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  • Nigerians Sports Awards: Okagbare, Enyeama win double

    Nigerians Sports Awards: Okagbare, Enyeama win double

    •Fashola, Oshoala, Quadri, Dedevbo shine

    Africa’s fastest woman and Commonwealth gold medalist Blessing Okagbare and Super Eagles Goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama won two awards at the 2014 edition of the Nigerian Sports Awards.

    Okagbare carted home the Track and Field Star of the Year and Sportswoman of the Year categories while Enyeama won the Footballer of the Year and Sportsman of the Year awards.

    The event, which was held at the Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos, was well attended by dignitaries from the Nigerian sports circle made up of ex- internationals, sports administrators, the media as well as personalities drawn from the corporate world.

    Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola of Lagos State emerged the Sport Governor of the year ahead of Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross Rivers State and Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State.

    Mr. Wahid Enitan Oshodi, the Lagos Sate Commissioner for Youth Sports and Social Development who is also the President of the Nigerian Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), emerged the winner of the Sports Administrator of the Year.

    Other winners at the 2014 award include Super Falcon striker and Most Valuable Player (MVP) at the just concluded African women Championship (AWC) Asisat Oshoala who won the Footballer of the Year (Women) category, the Ball sports personality of the year was won by Portugal based Aruna Quadri who also won the category in 2013 while Falconets star, Courtney Dike emerged as the Discovery of the Year 2014.

    Three prominent Nigerian Sports Legends were honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award. They are Pa KAB Olowu, who won two silver medals at the 1954 Commonwealth Games, Dr. George Ogan who won a Silver medal at the 1966 Commonwealth games and Dr. Awoture Elaye who was the coach of the Nigerian team to the 1990 Commonwealth games. This category of the award was presented by another veteran, Modupe Oshikoya who was honoured with the same award at the maiden edition.

    In the School Sports category, St. Barnabas Primary School, Ilorin emerged winner for winning the West African Football Union (WAFU) under-13 Football competition thereby displacing Greensprings School, Lagos who won the category back to back in the last two editions.

    The Falconets emerged the Team of the Year while their Coach, Peter Dedevbo who is also a nominee of the FIFA Women Football Coach of the Year emerged the Coach of the Year.

    In the Combat sports personality of the year category, Odunayo Adekuroye emerged winner; Efe Ajagba won the Boxer of the Year; Loveline Obiji won the Special Sports Person of the Year and Maryam Usman won the Weightlifter of the Year.

    In the Sports Journalist category, Tana Aiyeina of Punch Newspaper emerged the Journalist of the Year (Print), Ayodele Ojo of the Sun Newspaper emerged the Sports Photo Journalist of the Year, Godwin Enakheana of Top Radio won the Sports Journalist of the Year (Radio) while Miyen Akiri of Galaxy Television won the Sports Journalist of the year (Television).

    The Chairman of the award panel, Mr. Ikeddy Isiguzo described the third edition of the award as a significant milestone not only for the organisers of the award but for the country as a whole in commemoration of the centenary celebration of the nation.

  • NOC TO CONFER OKAGBARE, TORIOLA WITH AWARD

    NOC TO CONFER OKAGBARE, TORIOLA WITH AWARD

    •Asaba to host AGM, Merit Award, Elections

    The Nigeria Olympic Committee(NOC) has concluded plans to confer the Best Current Athlete Award to Africa’s fastest runner, Blessing Okagbare, while the Distinguished Athlete Award would go to Table Tennis star, Totiala.

    According to the PRO of the NOC, Tony Ubani, the athletes will be awarded at  the AGM meeting slated for November 20 in Asaba.

    Sports-loving Governor of Delta State, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan would be conferred with the Olympic Sport Friendly Personality Award for his outstanding performance in Sports, while the President of Athletics Federation of Nigeria, Evangelist Solomon Ogba would be conferred with the Sport Administrator Award.

    Post humous awards on Promotion of Olympism would go to Late Alhaji Raheem Adejumo, late Chief Abraham Ordia and Alhaji K. A. B Olowu.

    In the same vein, the Executive Board of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, NOC,  yesterday approved Asaba, capital of Delta State as the venue for its  Annual General Meeting and elections as well as  a Merit Award  Night.

    Asaba was overwhelmingly voted for after President Sani M Ndanusa announced that the State Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan  had accepted to host the AGM.

