200 kids/students across the country have been confirmed the Chika Chukwumerije Sports Foundation (CCSF) International Taekwondo Opens taking place at the Brickhall School, Abuja on Saturday December 5.
The event, which is sanctioned by the FCT Taekwondo Association and supported by the Board of the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation (NTF), has kids from schools and clubs across FCT and the seven states in the North Central expected at the event. Clubs from other states like Benue State, Imo State, Cross River, and Kaduna have also indicated interest in being part of the program.
According to an official statement released by the organizers, the objective of the event is to “Produce prospective future Olympians and World Champions; Expose kids to the latest technological gadgets and technical experience available in the sport; Build the confidence and experience of the kids through competitive experience; and Foster a healthy social interaction between kids from different communities.
According to the program coordinator, Kemi Isaac, who is an officer with the NSCDC and a Taekwondo Black-Belt practitioner, “The kids deserve the exact same attention and opportunities given to the adults during the highly successful edition held 4 weeks ago, as the kids are the future Olympians and World Champions that must be groomed from today”
For the Proprietor of Brickhall School, Senator Joy Emodi, the event is a game-changer. “There is no parent who will not be excited for their wards practicing taekwondo to be part of a quality program like this. The importance of ensuing that extra-curricular activities like sports are intertwined with the education of our children to solidify their development and improve their social skills cannot be over-emphasized.”
For Chief Executive Officer of CCSF, Chika Chukwumerije, who is a 3-time Olympian and a Beijing 2008 Olympic Bronze Medalist, the emphasis is on exposing the young ones at a young age to increase Nigeria’s chances of getting more Olympians in the future.
“It is a special event because the kids are going to be using the same Daedo electronic system being used at the RIO 2016 Olympics, and the sky will truly be their limit is we sustain this kind of programme over the next 10 years”
Tag: Olalekan Okusan
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200 kids confirm for CCSF Taekwondo Opens
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2015 commonwealth championship: Fund halts Nigeria’s participation
The Treasury Single Account (TSA) being implemented by the Federal Government have continued to take its toll on sports as the inability of the National Sports Commission (NSC) to access fund has halted Nigeria’s participation in this month’s Commonwealth Table Tennis Championship holding in India.
Having completed all the necessary registration for the championship while the country’s list of participants has also been certified by the Commonwealth Table Tennis Federation (CTTF), all these efforts are now futile following the lack of fund to execute the trip.
Already the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) has presented a young team to feature in the tournament but as things are now, Nigeria will have to wait for another opportunity to compete at big stage among the Commonwealth nations.
It was learnt that NSC has written to NTTF over their inability to fund the trip.
Taking part in the tournament would have afforded Nigeria the chance to throw up new players to begin to play at top level particularly against nations like Singapore, India and England among others expected at the competition..
For the chairman of CTTF, Alan Ransome, being one of the top playing nations in Africa, Nigeria is expected to spearhead teams from Africa taking part in the tournament holding in Surat, India on December 16 to 21.
Nigeria will be missing in action at the tournament as the West African giant would have use the championship to return to international circles after the 2015 African Games in Congo Brazzaville and.
Seven events will be jostled for at the six-day tournament while all eyes will be on Singapore, the Commonwealth champions.
Events to be competed for in India are Men’s Team Championship – Home Association’s Cup; Women’s Team Championship – India Cup; Men’s Singles Championship – Singapore Cup; Women’s Singles Championship – Oceania Cup; Men’s Doubles Championship – Hong Kong Cup; Women’s Doubles Championship – Canada Cup and Mixed Doubles Championship – Guernsey Cup.
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2016 Rio Olympic Games: My confidence on the rise – Adekuoroye
After claiming her first medal at the 2015 Wrestling Golden Grand Prix in Azerbaijan, Odunayo Adekuoroye believes the experience she garnered has helped to improve her confidence in readiness for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Having narrowly missed out from clinching gold medal after giving the eventual winner a tough challenge, 2015 World Championship gold medalist admitted that the mistake she made caused her highest medal in Baku.
“I think I should have claimed the gold medal because when I fought the eventual winner, United States’Hellen Marolis in the quarterfinal, the fight was a bit close but I made an error and this gave her an edge over me despite scoring same points. I must also confess that taking part in tournament like this would help me in readiness for the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil as most of the fighters I have been competing with are my possible opponents in Rio,” she told NationSport from Baku at the weekend.
