonwealth Games

    Jonathan hails Nigeria’s performance at Commonwealth Games

    President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday congratulated members of the Nigerian team to the recently concluded Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, for their sterling performance at the games.

    Jonathan, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. ReubenAbati, particularly applauded the elating accomplishment of Blessing Okagbare who dominated the female sprint events, and other athletes who won medals for the country at the games.

    According to him, the athletes’ impressive performance at the games which resulted in Nigeria placing 8th out of 71 participating countries  is a further demonstration of the indomitable spirit of Nigerians and the great heights they can attain with hard work, commitment, dedication, courage and patriotism.

    He assured the athletes and their handlers that his administration will continue to do its best to encourage them and support sports development in the country.

    The President looked forward to receiving and honouring the medal winners and their coaches at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

     

  • Commonwealth: Nigerian gold medalist fails drug test

    Commonwealth: Nigerian gold medalist fails drug test

    The youngest female weightlifter to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal, Nigerian Chika Amalaha has failed a doping test, the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) said on Tuesday.

    She failed an in-competition test after winning the women’s 53kg competition on Friday, testing positive for banned diuretics and masking agents, Reuters reports.

    Amalaha has been provisionally suspended from the Games, CGF chief executive Mike Hooper said in a statement.

    “The athlete’s A sample was found to contain both amiloride and hydrochlorothiazide, both prohibited as diuretics and masking agents under class s5 of WADA’s Prohibited List,” he said.

    “Ms Amalaha has pursued her right to have her B sample tested, which will take place at the accredited laboratory in London on July 30.”

    Amalaha was Nigeria’s first gold medal winner in Glasgow, equalling the Games snatch record of 82kg with her first attempt before reaching 85kg on her third.

    Her combined total of 196kg was also a Games record, and according to the International Weightlifting Federation she is the youngest women to win a weightlifting title in Games history.

  • ‘Agoma festival will prepare athletes for Commonwealth Games’

    Member, Agoma Sports International,Peters Emmanuel on Wednesday expressed optimism that the 13th Agoma Open Martial Arts Festival would prepare athletes for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Scotland.

    Emmanuel told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that more than 700 athletes were expected nationwide to feature in five sports at the festival.

    NAN reports that the festival will hold from May 13 to 18 at the Sam Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin, while the Commonwealth Games will begin on July 23 and end on August 3 in Glasgow.

    Emmanuel, who won the 2012 Taekwondo Outstanding Achievement Award, told NAN that taekwondo, kickboxing, judo, kung-fu and karate would feature at the festival.

    “The festival is to prepare athletes for the Commonwealth Games. It will also expose athletes to their various strengths and weaknesses. By the end of the festival, we would have discovered talents worthy of winning medals at the games,” he said.

    “The organising committee will not be held liable for any injury sustained at the festival; hence, evidence of medical fitness for participation is required,” he said.

  • Commonwealth: Jonathan promises better incentives for Nigerian contingent

    Commonwealth: Jonathan promises better incentives for Nigerian contingent

    To ensure successful outing for Nigeria at the forthcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday said the government will make adequate resources available for athletes’ preparation for the championship.

    He made the promise after receiving the Queen’s Baton at the Presidential Villa from the Sports Minister, Bolaji Abdullahi.

    Noting that Nigeria has won medals in every Commonwealth Games it has participated in, he said that sports do not only build character but a veritable tool for sustaining unity in Nigeria.

    According to him, the period under his administration has been a glorious time in Nigeria’s sporting activities.

    Jonathan said: “This period you will all agree with me has been a glorious time in our sporting activities. Nigerians are therefore expecting a much better performance in Glasgow. We will therefore send a compact and powerful team of athletes. I assure you that government will ensure that adequate resources are made available for the training and participation of all the athletes going to the games.

    “I therefore urge all our sportsmen and women, coaches and other officials to intensify their efforts in preparation of the games.”

    Urging all Nigerians to give adequate support to the development of sports in the country, he said: “sports as we all know not only builds character but is a veritable tool for sustaining unity of our great nation.”

    “It is a great pleasure to receive the Queens Barton for the 20th Commonwealth games that will be held in Glasgow, Scotland from 23rd of July this year to 3rd August. I was informed that the relay was personally flagged off by the Head of the Commonwealth, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Second on 9th October 2013 at Buckingham palace London.”

    “Furthermore I can understand the Barton is expected to move round the 71 countries and territories of the commonwealth thereby collecting over a third of the world population. It is gratifying that Nigeria as part of the Commonwealth family is fully involved in the Queens battle relay which is one of the great traditions of the commonwealth games.”

    “I have no doubt that the Queens Barton symbolizes the shared ideals of the Commonwealth of Nations and provides a unique opportunity for us to share in the excitement of the commonwealth games. I believe it also plays the important role of creating awareness of the games amongst sports loving people and citizens of the commonwealth.”