Sports
Enugu State Football League Ends, July 29
The Enugu State Secretary of Football Association, Francis Ugwu, says Olicon Rovers FC and Purple Krown Academy have reached the finals of the ongoing 2017 Enugu State League.
The secretary said that both the third place match and the final match would be played at 9a.m. and 11 a.m. respectively on July 29.
Ugwu told newsmen in Enugu recently that he was overwhelmed with joy with the outcome of the league so far.
He said that the third place match would be between Enugu Angels FC and AC United FC at 9a.m., while Olicon Rovers and Purple Krown would slug it out for the trophy at 11 a.m.
He, however, thanked the technical crews of the clubs that had been featuring in the league for their adherence to the rules of the game.
“The game of football is not a do-or-die affair and I am happy that the clubs that did not make it to the finals understand such.
“If you cannot make it this year, next year’s edition is almost around the corner,’’ he said.
Meanwhile, Coach Adewale Alao of Purple Krown Academy has said that his team will do its possible best to win the league.
“As the 2015 champions, we cannot afford to miss the trophy this year and now that we have reached the final, lifting the trophy is our main target.
“There are two things that work for us, favour from God and our ability to study our opponent’s past matches.
“We do watch each match of the ongoing league and analysed it, that is why we were able to reach this level,’’he said.
On his part, Godspower Nwajagu, Chairman of Olicon Rovers FC said that his club was ready to finish the league on a good note.
“We lost the 2016 edition to Coal City Youths FC by 1-0; it will please me to go home with the trophy this time around.
“I wish God will compensate us with the 2017 state league trophy on July 29,’’ he added.
It would be recalled that Olicon FC defeated Enugu Angels FC by 2-1 on Saturday in the first semi-finals, while Purple Krown Academy brushed aside AC United 3-1 in the second semifinals.
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.