The African champion however, said that her confidence for the Olympic Games continue to grow with the kind of exposure she has been having even before the Rio Olympics. “I think I am gaining more confidence now and by the time the Olympics will hold, my confidence level would have been better than this,” she added.
Adekuoroye, who will be taking part in the lucrative Indian League this month, is itching for more action in order to be at par with her foreign counterparts when it comes to exposure.
To make the podium in Baku, Adekuoroye humbled European Games champion, Anjela Doroqan 10-0 to settle for bronze medal.
Meanwhile, National coach, Purity Akuh, believes attending more tournaments would surely be the athletes in good frame of mind and mood for the Olympic Games.
“I think our athletes need this kind of tournament to be able to gain confidence as well as to get the needed exposure for the Olympics qualifiers in Algeria come 2016,” Akuh, who will be accompanying Adekuoroye to India, told NationSport.
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Tributes as 47th Asoju Oba serves off Nov. 30
The good deeds of late Sir Molade Okoya-Thomas cum his immense contribution to sports development in Nigeria overshadowed the press conference to herald the kick off of the 47th edition of the annual table tennis championship tagged Asoju Oba Cup. The competition serves off on November 30 to December 4 at the Sir Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of the Teslim Balogun Stadium.
From the Chairman, Lagos State Sports Commission, Deji Tinubu to virtually all the dignitaries that graced the briefing, it was moment of tributes for the late industrialist, who remained the longest sponsor of a sporting event in Nigeria.
The quality of the personalities that attended the event attested to the fact the departed business mogul remained in the heart of those who loved him.
Also some of the players that had featured and won the tournament since inception in the 1960s could not hide their feeling over the good deeds of Okoya-Thomas.
According to Deji Okoya-Thomas, this year’s tournament would be unique being the first in the last 46 years that the initiator and sponsor would not be addressed.
Reminiscing on his late father’s wish, he said: “One of his greatest wishes while alive was that the family should continue the sponsorship of the tournament after his demise. We would therefore like to give God all the glory for giving us the enablement to continue this noble legacy.”
He however, added: “From this year, the name of the tournament has been changed from Asoju Oba Table Tennis Championship to Asoju Oba Molade Okoya-Thomas Table Tennis Championship.”
As usual, 22 titles would be at stake with the para event making its third presence at the tournament.
For the chairman of Lagos State Sports Commission, Deji Tinubu, the state would continue to support the legacy of the initiator of the tournament. He however, pledged that the commission would unveil its contribution to this year’s edition soon.
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Adekuoroye, Oborududu get opponents for Wrestling Grand Prix
As the United World Wrestling (UWW)-organised Golden Grand Prix begins today in Azerbaijan, Nigeria’s flag bearers, Odunayo Adekuoroye and Blessing Oborududu will get to know their opponents in the women’s 53kg and 68kg of the women’s freestyle event.
The men’s freestyle events kick-start the championship at the Baku Sports Hall with winners in the eight events to be decided today, while the draw for the women’s freestyle event will be conducted today in the presence of coaches and leader of delegations to the competition.
Nigeria’s coach to the tournament, Purity Akuh told NationSport from Baku that the athletes are eager to enter the ring as they intensify their training since touching down in the Asian nation on Wednesday.
“The time in Baku is three hours ahead of Nigeria and it is a bit cold out here. But my athletes are used to this as we going for our second training later today. Everybody is fully ready and it promises to be explosive as the world’s best are here in Baku to test might with one another at the end-of-the-year championship,” Akuh said.
Oborududu, 2012 London Olympic Games quarterfinal will be competing against top wrestlers likes Russia’s Valeria Lazinskaya, European Games champion; Ukraine’s Yulia Tkach , 2014 world champion; Belarus’ Maria Mamashuk, 2014 European runner-up and Latvia’s Anastasija Grigorjeva, who is double European champion.
Like Oborududu, Adekuoroye will be battling for honours against 12 times world champion, Japan’s Saori Yoshida; and two-times runner’s up at the world championship, Sweden’s Sofia Mattsson and double Asian champion, China’s Zhong Xuechun.
