The Nation Newspaper

Tag: sports

  • Administrator seeks women participation in sports

    The administrator, Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School, Lagos Rev. Sister Patricia Oguejiofor has traced the disparity in women participation in sports as against men to myth, societal perception and lack of family support.

    She spoke at the school’s 24th inter-House Sports at the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) Sports Complex.

    She blamed the African culture, which she said, sees physical activity as the exclusive preserve of the men, while stigmatising or ostracising women with similar interest.

    “Here I recall with nostalgia an aunt of mine who could not marry due to her male-like strength, agility and power. I could recall that no man dared challenge her for she would silence anyone who tried it,” she said while fleshing up her claim.

    Debunking the age-long myth that sports and exercise were harmful to the woman reproductive system, Oguejiofor argued that such fallacious claim have relegated women’s participation in sports to the background for ages.

    “But the truth is, childbirth is easier and delivery is faster for women who identify with sports during pregnancy. Support in the form of spiritual, moral and financial aspects of life which are vital to success in sports will rather be given to the male child than the girl child. We are glad that things are getting better now,” she said.

    Sister Oguejiofor said sports are veritable instruments for societal change and self-actualisation as they entertain, foster unity, healthy living and are channels for the demonstration of youthful exuberances.

    Special guest of honour, Mr Laolu Oguntuyi, described sports as a balanced way of promoting mental and physical development among youths.

    According to Oguntuyi, a Director at the Lagos State Technical and Vocational Board (LASTVEB), an ideal school must possess good sporting besides teaching and learning, noting that sports is an avenue through which the government can nurture future talents that will represent the country at international sporting activities.

    “The physical body and minds of children are developed during sporting activities, while young talents are also discovered in the process,” Oguntuyi added.

    At the events, White House came first with six gold medals, six silver and two bronze medals, while Red House which came second got six gold, five silver and seven bronze medals and the third position went to Green House with five gold, three silver and four bronze medals.

  • Administrative hypocrisy in sport

    Today I would like us to take a closer look at one of the fundamental problems associated with our sport. This problem is not common to sport administration alone but I can say categorically that it is well rooted within sport management circles. To say the least, we have had occasions where some people have beclouded the judgment of sport managers through advancing the act of hypocrisy at the expense for right and sane judgment.

    I’m disturbed about this age-long trend that has become trendy in our sports circles, a situation where people who ordinarily should know the truth are preoccupied with subverting the truth, all in the interest of gaining favour from sport administrators. Most times they defend what is not even logical and due to their selfish and parochial interest a combined factor that has the capacity to destroy the entire fabric of the sport sector

    More annoying is the fact that this same set of people are either appointed into committees or even mandated to oversee a given sport federation or programme as a way of compensation. Their objective is to survive through hypocrisy by enriching themselves with whatever they can grab from sports. They are the people I refer to as sport parasites, never adding any value to the sector.

    Sport managers are to be very careful in identifying this calibre of people. You may ask me how we can identify them from genuine and committed individuals and my answer is simple. When you have a person who tells you what is always music to your ears and is not contributing in any way to the advancement of your sport, I will say beware of such people.

    The danger in this trend is that when these people fail to achieve their aims, you will notice that they will constitute themselves as enemies of progress and destroyers of the system. They will form various alliances of opposition to fight those administering sports and the fight can be in different forms, ranging from court litigations, petitions, impeachment attempts or seeing to the transfer of the concerned officer and in most cases outright blackmail

    These people are the unnecessary evil bedeviling our sport and distorting the growth and development of our sector. Most times we have been able to witness that even in the committee of sport managers there are some who strive in hypocrisy because they feel that they are not secure due to their inefficiency.

    The crux of the matter therefore is for us to ask why the need for such attitude in our sport sector. And to a large extent, we also need to begin to identify the kind of people that we give certain responsibilities to in our sport as we can no longer sit down as professionals and allow hypocritical tendencies to strive and hold sway in our sporting environment.

    Let me also say that there should be a well defined criteria adopted by sport managers to use as a guide for their engagement of people into certain critical responsibilities in sport. We should no longer accommodate people who are not having any responsible form of livelihood to hijack the machinery of our sport mechanism.

