Sports
19th NSF: Rivers Athletes Begin Camping
At last, Rivers State
athletes for the forthcoming 19th National Sports Festival have moved into camp. About 1,269 athletes began intensive training last week in various camps across Rivers State. Some of the camp sites include Alfred Diette Spiff Sports Complex, Moscow Road, in Port Harcourt, University of Port Harcourt, Choba and the Basketball hostel at Niger Street in Port Harcourt Township.
The first phase of the camp which is expected to last one month would further fortify preparations ahead of the festival tagged, “2014 Paradise Games”, scheduled to hold from 23rd November to 7th December, this year. Sporting associations allocated to UNIPORT include athletic, gymnastics, cycling, hockey, judo, swimming, table-tennis, tennis, squash, special sports (para-table tennis and para athletics) and football. While those at the Alfred Diette Spiff Sports Complex and Basketball hostel are badminton, Basketball, boxing, handball, Abula, Kokowa, Ayo, Volleyball, Weight lifting and special sports. Others include para powerlifting, rowing \canoeing, chess, wrestling, taekwondo, golf, karate and kung-fu associations.
Sharks player contesting the ball on air with Enugu Raigers during a Premier League match in Port Harcourt last Wednesday.
Vice president of the Nigeria Olympics Committee (NOC), Chief Solomon Ogba, foremost Sports Marketer and founder of Okpekpe Road Race, Mike Itemuagbor and top Sports Journalist and Media Strategist, Mitchel Obi have lent their voices in support of the Niger Delta Sports Festival (NDSF).
The personalities with backgrounds in sports administration, marketing and media spoke separately in commendation of the festival, an initiative of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) with Dunamis Icon as consultants.
“This is a positive addition to the evolving sports business ecosystem because it is not just a springboard for identifying talents, it also offers a platform to truly hone the skills of those already discovered”, remarked Obi, who served as Special Advisor to a former Sports Minister, late Anthony Ikhazabor.
He said the festival will be a flagship event in the region that would trigger interest in sports among the youths and people of the region.
Edo State-born Itemuagbor commended the NDDC for the decision to add sports in the list of their intervention projects in the region, adding that: “This speaks directly to the problem of youth restiveness which is of great concern to our people.”
Raphael Onyedika has now emerged as a major doubt for the Super Eagles’ must-win 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe later this month.
The midfielder was forced out early from last week’s league game against Standard Liege.
He has not recovered from the injury and so will miss today’s league match against Gent and may also miss a UEFA Champions League Round of 16 clash against Aston Villa yesterday.
The Super Eagles take on Rwanda in Kigali on March 21, before they face Zimbabwe in Uyo four days later in crucial World Cup qualifiers.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles and Al-Khalood defender, William Troost-Ekong, has shared his experience on the difficulties of winning the prestigious Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) while describing it a must win trophy.
The former Watford FC defender has competed in the tournament three times but has yet to lift the trophy.
“I’ve been there three times now, bronze medal, silver medal, but I haven’t had the chance to win it. That remains my ultimate goal,” he told Tidesports source.
“It means so much to me and all the kids growing up in Africa and Nigeria.”