Sports
Golfers Storm Aba For Governor’s Cup Tees Off
Golf players from across the country and West Africa are currently in Aba for the 1st Abia Governor’s Cup Open Championship, which is fixed for May 19th-23rd at the famous Aba Golf Course.
Speaking before taking the first shot to tee off the competition, Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, encouraged the participants to enjoy the game and also the hospitality of the people, find time to visit major shopping centres in Aba to buy memorabilia to take to their respective homes. He promised to continue to support the sport and assured that his administration will bequeath a new golf course in Ohafia to further deepen awareness and participation in the game.
He said, “I pray that golf which is a unifying game will continue to unify us in Nigeria and also avail us of the health benefits of engaging in this gentlemen game”.
In his remarks, the National Director of Competitions, Professional Golfers Association of Nigeria (PGAN), Johnbull Dangofa, who has been in the state to ensure the smooth take off of the championship informed the governor that having gone round the historic city, he was pleased with the prevailing peace and the good infrastructure put in place by the governor.
“Honestly, the Aba I met shocked me with unbelief, contrary to what we read and hear in Abuja and Bayelsa where I come from. You are a quality leader who does not make noise but delivers solutions and I am very proud of you, our governor. Since we have been here, I have been walking the streets of Aba and nobody has harassed or disturbed me. This is to show that indeed you have the capacity to rule Abia people and Nigeria in future,” he said.
Welcoming the governor, President of Aba Sports Club, Chief Jerry Kalu, expressed appreciation of the members to the governor for the support given by the state government to ensure the smooth take off of the competition. He informed that more than 250 golfers registered to participate in the competition including those from other West Africa countries.
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