    The greatest problems we have encountered in our various sport federations and commissions as well as clubs have been caused by people who have no business in sport and who know next to nothing about sport, but have succeeded in making their way through the corridors of power to pollute the minds of top sport managers, who in turn have blindly appointed them into strategic sections of our sport.

    A very good example is evident in the recently conducted sport federations’ board elections in which some people were elected into boards of sport federations. It is instructive to note that I was very shocked when I saw some people contesting for elections into one board or the other and I ask myself, where are the professionals and those who have genuine interest at heart to administer sport? My answer was not farfetched as I can clearly see that these people are all victims of negative critics, a combination of hypocrisy.

    Some of the boards that were elected have not been able to meet since the election, yet you want sport to be developed. While we cannot take it away from some others that are working hard to improve the lot of their given sport, thus by implication winning laurels for the country, we cannot say same about some other sport federations.

    More important is the failure of such a system to develop any tangible structure within Nigeria and this has been the bane of the retarded nature of Nigerian sport development locally, because we have purported policy makers without the attendant knowledge to drive the sector.

    We need to speak and act in a way that will reflect our collective desire to position sport as an economic tool for empowering Nigerians.

  • Amstel Malta partners Nigerian Sports Award

    • Keshi, Maigari, others to attend ceremony.

    With barely 48 hours to the award ceremony of the second edition of the Nigerian Sports Award, the organisers have received a major boost from Amstel Malta – a leading low sugar malt drink brand in Nigeria.

    Speaking on the development, the General Manager, Unmissable Incentives Limited, the organisers of the award, Kayode Idowu described the coming on board of the leading malt drink brand as a major boost for the award.

    Idowu declared that the broadcast support deal with Amstel Malta was brokered by the Mitchell Obi and Ejiro Omonode led MasterSports International, the technical partner for the Nigerian Sports Award.

    ”The Amstel Malta support for the Nigerian Sports Award, especially coming at the crucial stage of the award is a welcome development and a great relief to the company that have been bankrolling the project since inception,” he said.

    Commending Amstel Malta and Nokia for being the first two brands to identify with the Nigerian Sports Award out of the numerous brands and corporate organisations in Nigeria, Idowu called on other sports loving brands and corporate organisations to come on board and support the award.

    Meanwhile, dignitaries and top shots in the sports circuit in Nigeria have started confirming their attendance for the event. The President of the Nigerian Football Federation, Aminu Maigari who is a nominee for the Sports Administrator of the Year award alongside Solomon Ogba, President, Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and the Chairman of Delta State Sports Commission, Amaju Pinnick.

    Portugal based table tennis player, Aruna Qadri who is nominated for the Ball Sports Personality of the Year has also confirmed to fly into the country all the way from his base to attend the award ceremony.

    Also confirmed for the award ceremony are the two nominees for the Coach of the Year award, Super Eagles Coach, Stephen Keshi and the U-17 World Cup winning coach of the Golden Eaglets, Manu Garba who is based in Gombe State.

    The Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Gbenga Elegbeleye and the Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi are expected to be at the event.

    Kayode Idowu called on invited guests, nominees and the media partners to endeavour to be at the Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos, venue of the event by 5pm tomorrow as the event will start as scheduled because it will be beamed live on AIT Networks.

  • Chrisantus: I love looking simple and stylish

    Chrisantus: I love looking simple and stylish

    Style, they say, is the man.

    In fact, Lexa Doig, Canadian TV and movie actress weighed in on the question of style and men, saying:”Men with style are great because they have a sense of self.”

    She may probably have had the likes of Nigerian Unión Deportiva Las Palmas’ striker, Macauley Chrisantus, in mind after he spoke glowingly about his penchant for simple and stylish clothes.

    Chrisantus has really come of age after representing Nigeria at the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Korea where he emerged as the tournament’s top scorer with seven goals and was awarded the adidas Silver Ball as the second Most Valuable Player.

    He immediately joined German club, Hamburg, in 2007 from Abuja FC. In 2009, he was loaned to Karlsruhe SC where he later spent three seasons before berthing at Spanish Segunda side based in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria – in the autonomous community of Canary Islands.

    But when it comes to what-to-wear and how-to-wear matter, Chrisantus is indeed his own man as he hinted in this frank conversation with The Nation Sport & Style.