    Also concluded at the AGM, nomination forms to the Executive positions would be available at the Secretariat of the NOC, National Stadium, Surulere and the NOC’s Liaison office in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory from October 20, 2014.

  • VIDEO: Blessing Okagabare wins Gold Medal

    VIDEO: Blessing Okagabare wins Gold Medal

    Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare made her country proud as she won Commonwealth gold in the women’s 100m on Monday.

    The 25-year-old grabbed the first of three possible individual titles in Glasgow as she powered to glory in the 100m in a new Games record of 10.85secs.

    Okagbare who will also contest the 200m and long jump, stayed relaxed to power past experienced Jamaicans Veronica Campbell-Brown and Kerron Stewart, who finished second and third in 11.03secs and 11.07secs, in the last 50m respectively.

    SEE VIDEO BELOW

    Video Credit: Athletics Africa

  • Okagbare wins NOC’s Athlete of the Year award

    Okagbare wins NOC’s Athlete of the Year award

    Nigeria’s track and long jump queen, Blessing Okagbare, has been honoured with the prestigious award of Athlete of the Year by the Nigeria Olympic Committee, NOC, for her incredible performance in the year under review.

    Okagbare’s sterling performance at the Moscow World Athletics Championship where she won silver and bronze medals in the long jump and tracks and shattered a 14-year jinx which plagued the country, no doubt put her in good stead for the award.

    The award was presented by Gombe State Governor, Dr Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo to round off the Annual General Meeting of the Nigeria Olympic Committee which was held last week.

    At the night of glitz at the Government House in Gombe, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), with the string of successes recorded by the Golden Eaglets and the Super Eagles who won the African Cup of Nations and qualified Nigeria for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil next year, was adjudged the Most Improved Sport Federation and received a glittering trophy for bringing back joy to Nigerians in football. When the award to the NFF was announced, the rapturous applause that followed no doubt showed that it was one well deserved.

    Others who walked tall with awards on the night include, chief host, Governor of Gombe Dr Dankwambo who won the Icon of Grassroots Sports Development award, Director-General of the National Sports Commission, Gbenga Elegbeleye won the award for Outstanding Contribution to Sports Development while IOC member Habu Gumel won the award for Outstanding Achievement in Sports Administration. Dr. Lanre Glover, Major General Adamu Dyeri, General Ayeni also won awards while D’Tigers (male national basketball team) won the award for the Outstanding Team of the Year.

    President of the NOC, Sani M. Ndanusa said that the awards were based purely on merit and were meant to encourage the winners and others to strive hard and to know that Nigerians were appreciative of their contributions to the country.

    Governor Dankwambo praised the NOC for being blessed with the quality of leaders as exemplified by Engr Ndanusa and promised to turn Gombe State to a Mecca of sports.

  • Okagbare’s exploit in Moscow

    Okagbare’s exploit in Moscow

    Nigeria’s contingent to the World Athletic Championship held in Moscow last August nearly did it again if not for the blessing from the track queen, Blessing Okagbare. Yes, she made us proud and we were quick to identify with the green-white-green flag.

    The ugly incident in the last Olympics tournament and the 14-year medal drought the nation experienced almost killed Nigerians’ enthusiasm had Okagbare not represented Nigeria well in the contest.

    It won’t be wrong to tag the contingent “Team Okagbare” rather than “Team Nigeria”. This is because it appeared as though the nation went to the competition with one athlete. She was the only one that performed credibly at the competition, where as we went there with a coterie of athletes, who participated in different track and field events, such as sprints, long jumps and relay race, among others.

    The athletes, before leaving for Moscow, promised to deliver medals irrespective of the colour. Some of them had standing records and did impressively well in previous preliminary competitions. These made Nigeria’s sports lovers, upon seeing their rare talents, to believe that things would turn out well for the nation at the competition. But the nation nearly missed the medal ceremony if not for the Beijing 2008 Olympics bronze medalist, Okagbare, who fought tirelessly to register the nation’s name on the medal table. Then the begging question: who is to blame, the athletes?

    Nigeria is the only nation that enters a competition with a banner of god luck. It is a known fact that before an athlete wins a medal in a competition; he must have passed through rigorous trainings to improve on his skills and to keep fit. And this a routine exercise. It is disheartening to know that the nation did not give her contingents necessary preparation for them to hoist our flag above other nation during the tournament.

