The Nation Newspaper

Tag: draws

  • ITTF World Cup: Quadri draws Singaporeans, Swedes in round one

    ITTF World Cup: Quadri draws Singaporeans, Swedes in round one

    Africa and Nigeria’s flagbearer at the 2016 ITTF World Cup, Aruna Quadri was handed a tricky draw in the first round of the competition as the African champion will battle for qualification against Singapore’s Ning Gao and Sweden’s Par Gerell.

    In the draw conducted yesterday, 12 players will battle for eight slots in the second round where they are expected to battle against the top eight seeded players.

    A confident Quadri told Sportinglife that he would give his best as his opponents are tough nuts to crack.

    “My opponents are not pushovers as they are champions in their own right. I respect them but I am not under any kind of pressure to play in Germany again because I am now getting used to playing under pressure and as a matter of fact I am going to Germany to enjoy myself without any kind of pressure. Statistics showed that I am not one of the favourites for the podium finish but similarly I am not really going to be playing without confidence as I always believe strongly in my capability. I am praying for a favourable draw that will favour me and if God answers my prayer to be on a good side of the draw, I believe that surprising the world more than I have done in the past is possible,” he said.

    Quadri’s debut at the tournament was in 2009 and he is expected to compete against top 19 players across the globe including world’s number two and three, China’s Xu Xin and Fan Zhendong as well as Germany’s Dimitrij Ovtcharov, who is the current European champion ranked sixth in the world.

  • ITTF Women’s World Cup: Egypt’s Meshref draws inspiration from Quadri

    ITTF Women’s World Cup: Egypt’s Meshref draws inspiration from Quadri

    Despite his compatriot’s inability to equal Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri records at the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Cup, Egypt’s Dina Meshref believes she is inspired by Quadri to do well at the ITTF Women’s World Cup, which serves off today in Sedan, Japan.

    Meshref, who is the African Games Champion, has been drawn in group two alongside Honk Kong’s Hoi Kem Doo and Netherlands’ Jiao Li.

    Meshref will this morning begin her campaign against Hong Kong’s Doo while her final group match will be against Netherlands’ Li with only one of them progressing to the main draw of the tournament which serves off tomorrow.

    Meshref told SportingLife that what Quadri achieved at the 2014 edition of the championship has become a benchmark for every player in Africa, saying, “I think he has been able to put Africa on the world map and for some of us taking part in this competition, we need to draw our inspiration from what Quadri has done and this is what inspire us to aim high in the tournament.”

    Meshref who has been the most successful female player in Africa this year having started this year with the African Senior Championship title in Cairo, added the African Cup laurel to it in Cameroun and ended it with the African Games diadem in Brazzaville, a well-motivated star said: “I hope that I can pass the group stage this time and play in the round of 16. I also wish to win the round of 16 and play in the quarter-final stage. I think I am capable and ready to achieve this hope since I have prepared very well before the African Games by practicing in China.

    “My target is to win a medal in the World Cup; I am aware that it’s a very tough challenge, but I believe that I am in a good shape. I also think that it’s very important to set a high target in order to be able to achieve good results and fight for every point.”

    Continuing she said: “I definitely gained confidence after winning the African Cup in July and winning the African Games singles title in September, especially the later event, since I had a tough draw: I faced both Chinese players, so I find it very beneficial to win through a tough draw. I definitely gained experience also.”

    As the flagbearer of the continent, she promised: “I really wish to make my continent Africa proud of me. I wish to play very well and of course try to win any match, since all players that I will face are far ahead of me in the world ranking, so if I could beat any of them it will be a great victory for me.”

  • 2018 RUSSIA WORLD CUP DRAWS: Favourable draw for holders Germany, Spain to meet Italy

    2018 RUSSIA WORLD CUP DRAWS: Favourable draw for holders Germany, Spain to meet Italy

    World champions Germany will begin the road to their title defence in a favourable qualifying group for the 2018 World Cup in Russia which features the likes of Czech Republic and Norway.