    “I have a sense of dressing that is typical of the Europeans; simple and stylish,” he said. “I love simple dressing and appearing cute and responsible.

    “I am not used to flashy things because appearing flashy does not mean you are a man of style.

    I just love looking good as simple as possible and every other thing is immaterial.”

    Being a man of style of course could warrant an undue attention from the opposite sex, but Chrisantus stated that he knows how to keep things in proper shape, adding that being single is not a liberty to be loose

    “Yes, I agree with you that ladies like a guy that dresses well but I don’t get carried away with that,” he said with a sense of finality. “I treat everybody equally, whether you are a man or a woman is not necessary.

    “When you come to a country like Spain thinking it is their female fans that would thrill you to play, that means you are not ready.  I’m taking a cue from star players like David Beckham who is one of the handsome footballers.

    “Yet, he is not carried away despite the fact that he is considered one of the most stylish men all over the world. So why should I be carried away because ladies appreciate what I wear?’’

    Chrisantus’ career may not have blossomed as widely expected soon after his goals led Nigeria to her third FIFA Under-17 World Cup crown six years ago, but he is upbeat that there is light around the tunnel as he speaks on sundry issues. Excerpts…

    German adventure after U-17 World Cup

    I have never regretted any decisions I have made in my life. Instead, I will give God the glory for always being there in the time of trouble. A footballer’s career is up and down, the up maybe much more than the down side but the ultimate thing is to keep the faith and be focussed about my dream and aspirations. And that has really worked well for me. I was actually in good form when I moved to Hamburg but things changed when I got there. Yes, I have conquered so many problems and I’m now mature in handling the challenges of life

    My injury setback

    There is no way you could run from injury except you are not ready to play the game. It can happen anytime; it can be tougher than expected but the secret to conquer is to remain confident about your dreams and always think about it. I had some many dreams when I moved to Germany but I couldn’t realise much because it was a challenging phase for me. But thank God, I was able to conquer before I left. I can say injury slowed me down, but in other ways it has made me stronger because I am still much very ready to hit my world.

    Sunshine in Spain

    Like in Germany, Spain is another lovely country to live. I enjoyed virtually everything in Germany when it comes to football facilities and life off the pitch. It’s also great here in Spain. I don’t go beyond my boundary. In my club, everybody loves to see me, we relate as if I have been there for years and that is the way football should be. So life is good for me in Spain and I hope to keep making wave.

    Between Germany and Spain

    I think German life is easier than Spanish but they are both lovely places to play irrespective of anything. In Germany, you get everything easier and the language is easy to communicate but as a newcomer here in Spain, I’m still in the learning process.

    Twelve goals in first season

    I think I settled well by scoring such amount of goals in my first season. Going by my form that time, I had every reason to score close to at least 20 goals; but I think I missed some games due to rotational policy at the club, but generally it was a perfect season for me. Apart from my personal ability, I think much had to do with my team mates who made the passes for me to score. You can now see why I said it’s been lovely for me here.

    La Liga play-off agony

    I will describe that scenario as ill-luck. We played a good game and dominated the game but at the end our opponents were very fortunate. And that was the most interesting part of football. People say the best team won in such cases. It was a painful one for the entire team but personally I still see it as another challenge, maybe we need to work harder next time. But it was a big lesson, despite that I scored in the last play off, I felt like crying. But what can I do than to look up to the next opportunity.

    Goals still counting…

    I don’t want to set a goal target for myself but I want to keep scoring. I started the season with a goal and I intend to build more in my confidence to score as many as possible this season.

    La Liga, my big dream

    I can play anywhere in the top leagues. I have live in Germany and I succeeded with their life, so I can live comfortable anywhere I find myself. I may not know where I will be playing next but God has done everything perfectly. You can’t go beyond what your creator has done for you. Everything is still about destiny, but prayer works than power. I wish to play in La Liga either with Palmas or any other big team. I have what it takes to play there; I am looking forward to such big dream soon. There are offers in La Liga and other leagues. The God that I’m serving is at work. There are offers in La Liga but how concrete are they? I will not speak more than that but my future is with God and which would be sorted out before next summer.

