The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Olalekan Okusan

  • Gridlock locks down Lagos-Ibadan expressway

    Gridlock locks down Lagos-Ibadan expressway

    For several hours motorists and passengers plying the Lagos-Ibadan expressway were held at a spot following the slow pace of work on the highway.

    Those heading to Lagos were made to spend hours on a journey that supposed to last for 30minutes while those leaving Lagos were blocked by those motorists taking one-way from Arepo axis of the road.

    A commuter, Femi Adeyemi left Ibafo at 6:00 am but the finance executive was at a spot for hours on the long bridge following the narrowness of the Kara Bridge which was been renovated by Julius Berger.

    “I could not believe that I am yet to get to Berger Bus Stop by 9:00 am having left home in Ibafo by 6:00 am. I think those carrying out the work deliberately put us under a lot of stress. The slow pace of the work has really made the road tasking for most of us living on this axis. I have never experienced this kind of traffic since I moved to this area a few years ago. It is killing to go through this kind of situation everyday and the same will repeat itself when I am returning from work. I think the Ministry of Work must step in and let this construction firm realise that several hours of time is being wasted on the bridge,” he groaned.

    Students were not left out of the traffic impasse as most of them were stranded at the bus stops without buses in sight to convey them to Lagos.

    Emeka Chukwudi, a student of Ojodu Grammar School told Nation that he used to leave Mowe 5:30 am on Mondayhoping to get to school before 7:00 am. But the junior class three student decided to trek to Ibafo in order to get a bus. Unfortunately, as at 8:00 am, he was still waiting alongside other commuters waiting for buses.

    “I am late now because the buses were not coming. I did not envisage this because on Monday I used to leave home by 5:30 am and hoping to get to school by 7:00 am. But as at 8:00 am, I am still standing at the bus stop without any bus in sight. I don’t know why I have to go through this on daily basis just to get to school. Coming back again is another problem because even if I leave school by 4:00 pm, I won’t get home until 7:00 pm because of the gridlock heading out of Lagos,” the 14-year-old lamented.

    However, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) swept on commuters plying one-way from the Arepo axis of the road by preventing them from the illegal act.

    An official of FRSC who spoke to Nation on condition of anonymity said that they decided to stop those using one-way from the Arepo axis of the road from blocking those heading out Lagos.

    “We just had to move into action because we realised that some commuters were taken one-way from the Arepo axis and blocking those leaving Lagos. We had to stop them because this might lock down the road for hours. We have also appealed to the construction firm to open the closed part of the Kara Bridge to allow free flow of vehicles heading to Lagos.

    “I think, motorists just have to be patience so that the traffic will not be locked down on daily basis. We hope that the construction firm can finish the work on the Kara Bridge before the end of January so that the traffic stretching to Lagos and out of Lagos can be reduced,” he said.

  • Nigerian Sports Award: Okusan is Sports Journalist of the Year

    Nigerian Sports Award: Okusan is Sports Journalist of the Year

     