24 events will be competed for at the tournament taking place at the Baku Sports Hall with winner in each event carting home $10,000 while runner’s up gets $5,000. The third place athletes will get $2,000 each. For coaching the eventual winners, the coaches of the winners will get $2,000 for their efforts.
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Quadri inspires Morez to first win in French League
- Gives up on title chase
The atmosphere was tensed and both teams knew what was at stake but it was Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri that saved the day for Jura Morez as the team claimed their first win to steer off relegation zone in the premiership division of the French Table Tennis League.
Being the sixth match of the league, Morez are rooted on the bottom of the league table having lost all their previous five matches but things changed for better on Tuesday after Quadri and Wang Zhen performance in the encounter against Rouen took the team from the bottom of the league table.
From the start of the tie, Zhiwen He Cheng could not withstand Jesus Cantero Juncal as the Chinese-born Spaniard lost 7-11, 12-10, 13-11, 9-11 to give Rouen a 1-0lead.
However, Quadri restored the match for Morez as he battered Tan Ruiwu 11-9, 11-8, 12-10. Wang Zhen increased the lead for Morez as he overcame compatriot Shi Wei Dong 11-7, 12-10, 10-12, 11-6.
As an inspiration to the team, Quadri took the lead beyond their opponent as he was stretched to limit by Jesus Cantero Juncal but it was the 2014 ITTF Star Player that have an edge with 3-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-7, 12-10 win.
Despite Zhiwen second loss, Wang Zhen completed the 4-2 rout by Morez as he walloped Tan Ruiwu 11-9, 11-6, 11-3 to give Morez overall 4-2.
According to Quadri, the win has taken the pressure off the team. “There was a little sign of relief after our first league win last night. It was not an easy win for us as both teams fought harder for about four hours. The fans were so happy for the win. I was so happy last night for contributing to team success. I felt so great for winning two matches for my team as well and this will not get to my head as I will continue working harder. After losing first five matches, it’s going to be very difficult to contest for the title but we are not losing hope. Our focus now is to keep improving individually in order not to relegate,” he admitted.
He added: “The win means that we are going out of relegation zone step by step and we will surely remain in first league. It also means that we are now moving to position nine from position 10.”
The Oyo State-born athlete admitted that playing in the French league would surely improve his game. “I must confess, there is a big difference, French league comprises of top 100 players of the world while Portuguese league has no player in top 100 except me.
Playing in the league has really improved my game step by step.
Here in France nobody is sure of victory against any player but in Portugal I am always sure of victory against some certain players.”“My target is to lift the team more than their position last season.
One of my targets is also to give my best and convince the team fans and team president in order to have another opportunity to play in the same team next season. Another target is to win above 50 percent in my matches and I really believe that it’s very possible as am now getting used to the system of play in French league,” he explained. -
Siasia mother’s kidnap: Family decries neglect
- Pleads for coach to focus on national assignment
Ten days after gunmen kidnapped Madam Ogere Siasia, mother of ex-international and current coach of the Nigeria Under 23 national team, Dream Team IV, Samson Siasia, at Odoni Community of Sagama Local Council in Bayelsa State, the family is yet to meet up with the demand of the kidnappers while they plead with the government not to abandon the family in its trying period.
According to a sibling of the coach, Dennis Siasia, the family is yet to hear from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Bayelsa State Government as well as the Federal Government on the fate of their mother as the kidnappers insist on a N60m ransom.
Contacted by NationSport, Dennis said: “It is disheartening that the NFF has not deemed it fit to get in touch with the family since the incident happened last week. They were only talking to Samson, who is far away in Gambia for national assignment, and, for us, we think this is not the appropriate thing to do as this might distract the coach from doing his job. For now, it is only the family they are supposed to have contacted because the coach is not here and they just need to leave him to focus on his duty because if the team fails to qualify they will blame him.
“The last time we spoke to the kidnappers was on Saturday, when they said they would bury Mama if we failed to meet their demand and we told them that we don’t have the kind of money they are requesting for as we were only able to raise N600, 000, from their voice, they were angry. As at this morning (Tuesday) they have not called and we have not heard from them. Although we spoke to Mama and I think she is okay.”