    Super Eagles beckon

    I don’t need to blow my trumpet before the coach knows that I am ripe enough for a shirt in the Super Eagles. The coach doesn’t need to invite me by my past performance or media hype, I will request for my own invitation to the coach and NFF with my performance. That is the only way I want to be in the Super Eagles. I have been tipped for greatness by the people of my country and I still owe a big debt to live up to their expectations. I am getting closer to the national team but only God knows the time.

     

    The hype of being Rashid Yekini

    As I said before, I don’t need hype; I want my game to speak for me. To the blessed memory of the great Rashid Yekini, I have said it times without number that the new Rashid will be a player that has a career in the Super Eagles. You can’t start comparing me with Rashid who played for the Super Eagles. And the truth of the matter is that Rashid was Rashid; the new one is not yet discovered or born. So, I am not.

     

    Life off the pitch

     

    I always like to stay with my friends if I don’t go to training or matches. And I still spend some time on my fitness. I spent lots of time in the gym to build more on my fitness and look trim when need be. I always examine my fitness rate almost every day. Apart from that, I listen to music and also read my Bible a lot.

     

     

    PROFILE

    Macauley Chrisantus

    Full name            Macauley Chrisantus

    Date of birth      20 August 1990 (age 23)

    Place of birth     Abuja, Nigeria

    Height   1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)

    Playing position  Striker

    Current club       Las Palmas

    Youth career

    2007 to Hearts of Abuja

    2007–2008           Hamburger SV

    Senior career*

    Years     Team     Apps†

    2008       Hamburger SV II

    2008–2012           Hamburger SV

    2011–2012: FSV Frankfurt

    2012–    Las Palmas

    National team‡

    2007       Nigeria U17

  • Babangida eyes big signing for Taraba FC

    Taraba FC Chairman, Tijani Babangida, is hoping to reinforce his team with some more experienced Nigerian Premier league players before the kick-off of the new season.
    The former Ajax Amsterdam wing wizard who had fulfilled his mandate by promoting Taraba FC to the Nigerian Premier League believes that with four or five more experienced players , the team will settle well in the top league and plead to the government to back the team for more successful campaigns.
    “When you have the opportunity to compete in the big league, all you need to focus on is to settle well and try to remain in the league for another season. Our focus again now is to sustain the momentum in the top league so that we can dream of more ambitious campaign,” said Babangida.
    “I think signing more experienced players at various positions will be more ideal to our dreams. We have bigger dreams but only motivation and diligence can really help us. I believe if we are really motivated, we will remain in the league because there are no ways we will not be playing better. FC Taraba will be a team to learn in the premier league.”
    Taraba FC have clinched promotion to the Nigeria Premier League with a hard-fought 1 – 0 victory over the already promoted Giwa FC on the final day of the National League.
  • Ahmed Musa scores in CSKA win

    Ahmed Musa scores in CSKA win

    Nigeria international, Ahmed Musa on Sunday  scored the winner for CSKA Moscow to beat visiting Kuban Krasnodar and take them to the top of the Russian league.
    CSKA Moscow lead the table with 11 points from five matches pending the outcome of other games later on Sunday.
    Former JUTH FC and Kano Pillars star Ahmed Musa told MTNFootball.com he is delighted with his match winner.
    “I am excited with the goal, it was an important one for us as we won the game. I will keep doing my best for my club to see that we win our games. I am just doing my job to the best of my ability. It was not an easy match,” he said.
    Ahmed Musa returned to Russia to join his team on Friday night after helping Nigeria to beat South Africa in a friendly on Wednesday.
    He grabbed the match winner in the 11th minute for his third goal in five games this season.
     Last season, Ahmed Musa’s CSKA won the league and cup double. 
     
  • Sports commisioner thanks 3SC supporters

    Sports commisioner thanks 3SC supporters

    Oyo State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Mr. Adedapo Lam-Adesina has thanked supporters and fans of Shooting Stars for keeping faith in the team during the trying period, promising that things will get even better with the Oluyole Warriors.

    The Commissioner said this shortly after Shooting Stars demolished Kano Pillars by three goals to one at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba Ibadan with goals from Kingsley Ediwo and Akinbinu Samuel.

