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AYC: Omeruo May Miss Nigerian Squad

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The Coach of the U-20 male national team, John Obuh, has said Kenneth Omeruo may be excluded from the African Youth Championship (AYC) if need be.

Obuh, who disclosed this to Tidesports in Abuja, noted that this was because his club might not release him, after playing for the Super Eagles.

Omeruo is a Chelsea FC of England defender who is currently on loan to Dutch side, Ado Den Haag.

According to him, the team still hopes to include him in the AYC squad but his participation in the senior national team may not afford him the opportunity.

Obuh said the player’s club might not release him again to play for the U-20 after being allowed to play at the Africa Cup of Nations where he performed well.

He said the player would also continue training with the team ahead of the Confederation Cup, though his chances were slim.

“I thank God for him; I will not say he is no longer a member of the team.

“It all depends on his team which I doubt will release him because they released him to play for the Super Eagles.

“Don’t forget the fact that the Super Eagles are also going for the Confederation Cup so, I think they will also need him again.

“But whatever the case maybe, let’s look and see if at the point of bringing the last 21, one can then exclude him if it has to be so,’’ Obuh said.

The coach said that he was happy seeing him play excellently with the national team, adding that his joy was to see more of the U-20 players playing in the senior team.

He said he believed that if others had the same opportunity Omeruo and Onazi had, they would perform well too.

“I am not sad, I’m happy most especially that he played so well in the senior national team and I’m praying that more players should also be there.

“I believe in my boys and I know that if more of them are given the opportunity Omeruo and Onazi had, they will not disappoint, it all has to do with opportunity,’’ Obuh added.

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We’ll use Sports to Promote Peace, create Wealth in  Tai…Chairman.

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The Chairman of Tai Local Government Area, in Rivers State, Hon Mathew Dike has stated that his administration will invest in massively sports development with the view to empower young talented youths and promote unity in the area. 

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. 

 

 

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NBA train youths, coaches in Nigeria

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The National Basketball Association Nigeria recently hosted its first Jr. NBA clinic where it trained 100 youths (Boys and girls ages 10-17) and 50 local coaches.

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.

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 BFN Hold Clinic to Empower Coaches

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The Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN) continues to push the boundaries of sports development in the country, with a clear vision toward achieving excellence and early preparation for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

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.

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