The younger Siasia, however, acknowledged the efforts of the Bayelsa State Commissioner of Police and the Director of the Directorate of State Security (DSS) since the incident occurred. “I must tell you that the CP and DSS Director have been working with the family on this and this has been how far we had gone. I must let them realise that Samson has served this country as a player, and now he is a coach on national assignment in Gambia and I don’t think he needs any distraction for now in Gambia.”
Last Monday, three gunmen abducted Mrs Ogere Siasia at their family house in Bayelsa and whisked her away on a motorcycle.
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“We’re not going to make up numbers in Azerbaijan”
As the five-man Nigerian team departs today to Azerbaijan for the United World Wrestling (UWW)-organised Golden Grand Prix, African champion, Blessing Oborududu believes their presence in Baku would surely count.
As the continent’s best ranked wrestlers, Oborududu and Odunayo Adekuoroye will represent Nigeria at the end-of-year UWW-organised Golden Grand Prix in Baku and they team is expected to be led by the Secretary General of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF), Segun Oguntade as well as the hander of the team, Purity Akuh and a medical personnel.
Oborududu, a quarter-finalist at the 2012 London Olympic Games will be competing in the 63kg of the women’s freestyle event while her compatriot, Adekuoroye will battle for honours in the 53kg of the women’s freestyle as well.
A confident Oborududu told NationSport yesterday that she would be going to Baku to add up the number of participants as she is hoping to make it to the podium.
“My target is to make it to the medal spot because I don’t just want to go there and make up the numbers. It is high time I asserted myself at global level because I have dominated the game in Africa and I must also prove myself at global stage,” she said.
However, the 300 level undergraduate of the Niger Delta University will contend with top wrestlers likes Russia’s Valeria Lazinskaya, European Games champion; Ukraine’s Yulia tkach , 2014 world champion; Belarus’ Maria Mamashuk, 2014 European runner-up and Latvia’s Anastasija Grigorjeva, who is double European champion.
Like Oborududu, Adekuoroye, who has already booked her place in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games after finishing in third place at the 2015 World Championship, is optimistic that they can replicate the feat they achieved at the 2015 African Games in Baku.
Like her compatriot, Adekuoroye will face a herculean task as she has to battle for laurel against 12 times world champion, Japan’s Saori Yoshida; and two-times runner’s up at the world championship, Sweden’s Sofia Mattsson and double Asian champion, China’s Zhong Xuechun.
24 events will be competed for at the tournament taking place at the Baku Sports Hall with winner in each event carting home $10,000 while runner’s up gets $5,000. The third place athletes will get $2,000 each. For coaching the eventual winners, the coaches of the winners will get $2,000 for their efforts.
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Quadri leads Morez’s relegation battle in French League
Despite spirited efforts by 2014 ITTF Star Player, Aruna Quadri to inspire Morez Jura’s charge for title in the elite French Table Tennis League, the Nigerian will however, today leads the team’s relegation battle in today’s encounter against Rouen.
From the five league matches played by Morez Jura this season, the team is yet to record any victory despite Quadri’s fine form in all his matches.
Twice, the team was unlucky to lose 4-2 in their previous matches and they will have to redouble their efforts as they begin quest to escape been relegated to the lower division.
Morez Jura is now rooted at the bottom of the league table with five points while Pontoise-Cergy tops with 15 points.
A determined Quadri told NationSport yesterday that the team is poised to record its first victory in the league this season. “We are confined to win this match because our fans are really looking forward to the victory. We have been unlucky in our previous matches and tomorrow (today) we will ensure we give our fans the excitement they have been looking forward to since the season started few months ago,” Quadri said.
The 2015 African Games silver medalist added: “I think playing in the French league has really exposed me to a lot of new techniques in the game. I must admit that it is only the best that plays in the league because some of the world’s best are plying their trade in the league.
“It has not been easy at all because everybody is playing good and for me, my team is still in contention for the title but for now we must battle to remain in the top division. The match against Rouen is a must win for us and I am sure we will win.”
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Glitz and Glamour At 2015 Nigerian Sports Award
- as Sports Minister Commends Organizers
Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalong has described the Nigerian Sports Award as the best way to reward sportsmen and women who have distinguished themselves in this country and make Nigeria proud.