     
    NationSport Senior Correspondent, Olalekan Okusan has emerged winner of this year’s Nigerian Sports Award as Sports Journalist of the Year in the print category.
    Okusan, who is currently in Cape Town, South Africa for the coverage of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Junior Championships, won the 5th edition of the award held at the Banquet Hall of Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos on Friday.
    Okusan, 2012 Nigeria Media Merit Award (NMMA) winner, beat other nominees including New Telegraph’s Tobi Emmanuel and two other journalists from Goal.com to the coveted gong.
    The Mass Communication graduate of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic had been a nominee of the awards in 2012 and this year, three of his works were considered by the award panel.
    He had devoted time and energy to comprehensive coverage of the Tennis beat and is a past winner of the Sports Business Media Award Sports Writer of the Year.
    In 2015, Okusan was also listed by an online medium – Ynaija.com as one of the most powerful young people in sports.
    In the other Journalist Category of the Award, Moses Praiz of Channels TV was awarded the TV Journalist of the Year, while Olawale Adigun of Top Radio named as the Radio Journalist of the Year. The Photo Journalist of the Year award went to Ayodele Ojo of Daily Sun newspaper.
    However, Men and Women of the Nigerian Paralympics team dominated the 5th edition of the award as Kehinde Paul and Lucy Ejike emerged Sport-man and Sport-woman of the year respectively.
    The duo also won the Special Sport Person of the Year (Men) and Special Sport Person of the Year (Women) Categories. Kehinde Paul won gold medal in the Powerlifting Men’s – 65Kg category while Ejike Lucy not only won gold in the 79kg, 86kg and 61kg powerlifting event respectively at the 2016 Paralympics games, but also broke the Paralympic Record (PR) and World Record (WR) by lifting 136kg, followed by a lift of 138kg, and then a massive lift of 142kg.
    Also, Special Recognition Award was given out to some deserving sport personalities. The first was given out to the League Management Company in recognition of its great job of turning around the Nigerian League.
    The next Special Recognition Award went to Nigeria first sporting heroes among who are the Nduka Ugbade-led 1985 Under-16 FIFA World Cup winning team and they were represented by two members of the team, Imama Amapakbo and Jonathan Akpoborie.
    The third Special Recognition Award went to Atlanta ’96 Olympic Gold Medal-winning football team, captained by Kano Nwankwo, represented at the event by the trio of Emmanuel Babayaro, Dosu Joseph and Victor Ikpeba.
    Also the 4X400 Nigerian Quartet Team that won silver but was later upgraded to Gold with the ban of the US team at Sydney 2000 were also given the Special Recognition Award.
    The duo of Maureen Madu and Joseph Yobo won the Special Recognition Awards for being the first ever Nigerian Woman footballer to achieve 100 caps and first Nigerian Man footballer to achieve 100 caps respectively.
     
  • NTTF championships: 300 players begin hostilities

    NTTF championships: 300 players begin hostilities

    The Indoor Hall of the National Stadium was on Tuesday ignited as over 300 players across the country begin the race for titles and cast rewards at the maiden Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) National Championships.

    With 18 titles at stake at the five-day N2.8m prize money championship, the team event kick-started the competition.

    20 female teams and over 40 male teams will jostle for honours in the event while the para and junior, as well as cadet events, will begin today at the National Training Centre.

    According to the competition manager, John Peters, the turn-out of players and teams would be the biggest in the last three years as some of the retired players are also taking part in the championship.

     Among the ageing players rubbing shoulders with the young ones is Taofeek Maya, who was a former African champion in the 1990s.

    Maya, who recently won a tournament in Gabon told NationSports that he hopes to use the championship to inspire the junior players. “I am more than 50 years of age but I can tell you that there is no age barrier in table tennis and that is why Segun Toriola can still be competing with the continent and world best in major competitions. For me, table tennis is my life and I am enjoying every moment.

    I hope to make a statement with my performance in this competition. I must also commend the NTTF under the leadership of Wahid Oshodi for restoring the glory of the sport. Now table tennis is now getting popular as it used to be in the 1990s. I am happy that I am part of this resurgence,” May said.

  • NationSport’s Okusan makes 2016 Nigerian Sports Award nominees list

    NationSport’s Okusan makes 2016 Nigerian Sports Award nominees list

    The NationSport Senior Correspondent, Olalekan Okusan has made the list of nominees for the Sports Journalist of the Year 2016 (Print) of this year’s Nigerian Sports Award.

    In a letter signed by the secretary of the award panel, Kayode Idowu, Okusan was nominated alongside four others in the category.

    Okusan, the 2012 Sports Journalist of the Year of the annual Nigeria Media Merit Award (NMMA) was nominated by the public and the winner is expected to be named on December 2 at the Banquet Hall of Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    “We are pleased to inform you that you have been nominated for SPORTS JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR 2016 (PRINT) category along with other colleagues in the Nigerian Sports Award 2016. The event will hold on the 2nd of December, 2016 at The Banquet Hall of Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos from 6pm Prompt. For the judging process, you are expected to submit any three (3) works of yours published between November 2015 and November 2016. Deadline for submission is Sunday, November 27, 2016. We, therefore, say congratulations and wish you continued success,” Idowu said.