    Joachim Low’s side lifted the famous trophy in Brazil last year and will be expected to be among the 32 nations to feature in Russia following a kind draw in Saint Petersburg on Saturday.

    Former Germany striker Olivier Bierhoff conducted the UEFA draw alongside Aleksandr Kerzhakov, with Low’s world champions also lining up against Northern Ireland, Azerbaijan and San Marino in Group C.

    Old foes England and Scotland will compete to progress from Group F, with Slovakia also likely to be firmly in the reckoning – Slovenia, Lithuania and Malta their other opponents.

    European heavyweights Spain and Italy will meet in Group G, while Republic of Ireland and Wales will not have far to travel when they lock horns in Group D.

    Spain – seeking to make amends for a group-stage exit in Brazil – have met Italy regularly in recent years, the former winning the Euro 2012 final between the two nations.

    Group A will see Paris Saint-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and his Sweden side take on France, with Netherlands also in the mix.

    Sweden’s 2014 World Cup play-off conquerors Portugal should have an easier time of it in Group B – Cristiano Ronaldo and co taking on the likes of Switzerland, Hungary and Latvia.

    In African qualifying, 2010 hosts South Africa will seek to re-establish themselves after missing out on the 2014 World Cup and the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.

    Shakes Mashaba’s men face Angola first up, while Morocco and Tunisia face Equatorial Guinea and the winner of South Sudan and Mauritania respectively.

    Following their run to the last 16 in Brazil, Algeria begin against Tanzania or Malawi, while another surprise package from 2014, Costa Rica, will feature in CONCACAF Group B alongside Panama.

    United States will face Trinidad and Tobago in Group C, while Patrick Kluivert’s maiden qualification draw with Curacao could see them take on Honduras and Mexico if they get past El Salvador.

    Oceania favourites New Zealand will feature in Group B alongside Solomon Islands, Fiji and Vanuatu.

    The continent’s representatives in the intercontinental play-offs will play South American opposition, while CONCACAF will take on the Asian Football Confederation in the other fixture.

  • Fake police officer draws N51m salary in 9 years, operates 24 bank accounts

    Nemesis has caught up with a fake Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), Victor Afamefuna Banor, aka CSP Afam Banor, who allegedly operated 24 bank accounts and had drawn a whooping sum of N51,736,298.35 as salary before his arrest.

    The suspect,  who hails from Issele-Uku in Aniocha Local Government Area of Delta State, was said to have earlier served in the police force and officially promoted to the rank of a  ‘Sergeant’ in October, 1992 before he allegedly took to criminal activities that led to his unceremonious exit from the force. His official number during his service days  was AP-No.27229 .

    According to the Deputy Commissioner of Police  in charge of Federal Special Anti Robbery Squad, Chris Ezike, the suspect enlisted in the force in August 1982, but escaped from the custody of the state command in 2009 after being detained for stealing an exhibit vehicle.

    “He was also declared wanted in 2011 by the Enugu State  Police Command for embezzling over N20million while he held sway as the O/C-MSS Enugu. He was reported to have absconded from Enugu with a police service pistol and a police walkie-talkie.

    “He was discovered to have arbitrarily assigned himself with appointment numbers and adopted fictitious ranks and names to achieve his nefarious gains. Some of the ranks and names that he adopted include:  AP/No. 30234 SP Obanor Victor;  AP/No. 41757 SP Onyeka Afam;  AP/No. 47562 SP Obanor Victor Afam. AP/No. 45563 SP Banor Afamefuna; AP/No.38265 DSP Ogunleye Rashidi Adewale;  AP/No. 43281 DSP Odiba Sunday;  AP/No. 48213 DSP Peter Moses;  AP/No. 41757 DSP Okon Bernard; AP/No. 52295 ASP Etim Udom;  AP/No. 52763 ASP Onyeka Afam and AP/No. ASP Odiba Sunday.He was subsequently arrested at the premises of Nkisi Palace Hotel, GRA, Onitsha, by detectives from the Squad (Lagos Annex),” he said.

    He added that the arrest of the suspect was made possible following a complaint lodged to him and his subsequent instruction to  a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Solomon Igwe, to get the suspect arrested ,investigated and prosecuted.

