Sports
Track Cycling: 10 Countries To Participate In 2019 Africa Cup
Cycling teams from 10 countries have so far indicated interest in participating in the 2019 Africa Track Cup Championship slated for the Velodrome of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.
The Media Officer of Cycling Federation of Nigeria (CFN), Dorcas Jonah, disclosed in a statement at the weekend in Abuja that no fewer than 100 participants would feature in the competition.
She said they would take part in 18 events in the junior and elite categories.
Tidesports source reports that the competition would be hosted by the CFN from July 26 to July 28.
Jonah also disclosed that the CFN President, Giandomenico Massari, has said the federation was expecting teams from 18 countries at the competition.
“So far only 10 countries have indicated interest. But we are still hopeful.
“However, we are sure that the 2019 Africa Track Cycling Cup will be graced by former Italian cycling professionals like Mrs Giorgia Bronzini, three-times United Cycling International (UCI) world champion, and Roberto Chiappa, two-times UCI world champion.
“Also, former Italy national team member, Andrea Tonti, and other lieutenants of several UCI world champions will be around during the competition.
“The leadership of Confederation of Africa Cycling (CAC), led by its president, Mohamed Azzam, would also be in Abuja for the event,” the CFN spokesperson quoted Massari as saying.
Tidesports also reports that countries whose teams have already indicated interest in participating in the championship are: Guinea, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Republic of Benin, Burundi, Egypt, Morocco and Nigeria.
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