Sports
Nigeria To Host Deaf Football Tourny
Nigeria is to host Deaf Football Tournament in November, Amuda Ibrahim, a board member of Confederation for Africa Deaf Sports (CADS), has said.
He told the Tidesports source yesterday in Lagos that Nigeria’s participation and top ranked record in Deaf Football tournaments earned her the hosting right.
Ibrahim said that Nigeria Deaf Football Association’s (NDFA) national team, known as ‘Deaf Eagles’ was currently ranked number one in West Africa and two in Africa.
He said that Nigeria was expected to host for the first time in November, the Africa Deaf Football Championship being part of qualifiers for 2020 World Cup and 2022 Deaf-Olympics.
“Nigeria’s Deaf Eagles have been significantly active in West Africa and Africa Deaf football tournaments since the inception of the competition in 2000.
“The team have been in the forefront in all its participation and have lifted the trophy three times and twice finished second position, an outstanding in Africa ranking.
“It was on that note that CADS official ruling body deemed it fit to acknowledge Nigeria’s impressive records by awarding it the hosting right of 2019 Africa Deaf Football tournament,” he said.
Ibrahim who double as president of West Africa Deaf Sports Union (WADSU), said the hosting of the championship in Nigeria was a good one for the country to make history.
He said the development of deaf football in the country which has not been enjoying its rightful place of awareness, would receive adequate attention and attract more upcoming footballers.
“This hosting right is coming with lots of benefits that will bring positive development to deaf football in our country, so I see it as an opportunity develop.
“Lots of deaf footballers are not aware of the activities of the sport, but with this upcoming hosting, the awareness will attract them to build their career.
“The drive to watch deaf footballers on the pitch will attract fans to the sports and some will be inspired to identity with activities of the sport by way of sponsorship,”he added.
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