    In 2015, Okusan was also listed by an online medium – Ynaija.com as one of the most powerful young people in sports.

    “Formerly of the Guardian newspapers, but now with The Nation, Olalekan Okusan is one of the hardest working sports reporters in the country, devoting time and energy to comprehensive coverage of the often underserved Tennis beat. A past winner of the Sports Business Media Award Sports Writer of the Year prize, Okusan commands a lot of clout in his field and has helped countless talents secure much needed press coverage,” the website wrote.

  • CCSF takes taekwondo inspiration to Minna

    CCSF takes taekwondo inspiration to Minna

    As part of its efforts to inspire more educated athletes to embrace Sport, 10 athletes from the Chika Chukwumerije Sports Foundation (CCSF) went head-to-head with athletes from Niger State over the weekend in what was a three-day collaborative taekwondo competition session, held at the 123 State Gym Minna.

    According to CCSF, the purpose of the event was “to expose upcoming taekwondo athletes on both sides to the divide to the latest taekwondo technology in a competitive situation, while exchanging training ideas and methodologies”

    Team Niger comprised of eighteen athletes culled from the Niger State taekwondo team, Federal University of Technology Minna, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University Lapai Taekwondo Team, Federal Polytechnic Bida Taekwondo Team, Himma International College Taekwondo Team and Maryam Babangida Girls College Taekwondo Team

    For the state coach, Master Harrison Okorie, “the event was a very inspiring one. We learnt new techniques during the training session and the competition session, and I believe the experience will help our boys and girls in the forthcoming National Sports Festival”

    Master Harrison who was formerly the taekwondo coach of plateau also thanked the 3-time Olympian, Chika Chukwumerije for the consistent impact he has made on the sport.

    “I thank God for Chika and the help he has been rendering to Taekwondo and the coaches. His coming has opened the eyes of some of our students to know that there are things they are supposed to improve on

    For Niger State black-belt competitor, Nuru Al Hassan, the event was knowledge driven.

    “In these three days, we learnt more techniques, experienced discipline in a totally new dimension, and met new faces. The electronic equipment we used gave us more experience on how to use it, especially for most of us that it was our first time to use the equipment”

  • NTTF: Registration deadline looms as teams brace up

    NTTF: Registration deadline looms as teams brace up

    Barring any last minute change, time is ticking on the maiden Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF)-organised National Championships as teams have started shaping up for the competition scheduled to serve off on November 15.

    Teams like Ondo, Ekiti, Osun, Ogun states are at present, rounding up their preparations for the competition after they have also confirmed their participation at the championship, as registration deadline looms for the five-day tournament.

    For the Secretary General of NTTF, Chinedu Ezeala-Ogundare, teams like Ondo, Ekiti, Osun and Ogun have all finalised their registration for the competition, while the final entry for the championship has been fixed for November 7.

    “We have already round off the first deadline on October 31 and while teams that failed to meet up with the deadline have been given the opportunity to register but they are expected to fail the fine for not meeting up with the first deadline. However, she said November 7 is the final entry of all the teams, adding that any team that fail to meet the date will not be allowed to be part of the championship,” she said.

    She, however, said the federation would want to finalise the arrangement for the kick-off of the championship on November 15 with mouthwatering prize money at stake at the tournament scheduled to hold at the Indoor Hall of the National Stadium as well as the National Training Centre. 18 titles are expected to be battled for at the six-day championship.

    For the tournament director, John Peters, the championship is aimed at complementing the efforts of the federation at unearthing talents, as well as keeps the local players active for major competitions within and outside the country.