Dalong made the statement at his first official outing since his appointment as minister during the award ceremony held on Friday at the Marquee, Oceanview, Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Dalong who admitted that the reward system in this society of ours has been consigned to materialism, commended the vision of the organizers for their initiative to recognize talents, contributions, skills and performances of the distinguished sportsmen and women through the award.
The Jos-born administrator added that the establishment of the Nigerian Sports Award has developed a society where the reward system is functional.
“I am very elated from what I have seen here and we would improve on it. My passion as a person is that we should be able to develop a society where the reward system is functional. I believe a society without an effective reward system is a society destined to doom,” Dalong said.
“Of course, in this society of ours the reward system was consigned to materialism. You are not recognizing because of your consistent, you are not recognized because of your talent, you’re not recognize because of your skills but you’re recognize by the size of your pocket. Indeed, that has contributed immensely in destroying the progress of the country. And here stands the viability of the vision of organizers of this award, which we are all gathered here to recognize excellence.
“We are here to recognize the talents, the contribution, the skills and performances of our sportsmen and women who have distinguished themselves in this country and make Nigeria proud. This was made possible with the organizers of this award, which is commendable. Sports we all know is one of the basic instruments that can unify not only the country but also the whole world,” he stated.
At the end of the award distinguished sportsmen and women was recognized with awards.
The FIBA 2015 MVP Chamberlain Oguchi emerged Ball Sportsperson of the Year, for helping National Basketball team, D’ Tigers won the just concluded FIBA Africa tournament. He defeated Aruna Quadri and Olumide Oyedeji.
Are Feyisetan, Nigerian Powerlifting Coach, beat off a stiff competition from the National Men’s Basketball team, William Voight and the Women Cycling Coach, Bashir Mohammed to be crowned the Coach of the Year category.
Kelechi Nwanaga (Javeline) was handed the Discovery of the Year award at the expense of Awoniyi Taiwo (Footballer) and Amusan Tobiloba.
In the football category, Super Eagles captain Ahmed Musa was named the Footballer of the Year (Men) ahead of Odion Ighalo, and the Sunshine Stars striker, Tunji Adeniji while Ngozi Okobi dethrone Asisat Oshoala to emerge the Footballer of the Year (Women) category.
World record breakers at the just concluded All African Games, Yakubu Adesokan went home with double awards of the Special Sport Person of the Year and the Sports Man of the Year.Loveline Obiji humbles Balqis Otunla and Lovina Onyegbule to emerge the Sports Woman of the year.
The Director General (DG) of the National Sports Commission, Yakmut Al-Hassan was named the Sports Administrators of the Year category ahead of the President of the Nigerian Wrestling Federation, Daniel Igali.
For the School Sports Award, Eyeanugie Primary School, Edo state emerged the winner while Nigerian Men Basketball Award team, D’Tigers, was named the Team of the Year category.
Tosin Oke (Triple Jump), a gold medalist at the just concluded All African Games overpower Kelechi Nwanaga (Javeline) and Uke Claire (Discuss), for the Track and Field Star of the year while Balqis Otunla conquered Mariam Usman for the weightlifter of the Year award.
For the Sport Journalist of the Year (Print) category, Tana Aiyejina of The Punch Newspaper retained the award after he triumph over Oludare Shina of Goal.com, Johnny Edwards Complete Sports and Kayode Ogundare i-Soccer while Ganiyu Yusuf of the Complete Sport was named the Photo Journalist of the year ahead of Bola Omilabu of the Nation/ SportingLife Newspaper, John Ebota of The Nation, Segun Ogunfeyintimi and Akeem Salawu of The Vanguard Newspaper for.
The Radio Sport Journalist of the Year went to Chinasa Ibonye, City FM after a competition from last year winner Godwin Enakhena, Top Radio, Murphy Djemba of Brila FM, and Udeme George, Love FM, Abuja while Austin Okon -Akpan of Channels TV emerged Sport Journalist of the Year (Television) after surmounting pressure from Miyen Akiri of Galaxy TV, and Moses Praiz of Supersports.
The Special recognition award category goes to the President of the Nigerian Boxing Federation, Major General Kenneth Minimah and the 2015 World Scrabble Champion, Wellington Jighere.