    “When he was arrested, the suspect identified himself as a Chief Superintendent of Police, flaunting a police ID card and a Motorola walkie-talkie. He was however rebuffed and swiftly taken into custody for thorough investigation. The investigation revealed that he  had 24 accounts with several commercial banks across the country with which he collected salaries from various police commands. The total sum paid in to his various accounts between 2006 and 2014 is about N51,736,298.35.

    “This discovery informed DIG ‘D’s directives to all O/C MSS and pay officers of the identified commands to report at Federal SARS for questioning. The officers presented relevant document with which they paid the suspect, claiming that they did not know that  he was a dismissed officer.

    “The outcome of interactions with the O/C MSS and pay officers together with responses from the various banks as regards the account numbers, revealed monumental forgeries and theft via false accounting. Details of the latest findings are the bedrocks of the progress report which tends to fortify the evidence already collected in the course of the investigation,” he said.

    The banks’ statements of accounts showed the sources of lodgments which were basically from the police pay sections across the country.

    The suspects has been charged to court. He was arraigned before Justice E.O Abang of the Federal High Court, Lagos, on a 30-count charge pursuant to one, section 15(1)(b) of money laundering (prohibited) Act 2011; two, section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other related offences Act 2006 and section 1(2) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17 laws of Nigeria, 2004.

    The case was adjourned to 4th and 5th of May 2015 for trial, while he has been remanded in prisons’ custody.

  • Falcons delegation arrive Ottawa for draws

    Falcons delegation arrive Ottawa for draws

    The Super Falcons delegation have arrived Ottawa, capital of Canada for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015.

    Falcons’ Coach, Edwin Okon, led the group which included Team Administrator, Ruth David and Team Media Officer, Gracious Akujobi.

    The team, which left Abuja on Thursday via a British Airways aircraft, touched down in London Heathrow after a six-hour flight. They later transited for two hours at Heathrow before connecting an Air Canada flight for Toronto that lasted eight hours. From Toronto they connected to Ottawa and arrived at 11:25pm local time with a freezing temperature of -16 degrees.

    The delegation was welcomed at the airport by FIFA team Liaison Officer and the team driver who took the team straight to their hotel at the Westin Hotel and Resorts.

    When asked what he is expecting from the draw, Coach Okon stated quietly but with confidence that he and his girls are ready to face any opposition.

    “We have qualified for the World Cup and we are here for the draws. It doesn’t matter who we are drawn against, what matters is that we are prepared to face any team.

    “Don’t forget we are African champions and we hope to show the whole world the stuff we are made of. We hope for a favourable draw but we are not afraid to meet any team” Okon enthused.

    The draw will take place at the Museum of History Ottawa-Gatineau between 12:00 – 1300 local time.

  • Nigeria draws Czech Rep., Belgium, others

    Nigeria draws Czech Rep., Belgium, others

    Nigeria’s male team has been handed a tough draw for the 2014 World Table Tennis Team Championships, as the Segun Toriola-captained side will tackle top playing nations like Czech Republic and Belgium in division two of the tournament.

    Aside Czech Republic and Belgium, the team will confront the likes of Canada, Indonesia and Bosni-Herzegovina in Group E of the competition holding next month in Tokyo, Japan.

    For the women pairing, the Funke Oshonaike-led side has been pitched against Commonwealth giant, India as well as Italy, Turkey, Portugal and Bulgaria in Group G. Nigeria’s men team first group match will be against Indonesia on April 28, while on April 29 the team will face Belgium and Czech Republic.

    On April 30, the team will take on Bosnia-Herzegovina while its last group match on May 1 will be against Canada.

    For the women team, their first group encounter will be against India on April 28, while on April 29, the team will battle Bulgaria and Italy. On April 30, Nigeria will clash against Portugal, while its last group match is against Turkey on May 1.

    The top teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinal stage with the last four teams gaining promotion to the championship division in 2016.

    In 2010 and 2012, Nigeria’s male team made significant efforts to progress to the elite division but their efforts were not enough to secure a place for the team.

