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Royal Hoopers Retain DStv Men’s Basketball League Title

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Royal Hoopers of Port-Harcourt, the defending champions, DStv Men’s Basketball League, on Saturday in Lagos successfully retained their title at the end of 2011/2012 season.

Hoopers defeated former three-time champions of the league, Kano Pillars, 62-51 at the final to retain its title.

Fans at the In-door Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Lagos, venue of the competition, were thrilled to an exciting final match.

The defending champions took the first two quarters of the final match at 19-17 and 19-10 respectively.

Pillars however rallied from behind in the third set to narrowly claim the set at 11-10.

Hoopers mustered courage in the fourth and last quarter and also narrowly took the set at 14-13 to emerge the champions.

Dodan Warriors of Lagos defeated Lagos slanders 78-71 to emerge the third placed winners.

Hoopers went home with a cash prize of N1 million and a trophy, Pillars took N750,000, while Warriors received N500,000 and with a trophy each.

Pillars Adele Ademola emerged the highest re-bounder, Hoopers Kingsley Aguara was named the MVP, while Abubakar of Usman also of Pillars was the highest scorer.

The champions and runners-up would represent Nigeria at the Africa Club Championship later in the year.

Coach Ogoh Odaudu of Hoopers expressed delight on his team’s successful defense of its title.

“Our defense has finally confirmed us as the real champion, it was a rough start from the beginning but we are able to retain our title with determination,” Odaudu said.

He said that the club was faced with some financial challenges during the regular season which accounted for their low performance at the beginning of the season.

“I am happy we overcame the problems that affected our performance during the regular season. Thank God we are able to retain our title.

“It was not an easy fight to get to the final and win the title, because every team at the Final Eight is a potential winner,” Odaudu said.

Coach Ibrahim Maku of Pillars blamed their loss on too many mistakes made by his player during the final match adding that it was also a bad day for his team.

Maku who described Hoopers as a good team added that the winners made good use of every opportunity to make good basket.

The coach denounced insinuation that the ongoing fasting affected his players’ performance noting that his players after all won their preliminary and semi-final matches fasting.

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City Crime

‘NFF Conducted Federation Cup Draw Fairly’

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The Nigeria Football Federation has defended the recent quarter-finals draw for the 2025 President Federation Cup, saying it was conducted in line with best global practices.
A member of the NFF Executive Committee Board, George Aluo, stated that criticism over venues for the quarterfinals was unfortunate.
Going by the fixtures released on Saturday by the football body, Abakaliki FC will take on Nasarawa United in Benin, Wikki Tourists will clash with Ikorodu City in Bwari, Abuja, Akwa United and Kwara United will fight it out in Enugu, just as Area 3, Abuja, will host the encounter between Rangers International and Plateau United. All matches are scheduled for May 3rd for the emergence of semifinalists in a leg affair.
However, there have been criticisms over the Ikorodu United vs Wikki Tourist tie billed for Abuja, with a section of the press saying the venue is skewed in favour of the Bauchi team.
Aluo, also the Chairman of the Nigeria National League (NNL), said: “Some of our media men need better education, and newsmen should not be like the fans out there on the streets. In the English FA Cup, it is always a one-legged pairing that can see a club like Arsenal host Manchester United at home”.

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Sports

Act Sports Signs New Teqball Specialist Contract In Nigeria

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A new contract that will see Act Sports Di Oyibo Limited managing the career of Nigerian teqball specialist, Victor Oyemade, has been signed in Lagos.
The deal gives exclusive rights to Act Sports to manage, and exercise power of attorney over issues relating to the player’s welfare as it concerns his transactions, engagement for professional, promotional, sponsorships, endorsements, and exhibition purposes.
In signing the document, both parties also agreed that proper safeguards would be put in place to protect and promote the player’s interest at all times.
Director of Act Sports, Di Oyibo Limited, Pastor Samuel Robinson Oyibo, excited about the deal, said it would benefit both parties in the area of spreading the message of the sport, as well as laying a firm foundation for his new client’s future.
“Teqball is one of the world’s fastest-growing ball sports, and Victor Oyemade is the face of the sport here in Nigeria and Africa. That is why we are excited about this partnership that gives Act Sports official authorisation to manage his career, just as it will lay the foundation for its rapid growth in our country,” Pastor Oyibo said.
Oyemade was no less excited about the deal, saying it would help his growth in the sport.

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Sports

Nigeria Name Handball Squads For Zonal Champs

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Coaches of Nigeria’s U-18 and U-20 women’s handball teams have released their final lists of 14 players ahead of the IHF Women’s Trophy Zonal Phase, which will be held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, that commenced yesterday to end 24th of this month.
The two teams have been training at the Rowe Park Sports Centre, Yaba, Lagos, for close to two weeks and departed for the competition on Thursday.
Coach John Uzor of the national U-18 team has included Omole Joy of Defender Babes and her sister Omole Shola alongside Ojie Princess of Funad Academy alongside right back Faisat Balogun in the mix while Success Duru, Chetachi Ngaodurubie of COAS Babes and Sharon Okonkwo make the cut, amongst other players.
In the U-20 team, Coach Shittu Agboola has largely stuck with the players he has been grooming since their U-18 days. The team is led by Captain Chidera Ogbusimba alongside, her Rima Queens teammates the Samuel Sisters, Amina Mohammed and Joy Peters.
Israel-based Rahima Bello, Kehinde Babatunde of ASPAC HBC of Benin Republic and Esther Mathew, who is also based in Benin Republic, keep their places.
Coach Shittu believes his team will make Nigeria proud just as they did previously at the U-18 level.
“I am really upset that Taiwo Babatunde will not be part of the team for this competition as her school, Yaba College of Technology, insisted that they will not release her for national service because of examinations.
“We did everything humanly possible to secure her release and they didn’t care that it is a national service for the interest of Nigeria and the growth of sports. We have other players who are also students and they got a release from their schools but for no tangible reason, Yabatech refused to release Taiwo despite the fact that we did everything possible to secure her release. It’s sad and I hope the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Sports Commission will work in tandem so that schools will support our goal in making Nigeria proud in sporting events”.

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