The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Participants

  • Football for Friendship Programme: 1,500 participants leave for Moscow in June

    The International Day of Football and Friendship has been celebrated in over 200 cities of the world, with special events to promote friendship, mutual respect and healthy living.

    Ayomide Ayanbunmi a young footballer who is aspiring to be a great player, and Hussain Dikko a young journalist who already blogger and joins in the act of commentary at local football centres, especially in the northern part of the country, will be representing Nigeria in Moscow during the Football for Friendship program as well as during the FIFA World Cup.

    Blessed with soccer talents who have left their imprints on the Nigerian football stage, like Jay Jay Okocha, Kanu Nwankwo, Sunday Oliseh and recently Mikel John Obi amongst others, it goes without saying that her Sporting Media is also very active covering the game both home and abroad. The followership of the round leather game in Nigeria is second to none. These two young lads who were carefully selected, will live with this experience forever and also inspire fellow young people when they return from Moscow with the vast knowledge they will garner at the Football for Friendship program and the FIFA World Cup.

    Thousands of children and adults are participating in friendly matches, open training sessions, flash mobs and sporting events. On this day, everyone who shares such critical human values as equality, respect for different cultures and peaceful co-existence ties a blue-and-green friendship bracelet on his or her wrist as a symbol of the Gazprom’s International Children’s social Programme Football for Friendship.

    The blue thread stands for a peaceful sky, and the green one is a football field open to everyone. The participants had received support from famous footballers, coaches, television hosts, actors and members of government agencies all over the world.

  • 1,500 participants leave for Moscow in June

    The International Day of Football and Friendship has been celebrated in over 200 cities of the world, with special events to promote friendship, mutual respect and healthy living.

    Ayomide Ayanbunmi a young footballer who is aspiring to be a great player, and Hussain Dikko a young journalist who already blogger and joins in the act of commentary at local football centres, especially in the northern part of the country, will be representing Nigeria in Moscow during the Football for Friendship program as well as during the FIFA World Cup.

    Blessed with soccer talents who have left their imprints on the Nigerian football stage, like Jay Jay Okocha, Kanu Nwankwo, Sunday Oliseh and recently Mikel John Obi amongst others, it goes without saying that her Sporting Media is also very active covering the game both home and abroad. The followership of the round leather game in Nigeria is second to none. These two young lads who were carefully selected, will live with this experience forever and also inspire fellow young people when they return from Moscow with the vast knowledge they will garner at the Football for Friendship program and the FIFA World Cup.

    Thousands of children and adults are participating in friendly matches, open training sessions, flash mobs and sporting events. On this day, everyone who shares such critical human values as equality, respect for different cultures and peaceful co-existence ties a blue-and-green friendship bracelet on his or her wrist as a symbol of the Gazprom’s International Children’s social Programme Football for Friendship.

    The blue thread stands for a peaceful sky, and the green one is a football field open to everyone. The participants had received support from famous footballers, coaches, television hosts, actors and members of government agencies all over the world.

  • FIIRO urges participants on skill acquisition

    FIIRO urges participants on skill acquisition

    The Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO), Lagos  has urged training participants to use their acquired skills and competencies immediately.

    Its Director-General Dr Gloria Elemo made the appeal during the closing ceremony of the Techno-Entrepreneurship Development Training for Ubulu-Uku Youths, Delta State.

    The three-day training was centred on five technologies, including: smoked fish, fruit juice and high quality cassava flour, instant pounded yam flour, bread and confectioneries baking.

    She also urged them not to be deterred by any challenge or barrier they would face while becoming business owners and employers of labour.

    According to her, acquiring a skill is just one of many steps to becoming the entrepreneur of one’s dream; taking a step further to starting the business is another big step. “I can assure you that you will find several reasons why you cannot start now, though some of these reasons cannot be ignored totally, especially start off fund. I want you to know that once there is a will, there will always be a way,” she said.

    She also told them of  a collaboration between the Institute and the Bank of Industry (BoI), a Federal Government-owned development bank charged with funding projects.

    Dr. Elemo told the participants that by taking part in the training, their names have been registered on the institute’s database to be forwarded to the BoI. She added that BoI would aid them in funding their projects, be it small, medium or large scale.

    She also called on the elders of Ubulu-Uku to set up a fund to assist younger generation especially those that are willing to be self reliant and create employment for further generations. She said through such funds, cluster processing centres would be established in collaboration with local and state government to fast track enterprise take off with equipment and machines.