    In the men’s seeding of Group E, Czech Republic is the top seeded team in division two and the team and Belgium are rated above Nigeria in the group. However, the female team has not been impressive since 2008 in Guangzhou, China while at the 2012 edition in Dortmund, Germany, the team managed to escape relegation to division three.

    In this year’s edition, the trio of India, Italy and Turkey are seeded ahead of Nigeria while Portugal and Bulgaria are lower than Nigeria in the rating.

    Meanwhile, in the championship division, defending champion – China has been drawn in Group A alongside Austira, Russia, Brazil, Poland and Serbia, while Germany is in Group B with Hong Kong, Croatia, Singapore, Denmark and Ukraine.

    Host – Japan has been pitched against Portugal, France, Greece, Romania and Hungary in Group C, while South Korea will tackle the likes of Chinese Taipei, Sweden, Belarus, Spain and North Korea in Group D. For Japan’s Seiya Kishikawa, the draw was a good one for the team.

    “We would like to qualify with the first position in the group, and then can get good a good draw hopefully. The first match against Greece who has a good defender, will be the most important for us”, said Seiya Kishikawa.

    But Kenta Matsudaira referred to Greece’s Panagiotis Gionis, a player many now fear.

    “We can’t say that we’re in an easy group because every nation is very strong. Each has good quality, I can only say that it is good for me because there are all European teams except Japan in our group”, added Kenta Matsudaira.

    Head Coach of the German Men’s Team, Jörg Rosskopf said: “No question, the group is demanding but this does not influence our goal; we want to be first in the group and thus secure the best position, not to meet China before the final. Above all, as a coach I have to worry more about the shape of my players than about the draw, we still have three short training camps and the German Open before the World Championships; it is important that the players reach their top performance in the remaining time and focus 100 per cent on Tokyo.”

  • NFF explains absence at W/Cup draws

    NFF explains absence at W/Cup draws

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has moved to explain why no Nigerian delegate was present at the playoff draws for the 2014 Fifa World Cup in Cairo on Monday.

    Delegates from all other nine nations that qualified for the playoffs were in attendance at the draw venue in Cairo but Nigeria was not represented at the event.

    The NFF through its general secretary, Musa Amadu has now provided an explanation over the absence of a Nigerian delegate at the draws.

    “I have no idea (why there was no Nigerian delegate at the draws) because we had a member who went for a Caf committee meeting (in Cairo). I cannot give you names now. We expected that somebody would be there to wait for the draws,” Amadu told supersport.com shortly after the ceremony on Monday.

    The NFF chief then identified “logistical problems” as the possible reason the Nigerian delegate was not present at the draws.

    “I want to believe that (our delegate) had some problems with his flight arrangements. Obviously, we had delegated somebody as a federation to represent us at the draws.

    “It wasn’t intentional and the federation had wanted somebody present for the draws,” the scribe said.

     

     

     

     

  • Onigbinde: Eagles don’t need easy draws

    Onigbinde: Eagles don’t need easy draws

    Former Coach of the Super Eagles who is also a member of the Technical Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Adegboye Onigbinde has declared that “a well prepared Super Eagles are not expected to fear any foe and should not rely on easy draws to make an impact at the (forthcoming 2013) Africa Nations Cup.”

    The CAF Advisor, as blunt as ever, said he doesn’t believe in the so-called easy draws but believes in the amount of preparation put in by a team prior to a match.

    “You have known me for a long time; I don’t bloody care what the draws decide. What matters to me is the way I prepare my team. I don’t look forward to any draws with any expectation. Let us be pitted against anybody or any team, what is important is to get the team ready for any eventuality,” Onigbinde noted.

    The erstwhile FIFA Instructor also stated that the performance of the Nigerian team at next year’s Africa Nations Cup would depend on team handler Stephen Keshi’s programme for the team.

    “It’s only Keshi that can tell how far the team would go at the AFCON because he is solely in charge of the team and knows the extent of the team’s readiness for the competition”, Onigbinde offered.