    The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) had announced that the athletes would be camped for a two-week training abroad before the world athletic event commenced, to enable them train well and be in the spirit for the fight for medals. This, they never did for reasons best known to them and the National Sports Commission (NSC). The beleaguered athletes were left to depend on self-sponsored and last-minute training with their coaches, a development that depicts the height of insubordination of our public officials.

    Not everybody noticed the dance of the spirit the two bodies were dancing, until things became no longer at ease with our athletes and they started falling apart from the competition one after the other and then massively. Most of them could not scale through the first stages of the games in which they participated.

    Those that made us to be hopeful, the women team, became helpless as the tempo of the game was too fast for them to beat due to poor preparation. For the men, the competition ended for them before it started. And to crown it all, most of them failed to maintain their own personal records. Pity!

    It was obvious that the AFN took our athletes to Moscow just to fulfil all righteousness. Different reports showed that most of the athletes were not fit for the events but were still took them to the competition. They did this to avoid sanction from the World Athletic Federation. Our athletes took part in the competition with no passion for the medals. They gave us false hope. They played with our emotions. Because they were aware they were going there just to try luck.

    Little wonder everyone in the federation was busy mentioning Okagbare and heaped on the innocent girl the hope of more than 150 million Nigerians for medals. They knew she was the only dependable athlete. They also knew she had being training hard, though with the support which was not from them. Of course, she had told whoever cares to listen on several occasions that her supports comes majorly from some well meaning Nigerians like her state governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, and not from our so called NSC.

    It is a pity Nigeria can never learn from its previous failure! One would expect that the nation would have performed better at the Moscow games, owing to their dismal outing during last year Olympics that raised a lot of dust. But unfortunately, it was still business as usual. And of course the same result or something closer to it became inevitable.

    Come to think of it, even a two-week camping is a far cry to what is required for an athlete to get prepared for a world championship. We are yet to learn our lesson from last-minute preparation.

    Nobody is talking about the 2016 Olympics. May be it’s not yet March 2016, when they would start their rush-hour preparation, go for a two-week camping and come back with a lot of excuses and regrets, which are gradually becoming their own version of medals. It is known fact that nations like United States, China, Kenya, Jamaica, and others that performed well in these competitions started preparation for the next edition immediately they returned from previous tournament. But this is never the case with Nigeria, who believes her athletes to have magical powers to win gold medals even when they are not fit.

    Not preparing your athletes for an event ends up killing their careers, and this has caused most of them to taking up other countries’ nationalities. 2014 Common Wealth Games are around the corner, and we are yet to have a routine package to prepare out athletes. It is time the nation took athletics serous like it is doing for soccer. Corporate bodies, multinational firms, telecommunication and beverages companies should also extend their sponsorship to athletics and also their endorsements to athletes. If what worth doing is worth doing well then Nigeria should either prepare adequately for an athletic competition or not enter for it at all.

     

    •Kingsley, 400-Level Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, UNN

     

  • Abari: Jonathan’s largesse will ginger Okagbare, others

    Abari: Jonathan’s largesse will ginger Okagbare, others

    •Wants more input in athletes training 

    The recent thank you package handed Nigeria’s athletics sensation Blessing Okagbare by the Federal Government is sure to fire her and other athletes to greater heights.

    This was the prediction of Head of Coaching and Training National Institute for Sports (NIS), Solomon Abari in chat with Sportinglife.

    Recognising the efforts of an athlete on one hand and supporting the athlete financially and morally, according to him remain the fastest way of bringing out the best from any athlete. While giving President Goodluck Jonathan and Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan a pat on the back for appreciating Okagbare’s effort at the recently ended World Athletics Championship, Abari canvassed for more input, especially in the training of athletes to enable Nigeria occupy her rightful position at the international arena.

    The seasoned coach and sports administrator said experience over the years has shown that Nigeria had performed many times below expectation due mainly to poor preparation, late release of funds and sometimes lack of support.

    Athletes and coaches alike he further added are not magicians but can only achieve set target with maximum support not only from their countries but also from their families and well wishers alike.

    Okagbare ended Nigeria’s 14-year wait for a medal at the Athletics Championship in Moscow, winning a silver medal in the long jump event and also bronze in the 200m event.

