Sports

Stakeholders’ Responsibility, Key To Sports Transformation -NCC

Published

6 years ago

October 29, 2018

The Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) has identified stakeholders’ collective responsibility as the critical key toward achieving the desired transformation in the nation’s sports sector.
Mr Oluwatoyin Asaju, Deputy Director with NCC, said this while interacting with newsmen on the sideline of the ongoing NCC Lawn tennis Nationwide League taking place at the Kwara Stadium Sports Complex, Ilorin.
Tidesports source reports that the group stage preliminaries of the 4th edition of the league is taking place in eleven other venues simultaneously across the country.
The 2017 edition of the league which attracted a cash prize of N7 million was won by the Civil Defence team.
Asaju, the Team Leader for the event in Kwara, said the nation could only be ranked among the top contenders in international sporting event if the sector was fully developed.
He said the commission also had the desire to promote the nation’s sports, adding that the public and private sectors must leverage on the army of talents in the country.
He said that the commission’s participation in sports development, especially as regard lawn tennis, was an integral part of its corporate social responsibility.
According to him, the NCC’s involvement is informed by the need to discover new and younger talents that could fly the nation’s flag in both national and international sports meets.
He said the overall essence and desire was to assist and support government in its sports developmental drive.
Asaju said the choice of lawn tennis was to ensure that the game was fully developed and monitored by the commission.
He, therefore, urged other corporate organisations and individuals to key into promoting different sports to achieve the desired results of the country competing in variety of sports at global level.
“All of us have to come together, the public and private sector, to contribute our quota to the development of sports.
“On our own, we have chosen lawn tennis, other corporate bodies or individuals can pick other sports apart from football whether in partnership to grow promote and develop them to full capacity.
“So, that at the end of the day, the entire sport sector will be generally developed,” he said.
Asaju, who expressed delight at the commission’s involvement in sports development, however, urged the government to further boost the sector’s financial and infrastructure capabilities.
“With more enlightenment being fostered through the games, I think the objective of our participation is being achieved,” he said.
He expressed the commission’s readiness to expand the scope of its sponsorship of the game if more funds were available.
Mr Bola Amurawaye, the Team Manager for Team Goshen, praised the NCC management for its foresight in organising the tennis tournament for talents hunt.
“This is our third year of participating in the league and as more awareness and talents are being discovered there is the need for more corporate sponsorship,” he said.
Tidesports source also reports that the league has attracted scores of lawn tennis armatures and raw talents from all the centers.

City Crime

‘NFF Conducted Federation Cup Draw Fairly’

Published

4 days ago

April 21, 2025

The Tide

The Nigeria Football Federation has defended the recent quarter-finals draw for the 2025 President Federation Cup, saying it was conducted in line with best global practices.
A member of the NFF Executive Committee Board, George Aluo, stated that criticism over venues for the quarterfinals was unfortunate.
Going by the fixtures released on Saturday by the football body, Abakaliki FC will take on Nasarawa United in Benin, Wikki Tourists will clash with Ikorodu City in Bwari, Abuja, Akwa United and Kwara United will fight it out in Enugu, just as Area 3, Abuja, will host the encounter between Rangers International and Plateau United. All matches are scheduled for May 3rd for the emergence of semifinalists in a leg affair.
However, there have been criticisms over the Ikorodu United vs Wikki Tourist tie billed for Abuja, with a section of the press saying the venue is skewed in favour of the Bauchi team.
Aluo, also the Chairman of the Nigeria National League (NNL), said: “Some of our media men need better education, and newsmen should not be like the fans out there on the streets. In the English FA Cup, it is always a one-legged pairing that can see a club like Arsenal host Manchester United at home”.

Sports

Act Sports Signs New Teqball Specialist Contract In Nigeria

Published

4 days ago

April 21, 2025

The Tide

A new contract that will see Act Sports Di Oyibo Limited managing the career of Nigerian teqball specialist, Victor Oyemade, has been signed in Lagos.
The deal gives exclusive rights to Act Sports to manage, and exercise power of attorney over issues relating to the player’s welfare as it concerns his transactions, engagement for professional, promotional, sponsorships, endorsements, and exhibition purposes.
In signing the document, both parties also agreed that proper safeguards would be put in place to protect and promote the player’s interest at all times.
Director of Act Sports, Di Oyibo Limited, Pastor Samuel Robinson Oyibo, excited about the deal, said it would benefit both parties in the area of spreading the message of the sport, as well as laying a firm foundation for his new client’s future.
“Teqball is one of the world’s fastest-growing ball sports, and Victor Oyemade is the face of the sport here in Nigeria and Africa. That is why we are excited about this partnership that gives Act Sports official authorisation to manage his career, just as it will lay the foundation for its rapid growth in our country,” Pastor Oyibo said.
Oyemade was no less excited about the deal, saying it would help his growth in the sport.

Sports

Nigeria Name Handball Squads For Zonal Champs

Published

4 days ago

April 21, 2025

The Tide

Coaches of Nigeria’s U-18 and U-20 women’s handball teams have released their final lists of 14 players ahead of the IHF Women’s Trophy Zonal Phase, which will be held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, that commenced yesterday to end 24th of this month.
The two teams have been training at the Rowe Park Sports Centre, Yaba, Lagos, for close to two weeks and departed for the competition on Thursday.
Coach John Uzor of the national U-18 team has included Omole Joy of Defender Babes and her sister Omole Shola alongside Ojie Princess of Funad Academy alongside right back Faisat Balogun in the mix while Success Duru, Chetachi Ngaodurubie of COAS Babes and Sharon Okonkwo make the cut, amongst other players.
In the U-20 team, Coach Shittu Agboola has largely stuck with the players he has been grooming since their U-18 days. The team is led by Captain Chidera Ogbusimba alongside, her Rima Queens teammates the Samuel Sisters, Amina Mohammed and Joy Peters.
Israel-based Rahima Bello, Kehinde Babatunde of ASPAC HBC of Benin Republic and Esther Mathew, who is also based in Benin Republic, keep their places.
Coach Shittu believes his team will make Nigeria proud just as they did previously at the U-18 level.
“I am really upset that Taiwo Babatunde will not be part of the team for this competition as her school, Yaba College of Technology, insisted that they will not release her for national service because of examinations.
“We did everything humanly possible to secure her release and they didn’t care that it is a national service for the interest of Nigeria and the growth of sports. We have other players who are also students and they got a release from their schools but for no tangible reason, Yabatech refused to release Taiwo despite the fact that we did everything possible to secure her release. It’s sad and I hope the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Sports Commission will work in tandem so that schools will support our goal in making Nigeria proud in sporting events”.