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Tag: Team Nigeria

  • Accra 2023: Minister urges Team Nigeria to light up tracks

    Accra 2023: Minister urges Team Nigeria to light up tracks

    *Athletics begin today 

    Minister for Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh,  has  expressed his confidence that  Team Nigeria  will shine brightly this week as the track and field events of the ongoing African Games in Ghana begin today. 

    With a formidable contingent of 54 athletes, Nigeria is poised to make a significant impact in the event taking place in Accra.

    Leading the charge for Nigeria is none other than Tobiloba Amusan, the world record holder in the 100m hurdles event. Amusan’s unrivalled dominance on the continent is set to be extended as she seeks to further solidify her legacy in African athletics.

    Ese Brume, another standout athlete, will be aiming to reclaim her title as the ruler of African long jump. Joining them are other esteemed athletes including Ruth Usoro and Favour Ofili, forming a formidable lineup that promises to dazzle spectators and rivals alike. Other equally highly talented athletes also make up the Nigerian list.

    On the men’s side, Enoch Adegoke, Seye Ogunlewe, Alaba Akintola, Ezekiel Nathaniel, Samson Nathaniel, and Chukwuebuka Enekwechi are

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    “I am charging the entire contingent to keep the chase on Egypt, and steer clear of the others behind them,” Senator Enoh stated. “I am sure in athletics, our athletes will bring their A-game and show their dominance.”

    Apart from  the athletics team, Senator Enoh is in Ghana to support and cheer other athletes competing in other events. His support underscores the nation’s commitment to sports development and excellence on the continental stage.

    Nigeria is currently behind Egypt on the medals table. Hopes for more medals are on the horizon as the Games hit another height this week.

  • 12th African Games: Team Nigeria arrive in Abuja to rousing welcome

    Team Nigeria arrived in Abuja to a rousing welcome on Sunday after finishing second overall at the just-concluded 12th African Games in Rabat, Morocco.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the team arrived on Sunday evening via a chartered flight.

    The Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, and other officials were on hand at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport to welcome the athletes and officials.

    Read Also: Team Nigeria claims 2 gold, 3 silver in freestyle wrestling

    Dare commended the contingent for representing the country well and promised them better welfare and preparations for future international competitions.

    Team Nigeria capped a memorable outing in Morocco with a second place finish, behind defending champions Egypt.

    Egypt emerged tops on the medals table with 99 gold, 96 silver and 69 bronze medals, while Nigeria won a total of 121 medals.

    South Africa, Algeria and hosts Morocco complete the top five respectively, after 15 days of sports activities in the North African country.

    The 12th African Games took place from Aug. 19 to Aug. 31.

    Ghana is scheduled to host the next edition in 2023.

    NAN

  • Team Nigeria wins 2 gold medals

    Despite arriving a day before the start of the tournament, Team Nigeria made a winning start at the African U-20 and U-18 championship taking place in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, with two gold medals and a bronze on day one of the competition.

    In the U-18 Men’s High Jump event, Best Erhire Omamuyovwi jumped 2.08m to win the gold medal and also recorded a new Personal Best from his previous record of 2.05m he jumped to win the bronze medal at the National Sports Festival in Abuja in December.

    Onaara Obamuwagun jumped a personal best of 12.78m to win the gold medal in the U-20 women’s triple jump event, while Grace Oshiokpu jumped 11.87m to win the Bronze medal at the U-18 women’s triple jump event.

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    In Wednesday events, Praise Oforku returned a time of 12.14s to win Heat 2 ahead of Charlize Eilerd of South Africa in the Girls’ 100m semis.

    Anita Taviore was second in the Girls’ 100m semis Heat 1 while Nigeria’s Shedrack Akpeki dominated his 400m semis with a time of 47.31s.

    Nigeria’s Enoch Adegoke won the men’s 100m semifinals Heat 1 in 10.59s while Gershon Omubo and Alaba Akintola placed 3rd & 4th respectively in Heat 2. Luke Davids from South Africa won Heat 2 with a time of 10.55s.

  • GoldCoast 2018: We went, saw and conquered – Igali

     

    Team Nigeria may not have topped the overall medal table as the Commonwealth Games came to a close Sunday in Australia, but President of Nigeria Wrestling Federation Daniel Igali, says there is every cause to thank God describing the outing especially that of the wrestlers as impressive.

