Sports
Oga United Football Club of Omerelu in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State has lifted the maiden edition of the Elu championship league title by beating Junior Barcelona (also of Omerelu) 9-8 via a penalty shootout.
The first round of the penalty kick ended in 5-5, and in the ensuing dead ball shootout, Oga Untied emerged victorious.
Speaking with Tidesports shortly after the event, the captain of Oga Untied, Mr. Ikechi Ikenya, said he was not surprised at his team’s victory due to the level of preparedness and training the team under-went before the competition.
Mr. Ikenya noted that though the Junior Barcelona team was strong, they lost due to what he described as technical fault.”
He used the opportunity to thank the organisers of the tournament, pointing out that they should try to “commence the game earlier this year to avoid rush.”
According to a joint statement signed by the chairman and secretary of the organising committee, Messrs Collins Amadi and Amos Onunwor, the competition was aimed at grooming grassroots footballers to international level.
It hinted that the delay was caused by the inability of clubs to register earlier and other unforeseen technical challenges.
The statement also lauded the Bishop of Diocese of Ikwerre, Bishop Blessing C. Enyinda, Alikor Amadi and Conlet Johnson for their doggedness towards the success of the competition.
The organisers also called on all Omerelu sons and daughters to invest in sports, especially football, “so that the committee’s dream of raising at least one international footballer will be achieved.”
Catherine Cookey-Gam
Hon Dike who spoke with sports journalists shortly after the flag off the 2024 edition of Chairman’s Football Unity Tournament at Botem Tai in Tai LGA, said the tournament is an annual event to promote peace and unity in Tai as well identify budding talents in the area for global competition.
The opening ceremony of the tournament was more like a carnival was witnessed by huge crowd including prominent indigenes of Ogoni Kingdom, sports lovers and people from all works of life.
The LGA boss revealed that special sports committee will be setup in the area to work out modalities to strengthen sports development in Tai.
He advised the participants in the tournament from various wards in the LGA to play the game by the rules and conduct themselves in a peaceful and orderly manner and use the opportunity to showcase their talents.
Hon Dike further disclosed that his administration will also give priority attention to skills development among the youth to enhance their human capacity and promote enterprise development in the area.
Earlier in his address the Chairman of Tai LGA Football Council, Elder Wisdom Gorgor said the annual football competition has been a unifying factor in Tai LGA that need to be sustained to forge more unity and development in the area.
He urged the participants to see the competition as an opportunity to embrace football as a full career and earn sustainable livelihood.
Elder Gorgor who commended the Chairman of Tai LGA, Hon Dike for his visionary leadership and tremendous development achievements recorded in the LGA under his administration, appealled to the Chairman to build a Mini Sports Stadium in the area to promote sporting activities.
The training was held at the Sani Abacha Stadium Indoor Basketball Court in Kano last Saturday.
According to the Vice President and Head of NBA Nigeria, Gbemisola Abudu, the event was part of the league’s commitment to growing broader basketball ecosystem in Nigeria and making the game more accessible across the country.
“Our first Jr. NBA clinic in Kano speaks to our commitment to growing the game in Nigeria and creating more opportunities for boys and girls to learn and play the game,” Abudu said.
“Nigeria has a rich basketball history and abundance of talent, which is evident every time you watch an NBA game. We look forward to continuing to engage with basketball stakeholders, business leaders and members of the community to further the game’s reach and impact on young people around the country,” she added.
The 2024 basketball initiative clinics of NBA Nigeria also included the league’s inaugural Jr. NBA elite camp for 150 boys and age-16 girls held at the American International School in Lagos in July.
Others include the NBA’s building of 1,000 courts in Africa over the next decade, Nigeria’s Festival Coins and Salubata named the top two winning businesses at NBA Africa Triple-Double Accelerator’s inaugural Demo Day in New York City held last September, and the third edition of “NBA Meets Art,” a curated installation celebrating basketball through the lens of Nigerian art and culture as part of West Africa’s premier art fair Art X Lagos, held in November.
Central to this vision is the federation’s investment in capacity building, evident in the just-concluded one-week Level 1 Badminton World Federation (BWF) Coaching Course, which marked a significant milestone for Nigerian badminton.
Held in Abuja, the course brought together 13 young coaches from across Nigeria. The last time such a course was held in the country was in 2017, making this a historic and transformative step.
The training was facilitated by the Badminton Confederation of Africa (BCA) in partnership with the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN) and conducted by Dr. Ahmed Radah, the BCA Development Manager.
Radah, impressed by the talent he witnessed, praised Nigeria’s potential.
“Nigeria is blessed with immense talent and a strong badminton tradition. I believe this country has what it takes to dominate on the global stage,” he remarked.
-
Nation5 days agoBodo-Bonny Road: Julius Berger Workforce Maintains Steady Work to ensure timely delivery
-
News2 days agoFUBARA MOURNS FORMER RIVERS GOV
-
Transport3 days ago‘Poor State Of Road Affecting Onne Port’s Operations’
-
News2 days agoMayor Of Housing Wins Man Of The Year Award
-
News2 days agoArmy Destroys 20 Illegal Refineries, Arrests Eight In N’Delta
-
City Crime2 days agoFUBARA PRESENTS N1.188TRN AS 2025 BUDGET TO RSHA
-
News2 days agoWE’LL IMPACT LIVES OF RIVERS PEOPLE EQUALLY, FUBARA ASSURES
-
News2 days agoWE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER IN S’SOUTH TO ACHIEVE REGIONAL DEV, FUBARA INSISTS