    In the long jump event, she jumped 6.99m just 2cm short of claiming gold which went to America’s Brittney Reese. In appreciation of her effort, the President dished out N3million reward, even as her coach Daniel Esebinimo got N3.5million for his effort. Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan equally honoured her with cash and a parcel of land in Asaba, the Delta State capital.

  • Jonathan to athletes: Nigeria must get gold medals

    Jonathan to athletes: Nigeria must get gold medals

    • Splashes N3m on Okagbare, N3.5m on her coach

    President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday called on sports administrators and athletes in the country to put their acts together towards ensuring that Nigeria gets gold medals at the 2016 Olympics Games billed for Brazil.

    Jonathan spoke at the Presidential Villa while receiving the medals won by Blessing Okagbare at the 2013 IAAF World Athletic Championship in Moscow just before the commencement of the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting.

    Stressing that the poor performances of Nigeria in past Olympic Games will no longer be tolerated, he directed the Sports Ministry and the Ministry of Finance to do everything possible to support the sector and the sports men and women.

    He announced cash reward of N 3 million for Blessing Okagbare, who won medals in the long jump event and 200 meters race in Moscow and N3.5million for her coach, Daniel Esebinimo. The duo will also get national honours during the next award ceremony.

    Jonathan said: “We have taken a decision to ensure that in the next Olympics, we must get gold medals. In the last Olympics, we did not get any medal, except from the Paralympics.”

    “We have challenged the Ministry of Sports and of course, the Finance Ministry to do all it can to make sure we support that sector so that our young men and women will do our country proud. So, Blessing, we congratulate you. We thank you for this uncommon success and the uncommon dedication to our fatherland.”

    He continued: “Today is a day that we celebrate this young lady, Blessing Okagbare, we are celebrating success, we are celebrating dedication, we are celebrating patriotism. This is to formerly congratulate Blessing Okagbare and other young men and women like her who have been working very hard to make this country proud.”

    “Sports, we know, is one key event in our country and globally, the success of a nation in sports is a key thing that helps to project that country.”

    “Nigeria has been known as a sporting nation, but for sometime, we have been lagging in sports.

    We are lucky that we are building up today. I believe that with young ladies and men like Blessing Okagbare, Nigeria will get back to where we belong and even go further,” he added.

    The Sports Minister, Bolaji Abdullahi, noted that Nigeria has been achieving successes in sports in the past two years because of the transformative and unprecedented leadership and support of President Jonathan.

    He said: “Nigeria is again becoming a force to reckon with in sports. In athletics, just like in football and weightlifting, we have become the number one nation in Africa. Never in the history of Africa athletics has a nation been a winner of the senior, junior and youth championship at the same time. Nigeria has won the whole three in the last two years. Firstly, we won the senior athletics championship in Port Novo, followed by the youth championship which we won in Warri, Delta State and just recently we won the junior championship in Mauritius.”

    On Okagbare’s achievement, he said: “Miss Blessing Okagbare whose effort in the long jump and the 200 meters at the recent IAAF World championship in Moscow ensured that we broke the 14 years jinx of failure to mount the podium at the world championship. The last time we won any medals at the championship was in 1999, when Gloria Alozie and Francis Obikwelu won the silver medal in the 100 meters hurdles and a bronze medal in the 200 meters, respectively.”

    Speaking with State House correspondents at the end of the ceremony, Delta State Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan said: “What’s exciting today is the personal recognition by Mr. President of Blessing’s efforts. Whatever you’re given materially, to me is not the major thing. The major thing is that she is being nationally recognised by Mr. President himself and that is very important.”

    “That’s a good, moral and emotional support to any athlete. I’m saying this because Nigerians, have a way of running people down when they are not doing well and celebrating them when they are doing well. So, if there are challenges we must encourage the person who is being challenged and when there are successes, we now celebrate with the person. It is very important that we give them very strong emotional and moral support. And of course, without adequate financial support, nothing can be done,” he stated.

  • No magic in winning gold medals —Okagbare

    No magic in winning gold medals —Okagbare

    Nigeria’s female sprint star, Blessing Okagbare has stated categorically that no form of magic can make her win the gold medal in her athletics events at the 2016 Olympics Games in Brazil as canvassed by the President Goodluck Jonathan in aso rock on Wednesday.

    Okagabe rather hinged the task on winning gold medals to hardwork and appropriate logisitic support from everyone, including the need for the government to release cash to athletes earlier than is being practised.