    The Nigeria Wrestling Team accounted for 33.3% of the medals garnered by Nigeria at the just concluded Games raking in  3 gold, 2 silver and 3 bronze medals.

    An elated Igali whose federation has continued to receive commendation from far and near for constantly seeking ways of keeping the athletes busy round the year, expressed satisfaction with effort of the wrestlers selected to fly the nation’s flag declaring “So proud of this Team!

    Nigeria finished 9th on the medals table with a total of 24 medals made up of 9 gold, 9 silver and 6 bronze. Hosts Australia carted away the medals in basket with a total of 198 medals, 80 gold,59 silver, 59 bronze followed by England with 136 medals,45 gold,45 silver and 46 bronze. India, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Wales, Scotland, Nigeria and Cyprus make up the top 10.

    Five countries ended up gold less and silver less but had a bronze each to show for their participation in the 11-days games.

    They are CookIslands, Ghana, NorfolkIsland, Seychelles and Solomon Islands.

    Nigeria had 12 medals short of the feat recorded at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. At that edition, Team Nigeria finished 8th on the log with 11 gold, 11 Silver and 14 bronze.

    While three African countries made it to the top 10 in 2014 namely South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya, only South Africa and Nigeria made it to the top 10 in Australia. Kenya finished 14th this time with 4 gold, 7 silver and 6 bronze.

     

     

     

     

  • Team Nigeria climbs to 8th position

    Nigeria last night swept to an unprecedented four gold medals and took a giant move to number 8 on the medals table ahead of such big countries like Jamaica, Malaysia, Kenya, and Botswana. South Africa remains the only African country ahead of Nigeria on the table as they maintained their 5th position with 13 Gold, 10 Silver and 12 bronze medals. Nigeria has 8 Gold, 5 Silver and 5 Bronze medals.

    Blessing Oborodudu started a night to remember for Nigeria with a stunning victory in the 68 kg freestyle against Daniella Lappage of Canada winning 3–1 to add to the haul of Nigeria’s precious gold. When Odunayo Adekuroye stepped to the mat, the hall exploded with sporadic applause against her India’s opponent, Pooja Dhunda.

    As they tried themselves for size, tension soared as Odunayo was warned and a point deducted from her. She did not look perturbed. When she finally got a real hold on her, she pinned her to the mat, turned and twisted like a Crocodile overwhelming its prey. The Nigerian garnered five points. As they continued with victory moving towards Nigeria, the Indian in a flash produced a stunning move that saw her amassing five points.

    Odunayo, however, took victory beyond her and ended the glorious night on a victorious note beating her 7–5 to take the gold.

    An overwhelmed coach swept her off her feet and hauled her on his head to celebrate the gold. Odunayo had other ideas. Decked with a Nigerian flag, she danced to what has become a signature dance and the crowd roared in appreciation.

    Oluwatobilola Amusan also won gold in the 100m Women hurdle to keep Nigeria’s flag flying. The gold rush was not over as Suwaibidu Galadima, a Para athlete, capped the night with yet another gold medal in the T47 100 m final.

    Galadima led the field from beginning to finish 11:04secs. The 4 x 100 m Relay men got a bronze medal with a time 38:52secs. Amos Daniel also won a bronze in the Men’s 65 kg Freestyle.

  • 2018 Commonwealth Games: Bamidele’s exit won’t affect Team Nigeria, Adeleye assures

    The Technical Director of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Sunday Adeleye has dismissed the fears that the disappearance of Emmanuel Bamidele from the Abuja camp would affect the performance of the team at next month’s Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia.

    There are indications that Bamidele may have opted to represent Qatar after competing at the national trials where he ran the second best time in the world in men’s 400 metres.

    The record breaking athlete dwarfed his personal best twice at the Commonwealth Games in Abuja having run 45.85s in the semi-finals and then ran 45.28s to win the event ahead of colleagues – Orukpe Erayokan who finished second in 46.40s, and Isah Salihu who finished third in 46.56s.

    Bamidele’s time in the final (45.28s) is the second world leading time after Botswana’s Isaac Makwala time of 45.03secs. While insinuations are rife that Bamidele may have switched allegiance to the oil rich nation of Qatar, the AFN technical director, Sunday Adeleye told NationSport that the athlete absconded from camp.