  • Quadri gets nomination for 2016 ITTF Star Awards

    Quadri gets nomination for 2016 ITTF Star Awards

  • W/Cup Qualifiers: We want to win in Nigeria, Belkaroui insists

    W/Cup Qualifiers: We want to win in Nigeria, Belkaroui insists

    Tunisia-based Algerian star, Hicham Belkaroui believes beating the Nigeria’s Super Eagles will surely restore their hope of making it to the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

    The Esperance of Tunisia defender told Tunisian media after the derby against Club Africain said what remains their priority to him is to help the team to beat Nigeria. “Sincerely I do not know Georges Leekens. I’ve heard of him. For me, the most important is to win in Nigeria and I want to help my team.”

    Also, Dinamo Zagreb Algerian striker, Algerian striker Hilal Al Arbi Soudani said his club fortune does not matter to him as his main target is how to tame Nigeria in their backyard.

    “We conceded a draw at home against Cameroon and allowed two precious points. The next match will take us to Nigeria, a team that recorded a victory in Zambia. So we know that our mission will be very difficult but if we can come back with a good result, our chances will be revived. We’re really confident. We will play our chances thoroughly in Nigeria and we will see what will happen.”
    For the new coach of the Algerian team, Georges Leekens believes the North Africans have the quality to make it to the World Cup in Russia. “I arrived a little late, since only a few days before this important meeting, but I’m a worker and will do everything to help the team fetch good results in Nigeria, “says Leekens. He added: “We will do everything to go to Russia but I’m not a magician, I ask you to be behind us.”

  • Aruna succumbs to Egypt’s Assar in men’s singles final

    Aruna succumbs to Egypt’s Assar in men’s singles final

    Despite moving steps ahead in his quest to become African champion, Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri on Monday fell to the superiority of Egypt’s Omar Assar in the men’s singles final of ITTF Africa Senior Championship held in Agadir, Morocco.

    From the start of the match, the fans were not disappointed with the display by the two best players in Africa with the powerful shot of Aruna Quadri thrilling the fans, while Omar Assar was also up to the task against the Nigerian.

    It was the Egyptian who drew the first blood with 12-10 win. But Aruna Quadri restored parity with 11-6 win.

    The quality of the match gave the spectators something to cheer but it was Omar Assar that carried the day with a 4-3 (10-12, 11-6, 11-9, 8-11, 12-10, 6-11, 11-9) win to retain his title.

    An elated Omar Assar told NationSport after the match: “It was really a crazy match because against Aruna is always very exciting. I think I gave my 100 per cent concentration and I listened more to my coach, Helmy Ashraf. I think Aruna played very well because he was always changing service and he was more aggressive on his forehand. I am so happy retaining the title and I hope I can play better than this in a future tournament,” Assar said.

  • ITTF Africa celebrates Quadri’s Rio Olympic feat 

    ITTF Africa celebrates Quadri’s Rio Olympic feat 

    For becoming the first player in Africa to make it to the quarterfinal stage of the Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil, the executive council of International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Africa has acknowledged the feat of the Nigerian with an award of outstanding performance.

    The presentation of the award was performed by the ITTF Africa President, Khaled El-Salhy including Vice President of ITTF, Cherif Hajem.

    The ITTF boss said it was coincident that two Nigerians – Segun Toriola and Aruna Quadri put Africa on the world map in Rio and for this, the Executive Committee agreed at their meeting that the two players must be acknowledged and honour in order to motivate upcoming players to aim high like them.

    “We were overwhelmed with the huge publicity that Africa got in the table tennis event of Rio Olympic Games because of the performance of Aruna Quadri because, in the history of table tennis, no African has made it to the last eight of the Olympic Games.

    “Players like Aruna Quadri are very rare and I know his performance was due to his commitment and hard work which were obvious in his performance. This honour is not just to celebrate him but to also inspire other players to work hard because without hard work and discipline it will be impossible for any player to make it to the world stage,” he said.

    “From his performance at the 2014 World Cup in Germany where he became the first African to make it to the quarterfinal round of the competition to being named the 2014 ITTF Star Player at the Star Award, Aruna Quadri has raised the bar for others to aim at and with his performance of record, more people in the continent are now paying attention to the sport and we hope he will continue to move up and other African players will surely come through,” El-Salhy added.