    Mr. Lam-Adesina said just as he promised, the win is the beginning of many good things to come for the team now that he is fully on ground. He re-assured the fans that he will continue to do his best to ensure things get even better as he is giving Shooting Stars utmost priority.

    He called on the fans and supporters to keep praying for the team to win their remaining matches.

    The Commissioner said the win over top team like Kano Pillars was a good way to announce the resurgence of Shooting Stars while urging the players and technical crew to keep up the momentum.

    The team, he said will not lack necessary support from Oyo State Government in their quest to reclaim their lost glory.

  • Enyimba vs 3SC highlights Round of 16 fixtures

    Enyimba vs 3SC highlights Round of 16 fixtures

    Six time Nigeria league winners Enyimba International of Aba have been drawn against Shooting Stars (3SC) of Ibadan in the Round of 16 of the 2013 Federations Cup.
    The Aba Millionaires defeated lower division side Remo Stars FC 2-1 in the Round of 32 game played on Wednesday in Lokoja, while the Oluyole Warriors beat hard fighting JUTH FC 1-0 in Minna to book a Round of 16 ticket.
    Another top clash in this round will see Federation Cup holders Heartland of Owerri were also handed a tough draw against Port Harcourt based Sharks FC, while it will be all Northern affair as Nigeria Premier League Champions Kano Pillars slug it out with Gombe United.
    All games to be played on Saturday July 24th with centers to be announced later.
    Round of 16 fixtures:
    Enyimba Int’l vs Shooting Stars
    ABS FC vs Lobi Stars
     Kano Pillars vs Gombe Utd
     Heartland vs Sharks FC
     Akwa Utd vs Rangers Int’l.
     Niger Tornadoes vs Warri Wolves
     Nasarawa Utd vs Sunshine Stars
    Akwa Starlets vs Abia Warriors
  • FCTA on grassroots sports talent hunt

    FCTA on grassroots sports talent hunt

    The FCT Administration has launched a sports talent hunt in all 62 wards of the Federal Capital Territory in preparation for the National Youth Games.

    FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed made this disclosure in Abuja while meeting with some senior officials of the FCT Sports Department.

    The Minister said the new programme which is tagged “Know, Understand and Appreciate the Game” is being driven by the Social Development Secretariat under direct supervision of the FCT Minister of State, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, would be used to identify talented youths in preparation for the National Youth Games being contemplated by the National Sports Commission.

    His words: “The programme will compliment the ‘Athletes of Hope,” an inter-collegiate athletics championship that began in the Federal Capital Territory since 2006.”

    Mohammed recalled that at the recently concluded National Sports Festival, held in the last quarter of 2012 in Lagos, a total of 148 athletes represented the Federal Capital Territory and earned the FCT the 12th position out of the 36th states and FCT, adding that the FCT contingent won 7 Gold, 12 Silver and 10 Bronze.

    The Minister remarked that the FCT Administration has been able to upgrade the Basket Court at the Garki Area 10 Sports Complex into a modern synthetic court.

    According to him, other courts at the complex such as Squash Hall, Badminton, Gymnasium and a host of others have either been upgraded or being constructed.

    He revealed that a multipurpose sports hall planned for the complex since 1992 is being revisited with a view of completing it in earnest.

    Senator Mohammed disclosed that the hall when completed would provide for 8 marshal-arts or combats games and 5 team games respectively.

    ”The Games are Boxing, Gymnastics, Judo, Taekwondo, Karate, Kick-boxing, Kung-fu and Wrestling. Others are Badminton, Basketball, Handball, Table Tennis and Volleyball respectively”, he added.

    The Minister noted that for the first time, special funds have been set aside by the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory for the construction of Sports Centres at their respective headquarters.

  • WYC: Flying Eagles qualifies for Round of 16

    WYC: Flying Eagles qualifies for Round of 16

    The Flying Eagles of Nigeria qualified for the Round of 16 at the ongoing FIFA U-20 championship in Turkey courtesy of a one nil victory over South Korea. The only goal of the game was scored in the ninth minutes of the encounter by Olanrewaju Kayode.

    The Flying Eagles dominated the game but as evident in their previous two matches, they failed to convert numerous chances. The team will play the second-place side from Group F in the next round.

    The Asian will wait on other results to know their future in the tournament.