    She said: “Well, I always try to work very hard with the support of people around me. It also depends on what they do to actually support sports. As long as we are supported athletes are ready to work hard. We will work with what you give to us and whatever comes out of it, you should expect.”

    On her challenges and advise to upcoming athletes, Okagbare said: “When you’re are not mentally ready, you’re not ready in that activity. So, I just prepare myself mentally and whatever happens, I just take it. I want to encourage the upcoming athletes. It is not an easy job but you have to actually work hard. While working hard you have to understand that it is not going to be rosy, there is going to be pros and cons . But regardless of the outcome, just believe in yourself.”

  • President Jonathan to host Okagbare today

    President Jonathan to host Okagbare today

    President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan will host the new queen of track and field, Blessing Okagbare, on Wednesday morning at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja.

    A statement signed by Olukayode Thomas Head of Communication Media Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) said the Presidential reception for Okagbare will be held during the council meeting.

    Okagbare did Nigeria proud at the just concluded Moscow 2013 IAAF World Championship where she won two medals, a silver in the long jump and bronze in the 200m. She also made the final of the 100m.

    President of the AFN, Evangelist Solomon Ogba, thanked President Jonathan for the honour and thanked the Minister of Sports for always bringing Mr. President’s attention to achievements of track and field, and for being a Minister of Sports, instead of Minister of Football, as is often the case in Nigeria.

    ‘’ the athletics family is grateful to President Jonathan; this is the third time he is hosting us. The President hosted us when we won the African Youth Championships, he hosted the Sydney 2000 team whose silver medal was upgraded to gold and now, he is hosting Okagbare, we are more than grateful’’.

    Evangelist Ogba also expressed gratitude to the Minister of Sports Mallam Abdullahi for always being there for track and field.

    ‘’we would not have been African Champions at Youth, Junior and Senior level without the support of Mallam Abdullahi. He was with us in Porto Novo when we won the African title, he was with us in Warri when we won the Youth title, he was with us in Moscow when we broke the 14 year no medal jinx at the IAAF World Championship, he attends our local Golden League and even the All Nigeria, he is the first Minister to give athletics priority, we are very grateful’’ said Ogba.

    Okagbare opened her international medal account at the 2007 All-Africa Games when she won the silver medal in the long jump.

    The following year she won a bronze medal in the women’s long jump event at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing

    She went on to win the double in 100 m and long jump double at the NCAA Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championship for University of Texas at El Paso, completing an undefeated collegiate streak that year.

    At the African championships in 2010, she won gold in the long jump and gold in the 100m and gold again in the 4x100m.

  • Athletics coach: Okagbare must remain focused

    Athletics coach: Okagbare must remain focused

    Gad Onumaegbu, a retired athletics coach, has urged Blessing Okagbare to put behind her the disappointment of her sixth position finish in the 100m event, and focus on her other events.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Okagbare had ended up in the sixth position of the 100m event in the ongoing 2013 World Athletics Championships in Moscow.

    Onumaegbu told NAN on Tuesday in Lagos on telephone that if she had participated in the 100m event before the long jump, the result would have been different. He added that she would have to be professional in her approach in her build-up for her other events in the championships.

    “The 100 metres should have come before the long jump, it is better to do the sprint before the long jump. She has to show how dedicated she is in her approach to the other events ahead of her; and possibly pick up more medals,” he said.

    The retired coach also decried the undue burden of expectation that was placed on her shoulders by the leadership of the Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN), and blamed them for her inconsistencies.

    “It is quite unfortunate and the blame falls squarely on the leadership of the AFN who have over relied on her to deliver the goods. Other athletes are being overlooked it should not be so, emphasis should not be on her alone,’’Onumaegbu said.

    Meanwhile, Sule Oladimeji, a long jump coach, noted that the long jump event might have weakened Okagbare, but refused to blame her 100m loss on that.

    “The long jump might have taken a bit of steam from her, but that will not be the sole reason for her poor performance in the 100m race. Sometimes it is not just the form of an athlete but luck that can lead to an athlete’s success in a race,” he said.

    The coach urged Okagbare not to feel too discouraged about her performance in the 100m event, but use it to boost her performance in her other events.

    “I believe if she focuses well she will do well in the 200m race because she is more powerful in it and the country believes in what she can do,” he said.