Sports
Minister Tasks Federations On Preparations …Tokyo 2020 Olympics
Minister of Youths and Sports, Solomon Dalung, has urged national sports federations to commence preparations ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in order to achieve success.
Dalung who spoke at the closing ceremony of the 2017 National Karate Open Championship in Abuja said sports federations hoping to win laurels at the 2020 Olympics must commence preparations early.
Represented by the Director of the Sports Ministry’s Federation and Elite Athletes Department (FEAD), Tayo Oreweme, the minister noted that the Tokyo Games would be karate’s first Olympic outing.
“This will be the first time karate will feature at the Games, hence the need to commence preparations and be part of that history,’’ he said.
Dalung said it was important that preparation should commence immediately in view of the need for the Karate Federation of Nigeria to have its athletes qualify for the Games.
“I hope that the federation’s technical team has been able to identify high-profile athletes from this championship who will be nurtured to stardom to win medals at the Olympics.
“To qualify for the Olympics, all hands must be on deck.
“I want to encourage the federation to spread its tentacles, to get to the corporate and private organisations, as well as the World Karate Federation, for financial and technical support which will ensure successful outings at the qualifying competitions,” he said.
Dalung also called on the national federations to concentrate more on constant organisation of zonal and national competitions for all age categories.
“This is what will help you to identify and nurture potential athletes to represent Nigeria at international competitions,’’ the minister said.
Earlier, President of the federation, Silas Agara, had said karate was becoming a global sport capable of building bridges of love, friendship and cooperation among nations.
“It is for this reason that its inclusion in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games has come to us as a positive development.
“It is my hope and expectation that all stakeholders, athletes, coaches, referees, administrators and sponsors will strive to make our collective dream come true in our determination to place our country on the map of world recognition.
“I urge all participants in the national championship to commit themselves to the sport with all sense of patriotism, having in mind that the essence of participating in competitions is not only the euphoria of winning.
“Have it in mind that there is more fulfilment in the coming together to enhance national integration,’’ he said.
Agara restated the federation’s resolve to open up opportunities for all athletes, regardless of gender, class or age, in order to enable sportsmen and women realise their aspirations.
He promised to ensure equal development and promotion of karate in the 36 states of the federation and the FCT through sustained courses, seminars, competitions and provision of access to facilities.
Agara said no stone would be left unturned as the federation sets out to identify athletes who possessed the needed potential for the 2020 Olympics.
Tidesports source gathered that FCT and Lagos won gold in the Karate female and male team events respectively.
England captain Harry Kane netted a hat-trick to guide Bayern Munich to an impressive victory against Stuttgart.
Kane’s goals, plus one from Kingsley Coman, helped Bayern end a three-game winless run in all competitions.
They faced a tough task against a Stuttgart side who sat back and limited their chances, leading Vincent Kompany’s side to enter the break frustrated and with the deadlock unbroken.
Bayern eventually found a way past Stuttgart’s steely defence when Kane drilled a low effort into the bottom corner from around 30 yards out after Joshua Kimmich overturned possession.
Former Nigeria goalkeeper, Dosu Joseph, is full of thanks to God after he miraculously survived another life-threatening automobile accident recent at Kara, along the Lagos-Ibadan Express Way, where a heavy-duty truck ran into his SUV.
Narrating his ordeal, the 51-year-old, who guided Nigeria to gold in the Men’s Football Tournament of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, broke the news in a statement on his social media handles on Friday.
“To God be the glory, another death escaped by Grace and Mercy of God. Me and my friend SM were at Enyo Filling Station after Ojodu Berger bus stop to get fuel on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, around 6 p.m. when this MACK truck fully loaded with iron, with registration number LND 470 XX, left the road and crushed my car beyond repairs. Thank God for life,” he stated.
This is the second time the soft-spoken club proprietor will cheat death by a whisker, having been involved in an accident in 1997 that ended his career at 23 and left his spinal cord in bad shape.
He helped Julius Berger win the Nigeria FA Cup in November 1997 shortly a memorable Olympic outing by keeping a clean sheet in the finals against Katsina United. The following year, he was involved in the auto along Ikorodu Road, Lagos, which not only cut his career short but also left him almost paralysed, ending his spell at Serie A club Reggiana.
The former Nigeria international, who also kept goal for Julius Berger FC, said the case has been reported to Isheri Police Station, Ogun State, where the driver is currently detained and the truck also seized.
According to him, the owner of the truck said he can’t fix the badly damaged SUV until after a year.
Ex – Super Eagles of Nigeria, Okwuchukwu Waobikeze has observed that sports development in Nigeria is going down.
According to him, grassroots sports is very important, without it, the administrators cannot get it right. So everybody should key into grassroots sports development, he said.
Waobikeze said this last Wednesday in an interview with sports journalists shortly after the Port Harcourt All Stars Independence football festival (OCTOBERFEST) at the Port Harcourt club, Rivers State.
He explained that for sports administrators to get it right, grassroots development is key. “They should be organising competition at the grassroots level to fish out the young ones for different sporting activities.
“Grassroots sports is very important so the administrators have to go back to the grassroots.
” Sports Development in Nigeria is going down we need to go back to the basics.
“Look at the just concluded Paris Olympics, Nigeria did not win any medal.
” Our football team did not even qualify for the Olympics. We are going down.
” If they should go back to the grassroots, they will get young ones in the games and talents will be developed.
” I started from school games, to youth games before playing for the national team. Now everybody wants to fly board to play professional football and a lot do not know the basics of the game.
” A lot of people did not know the little things about the game, they just want to play. It is not done so,” Waobikeze stated.
Kiadum Edookor