    “I don’t want to believe he has change nationality to Qatar because he just absconded from camp after the trials and we believe he cannot represent Qatar for now as the transfer window has been closed by the International Associations of Athletics Federation (IAAF).

    “I must also state categorically that his absence would not affect the performance of the team in Australia. We have over three athletes we are preparing to better his time in the men’s 400 metres and we believe they can better his time before the Commonwealth Games,” Adeleye added.

    He, however, said that the team would continue its training in Abuja ahead of the Games as they are expected to depart the country to Australia on March 25 for the final conditioning and competition at the games.

  • Okuma, Nwofor boost Nigeria’s gold tally

    Okuma, Nwofor boost Nigeria’s gold tally

     

    Team Nigeria wrestlers won 25 medals (7 gold, 9 silver and 9 bronze) in the Juniors Category on Day 3 to increase the country’s medal haul to 46 (16 gold, 14 silver, 16 bronze) at the ongoing African Wrestling Championship in Port Harcourt.

    Out of the 25 medals, the team won 3 gold, 3 silver, 3 bronze medals in the Juniors Women’s Wrestling; a gold, 3 silver, 4

    bronze medals in the Juniors Greco Roman and 3 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze medals in the Juniors Freestyle event.

    In the Juniors Freestyle, Emeka Nwofor defeated Mohamed Jaafar of Tunisia 10-0 in the final of the 70kg to secure gold for

    Nigeria.

    Tarikebena Captain (86kg) and Radiance Akari (125kg) also won gold, while Ebiboloukemi Clarkson (79kg),   Yelekeme Nelco

    (92kg) and Zikenal Awiem (97kg) got silver.

    In the Juniors Women’s Wrestling, Ozioma Joseph won gold in the 55kg by beating Faten Hammani of Tunisia 13-6 in the final. Nkechi Dimejesi (59kg) also won gold by beating Siwar Ben Ali  9-5 in the final of the 59kg.

    In the Juniors Greco Roman, Matais Okuma won Nigeria’s only gold medal in that category by defeating Ulrich Manouan 7-0 in the 82kg weight class.

    Meanwhile, actions continue on Sunday in the senior category with Women’s Wrestling and Greco Roman at the Alfred Diete-Spiff Civic Centre, venue of the competition.

  • Nigeria wins 46 medals at ongoing Africa Wrestling Championships

    Nigeria wins 46 medals at ongoing Africa Wrestling Championships

    Team Nigeria has won 46 medals at the ongoing Africa Wrestling Championships holding at the Alfred Diete-Spiff Civil Centre, Port Harcourt.

    According to our reporter, the medals comprise 16 gold, 14 silver and 16 bronze.

    As at the time of this report many events are still ongoing and Nigeria’s medals chances are still high.

    The championships will end Feb. 11.

    Daniel Igali, the president, Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF) said that the country’s representatives had been impressive.

    Igali said that he was particularly impressed by the skills exhibited by the Cadet Team.

    “Over the years, we didn’t have a cadet team and I’m glad we have now and they are pulling their weights.

    “We are not there yet but it’s a gradual process and we are on the right path to get it right eventually.

    “When I started wrestling then, there was nothing like cadet team. I started wrestling at age 16 and it was straight to the senior team.

    “This is a good development because it provides an avenue to catch them young and groom them well to fully maximize their potential.”

    Sunmisola Balogun is the only Nigerian athlete who has so far qualified for the Youth Olympic Games from the championship

    No fewer than 90 wrestlers which comprising both males and females are representing Nigeria at the competition.

    Some of the countries participating in the championship are:  Nigeria the host, Liberia, Egypt, Guinea Bissau,Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Namibia, Kenya, Burundi, Cameron, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Ghana, Uganda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Madagascar, and Senegal

  • 2008 Beijing Olympics: IOC upgrades Team Nigeria’s bronze to silver

    2008 Beijing Olympics: IOC upgrades Team Nigeria’s bronze to silver

  • Photos: Team Nigeria’s glorious reception from Rio Paralympics

    Photos: Team Nigeria’s glorious reception from Rio Paralympics

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