    The FIIRO DG said they could take their raw materials to these centres, process them for a token and market their products until they generate funds for their own equipment.

    She urged some of them that are desirous of starting immediately to take advantage of the contract production scheme of the Institute to enable them forge ahead.

    The DG while congratulating the participants, told them that she was looking forward to reading their stories in the nearest future, in the Institute’s future edition of “250 Successful FIIRO Entrepreneurs: How we made it”.

    A participant, Mr. Mathew Abioye, who showed a lot enthusiasm for the knowledge he acquired in the training, said if local entrepreneurs are encouraged with funding and the necessary infrastructure they have the capacity to reduce the high unemployment rate of youths.

    He encouraged other participants not to lose faith in the country but rather put in their best to make the training worth it.

  • Participants praise SNEPCo junior tennis championship

    Participants praise SNEPCo junior tennis championship

    Some participants at the ongoing SNEPCo Junior Tennis Championship on Friday praised the organisers of the competition for staging age-group tennis competition aimed at sustaining the growth of the sport in the country.

    They told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in separate interviews , that the event was a stepping stone for brighter future for sustained growth of the sport.

    Some of the players, who appeared elated, said they were fortunate to be part of the competition.

    Abamu Martins, an 11th African Games gold medalist in the men’s singles and two-time champion of SNEPCo said the competition was a good initiative for producing future champions. He praised the organisers for contributing to the development of tennis in the country.

    Martins, however, challenged the Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF) to toe a similar line by organising championships that would aim at identifying future talents for the sport.

    “I am happy at this tournament; this is my third time in this competition and I have won twice and am currently playing in the U-18 category. I defeated my last opponent, 6-1 and I am optimistic of winning again this time; If I win again, I will be making history by being a three-time winner of the competition,” Martins said.

    Akintola Kolawole, 18, from Ogun  State  who plays in the U-18 category, expressed happiness at the impressive organisation of the tournament.

    “I am happy at the organisation of the tournament; I lost the last game  6-2 to Yusuf Abeeb but I am confident of improving on my performance in the tournament. I am still confident of making it to the finals,” Kolawole said.

    Oiza Yakubu, 10, from Lanlet Secondary School, Lagos State, noted that the competition had been interesting and the officiating had been good enough.

    “I am glad I am a part of this championship, because it has helped me  improve on my game. I hope the tournament will be sustained as I hope to attend next year’s edition,’’ she said.

    Elegbede Tolulope, 18, from Ijemo-titun High School, Ogun State, said the competition had given him the needed confidence to play in the competition.

    “This is my first time in any competition. I have not participated in a tournament before. I am glad that I am here. The competition has helped me realise that I can play better.

    “It has given me the confidence to aim at becoming a champion. I will be happy if there will be a scholarship attached to the event in place of prize money,’’ he said.

    Ogunshakin Oluwaseun, 6, from Complete Academy, Ado-Ekiti State, said the competition had afforded him  the opportunity of aiming to become a world-class player in future.

    The competition, which is the third edition had no fewer than 150 young players in attendance. The tournament, which commenced on October 12 would end on the 17th.

     

  • Participants to contest for $39,000

    Participants to contest for $39,000

    • Local athletes need exposure, says Enitan

    Organisers of the Lagos Table Tennis Classics unveiled plans for the tournament during a press briefing at the Teslim Balogun Stadium sports bar yesterday

    It was disclosed that about 19 countries will battle for different cash prizes worth $39,000 in total.

    Speaking with reporters, the Lagos State Commisionser for Sports, Wahid Enitan Oshodi said: “The difference between our players and the Egyptians and other countries is that these people attend tournaments.

    “For some of our players who have had that exposure, we have seen the dramatic improvement in their rankings and their style; this propelled them to professional contracts.

    “So, we have the talents here in Nigeria but if you are not playing abroad, you are not playing on the circuit, you are not playing at the African tournament this is what will continue to happen, but in this tournament I have confidence in our players.

    “I have been talking to our coaches, we have the quality of players to win the tournament.”

    He added: “If you look at Toriola he probably has the most medals any Nigerian athlete has ever had, but we are not going to focus on the foreign players. My focus is on the players who are still at home; it’s not possible for a home-based player to win the competition here in Nigeria. Our local players and coaches need to get international exposure, and watch out for Kazim Makonjuola he is a great talent.”

    The tournament starts with the singles’ event from 22nd-23rd for Nigerian players only, while from 26th-31st the singles and doubles’ events will hold.